Shopkeeper Tong saw that the mother and daughter truly didn't understand, so he pointed to a three-legged brazier and introduced it, "Master, don't underestimate this item, it's an old relic from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty."
Chen Lan immediately activated her system to scan. Indeed, it was.
The scan showed: Qing Dynasty Qianlong period, cloisonné enamel `Bao Xiang Hua` pattern, urn-eared three-legged brazier. Transaction price 851,000.
The system prompted whether the transaction was completed. Chen Lan quickly clicked "No" and exited.
Then she pointed to a blue and white porcelain plate with chipped edges and said, "This is also an old relic from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, a blue and white double-horse `Qing Hua Da Pan`."
Shopkeeper Tong then pointed to a rusty three-legged ding and introduced it, "This is a bronze three-legged lidded ding from the Warring States period."
Shopkeeper Tong pointed to an amber snuff bottle and said, "This is also an amber snuff bottle from the Qianlong period."
Listening to Shopkeeper Tong's introduction, Chen Lan looked up at the snuff bottle. The pattern on this snuff bottle was carved with children celebrating a birthday. The carving was exquisite, and the Longevity Star, children, and animals depicted were lifelike. Sudan Novel Network.
Shopkeeper Tong continued to introduce, "Master, take a look at this," he said while pointing to a lotus-shaped lacquered wooden plate, "This is a large lotus-shaped lacquered plate from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty."
Listening to Shopkeeper Tong's introduction, Chen Lan's eyes sparkled. These were all treasures! It would be difficult not to get rich this time.
Chen Lan thought distractedly while listening to Shopkeeper Tong's introduction.
Seeing Uncle Fu enter with two bolts of cloth, Chen Lan called out, "Uncle Fu." Shopkeeper Tong also heard the sound and stopped his introduction, greeting Uncle Fu.
After Uncle Fu nodded to the mother and daughter, he invited Shopkeeper Tong and the young shop assistant to a secluded spot and told them about the pawnshop being donated to the government and the method of settling their wages and compensation. Shopkeeper Tong and the young shop assistant expressed their understanding, noting that it was the general trend.
After waiting for Uncle Fu to settle their wages and give them the slightly flawed cloth, Chen Lan asked Shopkeeper Tong to stay.
"Shopkeeper Tong, please wait a moment. May I ask you a few questions?" Chen Lan called out.
Shopkeeper Tong stopped walking out and turned back, replying, "Yes, Miss. What is it?" He then turned his body around.
"May I ask, Shopkeeper Tong, are you only knowledgeable about these old items, or do you also study ancient calligraphy and paintings?" Chen Lan asked, pointing to the old items Shopkeeper Tong had just introduced.
"Study? I wouldn't dare. I simply like it," Shopkeeper Tong replied with a slight awkwardness.
"I have some familiarity with calligraphy and paintings, but I'm not very proficient."
"Shopkeeper Tong, do you know the current market price for each painting?" Chen Lan asked.
Shopkeeper Tong replied, "The price varies depending on the artist."
Chen Lan nodded, understanding that.
Shopkeeper Tong continued, "For example, the price of Mr. Qi Baishi's calligraphy is 12 yuan for four square feet, 18 yuan for five square feet, 24 yuan for six square feet, and 30 yuan for eight square feet. If insects and birds are added to flowers, it's an additional 10 yuan per insect. If bees are added to vines, it's an additional 20 yuan per bee. These are all clearly marked prices."
Chen Lan said to Shopkeeper Tong, "Shopkeeper Tong, I have a task here. I wonder if you're willing to do it?"
"Miss, please speak!"
"I recently..."
"I would like to ask someone to help collect some famous calligraphy and paintings and some old items. Of course, the commission will be one-tenth more than the current market rate. I wonder if you're willing to help me with this?"
Shopkeeper Tong interjected, "Miss, do you have any requirements for the artists?"
"No, as long as they are famous, whether past or present. Like Mr. Zheng Banqiao, Mr. Qi Baishi, Mr. Zhang Daqian, Mr. Xu Beihong, and so on..."
"Of course, whether it's calligraphy and paintings or old items, they must be genuine."
Shopkeeper Tong nodded quickly, "That's a given! They must be genuine. Miss, will you be collecting them continuously?"
"No, the latest I'll accept is the end of April. After that, I won't be collecting anymore."
"Shopkeeper Tong, I'd like to suggest that if you have spare funds, you should also collect some now and keep them. Perhaps they can be passed down as heirlooms in the future."
"Okay, Tong has noted it. Thank you, Miss, for the advice! How often should I deliver the goods to you?"
Chen Lan thought for a moment and said, "Delivering too frequently isn't good, and it's not safe! So, once every seven days. You can deliver them to my home. As long as they are complete and genuine items, I will pay for the goods and your commission immediately after inspection. Is that acceptable?"
Shopkeeper Tong quickly replied, "Yes, no problem. I'll deliver them before lunch seven days from now."
The two discussed some matters regarding the collection of goods, and Chen Lan repeatedly emphasized potential safety hazards to Shopkeeper Tong, reminding him to be vigilant and take precautions to avoid harm.
After seeing Shopkeeper Tong off, Uncle Fu came to ask Chen Lan about the specific regulations for donating the pawnshop.
Chen Lan thought for a moment and asked Uncle Fu,
"Uncle Fu, our pawnshop's storeroom shouldn't have any gold or silver, right?"
Uncle Fu smiled and replied, "No, there are a few jade pendants and jade bracelets. Most of the remaining items are old objects. These things look good to those who understand, but to those who don't, they're just a pile of scrap metal."
Chen Lan pondered but still had no clear idea, so she put it aside for the time being.
Seeing Wen Rou Niang sitting by the side looking bored, she said to Wen Rou Niang, "Mother, would you like to look at the jade bracelets our pawnshop collected? See if you like any?"
Wen Rou Niang was still not very interested, but she thought, it's fine to look. It's better than being bored. Since she had nothing to do,
She nodded.
Uncle Fu brought out the jade items for Wen Rou Niang to see, then took Chen Lan to the storeroom.
Entering the storeroom, Chen Lan saw that except for the door, the surrounding walls were lined with three-tiered wooden shelves. The shelves displayed more than a dozen wooden boxes of various sizes.
"We still have so many things that haven't been sold? Then, won't the pledges be even more?"
Uncle Fu replied, "Yes, this is how it has accumulated over the years. Our pawnshop has a lot of money tied up in these items. You could also say that these items are the money our pawnshop has earned."
Chen Lan chuckled, "Uncle Fu, do you mean to say that after decades of hard work, it's all for a pile of scrap metal?"
Uncle Fu smiled and said nothing. After a while, he continued, "This pawnshop was the dowry from the Grand Madam back then. Grand Master didn't understand the ins and outs of the pawnshop business at first. It was the Grand Madam who taught him bit by bit. Master and I were also taught by the Grand Madam, though I'm not as skilled as Master."
Chen Lan interjected, "I remember my elder brother disliked this."
"Yes, the young master said it was decay and dross. He advocated for new ideas. Alas!" After saying this, Uncle Fu sighed heavily.
Chen Lan quickly shut her mouth and stopped discussing the matter.
"Uncle Fu, let's have my father-in-law take away everything in the storeroom later. See if he can help sell them there and exchange them for some things."
As Chen Lan said this, she subtly glanced at Uncle Fu. Seeing that Uncle Fu had no reaction, she was relieved. Liu Mama must have already told Uncle Fu about her father-in-law.
"As for the remaining pledged items, we'll hand them over to the government along with the pawn tickets. What do you think?"
Uncle Fu nodded, "That's all we can do."
"Xiao Lan, should we also hand over the deeds of our three shops to the government?"
Chen Lan nodded, helplessly saying, "Let's just hand them over."
Chen Lan knew that this was the imperial capital! In the future, these three shops could be sold for an astronomical price. With these three shops, she and her descendants could live without worry, enjoying the good life.
"Uncle Fu, I won't bother with the silver shop. You handle it. Just make sure to conduct a thorough inventory and ensure it matches the account books. You keep an eye on it, don't make any mistakes."