The next day, Jing Mutong took the small clay figurine and boarded the high-speed train to Nancheng.
On the train, the small clay figurine tried to comfort Jing Mutong, "Pretty lady, if we really can't find him, don't stress. Even if it is that place, your brother might have already been sold..."
"It's okay, we'll try our best. Even if we can't find him, we won't have any regrets, right? Can you tell me again about the old lady who runs the stall?" Jing Mutong said softly.
The small clay figurine obediently reminded her, "The old lady usually sets up her stall in the morning and packs up in the afternoon, because she needs to go home and cook for her son in the evening."
She packs up in the afternoon, and by the time they reach Nancheng, it would already be afternoon. Would they still make it in time?
As soon as Jing Mutong got off the train, she immediately hailed a taxi to Qi Yu Temple. When she arrived at the temple, she was surprised to see street vendors actually setting up stalls there.
Qi Yu Temple was located in the center of Nancheng. Since the temple was a famous historical site, there were always many vendors selling goods outside. In the morning, they sold vegetables and daily necessities. Around noon and in the afternoon, they sold tourist souvenirs and snacks, and in the evening, the area became a bustling night market.
Jing Mutong had only been focused on the antique market before, which made it difficult for her to find anything.
A sliver of hope began to rise in her heart. Could she really find it here?
"There! There! Miss, do you see the old lady in the corner?" The small clay figurine suddenly exclaimed excitedly.
Jing Mutong quickly placed the figurine back into the prepared bag and, following its directions, her eyes locked onto an elderly woman setting up a stall. She walked over.
On the worn blue-flowered cloth the old woman had laid out, there were small handwoven bamboo baskets and some tourist souvenirs from Nancheng. But—there was no sign of the small clay figurine.
Jing Mutong's heart sank.
Seeing a customer approach, the old lady smiled and asked, "Young lady, is there something you'd like to buy?"
Jing Mutong pursed her lips and asked, "Auntie, I heard that you used to have a small clay figurine about this size. I'm quite interested in it. Why don't I see it now?"
Upon hearing this, the old lady clapped her hands in regret. "Why are you all so interested in that thing?"
Jing Mutong's heart skipped a beat, and she asked nonchalantly, "Oh? Have others asked about it too?"
The old lady nodded, "Of course! The person who bought that clay figurine, he's been asking me about it from time to time ever since. He even said he'd pay a high price for similar ones."
So it had already been sold!
Jing Mutong anxiously asked, "Do you know how I can contact the buyer?"
"How could I know that? So many people buy things here every day," the old lady said dismissively. She could tell Jing Mutong wasn't going to buy anything and was starting to lose patience.
Jing Mutong fell silent, feeling disappointed.
With so many people coming and going every day, finding the person who bought the small clay figurine was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Just as she was about to leave, a voice came from above her.
"Auntie, have you found any more clay figurines lately? Just like the ones I mentioned before. If you have any, I'll pay a high price."
Clay figurines!
Jing Mutong quickly turned around. A tall, thin man stood behind her, wearing glasses, a dark gray coat, and a scarf. He was holding an exquisite box, looking quite refined.
The old lady chuckled when she saw him, "What a coincidence! We were just talking about you."
Her words confirmed Jing Mutong's suspicion: this man was the one who had bought the clay figurine!
She glanced at the man, who was also looking at her.
"My surname is Zhu. May I ask for your name, miss?" the man asked politely with a slight smile.
"My surname is Jing," she replied.
"Miss Jing, are you also interested in clay figurines?" Zhu asked.
"Yes, very much so," Jing Mutong nodded.
"Shall we step aside to talk?"
The two of them walked over to a stone table next to the temple. The man carefully placed the box on the table and looked at Jing Mutong with a smile.
Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Jing Mutong took the initiative and asked, "Mr. Zhu, did you buy that small clay figurine?"
Zhu Yaqiang nodded in acknowledgment.
Jing Mutong took a deep breath and looked at Zhu Yaqiang. "I assume Mr. Zhu has guessed by now that I'm very interested in this small clay figurine. I wonder if you'd be willing to sell it to me?"
A hint of interest flashed in Zhu Yaqiang's eyes. "And how much is Miss Jing willing to pay for this figurine?"
Seeing his expression, Jing Mutong had a bad feeling.
Since he kept asking the old lady if there were more figurines, it was clear he knew its value. If he understood its worth, there was no chance she could get it for a bargain.
Still unwilling to give up, Jing Mutong said, "I'll offer double what you paid."
"Hahaha," the man couldn't help but laugh. "Miss Jing, I did get a bargain at first. I only spent a few hundred yuan on this figurine, and now you're offering double? Are you still trying to get a bargain from me?"
"Let me be honest with you, this figurine is the real deal. I haven't had it appraised yet, but its value has likely multiplied many times over. Little girl, this is something you can't afford."
So, he really did know what he had.
Jing Mutong decided to stop beating around the bush. "Sir, how much do you plan to sell it for? I truly want it."
The man's curiosity deepened. "Are you a collector of antiques?"
Jing Mutong nodded.
Now more intrigued, with the excitement of meeting a fellow enthusiast, he said, "Since you've brought it up, you must have seen this figurine before. So, tell me, what do you think it's worth?"
"One hundred thousand yuan," Jing Mutong replied, gritting her teeth.
Of course, the small clay figurine was worth far more than one hundred thousand yuan, but that was all she could afford.
Her family owed a huge amount of debt, and there was no spare money. That one hundred thousand was all she had saved over the years by scrimping and saving.
Zhu Yaqiang shook his head. "One hundred thousand? Miss Jing, it seems you're not destined for this item. I won't sell it for less than two hundred and fifty thousand, and even then, I'd be reluctant to let it go. I just got it—it hasn't even had time to warm up in my hands yet. Why would I sell it so soon?"
Jing Mutong's heart sank.
It seemed it would be nearly impossible to get the figurine right now.
She thought back to the story she'd read about the figurine and felt a little disappointed. She couldn't let the two of them be reunited, after all.
"My apologies for disturbing you, Mr. Zhu," Jing Mutong said.
"No harm done," Zhu Yaqiang replied indifferently.
"Mr. Zhu, would you mind if we exchanged WeChat contacts?" Jing Mutong asked, still holding on to a shred of hope. Perhaps in the future, when she had the money, she could still retrieve the figurine.
"Of course," Zhu Yaqiang said cheerfully. It wasn't every day he met a fellow antique enthusiast, and he was more than happy to make new friends and share insights.
They exchanged WeChat contacts. As Jing Mutong was about to say goodbye and leave, Zhu Yaqiang suddenly seemed to remember something and called out to her.
"Miss Jing, since you're also an antique collector, do you happen to know any antique restorers?"
"Antique restorer? Why are you looking for one?" Jing Mutong raised an eyebrow, curious.
Zhu Yaqiang carefully opened the box he'd placed on the stone table. Inside were the fragments of the porcelain bowl she'd seen on the forum!
Now she understood. This man was the same one who had provided her with the location in the forum.
Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways.
"This is a piece of fencai porcelain from the Tongzhi period. I had a fight with my wife, and in her anger, she broke this treasured bowl of mine. I'd worked so hard to acquire it a few years ago, and she smashed it just like that. I came to the temple to calm my mind. I guess this bowl and I weren't meant to be," Zhu Yaqiang said, though the pain in his eyes was unmistakable.
He looked up at Jing Mutong. "So, do you know any antique restorers? If you do, you must introduce me. Maybe there's still a chance this bowl can be saved."
Jing Mutong hesitated for a moment before replying, "To be honest, I am an antique restorer myself."
Zhu Yaqiang was stunned. "What? You're an antique restorer? Can something broken like this still be repaired?"
Jing Mutong nodded confidently. "I've fixed things in worse condition than this. But it will take about ten days."
"Ten days..." Zhu Yaqiang muttered, nodding silently.
He had previously consulted an antique restorer online, and they'd given him the same estimate—about ten days. At least this young woman wasn't making things up.
"Can you fix it for me? I'll pay you ten thousand yuan," Zhu Yaqiang asked tentatively.
After asking, he felt a bit guilty. The reason he hadn't gone to the restorer he'd contacted online was because they'd quoted him fifty thousand yuan for the repair, which he found hard to stomach.
But here he was, having just refused her offer to buy the clay figurine, and now bargaining over the repair cost...
Jing Mutong smiled. She knew full well that ten thousand yuan was a low price for restoring an antique of this value, but since she was still hoping to build a good relationship with him and perhaps acquire the figurine in the future, it wasn't a bad deal.
So, she nodded. "Alright, I'll help you out."
Zhu Yaqiang felt even more embarrassed now.
After they agreed on the terms, they followed standard practice and went to a nearby antique shop called "Zhenzhen Xuan," where the owner personally acted as a guarantor. They signed a contract for the repair.
The shop owner, Zhen, couldn't help but marvel, "Restoring this won't be easy. Young man, you've hit the jackpot. I once facilitated a restoration job for a Ming Dynasty white porcelain Guanyin statue that was only partially damaged. Guess what? The repair cost was two hundred thousand yuan! And frankly, the craftsmanship wasn't all that impressive. This girl is only asking for ten thousand? That's a rare find."
Hearing this, Zhu Yaqiang felt even more embarrassed. He thought about how decisively he had refused her offer earlier, and now he felt ashamed.