Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2215 They might really lose hundreds of thousands.

Without showing any emotion, Bian Mu smiled and said to Mr. Huangfu, "Would it be convenient to provide a pair of gloves? Cotton ones will do."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Huangfu was taken aback.

Zhao Xicheng was also quite surprised. A few doubts flashed in his eyes from time to time. He would look at Bian Mu innocently for a moment, and then turn his head to look at Mr. Huangfu with puzzlement, as if he were an outsider.

"Yes, yes! Just a moment!" As he spoke, Mr. Huangfu hurriedly walked to a nearby place, opened a wooden drawer, and took out three pairs of fine cotton and linen gloves, common tools in the antique appraisal business. They were medium-sized, neither too big nor too small, just right for most people.

Bian Mu took a pair from Mr. Huangfu and put them on his wrist. They were brand new. They looked rough on the surface, but they were very soft and silky to the touch. Without asking, he must have gotten them from somewhere. It seems that Mr. Huangfu is very particular about his daily life!
Walking to the table, Bian Mu casually picked up the medicine coin.

"Mr. Huangfu! Are these three old coins all from your collection?"

"I wouldn't call it a treasured possession; it is indeed mine. It has been in my possession for some time now, and its provenance is clear, so please rest assured!" Mr. Huangfu replied fluently with a few polite words.

"I'm an amateur, may I ask how much these three old coins are roughly worth?" Bian Mu asked with a smile while playing with the medicine coin, but his eyes were fixed on the two medicine cauldrons on the table.

"Well... market prices fluctuate, it's really hard to predict. These past two years, the antique business hasn't been doing so well either. It's quite unbelievable that AI technology has managed to infiltrate it. Oh! I'm getting off-topic! The three pieces together... on average, it's only about 700,000!"

At this moment, Zhao Xicheng, like a spectator watching a play, casually found a seat and sat down to drink tea while watching the two of them "battling it out".

"Are you sure?!" Bian Mu sneered inwardly before directly questioning him.

"Judging from the curator's tone... could there be a fake among them?!" Mr. Huangfu said with a smile.

"I'm just an amateur, but... I have a few knowledgeable friends in my WeChat Moments, and I've overheard a few things over the years. I'm just guessing! This medicine coin is directly related to our traditional Chinese medicine practice, and I've paid attention to it quite a bit, so I can recognize its quality to some extent. As for the other two old coins, I'm sorry for my poor eyesight; I really can't see any collectible value in them..."

“Oh… what’s wrong? Tell me, I’d like to learn something real.” Mr. Huangfu replied earnestly, his expression showing no sign of affectation.

"Keep acting! Keep acting!" Bian Mu thought to himself, completely unconvinced.

“You’re an expert, you must know the rules of ‘betting on the same thing’ as before!” Bian Mu said with a smile to Mr. Huangfu.

"Oh... is the curator really confident?!"

"Didn't I just say that? I'm just an amateur, this is pure guesswork! This medicine coin looks alright, but as for the other two... I can't really say anything about them."

"It's alright! Antiques have always been associated with the word 'play'. It's fine. Since the curator is so confident, let's test it out. If there's a mistake, I'll admit it! I'll never bring it up again!" Well! That Mr. Huangfu was quite stubborn.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit off, Zhao Xicheng was worried that his old friend might go too far. Bian Mu was not someone to be trifled with right now, so a few jokes were fine, but he couldn't take it seriously.

Zhao Xicheng gave Mr. Huangfu several meaningful glances, warning him that he should stop now and that Bian Mu was not someone to be trifled with!

As if he hadn't seen anything, Mr. Huangfu insisted on continuing his "battle of wits" with Bian Mu.

"Teacher Zhao! Can you be my witness?! If this thing is bent incorrectly, it can't be melted down again, it's worth hundreds of thousands!" Bian Mu said a few words of nonsense in a serious tone.

"Your Majesty! Let's just joke around a bit. We're all family, why take it so seriously! Appraising the tripod is the important thing!"

“We’re all on the same side, the master must have his reasons for being so confident. Besides, I’ve always heard people say that the master is incredibly skilled, maybe he’s even a true successor of ‘Martial Medicine’! It’s alright, let’s take a look! Just for fun!” Mr. Huangfu was quite stubborn, insisting on verifying the authenticity on the spot. “Alright! Please take a look, both of you!” Before he finished speaking, Bian Mu secretly channeled his internal energy, instantly transferring the inch-force from his waist to the edges of his palms and fingertips.

A barely audible, muffled "thud".

The old coin that was placed in the center was broken in half by Bian Mu, and the broken edge was new!
Mr. Huangfu immediately fell silent.

Zhao Xicheng was completely unaware of the situation beforehand, and now he was at a loss as to how to handle it.

"Are you going to break the last one?!" Bian Mu asked with a smile, putting Mr. Huangfu in a difficult position.

"The truth will out, and if it's fake, we can't let it leak into the industry and ruin our reputation! Let's break up!"

Upon impact, the third meticulously crafted counterfeit old coin's fracture surface was not just new, it looked like a brand new piece just off the assembly line.

so awkward!
Just then, the strapping young man who had gone out to get medicine hurriedly walked in.

"Teachers! Everything's ready, where should we put it?" the young man asked softly.

"Give it to me! You didn't open the package containing the realgar, did you?" Bian Mu asked with concern.

"I know that stuff is a bit poisonous, be careful! It's wrapped in several layers! It's fine!" the young man replied nonchalantly.

"That's fine, give it to me!" With that, Bian Mu quickly stepped forward and took a small plastic bag from the young man's hand.

Zhao Xicheng frowned and waved the young man away.

Not bad. That young man is really capable. He managed to provide everything he needed, including well water and fresh moss. It must have been quite a feat for him.

"Teacher Huangfu! These two precious cauldrons should also be yours, right?"

Mr. Huangfu couldn't help but purse his lips a few times, and nodded helplessly.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll use that small cauldron over there to prepare some medicine. You two don't mind, do you?" Bian Mu said with a smile.

Feeling uncertain, Zhao Xicheng quickly turned to look at his old friend.

"Go ahead and agree! The original intention was to support the new TCM medicine. Besides, it's the head of the academy who's involved, which is a rare opportunity. It's fine, just do it the way it should be done. I'm completely absolved of responsibility." With a hint of helplessness, Mr. Huangfu was actually starting to admit defeat.

Bian Mu's knowledge and experience far exceeded their expectations. Without a doubt, this kid must have a powerful figure backing him up. Otherwise, how could he know so much at his age?
How could that be?!
Unless he's a time traveler, how do you explain all these strange things happening today?!
This is a big deal!

There's a good chance we could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In total, Mr. Huangfu did spend a lot of money; the total, both overt and covert, amounted to several hundred thousand!

There are always special rules for using realgar. Bian Mu asked Mr. Huangfu for gas gloves, and of course, he also wore a mask and other protective gear. With a wave of his hand, Bian Mu began to prepare the medicine using the small medicine cauldron...