Seeing that the camera wasn't pointed at them, Sun Sheng gave Zhuang Rui a thumbs up. This wasn't just flattery; it was a genuine expression of admiration.
Sun Sheng had originally intended to mentor Zhuang Rui by showing him the bloodstone, thinking that if Zhuang Rui couldn't explain or answer some questions, he could step in to help.
However, none of them expected that Zhuang Rui would not only describe all the details of its features, but also explain the origin of the carving technique.
It's fair to say that Zhuang Rui's performance just now was at the level of a master of cultural relic appraisal. I believe that after this episode airs, Zhuang Rui's reputation in the domestic collecting world will definitely be no less than theirs.
"You guys are making fun of me, but please don't praise me, that's called 'praise to death,' I'm still young..."
Zhuang Rui's words made everyone laugh. There were always breaks in these treasure appraisal shows, and the group chatted quite happily.
At this moment, Zhuang Rui felt that participating in this program was quite good. He liked the purely academic atmosphere and could learn a lot in the process.
Chapter 531 Appraisal (Part 1)
Although Fatty Jin and the others had identified quite a few fake items, the knowledge derived from them greatly broadened Zhuang Rui's horizons and benefited him immensely.
In particular, the bloodstone gave Zhuang Rui the idea of visiting the place of origin to see it for himself. Although bloodstone is not as common as jade in the general public, there are quite a few people in the collecting circle who like to collect it, and its price is rising year by year.
Zhuang Rui had been to Zhejiang once with Uncle De, but they didn't go to Changhua. He had heard Uncle De say that chicken blood stone, like jadeite, is impossible to see through inside, and there's a saying about gambling on stones.
The area in Changhua that produces chicken-blood stone has been almost completely mined out, leaving very little chicken-blood stone on the market. Furthermore, like Tianhuang stone, chicken-blood stone is mostly used for seal carving, and not many are used for decorative pieces. Therefore, its reputation is not as widespread as jadeite, but its value is not much less than jadeite.
The items being appraised included both genuine and fake pieces. And it must be said, there are quite a few interesting items scattered among the people, including many exquisite pieces used by officials in ancient times, which are not even collected by some major museums.
By the afternoon... by the time the items brought in for appraisal had all been appraised, Zhuang Rui and the others' work was essentially finished. The whole process had only taken a little over two hours.
More than 100 people brought their treasures to Beijing this time, meaning that dozens more will arrive each day for the next two days. The appraisal of the antiques brought in will be postponed. If enough items come to the site, we might have to cancel all the items in the warehouse. ...
The station arranged a car to take the experts back, but Zhuang Rui and Miao Feifei came together, so they didn't need to ride in their car. Ouyang Jun was also leaving. After saying goodbye to the host and several experts, Zhuang Rui changed his clothes and walked out of the CCTV building with Ouyang Jun and the others.
The snow had stopped sometime ago, but as far as the eye could see, the world was still a blanket of white. At the entrance of CCTV, a sign welcoming the Spring Festival was hung, adding to the festive atmosphere.
"You know what, you really do have the air of an expert, huh? By the way, my courtyard house is all set up, you'd better find me some nice things to put there..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to get into Miao Feifei's car, Ouyang Jun grabbed him. Zhuang Rui's behavior today made Ouyang Jun realize that his little cousin was no ordinary person.
"You should ask Brother Bai for help with this. He uses official kiln porcelain for drinking and dining. It wouldn't be difficult for him to assemble a set of tableware that Emperor Qianlong used when he dined with his concubines... uh, no, with the Empress..."
Zhuang Rui was joking with Ouyang Jun when he mentioned concubines. Xu Qing glared at him fiercely, which startled Zhuang Rui so much that he quickly changed his words. If this were ancient times, Xu Qing would be the Empress, and concubines... were just titles for mistresses or concubines.
"Hey, do you think your fourth brother buys just anyone's stuff? Alright. Don't joke with me, let's go take a stroll around Panjiayuan right now..."
Although Ouyang Jun and Bai Feng were childhood friends, he still had to be careful about his interactions with him. It was true that he should ask for a favor, but he couldn't be too greedy. So, apart from taking a set of screens from Bai Feng, Ouyang Jun didn't take any other advantage of him.
"Going to Panjiayuan now? Fourth Brother, your wife can't stand the crowds..."
Zhuang Rui preferred to go to Liulichang rather than Panjiayuan, because the antique shops in Liulichang, such as Rongbaozhai, are all century-old shops. Although they now mainly sell handicrafts, if you can afford the price, you can still find some good items.
But Panjiayuan is different. It's a fake goods market with all sorts of counterfeit goods. There's nothing they can't make, and it's a melting pot of all sorts of people. The number of people setting traps and scams is almost greater than the number of people actually wanting to buy things.
For true Beijingers, going to Panjiayuan is just a casual stroll; nobody's thinking of finding a bargain there. The majority of those who actually buy things are tourists from other parts of China, and some are just there to "scam"—the so-called "foolish foreigners"—those foreigners who can speak a few words of Chinese and are also hoping to find a bargain on Taobao.
"Let Miao take him to your house. The two of us brothers will go for a walk first, and then we'll have hot pot and some drinks when we get back tonight..."
It turns out that Ouyang Jun had planned this all along. He didn't want to go back to his own home because he had too many troublesome things to deal with. His grandfather was also extremely busy during the New Year, and he would probably have to visit and comfort him on New Year's Eve. Ouyang Jun just wanted to spend the New Year in Zhuang Rui's courtyard.
"Don't stop me, just go..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head helplessly. This older brother was usually quite composed in front of outsiders, but when he met his own family, he was not as sensible as his niece, Nannan. Zhuang Rui saw the way Ouyang Jun talked to his mother, and it was just like a child whining and acting like a rogue. He was almost forty years old, how could he have such a problem?
This is actually due to Ouyang Jun losing his mother at a young age. Having grown up without maternal love, he immediately took on his aunt as his mother. However, every time Ouyang Jun visits Zhuang Rui's house, he carries loads of gifts, showing his filial piety.
Xu Qing naturally couldn't do anything about her husband. As long as he didn't go out fooling around, Xu Qing was too lazy to pay attention to him. The four of them split into two cars and left the TV station.
After the heavy snow, some sunshine actually appeared, shining brightly on the white snow. The weather, which had been gloomy for several days, finally cleared up. It seems there's no need to worry about it getting dark around four or five o'clock.
After the two drove to Panjiayuan, they found that people were busy setting up stalls. The roadside vendors had been cooped up for days, hoping to make some money during the Spring Festival, but the weather was not cooperating. Several days of heavy snow delayed a lot of their business.
These street vendors have been around the market for a long time and are very familiar with the stalls. They don't need to take their goods home; they just leave them at familiar shops. Since they don't have anything valuable, they're not worried.
As soon as the heavy snow stopped, the street vendors suddenly appeared out of nowhere and set up their stalls, turning the once quiet market into a bustling place.
Besides the vendors, a construction team was also busy in the heavy snow next to Panjiayuan, setting up many frames and platforms, which also occupied the original parking lot. This forced Ouyang Jun to back his car out and find a parking space outside before he and Zhuang Rui trudged through the snow into Panjiayuan.
"Fourth Brother, what are these people doing? Why are they setting up all this stuff during the New Year?"
Zhuang Rui asked Ouyang Jun with some curiosity, "There are quite a few people working here. There are hundreds of frames of all sizes set up at the entrance of Panjiayuan, but they are all simple welds and it's hard to tell what they are for."
"You didn't know, did you? This is from the first to the fifteenth of the Lunar New Year, specifically for holding temple fairs. During that time, all the century-old shops and traditional crafts in Beijing will be invited to recreate the old Tianqiao charm..."
"Really? Then I'll have to take a look around..."
Zhuang Rui became interested upon hearing this; he knew about it. Tianqiao in Beijing was a well-known place both domestically and internationally, with a history of over 600 years, and it played an irreplaceable role in the development of modern Chinese folk art.
Tianqiao was originally located in the south of Beijing, between Qianmen and Yongdingmen, with the Temple of Heaven to the east and the Temple of Agriculture to the west.
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, with the development of the city's economy and culture and the expansion of the urban class, the old Tianqiao gradually became a gathering place for all walks of life, with all kinds of trades and professions.
For a period before and after liberation, Tianqiao was the birthplace of many folk arts. Performers performed in Tianqiao, usually in the open air, a practice known as "liaodi". There were as many as five or six hundred folk artists who learned, performed, passed on their skills and made a living in the old Tianqiao. They were divided into two main categories: acrobatic performers and storytelling performers. Acrobatic performances included acrobatics, martial arts and other items, while storytelling and singing included drama, folk art and other items.
Back then, Tianqiao in Beijing was a famous place, on par with the Eight Great Hutongs of Beijing.
Don't know what the Eight Great Hutongs are? Uh... it's similar to those saunas that are all show and no substance these days. They were commonly known as brothels because a certain emperor from the late Qing Dynasty visited them, which can be considered a celebrity effect at the time.
Zhuang Rui once saw a set of old photographs in Zhonghai, collected by Uncle De, depicting the bustling scene of Tianqiao in Beijing during the 1920s and 30s. The photos showed shadow puppet shows, puppet shows, crowds of people, and even a scene of Manchu wrestlers Bao San and Man Bao Zhen wrestling – truly invaluable.
The snow had only just stopped, and there weren't many people in Panjiayuan yet. Most of them were street vendors, dressed in festive red cotton-padded jackets, breathing warm air on their hands as they chatted in groups. When they saw Zhuang Rui and his companion enter, they swarmed around them.
"Hey buddy, what are you looking to snag?"
"Brothers, come take a look here. I have everything: calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, ceramics and antiques..."
"Stay away, stay away from me, buddy, I have a bad temper..."
Zhuang Rui had been here many times before and knew that these people were not to be trifled with. If you were, they would definitely take advantage of you. Although they wouldn't force you to buy or sell, they would definitely annoy you to no end.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's fluent Beijing accent, the vendors immediately lost interest and went back to chatting and joking. Their customers were usually tourists from other parts of China and foreign idiots; it would be quite difficult to rip off Beijingers.
Chapter 532 Appraisal (Part 2)
"Fourth Brother, what exactly do you want to buy?"
Zhuang Rui saw Ouyang Jun browsing around with great interest, wanting to touch and examine everything.
In this line of work, there are specific rules for handling items. For example, with a Zisha teapot, you need to cover it with the lid and turn it over to check the mark. When handling ceramic pieces, whether large or small, you need to hold them firmly with both hands. Those who set up stalls can tell whether you are a novice or an expert just by looking at your hand shape.
Ouyang Jun was a complete novice. Almost every time he picked up an item, Zhuang Rui would be bothered by the stall owner for half a day. Why? Because they were trying to rip him off. Ouyang Jun rarely came to this place, and everything seemed genuine to him. In the eyes of the stall owners, Ouyang Jun was like a "reckless scoundrel." Although it was the New Year, and people were all smiles and polite, once they started bargaining, Zhuang Rui felt like smashing the items in his hands over their heads. They were all asking for exorbitant prices.
Ouyang Jun was standing next to a ceramics stall when he heard Zhuang Rui's words. He said, "I want to buy them too, Wu'er. You know, this bowl looks almost the same as the one at Lao Bai's house, doesn't it? It looks even brighter than the one he uses..."
Upon hearing Ouyang Jun's words, the stall owner immediately perked up and said, "Hey, sir, you have a really good eye! This bowl you're holding was used by Emperor Jiaqing, the son of Emperor Qianlong. Look at the style on the back; it's definitely official kiln porcelain..."
The stall owner isn't foolish enough to claim that this item was used by Emperor Qianlong; that would be far too fake.
How much does this thing cost?
Ouyang Jun asked casually.
"Fourth Brother, let's go. If you want these, I'll buy you a few dozen at the supermarket for 100 yuan each, so you can smash them and hear the sound, okay?"
Zhuang Rui had just seen many nice items on TV, so he had absolutely no interest in the things here and didn't even bother to use his spiritual energy.
Aside from the different design at the bottom, this thing is pretty much the same as the ones sold in supermarkets. Zhuang Rui figured it out; Ouyang Jun was just bored and looking for amusement.
"Hey, you can't put it that way. Do you even know what antiques are? Let alone the bowls that Emperor Jiaqing used for eating, even the toilets the emperor used for relieving himself are priceless. How can you compare them to things from the supermarket..."
Zhuang Rui's words were a bit hurtful, and the stall owner was displeased. He saw that one of the two men was older but completely clueless, and the younger one didn't seem to be an expert either, so the stall owner tried his best to deceive him.
"A Tongzhi blue and white porcelain bowl, right?"
Zhuang Rui took the blue-and-white porcelain bowl from Ouyang Jun, turned it over and looked at it. He immediately lost his temper. The design clearly stated that it was made during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. This stall owner was far too unprofessional.
"Here, your Jiaqing blue-and-white porcelain bowl. Keep it safe. If it gets damaged, we brothers can't afford to pay for it..."
Zhuang Rui handed the blue-and-white porcelain bowl to the stall owner, who took it and realized he had made a mistake. He then fell silent, looking embarrassed.
"Dude, sell it to me for two bucks, how about I listen to the sound? Hey, Wu'er, why are you pulling me?"
Ouyang Jun was a bit cunning and wanted to provoke that person, but Zhuang Rui forcibly pulled him away.
"Brother Zhuang Rui..."
Just as Zhuang Rui left the stall, he suddenly heard someone call his name. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw two girls standing together in front of a shop to his right, the older one waving at him.
"Qiuqian, what are you doing here all by yourself?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment, then quickly walked over. This was the precious granddaughter of his future mentor, but she had never been interested in these things before. Why had she come here today? Panjiayuan was no place to be trifled with.
"Hehe, Brother Zhuang Rui, I came with Grandpa. This is my cousin, Meng Xiyou. You can just call her Youyou..."
Meng Qiuqian's cousin was only eleven or twelve years old. The two looked somewhat alike. In Zhuang Rui's eyes, she was pretty, but they were both a bit quirky.
Following Meng Qiuqian's finger, Zhuang Rui saw Professor Meng in the shop, chatting with someone who looked somewhat familiar to Zhuang Rui.
"Hey bro, you're usually so quiet, but you know a lot of women. These two little girls are pretty good..."
Ouyang Jun looked Meng Qiuqian and Youyou up and down. Although his expression remained unchanged, the words he uttered made Zhuang Rui want to beat him up.
However, these two girls were quite eye-catching standing at the store entrance. The two girls were already quite pretty, and now they were wearing pink down jackets, making them look like two porcelain dolls. Many people would take a look when they passed by.
Especially Meng Qiuqian, who has big eyes and very long eyelashes. When she blinks, she looks just like a girl in an animated film. Every time Zhuang Rui sees her, he wonders if her eyelashes are real or fake.
"Why aren't you talking to me...?"
When Ouyang Jun saw that Zhuang Rui didn't speak, he nudged him with his elbow.
"Go away and play somewhere else. This is my advisor's granddaughter. The other one is probably still a minor, so don't talk nonsense..."
Zhuang Rui glared at Ouyang Jun with annoyance, called to the two maids, and went into the shop.
As Zhuang Rui walked to the shop entrance, he suddenly remembered that he had been to this shop before. Looking up, he saw the signboard with the words "Ci Lai Fang" (瓷来坊). It was here that Zhuang Rui had restored the Longshan black pottery piece he had bought at a bargain price.
However, two large red lanterns were hanging at the entrance of the shop, and couplets were posted on both sides of the shop. The festive atmosphere of the New Year was evident from the inside out, which made Zhuang Rui not recognize it at first glance.
"You...you're Mr. Zhuang from last time, right?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui walked up to Professor Meng, the person who was talking to Professor Meng recognized Zhuang Rui at a glance.
"Hehe, boss, wishing you a prosperous New Year! I'm sending my New Year's greetings in advance..."