Gu Shengsheng mused, "It's hard to say. It might have really been used by an Imperial Concubine."
After she walked away, the viewers in her livestream went wild. "Hey, Streamer, I know it was only fifty yuan, but that Jade Ring is obviously bogus."
"Yeah, you don't actually believe that nonsense about Emperor Qin Shi Huang time-traveling, do you? That story was so lame!"
"Don't just throw your money away."
Gu Shengsheng smiled. "This cup is the real prize."
"This is a genuine Nephrite Jade cup. It's a Ten-curve Long Cup. The exterior looks to be in poor condition right now, but that doesn't mean it will stay that way."
"It was a precious artifact to begin with. Now that I have it, a little maintenance and restoration should be enough to return it to its original state."
As a professional restorer herself, she found the level of wear and tear on the cup to be a simple fix.
The viewers were shocked by Gu Shengsheng's words but remained skeptical. "No way. The stall owner didn't even notice it. You really think you're that lucky?"
"Streamer, you've definitely had good luck before, and you're really skilled; we admit you've got some talent. But now you're telling us some drinking cup is... what, exactly?"
"If it's an item from the imperial court, don't tell me it was actually used by an Imperial Concubine or someone?"
The live comments were full of teasing remarks.
Meanwhile, Gu Shengsheng found a restoration shop nearby.
She gave the young man at the counter fifty yuan and asked to borrow some of his tools. He readily agreed—after all, they usually let people use them for free.
As Gu Shengsheng sat down, the young man leaned over and asked, "Need any help?"
'Such a pretty girl, holding that thing... she probably doesn't know the first thing about it!'
'If I step up and show off right now, maybe a story will come out of this...'
With that in mind, he prepared to lend a hand. But to his surprise, Gu Shengsheng skillfully switched on a machine, brightened the lamp, and even asked him to help her find some glaze.
The young man, who had been eager to show off, watched as Gu Shengsheng finished the job in less than ten minutes. His sense of defeat grew even stronger. '...'
'It wasn't to brag, but he'd studied artifact and jade restoration for five years, yet his movements and speed were nothing compared to this young woman's...'
'He just felt utterly defeated.'
But when he saw the newly restored piece, his eyes went wide. "Miss, this thing you have... it's a genuine treasure! It could probably sell for a fortune."
He pointed at the appraisal shop across the street.
"You can take it over there and sell it," he said.
"Yes, I'll wait for the glaze to set properly first," Gu Shengsheng said. "Let it cure for a bit."
Her gaze swept around the shop, landing on a few jade ornaments scattered across the counter.
Gu Shengsheng asked, "These aren't items customers brought in for restoration, are they?"
"No, they're all pieces I sourced myself. I restored some, and others I carved myself. My main focus is actually jade carving."
Gu Shengsheng nodded in approval. "Your skills are excellent."
Then, her eyes fell upon a Cloud Pattern Jade Pendant.
The pendant felt smooth and warm to the touch, and Gu Shengsheng could clearly sense that it was a piece of Ancient Jade.
A crack had formed down the back, but the restorer had used his skill to carve new cloud patterns over it, a perfect finishing touch.
Only a discerning eye could tell it had been reworked.
A fine piece of jade requires not only high-quality material, but also meticulous carving.
The piece was elegant and precious, and Gu Shengsheng found herself quite fond of it. 'This might be a nice gift for Madam Lu,' she thought.
With that in mind, she asked directly, "How much are you selling this for?"
The young man looked surprised. "You want to buy it?" he asked in disbelief.
You see, he hadn't sold a single one of the items on his counter in six months. No one had ever shown any interest.
Now, not only was someone willing to buy something, but she had also complimented his craftsmanship.
"If you want it, I'll give it to you for free," the young man said at once. "Jade should go to a destined owner, anyway."
"I don't know much about their value," he added. "I just know how to carve nice patterns on them."
'If she likes it, I'll just give it to her. Her praise means more to me than the money.'
Gu Shengsheng was surprised. She hadn't expected to meet such a kind-hearted person in such a profit-driven market.
Still, she insisted, "I'm buying this as a gift for an elder. How about this? Based on the quality of the jade and the carving, I'll give you seven thousand yuan."
The young man didn't say a word, just stared at her wide-eyed.
Gu Shengsheng said, "If you think that's too little..."
Before she could finish, the young man cut in. "No, no, that's plenty! Thank you, Miss."
After paying him, Gu Shengsheng thanked him and left.
She took the small teacup with her and headed to the appraisal shop across the street.
At this, the viewers in the livestream perked up.
"Alright, everyone, let's see how much the streamer can get for this thing."
"Please don't let it be less than the seven thousand she just spent! My monthly salary is only three thousand, and it's more painful watching her spend money than spending it myself."
"What can you do? I'm just worried the streamer's going to lose money."
Gu Shengsheng laughed. "Don't worry. I can sell this cup for at least 300,000."
She wasn't exaggerating in the slightest, but to her fans, it sounded like she'd lost her mind.
"Streamer, we know your thing is amazing, and it looks pretty good after the restoration, but don't get carried away with the bragging!"
"How could this thing possibly sell for 300,000? The Jadeite rough stone you sold for 250,000 was a top-tier find!"
"But this... it just doesn't look that impressive. There's nothing special about it!"
"We all dream of striking it rich, but we wouldn't dare just announce our wishful thinking in broad daylight like the streamer does. It's so awkward."
But Gu Shengsheng was confident she had this in the bag. They would just have to wait and see.
There was no point in explaining any further right now.
She hadn't even stepped into the appraisal shop when she heard a thunderous shout.
Gu Shengsheng: "..."
"I'm here to sell a teacup," she said, her voice clear and crisp.
The old man at the front desk jolted awake.
He glanced at her once, ready to go back to sleep, but then Gu Shengsheng placed the cup right in front of his eyes and gave it a little turn.
He was instantly wide awake.
His eyes followed the cup's every move.
He sat up straight, rubbed his eyes, and said in disbelief, "This is a Ten-curve Long Cup from the Tang Dynasty."
"It's just been restored, hasn't it? Where on earth did you find this?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. This was a masterpiece among Ten-curve Long Cups—the carving and patterns were of a quality reserved for imperial tribute.
"I bought it when I came into the market," Gu Shengsheng said.
"How much did you pay for it?" he asked, a sense of urgency in his eyes.
Gu Shengsheng didn't hide the truth. "Fifty yuan for this and a Jade Ring."
"Holy shit! You're fucking incredible!" The owner, despite his age, shot right up from his seat.