"What about this blue vase? It looks rather rough in comparison, but how much would it cost?"
Shopkeeper, please don't overcharge me anymore! After all, I was just asking casually; I didn't necessarily intend to buy it!
She secretly planned to use a clever and ingenious method to negotiate with the stall owner and bargain.
Seeing Song Ziqing's nonchalant tone, the stall owner realized he had encountered a wealthy man who was not easily fooled, and became somewhat frustrated. He said listlessly, "If you want that blue vase, you can just give it to me for eight hundred francs."
Song Ziqing pretended to hesitate for a moment, then shook her head and said, "It's still too expensive. I'll take another look." After saying that, she turned to leave.
As soon as the stall owner saw Song Ziqing about to leave, he hurriedly called out, "Madam, the price is negotiable! If you really want it, I can give you a discount."
Song Ziqing stopped and smiled, saying, "Then tell me, what's the lowest price you'd sell me for these porcelain pieces?"
The stall owner thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "How about this, madam? That Western vase is three thousand francs, the Chinese white porcelain vase is eight hundred francs, and the celadon vase is five hundred French francs. This is the lowest price I can offer, absolutely great value!"
Song Ziqing was secretly delighted, but on the surface he remained calm and composed.
She glanced at Lin Chengyu, who nodded slightly, indicating his approval of the price.
"Alright, these two will do!"
With a smile, Song Ziqing casually pointed to two porcelain items displayed on the stall: a white porcelain bottle and a celadon bottle.
Then, without hesitation, she took out the banknotes from her pocket and completed the transaction swiftly and efficiently.
The stall owner was overjoyed and quickly reached out to take the money, thinking to himself: What a lucky day! I've run into such a generous customer!
You should know that in his eyes, the most valuable collectible item was the uniquely shaped and brightly colored Western vase, but the guest in front of him seemed to ignore it completely.
But it's good, because this way I can actually earn a little more money.
Unfortunately, the stall owner never expected that Lin Chengyu, who stood silently to the side, was actually a master of antique appraisal.
Just now, with only a brief glance, Lin Chengyu discerned the immense value contained within that seemingly ordinary blue and white porcelain vase, its actual price far exceeding the stall owner's asking price.
After leaving the market, Song Ziqing and Lin Chengyu exchanged a knowing smile.
Their treasure hunt had barely begun, yet they had already reaped a bountiful harvest.
It turns out that the celadon vase was a genuine Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain treasure; and the overlooked white porcelain vase also had an extraordinary history, being made by the famous Ding kiln of the Song Dynasty.
Such a harvest is truly delightful.
Next, the couple bought several more porcelain pieces, mostly from the Ming and Qing dynasties. They looked relatively ordinary, but the prices were not high. Buying them was a way to ensure that their precious gems were not wasted.
The two's biggest find was a set of the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, Ani, which they bought at a flea market. It is a scroll, 24 meters long, with 60 chapters that depict the spells and agreements needed for the dead to obtain eternal life in the afterlife.
It is an important artifact that Egyptians had to place in their coffins on their way to resurrection, and it has extremely high religious and ritual significance.
As far as Song Ziqing knew, this set of paintings was later collected in the British Museum. She had seen it in the museum when she traveled to England before.
This trip to the flea market led them to this unexpected treasure. Whether it was their good fortune or the blessing of the painting itself, they don't know!
The couple went out alone, without any entourage.
For this reason, all the treasures they obtained were secretly handed over to Song Ziqing and hidden in the ring space when no one was paying attention.
When they went out for a stroll today, their attire was extremely casual and relaxed: both were wearing a complete set of sportswear and comfortable sneakers; in addition, each of them was carrying an oversized travel backpack.
Thanks to this travel backpack, Song Ziqing found it easy to store her collection in the ring's storage space.
These two young people, in the prime of their lives, strolled through the crowd. Everyone assumed they were international students from the East, so they didn't attract much attention.
However, due to the significant difference in skin color, he still occasionally receives strange looks from people around him.
These scrutinizing gazes contained curiosity, rejection, and even contempt.
In Europe, people with Asian features are not well-regarded, as this is a world dominated by white people, who are all proud to be white.
Afterwards, the two found a coffee shop to sit down and rest.
"This time we've really had a very fruitful harvest," Song Ziqing said, unable to hide his excitement.
“Yes, especially that set of ‘The Book of the Dead of Anni,’ it was a real surprise.” Lin Chengyu was also very happy.
"However, we need to be careful not to let anyone find out," Song Ziqing reminded him.
"Don't worry, it's safe inside the ring's space," Lin Chengyu reassured her.
At that moment, two people at the next table caught their attention. The two looked suspicious and kept glancing at them.
"Could it be a thief?" Song Ziqing whispered.
"It doesn't seem like it. Maybe it's a collector like us," Lin Chengyu guessed.
The two decided to leave as soon as they finished their coffee.
But when they went to pay the bill, they discovered that Song Ziqing's wallet was missing from her bag.
"Oh no, it must have been those two who stole it!" Song Ziqing said anxiously.
"Huh? Those two really are thieves? They look so much like thieves." Lin Chengyu still seemed a little skeptical.
The two didn't care much about the stolen wallet, because it was just a cover for them. It only contained a few hundred francs and some documents, but they had been keeping it in their ring storage space.
When Song Ziqing noticed his wallet was missing, he gestured for Lin Chengyu to pay, as he also had a wallet in his pants pocket.
After paying, the two returned to the flea market and strolled around with the crowd once again.
This time, having had their wallets stolen, the two paid less attention to the items on the stall and instead looked around at the people in their surroundings.
Song Ziqing then used his mental power to cover everyone around the two of them, carefully analyzing their attitudes towards them.
When her mental energy reached a woman standing by a stall, she was immediately stunned.
The woman's gaze towards the couple was filled with malice.
After noticing the woman's unusual behavior, Song Ziqing pulled Lin Chengyu towards the stall. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the stall sold antique jewelry.
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