Golden Age Legitimate Fei

Chapter 5: To Use Force in Buying and Selling

Chapter 5: To Use Force in Buying and Selling

Fu Imperial Capital

She hadn't even entered yet, but the shop's noisy racket caused Ye Li to frown. An antique store wasn't supposed to be a place for people to be coming and going, it would generally be quiet and refined, but the voices in the store can be heard clearly before a person even got to go inside.

Once she entered, the shop unexpectedly exhibited a full view of glittering jewels and there was a shopkeeper dressed in brocade from head to toe for the sake of using his wealth to intimidate people and who was looking with a face full of disdain at a young man dressed in old-fashioned clothing. That boy had a wan and sallow complexion, and looked sickly. His appearance that could still be considered handsome looked sallow and his skin appeared to be dry and rough and although the clothes he was wearing was old-fashioned, they were washed thoroughly and cleanly that looking at it wouldn't make one feel disgusted with it, instead it somewhat gave off a faint temperament of a scholar.

At the moment, that boy nevertheless looked embarra.s.sed and anxious, also looked as though he was panting unstably, "Shopkeeper, take another look at it more clearly. This painting really is an authentic work of Wu Zhi Kai xiansheng[1] ah."

The shopkeeper looked askance at the young man with disgust and said, "Looking at your poor and sickly-looking face, how can you have Wu...Wu Zhi Kai's authentic work? This painting is clearly a counterfeit! However, this shop also accepts imitations and seeing as this painting imitation of yours is also not bad, I can give you two hundred taels for it."

The boy's face reddened in anger, "You....you...." Wu Zhi Kai was a big, influential family from the previous dynasty, an authentic work even if it weren't among the best in quality could at least get two thousand taels, if it were raised even more it could still go higher. This shopkeeper actually wanted to use a tenth of its value to buy the treasure left behind by his jiazu[2]. If it weren't for really needing the money, how could he even bear to just sell this painting like that? "Preposterous! I'm not selling it!" The boy indignantly rolled up the painting, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" When the shopkeeper saw that the boy wanted to leave, his eyes flashed a trace of ruthlessness as he fiercely stared down the boy and said, "This old gentleman giving you two hundred taels was giving you face! With these words could it be that you stole this? Makes sense, seeing this poor scholarly look of yours how could you have this kind of painting, let's take a trip to the authorities."

"If you want to see the authorities then let's go see the authorities, you think I'm afraid of you? You as a shopkeeper are actually being so unreasonable!" the boy said extremely angrily.

The shopkeeper gave a contemptuous smile, "Reason? Do you perhaps know which family our shop belongs to? I'll tell you, this is the business belonging to the family of Zhao Yi niangniang[3] from the palace, our fu's[4] fourth guniang[5] is quickly about to become Li w.a.n.gfei[6]. Tell me do you think the authorities will believe me or believe a poor scholar like you?"

"You...."

"This gongzi[7], I want this painting of yours. Two thousand taels." Ye Li said softly as she entered the store.

The two people currently in a dispute were immediately distracted, the boy reacted by looking over at the exquisite, serene and elegant female standing in front of them and couldn't help but say, "You....you believe me?"

In fact, Ye Li may not be able to tell if this painting was real or fact, it's just that based on the reactions of the shopkeeper and the boy, as well as the flash of guilt in the face of the painting expert at the front desk quickly led her to such conclusion. Not to mention, even if this painting were fake, she'd still buy it today!