"Yin vegetables? Serving yin vegetables?"
Huzi's eyes widened, and he could barely hold onto his chopsticks.
He was all too familiar with what yin dishes were.
Humans eat yang, while ghosts eat yin.
Back then, when he was tormented by a hungry ghost, Lu Fei had him prepare a table of yin dishes for the hungry ghost.
Soaked white rice, raw eggs, and white tofu were all things that ghosts loved to eat.
These three items just happened to appear on the current banquet table.
They were all in the same bowl, placed at the corner of the table, and those who didn't know might think it was some kind of specialty dish.
"Boss, what does this mean? Isn't this a longevity banquet? Why are there also things for ghosts to eat?" Huzi felt an eerie sensation, and no matter how hungry he was, he didn't dare to easily touch his chopsticks.
"I don't know what this family is up to. Just don't eat it if you don't want to."
Lu Fei glanced at the stage.
The old woman, sitting in the armchair, was carried out, her posture unchanged from beginning to end.
As trees grow old, they become spirits; as people grow old, they become wise.
There might really be something wrong with that old lady.
The two of them put down their chopsticks and went outside to buy something casual to fill their stomachs.
The others, completely unaware, enjoyed the longevity feast with relish.
After the banquet, the performance on the stage began.
With gongs and drums, various characters took the stage in full makeup.
They were performing 'The Eight Immortals Paying Homage to the Longevity.'
Lu Fei, who didn't understand the opera, focused his attention on the instruments and costumes, but he found no old artifacts after looking closely.
"I'll go ask Xiao Qiang!"
Huzi was even more anxious than Lu Fei, fearing that if he made a mistake, it would cause the boss to make a pointless trip.
Not long after.
He ran back.
"Boss, I told Xiaoqiang, and Xiaoqiang went to find the troupe leader. The troupe leader has prepared three items for you to inspect."
"Alright."
Lu Fei immediately followed Huzi over.
The items of the opera troupe were stored in an empty room on the first floor.
Several old, sturdy trunks contained costumes, props, and musical instruments.
"Mr. Lu, I am the leader of the opera troupe, my surname is Yan."
"Mr. Yan."
After some simple pleasantries, Lu Fei got straight to the point and asked Master Yan to take out those three old objects.
If they were not evil items, he would introduce them to Liu Fugui.
"Mr. Lu, this way please."
Master Yan was an old man with a very weathered appearance, around sixty years old, and had deep frown lines between his eyebrows, indicating that he was a man of much worry and toil.
"It's these three items. Mr. Lu, take a look and see if they are worth buying and how much they can fetch?"
He took out three items from an old trunk and placed them in front of Lu Fei, looking at him with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
They were, respectively:
An erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle).
A hair ornament.
An embroidered opera costume.
They are all very old.
"Wait a moment."
Lu Fei put on gloves and examined each one carefully.
The erhu was just an ordinary musical instrument. It's undeniable that it was made quite well, but after years of use, it had worn down significantly and held no great value.
The hairpin was in the shape of a phoenix, with a unique color—green with a hint of blue.
It was exquisitely crafted, elegant and regal.
"This is Kingfisher feather inlay!"
Lu Fei's eyes lit up slightly.
"Mr. Lu has a good eye! This technique has been lost. This hairpin should fetch a good price, right?" Manager Yan's tense face finally showed a smile, and most of his suspicion towards Lu Fei faded away.
Although the Kingfisher feather inlay is beautiful, it is also very cruel, as it is made from the feathers of the Kingfisher. Plucking the feathers while the bird is alive may cause its death.
"This head ornament is in good condition, well-preserved, and can be considered a small treasure. A conservative estimate would put its value at six figures."
Lu Fei gave a rough valuation.
However, the look in Master Yan's eyes was somewhat disappointed, as if it hadn't reached his ideal price.
Lu Fei didn't mind and picked up the third costume.
It was a woman's embroidered costume, with very delicate peony patterns, but other than that, there were no more notable features; it wasn't as valuable as the kingfisher hairpin.
There were no evil objects.
It seemed this deal would have to be handed over to Liu Fugui.
"Master Yan, I apologize. These items are all quite nice and each has its own value, but they aren't what I am looking to collect. This is my friend from the Antique Street, he should be interested. You can contact him."
Lu Fei felt a bit disappointed, but still maintained a smile, leaving Liu Fugui's number for the troupe master.
"You don't want any of these? Mr. Lu, what are you interested in? I have many more old items here."
Master Yan, somewhat reluctantly, opened several chests one by one for Lu Fei to choose from.
"Alright, I will take another look."
Lu Fei's gaze swept over the several chests and stopped in front of the last small chest.
At the very bottom of this chest was an old opera costume, pressed down by the weight above it.
It seemed to carry a faint, eerie aura.
"This opera costume..."
"This one is not for sale!"
Master Yan shook his head helplessly.
"Why?" Lu Fei was puzzled.
"The contents of this chest do not belong to our troupe; they belonged to an old senior of our troupe...in fact, she is the elderly person whose birthday we are celebrating today. She is of the same generation as my master and used to be a famous performer!" Master Yan explained with a bitter smile.
"When she retired back then, she lent these props to our troupe. I brought this box here today to return them to her."
"If it weren't for her looking out for us, who would hire a small troupe like ours?"
Was that eerie, old man of longevity alive or dead?
Lu Fei and Hu Zi exchanged a glance.
"So that's how it is. Does she sell these costumes?"
"That would depend on her intention. She is well-off with many grandchildren and doesn't need the money. Keeping these things is just for sentiment. I guess..." Master Yan shook his head.
"It's alright. When you return them, could you ask her for me? If the deal doesn't go through, at least the kindness will be there."
Lu Fei smiled, glancing at the costumes with some curiosity.
"Can I take a look at them?"
Master Yan hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Just be careful with them."
"Thank you!"
Lu Fei moved the props and took out the ancient costume from the bottom of the box.
Master Yan immediately took a step back, as if he was somewhat afraid.
"Hmm?"
Lu Fei just glanced at him slightly, pretending not to notice, and looked down at the costume.
It was a white costume.
The material was light and soft, with delicate patterns and white wave patterns embroidered at the corners, giving it a very cold and austere appearance.
A trace of Yin energy seeped out from within the costume.
It seemed as if something was hidden inside the costume.
"This is..."
Lu Fei had just opened the clothes.
"Who are you, what are you doing here?" An elderly man in his seventies or eighties, supporting himself with a cane, walked over. His stern and aged voice interrupted Lu Fei's actions.
"Elder Brother Liu, this Mr. Lu is someone I invited. He's just here to take a look..."
Master Yan immediately became tense and stumbled through his explanation.
"Can my mother's costume be casually viewed by outsiders?" the old man said sternly, "My mother lent the costume to your troupe hoping that it would help you revitalize and carry on the Chun Family Troupe, not for you to casually defile it!"
After speaking, his sharp gaze fell upon Lu Fei.