Chapter 33: Three Years Without a Sale, One Sale Feeds Three Years

Hearing the unease in her tone, Li Beichen reached out and patted her head reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

“I’ve been to the antique streets in Jingshi. They’re not too different from here.”

“Besides, we don’t have to buy anything just because we go in. No one will say anything if we just walk around and look.”

At his words, Shen Yi’an’s eyes lit up. “So you know about this stuff?”

“Alright then, I feel better having an expert like you with me.”

“Come on, let’s go explore Lancheng’s Antique Street.”

Seeing her enthusiasm surge, Li Beichen curved his lips slightly and said nothing more.

The two entered Antique Street one after the other, immediately sensing that the atmosphere here was completely different from that of the Seed Market.

One side was bustling and noisy, while the other was cautious even during haggling.

It was hard to imagine that the flow of people between these two places could ever overlap.

Over the next while, they passed several stalls and shops with proper storefronts. Shen Yi’an only peeked curiously from the doorways, thinking there was no need to go inside since they weren’t planning to buy anything.

After passing another stall, she felt there wasn’t much left to see.

Just as she was about to suggest to Li Beichen that they head back, she sensed an unusual stirring in her Space—something that had never shown any activity before. More precisely, it was a sense of urgent craving emanating from it.

This realization startled Shen Yi’an.

Could the Space have human-like emotions?

To test this hypothesis, she stopped and tugged at Li Beichen’s sleeve. “Let’s take a look inside this shop, shall we?”

“I’ve only been looking from outside. I don’t even know what it’s like inside.”

Li Beichen showed no suspicion, merely nodding in agreement. “Alright, let’s go in.”

“If you see anything you like, tell me first.”

He added this reminder out of concern that the shop owner might be shrewd.

After all, it was unlikely that someone who could thrive on Antique Street and run such a large shop was simply seeking peace and quiet.

Businesspeople always prioritized profit.

If they encountered someone knowledgeable, a brief conversation would reveal the person’s depth, and they would weigh their pricing accordingly.

But if they met someone clueless and just guessing, getting swindled was common.

Although Li Beichen didn’t know much about this trade, he understood the basic rules.

So, after his reminder, Shen Yi’an nodded seriously. “Okay, I understand.”

With that, the two walked toward the shop ahead.

Above the entrance hung a wooden plaque with three bold, ink-heavy characters: “Treasure Pavilion.”

The path was paved with bluestone slabs, creating an elegant and retro atmosphere.

Inside the shop, the first things to catch the eye were the various porcelain pieces displayed in the shop window, with blue-and-white porcelain being the most prominent.

In the gaps between the porcelain, jewelry of various styles was arranged.

Additionally, there were displays of yellowed ancient books and rare editions.

Paired with the shop’s patina-rich rosewood furniture and other handicrafts, the rich cultural connotation was almost palpable.

Seeing this, Shen Yi’an finally understood why her Space had suddenly stirred.

But there were many old items in the shop, and the variety was dazzling.

It was difficult for her to immediately pinpoint which item had resonated with the Space.

Still, the opportunity was rare, and she didn’t want to miss it.

After a moment’s thought, she turned to the middle-aged man sitting behind the counter with his eyes closed, resting. “Boss, can I touch the old items in your shop?”

“I promise to be careful and won’t damage anything!”

Hearing the voice, the owner of Zhenbao Pavilion, who had known customers entered, opened his eyes.

Initially thinking he had encountered an easy target, he immediately dismissed such thoughts when his gaze met Li Beichen’s.

He casually waved his hand. “Everything in the shop can be touched.”

“But be warned, if you damage any item, you’ll have to pay ten times the price.”

After speaking, he added a couple more explanations to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

“This is the rule on our street, not just my shop.”

“If you don’t believe me, you can go out and ask around before coming back.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi’an quickly waved her hand. “No need, I trust you, boss.”

Only then did she turn to Li Beichen. “I want to try my luck.”

“With you here, maybe today I’ll be lucky enough to find something good.”

“Alright, I’ll wait here for you.” Li Beichen responded.

After Shen Yi’an turned and left to try her luck elsewhere, he had his first conversation with the Zhenbao Pavilion owner. “Boss, the items in your shop are too new.”

“If someone who knows their stuff comes in, they’d probably leave after just a glance.”

Hearing this, the shop owner stood up with a mix of helplessness and amusement.

“Don’t you think I know that?”

“But there’s no helping it. More and more people are getting into this business, while genuine old items are becoming increasingly rare.”

“I don’t even know how much longer this shop can stay open.”

At this, Li Beichen looked at the owner with a faint smile. “That line only works on outsiders.”

“Anyone who knows even a little about this business understands it’s ‘three years without a sale, but one sale feeds you for three years’.”

The shop owner, whose lie had been exposed, was only briefly embarrassed before returning to normal and making a self-deprecating remark.

“Hey, it’s not as exaggerated as you say!”

“It’s just something people say casually, not worth mentioning.”

Not wanting to continue this topic, he simply started another one. “Is that your partner?”

As he spoke, he gestured with his head toward Shen Yi’an’s direction.

“No!” Li Beichen’s tone was firm.

But as a smile spread to the corners of his eyes, a clear voice followed immediately. “She’s my fiancée!”

Seeing that the man before him responded well to this, and to avoid becoming the center of conversation again, the shop owner seized the opportunity. “See, I told you I have a good eye.”

“From the moment you walked in, I could tell your relationship was special…”

While the two men were chatting here.

Shen Yi’an, who had been moving among various ‘old items’, had successfully found what caused her Space to vibrate.

A piece of unprocessed sandalwood.

In appearance, it more closely resembled part of a complete sandalwood root.

As for how Shen Yi’an could immediately recognize it as sandalwood – the owner had placed a label where the sandalwood was, clearly written with the words ‘Sandalwood Root’.

Normally, even a piece of sandalwood the size of an adult’s palm would have a price, but this particular piece in the shop lacked all the characteristic features sandalwood should have.

For example, its surface lacked deep red or brownish-red hues; when brought close, it emitted no unique, lasting sandalwood fragrance; it felt light and weightless in hand, and there was no natural luster visible at a glance.

None of these characteristics were present, so no one would believe this was sandalwood.

Because of this, even with the clear label ‘sandalwood root,’ no one had bought it.

Everyone thought it was a fake.

If it weren’t for the fact that the Space only showed abnormalities when she got close to it, Shen Yi’an wouldn’t have believed that this dull, gray piece of wood was sandalwood either.

The sandalwood pendant around her neck had a fragrance—a faint, time-worn scent of agarwood.

The sandalwood before her did not.

But since the Space had reacted to it, Shen Yi’an didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

Having made up her mind, she turned toward the door and asked, “Boss, how much is this?”

Hearing this, the owner of the Treasure Pavilion, who had almost run out of things to talk about with Li Beichen, brightened up and immediately stood up, eagerly walking over.

“Young lady, which one caught your eye?”

“As long as you don’t bargain too harshly, I can let you take it.”

But when he saw where Shen Yi’an was pointing, the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

So it was this thing!

This unknown tree root was something he had exchanged for a mixed-grain steamed bun years ago.

At first, he always felt it was unusual, thinking it might be of great use to him someday.

Later, when the economy improved, he brought it to the shop as a ‘treasured centerpiece.’

However, everyone who examined it—whether experts or amateurs—thought it was just an ordinary tree root.

Repeated disappointments made him question his judgment more than once.

But since he had traded it for a mixed-grain steamed bun, even if it couldn’t be a treasured centerpiece, it could at least serve some residual value and be ‘discovered’ by someone.

As it turned out, he had overthought it—there weren’t as many fools as he had imagined.

So, when he realized Shen Yi’an was asking about it, the owner was momentarily speechless.

Just as he was trying to come up with a response, a voice that made his heart sink came from behind him, “Yi An, you want this piece of wood?”

With that, the speaker stepped directly into the Treasure Pavilion owner’s line of sight. “Boss, name your price.”

“My fiancée likes it, so don’t try to overcharge.”