Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 861: Chapter 857 Tortoiseshell Crafts

Outside the shop stood a suspicious-looking man in his thirties, with a beard and an imposing demeanor. He held a small box in his arms and was carefully peeking inside.

Seeing the man’s behavior, Huo Sining instinctively frowned.

Next to her, Li Quan was the first to speak: ”Who are you looking for, sir?”

The man glanced at Li Quan, then swept his eyes over Huo Sining and Jiang Xiaoqin before saying, ”I’m here to sell something.”

Li Quan was a bit surprised. He glanced at the box in the man’s hand before saying, ”Sorry, but you’ve come at the wrong time. Our shop is under renovation and isn’t open yet.”

The man laughed upon hearing this: ”I know you’re not open yet; I’m here to see your boss.”

Now this was interesting. The man knew the shop wasn’t open but still entered, specifically asking for the boss and claimed to be selling something. This indicated that the origin of his items was worth investigating.

Huo Sining glanced at the small box in the man’s hand and smilingly asked: ”Sir, do you have some items to sell?”

”Just a few small items. I’m not sure if your boss knows about them,” the man said while pushing the door open and placing his box on the counter without letting go of it.

From the man’s movements, the items in the box didn’t seem heavy, otherwise he wouldn’t be holding it so easily.

Li Quan was about to refuse and send the man away when Huo Sining suddenly gave him a knowing look, smiled at the man, and said:

”Let’s take a look first. How would we know if we understand without seeing them? This is our boss, Mr. Li. If you don’t mind, sir, could you show us the items?”

The man was taken aback by Huo Sining’s words. He instinctively looked up and scrutinized Li Quan, seeming surprised that such a young man was the boss.

When he first came in, he noticed the shop was nearly twice the size of the other antique shops nearby, with high-end decoration. Such a shop would’ve cost a lot just in decoration, indicating a significant investment.

So, when he saw people inside, he hesitated a bit before barging in, hoping to try his luck.

At first glance, he thought Li Quan was just a clerk. After all, Li Quan was in his twenties, an age typically reserved for apprentices in antique shops, so he didn’t associate him with being the owner.

He expected the shop owner to be in his forties or fifties, wealthy, experienced, and imposing. Thus, hearing that this young man was the boss was quite shocking.

However, after a few seconds of shock, the man quickly composed himself. He was here to sell something, and a young boss was more to his liking. He immediately put on a flattering smile:

”Mr. Li, you’re the boss, huh? Oh, my poor eyesight didn’t recognize you earlier. My apologies, my apologies!”

”Please have a seat, Xiao Qin. Pour this gentleman some tea.”

Li Quan smiled, leading the man to a sofa by the counter and signaling Jiang Xiaoqin to pour tea.

Huo Sining didn’t speak. This was Jubao Pavilion’s first customer, and she intended to see how well Li Quan would handle things after his period of learning, both in customer service and antique appraisal, so she didn’t interfere and let him handle it.

In fact, when the man entered, Huo Sining had already deduced most of it.

Regardless of what was in the box, the man’s comment, ”I’m not sure if your boss knows about them,” had a hidden implication.

Usually, someone selling items would ask if the shop buys them, not if they understand them. The man’s sudden entry and this unusual comment suggested he had tried multiple shops in Liulichang. Perhaps those shops found his items questionable or offered a low price.

Thus, he was left with no choice and, in desperation, tried their yet-to-open shop as a last resort.

Thinking of this, Huo Sining casually sat on a nearby sofa, keeping her eyes on the man.

Finally, the man opened his box and took out its contents.

A round brush pot, an inlaid ”Lotus Mandarin Ducks” Eight-Sided Lid Box, and a fan.

The round brush pot had a lotus pattern with longevity characters, while the Eight-Sided Lid Box was intricately inlaid with mother-of-pearl, making it resplendent and exquisite.

The fan, though unopened, had a semi-transparent waxy texture on its ribs.

Huo Sining noted clearly that all three items were made of the same material.

Tortoiseshell.

”With silk shoes on your feet and tortoiseshell shining on your head,” a famous line from the Yuefu poem ”The Peacock Flies Southeast” describing Liu Lanzhi references tortoiseshell, but few have actually seen it.

Tortoiseshell, also known as ”thirteen scales,” is an organic gem extracted from the shell of a tortoise.

In ancient Chinese mythology, tortoiseshell is also called Xuanwu, one of China’s four divine beasts. The scales of tortoiseshell are crystal clear, noble, and elegant, with the ancient Chinese associating it with good fortune, calling it ”sea gold.”

The tortoiseshell’s colorful and smooth shell is adorned with patterns in brown and light yellow. Items made from it are dignified and elegant, making tortoiseshell a symbol of longevity and good luck, favored by the royal family and nobility throughout history. It was often used to make bracelets, fans, and folding screens.

However, after the establishment of modern China, tortoiseshell was classified as a second-class protected animal, with trading strictly prohibited by the authorities. Thus, the market is flooded with replicas made of artificial materials, making real tortoiseshell crafts almost extinct.

No wonder the man was so sneaky about bringing in these items. The provenance of these items was questionable, and their age difficult to verify. No antique shop would dare to buy them, so he ended up coming to their yet-to-open shop.