Chapter 3 : Slap in the Face

• This shop is the largest antique shop in the antique market. The owner is called Ye Erwa, who is also from Yejia Village. When he saw Ye Ming, he sneered and greeted him, "Isn't this Ye Ming? What wind blew you here? Didn't you just get married yesterday? Why not sleep a little longer in the morning and get some exercise?"
• Upon hearing this, the people around burst into laughter. Everyone had heard about Ye Ming marrying a hostess and becoming the laughingstock of the village.
• Everyone knew that he had married a hostess and became the butt of everyone's jokes.
• "Ye Ming, I heard that your wife is very beautiful. Why not enjoy her at home?"
• "That's right, Ye Ming got a great deal. Other people have to pay for it, but he can have fun for free. Isn't that taking advantage?"
• Laughter filled the air.
• Ye Ming heard the mocking laughter around him, but he clenched his fists and decided to let it go. He didn't want to argue with these people. There was nothing to gain from it, and it would only cause trouble.
• "I want this bottle. How much is it?" he pointed to an inconspicuous bottle on the ground and asked.
• Ye Erwa was slightly taken aback. He didn't expect someone to come in and buy something. He glanced at the bottle, which had been sitting there for half a year because it was so unremarkable. He didn't expect someone to want to buy it.
• He thought for a moment and decided to take advantage of Ye Ming's ignorance. He held up three fingers and said, "Three thousand yuan. If you want it, take it."
• Ye Ming frowned slightly. He had the money, but he could tell that the other party was trying to rip him off.
• However, he made up his mind and decided to buy it anyway.
• "I'll take it for three thousand. Wrap it up for me," he said.
• Ye Erwa couldn't help but laugh when he heard that someone actually wanted to buy it. He thought Ye Ming was a fool for spending three thousand yuan on a worthless bottle.
• "Of course, Ye Ming is so lucky. Other people have to pay for it, but he can have fun for free."
• The people around continued to mock him, thinking that Ye Ming was a fool for spending three thousand yuan on a broken bottle.
• "No wonder he married a hostess as a son-in-law."
• "He's the only college student in the Ye family. What a shame."
• A middle-aged man walked over and everyone turned to look at him. He was Ge Qiu, an expert in the antique market. He had made a fortune through antiques and was now worth millions. His ability to judge antiques was well-known in the market.
• He looked at Ye Ming and said, "Young man, I've seen this bottle before. It's fake. You've wasted three thousand yuan."
• Everyone was surprised to hear that even Ge Qiu thought it was fake. It seemed that the bottle was not worth much.
• Ye Ming frowned slightly. "Just because you say it's fake, it's fake? Why should I listen to you? If I say it's real, then it's real."
• Ge Qiu laughed when he heard this. He was the most knowledgeable person in the area when it came to antiques, and yet he was being looked down upon by a young man.
• "Young man, I've seen more antiques than you've had meals. This porcelain should be an imitation of the early Ming Dynasty's blue and white porcelain from Jingdezhen. During the Hongwu period, the blue color tended to be dark and the patterns changed from the Yuan Dynasty, becoming more intricate and delicate, with a tendency towards a lighter and more spacious style. However, this porcelain has thick patterns and is too colorful. It's obviously an imitation. If you don't believe me, you can have it appraised by an authentication agency."
• Ge Qiu spoke confidently, and everyone around nodded, looking at him with admiration.
• "Mr. Ge really knows his stuff. He's absolutely right. What does Ye Ming know? He's actually arguing with Mr. Ge."
• Ye Ming frowned slightly. Compared to Ge Qiu, he trusted his own eyes more.
• Besides, Ge Qiu was deliberately trying to make fun of him. When he bought the bottle just now, Ge Qiu stood by and said nothing. He only started talking after the purchase was made. He didn't want to pay attention to such a person.
• He was about to leave when an old man suddenly walked over.
• "Young man, may I take a look at this porcelain?" the old man asked kindly.
• Ye Ming saw that the old man had a good attitude and handed him the porcelain. "Please take a look."
• The old man carefully examined it and nodded repeatedly. "This is a good item. I'm willing to buy it for eight hundred thousand yuan. What do you think, young man?"
• Ye Ming was shocked, and everyone around him was astonished as well.
• Eight hundred thousand? This old man was so generous.
• Ge Qiu suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh.
• "It's Mr. Li. I didn't expect you to be here."
• The people around often went to antique markets and were familiar with this name.
• This Mr. Li was called Li Hui, a true expert in the antique world. He was well-known in Hechuan Province and was a household name in the antique world.
• Li Hui smiled and said, "This is indeed not blue and white porcelain from the early Ming Dynasty. During the Hongwu period, it tended to be elegant, but during the Jiawan period, the blue color had a hint of purple, and the color was bright and intense. The blue material used was a mixture of recycled blue and stone blue. This blue and white porcelain has strong and delicate patterns, and the colors are full. It should be a fine piece from the Jiawan period. Young man, how did you recognize that this blue and white porcelain is extraordinary?"
• How did he recognize it? Ye Ming relied on his own eyes, of course.
• He didn't understand antiques, but he could tell the authenticity with his own eyes. He didn't know how to explain it, so he simply said mysteriously, "I just looked at it carefully."
• Li Hui laughed when he heard this. The more casually Ye Ming spoke, the more mysterious he seemed.
• "It seems that you have a special way of identifying porcelain. Otherwise, why don't you come work for my company? I'll give you an annual salary of eight hundred thousand yuan, just to help identify porcelain. What do you think?"
• The people around gasped in astonishment. This was an annual salary of eight hundred thousand yuan, an income that many people could only dream of. Yet, he actually refused?!
• Li Erwa regretted it when he heard that the porcelain was genuine and worth more than eight hundred thousand yuan. He wished he could die.
• Ye Ming hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not interested."
• Everyone was surprised. This was an annual salary of eight hundred thousand yuan, an income that many people dreamed of. Yet, he refused?!
• Li Hui was also taken aback. He didn't expect to be rejected by Ye Ming.
• "Well, someone like you will have a broader future. As for this blue and white porcelain, would you be willing to sell it to me?"
• Ye Ming nodded.
• "I don't mind selling it to you."
• He had a good impression of Li Hui, and he needed money right now. If he could sell it immediately, it would be great.
• They quickly agreed on the terms and started the transfer.
• Ye Ming looked at the message on his phone and smiled faintly. He didn't expect to have so much money in his account.
• "Young man, here's my business card. If you change your mind and want to come work for me, feel free to contact me anytime," Li Hui said with a smile.
• "Okay." Ye Ming took the business card and glanced at it before leaving.
• He hummed a tune and rode a motorcycle, preparing to go to the hospital.
• His father, Ye Kang, was beaten by someone and is still lying in the hospital. However, it's just a superficial injury and he can be discharged this afternoon. He happened to have the money to pay for the medical expenses and also took out two hundred thousand yuan to give them as living expenses.
• He took two hundred thousand yuan because he was afraid of scaring his parents if he took too much. This amount is enough for their daily expenses, and as for the future, they can figure it out once they run out.
• The small road was bumpy, but the motorcycle master drove fast.
• Ye Ming swallowed and reminded, "Master, could you please slow down? It's dangerous to speed on this country road."
• The motorcycle master patted his chest and guaranteed, "Don't worry, I've been riding this road for twenty years. I can even ride it with my eyes closed. This is a piece of cake. My ambition is to be a race car driver. If it weren't for being poor, I would be the one racing on the track right now. Can this motorcycle really defeat me?"
• Ye Ming felt uneasy listening to this and couldn't help but think that this master seemed a bit unreliable.
• As a result, as soon as the car turned a corner, there was a person sitting on the side of the road. The motorcycle master didn't react in time and had to brake sharply and turn. The motorcycle skidded along the ground, spinning three times before hitting a nearby stone and coming to a stop.
• Ye Ming was dizzy from the fall, but luckily he only had a few scratches and nothing serious. He stood up and looked at the motorcycle master, asking, "Master, are you okay?"
• The master stood up and dusted himself off, saying, "I'm fine, I guess every race car driver has a day of falling."
• Ye Ming was speechless. The motorcycle was emitting black smoke, yet the master was still pretending. He noticed the blood dripping from the master's sleeve.
• "Are you sure you're okay, Master?"
• The motorcycle master looked at his right arm and grinned, "Just a minor injury."
• Seeing that he could still smile, Ye Ming couldn't be bothered with him.
• Speaking of which, the reason they fell was because there was a person sitting at the corner. Ye Ming walked over to take a look and realized that it wasn't just one person, but two.
• A middle-aged man was lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious, while a young girl sat beside him, probably only in her teens, with tears streaming down her face and a panicked expression.
• Ye Ming was stunned. It seemed like something big had happened here...