The market was bustling with activity. Upon entering, besides the antique shops on both sides of the street, there were numerous small stalls with vendors laying out their wares on cloth wraps and plastic sheets.
From snuff bottles and wine vessels to Wu Di coins and various colored bracelets, the merchandise was a dazzling array, offering everything imaginable.
There were more sellers than buyers, but the crowd of shoppers was also significant.
Almost every stall had several people gathered around, negotiating prices.
As the saying goes, outsiders watch the excitement, while insiders appreciate the skill. Chen Lishu understood none of these intricacies and simply enjoyed the lively atmosphere.
The family of three walked from one end of the street to the other, planning to browse the shops after reaching the end.
As they passed a particular stall, Chen Lishu's steps involuntarily halted.
"Comrade, please take a look at the items on my stall. The prices are absolutely fair. Pick anything you like?" The stall owner was a thin, dark-skinned man, around forty years old, with bright eyes, appearing to be a shrewd businessman.
His stall displayed items he had collected from the countryside: Wu Di coins, silver dollars, old tobacco pipes, large vases, silver bracelets, wooden combs – anything you could think of, and more.
Chen Lishu's gaze, however, settled on a blue and white porcelain double-eared vase. It wasn't large, only a little over a foot tall. She was sure she wasn't mistaken; it was almost identical to the vase she kept on her cabinet.
The stall owner was adept at reading people. Seeing her staring intently at the vase, he quickly picked it up for her to inspect. "Comrade, you have good taste. This is a genuine antique. The family I bought it from passed it down as a family heirloom. Look at the glaze and the patterns. I can confidently say it's either from the Song or Yuan dynasty. The Yuan dynasty's style is perhaps more prominent. Song dynasty blue and white porcelain is delicate and refined. By the Yuan dynasty, due to the nomadic people's rough and bold spirit, the style of blue and white wares also changed. Take a closer look..."
Although he was merely repeating what he had heard, the stall owner used his limited knowledge to explain in great detail to Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu listened, understanding only half of what he said, and decided to cut to the chase. "Just tell me, how much is this?"
While she didn't know much about blue and white porcelain, she found his explanation quite reasonable. Moreover, if it was genuine, a pair of matching vases in the future might be worth a considerable sum.
The man glanced at Chen Lishu's demeanor and attire, then at Gu Xingdong in his military uniform beside her. His eyes darted around. "Two thousand. I definitely won't sell it for less than two thousand."
He had bought this vase for three hundred yuan from a villager. However, it had been on display for quite some time, and most people just shook their heads and walked away upon hearing the price.
Although Chen Lishu wasn't an expert in appraising items, she was good at reading people. She noticed his subtle movements but remained composed, saying nonchalantly, "Two thousand is too expensive. How about two hundred?"
The man's mouth fell slightly open. He was momentarily stunned by her audacity to slash off an entire zero.
It felt like all his talk had been in vain.
"That won't do. I can't even acquire it for two hundred."
Chen Lishu smiled. "Then name your price, and I'll see if it's acceptable."
The man gritted his teeth. "Comrade, if you're serious about buying, nineteen hundred."
"Boss, you're not serious about selling. Four hundred at most."
"Seeing as you're my first customer today, I'll give you an opening price, eighteen hundred."
"Four hundred."
"..."
They stood at the stall, back and forth, for a long time. Chen Lishu eventually bought the double-eared blue and white vase for eight hundred yuan.
Chen Lishu had already made up her mind. If it was real, that would be best. If not, eight hundred yuan wasn't a significant amount for her now; it wouldn't cripple her. At worst, she'd have a matching pair for a bit of fun.
Afterward, Chen Lishu and Rui Rui waited in place while Gu Xingdong went to the bank to withdraw money.
About ten minutes later, Gu Xingdong returned and handed the money to the stall owner. Chen Lishu handed the vase to Gu Xingdong. "You hold this for me. It cost eight hundred yuan, and I'm afraid my hands might shake and break it."
Gu Xingdong smiled and took it as instructed. The family of three continued their walk.
They reached the end of the market without seeing anything else that caught their eye. However, they had certainly learned a lot. They heard names for beads and stones they had never heard of before. Regardless of their authenticity, they were certainly exposed to a lot of terminology.
After browsing the stalls, Chen Lishu prepared to look inside the shops.
As soon as she entered, she noticed that the shops were far more upscale than the outdoor stalls. She hesitated to even touch the items displayed on the display shelves, fearing that if she accidentally broke something, she wouldn't be able to afford the compensation.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on Rui Rui's hand. Fortunately, Rui Rui was a steady child, so she didn't have to worry about him getting into any accidents out of curiosity.
After walking through two shops, a jade shop suddenly appeared ahead. Chen Lishu's thoughts stirred, and she stepped inside.
Gold was not yet allowed for private sale; it wasn't until the reform and opening up, in 1982, that the state officially allowed domestic gold sales. Craft stores were only permitted to sell jade and silver ornaments.
After looking around the store, Chen Lishu's gaze finally fell on a pair of jade pendants.
On a velvet box, a green Guanyin and a Maitreya Buddha pendant were placed side by side. Although she couldn't appraise them, she could tell the material had a good luster.
"Miss, you have excellent taste. This is the only pair in our shop. As the saying goes, men wear Guanyin and women wear Buddha. They are perfect for you and your husband."
Chen Lishu picked them up and examined them closely. Besides the quality of the material, the craftsmanship was also good. She then held the Guanyin pendant near Gu Xingdong to compare.
"Boss, how much are these two?"
"Five hundred."
Chen Lishu frowned. Turning her back to the owner, she looked at Gu Xingdong and said hesitantly, "It seems a bit expensive. Perhaps we shouldn't buy them?"
Seeing her repeatedly wink at him, Gu Xingdong suppressed a smile and played along. "Then let's not buy them."
While five hundred yuan was not the highest price in the shop, it was still a considerable sum for ordinary people.
Just as the owner was starting to feel disappointed, Chen Lishu said, "But I really like them."
The smile in Gu Xingdong's eyes deepened. "Then let's buy them."
The owner watched the couple, his mood fluctuating like a roller coaster. Were they buying or not?
Chen Lishu continued to ponder. "It's just that the number five hundred isn't very auspicious. Two items for five hundred means each is bought by a fool."
Gu Xingdong replied, "Then perhaps we should just forget about it?"
The owner finally caught on and quickly smiled, stepping forward. "Since you are both sincere buyers, how about four hundred and eighty?"
Chen Lishu frowned. "Four hundred and eighty isn't auspicious either! How about four hundred and fifty?"
"Impossible, impossible. Miss, you're pushing too hard. I can only reduce it by five yuan at most, otherwise, I'll really be losing money." Items in the store were usually not subject to negotiation, but the owner had already made a significant concession by selling two items at once.
Chen Lishu decided to be reasonable. After paying, she happily took the two items.
Seeing that they had bought most of what they intended, the family of three was about to leave when a man entered the shop. As he brushed past them, he suddenly turned back. "Comrade?"
Chen Lishu turned her head. The man quickly walked around her and approached Gu Xingdong, his gaze fixed on the vase in his hand. He seemed slightly agitated. "May I see the vase you're holding?"