Playing the Fool to Catch the Tiger

Elder Chu glanced at Zhang Yang. The young man had been mocked in public, even attacked personally, and someone had urged his wife to divorce him. Yet Zhang Yang remained remarkably calm, as though they were talking about someone else.

Keeping his composure amid such turmoil was no ordinary feat. The young man was hiding his abilities, playing the fool to catch the tiger.

Ling Junsheng studied the White Jade Hairpin for a long time. His brows furrowed, then relaxed, again and again. Still unable to reach a conclusion, he held out his hand to Chu Yaotian.

"Elder Chu, may I borrow your magnifying glass?"

Once Chu Yaotian handed it over, Ling Junsheng aimed it straight at the butterfly's wings on the White Jade Hairpin—the same spot Chu Yaotian had examined earlier. Clearly, that was where the secret lay.

"Elder Chu, you're quite the joker. For one thing, this White Jade Hairpin dates back to the Han dynasty, so its historical value is considerable. And its craftsmanship is no worse than that of the little boat described in The Record of the Carved Boat."

Although Ling Junsheng had pointed out where the secret lay, he still left the crucial part unsaid. Elder Chu had kept quiet to test Zhang Yang and see whether he had discovered it himself.

"That's right. The moment I got the White Jade Hairpin, I noticed something unusual about those wings. Under a magnifying glass, it became clear: the lines are exquisite, with landscapes carved too finely for the naked eye to make out. There's even an inscribed poem. Even with today's techniques and magnifying tools, work like this would be hard to achieve."

Zhang Yang was deeply grateful to Chu Yaotian and Ling Junsheng. Neither had revealed the secret; they had left him the chance to hold his head high in front of everyone.

"So if Elder Chu wants it, he'll have to ask my mother-in-law to sell it to him. And the price is still up for discussion," Zhang Yang said with a grin.

Zhang Yang had indeed paid only five hundred thousand for the White Jade Hairpin, but that was a friendship price from Wu Daorong. Even Wu Daorong had misjudged the piece. Selling it to Zhang Yang at the original price was the cost of that lesson.

The guests were astonished. Did Zhang Yang truly know his stuff, or was he bluffing? They waited to hear whether Elder Chu and Boss Ling would back him up.

"Zhang, you're an impressive young man. This clearly wasn't a lucky find. You knew its secret all along." Elder Chu was stunned. Zhang Yang really had been hiding his abilities, playing the fool to catch the tiger.

"You flatter me!"

Zhang Yang smiled as he replied, then glanced at his eldest sister-in-law and her husband. Both looked thoroughly embarrassed.

"Elder Chu, you ought to give us an appraisal!" Ling Juntian was still a junior in Elder Chu's presence and lacked his credentials, so he spoke respectfully.

Ling Juntian found the whole thing entertaining. He had come to a birthday banquet, yet it felt as though he were on Antique Street, appraising antiques.

The guests suddenly stopped whispering and listened closely for Elder Chu's verdict.

"This is the first White Jade Hairpin of its kind I've seen. Its finest work is hidden, so it's easy to overlook."

"The delicate carving on it is beautiful and exceedingly rare. The five hundred thousand I mentioned earlier was actually too low. A small piece of white jade with similar fine carving, a little larger than a thumb and likewise bearing a landscape and inscribed poem, once appeared on an antiques appraisal show. The seller valued it at seven hundred thousand."

Elder Chu paused. His mouth had gone dry, and he licked his lips.

"That was many years ago, and pieces like this have only risen in value. So my conservative estimate for this White Jade Hairpin is nine hundred thousand."

Ling Juntian smiled faintly. His own estimate was clearly very close to Chu Yaotian's.

Zhang Yang could accept that figure too. When he bought it, Wu Daorong had called his price a forty-percent discount. Zhang Yang had paid the asking price anyway, certain the hairpin was worth more.

"Nine hundred thousand?"

"Now that's a fine son-in-law. He may not make a move often, but when he does, he stuns everyone."

"What dumb luck. Bet he didn't pay much for it, either!"

The guests broke into chatter again, their comments ranging from admiration to envy and jealousy.

Zhang Yang met it all with a cold smile.

"Zhang, how much did you pay for it?"

Elder Chu knew that if Zhang Yang had spotted the secret, the seller likely had too, so the price could not have been low. He was curious to see whose valuation had come closer.

"Well, Elder Chu, I got it from a friend I'd only just met. When I told him it was a birthday present for my mother-in-law, he gave me a friendship price: five hundred thousand, exactly what you said earlier."

That was Zhang Yang's explanation to Elder Chu.

Elder Chu nodded repeatedly, his opinion of Zhang Yang improving. This young man was certainly no good-for-nothing living off his wife. Perhaps he was like some of the notable men of old.

"Zhang, you made a tidy profit!"

Elder Chu sighed in amazement. Why did other people always get this lucky? Why could he never stumble upon a bargain like that?

"Nine hundred thousand?"

Yang Su could no longer keep her composure. The thing in Ling Junsheng's hand was no longer a White Jade Hairpin to her, but nine hundred thousand in cash. She promptly took it and examined it.

Yet however she looked at it, Yang Su could not see what made it so special. Even if the carving was as beautiful as they said, you needed a magnifying glass to see it. Who the hell would carry one around to inspect the hairpin she was wearing?

Besides, Yang Su did not particularly like the White Jade Hairpin. Nine hundred thousand in cash, on the other hand, she would gladly accept.

"Let me take another look!"

Cheng Hai held out his hand, but Yang Su refused to give it to him.

"What would you know? If you understood these things, you wouldn't have paid so much in tuition already." Yang Su took the chance to needle Cheng Hai.

Watching his mother-in-law's greedy expression, Zhang Yang shook his head. She was beyond help.

The appraisal over, everyone dispersed and returned to their seats, and the birthday banquet began. Cheng Dongyu and her husband, however, looked like deflated balloons. They could no longer put on airs. Of the three sisters who had come to celebrate their mother's birthday, their family had lost out, dealing their vanity a crushing blow.

The family naturally sat together at one table again.

"Zhang Yang, that was quite a purchase. When did you start studying antiques? Take your brother-in-law along sometime." It was only once they sat down to eat that Yang Gang learned Zhang Yang had bought the White Jade Hairpin himself—and paid five hundred thousand for it.

Few people would risk five hundred thousand without being quite sure of themselves, least of all someone like Zhang Yang, who was not particularly well-off.

"He got lucky this time," Cheng Dongxue said at once, playing down Zhang Yang's achievement. "Though he did show a few tricks when he appraised a bronze mirror on Antique Street."

"Sure, second brother-in-law. We can go have a look around sometime." Zhang Yang nodded. Yang Gang had spoken up for him earlier.

"Sounds good. I'll call you when I have time. Help me pick out a few antiques as an investment." Yang Gang grinned. His company had only just started and needed time to find its footing; it would not bring in money right away. Earning a little from antiques sounded pretty good.

"Yang Gang, keep your feet on the ground. Don't buy antiques when you don't know anything about them!" Cheng Lin said, casting a glance at her father, Cheng Hai.

Cheng Hai lowered his head. When it came to losing money on antiques, no one there could rival him.

"Zhang Yang, where did you get so much money to buy the White Jade Hairpin?" Yang Su finally spoke. Her tone toward Zhang Yang had softened, but the question still stung.