"This... a thousand is too little?"
The shop owner looked troubled. "I paid more than that to acquire it. If you're sincere, take it for ten thousand."
Having been in the antique business, he was accustomed to this kind of bargaining, so it wasn't anything significant.
He had bought this hairpin for 400 yuan. It had only been on display that morning, and the dirt on it was still damp.
With his discerning eye, he could tell it was an old item, but he wasn't certain of its origin.
He could only classify it as Qing Dynasty.
"This hairpin is not from the Qing Dynasty,"
Li Chonglou said slowly, "Qing Dynasty women's hairstyles and adornments were broad, leading hairpin forms to evolve towards two extremes."
"One is that the hairpin head gradually became smaller, such as the typical types like 'geda zhen' (bobbin needle), 'erwa shao' (ear spoon), and 'laoya piao' (old crow ladle)."
"The other is that hairpin adornments became larger and larger, suited to the characteristics of Manchu women's 'liang ba tou' (two buns) hairstyle that covered a wide area. Later, they gradually evolved into large ornaments like 'tou hua' (hair ornaments) and 'bian fang' (flat hairpins)."
"This hairpin, whether in style or era, does not match the Qing Dynasty."
"I can only offer a thousand!"
Without any wasted words, he got straight to the point.
Outsiders watched the spectacle; insiders appreciated the skill.
The shop owner's eyes gradually showed admiration.
By the rules, once Li Chonglou explained the rationale, he had to yield and perhaps even pay a "tuition fee."
Of course, as the rules became weaker, the tuition fee was no longer necessary.
However, with this price, he no longer had the confidence to demand more.
Fortunately, having bought it for 400 yuan, even selling it for 1,000 would yield double the profit.
So, feigning a look of pain, he nodded his agreement. "Seeing as you're also someone from the circle, I'll let you have this hairpin."
"I'm not from any circle," Li Chonglou replied indifferently.
After speaking, he handed the hairpin to Xu Lie and took out his phone to scan and pay.
"Hold on!"
Just then, a sharp, piercing voice rang out. "Old Chen, why didn't you let me know when something good came in?"
From outside the door, a young man with a buzz cut, appearing to be nearly thirty, adorned with gold and silver, wearing plain clothes and accompanied by several burly men with dragon and tiger tattoos, walked into the shop.
His gaze was fixed on the hairpin in Xu Lie's hand.
"Young Master Zhou... I am truly sorry."
The shop owner, addressed as Old Chen, showed a hint of bitterness in his eyes upon seeing the young man, but he forced a smile and went to greet him. "This hairpin just arrived this morning. I hadn't had a chance to tell you yet. Look, the dirt is still damp."
"And it's already been spotted by someone."
"Heh, it's still warm," the young man said with a hint of mockery in his eyes. He called out, "I want this hairpin."
"Whatever he offers, I'll give you double!"
As he spoke, he reached out and moved to grab Xu Lie.
Throughout the entire process, he didn't even glance at Li Chonglou, completely ignoring his presence.
He was brazen and unrestrained, acting as if he were in his own home.
*Slap!*
Almost simultaneously, Xu Lie slapped the young man's hand away.
He snorted, "You can speak, but don't wave your hands around."
"My friend has already claimed this hairpin. Why should it be yours?"
Xu Lie didn't say much, but he was a quick learner. Back in Dongshan, Li Chonglou had explained this rule.
When two people were in a transaction, others had no right to interfere.
However, once the item had been handed over, it was a different matter.
This person barging in, raising the price, and trying to snatch it was clearly against the rules.
"Who do you think you are, talking to our Young Master Zhou like that!" Before the young man could speak, a burly man behind him cursed with a contorted expression.
The young man raised a hand to stop him, a sneer on his face as he rubbed his hand and glared at Xu Lie. "You ask me why?"
"You peasant, do you know who owns the Wenmiao Antique City?"
"This is my territory, so I have the priority to purchase."
"If you know what's good for you, obediently hand over the hairpin..."
Xu Lie and Li Chonglou were both dressed ordinarily.
Their attire could even be described as street stall goods, clearly not indicating wealth.
Therefore, from beginning to end, they hadn't caught his eye.
"What if I don't hand it over?" Before he could finish speaking, Li Chonglou's eyes flashed with a sharp glint as he retorted.
Hearing this, the young man's pupils contracted, and his expression gradually turned unpleasant. "You try and see if you can walk out of Wenmiao!"
The burly men behind him were already flexing their muscles.
A predatory glint appeared in Xu Lie's eyes. He made no overt move, but he was already poised like a hunting tiger, ready to strike.
He was assessing how many punches it would take to deal with these individuals.
In an instant, the atmosphere became tense and charged.
The customers in the shop, seeing a spectacle unfold, also gathered around.
"Distinguished guests, distinguished guests! This is Young Master Zhou Yacheng, the son of Director Zhou of the Wenmiao Antique Market."
Shop owner Chen, seeing the escalating tension, quickly tried to smooth things over. "Why bother offending Young Master Zhou over an item worth a mere thousand yuan, wouldn't you agree?"
"Why don't you let him have it? My shop has many other items. You can choose something else, and I'll give you the biggest discount."
There are generally three types of people in the antique collecting world.
First are those who collect purely out of interest. These individuals are often from established families, possess deep cultural heritage, and have a certain financial foundation.
Second are investors, who buy antiques either to wait for appreciation or to resell for profit.
Third are the ignorant novices who seek to make a quick fortune through opportunistic dealings.
This shop owner Chen was clearly the second type of merchant.
For them, the so-called rules were no longer that important; what mattered was profit.
"In the antique trade, once an item is in a transaction and not yet handed over, others have no right to forcibly purchase it."
Li Chonglou's expression remained unchanged as he stated calmly, "Without even respecting the rules, you want to force a sale?"
"What era is this, still trying to suppress me with rules?" Zhou Yacheng's face was grim, and he sneered, "Kid, I have plenty of money."
"Looking at your timid appearance, I doubt your annual salary could even cover one of my meals."
"And you think you're worthy of competing with me?"
"I'll give you one more chance. Will you yield or not?"
After saying this, he subtly took two steps back, hiding behind his bodyguards.
As long as Li Chonglou dared to utter half a word of refusal, he would immediately make him understand why flowers were so red.
To take this hairpin away in front of him was a pipe dream!
"Since you want it so sincerely, I can let you have it."
To everyone's surprise, Li Chonglou's tone suddenly changed. "One hundred thousand!"
"This..." Shop owner Chen's eyes widened.
His heart skipped a beat, and his scalp tingled.
Had he missed a treasure!
Did this hairpin have a significant origin?
Otherwise, why would Li Chonglou dare to quote such a high price?
"Kid, you're truly shameless!"
Zhou Yacheng's eyes bulged in disbelief. "You dare to ask me for a hundred thousand for a Qing imitation hairpin from the Republic of China?"
"Are you trying to swindle me?"
He had taken a liking to this hairpin as soon as he entered. It was a small windfall.
Just as Li Chonglou had said, it was not from the Qing Dynasty, but a Republic of China imitation of a Tang Dynasty gilded hairpin.
Its market value should be around ten thousand yuan.
The reason he was determined to acquire the hairpin was that his girlfriend had always wanted a Tang Dynasty gilded hairpin.
Having finally found one, he thought it would be easy to get.
Who knew Li Chonglou would make such an exorbitant demand?
"The item is in my hands. I decide how much it sells for."
Li Chonglou said unhurriedly, "There's no such word as 'swindle'."
"Aren't you very rich?"
To mistake an authentic Tang Dynasty gilded phoenix-head hairpin for a Republic of China imitation demonstrated Zhou Yacheng's poor eyesight.
He was determined today to teach this impetuous young man a lesson on how to behave!