Like many collectibles markets in China, there aren't many tourists here on weekdays, mostly from out of town. But on weekends and holidays, it's a completely different story – bustling and crowded, just like it is now. On the one hand, many people have time to try their luck on weekends and holidays, hoping to find some satisfactory collectibles. On the other hand, many small vendors from surrounding areas also come here, setting up stalls with newspapers or velvet cloths, displaying all sorts of old and quirky items they've gathered, and then setting up a small stool behind them to sit on – that's how they start their business.
Although it was still freezing cold, Zhuang Rui saw nothing but smiling faces filled with festive joy amidst the crowded throng. Upon closer observation, he noticed that the majority of the people coming and going were young men and women, but they were all just browsing, rarely staying at a single stall for more than a few minutes. They mostly bought handicrafts, priced at ten or eight yuan, which were relatively cheap and far from being valuable collectibles. Those who stood or squatted by the stalls, lingering there, were often middle-aged or elderly people. Some even held magnifying glasses the size of coins, carefully examining the items. Some were haggling with the stall owners over prices. These people were the main consumers in the collectibles market.
Despite the excitement, Zhuang Rui knew better than to act rashly. Yang Wei's father was famous not because he was rich, but because he had a house full of counterfeit goods. People in the industry would often tell him stories about the origins of his items, and Yang's father would be fooled. Over the years, he had paid at least several million in tuition fees, but still hadn't found the right way. This was a laughing stock in their circle.
In this world, most people who drown are swimmers. In the antique business, the target is those who have only a superficial understanding of antiques. If one out of ten items they buy is actually an old item, they are considered lucky.
The unspoken rule of the collecting world is that both genuine and fake items exist, and it all depends on the buyer's discerning eye. It's not impossible to find an old item by sifting through the sand, but it's also common to accidentally buy a new item. So, whether you find a bargain or make a mistake and lose money depends entirely on the collector's decision. For most people, collecting is all about having a keen eye, seizing opportunities, and experiencing the thrill of the moment. However, Zhuang Rui felt that he didn't seem to belong to this category.
Zhuang Rui strolled leisurely along the street stalls, following the flow of people. He had no desire to enter those shops, not only because he had been taken advantage of in a shop before the New Year, but also because he had heard Uncle De mention in a previous conversation that in the antique collecting world, those who could afford to open shops usually relied on regular customers and could go three years without opening, but then live off their profits for three years. Most of the items displayed on the shelves in their shops were modern handicrafts. So, putting aside the fact that genuine goods wouldn't be displayed in these shops, the fact that the shop assistants would claim that a spittoon was used by Emperor Qianlong was simply unbearable. Zhuang Rui was too lazy to bother with such a ridiculous idea.
Zhuang Rui was particularly interested in the stalls selling calligraphy and paintings, often squatting there for half a day, picking up each item and examining it carefully. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was an expert, looking at things so meticulously. Little did they know that he had to distinguish each item one by one, which of course took a lot of time. However, after browsing for more than two hours and looking at more than a dozen stalls, Zhuang Rui still couldn't find a single thing of value, and he was slightly disappointed.
"Brother, I have some old things here, would you like to take a look?"
It was almost noon when Zhuang Rui shook his head, turned around with some disappointment, and was about to go back when someone suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
Chapter 22 A Double Act (Part 1)
"Are you calling me?"
Zhuang Rui stopped and looked at the person who had pulled him, somewhat puzzled. The person was also a young man, around twenty years old, thin and weak, with small eyes that narrowed into slits when he smiled. He looked a bit like Liang Tian from the sitcom "I Love My Family".
This person's attire was quite interesting and had a comedic effect. He wore a pair of somewhat bulky cotton trousers on his lower body, but over a white down jacket, he wore a yellow mandarin jacket with sleeves that reached his elbows and had buttons under his armpits. However, on the person in front of him, it didn't look like the imperial guards that Zhuang Rui had seen on TV. Instead, it looked more like a little eunuch in the palace who emptied spittoons and fed horses.
"Sir, I've been watching you for a while now, and I can tell you're an expert, which is why I approached you. Are you interested in calligraphy and paintings? Come take a look at my stall; it's full of genuine works by famous artists, and I even have a painting by Zheng Banqiao that I don't usually display..."
The eunuch who was feeding the horses acted like a familiar face, leaning close to Zhuang Rui and whispering. He started by praising Zhuang Rui, but his small eyes were darting around, looking all sneaky.
"Oh? Where's your stall? I'm not going anywhere too far..."
Zhuang Rui asked noncommittally. He would never go there if it weren't for the market. In today's society, especially in places like this, all sorts of people mingle. If you're not careful, losing money is a minor matter; losing your life is not uncommon.
Liu Chuan once told Zhuang Rui about a story. Last year, a young man from the countryside set up a stall here, selling some rusty ancient coins. According to the young man, he dug them up from the ground while farming. He thought they were just scrap metal. Later, he heard from people in the village that people would buy these things, so he came to Pengcheng Antique Market to try his luck. However, there were many people selling coins in the market, and his coins were not in good condition, so he didn't make any money after a whole day.
Just as the young man was packing up his stall for the night, an old man squatted down in front of him and wouldn't leave. This old man had a discerning eye and could tell that the coins he was selling were genuine Warring States period Qi swords, and one of them was even a six-character sword coin, which has always been the rarest of all Qi swords in existence and unearthed.
As everyone knows, the State of Qi was located in present-day Shandong. Mr. Zhu Huo, a former researcher at the Shandong Provincial Museum, mentioned in his book "A New Compendium of Ancient Coins" that a total of 4,950 Qi knives of various types have been unearthed in Shandong, but only 16 of them are six-character knives. This makes the six-character knife coin extremely precious, with a market price of at least 60,000 RMB per coin. Even so, many collectors who love ancient coins still find it difficult to acquire one.
Although the six-character knife coin was somewhat damaged, it was still in good condition. The old gentleman also found four five-character knife coins in relatively good condition. Although there are more five-character knife coins in existence, each one can still sell for tens of thousands of yuan. The old gentleman was so excited that he started shouting about it, which immediately caused a sensation in the entire antique market.
You see, the things these people selling at street stalls, to put it nicely, are called modern handicrafts, but to put it bluntly, they're fakes and worthless goods, specifically designed to fool those who come to shop online after reading a few books. This market has been open for several years, and I've never heard of anyone selling items worth more than 50,000 yuan at a street stall. Generally, larger transactions are mostly conducted in shops, and the items and amounts are kept confidential. So, the news that a six-character knife appeared at a street stall spread like wildfire throughout the entire market within minutes.
The old man realized his mistake after shouting and was filled with regret. His outburst had cost him a chance to snag a bargain. However, he had genuinely been searching for the six-character knife coin and sincerely wanted to buy it. The young man, having overheard the onlookers' discussions, roughly understood the value of his coins. Because the six-character knife coin wasn't in the best condition, its price was slightly lower. After some negotiation, the old man finally bought the six-character knife coin and four five-character knife coins for 90,000 yuan, and immediately took the young man from the countryside to the bank to withdraw the money for the transaction.
The story should have ended here. The old man's words prevented him from getting a bargain and cost him tens of thousands of yuan. Most of the onlookers could only sigh inwardly at the rural lad's good fortune, having made a windfall.
However, there are many people in this market who want to get rich and have ulterior motives. After discovering the value of those coins, several greedy eyes were fixed on the two of them, and they even followed them to the bank under the pretense of watching the excitement.
After the transaction, the old man took a taxi and left, leaving the men with no way to catch him. The young man from the countryside, who had just received a large sum of money, lacked experience in dealing with people. He hadn't thought to open an account to deposit the money at the bank. Instead, he excitedly carried the money with him when he left the bank. This gave the men an opportunity. They followed the young man to a secluded place and robbed him of the 90,000 yuan.
Fortunately, the young man from the countryside was lucky. After being knocked unconscious by a severe blow to the head, he was taken to the hospital by a kind passerby. After undergoing craniotomy, he regained consciousness and identified the people who had been lurking in the antique market and had robbed him. Although the debt was recovered, more than 30,000 yuan of the 90,000 yuan had been squandered by the gang of thugs, and more than 40,000 yuan went to medical expenses. Those thugs were all penniless and had no one to support them, so they naturally had no money to bear the civil liability of paying for the young man's medical treatment. Although they were all severely punished by law in the end, no one could help the young man recover his real losses. This can be described as a case of joy turning into sorrow.
Since that incident, the antique market has strengthened its management and increased security. Some people who idled around all day and had bad reputations have been cleared out. Merchants in the market are also much more cautious about transactions with larger sums of money. However, the occurrence of good items appearing on the stalls like last year has not happened again.
It was precisely because of what happened here that Zhuang Rui asked the question above. These days, there are many people who would take risks for money, so we have to be careful. He was unlucky enough to be robbed before the New Year, and now that it's the New Year, he doesn't want to invite bad luck upon himself.
"Brother, my stall is right next to here. You just walked by and didn't notice it..."
The eunuch, with a fawning smile and bowing, pointed to a stall on Zhuang Rui's way here.
Zhuang Rui breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing the man in front of him say that the stall was on the street he had just walked across, he figured he might as well take a look since he was going back anyway.
"Brother Xiong, bring out that calligraphy by Zheng Banqiao and let this brother take a look..."
When the two reached the stall, the eunuch who was feeding the horses beat them to it and shouted loudly to a man sitting behind the stall covered with a red cloth.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhuang Rui noticed that the thin young man was blinking incessantly as if he had sand in his eyes while shouting. He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. He had really learned something new today. He had heard of medical touts and bar touts before, but he never expected to encounter an antique tout performing a double act here.
PS: Today I was reading book reviews and saw someone say that the writing wasn't intense, didn't have wish-fulfillment elements, and wasn't overpowered. Haha, I also have a few words to say. When I was writing this book, I discussed it with the editor and said that it would be relatively mild. The protagonist wouldn't be all domineering and have countless women chasing after him and clamoring to throw themselves at him. If you want to read that kind of book, there are plenty on Qidian.
The protagonist of this book is an ordinary citizen, just like you and me. He eats the same food and experiences joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Although he has superpowers and will rise to power and develop in the future, these things will happen gradually. All the background and foreshadowing in the beginning serve the purpose of the subsequent plot. It is impossible for a web novel with more than a million words to have a climax in every chapter. True knowledge is found in the ordinary. I believe that the later plot will keep everyone looking forward to it.
When you calm down and focus on writing a story, and when your friends calm down and focus on reading the story, that's how it works.
Chapter 23 A Double Act (Part 2)
Xiong Ge's stall was just like the other stalls next to it. A two-meter square red cloth was spread on the ground, on which were displayed some coins, bronzes and other items. From the outside, they were all rusty and looked like they had been around for a long time. However, Zhuang Rui's spiritual energy could not see through these things, so he did not stop and simply ignored the stall.
"Monkey, didn't I tell you a long time ago that someone had already ordered that painting? I wouldn't even put it out if I hadn't seen it. Why did you bring people to see it again?"
The stall owner, Xiong Ge, looked impatient and was speaking to the thin young man, but Zhuang Rui noticed that Xiong Ge's eyes seemed to be glancing at him.
When I was chatting with Uncle De at the pawnshop before, he mentioned that back before liberation, there were people in the underworld who specialized in dealing in genuine and fake antiques and dealing in antiques and calligraphy. Later, some tomb raiders joined in, and they resorted to all sorts of petty theft, cheating, and swindling. They even traced their lineage back to the thief Shi Qian, recognizing him as their ancestor and calling themselves the "Jianghu Cemen" (a sect of martial arts practitioners). Their behavior is somewhat similar to that of the two people in front of me.
"If someone wants it, then forget it. I can't afford an authentic work by Zheng Banqiao anyway. Alright, I'm leaving now."
In this market, Liu Chuan was a well-known figure, so although Zhuang Rui was not afraid of trouble, he was too lazy to provoke these local bullies. He turned around and was about to leave, as it was almost noon and he needed to take his daughter to lunch.
"No, no, brother, this is a rare find. Take a look before you leave. Xiong, I've never seen anyone turn away customers like this."
The skinny young man quickly grabbed Zhuang Rui, while constantly winking at Xiong Ge, warning that if he pressed too hard, Zhuang Rui might really leave.
"It's fine to just look at it, but if this brother takes a liking to it, I'm in a difficult position. I've already promised someone else. Well, let's take a look first..."
When Xiong Ge saw Zhuang Rui about to leave, a look of panic appeared on his face, and his tone immediately softened.
In fact, Zhuang Rui overestimated these two. Jianghu sects might have really existed seventy or eighty years ago, but after the ten years following liberation, these monsters and demons were wiped out long ago. These two were at best putting on a show, fooling those who didn't know anything or were new to the industry, and making a little money. Their professional level was far inferior to those old Jianghu veterans that Uncle De mentioned. At the very least, even Zhuang Rui could see through the little tricks they were playing at a glance.
Zhuang Rui stopped in his tracks upon hearing this. Since there was no harm in taking a look, and with Liu Chuan looking after him in the market, he wasn't afraid of these two forcing him to buy something. He also harbored a sliver of hope. If someone could obtain Wang Shizhen's manuscript of "Xiangzu Notes" from an old woman in the countryside, perhaps this person really had some good stuff. If it was real, even if he couldn't afford to buy it, absorbing the spiritual energy within would still be a sure win.
When Xiong Ge saw the young man turn around, he was secretly pleased. He and Monkey had been observing him for a long time and noticed that he stopped at every stall selling old paintings and calligraphy, but only looked without buying anything. Generally speaking, such a person should know a little about the market for paintings and calligraphy, but judging from his age, he probably hadn't been in the business for long. He was the kind of person who was only half-baked and easily fooled with his high-quality forgeries.
When Xiong Ge stood up, Zhuang Rui realized that what he had made was not a stool, but a rattan box. After opening the box, Xiong Ge carefully took out a scroll wrapped in yellow cloth with both hands. After removing the yellow cloth, the wooden shafts at both ends of the scroll were worn and old, and at first glance, it looked like an old object.
Xiong Ge unrolled the scroll on the rattan box. Zhuang Rui discovered that it was a vertical scroll, about 50 x 110 centimeters in length and width. The paper was slightly yellowed. It depicted bamboo growing among rocks and included a poem: "Bamboo pierces the sky and covers the earth, turning wind and rain on the tip of the brush; I refuse to follow others' methods, and write out dragon whiskers and phoenix tails."
The characters are of varying sizes and are crooked and messy. Below the poem are the two characters "Zheng Xie" and several seals.
Who is Zheng Xie?
Zhuang Rui blurted out the question, but regretted it as soon as it left his mouth. He had made a fool of himself. Zheng Xie's courtesy name was Banqiao. However, the name Zheng Banqiao was too famous, and Zhuang Rui did not react for a moment. This was similar to the joke that Yang Wei's father said that Tang Bohu and Tang Yin were two different people.
Xiong Ge and Monkey looked at each other, their eyes full of suspicion. This man didn't even know Zheng Banqiao's original name. How could he tell the difference between the real and fake? If he were an impulsive person, it would be easy to deal with. He would buy it if it looked real. But this man looked quite calm. He wouldn't be so easy to fool today.
Zhuang Rui lowered his head, using the strands of hair on his forehead to shield others' view, and focused intently on the so-called calligraphy and painting by Zheng Banqiao. A yellow light flashed in his eyes, and spiritual energy had already circled the painting. When the spiritual energy returned to his eyes, there was no unusual phenomenon. Without asking, Zhuang Rui had already sentenced the calligraphy and painting to death in his heart.
Since he was able to absorb spiritual energy from couplets and that manuscript, Zhuang Rui had experimented on many books, but none of them contained spiritual energy. After pondering for a long time and combining the two experiences of absorbing spiritual energy, Zhuang Rui came to a conclusion: objects that contain spiritual energy must be ancient things, at least before the liberation. This judgment was based on the couplet by Lian Sheng.
Zhuang Rui even suspected that the spiritual energy in the couplet and manuscript might be the result of the author's complete concentration during the creation process, but this idea was too absurd, and Zhuang Rui only thought of it unintentionally. However, Zhuang Rui was now convinced that the thing in front of him was definitely a fake.
"Gentlemen, I'm not entirely sure about this thing. You should put it away for now."
Zhuang Rui raised his head and spoke to Xiong Ge and Monkey, who were looking at him with expectant expressions.
Uncle De once told Zhuang Rui that in the antique business, there is no such thing as genuine or fake, only new and old. And you should leave room for maneuver. Even if the item is new, most people will just say they can't tell or that it's not good, but they won't point it out directly. The seller will naturally understand and won't make a fuss.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Xiong Ge and Monkey exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected that this man, who didn't even know Zheng Banqiao's real name, would utter such jargon without even asking the price. It turned out they had misjudged him. Little did they know, if Zhuang Rui didn't have those eyes, how could he distinguish between the real and the fake? Even if you gave him a modern print, he might have thought it was genuine just because it looked so realistic.
Monkey and Xiong were unlucky to run into Zhuang Rui. The aging technique used on this high-quality forgery of Zheng Banqiao's calligraphy and painting was quite sophisticated. The paper was indeed from the Qing Dynasty, and the calligraphy and painting were done by a master. Compared with Zheng Banqiao's original work, it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Moreover, the "axis" of the hanging scroll had also been aged. Anyone who knows a little about calligraphy and painting but is not an expert on Zheng Banqiao would definitely think that this calligraphy and painting was Zheng Banqiao's handwriting. Unfortunately, Zhuang Rui was an unconventional guy, and all their hard work went down the drain.
Xiong Ge was quite straightforward. After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, he didn't say much and quickly put the calligraphy and painting back in the box. These were their livelihood. Anyway, there are plenty of people in society who want to take advantage of others. If Zhuang Rui wasn't fooled, others would naturally fall for it.
Zhuang Rui was also losing interest. The spiritual energy in his eyes had been greatly reduced due to treating his mother's illness, and he was eager to replenish it. However, after browsing around all morning, he hadn't encountered a single valuable item. It seemed that even with his eyes, finding a bargain wasn't so easy.
"Gentlemen, if you ever come across any old items in the future, just go to the pet store up ahead and give the owner a heads-up. You two go ahead with your work..."
Zhuang Rui exchanged a few polite words. He would be returning to Zhonghai City for work in a month or so, and he couldn't stay here all the time. On the other hand, these people in front of him hung out here all day long, and who knew they might run into something good sometime.
"Suckling... Hurry, hurry, hurry..."
After Zhuang Rui greeted them, he was about to leave when he suddenly heard a familiar and melodious chirping sound.
Chapter 24 The Grasshopper Gourd (Part 1)
When Zhuang Rui was only 5 or 6 years old and still living in the old family house, his favorite game was cricket fighting. Back then, three or five friends would often go to the broken bricks and tiles near Ximatai in the middle of the night with flashlights to catch crickets, and then they would have a competition to see who could catch the best crickets.
Urbanization in those days wasn't as extensive as it is now, with buildings everywhere. Plus, the old house was located at the foot of Yunlong Mountain, inhabited by all sorts of birds and insects. Every night, the sounds of insects and birds filled the air. You could easily find a cricket or some other insect hidden under any stone you turned over.
Besides cricket fighting, after Zhuang Rui met Liu Chuan, the two also took a liking to raising crickets. In order to catch good crickets, the two often went to the vegetable gardens in the suburbs. They also often got a beating from Liu Chuan's father for bringing crickets to class to play with. However, at that time, having a bright green cricket with a loud chirping sound was undoubtedly a very prestigious thing among classmates.
Therefore, after hearing the rapid chirping just now, Zhuang Rui immediately recognized it as the chirping of a cricket. He was very surprised. He knew that most people played with crickets in the summer and autumn. Once winter came, most crickets would die from the cold. The crickets that Zhuang Rui raised when he was a child never survived to the New Year. However, the cricket he heard now was loud and strong, obviously not the kind that would die in the winter.
Following the sound, Zhuang Rui discovered that the cricket's chirping was coming from Xiong Ge's arms. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Don't crickets usually die in winter? How come yours is chirping so loudly?"
"Hehe, I can tell you're not an expert at keeping crickets, brother. The kind you're talking about is kept in a cage, of course it won't live long. My cricket is kept in a gourd, I keep it close to my body every day, so it's fine..."
As Xiong Ge explained with a smug look, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cricket gourd that was entirely red with a hint of purple.
Through Xiong Ge's explanation, Zhuang Rui finally understood that what he had been doing before was not playing with crickets at all. Real good crickets can survive the winter, and some can even live for up to a year. However, there are many things to pay attention to. First, special attention should be paid to the temperature of crickets in winter. When the temperature is low, try not to let them chirp. During the day, put them in a gourd and keep them in your bosom so that the temperature can be raised by the body temperature. Second, although crickets like to chirp, each time should not exceed half an hour, and no more than three times a day, otherwise it will shorten the life of the cricket.
Listening to the crickets chirping in front of him, Zhuang Rui felt as if he had returned to his childhood, and couldn't help but say to Xiong Ge, "Can I see this?"
"Take it, but don't leave it out for too long; low temperatures are bad for the crickets..."
Xiong Ge was quite generous and handed the cricket gourd in his hand to Zhuang Rui.
As soon as Zhuang Rui held the gourd in his hand, he felt a warmth in his palm. After examining it carefully, he realized that the gourd was about 10 centimeters high through the mouth, and the middle part was quite large, probably about 7 or 8 centimeters. The hollowed-out core looked like it was carved from jade, and it was very exquisite. The outer skin was reddish and had a quiet, serene glow, revealing a gentle, old-fashioned feel. Zhuang Rui had been cramming on antique knowledge lately and knew that this was a sign of a thick, rich patina.
The cricket inside the gourd seemed to sense the drop in temperature and stopped chirping. As Zhuang Rui examined the cricket gourd, he habitually released the spiritual energy from his eyes.
"Huh?"
Just as the spiritual energy came into contact with the cricket gourd, a familiar feeling appeared in Zhuang Rui's eyes. Spiritual energy, that's right, a faint aura merged into the spiritual energy in Zhuang Rui's eyes. Although the aura was faint and the increase in spiritual energy after returning to his eyes was very small, Zhuang Rui could still clearly sense that this cricket gourd obviously contained spiritual energy.
"Brother Xiong, right? I like this thing. Are you selling it? I used to play with this a lot when I was a kid. It feels nice to see it now. If you're willing to sell, just name your price."
Zhuang Rui first returned the cricket gourd to Xiong Ge, then, without changing his expression, pretended to be very casual and asked. He knew that everyone who could survive in this market was shrewd. If you showed even the slightest interest in the item, they would immediately exaggerate its value to the skies.
Although the spiritual energy contained in this cricket gourd is far less than that of the couplet and manuscript, it is still the third spiritual object that Zhuang Rui has encountered. If the price is not too high, Zhuang Rui would still like to buy it.
"I'm just playing with this myself, not selling it."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Xiong Ge showed a troubled expression. He wasn't being stubborn this time; he had been raising this cricket for almost half a year, carrying it with him every day and carefully feeding it various insects. He had developed a strong attachment to it, and hearing Zhuang Rui's words, he was truly reluctant to part with it.
Zhuang Rui, unwilling to give up, urged, "Brother Xiong, I really like this. Could you part with it? You can name your price. If it's right, I'll buy it. It's the New Year, so you're having a lucky start, and I've also found something I like. We're all happy, right?"