Both Qian Yaosi and Old Gu naturally understood this principle. Holding a magnifying glass, they almost put their entire faces close to the bead, but did not let their skin touch it. After five or six minutes, the two sat back down.
“Brother Zhuang, please take this dzi bead back. It’s quite an eye-opener for us to see a personal ornament blessed by a Living Buddha. However, if you ever come across this old dzi bead again in the future, you must sell it to my old man.”
Having finally managed to tear his gaze away from the dzi bead, Qian Yaosi solemnly said the words above to Zhuang Rui. Wearing a dzi bead is said to bring good fortune and prosperity. Zhuang Rui is still young, and who knows when he might encounter such a treasure again. Saying these words now in advance might bring him a pleasant surprise in the future.
"You're into antiques. What would you need a dzi bead for? I'm the one who needs one. But, Brother Zhuang, if you take this dzi bead to the jade fair tomorrow, it's sure to be a big hit. How about it? Want to consider it? I can arrange a special booth for you."
The old man didn't intend to acquire the dzi bead, but he suggested that Zhuang Rui exhibit it. Zhuang Rui thought about it for a moment and then shook his head in refusal. It was his own item, and he didn't plan to sell it, so there was no need to make a big fuss about it.
While they were talking, the shop assistant, at Qian Yaosi's instruction, had already cleaned and wiped Zhu Kexin's cloud and dragon teapot set, and packed it into an exquisite box lined with a soft foam pad. Zhuang Rui checked the time; it was already past nine o'clock in the evening. He stood up and said, "Gentlemen, we have other matters to attend to later. We'll take our leave now. If we have the opportunity in the future, we will definitely seek your guidance."
Although Qian Yaosi's attempt to steal a chicken backfired today, his words were like water spilled on the ground. Since things had come to this, Qian Yaosi acted magnanimously, took out a business card and handed it to Zhuang Rui, telling him that if he came across anything good in the future, he should definitely consider him first.
"Brother Zhuang, if you're not in a hurry, you should wait a bit before you leave. The old man brought a bronze artifact with him today, and he's having Brother Qian take a look at it. If you're interested, you can take a look too."
Unexpectedly, the old man spoke up to persuade Zhuang Rui to stay. He knew that although he had some knowledge of ceramics and antiques, he could never distinguish the authenticity of the many high-quality imitations in the shop in such a short time, as Zhuang Rui had done.
Jade and antiques are inherently interconnected. Among antiques, ancient jade has always held a very important position. For example, the jade seals used by emperors throughout history are still valuable antiques today. However, human energy is limited. While Gu Lao is an absolute authority in appraising jade, he is far inferior to Qian Yaosi when it comes to appreciating antiques. Therefore, during this trip to Nanjing, Gu Lao brought an item he had recently acquired to Qian Yaosi for his appraisal.
Zhuang Rui looked at Liu Chuan and the others with some difficulty upon hearing this. Liu Chuan was currently holding the box containing Zhu Kexin's purple clay tea set. As the saying goes, "He who takes a bribe is bound to be obliged," so he didn't complain about leaving. As for Qin Xuanbing and Lei Lei, they had their eyes opened tonight. The dramatic twists and turns in Zhuang Rui's appraisal left the two women speechless. With more to see, they naturally didn't want to leave.
Seeing that no one objected, Zhuang Rui sat back down. The books he had read recently mostly focused on calligraphy, painting, and ceramics; he had hardly read any books on bronzes. Now that he had this opportunity, Zhuang Rui wanted to learn more. The difference between learning from books and hearing someone explain things in person was huge.
Old Gu waved his hand, and the person who had been standing behind him placed the box he was carrying flat on the clean table. After opening it, a bronze Bodhisattva statue appeared before everyone's eyes.
This is a seated bronze Buddha statue, not very large, only about 30 centimeters in size. Qian Yaosi put on a pair of gloves, took out the bronze Buddha, and examined it under the light. After more than ten minutes, he put the bronze statue back, with an ambiguous expression on his face, and said to Zhuang Rui, "Brother Zhuang, you should take a look too."
Zhuang Rui had only ever seen one bronze artifact in person, the bronze tree auctioned at the grassland black market. He didn't know much about bronze artifacts and couldn't explain their intricacies. Therefore, when Qian Yaosi was appraising it earlier, he had already used his spiritual energy to test the object, and it was undoubtedly genuine. This was because Zhuang Rui could clearly see that the Buddha statue contained extremely rich purple spiritual energy.
Upon hearing Qian Yaosi's words, Zhuang Rui took the gloves Qian Yaosi handed him, picked up the bronze Bodhisattva statue in the box, and examined it closely.
Although Zhuang Rui was unfamiliar with bronzes, he could tell that this was a bronze statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The entire statue had the green hue characteristic of bronzes and was exquisitely crafted. Guanyin in the statue had one hand on her knee and the other raised in a delicate gesture. The folds of her robes, the necklace, the floral ornaments on her head, the high lotus pedestal, her full breasts, slender waist, and shapely hips were all made with lifelike detail. In particular, Guanyin's face was dignified and graceful, just like a real person.
“Old Master, this bronze statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva should be an authentic piece. I think you can tell that yourself.”
Zhuang Rui put the bronze statue back into the box and looked at the old man.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Gu Lao replied, "To be honest, Brother Zhuang, this item is in such good condition that I'm afraid it's been washed. That's why I asked Brother Qian to take a look. At my age, if I fall again, people will laugh at me."
"This old man, can't he just speak properly? He has to use all this jargon."
Zhuang Rui felt a bit resentful. He didn't know much about guilds related to bronze artifacts and could only roughly guess the meaning of the ancient saying. Liu Chuan and the others were even more confused.
"Hehe, I forgot, these kids aren't in this line of work. Let me explain it to you."
Seeing the expressions on Liu Chuan's and the others' faces, Gu Lao explained the jargon used in their earlier conversation.
The terms "washed" and "wrestled" are jargon used in the appreciation of bronzes. Some surviving bronzes have been heavily stained with oil, so some craftsmen used liquids such as acetic acid to wash them clean. This makes the surface of the object shiny and uniform, which is beautiful but loses its original natural appearance and greatly reduces its value.
"Wrestling" refers to the mistake made by antique dealers when appraising bronze artifacts, either by misjudging the age of the artifacts or by failing to distinguish between genuine and fake items. It is the same as paying tuition for trying to find a bargain but making a mistake.
Chapter 127 Jewelry Fair
"Hey, Brother Gu, did you bring this item for me to appraise, or are you just trying to annoy me? It's so obviously genuine, can't you tell the difference yourself?"
After Qian Yaosi and the other elders finished explaining to Liu Chuan and the others, they slowly began to speak.
“Oh, Brother Qian, I haven’t been to Nanjing for years. It’s a rare treat to come here. Why would I joke with you like this? This item looks like a genuine old thing at first glance, but its condition is just too good. I’ve shown it to several people, and they all couldn’t tell. That’s why I’ve come to you.”
Old Gu kept shouting that he was innocent. When he first saw the bronze Bodhisattva, he felt that it was a genuine antique. He bought it for 300,000 yuan, but he was never sure. He asked several people to take a look. Some said it was a genuine antique, while others said it was an antique made by a fake. So he took it to Qian Yaosi for his opinion. Although Qian Yaosi did not have a good reputation in the antique business, few people could match his eyes. He was famous for his accurate judgment.
"The item is genuine, a genuine antique. Brother Gu, the reason you can't see through it is because this bronze bodhisattva came from a well-preserved pit and has been passed down for a long time. It looks like it has been 'washed,' but in fact, it has been frequently admired and handled, and the surface of the object has become smooth and polished due to long-term friction from sweaty hands."
"Brother, you've made a fortune on this deal. This bronze Bodhisattva is impeccably crafted, with exquisite workmanship that's beyond reproach. Of all the bronze statues I've seen in all these years, this one is the best. If someone likes it, it could sell for three to five million."
Qian Yaosi's mind wasn't on the bronze Bodhisattva statue, and he spoke listlessly, clearly still somewhat resentful about losing the bet to Zhuang Rui earlier.
Old Gu was naturally delighted to hear this. He instructed the man who had come with him to put away the box, patted Qian Yaosi on the shoulder, and said, "Brother, suffering is a blessing. A life of smooth sailing is not necessarily a good thing."
These words, however, awakened Qian Yaosi. His round face finally broke into a natural smile as he said, "That's right. Today I'm hosting. Let's find a place and have a few drinks. It's my way of welcoming you, Brother Gu. Brother Zhuang, come along too. Meeting is fate. Would you do me the honor of giving this old man some face?"
"Let the young man treat us. You've already spent a lot of money today."
After consulting with Qin Xuanbing and the others, Zhuang Rui said with a smile that it would be a bit unreasonable not to treat them after winning the bet. Besides, Zhuang Rui also wanted to exchange ideas with these two. He was very interested in the process of counterfeiting porcelain. In the end, Zhuang Rui was able to win this bet today because of his spiritual insight, and he didn't feel much sense of accomplishment.
Qian Yaosi waved his hand and said, "Now that we're on my turf, there's no need for you to treat us. Come on, you two pack up and get off work early. I've really made a fool of myself today." Just then, Zhuang Rui's phone rang. He answered and heard it was his brother-in-law Zhao Guodong's apprentice calling. After a few words, Zhuang Rui said helplessly to Qian Yaosi and Gu Lao, "Gentlemen, it's unfortunate today. Something really came up. I'll have to apologize by hosting a banquet for you another day."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui had something to do, the two didn't insist on keeping him. After exchanging phone numbers, Zhuang Rui, along with Bai Shi and Liu Chuan, left the antique shop. After walking out of the shop, Zhuang Rui looked back at the shop's signboard and couldn't help but laugh. "Songbaozhai"—wasn't this just giving him a treasure?
"Wood, who called? Why are you in such a hurry to leave? You don't have a female classmate you're interested in in Nanjing, do you?"
As soon as they stepped out of the antique shop, Liu Chuan hurriedly asked, his eyes constantly glancing at Qin Xuanbing. Qin Xuanbing hadn't initially thought of it that way, but after being encouraged by Liu Chuan's words, she also looked at Zhuang Rui.
"Get lost. I don't have any female classmates in Nanjing. The guy who designed the mastiff kennel map for you last time was a man, okay? My brother-in-law is drunk. Xiao Hu called to ask what our plans are for tonight. How about this, Da Chuan, you take Xuan Bing and Lei Lei home first. I'll settle my brother-in-law in. If we're free tonight, let's go to the exhibition hall and help out."
Zhuang Rui kicked Liu Chuan in annoyance. Just as Liu Chuan was about to kick back, he saw the little white lion eyeing him menacingly and reluctantly withdrew his foot, making Lei Lei and Qin Xuanbing laugh.
Back at the parking lot, Liu Chuan put the set of purple clay teapots in Zhuang Rui's car, and then he and Lei Lei each drove away in their own cars. Zhuang Rui, however, drove his Grand Cherokee back to the car dealership, where Zhao Guodong's apprentice, Xiao Hu, was waiting.
"Brother Zhuang, you're here. Master had too much to drink, and I'm not familiar with Nanjing, so I had no choice but to call you."
Zhuang Rui parked his car and had just stepped out when he saw the door of Liu Chuan's beat-up Toyota open. Xiao Hu got out of the car and said somewhat embarrassedly.
"It's okay, you keep driving and follow me. We'll find a hotel to stay in first."
Zhuang Rui knew that his brother-in-law's apprentice was very honest and had never even left Pengcheng. He checked the time on his phone and saw that it was almost 9 p.m. They had spent quite a bit of time at the antique shop. He peeked into the Toyota and saw Zhao Guodong, his face flushed from drinking, snoring away.
Looking at his brother-in-law, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but find it amusing. Zhao Guodong was too honest; he would drink whenever someone offered him a toast. He should talk to him about it when he had the chance, otherwise, with all the social engagements, he would be drunk every few days and wouldn't be able to keep up with the car repair shop business.
On the way to the Qinhuai River, Zhuang Rui saw a hotel that was of a decent standard, so he went directly to the hotel and booked two rooms. He planned to help Qin Xuanbing set up the exhibition that night, then go back to the hotel to rest before driving to Zhonghai. After all, it would take four or five hours to get from Nanjing to Zhonghai by highway, and Zhuang Rui dared not be careless.
After settling his brother-in-law in, Zhuang Rui called Liu Chuan to ask for the address of the exhibition. Then, guided by the car's GPS, he arrived at the exhibition hall in Nanjing where the jewelry exhibition was being held.
"Hey, Mu Tou, here you are! Come help me, Lei Lei. Why are you two girls doing this kind of work?"
Liu Chuan was now a worker, climbing a ladder to put up banners. Standing high up, he could see far, and he accidentally saw Zhuang Rui standing at the entrance of the exhibition hall. He shouted at the top of his lungs and almost fell off the ladder.
Zhuang Rui didn't want to go in, but he was stopped by security guards. Jewelry exhibitions are different from ordinary trade fairs. Most of the jewelry pieces are small in size, but they are very valuable. Even a slight mistake could result in huge losses. Therefore, since the various jewelry companies moved in, security guards have been patrolling the area 24 hours a day. Only staff members can enter.
Zhuang Rui didn't seem like a bad guy, and he even had a dog with pure white fur. But these days, bad guys don't put signs on their heads. The security guard was very responsible; Zhuang Rui had been talking for several minutes, but he still wouldn't be allowed in. He was just about to take out his phone to call Qin Xuanbing.
At this moment, Qin Xuanbing, who was standing in a corner of the exhibition hall, also saw Zhuang Rui. She quickly ran over, explained the situation to the security guard, registered Zhuang Rui's ID card, and issued him a temporary access pass before letting him in.
The venue used for this jewelry exhibition was very large, but it was divided into several small, open rooms and booths. These rooms and booths were quite exquisite, some of them were even shaped like jewelry pieces. Several companies even made large-screen displays for showcasing their jewelry. It seemed that Qin Xuanbing's company wasn't the only one working late into the night; there were people busy working in many rooms and booths.
"Xuanbing, you must have invested quite a bit to participate in this trade fair, right?"
Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing walked together, and he casually asked.
"Of course, the admission fee isn't very high, but the cost of just the booth decoration alone is over a million yuan. This doesn't even include the cost of depositing our jewelry with the bank. Once the exhibition starts, the bank will need to pick us up and drop us off every day, which will cost money."
Qin Xuanbing was also having a headache. She had only been in charge of jewelry design before and had never done management before. She never expected that just attending an exhibition would keep her so busy. Lei Lei was a little better off, having done a few days of management at her grandfather's company, but she was still a novice. The two of them working together were unusually inefficient.
Perhaps it was the elders of both families who wanted to test the two girls' abilities, as they did not send anyone familiar with these operations to assist them. Poor Qin Xuanbing and Lei Lei had to do everything themselves, even ordering custom-made brochures and inkjet prints. During the day, it was fine, as the company responsible for setting up the booth had someone to help, but at night, all the workers left, and there were still a few inkjet prints that had not been put up properly, so these two young ladies had to take matters into their own hands.
"You're not going to hire models again, are you?"
Zhuang Rui arrived next to Qin Xuanbing's booth and was surprised to see that there was even a T-shaped stage. He asked in surprise.
Chapter 128 Wang Yigun
"Hey Wood, is this what you call a special guest? I feel like I've been ripped off. Do you really expect special guests to do this kind of work? No, you stay here for now, I'm going to take a look around. Oh, hello, this is our company's information..."
Liu Chuan grumbled as he handed the brochures to the approaching tourists, his smile looking utterly fake.
Zhuang Rui turned his head and glanced at the little white lion in the booth behind him. He was quite helpless. Today was the opening ceremony of the jewelry exhibition and the first day. Pets were not allowed to enter. Later, Lei Lei found someone from the organizing committee and managed to bring it in through the back door. However, it could only be kept in the booth to avoid disturbing the guests. The little white lion was fine. It was quiet as long as it could see Zhuang Rui. But Liu Chuan's black lion was a little impatient and paced back and forth in the booth.
Following the opening remarks and best wishes from leaders, the Nanjing International Jewelry Fair has officially begun. The vast exhibition hall is packed with people, with jewelers from all over the country and even overseas gathered together.
Jewelry exhibitions like this are not only a stage for jewelry companies to showcase their strength, but also the best place for peers to exchange ideas. Of course, the owners of this stage are still those wealthy tourists and small business owners of jewelry stores in some areas, who are the most important customers of these jewelry companies.
The jewelers participating in this exhibition also attracted jewelry brand companies from countries and regions such as South Korea, Singapore, Japan, the United States, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It can be considered one of the largest jewelry exhibitions organized in China in recent years, and it is expected that more than 1,200 professional jewelry buyers will come to replenish their stock, make purchases and negotiate brand agency agreements.
After setting up the booth yesterday, Liu Chuan was eagerly following Lei Lei, wanting to go to their hotel to chat with her and exchange feelings. However, he was told that Lei Lei was sharing a room with Qin Xuanbing, so he could only sheepishly return to the hotel with Zhuang Rui.
Perhaps it was the allure of being invited by a beautiful woman that made Zhuang Rui wake up around 7 a.m., dragging him to the venue. Zhuang Rui was quite interested in such occasions, and after saying goodbye to his brother-in-law, who had already sobered up, he went to the venue with Liu Chuan. Once there, Lei Lei hung a guest badge around their necks.
The two, who had expected to wander around and watch the excitement, were then assigned to work at the counter, handing out brochures to passersby. In less than two hours, they had already handed out about a thousand brochures, and their arms were starting to ache.
Fortunately, next to Qin Xuanbing's company's booth was a T-shaped stage set up by another jewelry company, where models would occasionally showcase the company's latest jewelry designs. As for the models' attire, it perfectly matched Comrade Liu Chuan's aesthetic standards: bare legs and exposed shoulders.
However, this jewelry company wasn't the only one that had models performing. After seeing one model change clothes three times before appearing on stage, Liu Chuan finally couldn't hold back any longer and clamored to go somewhere else.
"Liu Chuan, Lei Lei just praised you for being capable and said she'd treat you to a good lunch. Should I go and tell Lei Lei that you're going on strike now?"
Liu Chuan's complaints were overheard by Qin Xuanbing, who had just walked over. Smiling, she said to Liu Chuan that since their trip to Tibet, Qin Xuanbing, who remained reserved in front of men, only revealed her true nature as a young woman when facing Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan.
"No, Xuanxuan, I'm just educating Comrade Zhuang Rui. Look at him, his eyes are always glancing at those models. Our Liu Chuan is a decent person, he wouldn't do such a thing."
Liu Chuan knew that if he wanted to change the subject, he had to drag the guy next to him into it.
As expected, Qin Xuanbing's gaze then turned to Zhuang Rui, but her attitude was completely different from that towards Liu Chuan. Qin Xuanbing looked at Zhuang Rui with a hint of apology in her eyes and said, "I'm really sorry, the promotional staff we arranged had something come up this morning and won't arrive until this afternoon. Thank you for your hard work."
"It's alright. I'm going back to Zhonghai tonight. I'm happy to see you a little longer."
Zhuang Rui didn't know what he was thinking, but he blurted out those words as if possessed. Perhaps they were his true thoughts.
Upon hearing this, Qin Xuanbing's pretty face immediately flushed slightly. The composed demeanor she had displayed while promoting the product in front of so many people suddenly became somewhat awkward. She looked at Zhuang Rui in silence until Lei Lei called her name loudly. Only then did she say to Zhuang Rui, "I'll treat you to lunch."
Then he turned and left in a hurry.
"Hey, when you're treating someone to dinner, call me bro."
Liu Chuan shouted from behind Qin Xuanbing, only to be met with a kick from Zhuang Rui to his butt.
Liu Chuan, thick-skinned and unconcerned about Zhuang Rui's kick, leaned over and whispered in Zhuang Rui's ear, "Not bad, you blockhead, you're getting some of my flirting skills. I think you can win this girl over once she goes to Zhonghai."
"Alright, get lost. How come you make such a pure person like me sound so different? Go, go, go see your pretty girls."
Zhuang Rui really couldn't stand this guy's nagging.
"Hey, isn't that the old man from yesterday? What's he doing here?"
Liu Chuan nudged Zhuang Rui with his elbow.
Zhuang Rui had seen Old Master Gu when the jewelry exhibition opened, but he didn't go up to greet him. At that time, Old Master Gu was surrounded by people cutting the ribbon. Zhuang Rui thought to himself that he was just a nobody, and that the old man probably didn't even remember him.
The old man didn't walk in their direction. Surrounded by a group of people, he went to another booth, and Zhuang Rui withdrew his gaze. Focusing on distributing materials, Lei Lei and Qin Xuanbing were at a nearby booth, introducing the company's latest jewelry designs to tourists and small jewelry store owners. However, Zhuang Rui, Liu Chuan, and the two women were unaware that within the group of the old man, a pair of eyes filled with malice were fixed intently on their direction. ...
"Young Master Wang, how about it? That woman's not bad, is she? With your status, getting her would be a piece of cake. Don't forget to share some with your brothers when the time comes."