The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 877: Chapter 856: Interstellar Superstar 26

”What are you talking about?”

Xiao Mei was helping to set up breakfast. Seeing Anning and Xiao Gen come down together, she smiled and asked.

Xiao Gen quickly replied, ”We were talking about big brother’s condition. Miss Cui went to see him this morning and even sang for him.”

Xiao Mei’s smile became more genuine. ”Thank you so much. Breakfast will be ready soon. Sister Ning, have a seat and rest for a moment.”

Anning sat down and looked around. ”Where are the Grand Marshal and Lady?”

Xiao Mei arranged the plates. ”Dad and Mom had something to do and left early. Today, it’s just the three of us for breakfast. By the way, Sister Ning, is there anything you avoid eating?”

”No, nothing.”

Anning got up and went to the dining table. Seeing breakfast consisted of fried eggs, slices of bread, and a few greens, she sat down and ate while asking, ”Any plans for today?”

Xiao Mei sat opposite Anning. ”A spaceship returned from the Mother Star a few days ago and brought back quite a few things from the ruins. It seems some were taken to the antique market, and I want to take a look.”

Anning showed some interest. ”Can I go with you?”

Xiao Mei nodded immediately. ”Yes, definitely, I would love that.”

The two quickly finished breakfast. Xiao Mei said a word to Xiao Gen, then went with Anning to the antique market using a flyer.

It seemed many people heard that a batch of items from the Mother Star had arrived at the antique market. Today, the market was particularly crowded.

When Anning and Xiao Mei arrived, it was already packed with people inside.

Anning put on a hat, covering part of her face, and went in with Xiao Mei.

The antique market was filled with many stalls. Xiao Mei and Anning browsed them one by one.

After a few stalls, Xiao Mei spotted a porcelain plate.

This porcelain plate was indeed beautiful, crafted with great precision. The plate was very thin, with a white base and blue flowers in a broken branch lotus pattern, which immediately attracted Xiao Mei.

She crouched down to look closely.

The stall owner, seeing Xiao Mei young, laughed and said, ”Young lady, you’ve got a good eye. This is truly beautiful. Let me tell you, this is a Yuan Blue and White Porcelain from the ancient period of the Mother Star. It was already very expensive in the Middle Ages there, and it was scarce even then. Now it’s even rarer.”

”Really? Can I hold it?”

Xiao Mei genuinely liked it and couldn’t help wanting to touch it.

The stall owner gestured, ”Be careful.”

Xiao Mei took a pair of gloves from her backpack, put them on, and then carefully picked up the plate.

The more she looked, the more she liked it. ”How much is this?”

The stall owner was troubled. ”Young lady, the price isn’t cheap, as you know, this kind of thing is really rare.... Okay, since you’re young, I’ll give you a discount. Just give me a million Star Coins.”

”Alright, I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Xiao Mei put down the plate and was about to open her device to transfer money when Anning stopped her.

Anning smiled at the stall owner. ”Brother, be honest with your business. Don’t just see someone young and try to rip them off. Also, don’t shave the wool too harshly. Two thousand Star Coins, if you agree, we’ll buy it. If not, forget it.”

”What, two thousand? That’s really harsh! This is Yuan Blue and White. Even a million is cheap for it...”

The stall owner was not willing to budge, pointed at Anning, and exclaimed urgently, ”If you don’t have money, just stay away. Trying to buy Yuan Blue and White for two thousand, you’re dreaming.”

Anning pointed at the plate. ”If it were really Yuan Blue and White, a million would indeed be cheap. Even ten million wouldn’t be much. But is this Yuan Blue and White? This is clearly a mass-produced plate from Jingdezhen, but with your words, it becomes Yuan Blue and White. I really admire your storytelling.”

Anning clearly spoke the truth, making the stall owner’s face turn from red to white. ”Alright, alright, take it for two thousand and leave quickly. Don’t hold up my business.”

Xiao Mei’s mouth was agape, her face full of confusion.

Anning paid the money, wrapped up the plate, and took it with her.

She walked ahead with Xiao Mei, who was praising her. ”Sister Ning, you’re amazing! You’re so good at bargaining. A million, whoosh, and it became two thousand...”

She kept babbling questions. ”Sister Ning, is this really Jingdezhen porcelain?”

Anning smiled without answering, walked a few more stalls, and then suddenly stopped.

She pulled Xiao Mei down and nonchalantly asked the stall owner, ”Brother, how much are these things on your stall?”

The stall owner looked at Anning. ”Which one do you want to buy?”

Anning looked left and right. ”How much for everything together?”

The stall owner was stunned, and so was Xiao Mei.

The stall owner furrowed his brows. ”You want it all?”

Anning nodded. ”I think they all look nice. I don’t know what they are, but I like them. I might as well buy them all. Brother, it should be cheaper to buy in bulk, right?”

”Ha.” The stall owner chuckled. ”You think this is a wholesale market.”

”Well, there has to be a price.”

Anning persisted. ”So, would you please tell me what these are? I’m really clueless here, never seen these before. You seem knowledgeable, so tell us about them and let us learn a thing or two.”

The stall owner didn’t actually know what they were. He had just picked up some unnoticed trinkets to sell here randomly.

”You’re testing me now.”

The stall owner laughed. ”Alright, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t recognize these things either. If you want them, take everything for a hundred thousand, or forget it.”

”Seventy thousand.”

Anning started bargaining. ”I really like them, but since we don’t know what they are, and they’re just dusty and inconspicuous, you’re asking for a bit much at a hundred thousand. If you agree to seventy thousand, I’ll pack up and take them right away.”

The stall owner thought for a moment. These were really not worth much, so he waved his hand. ”Fine, take them.”

Anning transferred the money, packed everything into boxes, and called a delivery robot to send them to the Xiao Family home.

As they left, Xiao Mei asked Anning, ”Sister Ning, what are those things?”

Anning smiled. ”I’ll explain at home.”

They strolled a bit more. Xiao Mei bought some small trinkets, and the two took the flyer back to the Xiao Family home.

As soon as they walked in, Xiao Mei eagerly asked Anning, ”Sister Ning, what did you buy?”

Anning put the items on the table, placed the plate Xiao Mei bought on there as well, and said, ”About this plate first, it’s mass-produced in Jingdezhen. I was just tricking the stall owner. However, this isn’t Yuan Blue and White either. It’s blue and white porcelain from the late Qing Dynasty, so buying it for two thousand was truly a steal, thanks to the stall owner’s lack of knowledge.”

”It’s from the late Qing Dynasty?”

Xiao Mei was quite surprised and kept examining the plate. ”I know a bit about the late Qing Dynasty, just that Hua Country was weak and invaded by the powers.”

Anning nodded. ”That’s true.”

She then took out her purchased items and started to clean them one by one.

Xiao Mei was clearly curious about the things Anning bought, pointing at an earthy item, asking, ”Sister Ning, what’s this?”

Anning laughed. ”This is a Xun, an ancient musical instrument from the Mother Star dating back to ancient times. It should be an antique, over ten thousand years old, surprisingly well-preserved.”

She picked up a white bone-shaped object. ”This is a Bone Flute, a musical instrument from the primordial period of the Mother Star.”

Anning introduced the items one by one. ”This is a gourd flute, this is a wooden fish, this is a Pan Flute, and this is a sheng... These are all very ancient instruments.”

”All musical instruments, huh?”

Xiao Mei propped her chin on her hand, her eyes shining. ”Sister Ning, can you play them?”

Anning nodded. ”I can play a bit, but we need to clean them first since they’re not clean right now.”

”I’ll go get the cleaning agent!”

Xiao Mei hurriedly ran to the storage room.

She returned with the cleaning agent, and together with Anning, they began cleaning the instruments.

While cleaning, Anning introduced Huaxia folk music to Xiao Mei, explaining the guqin and guzheng among others, detailing each instrument’s characteristics, how they are played, and the stories behind them, and so on.

Anning, being especially articulate, merely introduced the instruments but kept Xiao Mei engrossed. ”The Lute is an instrument introduced from foreign tribes, already popular in the Tang Dynasty. An ancient poet named Bai Juyi wrote the ’Lute Recital,’ which includes lines like: ’The large strings clatter like rain, the small strings whisper like confiding; clatter and whisper multiplied, like pearls, big and small, falling on a jade plate...’”

Xiao Mei was entranced. ”The description is beautiful. I’d love to hear a lute song.”