Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 876: Chapter 872: Old Granny’s Request

Li Quan had a multitude of thoughts running through his mind, but he still had to deal with the situation. He forced a couple of dry laughs, carefully choosing his words before speaking:

”You look quite similar to that gentleman, and I chatted with him a bit yesterday. He mentioned his grandfather passed away not too long ago, but his grandmother is still alive.”

Hearing Li Quan mention her husband’s passing, the old granny seemed to still be steeped in sorrow from it. Her expression dimmed, and after a moment of silence, she let out a long sigh and said slowly:

”That must be him. That young man is my grandson. Yesterday, he went out for a run and when he returned, he rummaged through the house looking for some of his grandfather’s belongings. He said he took a few items and sold them at the Glaze Factory Jubao Pavilion for ninety thousand yuan. It’s your shop, isn’t it?”

This was the first time Li Quan was seriously doing antique business, and he didn’t expect to encounter such a situation. His face immediately darkened a bit. However, since the old granny was being polite, he couldn’t say anything unpleasant even though he was feeling stifled.

The situation was clear, and lying wouldn’t help. Li Quan thought to himself that there’s no avoiding disaster if it’s meant to happen, so he had to brace himself and admit it.

”That’s true. Your grandson came to the shop yesterday to sell some items. We told him that we hadn’t officially opened yet, but he insisted on finding the owner. We had no choice but to let him show the items. He brought three pieces of tortoiseshell craft. They were good items but a bit risky. We explained the situation to him and finally made a deal for ninety thousand yuan. We also signed a contract. I’ll get the contract for you to see.”

With that, Li Quan started towards the safe to get the contract signed yesterday. His intention was to show the old granny that their transaction was legal, that the price of ninety thousand yuan was fair and evidenced by a contract.

However, the old granny stopped his actions, smiled, and shook her head lightly: ”No need for the contract. A deal’s a deal. I don’t know antiques, but selling a few tortoiseshell items for ninety thousand yuan is already a lot.”

Upon hearing this, Li Quan’s heart sighed with relief, but he still found it curious. Since the old granny wasn’t causing trouble or planning to go back on the deal, what was she here for?

”Please have some tea. If there’s something, take your time to say it.”

Li Quan guessed the old granny definitely had something to say, but given her polite and courteous demeanor, they couldn’t just chase her away. He poured her a cup of tea and placed it in front of her.

Sure enough, as soon as Li Quan said this, the old granny sighed and spoke directly:

”I know exactly which three items were sold: a brush pot, an octagonal box, and a folding fan. The brush pot and the octagonal box don’t matter much, but the folding fan is different. My husband made it himself and it was his favorite item, featuring a painting given to him by an old friend he cherished. He never parted with it.”

”The house has been a mess these days, and I haven’t had time to manage things. Several of my grandsons took quite a few of my husband’s collected items. The folding fan, the octagonal box, and the brush pot were made from the same set of materials. I had specially put them together in a box and hid them. I didn’t expect my youngest grandson to find them and sell them secretly.”

At this point, a profound sense of powerlessness and sadness flashed through the old granny’s eyes, leaving them almost devoid of any luster.

Everyone in the room understood fully by this point. Li Quan, seeing the old granny’s expression, couldn’t help but think of his own grandmother at home, who was not much different in age. He immediately felt a sense of compassion and couldn’t help but ask:

”So, you want to get the folding fan back as a keepsake?”

But the old granny shook her head: ”You’ve got a business to run, and business is all about integrity. Though I’m an outsider, I understand the value of keeping one’s word. Since the items are sold, I can’t ask for them back.”

”Then you are here for...”

This left Li Quan a bit confused. If the old granny wasn’t here to reclaim the items, why did she come and say so much?

The old granny didn’t beat around the bush and directly stated her intentions: ”I indeed want the folding fan back, but I won’t let you incur losses. I’ll give you the ninety thousand yuan. I just want the folding fan back, and the octagonal box and brush pot can be considered compensation for your trouble. How about this arrangement?”

Upon hearing this, Li Quan immediately frowned and instinctively looked up at Huo Sining. The four people in the room exchanged glances, a bit at a loss.

In principle, although the old granny’s request wasn’t unreasonable, it was essentially like reversing the transaction, which is almost the same as reclaiming all the items.

Jubao Pavilion hadn’t even officially opened yet, and this was Li Quan’s first deal, which was already somewhat unlucky. His face darkened, feeling like he had offended some taboo. However, he couldn’t muster the courage to refuse.

In fact, although the antique business had its rules, it wasn’t uncommon for people to come back and renegotiate deals. Many who traded on Antique Street were outsiders and didn’t follow the rules strictly, so it wasn’t unusual for someone to sell something and then try to renegotiate.

However, those who did were usually either rude and opportunistic or cunningly set traps. An old granny like this, who was straightforward and honest, was indeed very rare.

Huo Sining wasn’t that stubborn. The old granny’s situation seemed reasonable, so she thought it over for a moment, feeling it made sense to be accommodating. She was about to signal to Li Quan to agree when the old granny continued:

”I know my request is a bit much, but I can’t bring myself to part with the folding fan. Though I don’t understand antiques, my husband often talked about the rules of your trade.”

With another sigh, the old granny appeared to struggle before finally compromising:

”How about this: the ninety thousand yuan still stands. If you agree to return the brush pot to me, my husband left behind two other old items. If you’re interested, I can sell those to you.”