Anti-Japanese War: Starting from Yaobai

Chapter 2818: Wild Hill Black Market!
When Zhao Laonian heard what Duanwu said, he immediately became energetic, his eyes sparkled, and he patted his chest and said, "Captain, just wait and see. I, Zhao Laonian, have no other skills, but my eye for appraising treasures is well-known in our area!"

Duanwu didn't believe what Zhao Laonian said.

But as it stands now, Zhao Laonian at least understands it better than himself.

So he took Zhao Laonian to the warehouse where the antiques were stored.

As soon as the door was opened, an old smell hit me in the face. The room was filled with boxes of various sizes, all filled with various antique calligraphy and paintings.

Zhao Laonian stared at the treasures, and kept muttering: "Wow, these are all good things!"

He first walked to a blue and white porcelain vase, picked it up carefully, and looked at the patterns and glaze on it carefully. His eyes narrowed into a slit, and he kept muttering: "This blue and white color is pure, the patterns are smooth, and the glaze is bright and smooth. It is an object from the Ming Dynasty and is worth a lot of money!"

Then, he walked to a landscape painting, slowly unfolded it, stared at every detail in the painting, nodded and shook his head from time to time, and exclaimed: "This painting is exquisitely done with profound artistic conception. It must be the work of a master. Maybe it's an authentic work of a famous artist from the Qing Dynasty!"

Duanwu looked at Zhao Laonian's focused look and felt relieved. Seeing Zhao Laonian taking each treasure so seriously, he asked, "Laonian, how much are these things worth?"

Zhao Laonian raised his head, frowned and thought for a while, then said, "Captain, it's hard to say. We have to estimate each item one by one. However, in my opinion, these treasures combined are worth at least tens of thousands of dollars."

When Duanwu heard this, his eyes lit up, and he thought to himself that if he could really sell it for so much money, then the anti-Japanese brigade’s salary and ammunition problems would be solved.

He patted Zhao Laonian on the shoulder and said, "Laonian, you have to give me a good estimate. If you estimate it correctly, I will grant you the three-day holiday!"

Zhao Laonian was immediately excited when he heard this. He rolled up his sleeves and began to appraise more diligently. He picked up a jade pendant and carefully examined its color under the sun. Then he picked up a copper furnace and tapped it with his fingers to judge its age by the sound. He was meticulous in every move and paid attention to every detail.

Time passed minute by minute, and Zhao Laonian had already taken a general look at the treasures in the treasure pavilion.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Duanwu, "Captain, I've seen them all. Among these treasures, some are rare and priceless; some are not particularly valuable, but can also be sold at a good price. Taken together, if we can find a suitable buyer, it shouldn't be a problem to sell them for hundreds of thousands of dollars."

After hearing this, Duanwu showed a satisfied smile on his face. He patted Zhao Laonian on the shoulder and said, "Laonian, you did a good job! I approve of your three-day holiday!"

When Zhao Laonian heard this, he was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He nodded and bowed quickly to thank him: "Thank you, Captain. Thank you, Captain!"

Having said that, Zhao Laonian was ready to run away.

But unexpectedly, Duanwu put his hand on Zhao Laonian's shoulder and said, "Are you going back like this?"

Zhao Laonian thought about it and it made sense. This month's military salary had not been paid yet, so he would be going back empty-handed.

He scratched his head and looked at Duanwu expectantly.

He thought that the captain would definitely give him a few dollars. But at this moment, Duanwu said, "Find a place to sell all these antiques, real and fake. Come back to get your salary. If you go home with the salary, isn't it better than going home empty-handed?"

Zhao Laonian hesitated for a moment and felt that what the captain said was right.

But it's really not easy to sell so many antiques.

But he knew a place where there were many buyers. It was also the place where he sold stolen goods when he was a bandit.

Zhao Laonian scratched his head, smiled, and moved closer to Duanwu, lowering his voice and saying, "Captain, speaking of places that sell antiques, I actually know one. It's a black market, just outside the city on a wild hillside. Usually, it's sparsely populated, but on the first and fifteenth day of every month, that place becomes lively. People from all over the place will go there to shop, or to sell some shady things, hehe!"

Duanwu was a little scratching his head, because these things of his were not something that could be hidden from the public.

But selling it is not that easy.

He couldn't go to the city, so he could only try his luck in the black market.

So he asked back: "Is this black market reliable?"

Zhao Laonian patted his chest and assured: "Captain, don't worry, I know that place well. When I was a bandit, I went there a lot to sell things. There are many knowledgeable people there, and they are generous. It's just that the price is hard to say."

Duanwu asked, "Why is it difficult to explain?"

Zhao Laonian thought for a moment and explained, "Captain, think about it, the price of this antique varies from person to person. Some people think it is valuable, while others think it is not. This is especially true on the black market on the wild hillside. Some buyers are willing to pay a high price if they see it, while some buyers do not know the value of the antique or think the price is too high and will lower the price. So, the price depends on luck and how we negotiate."

Duanwu nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay, Lao Nian, then you take me to see it tonight. But remember, we are the Anti-Japanese Brigade, not bandits, and we can't do those cheating things. You have to rely on your eyesight to find a good buyer for these treasures and sell them at a good price."

Zhao Laonian nodded repeatedly: "Captain, don't worry, although I was a bandit in the past, I was forced to do so. Now I am following you to fight against the Japanese, and I have long since turned over a new leaf. I promise that I will find a good buyer for these treasures and sell them at a good price. I will never embarrass you!"

Duanwu nodded in satisfaction and patted Zhao Laonian on the shoulder: "Okay, that's settled. Let's go to the black market in Yeshanpo tonight. If we find a suitable buyer, we can trade on the spot. Let's discuss it together and see how to sell it at the best price."

Zhao Laonian responded and turned to prepare some necessary items, such as torches, dry food, etc. When everything was ready, night had fallen, the stars were twinkling, the moonlight was hazy, and it was time for the black market to open.

Duanwu and Zhao Laonian took advantage of the cover of night, quietly left the guerrilla base, and headed towards the wild hillside.

Along the way, Zhao Laonian kept introducing the black market situation to Duanwu, such as which buyers were more reliable, which buyers liked to lower the price, and what kind of people liked to cheat, etc. Duanwu listened with great interest and nodded in agreement from time to time.

The two walked for about an hour and finally arrived at the wild hillside that Zhao Laonian mentioned!