Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Tyrannical Commoner

  "Can I take a look?" Qu Wen walked up front and asked the shop owner.

  "Okay, but be careful, you can't afford to lose it!"

  Qu Wen smiled again and didn't respond. He held the Guanyin statue from top to bottom, examining it for half a day, pretending to be an expert.

  "The Guanyin statue is usually seen in a standing or cross-legged position, but this natural and casual sitting posture also exists, so it's called the "Leisurely Guanyin". This piece of porcelain is not bad, its shape is similar to that of Ge kiln, with layers upon layers like cracked ice, commonly known as "ice crack pattern" or "hundred cracks". However, the color of this piece is too uniform, from top to bottom it's all one color, which doesn't seem like the natural color of porcelain fired in a kiln, and there's a suspicion that it was intentionally made to look old. If it were a genuine Ge kiln piece, the inside of the crackle should have both yellow and black colors, the yellow is called "golden thread" and the black is called "iron line", also known as "golden thread iron line". Your piece has the golden thread but not a single iron line can be found. Furthermore, Ge kiln porcelain often has a slightly purple-black color due to its high iron content, which is rarely brown or yellow, resulting in what people call the "purple mouth and iron foot" phenomenon. This piece doesn't have that either. As for these beads, although they are not easy to replicate, it's also not extremely difficult, similar handicrafts can often be seen in glasswork shops. It's said that it's easy to talk about the truth but hard to talk about falsehoods, when it comes to antiques, anyone can come up with a bunch of examples to prove its authenticity, but if there's just one thing that doesn't match... haha..."

  The article ended with two "hehes" and didn't say much more, leaving some space for others to think for themselves. But after saying that, would anyone still be willing to buy? The two people who had been negotiating the price with the shop owner earlier both fell silent, casting a disdainful glance at the shop owner.

  The owner also knows this reason, but the things in his hands are trying to make a good impression, deceiving one by one. If it's really Song Dynasty Ge kiln, he wouldn't dare to put it on sale here, and would have sent it to an auction house for promotion, raising the price to at least seven figures.

  However, Qu Wen was able to bring up so many issues at once, some of which the shop owner himself didn't even know about. He immediately put away his disdainful attitude and secretly admired him in his heart. But on the surface, he said: "Forget it, forget it. Today, let's just consider this a debate among colleagues. I'll keep this Guanyin statue for myself to worship."

  The shopkeeper didn't care whether he won or lost, previously it was just a single bad deal that broke the rules. He cupped his hands and said: "Well, I wish you good business." After finishing speaking, he turned around and walked out.

  "Wait!"

  Qu Wen hadn't taken two steps before being called back by someone. He turned around to see that it was the beautiful woman who had previously wanted to buy the Guanyin statue.

  "What's wrong?" Qu Wen stopped, previously focusing all his attention on the Guanyin statue, and for a moment didn't notice that the other person was actually one of the most popular Lolita types nowadays. A lovely and cute face like a loli and a pair of proud twin peaks that made it hard to look away, a skirt that wasn't too short but could fully show off her beautiful legs. It made Qu Wen think he was watching an H-class animation.

  "My name is Tao Jingying, and she's my friend Tang Kexin. You seem to know a lot about antiques, can you teach me a thing or two?"

  Qu Wen has seen many enthusiastic and outgoing girls, but he hasn't met anyone as proactive as this one. She dares to talk to strangers so casually, her tone isn't very friendly, it's more like she's giving orders. Compared to Su Ya Xin, they're two extremes.

  "No time!" If Tao Jingying had sincerely asked for guidance, Qu Wen could have told her some theoretical things, but unfortunately he didn't like being ordered around, so he casually replied and turned to leave again.

  "Stop right there, I'll pay you, just teach me how to appraise antiques."

  "Ah, so you're a rich lady, no wonder you have such an attitude!" Qu Wen stopped again: "How much money are you willing to pay? If it's too little, I won't even bother looking at it."

  Tao Jingying thought for a moment and stretched out two fingers: "How about 200,000 yuan?"

  "You're sending away a beggar! Qu Wen's face was full of disdain, although 200,000 yuan wasn't a small amount back then. However, Qu Wen's personality didn't like being ordered around, and he hummed lightly as if it was nothing."

  "Then I'll give 50,000!" It seemed that no one had ever spoken to Tao Jingying like this before. She raised her delicate nose in discontent and extended three more fingers.

  Pretty girls are loved by all men, but not everyone likes those who are arrogant and self-willed. Qu Wen belongs to this type, especially Tao Jingying's self-righteous look makes him even less willing to bother with her.

  "Not to mention 50,000, even if it's 100,000, I'm not interested, unless..."

  "What if?"

  "Unless you give me 500,000!" Qu Wen said with a sly smile, but actually it was just an offhand remark, who in this world would be foolish enough to spend 500,000 to learn something.

  But Tao Jingying thought for a moment, and her lovely face showed a stubborn expression: "Fifty million is just fifty million, but you only taught me things like vessel shape, color, and background that are not high-end, so I have to compensate me with one hundred million!"

  Listening to Tao Jingying's words, it seems that she has some basic understanding of antiques, but not very deep, so she can't even tell that the statue is a self-contained Guanyin. However, what constitutes a high level is different for everyone, and in Qu Wen's opinion, just the shape, color, and age background are enough for many people to study for a lifetime.

  "Alright, I won't charge you this million, it's not that I don't know how to teach, but rather I'm afraid you can't learn."

  Tao Jingying thought Qu Wen was young and inexperienced, so she had to back down, a triumphant smile immediately appearing on her face.

  "Why? Is it because you're afraid your level isn't good enough?"

  Qu Wen took a glance at Tao Jingying's upright and full chest, and sighed: "Big breasts but no brains!"

  Tao Jingying was taken aback for a moment, and it wasn't until after a while that she understood what Qu Wen meant. Her face flushed with anger as she scolded loudly.

  "You... you stinky scoundrel!"

  "Come on, I don't stink. If you don't believe me, come closer and take a sniff. Besides, I've already made it clear that it's you, but you insist on taking the seat, what can I do?"

  Tao Jingying's father was a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong, and like many rich people, he enjoyed collecting antiques and calligraphy. Apart from some genuine items bought at large auctions, most of the things he picked up at antique markets were fakes, for which he spent a lot of money unnecessarily.

  But spending money is nothing to worry about, as long as you have the ability to make enough money, you won't be afraid of wasting it. What's scary is that others will laugh at you, after collecting for decades, not having any eye for it.

  Tao Jingying was a stubborn and proud person. The more people said her father was no good, the more she wanted to prove that there was someone capable in her family. After following her father's friend for over a year to learn about antique appraisal, she finally learned some superficial knowledge, which made her feel somewhat psychologically inflated, so she insisted on going with her father's friend to the countryside to dig up treasures.

  This was almost a big loss as soon as it came out, fortunately, Qu Wen intervened in time to avoid the loss, but also poured a basin of cold water on her invisibly.

  After thinking about it, Qu Wen's words just now didn't mention anyone by name. Although he clearly knew he was scolding himself, but couldn't find any reason for it.

  "My brother was right, poor places breed ungrateful people, just look at some people and you'll know. Tao Jingying learned from Qu Wen, scolding without directly pointing at the person, but making sure they knew who she was scolding."

  "Who is a stubborn citizen? A stubborn citizen is still better than an idiot with no brain!"

  "You... aren't even as good as an idiot!"

  The two of them were arguing fiercely, neither giving in to the other, and immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers. Watching a beautiful woman argue with someone is a very entertaining thing, and who knows, maybe the other person will get so angry that they'll do something stupid, allowing everyone to have a good laugh, and then I can come in and play the hero, saving the beauty - it's perfect!

  Zhao Haifeng let out a long sigh. Originally, things were going well, but suddenly they started arguing. If he didn't want to teach her, he could have just turned around and left. He didn't know what nerve Qu Wen had touched that made him argue with this beautiful woman. This wasn't consistent with his usual character. In the past, when he saw other girls, especially Su Yaxin, he was always straightforward and lovely, gentle and elegant. But to be honest, Tao Jingying's temper really wasn't likable either. The spoiled rich girl had a particularly bad attitude.

  "Ah Wen, stop arguing, don't forget why we came here."

  It's unnecessary to say too much, any slightly rational person will come to their senses when getting to the point.

  After hearing Zhao Haifeng's words, Qu Wen quickly calmed down. It didn't matter if the other person was a beauty or a man, there was no need to quarrel over this matter. At most, they could just fight directly, but Tao Jingying's one sentence had irritated him.

  The ancestors of Quwen's generation were all refugees, including ordinary people, merchants and soldiers who escaped because they were forcibly recruited as soldiers but did not want to fight. They eventually fled to the deep mountains of their hometown without prior agreement, built several villages, shared a piece of land together, and had a life-and-death relationship with each other. Although there may be small frictions in daily life, when outsiders provoke them, they all stand up together.

  Listening to the grandfather's generation, when Xiao Japan arrived at the foot of the mountain, it didn't dare to enter the village. Firstly, the terrain was too dangerous and there was only one way to enter the village; secondly, it wasn't a major force of a certain party, so there was no need to fight hard; thirdly, although they were ordinary people, there were many who were brave and not afraid to die. On the high mountain, a high stone platform was built, with **wooden bows and stone spears, which had considerable deterrent power.

  That year, after helping Gong Haide fight and being forced to drop out of school, Qu Wen was bored and went back to his hometown for several months. It just so happened that someone wanted to buy the land in the village, saying that a rice stone mine had been discovered inside. However, the relocation fee offered by the mining company was too low, only paying according to the number of people in each household. At the time, it seemed like a lot, but in reality, it was just enough to buy a house in the city.

  But just buying a house, how can people who have lived in the mountains all their lives make a living without land? They won't be able to do anything. So both sides started arguing over this matter, and the villagers refused to move out no matter what.

  To develop the quarry, the developer invited outsiders to come and do some despicable things, trying to intimidate the villagers. But who knew, this immediately triggered the anger of the whole village, plus several nearby villages, all those who had relatives or friends rushed over, overnight, they pushed the developer's temporary engineering department and excavators, cranes into the mountain, not to mention the injured people.

  The article recalls that before the confrontation, a small leader of the developer had shouted: "You are all a bunch of troublemakers!"

  Before he could finish speaking, a loud "crack" was heard, and someone had smashed a stone into his forehead, creating a bloody hole. The two sides immediately broke out into a fierce fight.

  When the police arrived, it was still the same, with several hundred people involved, and they all stuck to their statements that the other party had provoked them first, and there was no mastermind. This made it difficult for the police to investigate. Later, as the incident escalated and attracted attention from the provincial government, it became a major issue of public concern, and in the end, nothing came of it. The developer paid out a large sum of money and slunk away.

  That time, Quwen followed the villagers and didn't hold back at all. After it was over, he felt incredibly relieved, and the rebellious spirit in his heart was completely released. However, from then on, he disliked hearing others say the word "rebellious".