Chapter 62: Chapter 62: The Mysterious Blue and White Porcelain_1
The shopkeeper had a gentle smile on his face and politely gestured towards a carved redwood chair, saying, "Please take a seat, miss."
Qin Sisi expressed her gratitude and obediently took a seat as directed. The shopkeeper also sat down next to her and, with a smile, introduced himself, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the owner of Ju Ya Zhai, and my surname is Zheng. The locals around here call me Boss Zheng."
Qin Sisi smiled and nodded, "Hello, Boss Zheng."
"You’re too kind," Boss Zheng responded modestly, then moved on to the main subject, "May I ask what item has the miss brought with her today?"
Qin Sisi took out the Buddha Beads from her backpack, which she had wrapped in a white handkerchief, and placed them before Boss Zheng.
Boss Zheng extended his hand to receive them. As he unfolded the handkerchief, the antique Buddha Beads came into view. His eyes lit up at the sight; he carefully placed them on the table, and, while looking at Qin Sisi, he said, "The item is indeed valuable, I take it miss’ intention is to..."
Qin Sisi responded, "If the price is right, it will be sold straight away."
Boss Zheng chuckled, "I’m not sure what the miss finds an acceptable figure?"
Qin Sisi glanced down at Xiao Hei in her arms and said, "One hundred thousand."
Boss Zheng was taken aback as the look in his eyes towards Qin Sisi increasingly reflected curiosity. A seemingly ordinary young lady, was asking for the highest price he would be willing to accept. Was this a wolf in sheep’s clothing or was someone else guiding her?
Boss Zheng thought for a few moments and was more inclined towards the latter. His face reflected a hint of difficulty, he muttered, "Turns out the miss is an expert herself. Let’s not beat around the bush, it indeed is a valuable item, but the asking price is a bit too much for me to handle. If I were to pay this much, I won’t have much profit left when selling onwards."
Boss Zheng was plotting that even if she was receiving guidance from some expert, that person was not present with her. So he had assumed he might be able to talk down the asking price by sweet-talking a young nave little lady.
What Boss Zheng hadn’t anticipated was that the expert was just at Qin Sisi’s side.
Ye You raised his head and meowed a few times. Qin Sisi reached out and gently stroked his soft black fur. With a slight smile, she said, "Boss Zheng has a vast network. He’d naturally find someone who truly needs it. If someone needs it, the price is not an issue."
Boss Zheng gave a dry laugh and responded, "Oh, I wouldn’t say ’vast network’, I’ve just accumulated some contacts over the many years of running this business."
Qin Sisi chose to remain silent, seemingly waiting for Boss Zheng’s final decision.
After hesitating for a while, Boss Zheng asked, "May I have your last name, miss?"
Qin Sisi responded, "No need for formalities. My surname is Qin, Qin Sisi."
Qin Sisi? Boss Zheng rummaged through his memory and confirmed that he had never heard of this name before. Nor had he had dealings with anyone with the last name Qin. In the end, Boss Zheng put on a grand show and said, "Eighty thousand, that’s the highest I can go. Any more than that, and I’m out."
Qin Sisi slowly shook her head and said, "In that case, I won’t trouble Boss Zheng any further. I’ll take it elsewhere."
After saying this, Qin Sisi picked up the Buddha Beads that were placed on the Redwood Eight Immortals Table, stood up and prepared to leave.
Boss Zheng did not anticipate that Qin Sisi would not negotiate at all. As he saw the deal about to fall through, he grew a bit anxious. Having been in this trade for many years, he had a keen eye and recognized that these Buddha Beads were indeed exquisite. If he found the right buyer, it would guarantee quite a profit. However, finding a buyer for such an item required both time and luck. So, he had to ensure that his own working capital got maintained at a reasonable level to minimize investment risks.
Just as Qin Sisi was about to step out of the shop, Boss Zheng clenched his teeth and called out, "Miss, wait! Deal."
Qin Sisi stopped in her tracks with a deep breath before slowly turning around and saying, "Thank you, Boss Zheng." She displayed a calm demeanor, as if she had anticipated everything. Although she seemed unperturbed, in her heart, she was swelling with joy.
Boss Zheng picked up the Buddha Beads again and examined them for a while, ensuring that there were no issues. He then looked up at Qin Sisi and asked, "Cash or transfer, miss?"
Qin Sisi figured that carrying around this much cash might not be safe, so she responded, "Bank transfer."
"Alright," Boss Zheng responded. He operated his phone and transferred one hundred thousand to Qin Sisi’s bank account.
Seeing the astronomical sum, which she never dreamed of appearing on her bank balance, Qin Sisi was overwhelmed with emotion. She felt an intense sense of gratitude and even a bit of admiration towards Ye You.
After the transaction was completed, Boss Zheng said to Qin Sisi, "If in the future, miss comes across any other valuable items, please do remember Ju Ya Zhai."
Qin Sisi smiled and responded, "Certainly. I also hope for Boss Zheng’s continued support."
The two exchanged contact information and bid each other goodbye politely.
Just as Qin Sisi was about to leave with Ye You, a man in his thirties with a slightly bulky figure walked in. He held up a ceramic vase painted in blue and white and yelled at Boss Zheng, "Boss Zheng, I have just acquired a blue and white porcelain vase. Come and examine if it’s of any worth!"
So, it was an exchange of ideas between colleagues. Qin Sisi had only come here to sell her Buddha Beads and wasn’t particularly interested in antiques. So she paid it no mind and started walking out. Suddenly she heard Boss Zheng yell, "Don’t come over, quickly take that thing out."
Qin Sisi turned around in astonishment and saw Boss Zheng, who had always been steady in manner and elegant in speech, now looking terrified, pointing at the man who had just walked in, and yelling at him to throw that piece of blue and white porcelain out.
The man seemed to stagger, looking blankly at Zheng and questioning him, "What’s the matter, Boss Zheng?"
Seeing the shocked expressions on both Qin Sisi’s and the man’s faces, Boss Zheng quickly composed himself. Forced out a calm tone and said to the man, "Xiao Wu, put that thing at the door and come in. I will tell you what’s going on."
Xiao Wu, seeing the seriousness in Boss Zheng’s demeanor, decided this was not a joke. He carefully placed the blue and white porcelain at the corner of the entrance and entered Ju Ya Zhai.
Boss Zheng’s gaze fell on Qin Sisi, a hint of wavering in his eyes, "As an expert, Miss Qin, please feel free to join us."
Although Qin Sisi was not interested in antiques, Boss Zheng’s earlier reaction had left her puzzled. She glanced at the blue and white porcelain placed at the corner near the entrance. Did it hold some secret?
With growing curiosity, Qin Sisi retakes her seat on the carved redwood chair. Xiao Wu sits beside her, while Boss Zheng sits opposite to them.
