Chapter 9: The Precious Jade Rabbit

I shake my head from side to side

After the officials moved the bird market from Xizhimen to Fuchengmen Bridge, this is my first time coming here

"These are all famous brands, why would I lie to you?" The middle-aged man still insists stubbornly

Zou Yue'e asked: "What can that indicate?"

Is it merely the word 'very' that can describe this? I finished the last bite of ice cream with one hand, neatly tossing the paper ring into the trash can. It is simply so expensive that it could be compared to my grandmother's house; the pot you are holding now could have been exchanged for a villa a few years ago when prices had not yet dropped

The problem is too significant. I pointed with my finger at the pure-hearted Jianlan flower petal, originally, Jianlan flower petals mostly have fine spots, primarily brown, and such varieties are not worth much. The rare pure-hearted Jianlan, however, resembles this flower; its petals are completely clean, without a trace of contamination. However, if you look closely at these petals, the color is very unnatural

"Come on now." Zou Yue'e shot me a sidelong glance and said, "I think I will never be able to figure it out in my lifetime."

The words that were on the tip of the boss's tongue were forcefully held back.

Compared to the previously filthy environment, the bird market near the - picture - book has become much cleaner after the relocation. As I walked down the steps to the underground market, I did not rush to sell; instead, I first took a simple tour inside while holding a cricket jar, assessing the overall prices of crickets this year. Generally, crickets of six li in size are mostly priced at a few dollars for ten, with better ones reaching over one hundred, which is not very valuable. For seven li, the price is slightly higher, typically ranging from two hundred to six hundred. Crickets of eight li are quite rare; I saw a white-toothed yellow-headed cricket that was slightly smaller than my black-headed cricket, and the owner priced it at five thousand.

This small detail warms my heart, and I must say, the feeling of being trusted by others is truly wonderful

"Well, I suppose we can consider this a deal made without a fight." The middle-aged boss gritted his teeth, "... this jade rabbit here is a genuine treasure, so, how about you take it for 1,500?"

Glue? '' Zou Yue'e felt a twitch at the corner of her eye

"Xiao Jing, all he has are fakes. Can you be sure that this pot is the Jade Rabbit among orchids?"

The McDonald's at Fuchengmen is one of the more bustling establishments in the area. It is summer, and there are many people, so I waited in line for half a day

If I am not mistaken, this is a common Jianlan flower from mhetushu.com that has been faded using chemical agents, a method commonly referred to as fading technique

After coming out, I handed the crispy cone to Aunt Zou, who was sitting under the shade of the tree

I said: "In the middle of summer, I know it is not easy for you to set up a stall. Please name your price for this pot of jade rabbit."

She took two bites and, smiling, tapped my leg with the back of her hand: "You really are something, making even the flower sellers speechless. Did you see how people next to us are giving you a thumbs up? Haha, thank goodness Auntie brought you here today; otherwise, my job as a sales manager might just go down the drain"

I shook my head: "This is really too much, isn't it? My Aunt Zou bought this to give as a gift. If it were to be given away and all the leaves fell off in just a few days, wouldn't that person blame my Aunt Zou?"

Zou Yue'e said with a serious expression: "You almost ruined a major deal for me"

Zou Yue'e took the cricket jar from my hands and said, "Xiao Jing, where is the problem?"

In fact, this pot of jade rabbit can definitely be considered a fine item, one might say it is a fortunate find

Rest assured, it cannot go wrong. https://www.hetushu.com I know she is still a bit uneasy, although I tend to categorize flowers, birds, fish, and insects as part of my collection, they are not antiques. Moreover, they are not as difficult to authenticate as antiques, which have countless replicas. With a little effort, most people can become proficient in this area, and distinguishing between genuine and fake is not very difficult.

I have a clear idea in my mind and feel that this official's market best insect in my hand should be able to fetch a good price

Due to the oppressive and dry weather, I went to the McDonald's at the intersection and ordered two cones of ice cream

Oh dear, that is truly outrageous

The boss, with a furrowed brow, spread his arms and said: "Do you think I want to deal with these messy things that invite criticism? I am compelled by life; I have no other choice."

The middle-aged man's expression stiffened: "How have I been unreasonable?"

Crossed the pedestrian overpass

You flatter me; I have also seen some methods of orchid forgery in a news report.

Do not mention that multi-petal orchid to me. I waved my hand to interrupt him, raising my arm slightly and placing my index finger on the petals of that mutated variety of the Jianlan orchid: I found it strange just now, even if it is a mutated famous variety, there must be a limit, right? How could there be so many leaves on a single bud? Boss, if you insist on arguing with me, let me just touch it a little; I am curious to see how firmly those leaves glued on are.

Zou Yue'e's questioning gaze turned towards me. Seeing me nod slightly, she said nothing further and took out money to pay the bill

The middle-aged man perhaps did not expect me to speak so professionally, and was momentarily taken aback. "Hey, hey, you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn't speak carelessly. Let me tell you, these orchids all come from the Yuyuan Garden Flower Market, genuine treasures. How could they possibly be faded? If you haven't seen them, don't make baseless claims. Look at that other pot of Jianlan, it's also a rare flower, called the Multi-petal Orchid. Now take a look at that pot..."

Certainly, the prices here are inflated

However, there is something I did not mention. The report I saw is one that Zou Yue'e could not possibly have seen, as it is an issue of the Beijing Evening News that would not be published until two months later. The newspaper clearly described the rampant counterfeiting in the orchid market surrounding Beijing, not only at the street-side stalls but also at the Guanyuan Bird Market and the Yuquanying Flower Market, where numerous issues were present. At that time, the relevant authorities conducted a severe crackdown.

"Enough, enough," the middle-aged man said with a sorrowful smile, "Today I have truly encountered a master. You are right, all of it is correct, and you know more than I do. Alas, this is really strange. Young man, are you a professional in orchids? Then why are you here buying from me? Isn't this just to embarrass me on purpose?"

I see that he won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin. He sighed and patted a few pots of tender green orchids at the outermost layer: "This pot must be a tiger-striped seedling; I imagine it can sell for quite a bit. But I dare say, if it is exposed to sunlight for two days, the stripes will surely fade away. Why? Because these patterns are artificially created by covering parts of the leaves with tree leaves and branches, preventing them from seeing the sunlight. " I paused for a moment and pointed to the next pot, saying: "Look at this pot of dwarf orchids; it was carved out with a knife. And that pot labeled 'Crystal Plum'—I suspect it is just a common orchid disguised to resemble the Crystal Plum. The roots show signs of artificial cutting, and then that..." I pointed to the next pot and continued: "Look at this pot of dwarf orchids; it was carved out with a knife. And that pot labeled 'Crystal Plum'—I suspect it is just a common orchid disguised to resemble the Crystal Plum. The roots show signs of artificial cutting, and then that..."

I do not understand; in any case, I just know that the price of orchids used to be very high

Zou Yue'e frowned and said, "Please explain it to me."