"What's a young man like you asking about that for? Are you looking to claim kinship with me?" the old man asked, looking at him curiously.
In this society where human relationships are weak, few people would greet strangers proactively. If they did, it was almost always to ask for help.
It was truly rare for Li Yang to start by asking someone's surname like this.
"Don't misunderstand, Grandpa. I'm interested in your items and want to chat with you. I asked your surname first so I know how to address you properly," Li Yang said with a smile, shaking his head. He didn't mention buying the teapot, but rather the few items placed on the stone table beside it.
"If you're not comfortable saying, you don't have to."
"You're here to buy my things?" The old man chuckled happily. "Then you should have said so earlier. My surname is Li, you can just call me Old Li. I've been trying my luck here for more than half my life."
"Young man, if you like something of mine, just name your price. If it's suitable, you can take it. If not, we can discuss it further."
"This brush pot is pinkish-white, with pictures of flowers and plants on it. I like it very much. Can I offer two thousand yuan for it?" Li Yang pointed at a cylindrical ceramic jar on the stone table and said with a smile.
A brush pot?
Grandpa Li glanced at the item. While it could indeed be used as a brush pot, it wasn't actually a brush pot but a cricket jar.
One of the cherished curiosities favored by ancient scholars was cricket fighting. Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, a notoriously corrupt prime minister named Jia Sidao was particularly fond of cricket fighting and had extensive knowledge in this area, even publishing a book called "The Cricket Classic." It was said that by reading this book, one could govern a nation.
As for the outcome, everyone knew the state of the Song Dynasty. Jia Sidao certainly did not make the country powerful through crickets. However, when crickets were mentioned in later times, people inevitably thought of this fellow.
When Li Yang first pointed at the ceramic jar, Grandpa Li had intended to tell some stories about Jia Sidao's cricket fighting to trick Li Yang. He didn't expect that Li Yang would be such a novice that he couldn't even distinguish between a brush pot and a cricket jar.
Immediately, Grandpa Li frowned. After a moment of silence, he said, "This brush pot has quite a history. It belonged to a top scholar in the Qing Dynasty, a treasure from a scholarly family. It only recently fell into my hands. Two thousand yuan wouldn't even cover my costs."
"Young man, add a bit more. Even if I don't make a profit, you can't make me lose money, can you?"
"So it has such a grand background," Li Yang feigned shock, as if he truly believed him. He then looked at the small teapot in Grandpa Li's hand and said, "Grandpa Li, does this teapot of yours also have a significant background? Was it used by some ancient official?"
"This, cough cough, this is rather ordinary. I just use it for drinking tea normally," Grandpa Li dared not to fabricate too much. They say that too much talk leads to mistakes, and it's the same in the antique business. When you tell stories, you must have a limit; don't boast wildly, otherwise, the more you boast, the more unbelievable it becomes.
Li Yang, however, looked unconvinced and said, "Grandpa Li, I think this item of yours is extraordinary, at least better than this scholar's brush pot."
"How about this: five thousand yuan, and you sell me the small teapot and this brush pot together. I'll study them when I take them back, and I'm sure I'll figure something out."
"Five thousand?" Grandpa Li was startled, his old hands trembling, almost dropping the small teapot.
The other old men nearby looked astonished, their eyes filled with envy. Old Li was truly lucky to encounter such an ignorant novice in broad daylight and make such a fortune. He wouldn't have to worry about expenses for the month.
Li Yang nodded and said, "Five thousand yuan is quite a lot. Grandpa Li, please sell it to me."
"Normally, my brush pot has a great background, and I would never sell it for five thousand yuan. But I see you, young man, sincerely want it. I'm an old man, and who knows when this treasure might be lost. I'll sell it to you then." Grandpa Li sighed, as if he were doing Li Yang a favor, and wrapped the two items in oiled paper.
"Once the money is in, you can take the items."
"Alright, Grandpa Li." Li Yang was secretly delighted. He quickly scanned the QR code with his phone to transfer the money, then took the two items and turned to leave. "Thank you for your generosity, Grandpa Li."
"No need to thank me, it's your good fortune," Grandpa Li said with a composed expression.
After Li Yang had walked a good distance away, he could no longer control the expression on his face, revealing a cunning smile.
"Hahaha! This kid is thanking me!"
"Old Li, you've struck gold!" the people around him said enviously. "You have to treat us later!"
"Exactly! Those two junk pieces are worth at most fifty yuan, and you sold them to him for five thousand, and he even thanked you, hahaha!"
"This is hilarious!"
No matter what kind of market it is, whenever someone strikes it rich, the news quickly spreads among those in the circle. In the small circle of antique dealers at the city gate, making five thousand yuan from a single transaction was already quite sensational news.
Many people came over to congratulate him, but in reality, they also wanted Grandpa Li to treat them, to get something out of him, otherwise, they wouldn't feel balanced. They all set up stalls here together, and they all sold fake goods. Why should he be so lucky?
Grandpa Li knew very well who they were, but he couldn't hide his inner excitement. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll go to the teahouse later and order some... Hmm?"
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a Hongqi car in his peripheral vision. It looked familiar, and his heart couldn't help but pound. The next moment, he exclaimed, "Curator Qi?"
"Eh, it seems to be Curator Qi from the museum." While these old men might not have exceptional professional skills, as native residents of Jiangcheng, they were quite familiar with some local celebrities in the circle.
A middle-aged man, in his late fifties or early sixties, stepped out of the Hongqi car. The crowd recognized him as the current curator of the Jiangcheng Museum, Qi Tongwei, just by seeing his profile. The person driving for him was his assistant, Xiao Cai.
They quickly stepped in front of Li Yang. Xiao Cai glared at Li Yang angrily and demanded, "You're the owner of Li Hao Antique Shop, named Li Yang?"
"If there isn't another Li Hao Antique Shop in Jiangcheng, then you must be referring to me," Li Yang replied, looking at him with some suspicion. "However, I don't seem to know you."
"Of course, you don't know me. I'm Cai Yiming, the museum curator's assistant," Cai Yiming continued to glare at him coldly. "And this is Curator Qi. Surely you recognize him?"
"Sorry, I'm not too familiar," Li Yang said, looking at Qi Tongwei, also somewhat puzzled. Although he came from an antique family, he had been obsessed with gambling on stones for a long time and had hardly interacted with anyone in the circle.
Qi Tongwei paused for a moment and was about to speak when Cai Yiming, standing beside him, became furious. He clenched his fist and said in a low voice, "Boss Li, aren't you being too arrogant?"