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going back on one's word

"Dead man's merchandise?"

"Don't talk nonsense, be careful not to upset Manager He. That thing is called Mingqi!"

"Isn't it the same thing? The issue is whether that bronze nail is really a coffin nail?"

Su Chen's rebuke quickly caused a stir among the onlookers. Suddenly, the circle around He Tian expanded a few steps. Regardless of whether Su Chen's words were true or not, no one dared to get too close to He Tian now, fearing they might get some bad luck.

Although the antique circle is not superstitious, there are many traditions. At least, this so-called Mingqi, not many people are willing to touch it.

"Mingqi," or "明器" in Chinese, refers to burial objects or items buried with the deceased. Even if it's a valuable item, many collectors avoid these objects due to superstitions. Su Chen points out that the bronze nail, if indeed used for coffins, is being misused. He uses it as a rhetorical device to criticize He Tian for mishandling valuable items.

"Wait, wait! Stop talking!"

He Tian did not expect Su Chen to say such things. On the one hand, his face lost its color, and on the other hand, he saw the expressions of the onlookers. Afraid it might affect his business, he quickly shouted, "This item was bought at a high price from the countryside. It's... it's a treasure used by generals during the Shang and Zhou dynasties to suppress demons. It has extremely high collectible value. How could it be the descendant's nail you mentioned? Everyone, although my eyes may not be as good as my father's, they are still well-known in the industry. Believe me rather than him!"

This statement quickly made the onlookers hesitate. Not only is He Tian's character questionable, but his eyes are indeed powerful. In this street, if someone has antiques or calligraphy that they can't understand, they will come to He Tian's shop for advice. He Tian is known as the Golden-Eyed He!

Seeing the audience's faces slightly improved, He Tian sighed in relief. After all, this matter should not be leaked too far. If it's spread out, it could damage his shop's reputation.

Lin Wanqing, seeing this scene, was a bit panicked. Her warm hand that had just warmed up was now cold again. "Shouldn't we leave?"

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"Are we giving up on the deal?"

Su Chen looked at her with a smile. "I'm just giving him a lesson, so he doesn't casually sell dirty items to your family."

After saying that, Su Chen casually tore off a piece of fabric from his clothes, grabbed the bronze nail through the fabric, and said, "Take a look at the characters and patterns engraved on this nail. I bet you won't be able to recognize them. Let me tell you, after carving the character 'Liu,' it's filled with gold dust. Clearly, it's a pigment used during funerals. If you don't believe me, go back and ask the elders in your family about the pigments used on the memorial tablets. As for this pattern, it's a warding-off evil pattern from the burial beast. It's not a time when tomb-robbing movies are popular. Go find out what the burial beast is used for inside."

The onlookers were amazed. The green king cypress looked lush, but its roots were decayed and had a nasty black color. This color was spreading inch by inch. It was estimated that in another ten days or so, it would spread to the surface of the soil.

The onlookers were shocked, and they were now more hesitant to believe He Tian's words. Moreover, looking at He Tian's expression, his face turned pale, covered in fine sweat. Many people had heard that the business of Gu Sheng Zhai had declined recently. Obviously, Su Chen had hit the nail on the head!

With a swish, the crowd moved even further away. Some people who liked the green king cypress would touch it when they entered the store. Now they were wiping their palms in disgust. Some older people even moved closer to the exit, afraid of spending another minute in this shop.

"Heihei! Didn't expect it, didn't expect it!"

At this moment, He Tian suddenly slapped his head, looking annoyed. "After following my father to learn the art for so long, I actually missed a nail like this. Everyone, I've made a mistake. I've seen it, but please rest assured, this descendant's nail will definitely be properly worshipped in the temple. It will not bring any bad luck to you. In addition, the store has just received a batch of good items recently. Although some are damaged, they are all top-notch. If you are not in a hurry, please stay and take a look. If you encounter a suitable price, I'll reluctantly sell it. Consider it a good deed."

Although the atmosphere at the scene was destroyed by the descendant's nail, He Tian quickly used his brain. His heartfelt words and a smile quickly won back the hearts of some onlookers. It was a timely damage control to restore his reputation.

Those who could stay were relatively courageous. They looked at each other, understanding each other's thoughts.

After all, the bad luck brought about by this descendant's nail only affected the green king cypress. The other items were just newly stocked, and there shouldn't be any issues, right?

As He Tian welcomed these people into the store, he showed a teasing smile to Su Chen. "Kid, you have some insight. But you've messed up the Lin family's business. It seems like who survives and who perishes in business is really unpredictable, isn't it?"