The dishes ordered weren’t many, and the three of them quickly finished them without any waste. After all, while shopping, they couldn’t hold themselves back from buying tasty things, so there was no need to eat to fullness.
"Qianqian, are you planning to go to Antique Street?" After hailing a cab and hearing the address Luo Qianqian reported, Qin Nuan slightly raised an eyebrow. Even though it was the address of a restaurant, how could Qin Nuan not know what was nearby?
"It’s a good opportunity to look for what you’ve been searching for, right? I’ve never even seen the actual thing," Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes.
"Neither have I," Qin Nuan very cooperatively rolled her eyes too.
Cong Rong looked at the two rolling their eyes, then shifted her gaze out the window, feigning ignorance.
The car quickly arrived, and the trio didn’t rashly enter, instead, they walked into a nearby clothing store and bought jackets, hats, and disposable masks, determined that no one would recognize them.
However, as soon as they entered Antique Street, Luo Qianqian widened her eyes, "Wow, is this blue and white porcelain? Only three hundred yuan???"
Qin Nuan rolled her eyes, thinking you react so dramatically, who else would they scam if not you?
But soon Luo Qianqian imitated them, looking calm, picking up items to check then shaking her head and putting them back down with a look of disdain.
Cong Rong couldn’t help but laugh, whispering to Qin Nuan, "Is she acting or does she actually understand this stuff?"
Qin Nuan shifted her gaze away, not even looking at Luo Qianqian, "Clearly, she’s acting. Everything she picks up looks flashy and obviously fake at first glance."
While they were discussing this, a vendor nearby started to attract customers, "Young lady, come take a look. This is genuine Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain, it’s been through several hundred years."
Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes, picked up the vase, looked it over, then put it back down, "As if I can’t tell? Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain you say? It’d be impressive if it’s been out of the kiln for a few hundred days, let alone years. The coloring method is all wrong. Don’t think you can deceive me just because I’m young." After saying that, she flounced off.
The vendor’s eyes bulged, huh? A middle schooler talking about glaze colors??? Was he hearing things?
Qin Nuan and Cong Rong, of course, noticed this and quickly caught up to Luo Qianqian, looking at her sneaky smile, somewhat puzzled, "You know how to appreciate antiques as well?"
Luo Qianqian stuck out her tongue and shook her head, "How could I? It’s obviously a bluff, I’ve read too many novels."
Qin Nuan couldn’t help but laugh and smack her head, "And you dared to say that? Don’t you know this place is full of shady characters?"
Cong Rong also nodded repeatedly, pointing at a man who seemed hurried with a parcel in his hand, "My sixth sense tells me, he’s up to no good."
Luo Qianqian also looked, but noticed that the man’s gaze was not on them but on an elderly person, she frowned slightly.
Luo Qianqian directly took out her phone and started snapping photos.
As Cong Rong had thought, the man staggered and fell against the elderly person, and the seemingly square and bulging parcel made a cracking sound.
Qin Nuan found it somewhat amusing, isn’t this why they call it scamming? Ceramics that shatter upon contact.
After witnessing this scene, Luo Qianqian still continued to take photos, only starting to review them when she saw the man begin to cry, clicking her tongue in disgust, "Even though the photo quality is blurry, it’s clear enough to see the man falling onto the old man."
She casually sent another message and only after seeing the ’sent’ notification did she reveal a faint smile.
She slowly stowed her phone into her bag and clutched it tightly to her chest, "Going to watch the excitement, huh?"
Qin Nuan couldn’t help but laugh and cry, clearly, you were going to stand up for someone, but this kind of place... standing up might not be safe...
Cong Rong also had a face full of reluctance, "Before helping others, shouldn’t we ensure our own safety first? These people seem like habitual offenders."
Luo Qianqian nodded, "So, it’s just to watch the excitement." She waved her phone, "Qiu Yu is on his way."
Qin Nuan raised an eyebrow slightly, curling her lips, "Then watching shouldn’t hurt."
Cong Rong’s face held a hint of confusion.
All Qin Nuan did was salute, and Cong Rong instantly understood. She was also astonished, when had Luo Qianqian made the call?
"Old man, this is my heirloom, and it’s shattered, totally shattered. I don’t care; you have to compensate me. I also need to pay my dear mother’s hospital bills—oh, Mom, do wait for me..." The drama had already started when the three of them squeezed into the crowd.
Luo Qianqian, looking at the old man examining the porcelain shards while crouched, also raised an eyebrow. According to reports, some of these fragments were genuine and others fake, which really mashed up the real with the false.
The old man squatted, bending over to scrutinize the porcelain shards in his hand, slowly opening his mouth, "Hmm, this is from the Ming Dynasty... Eh, this one is from last week?... This one is even more amazing, actually from the Tang Dynasty... Mister, how many times did this piece of porcelain go through the kiln to have fragments from different eras?" The old man’s eyes remained quite calm.
"You old man, trying to shift the blame instead of compensating for someone’s heirloom?" someone in the crowd promptly spoke up.
"Old gentleman, I intended to sell this heirloom to pay for my mother’s hospital bills. If my mother’s health wasn’t so poor..." The speaker halted, eyes reddening, successfully garnering sympathy from the spectators.
Luo Qianqian glanced at the onlookers, memorizing one face but didn’t pull out her phone; taking pictures at this moment could cause unnecessary trouble.
"Who said I won’t compensate?" The old master looked at the porcelain pieces, touched them, then stood up straight, clearing his throat, "First, you tell me how much you want."
"At least thirty thousand!" the owner of the ’heirloom’ promptly declared.
Little did he know, the old man stretched out one hand, showing five bright fingers, "I’ll give you this much."
The man was immediately dizzy with sudden luck, somewhat bewildered.
Luo Qianqian quickly stepped forward, taking the old man’s arm, "Grandpa, why are you still here?" She smiled sweetly and patted her backpack, hinting, "I called you but you didn’t answer, and you skipped lunch to run around; Mom will worry." She hinted that the phone contained something important and warned him not to be duped. Losing fifty thousand to a scam was no trivial matter.
Qin Nuan and Cong Rong were too slow to act, then watched as Luo Qianqian’s acting flowed smoothly like moving clouds and flowing water, also somewhat bewildered. What exactly was happening here?
The old man was also taken aback, but then patted Luo Qianqian’s hair with a chuckle, "I’ll be home to eat in a bit. Let your grandpa take care of things here first."
The owner of the ’heirloom’ immediately stepped forward with a pleasing expression, "Still, your heart is kind, old master. Do you prefer cash or a transfer?"
But the next second, a slap landed on his face, and his eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
The old man, Luo Qianqian by his side, and the onlookers, Qin Nuan and Cong Rong, were also taken aback, unsure of what to make of the sudden turn of events before them.