Chapter 15: Counterfeit Shoushan Stone

Jiang Feng's Master Xuan Yuan Zhenren actually has a granddaughter in Jiangcheng, named Nan Gong Wan.

When the Master went down the mountain that year, he once secretly took Jiang Feng to catch a glimpse of this granddaughter.

Even after returning, he kept muttering that the girl alone in Jiangcheng had it hard.

Even before his ascension, he was also rather concerned.

So this time Jiang Feng went down the mountain, besides fulfilling the marriage contract.

There's also the thought of looking for Nan Gong Wan to see if she needs any help.

It can also be considered repaying his gratitude to his Master.

Jiangcheng Old Street is in the Old City District, with red‑brick walls and wood doors and windows on both sides, old houses; the street is scented with the sweet aroma of sugar‑painting, and the atmosphere of bustling life is especially strong.

Jiang Feng followed the address from his Memory, but found that the little house he remembered had changed; it had become an antique shop bearing a wooden sign of Ju Bao Ge.

Two stone lions stood at the entrance, and the door curtain was dark‑red silk, giving it a certain grandeur.

He lifted the curtain and stepped inside; the shop's lighting was a bit dim, the shelves were filled with porcelain, calligraphy paintings, jade items, and a few stone carvings were placed in the corner.

An old man with a goat‑goatee was sitting behind the counter doing the accounts; when he saw Jiang Feng enter, he immediately put down the abacus and piled a smile on his face.

"Honored guest, please come inside! What would you like to see? Our Ju Bao Ge has been on Old Street for ten years, guaranteed all genuine, we have calligraphy paintings, jade, stone carvings, feel free to pick!"

Jiang Feng glanced over the shop's items, walked to the counter, and politely asked, "Shopkeeper, may I ask whether a young lady named Nan Gong Wan used to live here?"

The moment those words were spoken, the goat‑goatee Shopkeeper's smile froze instantly.

His gaze also changed; the earlier enthusiasm vanished, and in a stiff Tone he said, "Nan Gong Wan? Never heard of her! Honored guest, if you're buying something just say so, if not don't pry; this is an antique shop, not a place to check household registrations!"

Jiang Feng frowned.

The Shopkeeper's reaction was odd; mentioning Nan Gong Wan made him look as if his tail had been stepped on—he surely knew something but didn't want to say.

He was about to ask again when a crisp footstep sounded at the door, accompanied by a sweet female voice: "Liu Shopkeeper, I'm here!"

Jiang Feng turned and saw a girl of about twenty entering, wearing an off‑white dress, carrying a light‑pink limited‑edition bag, her hair tied in a high ponytail, skin fair, eyes large and bright, looking especially lively.

When Liu Shopkeeper saw the girl, his cold face instantly turned into a flattering smile; he hurried out from behind the counter, bowing, "Ah, Miss Wang, you're here! Come inside quickly, we just received a batch of new Hetian Jade Pendants, the water‑grade is especially abundant, would you like to see?"

Wang Yunan waved her hand, smiling, "No need, Liu Shopkeeper, I'm here to buy a gift. My grandfather just recovered from a serious illness a couple of days ago, and I want to get him something with a good meaning, preferably a stone carving or the like, to look grand at home."

"Oh! Grandfather Wang's illness is finally cured? That's truly cause for celebration!"

Liu Shopkeeper was clearly familiar with the Wang Family, and clapped his hands happily.

It was then that Jiang Feng recalled that Wang Haitao had mentioned at a banquet that he had a granddaughter, Wang Yunan, and he didn't expect to meet her here.

Wang Yunan didn't know Jiang Feng, treating him as a customer buying antiques, gave him a polite smile, and then wandered around the shop on her own.

Liu Shopkeeper quickly led her toward the stone‑carving section in the corner, pointing at a half‑human‑height stone carving and said.

"Miss Wang, look at this! The Shou Bi Nan Shan Stone Sculpture, made from authentic Da Hong Pao Shoushan Stone; see its color, red as chicken blood, and the craftsmanship—carved purely by an old master's hand, featuring the Song He Yan Nian Pattern, very auspicious! It's the perfect gift for your grandfather!"

Wang Yunan leaned over to take a look.

The stone carving was indeed exquisite; the Song He's feathers were lifelike, the colors vivid, and the more she looked the more she liked it, smiling, "Liu Shopkeeper, how much for this stone carving?"

Liu Shopkeeper rubbed his hands, his face beaming, "Miss Wang, you're a longtime customer, so I won't beat around the bush; if someone else bought this stone carving I'd ask at least twelve million, but for you I'll price it at ten million! How does that sound?"

"Ten million?"

Wang Yunan paused, and although the Wang Family wasn't short of money, the price was indeed high; yet she liked the carving and thought her grandfather would be pleased, so she nodded.

"Alright, that'll be it, Liu Shopkeeper, please wrap it up, I'll pay by card."

Hearing that, Liu Shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Got it! I'll fetch the packaging right away! I'll make sure it's wrapped beautifully!"

But as he turned, Jiang Feng's leisurely voice drifted in, "Miss Wang, you'd better not buy this stone carving; it's a false piece, not authentic Da Hong Pao Shoushan Stone."

The words caused the shop to fall silent instantly.

Liu Shopkeeper's steps halted, he turned and glared at Jiang Feng, his face ashen, "What nonsense are you spouting! Everything we sell at Ju Bao Ge is genuine, how could it be a false piece? Are you deliberately picking a fight?"

Wang Yunan was also stunned, looking at Jiang Feng with doubt, "Sir, are you sure this is a false piece? It looks quite good to me…" Though she liked the carving, she didn't want to waste money on a counterfeit, and a hint of suspicion rose in her mind.

Jiang Feng walked to the stone carving, extended his hand, gently brushed the Surface, then pointed to a small corner at the base and said.

"Authentic Da Hong Pao Shoushan Stone, its texture is delicate, feeling like a baby's skin, and the color emanates from inside out, it won't fade."

"But look at this carving; the Surface feels smooth, yet upon close inspection you can see tiny graininess, and the color is only on the Surface—at the base corner the hue is noticeably lighter than the top, it's dyed with Qingtian Stone imitation, and the color will wash off when it gets wet."

He paused, then pointed at the Song He's wing and said.

"Now look at the craftsmanship: authentic old‑master‑carved feathers each have depth, whereas this carving's feathers, though appearing delicate, were actually machine‑carved; the lines are too rigid, lacking the hand‑crafted Spiritual Energy. Liu Shopkeeper, am I right?"

Liu Shopkeeper's face flushed red then turned pale, his eyes darting, yet he forced out, "You… you stop spouting nonsense! What do you know about antiques! This is authentic Da Hong Pao Shoushan Stone; if you don't understand, don't make baseless comments, don't hinder my business!"

Wang Yunan wasn't a fool; after hearing Jiang Feng, she examined the carving more closely and indeed noticed the base color was lighter than the top, instantly understanding, her face darkening, "Liu Shopkeeper, is what he says true? If you dare deceive me, the Wang Family will never shop here again!"

The words caused Liu Shopkeeper to be terrified, and he promptly fell to his knees, repeatedly kowtowing to Wang Yunan, "Miss Wang, I'm sorry! I was wrong! I shouldn't have deceived you! It truly is dyed Qingtian Stone; I just wanted to earn more money, please spare me this time!"

The Wang Family's faction in Jiangcheng is huge; if Liu Shopkeeper offends Wang Yunan, Ju Bao Ge will never survive on Old Street again.

Wang Yunan completely ignored Liu Shopkeeper, instead looking at Jiang Feng, her face breaking into a bright smile, "Sir, thank you! Without you I would have wasted money today. By the way, I'm Wang Yunan, what's your name?"

"My name is Jiang Feng."

"Jiang Feng?"

Wang Yunan paused, then her eyes lit up suddenly.

"You're the Divine Doctor Jiang who saved my grandfather's life?"