Chapter 58: Antiques, the Curved Blade
Su Keke rubbed her head, gave an “oh,” and, completely at ease, walked into an antique shop she clearly knew well.
The shop owner obviously recognized her and immediately asked, “Same as usual—one batch of uncut yellow talisman paper?”
“No, this time I want one more.” Su Keke held up two fingers, gesturing a two.
“Got it.”
Before long, the owner brought out two bundles of yellow talisman paper wrapped in kraft paper. “Twenty a bundle. Forty in total.”
Su Keke’s eyes widened at once. “No way, boss. I’ve only been gone a month—how did the price go up? It used to be fifteen a bundle.”
The owner chuckled. “Prices have been rising lately, and the rent’s gone up too. It’s a small business—I don’t really have a choice.”
Su Keke pouted. “Boss, you sell antiques and you’re telling me it’s a small business? Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“I do sell antiques, but there aren’t many people willing to buy them, and they always haggle hard. I hardly make any money at all. That’s why I sell other things on the side. I get by on these little items most of the time.”
Hearing him sound so pitiful, Su Keke felt too embarrassed to bargain further and simply handed over forty yuan.
She didn’t have much big money for the time being, but she still had plenty of small change.
After taking the money, the shop owner asked, “I haven’t seen your master for over half a year. How’s his health been lately?”
Su Keke’s eyes curved slightly as she smiled. “You still remember my master? He’s doing great—he even went treasure-hunting with some friends.”
“Is that so? He’s really energetic, then.”
As he spoke, the antique dealer’s gaze swept over Qin Mochen. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he smiled and asked, “We’ve just brought in a new batch of antiques—bronzes, porcelain, jade, and ancient paintings. Would this gentleman be interested in taking a look? Heh, don’t worry, I don’t do forced sales here.”
“Alright.” Qin Mochen responded lightly.
“Uncle, are you interested in these things?” Su Keke hadn’t expected him to agree so readily and couldn’t help but look up at him.
“The old man at home likes them,” Qin Mochen said.
“Your grandpa, Uncle?”
“…My father. Everyone in the family calls him that. Habit.”
Su Keke nodded, then tiptoed closer to him, wanting to whisper something.
Qin Mochen cooperatively lowered his head so she wouldn’t have to strain herself.
Covering her mouth with her hand, Su Keke whispered in his ear, “Uncle, I’m telling you—this shop might look a bit shabby, but a lot of the antiques here are genuine. You can pick with confidence.”
On antique streets, there were plenty of shops selling antiques, but most were a mix of real and fake. Once money changed hands, even if you later discovered you’d bought a fake, it was useless—you could only chalk it up to bad luck. Likewise, if you happened to snag a genuine piece, even if the seller took a loss, they couldn’t regret it afterward.
The little girl’s warm, moist breath brushed against Qin Mochen’s ear, and her deliberately lowered, soft, almost sticky-sweet voice slipped along the curve of his ear, like a tiny insect crawling inside.
After speaking, Su Keke even blinked at him.
Qin Mochen gave a quiet “Mm,” the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
The shop owner led them upstairs. The batch of antiques he mentioned were scattered casually on the floor, looking no different from cheap street-stall goods.
But an insider could tell at a glance that any single item there was worth at least tens of thousands.
Su Keke glanced over the spread of antiques, then suddenly sniffed the air.
It seemed she had caught a whiff of something unpleasant. She frowned and asked, “Boss, where did these antiques come from?”
The shop owner’s eyes flickered, and he immediately replied, “Bought at high prices from ordinary households. They’re all family heirlooms.”
Su Keke gave an “oh” and didn’t ask any further.
Maybe it was just her imagination. Why did she feel a faint trace of yin energy?
Not just yin energy—there was also killing aura.
But it was very faint, so faint that Su Keke wasn’t entirely sure.
By then, Qin Mochen and Wu Zongbo were already examining the antiques that looked just like street-stall knockoffs.
Su Keke stopped overthinking it and ran over to Qin Mochen to look together with him.
“Wow, there’s so much. What does Uncle’s dad like? I’ll help you pick something…”
The little girl chattered on for quite a while, but Qin Mochen didn’t respond.
His gaze was fixed on a curved blade, and he had been staring at it for some time.
The blade was sheathed, so it was hard to tell its quality, but just looking at the scabbard one could tell it was no ordinary weapon. Though mottled with rust, the workmanship was fine and clearly aged. At a glance, he could even recognize the pattern carved on the scabbard—a qilin treading on clouds.
Following his line of sight, Su Keke looked over and let out a small sound of surprise. “Uncle, this blade seems…”
“This blade is just here to make up the numbers. It’s not for sale,” the shop owner suddenly spoke.
“Since you’re open for business, why isn’t it for sale?” Qin Mochen lifted his head to look at him.
His brows knit slightly. That subtle movement alone made his expression especially cold and stern, easily creating a sense of distance.
The owner looked troubled. “This… this blade isn’t a feng shui blunt weapon. Selling it to a customer would be inauspicious.”
After a brief hesitation, the owner explained smoothly, “Although my shop mainly deals in antiques, I also sell various feng shui items, so I know a bit about feng shui taboos.
Feng shui swords can ward off evil, such as peach-wood swords or Seven-Star swords, but these must be unsharpened, blunt swords. Once a blade is sharpened, it becomes too sharp and can harm people.
The blade you’re looking at—I simply forgot to put it away. I never intended to sell it in the first place.”
Qin Mochen gave a low “Mm,” yet his gaze remained fixed on the curved blade, not shifting at all.
Seeing that he seemed particularly fond of it, Su Keke couldn’t help saying to the owner, “Boss, you’ve forgotten what I do? With me around, Uncle won’t have any problems. It’s rare for my uncle to like something this much, and he won’t shortchange you. Just sell it to him.”
Wu Zongbo also smiled politely. “Boss, once you open your doors for business, there’s no reason to turn down a sale. You won’t lose out on the money, and you won’t have to bear any risk either. If you still won’t sell it, that’d be hard to justify.”
The owner hesitated, then cast a quick, almost imperceptible glance toward somewhere else.
After just that one look, he swiftly withdrew his gaze. His attitude seemed to soften, though he still looked reluctant. “Seeing that this gentleman truly likes it, and with your assurances that I won’t be held responsible if something happens… how about this: if after buying it you find anything amiss, you can return it to my shop at any time. I’ll keep the money you paid for the blade aside for you.”
Qin Mochen nodded. “That’s very considerate of you, boss.”
In addition to the curved blade, Qin Mochen also chose a peacock-green glazed blue-and-white porcelain piece from the Ming–Qing period.
Su Keke, for her part, bought a rough jade stone on credit—commonly known as raw jade.
All three items together cost several million.
When they left, the antique shop owner was so delighted he could barely close his mouth from smiling.
