The Amazing Son In Law Chapter 60

The next day was the weekend.

Charlie was taken by his father-in-law for an early visit to Antique Street. His father-in-law was in high spirits. As soon as he exited the car, he waved at Charlie and exclaimed, “Come on, I’ll show you what it means to find a treasure!”

With that, he strode toward Antique Street.

Charlie hurried after him, taking in his surroundings as he walked.

On weekends, Antique Street was far busier than usual.

Antique jade shops lined both sides closely and the vendors who set up stalls for the weekend were packed in, effectively blocking the entire street.

Many vendors had laid out plastic sheets on the ground, displaying a variety of antique jades and inviting customers to browse on the spot.

Charlie scanned the area casually and noticed almost no authentic items for sale. Most vendors were unscrupulous, taking advantage of inexperienced buyers and foreign tourists.

Many tourists purchasing fakes were completely oblivious; they beamed with delight while holding their imitations, convinced they had found a great deal.

“Here it is!”

Jacob stopped in front of a simple stall, barely able to contain his excitement.

Several tourists stood near the stall, inspecting the antiques. Worried about being left behind, Jacob quickly maneuvered into the crowd.

Charlie took a quick glance at the stall. It consisted of an oilcloth spread on the ground, with over a dozen antiques buried in dirt: blue and white vases, coins from the Five Emperors, copper wine cups, blood jade bracelets and faded calligraphy and paintings…

There were plenty of items, but after a cursory examination, Charlie realized they were all replicas.

The stall owner was a thin man with dark skin, wearing rough blue clothing. His hair was shiny and tousled, giving him a naïve appearance that seemed rather dull.

“Look at this!” Jacob called out excitedly to Charlie, pointing to a colorful bottle with a large belly and a narrow mouth. He leaned in and said, “This wine bottle would be perfect with my two cups! If I buy it and create a set, its value could double!”

Charlie inspected the wine bottle, weighed it in his hand and turned to ask the owner, “How much?”

The vendor, his eyes bulging, replied stupidly, “My father said it’s worth at least $20,000 and I won’t sell it for a penny less!”

Jacob nearly burst out laughing at that and told Charlie, “This seller doesn’t know what they have, let’s buy it quickly or someone else will snatch it up!”

He hurriedly pulled out his wallet.

At that moment, Charlie pressed Jacob’s hand down and smiled, saying, “Dad, it’s not worth $20,000, let’s skip this.”

“What?” Jacob appeared stunned. “Then how much do you think it’s worth?”

Charlie raised his palm and waved it in front of the vendor, “This amount.”

“Five thousand?” the vendor asked, wide-eyed.

Charlie shook his head, “No, it’s actually fifty dollars.”

The vendor stared at Charlie for several seconds, as if he were inspecting an alien, before suddenly shouting, “Do you even know the value of antiques? This is a treasure left by my grandfather you city folks are so ruthless!”

Jacob grew anxious and grabbed Charlie, saying, “Stop speaking nonsense, just don’t jeopardize the deal.”

Charlie smiled, picked up the bottle, and turned it over. He pushed aside the yellow mud from the bottom, pointed to a narrow gap, and remarked, “Dad, look at this.”

The gap was very small. If Charlie hadn’t pointed it out, most wouldn’t have noticed it at all. In the crevice, there were tiny letters visible.

“Made in China.”

Jacob stood speechless, his mouth agape as if he were trying to catch flies, struggling to comprehend. Suddenly, he regained his senses, pointed at the vendor with a flushed face and shouted, “You cheated me!!”

Holding the wine bottle, Charlie shook it at the bewildered vendor and said, “Real manufacturers don’t blatantly forge antiques and then write this label themselves. You’re clever enough to cover it with dirt. In short, I’ll give you thirty dollars. Will you sell it?”

“This…” The vendor hesitated before the look of innocence vanished from his face. He slapped his forehead and chuckled. “Oh, I was rushing out today and grabbed the wrong bottle!”

“Grabbed the wrong one?” Charlie questioned, picking up another snuff bottle smeared with dirt. He wiped the grime off the mouth of the bottle, held it up to the sun, and said seriously, “This isn’t the wrong one it’s made in Suzhou City.”

Inside the snuff bottle were small clear letters.

“Made in Suzhou City Handicraft Factory.”

“I can’t read who’s to say what it says?” The vendor, realizing he’d been caught, no longer had the urge to haggle. He smiled sheepishly, wrapping up his oil cloth and moving to clean the dirt from his feet.

Jacob had finally come back to his senses and was furious he had been taken for a fool for too long. He seized the vendor and shouted, “You crook, give me back my money!”

“What money? I’ve never seen you before!” The vendor struggled and fake copper coins and imitation jade horses spilled from the oilcloth in his hands.

The jade horse didn’t break when it hit the ground, made rather of hardened plastic.

“If you don’t return my money, I’ll call the police!” Jacob glared angrily, nearly having an explosion from his fury.

As the two men wrestled, something suddenly fell from the vendor’s arms.

When it dropped, Charlie’s brows furrowed as he fixed his gaze on the object on the ground. It was a fist-sized white pebble, much like those found on riverbanks, gray and dull.

However, there was one distinguishing feature a few words were carved into the pebble “peace and wealth!”

The lettering was rough and evidently handcrafted.

Such inscribed stones were common in tourist areas and held no real value, which was likely why the vendor hadn’t showcased it earlier.

Nevertheless, Charlie stepped closer, picked up the stone, and felt his blood surge with excitement.

At that moment, he sensed a unique aura emanating from this antique!

What he termed “aura” was more like a potent energy field, strongly attracting him.

Charlie understood this must be the reiki recorded in the “Apocalyptic Book!”

Spiritual energy is a long-lost mysterious force that can completely transform a person’s physical abilities and could even be cultivated to yield many unimaginable benefits!

Feeling elated, Charlie weighed the pebble in his hands and asked, “Is this yours?”

The vendor, taken aback for a moment, nodded almost without thinking, “Yes.”

“How much for this stone?” Inquired Charlie.

Jacob, equally surprised, questioned, “Why would you buy such a worthless stone? Don’t you realize that this scammer only sells fakes?”

“It’s just a stone, might as well buy it to ward off bad luck,” Charlie replied, smiling.

The vendor seized the opportunity to break free from Jacob’s grasp and smirked at Charlie, “Do you genuinely want to buy it?”

Charlie nodded firmly, “I do want to purchase it!”

The vendor perked up, speaking rapidly, “Brother, you truly have an eye for quality! Don’t look down on this pebble it has a fascinating origin! It was once a paperweight on the dragon table in Emperor Chian’s study…”

Charlie had no interest in the vendor’s lengthy explanation. He interrupted impatiently, “Cut the nonsense and get to the point!”

The vendor chuckled nervously, “Since you’re a connoisseur… how about 20,000?”

Charlie scoffed, “Have you lost your mind? The price is three hundred! If not, I’ll call the police on you.”

“Three hundred?” The vendor sighed and forced a laugh, “Okay, brother, three hundred it is.”

Charlie smiled subtly, holding the stone tightly in his grip.

Jacob remained bewildered, uncertain as to why Charlie would buy such a worthless stone. Just as he was about to inquire, a clanging noise suddenly erupted from the side.

“Oh, that stone looks great! This Young Master wants it!”