The Copper Pot

When Gu Ming heard the familiar voice, her body stiffened slightly, but then she relaxed. She carefully handed back the Tang Dynasty jade pot and jade ring to Jin Ge before turning around to face the newcomer. "Auntie," she said.

"Don't call me that," Xu Li replied, looking Gu Ming up and down with disdain in her eyes. "You should call me Mrs. Du instead."

A wave of anger rose in Gu Ming's heart. She had never been liked by Du Hao's mother, Xu Li. When she was still with Du Hao, she had endured all the sarcasm and cold remarks from Xu Li, trying her best to be a good daughter-in-law who could earn her acceptance. But now that she and Du Hao had broken up, why did Xu Li still speak to her in this condescending tone?

Gu Ming couldn't believe that Xu Li had no role in Du Hao's recent marriage to Qiao Qingya. She was certain that Xu Li had a hand in pushing things along.

Gu Ming then sensed that someone was staring at her. She looked up and saw a beautiful woman standing next to Xu Li. The woman was dressed in a beige dress, holding an Hermes handbag that matched her outfit. With her 7 cm high heels and a slightly raised chin, the woman exuded a silent confidence.

The woman seemed very close to Xu Li, and when she noticed Gu Ming looking over, she didn't look away but instead directly met her gaze.

Gu Ming frowned slightly. Although she didn't see any malice in the woman's eyes, something about her direct stare unsettled her.

Xu Li noticed that Gu Ming remained silent and felt even more contemptuous toward her. In the past, Xu Li had found it hard to believe that a woman who wasn't particularly pretty could charm her son so easily. She always thought Gu Ming must have some ulterior motive, especially when she was after their money. Now, seeing Gu Ming browsing in the antiques shop, Xu Li was more certain of her suspicions.

Her son had sent money earlier that morning, and now Gu Ming was here picking out things—she was clearly after money. Xu Li believed that Gu Ming's refusal to take the money yesterday was just a tactic, and now, seeing the money had increased, Gu Ming had changed her mind and accepted it. Xu Li thought to herself that Gu Ming was shameless.

Xu Li looked at Qiao Qingya beside her and nodded inwardly. Only a woman like Qiao Qingya, with her looks and family background, was worthy of her son. She would be the perfect daughter-in-law.

"Qingya, these things are really nice. If you like anything, let me know. Even though you and Hao just got married, I've been waiting for a grandchild. You two need to try hard. Don't make me wait too long," Xu Li said kindly to Qiao Qingya, turning away from Gu Ming.

"Thank you, Mom," Qiao Qingya smiled sweetly, like a blooming rose.

Gu Ming understood now. Xu Li had always treated her like air, but today, she was trying to show off her new daughter-in-law in front of her. This was Du Hao's wife, Qiao Qingya. Gu Ming couldn't help but sigh. As a woman herself, she had to admit that Qiao Qingya was indeed beautiful.

"Xiao Gu..." Jin Ge sensed the tension in the air and stepped closer to Gu Ming.

Seeing Jin Ge's concerned look, Gu Ming shrugged. Suddenly, she realized there was no need to be upset anymore.

"I'm fine," she said, shifting her gaze away from Xu Li and Qiao Qingya. She had planned to continue looking at the items, but today didn't seem like the right time to stay. "Thanks, Jin Ge, but I have class at school. I'll leave now."

"Wait!" Jin Ge stopped her just as she was about to leave.

"What's up?" Gu Ming asked, considering if he wanted her to check something else.

Jin Ge gave her a knowing look and quickly walked back to the counter. He bent down and fiddled with something for a moment before taking out a package wrapped in newspaper.

"This just came in. Take a look," Jin Ge said, placing it on a nearby table and quickly unwrapping the newspaper. Inside was a beautiful copper kettle, seemingly treated with some care.

Gu Ming leaned in and took a closer look. The copper kettle was not very large, about the size of an average watermelon. It had a high bamboo-woven handle, and the kettle's surface was decorated with ancient patterns and gold leaf in the shape of longevity characters.

From the color, shape, lid, spout, handle, and the lotus-shaped knob, Gu Ming could tell that this kettle was a fairly typical Japanese copper kettle from the Taisho or early Showa period. It was considered an entry-level piece for Japanese kettle collectors.

Japanese copper kettles are forged using ancient techniques, with a bright, golden copper color, which is why they are also called Tang copper. In fact, Japanese copper kettles are just Chinese-style kettles, and the differences between the two are easy to distinguish, especially the copper color.

However, upon closer inspection, she noted that the kettle seemed relatively recent and the spout didn't quite match the craftsmanship of the rest of the kettle. The spout seemed to have been replaced after damage, and it didn't pour well. Additionally, it wasn't made by a renowned metalworker and lacked its original box.

According to reliable sources, water left in these ancient copper kettles overnight would have almost no harmful bacteria and is highly beneficial for health.

Japanese copper kettles, however, are becoming rare, and the common ones are cheap. Based on the value growth of Japanese kettles, it's better to have one fine kettle than a hundred common ones.

"So, what do you think?" Jin Ge asked as he saw Gu Ming examining it closely.

Although Jin Ge was the second-in-command at Ji Bao Antique Shop, his eye for antiques wasn't very sharp. He always bought smaller, low-value items, so even if they turned out to be fake, he wouldn't be too upset.

Gu Ming had earned a good reputation with Jin Ge. Not only because she was a favored student of Professor Wang, but also because she seemed to have an unusual knack for judging items. When Jin Ge showed her something, he trusted her judgment, knowing that she had a high success rate in identifying the truth or falsehood of the item.

It wasn't just experience; Gu Ming often relied on an intuitive sense when making judgments. This kind of ungrounded intuition wasn't highly valued by big collectors, but Jin Ge trusted it and always felt better after consulting Gu Ming.

Gu Ming turned the kettle over in her hands, then noticed the jade bracelet on her left wrist.

"I wonder if my left hand can identify other items besides jade," she thought.

Her mind raced, and instinctively, she placed her left hand on the copper kettle.

At that moment, she felt a slight warmth in her palm. When she removed her hand, the warmth instantly faded. But this time, unlike when she held the jade items before, she felt nothing special inside.

She confirmed her hypothesis: the warmth was due to the kettle's relatively recent age—less than a hundred years old. The absence of a strong, internal sensation like when she held the jade meant it wasn't an ancient or particularly valuable item.

"Xiao Gu?" Jin Ge noticed she hadn't spoken for a while.

"I think this kettle is real, but it's just a regular one, so it doesn't have much value. I'm guessing it's worth about 2000 yuan," Gu Ming replied with a smile.

Jin Ge immediately brightened up. "I'm relieved now! I bought this for just 300 yuan."

Gu Ming gave him a thumbs up, and Jin Ge took the opportunity to praise himself.

By the time Gu Ming finished examining the kettle, Xu Li and Qiao Qingya had already left. Gu Ming quickly scanned the store and relaxed when she confirmed they were truly gone.

No matter the reason, she just couldn't get used to being so close to Du Hao's new wife.

"Skipping class and running around?" At that moment, Professor Wang, who had given her a couple of classes earlier, walked into Ji Bao Antique Shop, looking displeased as he observed Gu Ming laughing with Jin Ge.