Chapter 45: The Spendthrift Daughter

The shop was filled with a dazzling array of antiques, so many and so exquisite that they left people utterly bedazzled. The establishment was called Mingyu Pavilion, the largest jade and antique shop in River City, specializing in gemstones and jade artifacts.

“Wow, these jades are so beautiful! I’ve never seen so much jade in my life,” Li Bing’er exclaimed with sparkling eyes, her excitement barely contained.

She had never visited such places before and had no idea how fascinating they could be.

Lin Feng, too, was taken aback by the sheer variety and rarity of the antiques in the shop. At a glance, artifacts from as far back as ancient times through the eras of Qin Shi Huang and Han Wu, and even from the Three Kingdoms, Tang, and Song dynasties, were all present.

The categories on display were complete and diverse—jade carvings, jade cong, bi discs, ceremonial jade axes, and all sorts of jade jewelry—enough to leave one in awe.

“Miss, may I ask what you’re looking for? Our shop has the most extensive collection of jade artifacts in the whole city—you’ve definitely come to the right place.”

Li Bing’er was admiring the antiques with shining eyes, lost in joy, when a middle-aged voice suddenly snapped her out of her reverie.

She turned to see a middle-aged man approaching, his square face adorned with jade and antique ornaments, dressed in splendid attire, and even wearing boots inlaid with jade.

This was Pei Dafu, the owner of the shop.

“I’m looking for a thousand-year-old pure yang antique. Do you have one?” Li Bing’er sized him up curiously and asked offhandedly.

“A thousand-year-old antique?”

Pei Dafu’s expression turned serious as he stroked his chin and studied her. From the moment she entered, he had noticed her luxurious attire, each piece worth a small fortune.

He hadn’t expected her to seek such a rare item—fortune had truly smiled upon him today!

“Yes, yes, of course! Miss, please follow me. In my shop, from the ancient times through the Ming and Qing, from imperial kilns to folk kilns, there is nothing you cannot find.”

“A mere thousand-year-old antique is nothing difficult for me to provide. However, such artifacts are highly valuable; I wouldn’t sell them to just anyone.”

With grand gestures and eloquent words, Pei Dafu led her and Lin Feng further into the shop.

His success came from his silver tongue.

As a newcomer to the world of antiques, Li Bing’er was quickly charmed and convinced by his extravagant talk.

When they reached the counter, Pei Dafu asked them to wait a moment as he went to retrieve the antique.

Taking advantage of the pause, Li Bing’er glanced at Lin Feng, her eyes twinkling. “Lin Feng, it seems you were right—it really is about fate when buying antiques.”

“I feel a connection with this owner. I’ll have to visit his shop often in the future.”

“Usually, the more the owner talks, the more traps there are. This business is not as simple as you think. Let’s just wait and see what he brings out,” Lin Feng replied with a smile.

“Hmph, you’re just jealous of the owner’s abilities. I don’t believe he doesn’t have the real thing,” Li Bing’er retorted dismissively.

By now, she trusted Pei Dafu completely and saw no reason to think Lin Feng was any better.

Lin Feng merely smiled and held his tongue.

A short while later, Pei Dafu returned and placed a large bundle on the counter, beaming. “Miss, take a good look. Inside this bundle are all antiques over a thousand years old.”

“There are jade pendants, hairpins, and some extremely rare jade carvings. See if any of them are what you want.”

With a flourish, he opened the bundle, and an intense green radiance instantly spilled out, mingled with glimmers of white light—all emitted by the jades within.

At a glance, these items were clearly far more rare and precious than those displayed on the counters.

“Wow, you have so much, and all of these are over a thousand years old? You’re not trying to fool me, are you?” Li Bing’er, not entirely gullible, asked about their authenticity.

But to ask was almost pointless—who would admit their own wares were fake?

“Oh, miss, you really don’t know your antiques. Do you know where these came from? They all originated from famous tombs across the land, passed through countless hands and hardships before finally arriving here.”

“If there’s even one fake item in this bundle, I’ll close my shop today and never set foot in the antique world again,” Pei Dafu declared, thumping his chest.

“In that case, Lin Feng, help me see which of these is a pure yang antique,” Li Bing’er said after a moment’s thought, turning to Lin Feng.

Lin Feng feigned arrogance and replied disdainfully, “Didn’t you say you trust him? Let him introduce them to you—why ask me?”

“You…” Li Bing’er, fuming, pointed at his nose with her jade-like finger, and after a few seconds, muttered defiantly, “Fine! Who says I need you?”

“Sir, please show me which of these antiques is a pure yang piece. No matter the price, I’ll take it.”

“Are you certain?” Pei Dafu’s eyes shone at the mention of money.

Without hesitation, he carefully selected a jade pendant from the pile and handed it to Li Bing’er.

The pendant was a flawless, vibrant green, pure and immaculate. Held to the sunlight, its fine jade quality was evident, sparkling and translucent.

The carving was exquisite—eight true dragons coiled upon the jade, each with a unique expression.

“Miss, the design on this pendant is known as the ‘Eight Dragons’. It is said to be the very piece that Zhou Yu gave to Xiao Qiao in the Three Kingdoms period.”

“But its origins go even further. Are you familiar with the legend of Nuwa repairing the heavens in ancient times?”

“The raw material for this pendant is the Azure Sky Stone, one of the five colored stones Nuwa used to mend the sky. Each of those stones was of pure yang essence, and so is this pendant.”

Pei Dafu’s impassioned explanation utterly convinced Li Bing’er.

She stared at him, enthralled, and when he finished, she asked delightedly, “How much for this stone? I’ll buy it.”

“Well… Normally, I wouldn’t let it go for less than fifty million, but since you have such a passion for jade and we share this fateful connection, I’ll give you a discount—forty million.”

“How much?” Li Bing’er was stunned.

All her clothes together were worth less than a million, yet this tiny jade pendant cost forty million?

Lin Feng, standing to the side, couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, though he refrained from commenting.

Seeing her hesitate at the price, Pei Dafu quickly added, “Miss, you get what you pay for. If you think it’s too expensive, I can show you something else.”

“But I can’t guarantee the next piece will meet your requirements—antique, thousand years old, and pure yang.”

“Enough, enough. Don’t bother. I’ll take this pendant. Please wrap it up,” Li Bing’er said, pouting.

Though it pained her, this pendant could save her life—forty million was a price she could accept.

At her words, both Pei Dafu and Lin Feng showed identical looks of astonishment.

Pei Dafu was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. “Certainly, miss! Please wait while I wrap it up for you.”

“Hold on,” Lin Feng finally spoke, unable to stay silent any longer.

He had never seen such a prodigal girl!