Chapter 106
Chapter 106
Lin Xiaowan looked at the vases in Su Lin’s hands and said, “These are obviously fake, Su Lin. Are you sure you want to buy them?”
Su Lin nodded and asked the stout seller, “How much for one of these?”
The seller, thinking Su Lin was an ignorant rich kid, smiled and said, “Young man, you have a good eye. These are top-quality blue and white porcelain, just arrived today. If you like them, I’ll give you a discount. How about it?”
Su Lin casually asked, “How much for one? Just name your price.”
The seller, assuming Su Lin was straightforward, replied, “Since you’re a straightforward guy, I won’t beat around the bush. Fifty thousand for one, but for two, I can do eighty thousand. What do you think?”
Su Lin immediately put down the vases and turned to leave.
“Hey, hey, hey… young man, don’t rush off. At least make a counteroffer.”
“Eighty thousand? How can I make a counteroffer on that? You might as well be robbing me.”
“In this business, bargaining is part of the process. Name your price, and if it’s reasonable, I’ll make a deal with you today.”
Su Lin gestured an eight with his hand.
“Eight thousand?”
“No, no, no, eighty!!!”
“Eighty? Deal.”
Su Lin slapped his forehead, “Rash decision, damn it!”
Lin Xiaowan and Zhao Yanyan burst into laughter.
“Su Lin, even you make mistakes,” Lin Xiaowan laughed.
Watching the two women laughing so heartily, Su Lin cheerfully paid: “Eighty it is. If it makes my girlfriend this happy, it’s money well spent.”
The seller was delighted to actually get paid and handed Su Lin the change.
Su Lin handed the vases to Lin Xiaowan: “Xiaowan, hold these.”
Lin Xiaowan, holding a vase in each hand, asked puzzledly, “Su Lin, what’s this about? Why spend eighty on two useless vases? They’re even hard to use for drinking water.”
“Heh, they have their uses,” Su Lin said mysteriously.
As they walked on, Zhao Yanyan frowned and said, “Why is Lin Tian also at the antique market?”
Su Lin immediately perked up and followed Zhao Yanyan’s gaze towards Lin Tian.
“Is he following me?” Zhao Yanyan muttered under her breath.
It wasn’t vanity; Lin Tian indeed had a history of following her, and these past few days, he had used all sorts of methods to be with her.
Lin Tian eventually found the stall selling Yuan blue-and-white porcelain and his eyes lit up at the sight of it. But he knew the sellers here were shrewd, so he had to play it cool.
Approaching the stall, he casually picked up a plate: “Boss, how much for this plate?”
The seller, a sharp-looking short man in his forties, brightened up at the prospect of business: “Young man, good eye. This is authentic Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, worth millions.”
“Uh… boss, the color on this blue-and-white porcelain is fading.”
“It’s been around for many years, bound to lose some color, but no worries, it’s genuine Yuan blue-and-white, see the seal on the bottom.”
Lin Tian scoffed, “Those seals are basic, almost every bowl has them, let alone these fake antiques. They’re practically covered in stamps.”
Su Lin, following Lin Tian’s gaze, saw a row of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain at his stall. To him, they all appeared gray except for a small high-necked vase radiating golden light.
Su Lin knew Lin Tian’s first pot of gold was probably this very object. As for why Lin Tian didn’t immediately go for the high-necked vase, it was simple: it’s a classic protagonist’s tactic, creating a diversion.
Su Lin knew he had to distract Lin Tian, or else his good luck might lead to an old man popping up out of nowhere to help him buy something valuable.
He looked at Zhao Yanyan, “Yanyan, that guy is buying Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, he’s not here following you.”
Zhao Yanyan glared, “He always does this, creating such coincidental encounters, really annoying.”
Lin Xiaowan nodded in agreement, “Yeah, last time I visited Donghai and went out with Yanyan, we ran into him. He blocked our way and wouldn’t let us pass.”
Su Lin nodded, “Yanyan, you better go and get rid of him. I don’t like the idea of someone following us, gives me the creeps.”
Zhao Yanyan nodded, clenched her teeth, and approached Lin Tian, pulling him aside to a less crowded area, “Lin Tian, didn’t I tell you not to follow me? Why are you still here?”
Lin Tian turned to her, feigning surprise.
“Heh! Who are you performing for? You’re really good at acting, Lin Tian.”
“Ah! Yanyan, why are you here?” Lin Tian asked baffled.
“Just keep acting, even now you can act so naturally, I really admire that,” Zhao Yanyan said, almost at her wit’s end.
“I’m just here to buy something.”
“Buying antiques? Since when are you interested in antiques?”
“I…”
Meanwhile, Su Lin walked up to a stall and picked up a Yuan blue-and-white vase, “Boss, how much for this vase? Give me a fair price, if it’s right, I’ll take it to put flowers in.”
The shrewd seller looked at Su Lin and then at Lin Xiaowan, made his calculations, and stretched out three fingers, “Three thousand! Young man, my goods here are all genuine, top quality. Three thousand for this and you won’t regret it.”
Su Lin nodded and without a second thought, took out his wallet and handed over the money, “Here, three thousand.”
“Done! Young man, this Yuan blue-and-white vase is yours now.”
Holding the vase, Su Lin smiled satisfactorily, “Boss, you’re a straightforward person. I’ll come and patronize your shop often in the future.”
“That would be great.”
After purchasing the Yuan blue-and-white vase, Su Lin said to Lin Xiaowan, “Let’s wait for Yanyan at the entrance.”
“Aren’t we waiting here?” Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.
“No, they’re dealing with emotional stuff. It’s not dignified for us to hang around. Let’s just wait for her outside.”
“Okay, let’s go then.” Lin Xiaowan carried a vase in each hand, looking quite uncomfortable.
Once they reached a trash bin, Su Lin suggested, “If it’s uncomfortable, just throw them away.”
“Ah! But we paid for these,” Lin Xiaowan said, surprised.
“Heh, I originally wanted to use them as decorations at home, but it’s a long walk back. I can’t let you carry them all the way,” Su Lin said with a smile.
“It’s okay. If you want them, I can carry them back. It’s not tiring.”
“No need, I can’t bear to see you like this. Let’s just break them and throw them in the bin, so no one else can use them to scam people.”
“Okay!” Lin Xiaowan gently tapped the two vases together, shattering them, “So fragile, feels like they’re made of plastic.”
“They are just fakes, like everything else on this street.”
“Su Lin, aren’t you going to smash the one in your hand?”
Su Lin shook his head, “No, this one doesn’t get smashed.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a real Yuan blue-and-white vase.”
Lin Xiaowan’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Real? Really?”
“Of course, I’ll teach you how to differentiate between real and fake when we get back.”
“Okay… okay!!!”