On both sides of the street, stalls lined up one after another, filled with a dazzling array of "treasures".
Rusty ancient coins, porcelain vases painted with images of court ladies, wooden Buddha statues with a rich patina, amber bracelets with excessively bright colors, and dzi beads with bizarre patterns...
The stall owners talked animatedly, exaggerating the merits of their wares: ancestral treasures, unearthed from construction sites, repatriated from overseas—each story more captivating than the last.
It was as if there was a search box in Zhou Yang's mind; wherever his gaze fell, information would automatically pop up.
Replica of Han Dynasty Wuzhu coins, made of brass, using modern craftsmanship, at scrap recycling price.
A modern imitation Qing dynasty famille rose porcelain vase from Jingdezhen, with a dull design and an overly glossy glaze, is no more than fifty yuan.
Antique walnut wood carvings, treated with chemical agents to develop a patina, priced like firewood.
Plastic synthetic amber is not natural and its value is negligible.
Glass imitation dzi beads, crudely patterned, wholesale price in Yiwu...
As he looked around, Zhou Yang's brows furrowed more and more.
Fake!
Fake!
It's still fake!
Looking around, 99.9% of the items are modern handicrafts. Forget about finding a bargain; you'd be lucky to find even a genuine piece from the late Qing Dynasty or early Republic of China!
He couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.
Indeed, the antique trade is very complex, and it has been thoroughly investigated by various people.
Really good stuff isn't so easily displayed on a street stall waiting for you to pick it up.
Do you really think those veteran players and experts are just sitting around doing nothing?
It seems that getting rich overnight through this method isn't as simple as it appears.
"What's wrong? Didn't you see anything you like?"
Seeing his lack of interest, Xu Yao asked softly.
"Sigh, there are too many counterfeit products."
Zhou Yang shook his head, somewhat helplessly, "Forget it, maybe we're just unlucky today. Let's..."
He was speaking when his gaze inadvertently swept over a small, inconspicuous stall in the corner.
The stall owner was a thin old man, looking to be in his fifties or sixties, wearing a faded old shirt, squinting as he leaned against the wall and dozed off.
The stall had dozens of items scattered around, mostly scrap metal, broken porcelain shards, and artificially aged porcelain, which didn't look like anything of value.
However, among that pile of inconspicuous clutter, a small cup with an antique shape and a warm glaze suddenly caught Zhou Yang's eye!
His heart skipped a beat!
A Song Dynasty Ge ware cup with a beige-yellow glaze and a sunflower-shaped mouth. It was fired in the Ge ware kiln during the Southern Song Dynasty. It has a purple mouth and an iron foot, and features crackles with gold and iron wire patterns.
It has a minor flaw on the rim, but is otherwise in perfect condition. According to the current market valuation, it is worth between eight and ten million!
Holy crap!!!
Zhou Yang's breathing quickened instantly, and his eyes widened as he stared at the small porcelain cup.
A genuine Song Dynasty Ge ware piece, worth millions?!
He could hardly believe his eyes.
This is a steal, and a super big one at that?
Happiness came so suddenly, it felt like a dream!
He forced himself to suppress the turmoil of excitement churning within him, took a deep breath, and tried to make his expression appear calm and natural.
Then, without making a sound, he tugged at Xu Yao's sleeve, signaling her to follow.
The two walked slowly to the inconspicuous stall.
Seemingly sensing someone's presence, the dozing old man lazily opened one eye.
He glanced at them and grumbled hoarsely, "Look? Look all you want..."
Zhou Yang squatted down, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping across the stall, and picked up a few tattered items, pretending to examine them.
Finally, as if casually, he pointed to the sunflower-shaped cup lying quietly in the corner.
"Boss, are the things on your stall... guaranteed to be genuine?"
Zhou Yang asked, feigning curiosity.
Upon hearing this, the old man sat up straight and began boasting with spittle flying everywhere.
"Hey! Young man, what a question! I've been running this stall in the market for over ten years, and all I've relied on is honesty!"
"Don't underestimate what's on my stall, they're all old stuff! Every single item has a provenance! Guaranteed authentic! Absolutely authentic!"
Zhou Yang sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm as he picked up the sunflower-shaped cup.
It feels warm and smooth to the touch, and the glaze is indeed a beige color, a typical characteristic of Ge ware, with the rim slightly flared outward in a sunflower shape.
The exposed clay at the base is iron-black, and the cup body is covered with crackle patterns of varying depths and crisscrossing lines, which are the so-called "golden threads and iron wires".
Perfect!
Apart from a tiny, almost negligible bump on the rim, it's absolutely perfect!
He suppressed his inner elation, raised his head, and asked in a casual tone.
"This cup is quite unique, how much is it?"
A glint of shrewdness flashed in the old man's cloudy eyes. He held up a single finger and made an outrageous demand.
"This? Hehe, young man, you have a good eye! This is my most prized possession! It's a Song Dynasty Ge ware! If you really want it, give me a fair price!"
"One million! Not a penny less!"
Zhou Yang's lips twitched violently.
One million?
Damn it, this old man really dares to ask for a price!
If it weren't for the fact that the expert in appraising antiques clearly told him that this thing was a genuine Song Dynasty Ge ware, worth tens of millions, he would have turned around and left immediately upon hearing the price, and would have added a "crazy person" comment.
He knew perfectly well that the cup was priceless, but judging from the old man's demeanor, it was clearly just a lucky guess; he had no idea that he had stumbled upon a real treasure.
They're just using the name of "Song Dynasty Ge ware" to overcharge, ripping off whoever they can!
"One million? Grandpa, why don't you just rob someone?!"
Xu Yao, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but mutter to herself. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for the stall owner to hear.
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