Chapter 133: Coming to Panjiayuan Again
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Brother Chao, you said you’ve prepared a gift for my grandpa. When did you buy it?” Jiang Li’s words reminded Zhou Chao of the person who sold the gift to him. Would her grandpa get infuriated if he found out?
“It’s been a while, 1 bought it at Panjiayuan. Consider it a lucky find!” Zhou Chao felt delighted as he recalled the incident. After all, it was his first time ever making such a discovery in his life.
“Then today, we must find some great items too.” Jiang Li grabbed Zhou Chao’s hand and headed towards Panjiayuan.
Panjiayuan’s goods were diverse, but for those with a keen eye, more than 90% of them were likely counterfeit.
For novices in collecting antiques like them, the key to avoiding scams was to treat everything as if it were fake, even if it was real. The goal was to enjoy the process.
As they entered Panjiayuan, Jiang Li noticed various imitation and craft items displayed on both sides of the road. It truly lived up to its reputation as the largest craft market, with all sorts of unusual things.
“Brother Chao, look at this.” Zhou Chao followed Jiang Li’s pointing finger, and as he saw the items on the ground, he couldn’t help but smile. They walked over together.
“Hey, where did this item come from?” Zhou Chao squatted down in front of the stall, pointing at the curious-looking artifact in front of him, asking with curiosity.
“Let me explain, this is quite a valuable piece. It’s a bronze artifact from the Qin Dynasty, the same era as the Terracotta Warriors and Horses.” The stall owner, a middle-aged man with an honest demeanor and a slightly imperfect command of Mandarin, gazed at Zhou Chao, gestured towards the artifact, and spoke in a hushed tone.
“Is it real?” Zhou Chao glanced at the stall owner, cooperating perfectly with his act, showing a curious expression.
“Absolutely genuine! See the soil still clinging to it; it’s freshly unearthed!”
“Boss, what’s the price for this item?” Zhou Chao observed the boss extending his hand, palm open, and giving it a shake.
“5 yuan? Alright, I’ll take it!”
“5 yuan? How is that possible? 1 meant 5,000!” The stall owner, upon hearing the price Zhou Chao mentioned, became flustered.
“Boss, are you trying to sell this Qin Dynasty Doraemon for 5,000? You must have woken up a bit too early this morning!” Zhou Chao, no longer teasing the boss, bluntly exposed the situation.
“All… Well… 1 mean, who knows, maybe I traveled back in time!” The stall owner ended up laughing at his own words.
“Alright, alright! 5 yuan, I’ll sell it to you. Consider it an early morning deal!” Perhaps the stall owner felt a bit embarrassed about his previous behavior. He just wanted to conclude the transaction quickly and get Zhou Chao to leave.
“Okay, 5 yuan!” Zhou Chao paid the money, and the stall owner put the item in a bag and handed it to him.
“Brother Chao, you’re too funny. Did you see the way that boss changed his attitude? I couldn’t help but laugh!” Jiang Li walked arm in arm with Zhou Chao, amused by the stall owner’s sudden transformation.
“For them, as long as they can sell their goods, it’s a profit!” The two of them continued walking along the road, encountering all sorts of strange and unique items.
Every household had a replica of the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival”, exuding an antique charm. The craftsmanship, no, the printing technology was top-notch.
A bronze replica of the Ultraman transformation device, aged gracefully with a rich patina, displayed substantial texture and lifelike buttons, providing solid evidence for the legendary Ultraman tale.
For just 500 yuan, one could own a piece of Warring States period He Shi Bi, complete with delightful complimentary gifts. It was a purchase one wouldn’t regret.
“All Li, in a place like this, try your best not to touch things, especially on the street stalls. The items there might be fake, but if you accidentally break something, they’ll treat it as genuine and demand compensation. So, when we’re shopping in Panjiayuan, try not to touch anything, just look. If you really want to touch something, handle it gently, hold it firmly with both hands, and when you’re done, put it back where you found it. After standing up, clap your hands to show you have taken nothing.” Jiang Li listened, somewhat understanding the advice, and made a mental note not to touch anything if she could help it.
Seeing the bustling stalls along the road and the lively atmosphere, Jiang Li couldn’t contain her desire to hunt for treasures any longer.
“What’s the matter? Do you want to check out the street stalls?” Zhou Chao teasingly looked at Jiang Li, who nodded eagerly like a determined garlic pounder.
“Just let me take a look!” Zhou Chao looked at Jiang Li’s pitiful expression and reluctantly agreed.
“But remember what 1 told you earlier!” Zhou Chao reminded her.
“I know, old man!” She said, then grabbed Zhou Chao and headed to a stall selling jade.
“Hey, Brother Chao, why is this jade this color? It looks like there are blood veins inside!” Jiang Li looked at several pieces of jade on the stall, curiously asking.
“This should be blood jade, but it’s probably not natural.”
“Blood jade?” Jiang Li looked at Zhou Chao in confusion. Thankfully, Zhou Chao had read relevant materials before, or he wouldn’t know how to answer her question.
“Yeah, blood jade,” Zhou Chao began to explain.
Blood jade wasn’t a natural jade stone. It’s genuine jade dyed through with blood. Legend has it that after a person is buried, a jade stone is placed in their mouth. Over the years, as the person’s body decomposes, the blood seeps into the stone, creating blood jade.
This type of jade was extremely rare, whether in modern antique shops or in the past. Even if one was lucky enough to come across it in the market, more often than not, about nine out of ten times, it has been artificially dyed, a practice known as “blood-stained infusion.”
The pieces Jiang Li had just seen were most likely artificially created blood jade. Zhou Chao suspected they might have even been grown inside animals, but he guessed they were man-made.
Although Zhou Chao and Jiang Li were speaking quietly, the stall owner nearby could still hear them clearly.
“Brother, my stall is small, why don’t you go to other stalls?” As soon as he heard Zhou Chao’s words, he knew he had spoken too much. He didn’t mind the stall owner’s attitude and stood up, pulling Jiang Li to look elsewhere.
“Brother Chao, why did you leave?”
“Certainly, the shop owner has to make a living. In the antique trade, it’s all about one’s discerning eye. If you happen to purchase a counterfeit item, it’s simply unfortunate. So, when we mentioned earlier that his merchandise might not be authentic, it somewhat went against the informal norms of the trade.”
“Hehe, Brother Chao, you really know a lot!” Zhou Chao couldn’t help but laugh at Jiang Li’s words.
“These are all things I learned from talking to Old Master Ma Weidu before coming here. Otherwise, 1 wouldn’t know anything.”
“That’s impressive too!” Jiang Li’s words warmed Zhou Chao’s heart.
“Let’s go, I’ll take you to Old Master Ma Weidu’s antique shop. Most of the things displayed outside here are fake, but there may be one or two real items among them. It’s all a matter of luck.”
“Mmm.” The last time Zhou Chao chatted with Ma Weidu, he mentioned that his friend had opened an antique shop in Panjiayuan. Zhou Chao wasn’t entirely sure about the exact location, and after wandering around without success, he decided to give Ma Weidu a call.
He took out his phone and dialed Ma Weidu’s number..