Chapter 1980: Chapter 1940: Jingdezhen Porcelain

Cao Ling answered the call and learned that it was the birthday of the Third Master of the Cao Family.

Originally, given the condition of the Third Master, it seemed unlikely that he would make it to his birthday. Unexpectedly, Ye Qiu came over to treat him and truly saved him.

Tomorrow is his eighty-ninth birthday. The Cao Family plans to celebrate together, also as a way to let other relatives and friends know that the Third Master is fine.

After finishing the call with Cao Long, Cao Ling looked at Ye Qiu and said, "Ye Qiu, my Third Great-Grandfather is having his eighty-ninth birthday party tomorrow, and he’s inviting us to join the celebration."

"Then let’s go."

Ye Qiu wasn’t planning to return to Jinling so soon.

Especially after figuring out who was targeting him from behind, he couldn’t ignore the trouble and go back, could he?

Moreover, for him, any enmity is not something that can wait for a long time before addressing.

"So what do you think would be a good gift?" Cao Ling asked.

Quite obviously, after last night, the two girls’ relationship became much closer, and now Cao Ling wanted to seek Ye Qiu’s opinion.

However, Ye Qiu knew that asking him was pointless since that Third Great-Grandfather of the Cao Family was a senior to even Cao Ling’s own seniors.

"You need to ask your family about this."

Cao Ling realized that indeed she needed to consult her grandfather and the others; as for what gift they plan to give the Third Great-Grandfather, she could purchase and prepare it here.

"What about you?" Cao Ling asked him again.

"I’ll definitely go empty-handed."

Cao Ling was speechless.

Nevertheless, Ye Qiu had cured her Third Great-Grandfather’s illness, prolonging his life, which was the best gift anyone could give.

"You’ve already given one," Cao Ling added.

After the waitress brought the snacks they had just ordered, Cao Ling picked up her phone and called her grandfather in Jinling.

Elder Cao was puzzled about why his granddaughter and Ye Qiu hadn’t returned for such a long time.

Now Cao Ling inquired about what birthday gift to give the Third Great-Grandfather from their end.

Actually, the Third Great-Grandfather didn’t lack material things, and younger generations often visited him, making it a harmonious five-generation family.

Elder Cao hadn’t expected the Third Great-Grandfather to celebrate his birthday on such short notice and wasn’t immediately sure what gift to prepare.

Moreover, given his special status, even gifting something to a family elder required attention to occasion appropriateness.

Under these circumstances, Elder Cao said, "I’ll get back to you tonight."

After the call with her grandfather, Cao Ling was pondering what gift she should personally give to the Third Great-Grandfather.

Now Ye Qiu and Lin Xiang, along with the others, ate until around ten in the morning, feeling quite full.

"Ye Qiu, let’s take a walk and see if there’s an appropriate gift," Cao Ling said after finishing.

"Let’s go then."

They checked out and went downstairs, got into the car, and drove toward Wangfujing. The walking street there was indeed very lively, with various snacks abundant and well-known both domestically and internationally.

Ye Qiu, Lin Xiang, and the two other girls had never been there before.

Upon arrival, it was difficult to find a paid parking lot; once the car was parked, Ye Qiu and the four girls got out and began to feel the crowd.

Ye Qiu was holding Liu Lingxiu’s left hand and Xiaomai’s right hand, causing Lin Xiang and Cao Ling to feel a bit uncomfortable; they could only follow behind.

Especially Cao Ling, thinking about how Ye Qiu had taken advantage of her last night, yet now was holding the little maid’s hand instead of hers—did he not have her in his heart at all?

Cao Ling and Lin Xiang followed behind, but Ye Qiu noticed that it was indeed getting crowded.

The crowd consisted of domestic tourists, tour groups, as well as foreigners, white and black people alike, basically packed together.

During the day, Wangfujing might not be as beautiful as at night, when there might be even more people.

Now Cao Ling was looking to buy a gift to give to her Third Great-Grandfather, representing herself.

Along the way, there were many fragrant snacks to see, but having just eaten a full meal at the teahouse, she wasn’t hungry at all, so they just browsed through the shops.

The shops sold porcelain, paintings, tea, all kinds of wines, making them very suitable for gifts.

Cao Ling called Ye Qiu to follow her into a shop selling Jingdezhen porcelain. There were indeed many porcelain items inside, in various styles and price ranges. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

However, there weren’t many customers; seeing Ye Qiu and the four women enter, the shopkeeper seemed very enthusiastic.

"Sir, ladies, what would you like to buy?" the shopkeeper asked.

"We’re just browsing."

Ye Qiu walked over, picked up a golden bowl and plate, shiny and part of a set, looking very nice.

In ancient times, such sets might have been used by high-ranking officials and landlords, the kind that felt pleasant just to look at, let alone dine with.

"Sir, this set of bowls and plates is one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight," the shopkeeper added.

A set for one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight wasn’t considered very expensive.

Of course, nowadays, Jingdezhen ceramics are often mass-produced by machines, unlike before when it was handcrafted, so it’s normal for these ceramics to be more affordable.

However, porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties could be very valuable now, as they are collectibles and antiques.

Those are the ones truly used for collecting and viewing.

Lin Xiang found the porcelain very beautiful and reasonably priced, considering buying some for her relatives in Malaysia.

"Not expensive, but not exactly cheap either. Judging by the quality, it should be authentic," Ye Qiu said.

"Sir, our ceramics here are all authentic from Jingdezhen, not counterfeit," the shopkeeper assured quickly.

Ye Qiu looked around again, finding all sorts of household items made of porcelain, such as vases, which looked very pretty. However, it would mostly be purchased by well-to-do families or tourists visiting here; ordinary families might not want to spend so much on them.

There was a variety of porcelain types and designs, all sorts of colors; the shop was packed, and many more items were stored in the warehouse. The shopkeeper had a catalog, and if customers chose something, they would call staff to bring it from the warehouse.

"Ye Qiu, how about I gift the Third Great-Grandfather a tea set?"

Considering his age, a tea set for drinking tea should be quite fitting.

"That sounds good," Ye Qiu replied.

"Miss, we have a large variety of Jingdezhen tea sets, from a few hundred to tens of thousands a set," the shopkeeper eagerly promoted, sensing business.

In fact, the profits on these ceramics were quite high; buying wholesale for a few dozen and selling for several hundred wasn’t uncommon.