Chapter 18: Nowhere to Go!

Jiang Feng's expression was calm, he said lightly, "This painting is not an ordinary old paper painting; in fact, its value is priceless."

"Priceless?"

Shopkeeper Zhao, hearing this, pointed at the painting and sneered.

"Sir, please don't exaggerate! The paper is yellowed, the brushwork is mediocre, at most it's a common Republic‑era trinket—how could it be priceless? If you want to pretend to be knowledgeable, don't fool people with this!"

He kept pondering that Jiang Feng was surely bragging on purpose, trying to drive the price down or save face.

He still resented Jiang Feng's earlier nitpicking, which had also gotten him scolded by President Dong.

Jiang Feng ignored the hopping Shopkeeper Zhao and gently pointed to a corner of the painting.

Dong Zhenhai moved toward the spot Jiang Feng indicated, squinting to examine closely.

At first he frowned, but after only a few seconds his complexion changed instantly.

Raising his head again, the Old Master's voice trembled: "Th‑this... is Nan Tian Ju Shi's seal?"

"Exactly."

Jiang Feng nodded, gently unfolded the painting a bit more so Dong Zhenhai could see it clearly.

"Nan Tian Ju Shi was the renowned Qing‑dynasty painter Yun Shouping; he excelled at painting bone‑less flowers, using no outlines, just ink washes to create depth."

"This Plum Blossom Painting looks simple in brushwork, but it actually employs the bone‑less technique; the ink is light, making it inconspicuous. Moreover, the seal has been covered with ink—when I felt it earlier, the ink there felt thicker than elsewhere, so I guessed something was hidden underneath."

Dong Zhenhai quickly used a magnifying glass to scan the trace, growing more excited as he looked, unable to resist clapping his hands, his voice rising a few notches.

"Exactly! It's the bone‑less technique! Look at the plum petals—the edges have no lines, all distinguished by ink density; that's Yun Shouping's unique method! Young man, you have a keen eye! Authentic Yun Shouping works are extremely scarce on the market; if this painting were whole, it would be worth at least a few million, so calling it priceless is no exaggeration!"

"A few... a few million?"

Shopkeeper Zhao, standing nearby, stared wide‑eyed, and the ledger in his hand went "clack" as it fell to the ground.

He didn't bother picking up the ledger, and rushed forward.

"I won't sell this painting!"

He had just been planning to swindle Jiang Feng out of twenty thousand, but now that he knows it's a genuine work worth millions, how could he bear to sell it?

His mind heated, he wanted to backtrack, reaching out to snatch the painting from Jiang Feng's hand.

"Stop!"

Dong Zhenhai barked sharply, his gaze instantly turning cold.

"Little Zhao, what kind of talk is that? Business relies on integrity; the buyer has already paid, so the painting belongs to them. Yet you still want to seize it? If this gets out, will your Hanmo Pavilion even be allowed to linger in the Jiangcheng Ancient Artifacts Circle?"

Shopkeeper Zhao's hand froze mid‑air, his face turning red and white from Dong Zhenhai's scolding, yet he dared not retort.

Dong Zhenhai, the Ancient Artifacts Association's Chairman, could make him unable to stay in the trade with a single sentence.

He forced a mournful expression: "President Dong, I just... just didn't see that this was an authentic piece, I was momentarily confused; selling such a fine painting for two thousand to him, I took a huge loss!"

Dong Zhenhai snorted coldly: "You've run an antiquities shop for twenty years, yet you can't distinguish Qing‑era Xuan paper from Republic‑era paper, can't even recognize the bone‑less technique, and you still have the nerve to claim you're in the antiquities business? Now the buyer has taken it, and you want to back out, tarnishing the Jiangcheng Ancient Artifacts Association's reputation!"

Shopkeeper Zhao, chastised, dared not lift his head; his fingers fidgeted with his collar, his regret turning his gut green.

Had he known the painting was so valuable, he would have examined it properly from the start; now, like a boiled duck that has flown away!

Wang Yunan, standing nearby, stared in amazement, moved up to Jiang Feng, and spoke with extreme excitement.

"Jiang Feng, you're amazing! I thought this painting looked dull, never expecting it to be a genuine work worth millions!"

Jiang Feng smiled, re‑folded the painting, and handed it to Wang Yunan.

"Yun Shouping's Plum Blossom Painting, symbolizing the five blessings of blossoming plum, is a gift for Old Master Wang; he'll surely like it."

Wang Yunan quickly took it with both hands, a smile blooming on his face.

"Thank you so much, Jiang Feng! If Grandfather knew this was an authentic Yun Shouping, he'd be overjoyed!"

Dong Zhenhai looked at Jiang Feng, his admiration deepening, and patted his shoulder.

"Kid, what's your name? Where did you learn antique appraisal? You may be young, but your eye is more Poison than those old masters who've dealt with antiques for decades. When you have time, you can come to the Ancient Artifacts Association to sit and exchange insights."

"My name is Jiang Feng." Jiang Feng also had a good impression of Dong Zhenhai.

"Jiang Feng... what a good name!"

Dong Zhenhai nodded, pulled a business card from his pocket, and handed it to him.

"This is my business card; it has my phone number and the Ancient Artifacts Association's address. If you ever encounter any antique‑related issues, or just want someone to chat with, feel free to call me anytime; I'm always welcome!"

Jiang Feng took the card and slipped it into his pocket.

Afterwards, Dong Zhenhai glared at Shopkeeper Zhao again, then left with his attendant, not forgetting to give a reminder before departing.

"Little Zhao, from now on conduct business properly, don't always think about fooling customers; if I catch you selling counterfeit items to swindle people again, I'll have the Association put you on the blacklist!"

Shopkeeper Zhao hurriedly nodded vigorously: "Understood, Chairman Dong, I won't dare it again!"

After Dong Zhenhai left, Shopkeeper Zhao turned around, his face wearing a sycophantic smile.

"Mr. Jiang, I was blind to Mount Tai just now, I have greatly offended you; please don't take it to heart! Next time you come to the shop, whether it's calligraphy, paintings, or inkstones, everything will be at fifty percent off! No, thirty percent off! If you have any fine items you wish to sell, you can also come to me; I'll definitely give you the highest price!"

Jiang Feng ignored his flattery and simply said to Wang Yunan, "Let's go."

"Alright!"

Wang Yunan cradled the painting, followed Jiang Feng, and as they passed Shopkeeper Zhao, she deliberately hummed.

She would never come to this street again.

One or two, they're all swindlers, hum!

The two of them left Hanmo Pavilion, and Wang Yunan, still excited, held the painting aloft; after a few steps she bowed her head to glance at it, fearing the wind might damage it.

"Jiang Feng, you're unbelievable! Shopkeeper Zhao's smug face was trying to swindle us at first, but once he realized it was authentic his face turned green, haha! If Chairman Dong hadn't stopped him, he might have tried to snatch the painting!"

Jiang Feng watched her smile, her eyebrows and eyes curved, and his mood lifted a few points.

"He was momentarily confused, but from now on he shouldn't dare to fool customers casually."

"What 'momentary confusion' you say? It's just greed!"

Wang Yunan shook Jiang Feng's arm, her eyes sparkling.

By the way, Jiang Feng, where are we going now? Take this painting back home quickly to show Grandfather; he'll surely be especially happy! How about you come with me to my house and sit for a while?

Heh, this kid is probably nowhere able to go anywhere right now!

While the two were talking, five or six hulking men stepped directly in front of them.