"I need to ask the shop owner for a few more of these jars; I'll use them to arrange my flowers," Ye Qingqing called out.
Ye Mingcheng responded and rode away. The antique street wasn't far from here, only a ten-minute bike ride away, so he often went there to browse.
Ye Qingqing examined the earthenware jar and asked the old man, "Grandpa, what do you think of this jar?"
Dr. Hu didn't even look at it and said, "There are plenty of these things in the countryside. They're too small to hold rice, and they don't have lids for pickling vegetables. They can only be used as chamber pots. If they were good stuff, would that conman give them to your dad for free? They're probably just worthless junk."
Ye Qingqing nodded. Dr. Hu was right; the good stuff wouldn't be available to her father anymore.
The old man examined the earthenware jar and said apologetically, "I don't know much about ceramics, so I can't say for sure. Would you like me to find an expert to appraise it for you?"
"No need, no need, I was just asking casually. This jar is most likely a fake." Ye Qingqing shook her head vigorously. She wasn't going to bother with it. Knowing her father's personality, the treasure would definitely not go to him.
Dr. Hu joked, "The money spent on expert appraisal could buy a dozen jars; it's not worth it."
Everyone laughed. They didn't even look at the pottery jar; it was just an inconspicuous broken pot. Even a rice jar from the countryside was more practical than this. Besides, with Ye Mingcheng's poor eyesight, what treasure could he possibly find? They guessed it was a defective product that the owner had picked up from the kiln, which was why he gave it to Ye Mingcheng for free.
Ye Qingqing wasn't in a hurry to go home. She wanted to see what Ye Mingcheng had brought back. She didn't wait long and returned in less than an hour. In her bicycle basket was a jar that was similar in color to the ceramic jar in Ye Qingqing's hand, but the mouth of the jar was narrower and the neck was longer, making it look more like a vase.
"Only one for you? This boss is too stingy." Ye Qingqing wasn't too happy with the new jar; the opening was too narrow, and she couldn't fit many flowers in it. The old one was much better.
"There's only one left on the stall," Ye Mingcheng stammered.
He stormed over, but the shop owner was all smiles, so he couldn't bring himself to yell at him. However, he still argued his case, and the shop owner finally agreed to give him one as a gift, letting him choose one himself.
“I originally wanted to pick a painting, but you said you wanted a jar, so I brought this jar back.”
Ye Mingcheng was quite disappointed. He felt that the painting had more potential, but his daughter wanted a jar, and he had to satisfy her. He would buy the painting later.
Ye Qingqing glared at her, "Luckily you didn't pick any paintings. Those were all counterfeit products. At least this jar can be used to hold flowers."
Although the jars weren't pretty, their rustic charm suited her taste. The large-bellied jar sat in the living room, while the long-necked one was placed in her bedroom, saving her the trouble of buying more vases.
"Don't buy anything from that shop again. They've cheated you out of a lot of money over the years, haven't they? You have to compare prices before buying anything. You just keep falling into their trap. You deserve to be cheated!" Ye Qingqing complained.
Although it was a case of one party willing to give and the other willing to receive, her father was constantly taken advantage of by a heartless boss, which made him feel extremely upset.
"I understand. I won't buy from that old swindler's stall again." Ye Mingcheng was also heartbroken. He decided to buy the painting he had just picked out, then move to another stall and never deal with the old swindler again.
The old gentleman glanced at the two jars Ye Qingqing was holding, and couldn't help but say, "These two jars look quite old. Maybe Dr. Ye has found a bargain this time. It would be best to have an expert take a look."
Although he didn't know much about pottery, there were quite a few people in the antique circle who collected it, and everyone would show off their latest collections. The old gentleman knew a little about it, and these two pottery jars were at least more reliable than the previous bamboo tube paintings.
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