Su Yehao knew his own limitations and didn't have the ability to spot hidden treasures.

He calmed his mind and strolled around Panjiayuan, finding it quite interesting.

It was past three in the afternoon, with the scorching sun overhead.

He walked down the street with Nong Qingying, holding a parasol. Since he wasn't expecting to find any bargains, he hadn't asked his bodyguards to leave.

Many roadside stalls were closed.

Some owners were sleeping in their deck chairs, while others simply covered their goods with cloth, weighed down the corners with stones, and disappeared.

Many vendors had been doing business together for years, and everyone knew each other. They helped each other out, and if anyone accidentally broke something or got the wrong idea and tried to steal, the "modern handicrafts" could turn into antiques, and they would surely be ripped off.

From this perspective, some stall owners might even hope that someone would take the opportunity while they were away to steal a few items without realizing their value. That way, they would have a reason to make a fuss. After all, they bought in bulk and they weren't worth much.

If something were stolen, they could claim it was real, who knew if it had been switched?

If there were any real treasures, they would have already been eagerly sent to auction houses, or sold to wealthy people at high prices. Who would be guarding a stall in the sun and wind, making a living, or at least own a small shop, watching TV and using an electric fan when there were no customers?

In the shade, the sound of the crickets on the bicycle selling them was harsh and noisy.

Su Yehao didn't understand why people liked playing with crickets. They were just like grasshoppers, wouldn't it be a pain to have them at home, making noise all day long, driving you crazy? It might be okay for a deaf old man, but he had no interest.

Nearby, several Shar-Pei dogs in cages were especially likable, with so many wrinkles that you could hardly see their eyes. They looked adorable, and even Nong Qingying, who was afraid of dogs, couldn't help but praise them.

In the bird shop, parrots were cracking melon seeds and peanuts.

These days, the enforcement of animal protection wasn't too strict. As long as the parrots were raised artificially, nothing would usually happen.

He had just seen macaws in Thailand a few days ago, and he didn't expect to see them again while strolling around Panjiayuan.

Last time it was a red-and-blue macaw, this time it was a yellow-and-blue macaw. They looked similar, the only difference was the color of their feathers. They both looked beautiful, but their calls were piercing, so it would be better to keep them in the yard. It was more comfortable to have a quiet home.

Earlier, the little girl had asked Jiang Yu to give him a parrot as a birthday gift, but later Jiang Yu only gave him a gold dragon pendant from Chow Tai Fook, worth more than 20,000 yuan. It wasn't that she didn't want to buy a bird, but it was really difficult to find one in Hong Kong.

After stopping to play with them for a while, Su Yehao asked the price. The shopkeeper said that this parrot had been raised for nine years and they had become attached to it, so they were reluctant to sell it.

If he wanted to buy one, they could help him find one, but Su Yehao shook his head in the end, mainly because he didn't have the confidence to raise it well.

Several of the koi in the pond at home had already turned belly up, and the pygmy hippopotamus that He Shaofan's relatives had given him was also being raised as a nuisance, a typical dung-making machine that had to be shoveled every day, filling a small bucket and attracting many flies...

With Su Yehao's style, no one would believe him if he said he had no money.

Whether it was the bodyguards in shirts or Nong Qingying standing beside him, they were enough to show that Su Yehao's background was extraordinary.

A stall owner who had woken up from his afternoon nap beckoned them and said, "Hey there, young boss, come and take a look at my goods? There's no business in the afternoon, I guarantee you a fair price."

"...Sorry, I'm just wandering around. You probably don't have what I want to buy at your stall."

Su Yehao glanced over them and saw mostly copper coins covered in mud, fake Buddha statues, jade, and Buddhist beads.

There was also jadeite.

When Su Yehao took out the Imperial Green pendant that his little aunt had given him from around his neck, the stall owner's eyes almost popped out. The color and craftsmanship were far superior to his stall goods.

Even though he spoke Mandarin, he had a Hong Kong accent, and with his imposing manner, the stall owner completely lost his temper and said in admiration:

"Forget it, forget it, I didn't say anything. You're a real rich man, my junk isn't worthy of you. This pendant alone must be worth at least a hundred thousand, right?"

"Well...add a zero and that's about right. The carving is also quite valuable, I forget who carved it."

He didn't mean to be imposing. Su Yehao was usually like this, and he couldn't deliberately be low-key just to be low-key. Even if he wanted to sneak out alone, the bodyguards wouldn't allow it.

Security is all about reputation. If something happened to Su Yehao, they would all have to pack their bags and leave.

Taking a step back, security wasn't as good as it would be twenty years later, and it was undeniable.

He continued walking.

He didn't see anything else he liked, but he did see a large gourd in a curio shop. The shape was very straight, and it was about seventy centimeters tall. The *Diamond Sutra* was carved on the gourd, and the labor cost was much more valuable than the gourd itself.

Therefore, the shopkeeper asked for three thousand five hundred yuan, and Su Yehao didn't even haggle, thinking it was worth the money.

Three thousand five hundred yuan wasn't even pocket money, so he was too lazy to waste his breath. It was quite hot, and he didn't want to stay long, so he only asked for two pairs of walnuts.

It was rare to meet such a straightforward customer, so the shopkeeper didn't haggle either, but didn't forget to remind him that a pair of walnuts cost one hundred yuan. Whether it was the retail price or the cost price, it was hard to say.

Having grown up watching Calash, Su Yehao had a strange affection for gourds. He carried it himself, much to Nong Qingying's disgust.

There were some nice potted plants at the flower shop, but it wasn't convenient to take them back to Hong Kong, and he was afraid that no one would take care of them in the courtyard, so he gave up.

Speaking of good potted plants, compared with the "Heavenly Emperor Pine" that Su Yehao gave to his grandfather, they would of course be crushed into渣.

Heavenly Emperor Pine.

Just hearing the name, you could tell how high its status was in the Japanese bonsai world, and it was definitely not something that the potted plants in these stores could compare with.

It was really hot.

After asking a stall owner selling goldfish, he went directly to Rongbaozhai, which was said to be the largest.

Such a big store could afford to turn on the air conditioning, so Su Yehao let his bodyguards in as well, to cool off.

The shop assistant had sharp eyes and even recognized Su Yehao's watch. However, he only knew the brand, and Patek Philippe's buckle was quite distinctive.

He recognized the master at a glance, and thought that he must be a big customer.

The shop assistant, who was in his early twenties, cupped his hands and said enthusiastically, "Everyone, please have a seat. It's really hot today. Let me pour you a cup of sour plum soup to cool off? It's iced in the refrigerator, and the taste is absolutely authentic. Young master, the gourd in your hand is really good. We also grow them in the back of our yard, but they're only palm-sized *wenwan* gourds. Yours is the ancestor of gourds."

Doing antique business is different from other businesses, often relying on your tongue.

Hearing this, Su Yehao couldn't help but laugh and said, "Really? Three thousand five hundred yuan, and they gave me two pairs of walnuts. Did I pay too much?"

The shop assistant was afraid of offending people, so without thinking, he replied:

"If you like it, that's all that matters. It's really not easy to find such a big, straight gourd. Besides, the characters on it are well carved, definitely by a master craftsman. It would take at least ten days and a half months to carve it like this. Carving characters on the skin of a gourd is easy to mess up if your hand shakes, and it's hard to fix, unlike jade..."