Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 334 Dispute Arises at Antique Shop

The jeep found a place to park near Liulichang Cultural Street.

As Li Chengru unbuckled his seatbelt, he said, "Mr. He, this is it. The streets inside are narrow, and cars can't get in, so we have to walk."

The group got off the car and walked into this renowned cultural street.

The streets are lined with quaint shops, their plaques and couplets exuding a subtle fragrance of ink.

Rosamund Kwan and Cherie Chung curiously looked at the porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, and the Four Treasures of the Study displayed in the shop windows on both sides, feeling as if they had stepped into another time and space.

“This place seems a bit different from Las Vegas in Hong Kong,” Cherie Chung whispered to Rosamund Kwan.

“Sister Hong has been to an antique street? I don’t know anything about it,” Rosamund Kwan replied, but her eyes were drawn to a pair of pastel vases on a display shelf in front of a shop.

"Just browsing around for fun. They say you can find bargains or something, but I don't really know anything about it."

“Gentlemen, only experts can find bargains,” Li Chengru said.

“Comrade Li, you can’t take Brother He to buy fakes, can you?” Rosamund Kwan said.

"No, the place we're going to sells only genuine products. We're almost there."

“That’s more like it,” Rosamund Kwan said.

He Yuxin saw many foreigners and asked, "Chengru, why are there so many foreigners here?"

"Hey, isn't this because the country is encouraging foreign exchange earnings? These people are bringing foreign guests here, and it's not surprising that foreigners also like our ancestors' creations."

"Oh!" He Yuxin said with a strange expression, but his face was not very good. His older brother had told him about Xiao Rizi's attempt to steal the national treasure.

An old lady also mentioned that the Eight-Nation Alliance looted treasures.

Li Chengru led them into a rather large "antiques shop" with an expert sense of direction.

The shop is brightly lit, with various porcelain, jade and bronze items neatly displayed in glass counters, calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and larger items displayed on the curio cabinets.

A middle-aged shop assistant dressed in a Zhongshan suit came up to us.

"Comrade, what would you like to see?" The shop assistant was polite, but with a hint of scrutiny.

These days, those who can come in and shop, especially young people with female companions and an extraordinary air, are mostly people of some importance.

He Yuxin nodded: "Take a look at the furniture, especially the antique furniture. Also, take a look at the porcelain and calligraphy and paintings."

"The furniture is in the backyard and the storeroom next door. I can show you if you'd like. The porcelain and calligraphy are over here. Please feel free to look around," the shop assistant said, his gaze sweeping over Li Chengru and the two stylishly dressed ladies behind He Yuxin, giving him a general idea of what was going on.

He Yuxin looked at the porcelain first. His family in Hong Kong also had some, because his grandfather liked them and his older brother brought some back with him. There were also some books at home, which he had read when he was in school.

It's a bit difficult to tell the real from the fake, but he can still figure out what era it belongs to.

Soon, a pair of mid-Qing dynasty blue and white lotus scroll vases and a set of late-Qing dynasty famille rose Eight Immortals figure covered bowls caught his attention.

The shop assistant carefully took it out and showed it to him.

"This bottle is in good condition, and the painting is exquisite." He Yuxin examined it.

"Sir, you have a good eye. These are a rare pair, just acquired this year," the shop assistant explained.

"How much?"

The shop assistant said, "This pair will cost 800 in foreign exchange certificates."

He Yuxin did the math in her head and it came to about two thousand Hong Kong dollars, which was a fair price.

He then pointed to the set of covered bowls: "What about this one?"

"This set of eight famille rose Eight Immortals is exquisitely painted. The set contains eight with lids and costs five hundred foreign exchange certificates."

"Is there anything better?" He Yuxin didn't decide immediately.

"Yes, sir, do you prefer large or small items?"

“Either is fine. I recently bought a house and I’m missing some furniture,” He Yuxin said.

"May I ask how big your house is, sir? I don't mean anything by it, but I'd like to recommend one to you."

"A house with three courtyards."

"Hiss!" The shop assistant gasped. The house and renovation alone would cost over 100,000 yuan. With the addition of old items, the cost would be close to 200,000 yuan. This was a big spender.

"Please wait a moment, I'll go get it for you."

"Why are you hiding all the good stuff in your store?!"

"No, that's not it. There are quite a few items, and even the slightly better ones are prone to damage. We only bring out the treasures from the back when the customer makes a request."

"That's an interesting idea. Let's bring out a few more treasures to broaden our horizons. Money is no object."

"Okay!" The clerk immediately told someone to go to the back to get the items.

He Yuxin then strolled over to the calligraphy and painting section.

A landscape hanging scroll by a minor Qing dynasty artist and a couplet in running script by a calligrapher from the Republican era piqued his interest. He inquired about the price, which was three hundred and two hundred foreign exchange certificates respectively.

"Brother He, you can also appraise antiques?" Rosamund Kwan asked.

"We only know a little bit, otherwise we would have gone to the marketplace instead of coming to the state-run store," He Yuxin said with a smile.

"Oh, could you help us choose some for girls?" Chung Chu-hung asked.

"Sure, what do you like? Jade, gold, or jewelry?"

"Anything is fine, we don't know much about this, but it has to be pretty!" said Cherie Chung.

"Okay, let's go take a look." With that, the group moved to the jewelry and jade counter.

Inside the glass display case, various jewelry pieces are displayed on velvet, mainly jade, gold and silver items, and some inlaid pieces, gleaming under the soft lighting.

"Ladies, you can take a look at these jade bracelets and kingfisher feather hairpins. They are all fine pieces with a long history." A female shop assistant took out a more exquisite tray from under the counter, which was covered with dark velvet.

A pair of icy green jadeite earrings, as clear as water; a gold-inlaid butterfly hairpin, the thin green on the wings almost transparent, trembling and extremely delicate; and a mutton-fat white jade bracelet, oily and delicate, without any flaws.

Rosamund Kwan and Cherie Chung were immediately captivated and exclaimed in hushed tones.

“This hairpin…” Chung Chor-hung pointed to the kingfisher feather butterfly hairpin.

"Miss has a good eye. This is from the late Qing Dynasty, and it cost three hundred foreign exchange certificates." The shop assistant carefully picked up the hairpin and handed it to her to look at.

Rosamund Kwan, however, was particularly fond of the pair of jade earrings: "What about this one?"

"The material is from an old mine, with good translucency and vibrant color. A pair costs four hundred foreign exchange certificates."

"What do you think, Brother He?" Rosamund Kwan gestured to her ear.

He Yuxin was taken aback for a moment. Things need to be paired with the right person. She smiled and said, "It looks good. If you like it, I'll buy it."

"Let me take another look!" Rosamund Kwan felt a little shy under He Yuxin's direct gaze and put the things back.

Then the two girls started chattering and asking the shop assistant to bring out various styles to look at.

Just then, the middle-aged man walked over and said, "Sir, please come in and show me your treasure."

“Okay!” He Yuxin replied, then turned to the two women and said, “You two look first, I’ll pay the bill later.”

“No need, Brother He, we have enough money,” Chung Chu-hung said.

“I’ll pay today, I’m going to spend some money anyway,” He Yuzhu said with a smile. Then he turned to the jewelry and jade shop assistant and said, “Please wrap up what these two ladies have chosen, and I’ll pay together later.”

"Okay, sir." The female shop assistant certainly understood the subtle nuances.

The middle-aged man and his assistant came out, carrying several brocade boxes and an object wrapped in soft cloth, their movements were very careful.

This naturally attracted the attention of other customers in the store.

Several groups of 'foreign guests' who were strolling around or quietly inquiring about prices, including blond-haired and blue-eyed people as well as East Asian faces, all walked over there, their eyes falling on the newly brought-out items.

However, none of the shop assistants showed any intention of opening the brocade box or removing the soft cloth.

As He Yuxin and the middle-aged man walked past, the middle-aged man asked, "May I ask your surname, sir?"

"My surname is He."

"Mr. He, please!" the middle-aged man said.

"polite!"

Suddenly, a customer spoke up in Japanese, and the translator directly questioned the shop assistant who was looking at the newly brought-out items: "You don't sell these things? Why don't you show them to us?"

The shop assistant looked somewhat embarrassed at He Yuxin and the middle-aged man who were walking over: "This was ordered by that gentleman; he needs to check it first."

After the translator finished speaking with the shop assistant, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a short stature said a few words to the translator. The translator then said to the shop assistant, "Our Mr. Ito said there is no such rule. Since the item hasn't been handled yet, we can still look at it."

The shop assistant's expression changed, and she looked at the middle-aged man for help.

The middle-aged man simply shook his head at him, and the shop assistant translated, "I'm sorry, you can look at it again after that gentleman has finished looking at it and if he doesn't want it."

"Baka." The word had barely left their lips when they were interrupted by their own people, who then began to mutter something amongst themselves.

Upon hearing this, He Yuxin frowned. Li Chengru, who was following behind him, spat and took two steps closer, whispering to He Yuxin, "Mr. He, you have to get this thing down. Don't let us Chinese men lose face."

He Yuxin said, "If it's a good item, we'll naturally take it; if it's just an ordinary item..."

He didn't say what he was going to say next, but the middle-aged man and Li Chengru both understood: it's okay to rip off foreigners with ordinary stuff.

"Absolutely good stuff," the middle-aged man whispered.

"That would be best, otherwise the excitement won't be enough," He Yuxin said.

Li Chengru and the middle-aged man were both taken aback. It seemed that this guy was just stirring up trouble. Little did they know that He Yuxin had been dealing with ordinary people in the port of Hong Kong for a long time.

At this moment, the translators of the other guests also began to ask questions. The middle-aged man quickly walked over and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Gentlemen, there are naturally rules for selling goods in our shop. This gentleman inquired about the fine items first, so we will naturally provide priority service." As he spoke, he gestured to the shop assistant to place the items on a special appreciation table and gently opened the brocade box and soft cloth.

The first item to be revealed was a Qing Dynasty Qianlong period rouge-red ground famille rose openwork landscape bowl with a rich glaze and extremely fine painting.

Next was a Ming Dynasty Jun ware sky-blue glazed tea bowl with purple spots, the glaze color changing like the sunset.

The other box contained a pair of Qing Dynasty Qianlong period enamel-painted plates with apricot blossoms and swallows design.

The last item, wrapped in soft cloth, was a rather large kesi (silk tapestry) hanging screen with intricate patterns and vibrant colors, and it was remarkably well-preserved.

As soon as the enamel plates came out, several foreigners exclaimed in surprise, and some began to loudly inquire about the price and ask questions.

How much for these two plates?

"Why didn't you show us such a wonderful thing before?"

"."

He Yuxin's gaze was immediately drawn to it, especially the kesi (silk tapestry) piece, which perfectly matched the atmosphere of the old house, whether placed in the study or the living room.

"Mr. He, please take a look at these items. Are you satisfied?" the middle-aged man said to He Yuxin with a smile.

"Excuse my poor eyesight, could you please introduce it to me?"

“No problem.” The middle-aged man gave a detailed introduction, and then the translators began to translate quickly.

He Yuxin said softly, "Authenticity guaranteed?"

"Guaranteed authentic; you can return it if it's fake."

“Then I won’t touch them. These things are too precious. Can you give me a price?” He Yuxin said.

These words surprised the middle-aged man, who then gave him a thumbs up. "Mr. He is very generous. I am the store manager here, my surname is Li. If you have sold any counterfeit goods, you can come and find me."

“Then let’s give you a quote, all of them,” He Yuxin said.

Manager Li quoted a figure: 50,000 foreign exchange certificates.

Li Chengru clicked his tongue in amazement behind He Yuxin.

Just as He Yuxin was about to speak, the translator, who was clearly a regular customer, spoke up: "Manager Li, Mr. Ito is also very interested in these items. He's willing to offer 10% more than this gentleman." Manager Li's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Then more people started asking about prices, but they were all asking about individual items. Some asked about enamelware, some about kesi (silk tapestry), and some about Jun ware sky-blue glazed purple-spotted tea bowls.

Manager Li gritted his teeth and said, "These items will only be sold as a package!"

Then he glanced at He Yuxin, only to find that He Yuxin was still smiling.

"We'll offer 60,000!" a foreigner shouted in broken Chinese.

"Mr. Ito offers 65,000."

"Seventy thousand."

"Eighty thousand."

The price was so high that even Manager Li was a little shaken, and the shout attracted even more people.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Manager Li naturally preferred to sell to He Yuxin, a fellow countryman, especially since the latter was there to furnish the old house rather than resell it for profit or let it leave the country.

However, he also felt the pressure of earning foreign exchange, and he couldn't simply refuse the offers from foreign guests.

He Yuxin remained silent and didn't offer a price, leaving Manager Li feeling uncertain.

The price quickly broke through 100,000, and then people started adding it by the thousand.

The price stopped at 150,000.

This price was quoted by a junior staff member, and Manager Li, growing anxious, said, "Mr. He..."

“I’ll offer 160,000,” He Yuxin smiled at him and then said loudly.

Manager Li visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, the translator shouted, "Shouldn't you prioritize selling to foreign guests?"

"Are you fucking Chinese?" Li Chengru cursed at the translator.

"Look at your shabby appearance," the translator replied.

"That's still better than you being a dog!" Li Chengru cursed.

"I'm too lazy to waste my breath on someone as lowly as you," the translator said.

"What the hell did you say?" Li Chengru went straight up and grabbed the translator by the collar.

"Translator Jin, please leave this store. We do not welcome people like you." Manager Li's expression changed several times before he finally spoke.

"What right do you have to kick people out? If anyone should be kicked out, it should be them!" Translator Jin shouted, breaking free from Li Chengru's grasp.

At this moment, He Yuxin heard Xiao Rizi saying something to the translator Jin: "Baka," "Shina," and "waste." The translator Jin replied with "Hai, hai" and bowed repeatedly, then became even more enthusiastic.

“Mr. Ito said he would complain to the embassy about your discriminatory treatment of foreign friends.”

He Yuxin clenched his fist but held back. He was there to do business, not to cause trouble. He remembered his brother's instructions: don't do this openly, just get back at them later.

Li Chengru clenched his fist again. He Yuxin translated what he could understand to Manager Li and then said, "Manager Li, you handle it."

"Translator Jin, please take these people and leave this store. Let them go and complain if they want," Manager Li said through gritted teeth.

"Clap clap clap!" He Yuxin was the first to clap, which led the onlookers to join in. Then someone shouted, "Little brat, get out!"

"You traitorous dog, aren't you afraid that your ancestral graves will be dug up and your ancestors' corpses will be dragged out and whipped?"

"You traitorous dog, you just wait to get out of here!"

"."

The translator, Kim, turned pale. The little girl kept asking him what those people had said, but Kim dared not translate. He could only say that these people wanted to drive them away.

After babbling on for a while, he saw the crowd of onlookers getting more and more agitated and slunk away in fright.

Then someone shouted, "Manager Li, well done!"

Manager Li forced a smile, knowing he was sure he'd be the one left in the mess this time.

"Everyone, please leave now. It's not good for the things in this shop to get damaged."

"Based on your performance today, we'll give you a shout-out!"

"Then I thank you all!" Manager Li cupped his hands in thanks to everyone, then turned to He Yuxin, "Mr. He, what about these items?"

"I want it."

"That price."

"Let's go with the final bid, 160,000."

"This"

"These things are worth this price. You mean someone is causing trouble, right? Actually, this is also a reminder to you that these things are worth far more than this. If you want to sell them, then sell them for an astronomical price."

"Sigh," Manager Li sighed.

"how?"

"How many can I possibly stop?" Manager Li said helplessly.

"I know!"

"Let's buy all the items we looked at earlier, as well as the ones the two ladies who came with me chose. If Manager Li has any other hidden gems, I can take a look too. Don't worry, I can afford the price."

"Can you really afford it?"

“Don’t underestimate Mr. He. He owns a port, a factory, and a CBD in the Special Economic Zone,” Li Chengru couldn’t help but interject.

"Xiao Li."

"Hehe, why did you stop me just now? Otherwise I would have beaten up that bastard Jin the translator."

“You got away with it after you laid a hand on me? What, do you want to spend a few years in jail?” He Yuxin said.

"I'm just angry. I shouldn't have given them a nice look these days."

“Then you can’t do it in public,” He Yuxin said.

“If it weren’t for someone’s support, I’m afraid those guys wouldn’t have left,” Li Chengru said.

"Yes, even if the police come, it won't do any good. They probably won't side with us anyway," Manager Li said.

Hearing this, He Yuxin frowned, finally understanding why his brother had said that. He cursed inwardly, "Damn it, this is even worse than Hong Kong! What's wrong with it!"

Over there, Rosamund Kwan and Cherie Chung had already selected several small pieces of jewelry: a kingfisher feather hairpin, a pair of jade earrings, and a white jade safety buckle.

When the female shop assistant was packaging the item, a commotion started. The two women stood at a distance and watched. They had wanted to go over, but He Yuxin subtly waved them away, so they stayed on the periphery.

At this moment, the two women walked over, and Rosamund Kwan spoke first: "Brother He, are you alright?"

"What could possibly be wrong with me? If we're talking about who's the best today, it's Xiao Li. Xiao Li, what would you like to eat today? It's on me!"

"Then I'll really bring it up."

"no problem."

Fengzeyuan.

He Yuxin was taken aback. He was very familiar with the name. "This shop is still open?"

"Mr. He knows?"

"Yes, I know a little. It existed during the Republic of China era."

"It's open, business is booming right now," Li Chengru said.

"Then let's go to Fengzeyuan. Manager Li, do you have time to grace us with your presence?" He Yuxin asked.

"Here."

“Let’s go tonight, so it won’t interfere with your work. I also want to ask you some questions about antiques, so please don’t refuse, Manager Li!” He Yuxin said sincerely. He still admired this Manager Li to some extent; he still had backbone.

"Then I'd rather be respectful than obey your orders!"

“Okay, pack your things. You’ll have to come to the bank with me. I don’t have that many foreign exchange certificates on me,” He Yuxin said with a smile.

"It should, it should."

He Yuxin looked at the two women: "Have you both adjusted it?"

“It’s adjusted. We’ll pay for it ourselves,” said Cherie Chung.

"If we said we'd go together, then we'll go together," He Yuxin said.

"Okay then"

The group loaded their things into the car and then went to the bank. After Li Chengru took He Yuxin and the others back to their hotel, he took Manager Li back to the antique shop. Manager Li was also in a panic because he had so many foreign exchange certificates.

Why not go to the new house? There's no one there. What if such valuable things get stolen? It's safer to stay in a hotel.

He ate lunch at the hotel, and in the afternoon, He Yuxin called his older brother.

"elder brother!"

"Yuxin, what's wrong now?"

He Yuxin then recounted what had happened that day and asked He Yuzhu to make a decision.

"Tonight, ask that Manager Li what those guys have taken with them. If he has connections, ask him where they've been."

Does it have anything to do with where you go?

"How can it be unrelated? Do you think antiques are only found in Beijing?"

"Oh, what then?"

"Then you tell me, and I'll find someone to handle it."

"Old Bai's men have come in?"

"What are you thinking? Let's go through the proper channels. As for that translator Jin, see if Li Chengru is reliable. If he is, have him find someone to teach that bastard translator a lesson he won't forget."

"Okay, I'll ask Xiao Li in a bit."

"It seems you trust him quite a bit?"

"We've been dating for a while now, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Tell him to be careful when handling things, and you can give him more money, since the person handling the matter might end up in jail."

"I know. By the way, Manager Li, could you ask if there's any possibility of changing locations?"

"Our family is going to open an antique shop?"

"You should ask them first."

"it is good."

"By the way, you need to hurry up with the photos."

"I had completely forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. I'll take care of it this afternoon," He Yuxin said somewhat awkwardly.

"Don't forget to take a picture of everything you bought too."

"okay!"