A few minutes after hanging up, the phone rang again. The two arranged a meeting place over the phone and wrote down each other's phone numbers.
He was quite busy, so he didn't go. Instead, he gave Su Ya his address and phone number and asked her to come over.
Su Ya took Yang Na to meet a person who could appraise objects. Looking at her, who was about thirty years old, Su Ya wondered to herself, "Is someone so young even qualified to do this?"
"I was introduced by Manager Xie. My surname is Ma, you can just call me Lao Ma. May I ask what you would like to buy, miss? I am familiar with porcelain, jade, miscellaneous items and antique woodenware."
Su Ya smiled and nodded to the other party, saying, "Hello Mr. Ma, thank you for your help. I'd like to buy a bottle. Do you have any recommendations? I don't mind if it's a bit pricey."
Judging from these words, Mr. Ma, with his small glasses and square face, didn't look like a good person at all.
Recommendations and higher prices don't matter. In this industry, if your peers knew that someone who doesn't know anything about the business could make a living for three or even thirty years without ever opening a business.
A huge, lucrative target was right in front of me. Well, since I was asked to do this, I decided to help them take a look. According to industry practice, I'd get a cut.
Mr. Ma, concerned about his reputation, didn't make any ulterior motives. In fact, he really wanted to team up with the seller to devour this exceptionally fat sheep. After struggling with this internally for a while, he calmly began to introduce the porcelain to Su Ya.
"What kind of bottle did Grandpa Gong have?" Su Ya suddenly asked Yang Na.
"It's yellow, and it looks like it has flowers on it." Yang Na tried hard to recall the color and structure of the bottle.
After listening to Yang Na's description, Mr. Ma, the appraiser, felt a tightness in his chest, frowned, and narrowed his small eyes, asking, "Is the old Mr. Gong you mentioned the old Chinese medicine doctor in the courtyard house in front of Qianmen, the old Mr. Gong?"
Yang Na nodded and said yes.
"Those bottles are hard to buy."
Suya asked, "Do you know where that bottle is?"
“I know. It’s said that Old Master Gong was raising money for his son’s trip abroad, and he reluctantly sold this bottle for 20,000 yuan, shedding tears and feeling heartbroken for several days.” Mr. Ma said, then asked Su Ya, “Do you know the origin of this bottle?”
Su Ya shook her head and said to Mr. Ma, "This bottle is from the Qing Dynasty, from the Guangxu period of the Guangxu imperial kiln. The person who used this bottle was the Empress Dowager's personal servant. Old Master Gong's ancestor was an imperial physician, and it was a reward from the Empress Dowager. As a family heirloom, it's heartbreaking that Old Master Gong couldn't keep it."
"Now that you know where this bottle is, take me to buy it!"
“Miss, let me be frank from the start. Back when Old Master Gong sold the bottles, prices were low and few people dared to buy them, which made them cheap. But things are different now. If you want to get them again, the price will have to be increased by at least two zeros.”
"Okay, didn't I just say price isn't a problem? Buy it for me. Oh, didn't you say there was a raffle? Should I pay for it or should the other party pay?"
"Eat...eat yours." Mr. Ma gritted his teeth, feeling it would be a bastard not to make this money.
People say they're not short of money, so why would they care about my small cut?
Mr. Ma led them to a slightly larger courtyard house in the Houhai area. The exterior had been renovated to look newer.
Mr. Ma knocked on the door, and someone opened it, asking, "Is Mr. Huang home? I've brought two friends over to visit."
"In the living room," the person who opened the door said.
As for the people Su Ya brought, apart from one guard, the rest waited outside. The person who opened the door glanced at the two cars and then closed it.
"This Mr. Huang is a well-known collector in Beijing. He has many fine items. The problem is, we don't know if he's willing to part with the items you want. I'll try to persuade him privately later. Since you've asked me to take a look, I'll definitely make sure you get the items. Since you're willing to take my money, I'll do my best to handle this matter for you. Don't say anything casually, just leave everything to me."
Mr. Ma accompanied Su Ya deeper into the courtyard, giving her instructions as they walked. A short while later, someone opened the door and asked them to wait a moment while he went to inform the gatekeeper.
A short while later, Mr. Huang learned that a wealthy client had arrived in two cars, one of which contained bodyguards. Mr. Huang thought to himself: "From Hong Kong or Taiwan?"
Invite them to the living room and serve tea.
Mr. Ma and Mr. Huang met, exchanged a few polite words, and then Mr. Ma introduced Su Ya and Yang Na.
These two friends said they wanted to see the Empress Dowager's personal bottle, "Eternal Glory and Everlasting Spring".
Take the bottle out and place it on the round table in the middle. Set a rule that it can only be looked at closely but not handled.
Su Ya looked at Yang Na and asked, "Is it this bottle?"
"I think so!" Yang Na could only say vaguely. She had never seen it up close, and she was too young at the time. All she remembered was that the bottle was yellow.
Mr. Ma said, "Please show the two ladies the bottom of the document."
The rules stipulated that one should not touch the objects, but as the inspector, one could touch them. However, Mr. Ma was cautious and did not touch them, but instead asked the host to do it.
After Mr. Ma finished reading the bottom mark, he nodded to Su Ya.
Su Ya asked, "How much? Just name a price!"
"Miss Su, you know the origin of this bottle, right? I intend to keep it as a family heirloom!"
Mr. Ma took Mr. Huang's hand and said, "Mr. Huang, let's go to the side room and talk." He then gave Su Ya a slight smile, as if to say that he could handle it.
About twenty minutes later, Mr. Ma and Mr. Huang came out.
Mr. Ma nodded to Su Ya, indicating that he had succeeded and that she had reluctantly parted with him.
Actually, Mr. Ma was inside talking to Mr. Huang about drawing lots, saying that the other party was a very wealthy person who didn't care about money, and that he could ask for any price, and that he would take the lot after the deal was done.
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