Finding a hotel near Nanxing Dao, Fatty and I settled in. Once in our room, Fatty asked, "Master Xiang, are you really going to redeem that Fu guy? What's your relationship with him?"
"No relationship at all," I replied absentmindedly.
"No relationship at all?!" he exclaimed, his voice rising. "Are you really willing to shell out a million for him?"
"You're overthinking it. How could I possibly have a million?"
"Then why did you agree to give them three days earlier?"
"That's a delaying tactic. I'm not afraid to tell you, I've never even met this Fu Honglang."
Fatty froze, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
Seeing his expression, I chuckled, "Rest well today. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you for breakfast."
The next morning, around seven, we left the hotel and wandered around Nanxing Dao for a bit, familiarizing ourselves with the surroundings.
At noon, we went to a noodle shop and had a bowl of hui mian and a bowl of hu la tang.
Fatty enthusiastically ate the hui mian. However, after a sip of the hu la tang, he shook his head and mumbled, "What is this stuff? The flavor is too strong!"
"What do you know? This is a specialty of Shangdu."
Fatty smacked his lips and shook his head. "I can't get used to it... Master Xiang, where are we going later?"
I thought for a moment. "Do you want to find some bargains?"
Upon hearing the words "find bargains," Fatty's eyes lit up. "Do you have a way, Master Xiang?"
"What kind of way is needed to find bargains? Do you remember that calligraphy and painting shop we went to this morning?" I said.
Fatty nodded. "Master Xiang, are there bargains to be found in that shop?"
"There are, but they're small bargains," I replied.
"How small?" Fatty asked.
"A thousand yuan or so."
"That little? What's the point of finding such a bargain?"
"Oh? Is our Fatty now a rich man? He doesn't even care about a thousand yuan anymore?" I taunted.
Fatty laughed. "Master Xiang, you said it yourself, we've come out here, and if we're going to find bargains, it should be a big one. Otherwise, wouldn't it damage our reputation? I don't care, but you're different, Master Xiang. You're the owner of Guangling Anyuan Tang. If word gets out, how will you save face?"
I gave him a sidelong glance. "Where do you think this is? Are bargains lining up for you to pick? Why don't you say we go to Panjiayuan to find bargains?"
Fatty gave a wry smile. "I just..."
Before he could finish, I stood up and said to the noodle shop owner, "Boss, the bill."
If finding bargains were that easy, what would be the point of dealers?
Especially in an antique city, the probability of finding a big bargain is about the same as winning the lottery.
People who frequent antique cities, don't they all have some skills?
Generally, businesses in antique cities only make a profit from the price difference. For example, if I buy something for a hundred yuan and sell it for a hundred and fifty, that's a profit.
As for trying to gain a lot from little, spending a hundred yuan to buy an item worth tens of thousands, that kind of probability is too low.
The time I found a bargain with Hong Yunpeng in Guangling was also due to good luck; we just happened to stumble upon it. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been our turn.
After leaving the noodle shop, Fatty and I quickly arrived at the calligraphy and painting shop we had visited in the morning. As soon as we entered, the boss greeted us, "You two are back?"
The owner of this calligraphy and painting shop was a man in his fifties, who always smiled and gave people a very approachable feeling.
I nodded to the boss, greeting him, and then walked to a painting at the very back. "How much is this painting?"
"You have discerning eyes. This is Ren Bonian's 'Peony and Double Chickens'..."
I quickly interrupted him, "It's correct that it's 'Peony and Double Chickens,' but who painted it is another matter. If this were truly Ren Bonian's own work, you wouldn't have it hanging here."
Hearing my words, the boss chuckled sheepishly. "If you truly want it, you can take it for three hundred yuan. Hanging this painting in your study as decoration will definitely add class."
I said, "Three hundred? Are you sure?"
"If you think it's too expensive, I'll knock off another hundred," the boss offered.
I smiled and said, "Boss, I don't see anyone else in your shop. Why don't you invite us for a pot of tea?"
The boss looked a bit puzzled, but still nodded with a smile. "No problem, no problem. Please, come sit here."
Fatty and I sat at the tea table, and the boss began to brew tea for us. While brewing, he asked, "I heard your accent, you're from the south, aren't you?"
I nodded.
"Are you two visiting Shangdu for tourism?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Then you're here for business?"
"Something like that," I said, picking up my teacup and taking a sip. "Actually, we're here to find bargains."
As soon as I said this, Fatty spat out a mouthful of tea. He blinked his small eyes, looking at me with disbelief.
I knew what he was thinking and couldn't be bothered to respond.
It was true, though. No one who sought bargains would reveal their true intentions.
Even the owner of the calligraphy and painting shop was taken aback for a moment. Then, he chuckled and said, "Little brother, you're very honest. It's just a pity that finding bargains in Nanxing Dao isn't easy."
When I heard him say this, my heart couldn't help but rejoice: the fish had taken the bait.
"Is that so? I don't think so," I said, feigning an indifferent expression.
The boss gave a wry smile. "It seems you're very confident, little brother."
"As the saying goes, you don't dare to go to Liangshan without three sure moves," I said. "Never mind other places, there's a bargain right here in your shop."
The boss was startled, then laughed. "Little brother, you're joking. What bargains could there be in my shop? I know my items better than anyone."
"Oh really?"
I slowly pointed to the "Peony and Double Chickens" painting not far away. "That painting is genuine."
The boss smiled, seemingly not believing it at all.
"You don't believe me?" I asked.
The boss said, "To be honest, little brother, I bought that painting two months ago from someone for a hundred yuan. If you genuinely like it, just give me enough for tea money, and you can have it for one hundred and fifty."
"Are you sure?" I asked again.
The boss said confidently, "Certain... I've been dealing in calligraphy and paintings for many years, and I consider myself to have some expertise in this field. That 'Peony and Double Chickens' painting absolutely could not be by Ren Bonian."
I smiled slightly. "Indeed, that painting wasn't painted by Ren Bonian, but it is undeniably an antique painting from the late Qing Dynasty."
As I spoke, I stood up and walked to the painting, gently stroking it with my hand. "This paper is cicada-wing paper. Look at this seal paste and these pigments, they all come from that period..."
As I said this, the boss couldn't help but lean closer, examining it intently. After a moment, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He then brought the painting to his nose and sniffed it, finally looking at me in disbelief.