Chapter 2

“Boss! How much did the clothes you’re wearing cost?”

The vendor looked down at himself, scratched his head in thought, then chuckled. “I think they were fifty-five yuan. My wife found them dirt cheap.”

I picked up the silver cup from the ground. “What about this?”

“This? If you’re serious about buying, ten thousand. It’s a fine piece from the late Ming dynasty!”

“All right, thank you. I’ll think about it.” By then, I understood what was happening.

I could see the value of everything!

The vendor’s clothes were a bargain his wife had found, and they really were worth fifty-five yuan.

As for the silver cup, the vendor had not lied. It was genuinely valuable. He was asking ten thousand, but its true value was twenty-five thousand!

With antiques, it was perfectly common for value to exceed price.

I had no idea why I had gained this ability, but since heaven had given it to me, I intended to put it to good use.

So I began combing carefully through Panjiayuan.

Everywhere I looked, numbers filled my vision.

Suddenly, at an utterly inconspicuous stall, I saw a long string of zeroes!

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions… ten million!

When I stepped closer, I found a toad with a coin in its mouth.

The toad was marked 5, while the coin bore the number 10,000,000!

“Boss, how much for this toad?” I picked it up and weighed it in my palm.

A heavy fake.

The vendor did not even raise his head. “Worthless little trinket. Pay whatever you like.”

Thinking I must have misheard him, I asked carefully, “Would ten yuan be all right?”

I truly could not afford a cent more.

To my surprise, he agreed without hesitation. “Sure. Hardly anyone buys these things. If you like it, take it for ten.”

I promptly handed him my ten yuan, tucked the toad away, and left Panjiayuan.

The toad had cost me every last yuan I had, so I had no choice but to walk to Youming House.

Youming House was the capital’s most famous antique shop. Its owner had deep pockets and would pay any price for a piece good enough.

It was a weekday, and the shop was quiet. Only one assistant was inside, cleaning.

The moment he saw me enter, he hurried over. “Are you here to buy or sell, ma’am?”

I swept my gaze around Youming House. The largest number I saw was only 250,000, and there was even a copy of The Nymph of the Luo River marked 500. I immediately understood the owner’s strategy: the real treasures were hidden so no one would be tempted to rob the place.

“I’m here to sell. Is your boss in?”

The assistant glanced at me. “She’s not in the shop. May I look at your item first?”

I shook my head. “Call your boss directly. I doubt you have the authority to deal with what I’m carrying.”

He looked at me suspiciously, clearly unconvinced.

I pointed to The Nymph of the Luo River hanging on the wall. “Fake. Would you like me to point out the other fakes too? I know your boss must own genuine pieces and only displays these to keep unwanted attention away. What I have is absolutely real, so please ask her to come.”

Only then did the assistant reluctantly call his boss.

His attitude improved noticeably after the call. He even served me tea. “The boss is already on her way back. She’ll be here shortly. Thank you for waiting.”

I nodded, accepted the cup, and breathed in its aroma.

Snow-Cleared Sparrow Tongue. Song Weilin’s favorite tea.

I had just finished the cup when the owner arrived.

She was a woman so well maintained that her age was impossible to guess. Exquisite makeup framed her face, and a clearly expensive qipao hugged her shapely figure. Every step she took exuded allure.

She extended a hand. The imperial-green jadeite ring on her index finger was dazzling. “Hello. I’m Yue Pianran, the owner of Youming House.”

I shook her hand politely and discreetly glanced at the ring. So many zeroes—priceless. She was clearly no ordinary dealer.

Yue Pianran smiled and led me into a private room. “And how should I address you? Ah Shen says you have an exceptional eye and seem to be carrying something valuable.”

I took the toad from my pocket and set it before her. “Gu Zhichun. This is what I’ve brought. Please take a look, Boss Yue.”

Yue Pianran put on gloves, picked up the toad, and immediately removed the coin from its mouth. “A sample coin from the pre-Qin era. No more than three are known to survive, and this is one of them. It is indeed an exceptional piece. Are you looking to sell, Miss Gu?”

Yue Pianran was even more formidable than I had imagined.

I merely smiled without answering.

Yue Pianran held up five fingers. “I can offer you this much.”