Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 911: Chapter 907 My Fair Princess

When Huo Sining informed them of her plan to visit an antique shop, the owner of the Nara Grocery Store was immediately enthusiastic, volunteering to accompany her.

The Dongyang antique market, like that of Huaxia Country, is primarily run by individuals, with most shops being small, operated by one owner and at most one or two assistants.

The only difference from Huaxia Country might be that these antique shops are not concentrated on one street or within one building but are rather dispersed without much pattern.

In Dongyang, it’s almost impossible to find a place where antique shops are concentrated. In Dongdu, almost every district has its antique shops, but these storefronts are small and located in obscure places, making them hard to find without a guide.

So when Nara Nigawa offered to act as her guide through Dongdu’s antique shops, Huo Sining, although feeling a bit burdensome, did not refuse.

After closing the store, Nara Nigawa drove Huo Sining out towards Ginza, and in about ten minutes, they arrived on a quieter street.

There were far fewer tourists here, and on both sides of the street were small garden-style courtyards, each with a small door, a stone-paved path through the garden, featuring tastefully shaped red pines or bonsai-like cypresses, various flowers in bloom, and grassy lawns as vibrant as if freshly washed, creating a decorative effect.

The car slowed down here, gradually passing through the street, eventually turning into an alley before stopping.

When Huo Sining looked up, she saw at the end of the alley a market had appeared. Shops lined both sides of the not-so-wide alley, offering a dazzling variety of goods. Nara Nigawa walked with her, introducing as they went:

”There are four antique shops on this street. They may not seem conspicuous, but many collectors love to come here to treasure hunt. However, if you’re not a local, it’s very hard to find this place.”

Huo Sining nodded silently to herself, that was for sure. In such a remote place, without Nara Nigawa guiding, it would indeed be a miracle to find it.

As they walked along, they first entered a store called ”Yidao Pavilion.” This shop mainly sold tea ceremony utensils such as pottery, porcelain, bamboo, and wooden items used in flower arranging—the overall style was unpretentious, elegant, and delicate.

Unlike the antique stores in her homeland, Dongyang’s antique shops have distinct themes with fewer miscellaneous items. In the case of Yidao Pavilion, they focus on tea and flower art antiques, giving a clear direction for those who are selecting.

The owner seemed to know Nara Nigawa. When he saw Nara Nigawa bringing someone over, he warmly greeted them, then turned his gaze toward Huo Sining, asking Nara Nigawa, ”Nara-kun, who is this young lady to you?”

Nara Nigawa explained with a smile, ”She’s a fellow townsman of my mother, here in Dongdu for studies. Miss Huo also enjoys collecting antiques, so I brought her here to have a look.”

The owner immediately understood, nodded, and patted his chest towards Nara Nigawa, assuring, ”No problem.”

As Huo Sining wandered around the shop and reached the furthest part of it, her eyes landed on a display shelf in the corner.

On this shelf, there was a particularly exquisite-looking tea set.

This tea set was made of jade, with a jade pot, jade cups, and jade trays, all crafted from fine Qingbai Jade.

The teapot, in particular, had exquisite carvings depicting chrysanthemum and orchid patterns, and the jade body of the teapot appeared so thin, giving it a translucent beauty that seemed almost ethereal.

Noticing Huo Sining’s gaze on the tea set, the owner couldn’t hide his pride and delight in his expression:

”Since Nara-kun’s mother is from Huaxia, as a compatriot of Nara’s aunt, young lady, you should be able to recognize the origin of this jade artifact?”

Nara Nigawa quickly translated this into Chinese for her, and Huo Sining smiled, ”Khotan jade, a commendable taste, owner.”

Upon hearing the timely translation from Nara Nigawa, the owner’s eyes widened, filled with astonishment and disbelief, not having expected that Huo Sining would recognize the origin of the jade artifact at a glance.

Khotan is an old geographic name, referring to what is now Kashmir and the western part of Pakistan. In ancient times, it was part of the territory of the Islamic country called Khotan, which the Qing Dynasty referred to as North India.

The so-called Khotan jade refers to a unique type of jade from the region, a dark-gray jade similar in color to Huaxia Country’s precious jade. It was introduced to Huaxia Country during the Qing Dynasty, and during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, jade art from foreign lands was imported and imitated, with Khotan jade being the most famous.

Huo Sining chuckled lightly, ”The owner seems well-versed in Huaxia’s history.”

Upon hearing this, the owner proudly straightened up and eagerly nodded, boasting:

”Naturally, Huaxia’s culture is vast and profound, having a long historical connection with our Yamato Ethnic Group. To trace back to the source, one must understand Huaxia’s historical civilization. This Khotan jade, I purchased after doing extensive research and study following watching a television series from your country.”

Upon hearing this, Huo Sining was initially pleased, surprising even, that someone from Dongyang had such an awareness, recognizing their civilization as originating from Huaxia. However, listening further, Huo Sining felt something amiss, subconsciously asking, ”Which television series?”

Upon asking, what came to her mind was a serious drama like ”The Qianlong Dynasty,” or at the very least ”The Amusing Qianlong.” Yet, the moment the owner responded, Huo Sining’s expression froze, and her lips involuntarily twitched.

”My Fair Princess,” have you heard of this drama? I haven’t seen much of your country’s dramas, but this one is really good, especially the character Xiao Yanzi, who looks incredibly pretty. However, I do find it a bit puzzling: why are your country’s princesses not called princesses, but instead referred to as gege?”

With a face full of curiosity, the owner looked at Huo Sining, who only felt inwardly shattered but had to brace herself to explain:

”That’s a misconception from television. In fact, from the time the Qing Dynasty’s Huang Taiji ascended to the throne, the Emperor’s daughters were indeed called princesses, though there were two different grades. Generally, the Empress’s daughters were titled Princess Gu Lun, while the daughters of consorts and those raised by the Empress were titled Princess Gu Lun. Only the daughters of Princes, Princely Heirs, Commandery Princes, Beizi, and Dukes of Fuguo were referred to as gege.”