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Chapter 4: Making money is like stealing

Unexpectedly, the middle-aged stall owner only asked, “Young man, do you still want that Yuan Datou silver coin?”

“Brother, I’ll give it to you cheaper, how about a 50% discount for 50 chinese yuan?”

Lin Lang thought, “You scared me, I thought the stall owner found out that I picked up a great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin worth a million, and he regretted it!”

After thinking, Lin Lang replied, “No.”

Immediately after, Lin Lang put his arm around Gu Keqing’s soft waist and quickly left the ancient coin stall.

After walking away with his back to the middle-aged stall owner.

A triumphant smile spread across Lin Lang’s face. He was extremely excited looking at the great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin, worth a million, that he had just picked up for only ten chinese yuan.

Lin Lang looked at the ancient great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin in his hand with great novelty, appearing as if he had just seen money.

“I’m rich!”

“As soon as I arrived at Jing’an Temple Jewelry and Antiques City, I got rich!”

Gu Keqing took off her sunglasses, blinked her beautiful big eyes, and tentatively asked, “My dear, is this seemingly inconspicuous copper coin very valuable for collection?”

Lin Lang replied, “This seemingly ordinary old copper coin is actually a great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin, which is extremely rare in existence. Its current market collection price is at least one million chinese yuan.”

Gu Keqing exclaimed, “Is that true?!”

“You picked up a million chinese yuan just from this small, worn-out copper coin?!”

AI generated Gu Keqing’s beautiful picture

Lin Lang, in a great mood, patiently replied, “Keqing, you may not know, the great virtue circulating treasure copper coin is a rare ‘Ancestral Coin’ passed down by Emperor Chengzong Temür during the Dade years.”

Gu Keqing asked, puzzled, “What is an Ancestral Coin?”

Lin Lang patiently replied, “In the ancient minting process, a skilled craftsman would first hand-carve an exquisite coin. This coin was called the ‘Ancestral Coin’.”

“Then, using the Ancestral Coin as a sample, several coins were cast. These coins were ‘Mother Coins’, which were used to mass-cast ordinary circulating currency, also known as ‘Child Coins’.”

Gu Keqing suddenly understood after hearing this, “I see, Child Coins are copper coin currencies with a large circulation, relatively less valuable than Mother Coins for collection, while Ancestral Coins have a higher collection price because of their rarity and uniqueness, right?”

Lin Lang replied with a smile, “That’s right.”

“The inscriptions on the great virtue circulating treasure copper coins are in two versions: Chinese and Mongolian. The Chinese script is in regular script, read vertically, and includes small coins, folded two, and folded three.”

“The Mongolian script is of the folded three type, with a blank reverse.”

“Most of the great virtue circulating treasure copper coins that have been passed down are small offering coins, with a diameter of less than 24 millimeters and poor calligraphy.”

“According to historical records, the great virtue circulating treasure copper coins had a relatively small circulation back then, and coupled with years of war, very few have survived to the present.”

“Ordinary great virtue circulating treasure copper coins, which are Child Coins, have a collection price of about ten to twenty thousand chinese yuan.”

“The great virtue circulating treasure Folded Three Mongolian Mother Coin currently has a collection price of around 200,000 chinese yuan.”

“And this great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin I just picked up is of the Mongolian script version, with a blank reverse. Unless you are a Master of Appraisal of ancient coins, you wouldn’t be able to tell that this inconspicuous old copper coin could be worth over a million in the ancient coin collection world.”

Gu Keqing said incredulously, “My dear, although what you said sounds plausible and not like you’re making things up, I don’t believe such a small, worn-out copper coin can be worth a million.”

“If you don’t believe me, then let’s find a professional antique shop now and sell this great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin, converting it into a million in cash. Then you will have no choice but to believe it.”

“Alright!”

“I also want to see if you’re bragging!”

Ding! All-Purpose Entry Prompt System friendly reminder: Zhenbao Pavilion Antique Pawnshop in Jing’an Temple Antique City can appraise, purchase, and collect this great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin.

With the All-Purpose Entry Prompt System, everything can be prompted by entries, awesome!

AI generated Gu Keqing’s beautiful picture

So, Lin Lang put his arm around Gu Keqing’s slender waist and, following the system’s prompt, arrived at Zhenbao Pavilion Antique Pawnshop.

He saw a shop assistant dusting with a feather duster.

Inside Zhenbao Pavilion Antique Pawnshop, many antique cultural relics such as porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, antique curios, gold and silver lacquerware, and bronze Buddha statues were displayed, looking very high-class.

Lin Lang’s gaze swept across, triggering the All-Purpose Entry Prompt System. On the virtual system screen in front of him, appraisal prompts in the form of bullet entries appeared, revealing that none of the antique calligraphy and paintings displayed in Zhenbao Pavilion Antique Pawnshop were counterfeits.

This also indicated that the Master of Appraisal at Zhenbao Pavilion Antique Pawnshop must be an expert, and the owner was also a very capable antique merchant.

Master of Appraisal A Cheng greeted them warmly, “May I ask if you two are here to pawn or redeem?”

Lin Lang replied, “Pawn.”

Master of Appraisal A Cheng continued to ask, “Is it an absolute pawn, or a limited-time redemption?”

“Absolute pawn!” Lin Lang replied without hesitation.

An absolute pawn means selling the pawned item directly to the pawnshop, and it cannot be redeemed after the transaction is successful.

Also, if one fails to redeem or renew the pawn within the overdue period, it will also be considered an absolute pawn by the pawnshop.

“May I ask what item you two wish to pawn today?”

Lin Lang placed the great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin on the counter.

Master of Appraisal A Cheng put on white gloves, picked up the folded three-type, Mongolian script version of the great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin, first examined its front and back with his naked eye, then carefully inspected the old Ancestral Coin with a magnifying glass, but frowned because he didn’t recognize the Mongolian script.

“This folded three-type copper coin has a strong sense of age, unlike a modern replica. I examine it and it looks like a currency from the Yuan Dynasty.”

“However, one side of this copper coin is in Mongolian script, and the other side is blank with no writing, very much like a great virtue circulating treasure copper coin, but it’s slightly larger than an ordinary great virtue circulating treasure copper coin, so it’s difficult to haphazardly appraise and quote a price.”

“Please wait a moment, I will go and invite the boss to come over to appraise and quote a price.”

Lin Lang replied with one word, “Good!”

The female attendant at Zhenbao Pavilion Antique Pawnshop smiled as she brewed tea and poured water, showing excellent service awareness and attitude.

“Please have some tea!”

Gu Keqing took the disposable paper cup and politely replied, “Thank you!”

Immediately after, a short-haired, slightly plump middle-aged man walked over with Master of Appraisal A Cheng, smiling. He was wearing black cloth clothes and shoes, with an eight-faced Buddha pendant around his neck, an ivory bracelet on his wrist, and playing with a pair of walnut curios in his hand.

Ding! Omnipotent Entry System prompt: Zhou Zhongdang, owner of Zhenbao Pavilion Antique Pawnshop, cultural relic appraisal expert, collector, calligrapher, researcher at the Palace Museum, deputy director of the Shanghai Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee, consultant to the Shanghai Museum, has long been engaged in the study of ancient Chinese porcelain and calligraphy, with a focus on ancient coins of various dynasties.

Zhou Zhongdang approached with a smile and politely greeted, “Hello, both of you!”

“Hello, Boss Zhou!” Lin Lang replied.

Zhou Zhongdang looked Lin Lang up and down and asked, “Do you know me, fellow collector?”

Lin Lang replied, “Boss Zhou is a grandmaster of antique appraisal, highly renowned in the Shanghai collecting world, and one of the country’s foremost Masters of Appraisal. I’ve heard a little about him.”

“You flatter me, fellow collector.”

Zhou Zhongdang smiled and put on white gloves, picking up the great virtue circulating treasure Ancestral Coin from the counter. As soon as he held it, his eyes lit up. After carefully appraising the front and back, he tentatively asked, “Fellow collector, do you know the origin and value of this Ancestral Coin?”

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