One Price

When Qin Sheng spoke, the expressions of everyone in the room changed.

Both Gu Ming and Old Li were here to sell their porcelain pillows at Guhong Studio, but Qin Sheng openly asked Gu Ming what she thought about Old Li's porcelain pillow.

Regardless of whether Gu Ming answered or not, she had already offended Old Li at this moment.

Old Xu, who was unaware of why Qin Sheng suddenly asked such a question, looked at both Qin Sheng and Gu Ming in confusion. In his impression, Qin Sheng never did anything so rash.

"Mr. Qin, you're joking. I'm just casually looking, not an expert, so I don't have any opinions. You should ask a professional about this," Gu Ming quickly replied, not wanting to offend anyone.

"Mr. Li, if you don't want to sell your porcelain pillow, that's fine, but why do this? Is it because you see me as a country bumpkin and want to take advantage?" Old Li slammed the table, looking angrily at Qin Sheng.

"Mr. Li, please don't misunderstand. I'm not saying I won't take it. It's just that Miss Gu also brought a Song Dynasty Ding kiln porcelain pillow, and I thought she might know a thing or two about it, so I asked. I was too forward," Qin Sheng said calmly, standing up and pouring water for Old Li to express his apologies.

"Hmph!" Old Li snorted and held his porcelain pillow tightly to his chest. He didn't insist on leaving but instead sulked in silence.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Old Xu took the initiative to smooth things over, sharing some anecdotes about antiques to ease the tension.

During this time, Gu Ming quietly observed Qin Sheng as he continued to study her porcelain pillow. Her intuition told her that Qin Sheng might know something, otherwise, why would he have asked such an uncomfortable question?

The last time in Jingdezhen, Qin Sheng had shown great interest in buying the enamels, but in the end, unexpectedly backed out. Thinking about it, Gu Ming couldn't help but feel uneasy, unconsciously rubbing the jade bracelet on her left hand. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Qin Sheng's sudden withdrawal had something to do with her performance that day.

Could it be that Qin Sheng had discovered something?

Qin Sheng noticed that someone was quietly observing him, and he knew who it was. However, he didn't say anything and acted as if he didn't know, continuing to carefully examine the porcelain pillow in front of him.

About ten minutes later, footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.

Everyone in the room subconsciously looked over and saw a man with slightly graying hair slowly walking up.

When Gu Ming saw the man clearly, she noticed that Old Li, who was sitting beside her, subtly shifted.

"Mr. Qiao, thank you for coming," Qin Sheng quickly went up to greet him, shaking his hand familiarly.

It was clear that this Mr. Qiao was the professional that Qin Sheng had mentioned to come and authenticate the porcelain pillows they had.

Mr. Qiao nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze toward Gu Ming and Old Li, asking, "Are these the two customers?"

"Yes," Qin Sheng nodded and guided Mr. Qiao to the table. He then introduced, "This is Mr. Qiao, who has quite a bit of experience with ceramics."

"Hello, Mr. Qiao," Gu Ming stood up and politely shook his hand.

Gu Ming noticed that although Mr. Qiao had graying hair, he didn't look too old. His skin wasn't too loose, and he appeared to be in his mid-forties.

Old Li didn't shake Mr. Qiao's hand. He only nodded at him, seeming to still be upset about what had just happened.

"I think we should go in order of who came first. Which one is Miss Gu's porcelain pillow?" Mr. Qiao wasted no time and, in a gentle tone, got straight to the point.

"This one is mine," Gu Ming pointed to her porcelain pillow.

"Please, Miss Gu." Mr. Qiao nodded and gestured to a small area separated by a large wooden screen next to a half-moon-shaped cabinet.

Gu Ming nodded, carefully holding her porcelain pillow as she followed Mr. Qiao. Qin Sheng naturally followed them, while Old Li and Old Xu stayed behind.

Once inside the small space, Gu Ming placed the porcelain pillow on a wooden table, and she was surprised to see that the table was made of rosewood.

Mr. Qiao naturally took Gu Ming's porcelain pillow and began to examine it carefully. Qin Sheng and Gu Ming stood to the side, waiting, not speaking.

As Gu Ming observed Mr. Qiao's skilled handling of the porcelain pillow, she felt a strange sense of familiarity with him. It seemed as though she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place where.

To her surprise, Mr. Qiao didn't spend too much time examining the porcelain pillow. He put it down, leaned toward Qin Sheng, whispered a few words, smiled slightly at Gu Ming, and then walked out of the small room.

"Miss Gu, we'll take this porcelain pillow. You can name your price," Qin Sheng said without further ado. He gestured for Gu Ming to sit, and then sat beside her.

Gu Ming's heart leapt with joy, though she tried to remain calm. "This Song Dynasty Ding kiln porcelain pillow is a rare masterpiece. Although it has some minor flaws, its value cannot be denied. Since you, Mr. Qin, are in this line of work, you must be familiar with the market. Why don't you give me your offer?"

Qin Sheng thought for a moment and then leaned toward her, lowering his voice. "Miss Gu, we have a good relationship. I also know that you're not someone who doesn't know anything. So, how about this? One price, one million."

One million?

Gu Ming's heart started pounding. She knew that this Song Dynasty Ding kiln porcelain pillow was valuable, but hearing Qin Sheng's offer still made her excited.

One million, enough to pay for her grandfather's medical expenses, plus get her mother a new insurance policy.

"Mr. Qin, this price…" Gu Ming suppressed her excitement. She knew that Qin Sheng's one million offer was just a test. The true value of the porcelain pillow was definitely more than this.

"Miss Gu, are you not satisfied?" Qin Sheng raised his hands, fingers pointed upward, and looked at Gu Ming with eyes as deep as the night.

Gu Ming took a deep breath and extended two fingers toward Qin Sheng. "One price, two million."