Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 448: Chapter 444 Different Treatment

However, what Huo Sining had not anticipated was the moment the girl spoke, the peddler hurriedly handed over the small Incense Burner that was sitting to the side.

The peddler passed the Incense Burner to the girl, his face smeared with a fawning, ingratiating expression.

Seeing this, Huo Sining instantly became enraged.

”What do you mean by this, peddler? Why is it that when I’m interested in this item, you say it’s not for sale, but now that someone else wants it, you don’t say it’s not for sale?”

The Jade Incense Burner was not much taller than half a foot, and its entire body was carved with intricate fish patterns.

This type of Incense Burner is generally used in the private chambers of wealthy households or in study rooms for burning incense.

The carving craftsmanship of the Incense Burner was very complete; judging from its shape and decorations, it should be an item from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China era.

The reason Huo Sining noticed this item was because there seemed to be something off about the lid of the Incense Burner; judging from the texture, it didn’t seem to match the Incense Burner well, as if it were not part of the set but rather, it seemed as if it had been specifically cut from a larger object to be fashioned into a lid.

”Boss, where did you acquire this Incense Burner from?”

The girl rotated the Incense Burner in her hands, and after seeing the lid, a flash of joy crossed her eyes, yet she maintained a feigned expressionless face, as if nobody else had understood what she saw.

”Young lady, you had better look carefully; this item is a genuine Xiu Jade Incense Burner, passed down from my ancestors, smuggled out of the Imperial Palace during times of war as an imperial tribute!”

”I’m not bragging, but this item was actually used in Empress Dowager Cixi’s temple. If you are interested, it’s got to be at least this much!”

As the peddler touted the Incense Burner, whose origin he likely didn’t know himself, he finally stretched out five fingers.

On Antique Street it’s always like this; peddlers will never tell you the truth. This business is all about having a keen eye, and if you’re duped, that just means you lack skill, and you can’t blame peddlers for deceiving you. Their craft relies wholly on their flexible and eloquent tongues.

”Fifty thousand?”

The girl, hearing the peddler talking nonsense, couldn’t help furrowing her brows. After seeing him extend five fingers, she was even more disappointed.

”Boss, although this is an old item, just by looking at the glaze it’s evident that it didn’t come from the palace; it’s definitely not from the Xianfeng, Tongzhi, or Guangxu reigns. If you must relate it to the Qing Dynasty, then it’s a replica from the period when the Northern Expeditionary Army was in control, how could it possibly be worth fifty thousand?”

The peddler was momentarily taken aback. He had thought that since the girl was young and looked inexperienced, she would be an easy target to fleece.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the girl spoke, she accurately identified the specific period and source of the Jade Incense Burner.

”Also, look, this Jade Incense Burner lacks any signature on the base. Items that come from the palace will definitely have a signature there, so that one can instantly recognize its origin. Ordinary people would not dare to use such items casually in their homes. Just by a glance at your Incense Burner, it’s clear that it’s definitely...”

The girl continued with her satisfied analysis, but the peddler, who had been contemplating a scheme, realized he had encountered a tough nut—the girl was an expert!

The peddler’s face immediately fell, and his complexion grew uglier. He finally couldn’t bear to hear the girl go on and interrupted her, laughing and crying in vexation:

”Miss, there’s no need to say more, this item is indeed from before the Republic of China. If you like it, take it for five thousand. You’ve really got me beaten!”

Upon hearing this, the female student subconsciously glanced over at Huo Sining, pursed her lips, and smiled triumphantly:

”I wouldn’t take it for five thousand, at most three thousand. I’d say your item isn’t even worth three thousand. If I weren’t in need of an incense burner to place in my study for a bit of fragrance to help me concentrate, I wouldn’t even give it a second look.”

The peddler was instantly filled with frustration upon hearing her words. He knew this young lady was a tough customer but didn’t expect her to be so hard to deal with. With a bitter face, he struggled to find words:

”Three thousand is too little, how about four thousand? I really can’t go any lower! I spent three thousand eight hundred acquiring this item. Miss, you’ve got to let me earn something for the cost of transport, right?”

After some consideration, the female student finally nodded: ”Deal.”

As she said this, she took out four thousand from her bag, gave it to the peddler, and, showing off the incense burner in front of Huo Sining as if to flaunt it, she smirked and turned away.

Huo Sining felt somewhat frustrated, not because of the girl’s triumphant attitude, nor for missing out on the Jade Incense Burner, but because the peddler had judged her unworthy, which was quite unsettling to her.

Huo Sining has never been one to quibble, but today the peddler had gone too far.

”Hey boss, why did you tell me that the incense burner was not for sale when I asked, but then you sold it to that young lady?” Huo Sining stepped up to the peddler’s stall and confronted him.

The peddler couldn’t care less about dealing with Huo Sining: ”Can you get out of my way? I’ve got business to do here. If you can’t afford it, then bugger off. Don’t try to act all high and mighty here without any money. I’ve been in this business long enough to spot people like you a mile away!”

Huo Sining couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. She really wanted to ask the peddler what kind of person he thought she was. She might have lingered over things for a while, but surely, she didn’t seem like the thieving kind, did she?

And where on her person did it say that she had no money? Why was he accusing her of pretending to be rich?

Huo Sining was tempted to pull out a stack of money from her bag and toss it in the peddler’s face, but then she thought better of it, considering such behavior to be too childish.

Why should she get angry with such a small-minded person? From the peddler’s point of view, he was simply protecting his own interests. Since he didn’t think much of her, she decided not to do business with him. It was no loss to her either way.

Huo Sining couldn’t help but shake her head and turned to walk away.

Seeing this, the peddler sneered even more dismissively, further convinced that Huo Sining was just there to stir trouble.

She hadn’t walked far when a set of porcelain bowls displayed at another stall caught her eye.

The set of bowls was placed inside a wooden box and appeared to be a modern imitation, but for some reason, Huo Sining felt there was something odd about them. They didn’t seem as simple as they appeared on the surface.

This was a set of Famille Rose Porcelain Bowls, of course, from modern times, probably not older than fifty years.

The Famille Rose Porcelain Bowl is a highly notable type among China’s painted porcelain bowls and holds a very important place in the history of Chinese pottery. This type of porcelain reached its peak during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty.