nucmednet Chapter 142 Retribution is coming
Chapter 142 Retribution is coming
The corner of his eye glanced lightly, and stayed on Jiang for a moment intentionally or unintentionally. Mu Lianzhi took in everyone's expressions but said nothing.
Finally, the old lady made the decision and called someone.
The room was quiet for a cup of tea, and soon, two shopkeepers were brought in. One of them was an old acquaintance, the shopkeeper Jin from Jinyulou, whom Mu Lianzhi had dealt with several times.
I have to say that the Marquis' Mansion is really cautious and thoughtful in doing things. They invited two families at once, and each of them brought an assistant. This was a surprise attack and they were afraid that someone would cheat.
The two men were obviously worldly-wise, and as soon as they entered the room, they bowed one by one without showing any abnormality on their faces.
When they learned that two people were asked to verify the authenticity, they both said they would do their best.
The first person to speak was Shopkeeper He of Wanjin Pavilion:
"I wonder what kind of rare treasure the old lady is asking us to look at so solemnly? Please come out~"
As soon as he spoke, everyone was a little confused, because the appraisal fee was per piece, and a fake counterfeit was already half-damaged at first glance. As for the others, they had no idea where to start.
Finally, everyone's eyes swept across the room and fell on the old lady.
While the old lady was still considering it, Hua Shuolei spoke first:
"Let's start with the small and precious things in the house, Aunt."
She stretched out her hand and pointed to a cloisonné vase on the table beside her.
The vase has a gilded tripod base, and on the supported round plate stands the mythical beast "Luduan", which is colorful and lifelike. Luduan's body is inlaid with gems, and the mouth of the vase is at the head. The overall shape is seamless, and at this time, a budding flower is inserted on it.
She had seen mythical beast incense burners before, but this was the first time she had seen a mythical beast vase with such a unique shape.
That day, she fell in love with it at first sight and was deeply impressed.
Unfortunately, the location of the vase was a bit conspicuous, and the base was a bit large and difficult to hide, so that day she had to settle for the much smaller lotus incense burner ornament.
Since we need to check it, of course we have to check what was already in the house.
Moreover, she always felt that this genuine vase should be very valuable, and the base might be made of real gold.
The old lady took a quick look and thought the same thing as her. She felt that what she pointed out must make sense, so she nodded.
Afterwards, Nanny Li personally led someone to fetch the vase, poured out the water inside, wiped it, and took a quick look at it before placing it on the table covered with a white lining cloth.
Afterwards, the two shopkeepers went up one by one with magnifying glasses and various tools to check.
After about an incense stick of time, the two of them gave their answer together:
"Madam, this cloisonné Luduan auspicious enamel vase has an ingenious shape, delicate glaze, and fine gilding. Although it is a bit old and the glaze has slightly corroded, the turquoise, agate, and white jade on it are all top-grade and rare. It would be better to use it as a decoration. Although it is fully utilized as a vase, it is a bit of a waste of resources."
After Shopkeeper He finished speaking, Shopkeeper Jin also echoed:
"Yes, this kind of craftsmanship is rare among the common people. It might have come from the Imperial Household. Although it is not perfect, it is still quite valuable. Three to five hundred taels is still worth it."
As soon as the two finished talking, Hua Shuolei jumped up first:
"You say this is authentic?"
How can this be?
Even if she was unlucky and blind, how could it be possible that the two items she picked up were both fakes?
The main reason was that she had been going out frequently in the past few days. In order to be with the prince, she spent a lot of money on makeup, arrangements, and to please him privately. Her money was really tight. Unfortunately, she had not gained any benefits from Mu Lianzhi in recent times, so she got hot-headed and came up with this desperate measure.
Is this gold-plated vase that she fell in love with at first sight worth so much?
If she had known this earlier, she would have rather not have those two and put in the effort on this one.
Hua Shuolei regretted it so much.
"Miss, what you said is wrong. How can a fake be inlaid with real pearls? The red coral bead in the Lukou port alone is worth at least fifty taels of silver, not to mention that it is inlaid with no less than twenty gemstones of various sizes."
When Shopkeeper Jin said this, half of the people present were like deflated balls. Jiang pointed to the incense burner that was thrown aside:
"Could you please take another look at this incense burner? Is it valuable?"
"It's made of ordinary copper, but not all the way through. It's inlaid with dyed stones. Even if it's intact, the cost price wouldn't be more than five taels of silver. But the craftsmanship is so exquisite that it's almost indistinguishable from the real thing..."
This time, the two shopkeepers used both of their subordinates together. After these words were spoken, there was silence for a moment at the scene.
The old lady and Jiang exchanged glances, and each of them picked an item at random, and they found that they were both real.
Hua Shuolei was not convinced, and the old lady also felt regretful. Finally, she asked Mu Lianzhi to take out the "Heart Knot" jade ruyi ornament she had given her before from the warehouse, and then she picked one at random and asked several people to check it again.
In the end, everything was fine. Everyone was delighted to learn that even a hairpin picked up from Mu Lianzhi's dressing table was genuine.
The old lady asked Nanny Li to settle the bill for the few people and sent them away.
Suddenly, only the family members were left in the room. Hua Shuolei's face turned pale and her hands began to tremble:
"Aunt, I..."
She wanted to explain but didn't know where to start. She paused, but Mu Lianzhi didn't give her time to think and said directly:
"Mother, my cousin's careless behavior has disturbed your rest and wasted everyone's time. It has also caused the Marquis' Mansion to waste hundreds of taels of silver to hire someone to appraise the artifact. Even if our Marquis' Mansion is rich, it is not a waste like this."
"Over a hundred taels of silver is enough for the whole mansion to eat meat every day for a month."
"And my daughter-in-law's red coral and seven-treasure incense burner are worth at least three thousand taels. This is not a small amount, and it also includes my mother's love. They can't just disappear without a trace like this."
"Mother, if my cousin doesn't recognize it, then let the government investigate. I have nothing to fear from the shadows. It's impossible for something to grow legs and run away or mutate into a fake, right?"
Make her spit out everything she ate before!
Shaking her head, Hua Shuolei cried with tears and snot:
"Cousin——"
"Since you took it, you should compensate Zhizhi according to the price. Three thousand taels. If you don't come out, I will have to let someone go and settle with your father."
After saying this, the old lady strode away with a sullen face.
His eyes were filled with resentment as if he wanted to tear Mu Lianzhi apart, but in the end, Hua Shuolei said nothing and staggered away.
……
After sending the old lady back to Fudeyuan, Jiang sent the servants away:
"Mother, do you really believe that she did it?"
No matter how stupid Hua Shuolei is, she can't be this stupid!
"It doesn't matter whether it is or not. She lost this round. This is the price."
As long as the things are still there and the Marquis's Mansion has no losses, it's fine.
As soon as their eyes met, Jiang understood. Just as she was about to say something, a maid walked in first:
"Madam, Shi'an Court just sent someone to tell us that the eldest lady is back and they want to ask you to go back..."