Adopting A Stray Cat Chapter 138 Low-Profile Antiquity1

Chapter 138: Chapter 138 Low-Profile Antiquity_1

Just as Qin Sisi stepped into the entrance, a dium-built, slightly chubby middle-aged man ca forward, greeting her with a smile, "Miss, what are you looking for?"

Qin Sisi had co to shop, but she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to buy, so she replied, "I’ll just look around first."

"Very well, I’ll show you around. Over here, we have wood carvings, and over there, we have jade and ceramics. Inside, we also have so calligraphy and paintings from renowned people. Please feel free to have a look." The rotund boss greeted her cheerfully.

Although the owner was also very enthusiastic, Qin Sisi felt that his gaze and smile were sowhat lecherous, which fell a long way short of Boss Zheng’s calm, elegant deanor.

Qin Sisi slowly moved around the shelves and counters, her eyes scanning the myriad of rchandise. She didn’t find anything particular and Ye You remained silent throughout.

The boss persistently followed her, constantly enquiring her needs and recomnding her a few eye-catching, brightly colored ornants.

Ye You was silent throughout, forcing Qin Sisi to stop in her tracks. She pointed at a porcelain piece with a beautifully painted scene of ancient ladies and said to the boss, "Boss, that porcelain piece looks quite beautiful. I’d like to take a closer look."

"Sure, sure." The boss responded, nodding like a chicken pecking at grains, and nimbly took down the porcelain piece from the shelf.

"The missus’ tastes are exquisite. This porcelain was unearthed from a Tang Dynasty tomb last year. Take a look at its texture, its sheen, and the figure of that beauty depicted on it, isn’t it splendid?"

The porcelain was about thirty centiters high, painted with a round-faced and curvaceous woman that gave off a Great Tang Dynasty vibe. Its glaze was smooth, its color bright; indeed, it was quite a sight to behold.

After admiring it for a while, Qin Sisi thought it looked quite good, so she decided to buy it as a decoration.

So, she asked the boss, "How much for this porcelain piece?"

The boss frowned slightly and said, "Miss, I must admit, I also love this piece and didn’t plan to sell it. But since you’ve taken a liking to it, I have no choice but to part with it. I can tell that you’re an honest person—I won’t lie to you. I only want to cover my traveling expenses. One price: fifty thousand."

Qin Sisi was absentmindedly stroking the smooth surface of the porcelain, when the boss disclosed the price. Instantly, she withdrew her hand and widened her eyes, "Fifty thousand?"

She could afford it, but since Ye You hadn’t said anything, it ant this was just an ordinary piece of porcelain. It would be too extravagant to spend fifty thousand on an ornant she’d just keep at ho.

The boss hurriedly jumped in, "This is a Tang Dynasty porcelain piece. After all these years, it’s still in such good condition. It’s truly one of a kind."

Ye You raised his head in Qin Sisi’s arms, owing a few tis and whispered, "This isn’t an antique. It’s rely a piece of art, probably finished a month ago. You could buy it at any shop outside for a few hundreds."

The color drained from Qin Sisi’s face and she felt a bit sick of the boss’s incessant praises.

"Too expensive. I will look at other things." Qin Sisi smiled apologetically at the boss before heading towards the paintings and calligraphy section.

Having taken the porcelain piece as an example, Qin Sisi dared not casually ask for prices again. Instead, she lightly pinched Ye You’s back.

Ye You turned his head, his purple eyes reflecting a faint glow. He gave the rows of paintings of landscapes, flowers, and birds a quick glance, making no sound, and shook his head lightly.

Qin Sisi thus made her way to the wood carvings section. There were rows of carvings in various shapes placed on the shelves: Buddha statues with benevolent faces and large ears, fairies with slender figures and flowing gowns, gourds, ruyis, and other items symbolizing auspiciousness.

Seeing Qin Sisi wander around, asking for the price and then saying it was too expensive, the boss’s smile gradually faded. He patiently ca forward and said, "Miss, if you’re looking to save money, just buy a wood carving. They’re more affordable."

Qin Sisi hesitated and nodded. Anyway, she had to buy sothing for the sake of her peace of mind.

She pointed out a mahogany ruyi to the boss, its wood carving soft and luminous. When she asked the price, the boss quoted ten thousand.

Although it was still a bit expensive, Qin Sisi felt it was sohow acceptable, considering the mahogany bracelet.

Just then, Ye You suddenly owed a few tis in Qin Sisi’s ear.

Following Ye You’s direction, Qin Sisi saw a blackwood comb in a corner of the glass counter. It was a very ordinary comb, without any engravings or designs, let alone any gilded silver-work.

Qin Sisi frowned slightly. Compared with the porcelain piece painted with images of ancient won and the ruyi carved from mahogany she had just seen, this blackwood comb was rather plain.

However, since Ye You had recomnded it, there must be a reason. They say not to judge a book by its cover. Maybe the sa held true for objects.

Qin Sisi put her hand on the counter and pointed to the spot corresponding to the blackwood comb. After considering for a while, she moved her hand a little and pointed to a redwood comb engraved with the image of a phoenix in flight amidst auspicious clouds and asked, "How much is this comb?"

The boss had assud Qin Sisi was interested in the mahogany ruyi and was delighted. He was surprised when she abruptly changed her mind.

The boss was slightly displeased, but he also realized that Qin Sisi wasn’t wealthy. He decided to quote a slightly lower price. Even if he couldn’t earn a big sum, a small profit was good enough.

After so quick ntal calculation, the boss said, "These little things aren’t worth much. If you like it, let’s set a lucky price. Six thousand, six."

The boss took out the engraved redwood comb with the phoenix design as he spoke, and placed it in front of Qin Sisi.

Since it was just a test, Qin Sisi didn’t touch the comb, simply giving it a cursory glance. Then she pointed to the blackwood comb that Ye You recomnded and said, "Let

take a look at that one."

At her words, the boss’s face darkened slightly. He silently bent down, took out the black comb from the counter, and put it beside the red comb.

This blackwood comb was bought from a country peddler dealing with antiques. According to the peddler, it was scavenged from a household in a remote mountain region and was eventually sold to the boss for two hundred yuan.

Although the blackwood comb seed to be quite old, its aesthetic appeal was low, and it hadn’t attracted any attention after a year on display. The boss was considering removing it from the counter.

Now that Qin Sisi had asked about it, the boss had mixed feelings—a relief that he could finally get rid of it, and disappointnt that he wouldn’t make much profit off it.

"Boss, how much for this black one?" As expected, Qin Sisi asked for the price.