This old street is quite a famous resort street, a pedestrian imitation-ancient commercial center that includes a shopping street and a snack street, intersecting.
While preserving some of the historical features of the old city, it also integrates many modern elements.
On the old street, there are cosplayers walking together, as well as young ladies in Hanfu strolling around. Several elderly gentlemen in traditional gowns gather under the corridor to play chess and drink tea.
The brass teapot with a long spout is very conspicuous.
If guests need a refill, they just need to call out.
Groups of uncles gather together, comparing their brightly colored birds that are preening their feathers.
On the dark gray tiles, a lazy cat, white and orange, yawns and stretches, then turns its head and falls asleep again.
The fast pace of the city seems to come to an abrupt halt here.
Various styles of small shops, including many century-old establishments, are dazzling.
However, with the rapid economic development in recent years, this old street has taken on a different flavor. The customer acquisition methods of some trendy shops are inexplicably awkward. Some shops either play loud music from black speakers at their entrances or display exaggerated, bizarre mascots.
Even most of the souvenirs feel like they are from a national unified style.
Fewer people come to visit now, only the elderly, or those who want to take photos in the vicinity of ancient architecture.
Xia Qingtian and the other two didn't even need to wear sunglasses or masks when they arrived.
Buying pearl milk tea on East Street, sandwiched twist on West Street, candied chestnuts in the South District, and cheesy tofu in the North District.
Savory and sweet zongzi are equally matched, mille-feuille and milk crisp are hard to distinguish, and crispy oil pancakes and fish ball soup complement each other.
The three girls fully embodied the essence of shopping and eating.
The most eye-catching was the comparison of their three different tastes. Even the most laid-back Lin Yirou vigorously defended the dignity of savory tofu pudding, resolutely resisting the heretical ways of sweet tofu pudding.
Ji Meina loves anything sweet, whether it's sweet tofu pudding or sweet zongzi, both hold a high place in her heart.
After arguing, they both turned to Xia Qingtian, "You! Do you eat savory or sweet!"
"I... I'm not hungry..." Xia Qingtian gave a dry laugh, "Well, whether it's savory or sweet, existence is reasonable, right!"
Both of them were clearly dissatisfied with Xia Qingtian's statement and narrowed their eyes menacingly.
"I'm going to buy some water," Xia Qingtian swallowed nervously, turned, and slipped away.
"Hahaha! She's running! Can't afford to offend!"
"See, men shouldn't have harem dreams. When two women disagree, you can't afford to offend either of them."
"Xia Qingtian is just like my dad when my mom and grandma argue and ask him to mediate. He awkwardly escapes and strategically drinks water."
The livestream was full of laughter, everyone chuckled together.
Meanwhile, after Xia Qingtian bought water, she saw an old woman selling flower wreaths nearby.
"Elderly lady, how much is this?" Xia Qingtian bent down and asked.
"The small ones for the wrist are 15, and the big ones for the head are 30," the old woman said, gesturing. "If you buy more, I can give you a discount."
"Then I'll take one for my wrist and two for my head. How much?" Xia Qingtian asked.
"Then... then I'll call it... 60 yuan," the old woman said slowly. "You're such a pretty girl, let me put it on for you."
"Then please put it on my wrist. I'll take the two big ones back to coax some children," Xia Qingtian said with a smile, extending her hand.
The old woman placed the small flower wreath on Xia Qingtian's wrist. "Don't throw it away even if it wilts. If you press it in a book, it will smell fragrant for a long time."
"Thank you, I'll remember," Xia Qingtian paid the money and walked back with the two large flower wreaths. Seeing the two of them turning their heads, seemingly ignoring each other, Xia Qingtian gently placed the two flower wreaths on their heads. "You look so beautiful!"
Suddenly, a faint fragrance wafted to their noses. After a brief moment of surprise, Ji Meina and Lin Yirou both showed surprised smiles.
"Let's go, let's walk ahead. There's a tea house over there that's said to be a century-old establishment. Let's go for some tea," Xia Qingtian said, linking Lin Yirou's arm with her left hand and putting her right arm around Ji Meina's waist, pulling them forward.
This tea house still holds a significant status in this area. Being a century-old establishment is not just a saying; it has won many awards over the years and has been interviewed by many influential magazines and television programs.
The patrons here are usually tourists who come specifically for it, as well as many tea lovers.
Near the tea house, there are also many antique shops and people looking for treasures.
As soon as they arrived at the tea house entrance, Xia Qingtian saw a middle-aged man holding a square box and enthusiastically saying to an old woman, "It's truly fate today. For anyone else, I would never easily let it go."
"What is this? It looks quite nice," the old woman seemed very interested in the contents of the box.
"This is pure natural black opal. Look at its luster. This is new stock from Australia," the middle-aged man promoted enthusiastically. "This item is now in demand but scarce, a treasure that is hard to come by!"
"Is that so?" the old woman asked, blinking. "How much is it?"
"If anyone else asked, I would usually price it from tens of thousands of yuan per carat. But if it's you... seeing your kind and benevolent face, I feel a connection." The middle-aged man's gaze fell on the exquisite ice-type jade bracelet on the old woman's wrist, his eyes becoming increasingly greedy. "If it's you... I won't play games with you. A fixed price..."
"2000," Xia Qingtian chimed in.
"2000? Are you kidding me, girl?" The middle-aged man was first stunned by Xia Qingtian's words, then questioned, "Do you know what opal is? This is the queen of gemstones!"
"Opal, also known as Australian treasure, is the national gemstone of Australia. It originates from the Latin word opalus, meaning 'possessing all the beauty of gemstones.' It is indeed a relatively rare product in the gem world, currently ranking sixth among gemstones, with black opal being the most revered." Xia Qingtian reached out and took the gemstone displayed in the middle-aged man's box, chuckling, "A good piece of black opal can display the colors of all gemstones.
"The blue of sapphire, the red of ruby, the green of emerald... the seven colors are perfectly displayed at any angle under the sun, especially this kind of ancient sedimentary rock, which has excellent stability."
"Good black opals range in price from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan per carat, depending on the surface texture of your piece, which first rules out Australia as its origin."
"Furthermore, considering the obvious signs of artificial smoking and dyeing, it's worth a maximum of 2000 yuan." Xia Qingtian casually tossed the gemstone back into the middle-aged man's box and sneered, "I've been playing with opals like marbles since I was a child. I can tell what it is at a glance."
"You! What nonsense are you talking about! And! And you played with opals like marbles since you were a child. What right do you have! Do you still think you're the eldest daughter of Yue's Jewelry? You're talking nonsense! Get out of here!" As if Xia Qingtian had hit a nerve, his face changed, and he started yelling.
"Elderly lady, if you want to buy opals, it's best to buy them from a reputable place. Because black opals are expensive and the material is rare, they are rarely made into such large decorations. Don't be fooled. Also, for opals, crystal opals are also good, with a clear base and good color-changing effects."
"Miss, are you a gemstone dealer? You know so much..." the old lady said in surprise.
"It's nothing. My mother liked gemstones very much when she was alive, so I know a little about them." Xia Qingtian gave a slight smile and then looked coldly at the middle-aged man. "As for you, I guarantee that every word I said is true. Do you dare to guarantee in front of the cameras and the national audience that your black opal is not adulterated in the slightest?"