TDDDMFM Chapter 20: Buying the Painting
Zhou Xiaobei's voice was loud and clear, easily heard by everyone present.
Instantly, there was an uproar.
"Hey hey hey, kid, how can you talk to Mr. Song like that? You're so disrespectful!"
"Yeah, letting Mr. Song go set up a fortune-telling stall under the bridge? Do you know who Mr. Song is? He's a big expert, he's appraised more antiques in his lifetime than you've eaten salt!"
"Hey, brat, apologize to Mr. Song immediately!"
"..."
The crowd criticized Zhou Xiaobei one after another.
Zhou Xiaobei didn't care at all.
He just treated it like background noise.
Dong Tianming jumped out, glaring angrily. "Zhou, immediately kneel and apologize to Mr. Song, then get out of the antique street. People like you have no place here. We don't welcome you!"
Dong Tianming never missed an opportunity to attack Zhou Xiaobei.
Song Tianyu, on the other hand, was more composed. He pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to calm down. Then, he looked at Zhou Xiaobei and said, "Young man, you can doubt my appraisal, but you can't resort to personal attacks. That's just not polite."
As an expert in antique appraisal, Song Tianyu had his dignity. He wouldn't engage in a verbal spat like a market hawker with Zhou Xiaobei. That would make him lose face.
Zhou Xiaobei looked disdainful.
He indeed knew nothing about antiques and couldn't distinguish between real and fake. But one thing he was sure of was that he sensed a spiritual energy fluctuation from the painting.
This painting should be a magical tool.
Something that could become a magical tool must be very old. What else could old objects be if not antiques?
Dong Tianming sneered, "Song, you may not know, but this kid is just a country bumpkin from a village, uncultured and rude. He doesn't know the first thing about manners!"
"I see!" Song Tianyu nodded in understanding.
Originally, Song Tianyu was a little annoyed by Zhou Xiaobei's rudeness, but upon hearing that he was a villager, he wasn't angry anymore. After all, troublemakers came from impoverished areas!
"Bullshit!"
Zhou Xiaobei glanced sideways at Dong Tianming. "You, surnamed Dong, it's true that I'm from the countryside, but so what? Without us villagers planting crops and raising silkworms, what would you eat? What would you wear? You'd have nothing! And you dare to act high and mighty?"
"In the end, it's us villagers who feed you. Yet, you speak to the people who raised you like this. Who between us lacks manners?"
"You... you..."
Dong Tianming was left speechless and embarrassed by Zhou Xiaobei's retort.
Zhou Xiaobei ignored him and turned to the stall owner. "I'll buy this painting. How much?"
"Thirty thousand!"
The stall owner extended three fingers.
Zhou Xiaobei laughed outright and pointed at Song Tianyu. "Didn't you hear what Master Song said? He said it's just a high-quality imitation, a modern craft. You want to sell it to me for such a high price? Do you believe I'll give you three big slaps first?"
The stall owner shrank his neck, smiled awkwardly, glanced around, and then lowered his voice to ask, "Since you know it's fake, why buy it?"
"I have money, it's just for fun. What's your problem?" Zhou Xiaobei retorted.
The stall owner naturally had no problem with that.
"Three thousand."
"Three hundred!"
"Deal!"
The stall owner was quite straightforward and sold it to Zhou Xiaobei for three hundred yuan.
"This price is so low, it's almost like the ChiNext board!" Bei Xiaoshuai chuckled on the side, giving Zhou Xiaobei a thumbs-up.
Zhou Xiaobei looked at Yan Bingxue, gesturing for her to pay.
Yan Bingxue was quite annoyed.
"Don't you have three hundred?"
"If she remembered correctly, Grandpa just gave Zhou Xiaobei one million yesterday, and this kid can't even bear to spend three hundred yuan. Forget it!"
"Wait a minute, I'll offer a thousand." At this moment, Dong Tianming suddenly appeared and smiled at the stall owner. "I'll offer a thousand, I'll take this painting."
Zhou Xiaobei looked at Dong Tianming.
Dong Tianming chuckled, "Don't look at me like that. This young master is not short of money either, it's just for fun... I won't let you buy what you like, just to annoy you!"
"Damn it!" Bei Xiaoshuai was furious.
This bastard was asking for trouble!
Zhou Xiaobei said, "Then I'll offer two thousand."
"I'll offer four thousand," Dong Tianming said.
It seemed like Dong Tianming was participating in an auction. As long as Zhou Xiaobei raised the price, he would definitely raise it higher, making sure Zhou Xiaobei couldn't get what he wanted.
In the end...
"I'll offer ten thousand."
Dong Tianming raised his limited edition LV wallet triumphantly. "You bumpkin, you dare to challenge me in wealth? I'll crush you with money!"
"This bastard is too arrogant."
Bei Xiaoshuai pulled Zhou Xiaobei aside and said, "Xiaobei, forget it. Let this idiot buy it. It's not worth it to argue with him over a fake painting."
Zhou Xiaobei smiled. "No way, I refuse to let it go. I've decided to buy this painting. I'll offer fifty thousand. Yan Bingxue, can you lend me some money?"
Yan Bingxue was almost enraged.
"Zhou Xiaobei, I'm not your money bag."
"I know, I know. Didn't I say I'll pay you back? It's just borrowing money, not like I won't repay it."
This Tang Court painting by Dong Qichang was definitely authentic and undoubtedly worth more than fifty thousand.
"Buying a fake painting for fifty thousand... you're amazing, here you go!" Dong Tianming laughed heartily. He never intended to buy the painting; he was just messing around.
Putting away his wallet, he smiled at the stall owner. "How about it? My little trick wasn't bad, right? If it wasn't for me, your painting would have been sold to that idiot for three hundred bucks."
"Thank you, thank you so much!" The stall owner grinned from ear to ear.
Shen Yue stood on the side, arms crossed, laughing scornfully.
Clearly, it was a fake painting, yet Zhou Xiaobei still spent fifty thousand on it. His brain must be messed up!
This idiot even dared to pursue her, a swan, while being a toad. It was ridiculous.
Yan Bingxue reluctantly paid the money.
Seeing Zhou Xiaobei really spending fifty thousand on a fake painting, the onlookers shook their heads in disbelief.
Mr. Song had said it was just a high-quality imitation, yet this guy still spent fifty thousand on it. He was definitely a big loser, with a serious problem in his head!
Dong Tianming gleefully said, "Bumpkin, I have an immature suggestion for you. When you get home, you can frame this painting. Although it's a fake, you did spend a lot of money on it. Haha..."
"Idiot!" Zhou Xiaobei rolled his eyes at Dong Tianming and held the painting in his hand, feeling threads of spiritual energy surging into his palm. Now he was even more confident.