This old guy said he wouldn't compete anymore, but he's more eager than anyone when it comes to treasures.
When the man saw the approaching people, he respectfully clasped his hands in front of his chest in a greeting gesture and said, "Tashi Delek! Hello. Are you interested in buying Tibetan sky beads?"
The man's Mandarin sounded a bit stiff and awkward. It was obvious that he wasn't Han Chinese but a member of an ethnic minority.
Do ethnic minorities also come here to sell things?
Xu Qingqing frowned and looked at the man in surprise. "Hello. May I ask if you're not Han Chinese?"
"I'm not," the man replied with a simple and honest smile.
"I'm Tibetan. I came here to sell these sky beads but got cheated out of my money. To raise enough money to go back home, I asked your city lord for permission to come in and try to sell these sky beads."
Although the man looked rather disheveled, his innocent smile made his situation seem rather pitiful and heart - rending.
For a moment, Xu Qingqing didn't want to haggle with this man.
Old Li was still urging her. "Qingqing, didn't you say there were treasures here?"
"Yeah," Xu Qingqing avoided the man's clear eyes. Based on her intuition, she picked up a sky bead and activated the system scan.
Ding!
"The system has detected a treasure. Item name: Tibetan sky bead. Sky beads can be divided into two categories. Those made before the Tang Dynasty are old sky beads, while those made in modern times are new sky beads."
"According to the scan, this sky bead is a modern one, approximately 106 years old. It has a complete color and clear patterns, and there are no traces of artificial dyeing. It is made of pure natural agate."
Xu Qingqing then tried to scan the other sky beads. All of them were artificial agates, with prices ranging from a few dozen yuan to a few thousand yuan.
"This is the one," Xu Qingqing said as she stuffed the sky bead into Li Ying'er's hand. "Hello. How much is this sky bead?"
The man remembered what the city lord had told him when he came in: he must set a high price to leave room for bargaining.
The man immediately said, "5,000 yuan!"
"Okay, we'll take it," Xu Qingqing looked at Li Ying'er. "Ying'er, if you trust me, you can pay."
"Sure!" Li Ying'er quickly paid the money.
Hearing that Xu Qingqing had bought the sky bead so straightforwardly, a sense of guilt for trying to deceive her welled up in the man's heart.
"Aren't you going to bargain?"
Xu Qingqing shook her head. "No. You get what you pay for. Use this money as your travel expenses."
"Thank you," the man grinned excitedly. His teeth looked snow - white against his dark skin.
He had been selling here for a whole day, and only a few people had stopped to look at his sky beads. He thought he wouldn't be able to earn enough money for his return ticket, but unexpectedly, he had met a kind - hearted person!
"Good luck to you."
After Li Ying'er paid the money, Xu Qingqing and the others left.
Li Ying'er carefully examined the sky bead. She couldn't figure out what was so special about it. With a strong desire for knowledge, she asked Xu Qingqing.
"Sister Qingqing, how do you appraise sky beads?"
"Look at the quality. This sky bead is made of pure agate, with no traces of artificial dyeing. It should be over 100 years old," Xu Qingqing said as she shone a flashlight on the sky bead.
"Over 100 years!" Li Ying'er was so shocked that her glasses slipped down her nose. She quickly pushed them back up.
Although she still didn't understand how to appraise it, based on the age, she could infer that this sky bead could be sold for at least a hundred thousand yuan.
Old Li on the side was also stunned. He blinked blankly, unable to believe that they had found a great treasure.
Father Lu nudged Old Li with his shoulder and joked with a smile. "Why are you so dazed? Aren't you happy that we found a treasure?"
A great sense of joy swept over the grandfather and granddaughter. Old Li and Li Ying'er finally experienced the pleasure of treasure hunting.
Buying a treasure that could increase in value by more than ten times at an extremely low price was exactly what a treasure - hunting competition was all about!
"Wow! Sister Qingqing!"
Li Ying'er excitedly hugged Xu Qingqing.
"You're amazing! Sister Qingqing, you really are the number one appraiser. You found such a great treasure with just one try!"
"However... is it really okay for me to keep this?"
Li Ying'er quickly came out of her excitement and held the sky bead nervously.
She just wanted Xu Qingqing to help her find an antique with a certain history, but Xu Qingqing had outdone herself and found her a treasure over 100 years old.
She really felt unworthy of it!
"Sister Qingqing, you should keep it. I can't accept it."
"You should take it," Xu Qingqing pushed it back and said seriously. "You paid for it, so it's yours. I promised to help you find a treasure, so I can't go back on my word."
"But..."
"Being honest is my principle. You don't want me to break my principle, do you?" Xu Qingqing said playfully, blinking her eyes.
"Come on. Since your Sister Qingqing has said so, just take it."
"Here, let grandpa take a look." Old Li took the sky bead with a smile and carefully examined it in the sunlight.
"Grandpa, you're so greedy!" Li Ying'er scolded Old Li playfully. Then she sincerely thanked Xu Qingqing. "Thank you, Sister Qingqing."
"You're welcome."
Xu Qingqing looked at her watch. It was already 3:30 p.m., and the stipulated end time of the competition was 4:10 p.m.
"Okay, let's go quickly. The results of the competition are about to be announced."
Li Ying'er handed the sky bead to the appraisal staff. Then the group quickly returned to the auditorium where Fang Zhengsong had given his speech and sat down.
The staff cleaned the auditorium and replaced the dried fruits and water.
While waiting, Old Li quietly asked Father Lu, "Old Lu, is Qingqing officially dating your son, or did you just decide she's your daughter - in - law?"
Father Lu gave Old Li a sidelong glance and frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Old Li smiled like an old mischievous boy. "I don't mean anything. If Qingqing is just your self - proclaimed daughter - in - law, don't hold the girl back. My second son..."
Father Lu had known Old Li for many years. How could he not understand what he meant? He immediately got angry and warned him.
"Old Li! You're my friend. You mustn't try to steal my daughter - in - law!"
Caught red - handed, Old Li nervously touched his nose and made an excuse for himself. "Who wants to steal your daughter - in - law? I'm just concerned about Qingqing..."
"Is that concern? You're just trying to ruin her!"
"Think about it. Your second son is almost 35. Isn't it too shameless for him to pursue such a young girl?" Father Lu said bluntly.
"Second son is fully devoted to archaeology. He has no time to find a girlfriend."
Old Li defended his son.
"Moreover, my son is tall and has long legs. He's much better - looking than those little stars in the entertainment industry. Why isn't he worthy?"
"That's still not okay! If you dare to steal my daughter - in - law, I'll turn your house upside down!"
Father Lu said angrily.
Xu Qingqing was the daughter - in - law he had recognized. It was not easy for Lu Chuanbai to get close to a girl.
This God - given good fortune must not be let go!
"Look at how stingy you are," Old Li rolled his eyes, sat up straight, and looked at the podium.
At this moment, Fang Zhengsong was testing the microphone on the podium. After making sure it worked, the countdown to announce the results of the competition began.