The next morning, when Fu Wan got up to wash, Fu Ming and Ye Lin were already up.
The two went out for a stroll and thoughtfully bought breakfast.
The breakfast was similar to yesterday's, mostly noodles with soybean paste and tofu pudding. Fu Wan had just finished a bowl of tofu pudding when Fu Ming, standing beside her, eagerly asked, "Wan, what are our plans for today?"
"Hmm... We're going to visit Master Ning this morning and attend the auction this afternoon. Are you coming with me or going out to have some fun on your own?"
Fu Ming scratched his head. Although he had never attended an auction, he had at least seen pigs run, even if he hadn't eaten pork.
Invitations are usually required for these kinds of occasions, and it wouldn't be appropriate for so many of them to all go.
"I'll go with you to visit Third Master. I won't go to the auction. I'll take Dalinzi to the Great Wall instead!"
Fu Wan had no objection to the arrangement, and Ye Lin was so excited when he heard that they were going to the Great Wall that he almost called Fu Ming "Brother".
The newspapers say that one is not a true hero until one has climbed the Great Wall, so it looks like he'll have plenty to brag about when he gets back.
"Then remember to bring your cameras. By the way, Jack and the others should be out having fun too. You can go to their hotel later. It's more fun if they play together."
After saying that, Fu Wan turned to Fang Min and said, "Fang Min, they are a group of men. Why don't you come to the auction with me? If you want to go out and have fun, we can go tomorrow."
Fang Min nodded in agreement. Even if Fu Wan didn't say anything, she would definitely follow Fu Wan. After all, she wasn't interested in playing games or anything; her task was to ensure Fu Wan's safety.
After breakfast, Fu Wan went out and bought some gifts. Then the four of them took a taxi to Panjiayuan.
Although Ye Lin was already in his thirties, he was as excited as a child of a few years old, finding everything novel and fascinating.
Panjiayuan was as lively as ever in the morning. Ye Lin looked around curiously, pulling Fu Ming aside and whispering to him.
"Wow, why are there so many old things here?"
"Good heavens, that's a silver dollar! There are people in our village who buy these; they can get two dollars for one!"
Along the way, Ye Linguang saw no less than a dozen piles of flowers and incense burners of various shapes and styles.
If these things were still in Qingshan Village, they wouldn't be displayed so openly outside; they would definitely be buried in the ground and hidden away.
But it's different here. Whether it's vendors or passersby, they're all used to these treasures, as if the ground is covered with nothing but cabbages.
Hey, does that mean the treasures here are as cheap as cabbage? If he buys a few and resells them to others, wouldn't he make a fortune?
Ye Lin was somewhat tempted, but as soon as he stopped in front of a stall, Fu Ming ruthlessly pulled him away.
"What are you doing? Trying to learn a lesson?"
Although Fu Ming usually likes to joke around with Ye Lin, he is very serious about this kind of thing.
Seeing that Ye Lin still hadn't reacted, he couldn't help but pull Ye Lin aside, and then whispered a pointed piece of advice: "Let me tell you, these things aren't cheap. Think about your savings account, can it withstand the damage?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Lin suddenly realized, "That's right, I just bought a shop yesterday, and now my bankbook is emptier than my face."
Fu Wan walked ahead, and when she heard Fu Ming's voice, she slowed down.
"Brother Lin, you want to buy these old things?"
Ye Lin shook his head, "No, no, I don't have any money."
After saying that, he remembered something and pulled Fu Wan aside to gesture quietly.
"Wan, I see all these things displayed like cabbages, aren't they very cheap?"
"Let me tell you, there are people in our village who buy these silver dollars. One silver dollar can be exchanged for several yuan."
He had no money, but Fu Wan did. Even if they didn't sell these old things, it would be good to keep them.
Fu Wan could easily understand Ye Lin's meaning. She shook her head and said, "Brother Lin, you underestimate the merchants here."
Do you think this thing is valuable in the village but worthless in the capital?
"They're displayed like cabbages, how expensive can they be?"
"Then you're mistaken. If you go and ask, the price will definitely be several times higher than what you'd find in the village."
“The most crucial thing is…” Fu Wan paused, lowering her voice slightly.
"Nine out of ten of these things are fake. Those of us who don't know any better shouldn't learn our lesson."
Ye Lin was stunned. "Fake goods? How dare they display them like this? Isn't this blatant fraud?"
Fu Wan waved her hand, "One party is willing to give and the other is willing to receive. Antique trading is always a transaction where money and goods are exchanged, and the waters run deep."
Look at those vases, aren't they beautiful? They look like antiques, but actually, they might have been fired just last week.
Hearing this, Ye Lin was speechless. "Then...the one that person bought was also fake?"
Fu Wan followed Ye Lin's gaze and saw a man haggling for a long time before buying a half-meter-tall vase at a stall not far away.
He pulled out a thick stack of 10,000-yuan notes, which didn't look cheap.
"It's hard to say, I don't understand it either."
As soon as Fu Wan finished speaking, the group saw several more foreigners arrive at the stall. The stall owner gave the previous customer a wink, and the customer picked up an incense burner and started haggling loudly with the stall owner.
"This person is a shill."
Fang Min stood behind Fu Wan and whispered something, and Fu Wan nodded in agreement.
Ye Lin was now convinced. Sure enough, wherever there is trade, there is a world of its own. Even a small antique stall has a whole set of tricks up its sleeve.
"So just watch the show, if you actually buy it, you'll lose more than your underwear!"
Fu Ming put his arm around Ye Lin and said, "Let's go, stop looking, we still have to visit people!"
Ye Lin withdrew his gaze, and his idea of saving money to buy the treasure was completely abandoned.
The four of them, carrying their things, hadn't gone far before they arrived at the entrance of Master Ning's courtyard. Fu Wan stepped forward and knocked on the door, and soon they heard footsteps coming from inside the courtyard.
The door opened, and there stood Qin Fu with a smile on his face.
"Oh, you've finally arrived! Third Master was just urging me to call you and ask where you are."
"He kept telling me to go to the gate to meet him, afraid that Comrade Xiao Fu hadn't been here for a while and had forgotten which gate to the courtyard was."
Fu Wan felt a little embarrassed by what he said.
"No way, the market up ahead was bustling and crowded, so we walked a bit slowly."
Where is Third Master? I brought him something.
Qin Fu poured them some tea and then said, "He's feeding the fish in the backyard. Please sit down and I'll go help him over."
After saying that, he walked quickly to the backyard. Fu Wan took the lead and sat down. Ye Lin hadn't said a word since he entered the house. He hadn't realized it before entering, but after entering, he realized what a wealthy family was like.
Looking at the furnishings inside the house, the beautiful garden-like scenery outside, and the attitude of Fu Wan and the others, even if he were slow-witted, he could guess that this Third Master Ning, who had not yet shown his face, was probably no small figure!
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