Zhuang Rui set Nannan down from his shoulder. Nannan was quite well-behaved. After struggling to climb up onto a chair, she said in a childlike voice, "Happy New Year, Rascal Uncle. Nannan is paying you a New Year's visit." She really did kowtow, but nearly fell off the chair.
Liu Chuan didn't care at all that Nannan called him Rascal Uncle. Overjoyed, he scooped her up with one hand and grabbed a handful of hundred-yuan bills from the drawer with the other. Without even counting, he stuffed them directly into the small satchel on Nannan's clothes, saying cheerfully, "Hey, precious girl, pick whatever you want from my shop. Your uncle will send it to your home. But Nannan, why did you climb onto the chair to wish your uncle a Happy New Year？"
At this moment, Nannan's eyes were too busy looking at the little animals in the shop. Answering in a non-sequitur, she said, "Uncle said that if Nannan kowtows to Rascal Uncle, I'll get money. With money, Nannan can buy White Rabbit creamy candy. Mom never lets Nannan eat it. Nannan is wearing new clothes; if I get them dirty on the ground, Mom will scold me."
"Forget it. The only things in your shop are turtles and critters. My niece doesn't want any of that..."
Zhuang Rui teased from the side, but Liu Chuan's business was really booming. In less than five minutes after they entered, several couples who looked like they were in love bought a few turtles and hamsters. What slightly surprised Zhuang Rui was that these insignificant little things actually sold for over a thousand yuan, and that pair of golden hamsters even sold for six hundred. Zhuang Rui couldn't help but think to himself, what a shark of a merchant.
"What are you staring around at? Let me tell you, Lei Lei and Qin Xuanbing are coming over to help soon. Hey, that woman might be cold, but her face is absolutely stunning. You really not tempted?" Liu Chuan put Nannan down on the ground, greeting guests while running his mouth at the same time.
"Give me a break. Clearly a rich girl, I can't afford her. Didn't they say they were leaving Pengcheng on the fifth? Anyway, Rascal, take Nannan to play for a bit. I'm going out for a stroll..."
Zhuang Rui said casually. Seeing that his niece, who had been pestering him for days, finally had her attention elsewhere, he got ready to head over to the antique market. As for Qin Xuanbing, Zhuang Rui knew she didn't exactly like him, so he wasn't about to warm his face on a cold ass.
"No clue. Lei Lei called and said they'd leave in a few days. Go to the market, but come back early. I've got something to talk to you about." Liu Chuan waved his hand, signaling for Zhuang Rui to go and come back soon.
……
Pengcheng has been one of the nine ancient provinces of the world since ancient times. It's a place with a deep historical and cultural heritage, especially Han culture, which has left a deep mark on this city. Collectibles from the Han dynasty and even earlier periods can often be found in Xuzhou, a source of pride for the people of Pengcheng. Perhaps for this very reason, collecting has become a joy for many locals, with joys and disappointments ebb and flow within it.
The place where Zhuang Rui stood was the most concentrated and liveliest spot for all kinds of collectibles in Pengcheng. It was practically the go-to spot for all the city's collectors to hunt for treasures and kill time—a place where opportunity and traps coexisted, and where joys and disappointments lived side by side.
In the early days, the collectibles market wasn't as big as it is now. Most shops were operating in a small park nearby. Later, the popularity of the outdoor market gradually picked up, and now only a small number of stalls and shop owners are still operating in the adjacent park, and things don't look too good for them either, so most of the shops inside have switched to selling fish, insects, flowers and birds.
There are many types of collectibles in the market; it can be said that almost any collectible you can think of might be found here. As long as collecting enthusiasts pay attention, they basically won't go home empty-handed. Jade, bronze, coins, wood, porcelain, silver, miscellaneous items, calligraphy and paintings, comic books... there are too many types. However, what probably best represents Pengcheng's characteristics are artifacts from the Han Dynasty, such as Han mirrors, Han jars, rubbings of Han Dynasty stone reliefs, etc., which are very popular among both local Pengcheng residents and visiting friends.
There are also many shops inside the market, but not many specialize in antiques. Some shops do business as tea houses, coffee houses, and the like.
Like many collectibles markets in China, the number of visitors here on weekdays isn't too high, mostly out-of-town tourists. But when the weekend or holidays come, it's definitely another bustling and crowded scene. Most of the time it's as packed as it is now. On one hand, on weekends and holidays, many people have time to come and try their luck, to see if they can find satisfactory collectibles. On the other hand, many small vendors from neighboring areas also come drawn by its reputation. A newspaper or a piece of velvet cloth becomes their counter, where they display all kinds of old odds and ends they've gathered, and then they sit down on a small stool behind it, and business is open.
Although it was still freezing cold, Zhuang Rui saw smiling faces filled with festive joy in the crowded crowd. Taking a closer look, most of the passersby were young men and women, but they just glanced briefly, rarely staying at one stall for more than a few minutes. Most of what they bought were crafts, priced at ten or eight bucks, quite cheap, far from being valuable collectibles. Those who lingered forward, standing or squatting beside the stalls, were often middle-aged and elderly people. Some held magnifying glasses no bigger than coins, carefully scrutinizing; others were haggling with the stall owners. These people should be the main consumers of the collecting market.
Lively as it was, Zhuang Rui knew in his heart that it was better to be cautious when making a move. The reason Yang Wei's dad became famous wasn't because he was rich, but because he had collected a whole house full of fake antiques. He would often get talked into it by people in the circle, who would spin some stories about the origins of a few items, and Old Yang would be fooled. Over the years, he had paid at least a few million in tuition fees but still hadn't found the knack. This had become a joke in their circle.
In this world, most people who drown know how to swim. For the antique trade, the ones who get fleeced are those who half-understand, not quite familiar with antiques. If these people buy ten items and one of them is an old piece, they're already pretty lucky.
The unwritten rule of the collecting trade is that there are both real and fake items, all depending on the buyer's sharp eyes. It's not impossible to pan for gold and find an old treasure, but it's also common to buy new goods if you're not careful. So whether you hit the jackpot or get taken, it all hangs on the collector's judgment in a single moment. For ordinary people, collecting is all about eyesight, opportunity, and the thrill of the gamble. But Zhuang Rui felt he wasn't part of that crowd.
Zhuang Rui drifted slowly with the crowd, browsing the street stalls on both sides. He had no desire to enter those shops, not just because he'd been taken for a sucker in one before the New Year, but also because when chatting with Uncle De in the past, he'd heard him mention that in the antique collecting trade, those who could afford to open a shop generally relied on repeat customers, and it was 'no sales for three years, one sale feeds you for three years.' The items displayed on the open shelves were mostly modern crafts. So as for these shops, not only would genuine items not be on the shelves, just the smooth-talking salesmen who'd tell you a spittoon was used by Emperor Qianlong was enough to wear you out. Zhuang Rui couldn't be bothered to invite that kind of trouble.
Zhuang Rui was more interested in the stalls selling calligraphy and paintings. He would often crouch there for half a day, picking up each piece to examine it closely. A casual observer might think he was an expert, scrutinizing so carefully, not knowing that he had to identify each item one by one, which of course took time. After browsing for over two hours and checking out more than a dozen stalls, Zhuang Rui still hadn't found anything of value, and he felt a bit disappointed.
"Hey big brother, I've got some old stuff here. Wanna take a look？"
Seeing that it was almost noon, Zhuang Rui shook his head, turned around somewhat disappointed, and was about to head back when someone unexpectedly grabbed his sleeve.