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Chapter 15
Shen You’s purchased furniture gradually arrived, temporarily stored in the warehouse awaiting installation.
Previously when she lacked money, she focused primarily on making do with whatever was livable.
Now she directly invested in expensive Chinese-style furniture with Song Dynasty aesthetics.
Today, trucks delivering wood materials and stones would arrive. During her midday break, she took a piece of black cloth from a drawer and placed it under an ivory fan.
She photographed it and sent the pictures to Zheng Mingbo and Manager Huo.
Both responded quickly, so she suggested a time for them to come see the item.
In the early evening, just as the renovation team finished their work, Manager Huo arrived first. After waiting only a few minutes, Zheng Mingbo hurriedly entered the store.
He initially intended to inquire about the fan but was distracted after seeing Shen You’s pile of cardboard boxes and scattered tools.
The only available seating area was a recently cleared table with an Ultraman bronze figurine placed on top.
His thoughts became jumbled. What style was this supposed to be?
“The store is under renovation, please excuse the mess and have a seat anywhere.” Shen You gestured invitingly while taking out the fan.
Huo Zhiming put on gloves from his pocket and took out a magnifying glass to examine the carving details. As he looked, he said admiringly, “Would you really part with such an exquisite item?”
He looked at Shen You, suddenly feeling that the two pairs of carved ivory chopsticks he owned had lost their appeal.
If he hadn’t already agreed to let Zheng Mingbo see it first, he would have definitely acquired it immediately.
“Yes, I prefer jade and porcelain, items for personal adornment, so I want to sell the fan.” She replied.
Zheng Mingbo added happily, “That’s great news!”
He knew Shen had more treasures, but this fan was as rare as the previous nanmu wood piece.
As an art professional who collected fans, he appreciated such masterfully crafted items even more.
“Ms. Shen, name your price. If it’s reasonable, I’ll pay immediately without haggling.” He said.
His implication was clear. Even if expensive, he wouldn’t mind as long as it wasn’t excessive.
Shen You considered it briefly, “All right, let’s make it an even one million after tax.”
Recent auctions hadn’t featured fans with such exquisite craftsmanship, yet ivory sculpture displays had reached tens of millions.
Such items rarely circulated in the market since wealthy collectors seldom parted with them.
She had calculated the price after deducting the auction house’s commission, making it quite reasonable.
Zheng Mingbo understood this perfectly, and so paid happily and promptly.
Ms. Shen was really reliable. Buying items from her store provided an excellent experience.
Once he had the fan, he began admiring it in his hands while taking photos to share in the collectors’ association group chat.
Several members inquired about where he had acquired it.
Huo Zhiming quietly asked Shen You, “Do you have other ivory pieces with such excellent craftsmanship? Or perhaps you could sell me one? I’d trade Ming Dynasty filigree jewelry for it.”
“This is a unique piece. If I had others, I would have shown them all at once.” Shen You shook her head.
“Indeed.” Huo Zhiming sighed heavily, understanding that easily obtainable items wouldn’t command such prices.
Antique fans from the Qing Dynasty were more common, thus they were typically valued at only several hundred thousand.
Originally, Zheng Mingbo had suggested taking Shen You and Manager Huo out for a meal.
But Shen You declined, using the unfinished state of her store as a reason.
*
Nearby residents noticed luxury cars leaving Shen You’s shop, their eyes filled with curiosity, especially those working in the antique street.
They understood immediately that buyers had come to see valuable items but wondered if purchases had been made.
*
After locking the door, Shen You disposed of the day’s trash with one click, prepared a simple dinner, tested her newly arrived coffee machine, then relaxed comfortably in a rocking chair enjoying the breeze.
Her phone screen lit up with a message from Xu Jiayan.
The Ru-kiln she had donated was scheduled for its first exhibition the day after tomorrow. If she had time to attend, he could arrange an internal reservation so she wouldn’t need to wait in line.
As the donor, such preferential treatment was a minor courtesy.
Shen You thought about it for a while, confirmed that she had no essential tasks that day, and replied: “Fine, I’ll come in the afternoon.”
She checked the museum’s official account where the latest article featured the Ru-kiln.
Against a dark background, enhanced by lighting, the high-definition photos showed the tea set looking both elegant and impressive.
Below was written “Donated by Ms. Shen You”.
Simultaneously, news of the first exhibition was published on Jiangcheng Tourism’s account, generating considerable discussion.
Some commented that only a fool would donate rather than sell privately.
Others argued that private sales were illegal.
Several media outlets contacted the museum, inquiring about the donor’s identity.
But the museum uniformly responded that according to the donor’s wishes, they would not disclose personal information.
Meanwhile, Shen You received an inquiry from Zheng Mingbo.
He thought it too coincidental that a second person named Shen You in Jiangcheng could possess such precious collections.
Shen You replied simply, “Indeed it’s me.”
The chat box remained silent for a moment.
“!!! I knew it! You’re too modest.” He wrote.
“Would you be interested in joining the Collectors Association? Membership makes auction participation more convenient.” Zheng Mingbo added.
Shen You: “Would I qualify?”
Multiple connections were certainly beneficial since without recommendations, one couldn’t even enter high-end auctions.
But the Collectors Association consisted entirely of prominent figures, many owning private museums, while her store was barely established.
“Definitely! I’ll send you a membership form in a few days for you to complete.” Zheng Mingbo replied.
It was Ru-kiln, after all!
With his recommendation, Shen You’s approval was all that remained.
After exchanging pleasantries and ending the conversation, Shen You continued developing her store.
On the first public exhibition day, renovation work paused while awaiting custom materials.
So the previous evening, she used the system’s renovation function, consuming recently purchased paint to complete a five-second wall-painting process that eliminated odors and formaldehyde in one go.
The exhibition day fell on a weekend with pleasant weather, resulting in noticeably more traffic than usual.
Afraid that there would be difficulties with parking, Shen You arrived specifically fifteen minutes before the afternoon opening time, waiting in her car while browsing her phone.
As soon as the entrance opened, crowds began gathering.
Before entering, Shen You saw Xu Jiayan who was wearing his staff badge, waiting for her at the front.
Together they entered the museum, moving past bustling visitors to reach the central area.
The porcelain set occupied the prime position, with a screen nearby featuring a puzzle game based on the tea set.
“How beautiful! Truly worthy of being selected through nine generations, preserved even better than the previous porcelain plate in the museum.”
“I heard the donor is a young woman. What a wealthy lady!”
“I think someone with that name was in a neighboring department.” A speaker shook their head, “but it’s probably just a coincidence.”
Blending into the crowd, Shen You took out her phone to take a picture of the display case.
Seeing her name connected with this museum created an indescribable excitement.
“I’ll look at other exhibits. You can attend to your duties. I know my way around.” She told Xu Jiayan.
Noticing her bright eyes, Xu Jiayan nodded with a smile, thinking she might prefer exploring alone.
“Contact me anytime if you need anything.”
After parting, he headed to the director’s office to report, but overheard the museum director on the phone, both parties clearly agitated.
“What relationship? This is only our first day of exhibition but you want to borrow it for a traveling show? No! Absolutely not!” The director firmly pounded the table. “Don’t even think about it!”
“You old scoundrel, turning your back on friends! It’s just a one-week tour, our neighboring city museum will return it!”
Hearing these voices, Xu Jiayan quietly retreated.
It was better to report later.
Many visitors today had come specifically to see the Ru-kiln tea set, making that display case the most crowded area.
After exploring independently and visiting the adjacent cultural creative store, Shen You noticed fewer people around the tea set display, the atmosphere growing quieter.