Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

The stall owner was speechless after being shut down by his words. He chuckled awkwardly and touched his nose, saying, "Hehe, young man, you're an expert."

I wouldn't call myself an expert, I just know a little bit about it.

Xu Xing put down the incense burner. "At best, this is a folk imitation, but the craftsmanship is not bad and the shape is quite regular. It can be considered a folk masterpiece."

"Yes, yes, a masterpiece of folk art!"

The stall owner quickly followed up, saying, "Although it's folk art, the craftsmanship is truly exquisite! Look at this openwork crane carving—the lines are so smooth, and the shape is so lifelike. Even if it's folk art, it's still the work of a master craftsman!"

Xu Xing waved his hand, his tone tinged with impatience: "Boss, don't give me that nonsense."

A counterfeit is a counterfeit. No matter how good a folk masterpiece is, it can never compare to an official one.

Just give me a price. If I can sell it, I'll take it; if not, forget it. Let's not waste each other's time.

The stall owner smacked his lips and looked Xu Xing up and down again.

He observed that although Xu Xing's attire was not extravagant, his demeanor was composed and his speech was clear and logical, clearly indicating that he was not the kind of novice who was easily fooled.

Moreover, Xu Xing was accompanied by a beautiful girl, clearly a couple on vacation. These kinds of customers usually have strong spending power, but they are not as calculating as seasoned collectors.

After considering it for a moment, he finally quoted a price: "Six hundred thousand."

After hearing this, Xu Xing stood up without saying a word and made a move to leave.

"Hey, hey, young man, don't go!"

The stall owner quickly stopped him, "The price is negotiable! Name your price!"

Xu Xing stopped, turned around, and held up three fingers: "Three hundred thousand."

"Three hundred thousand?"

The stall owner's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "You've gone way too far! This piece may not have a mark, but the craftsmanship speaks for itself. I can't even recoup my costs for 300,000!"

"How much will you say?"

"Five hundred and fifty thousand, that's the lowest I can get!"

"Three hundred and fifty thousand."

"Five hundred thousand! That's the lowest I can go!"

"Three hundred and eighty thousand."

"Four hundred and fifty thousand! Young man, this is truly a fair price!"

Xu Xing hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "420,000, it's fine if it's acceptable, otherwise forget it."

The stall owner hesitated for a long time, his expression shifting between different emotions, before finally slapping his thigh and saying, "Fine! Four hundred and twenty thousand it is! Consider it making friends!"

Xu Xing then smiled and took out his phone to scan the QR code to pay.

The stall owner deftly packed the bronze incense burner into a box, then put it in a cloth bag before handing it to Xu Xing: "Boss, here you go!"

Xu Xing took the cloth bag and weighed it in his hand; only then did he feel truly relieved.

Li Yuting stood aside, witnessing the entire exciting price-cutting battle, her eyes filled with admiration.

"Brother Xu, you're amazing!"

She took Xu Xing's arm, her voice tinged with excitement, "You managed to cut 600,000 down to 420,000, a third off!"

"That's how the antique market is; prices are often inflated."

Xu Xing smiled and said, "But this item is indeed quite good. Getting it for 420,000 is not a bad deal."

He didn't say much, after all, it wasn't the right time to tell Li Yuting the secret about the gold leaf.

The two continued browsing in the antique market for a while, and Xu Xing spent two thousand yuan at a stall selling miscellaneous items to buy a silver hairpin from the late Qing Dynasty. It was exquisitely crafted and uniquely designed.

He turned and handed the hairpin to Li Yuting: "Here, this is for you."

Li Yuting took the hairpin, her eyes lighting up instantly: "Wow! It's so beautiful! Brother Xu, you really gave it to me?"

"Hmm, do you like it?"

"I love it! I absolutely love it!"

Li Yuting played with the hairpin with obvious delight, then looked up, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Xu Xing on the cheek. "Thank you, Brother Xu!"

Xu Xing smiled and then picked out an icy jadeite safety buckle with floating flowers at a jade stall, spending eight thousand yuan.

The quality and color of this safety buckle are quite good. Although it's not top-tier, it's good enough for everyday wear.

He handed the safety amulet to Li Yuting: "I'll give you this too, wear it for good luck."

Li Yuting accepted the safety buckle, her smile growing even brighter.

She hung the safety amulet around her neck, then picked up the hairpin and compared it to herself. She looked up at Xu Xing, her eyes filled with sweetness: "Brother Xu, why are you being so nice to me today?"

"Have I never treated you well before?"

"It's fine on ordinary days, but today is especially good!"

Li Yuting said with a grin, "Then I'll pester you every day from now on, so you'll be this nice to me every single day!"

Xu Xing smiled and shook his head, then took her hand: "Let's go, it's time for dinner."

After leaving the antique market, the two found a local restaurant nearby that served authentic Huacheng specialties.

The restaurant is small but very popular, with long queues outside.

Xu Xing booked a private room, ordered several signature dishes, and also a bowl of Huacheng's specialty slow-cooked soup.

Li Yuting enjoyed her meal, chatting with Xu Xing as she ate, sharing her experiences in Huacheng over the past few days.

Xu Xing listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a few words. Watching her animated expression, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

After dinner, we returned to the hotel at around 8 p.m.

Li Yuting went to take a shower first, while Xu Xing sat on the sofa, took out the bronze incense burner from the cloth bag, and examined it carefully under the light.

Instead of cleaning it, he activated his X-ray vision to check the condition of the gold foil inside.

The gold leaf was remarkably well-preserved, with the Sanskrit scriptures clearly legible. The six characters "Donated during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty" made his heart race.

He put down the aromatherapy diffuser, went into the bathroom, and picked up a disposable toothbrush provided by the hotel from the sink.

Back in the living room, he turned on his phone's flashlight, held the aromatherapy diffuser up to the light, and then carefully cleaned the grime from the diffuser walls with a toothbrush.

The incense residue had accumulated over hundreds of years and hardened into a thick layer of black substance, adhering to the inside of the stove wall.

Xu moved very gently, afraid of damaging the gold foil inside.

He brushed it off bit by bit, the powdery residue falling in a soft patter.

After about ten minutes, a small golden area finally appeared.

Under the light, the small piece of gold leaf gleamed with a warm luster, and although it had been covered by incense residue for hundreds of years, its color remained as bright as new.

Xu Xing put down his toothbrush, gently wiped the small area with a tissue, and then leaned closer to examine it carefully.

The words "Made in the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty" can be clearly seen on the gold leaf.

Although only these few words were revealed, it was enough to confirm it.

Xu Xing took a deep breath to suppress his excitement.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Xu Xing put down the incense burner and got up to open the door.

Professor Feng was standing outside the door.

Today she wore a navy blue Chinese-style jacket, her hair was neatly styled, and she had a gentle smile on her face.

"Mr. Xu, did I disturb your rest?"

"No, no, Professor Feng, please come in."

Xu Xing stepped aside to make way.