"Teacher Ma, this...this thing should have a price, right?"
Qi Zhu's voice broke the silence in the shop. After listening to Uncle De's introduction, she wanted to acquire the brick inkstone even more. Money was not a problem for her. The company her father ran was a very famous group in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, and she could afford to spend hundreds of millions.
"Well... it's really hard to say. There are more and more people collecting antique inkstones these days. If this inkstone were to go to auction, the starting price shouldn't be too high, around 100,000, but the final price is hard to predict. It could even be a million..."
Uncle De frowned. It was really difficult to value such an item. The starting price was not a reliable indicator. If someone liked it, it wouldn't be surprising if they spent a fortune to get it.
In recent years, some items with a starting price of only 10,000 to 20,000 yuan in the cultural relics auction market have often reached a final transaction price of up to one million yuan. In Uncle De's eyes, this brick inkstone has such potential.
Actually, Uncle De's valuation is not too outrageous, because just recently, another famous inkstone collected by Wu Changshuo during his lifetime went to an auction. The starting price was only 50,000 yuan, but it was eventually sold for 660,000 yuan.
"This old gentleman is right. Many people would probably want to collect the brick inkstone made by Old Master Wu himself. If it weren't for... sigh, if I hadn't run into some trouble, I would have been willing to buy this brick inkstone for a million..."
The things Zhao Hanxuan loved were nothing more than pens, ink, paper, and inkstones. Seeing this brick inkstone now, he couldn't help but feel an itch in his heart, as if he had been scratched by a cat's claws. He also remembered that he had been cheated out of nearly ten million yuan, and his teeth were unconsciously itching with hatred.
"My God, is this piece of junk worth a million?"
"What broken brick? Didn't you see it was an inkstone?"
"Yes, that's right. The patina on this inkstone is antique and lustrous; it's a fine piece..."
"He bought it for 2,000 yuan, and this young man can resell it for millions. He's really made a fortune..."
"Yeah, that guy surnamed Kong was a complete idiot and moron. He sold a treasure for a pittance and was still gloating over it..."
"This shop owner is really lucky..."
"What luck? Other people rely on their eyesight. You didn't even recognize him? He's Teacher Zhuang from the treasure appraisal show that aired a few days ago..."
"Teacher Zhuang, please sign your autograph for me..."
"Yes, I'm from Shaanxi. I've also watched Professor Zhuang's program. Please sign an autograph for me too..."
At this point, Zhuang Rui no longer needed to explain. The dozen or so people in the store who had witnessed Zhuang Rui buying bricks from beginning to end knew who the fool was, and they were all incredibly envious of Zhuang Rui's luck.
Some people might not believe that Zhuang Rui saw it based on his own judgment; ultimately, Zhuang Rui is simply too young.
Of course, there are quite a few people who recognize Zhuang Rui. CCTV's ratings are no joke. When Zhuang Rui enters or leaves the courtyard, he is often recognized and greeted by his neighbors. However, people in the capital are quite reserved, and no one asks him for an autograph.
"Thank you everyone, thank you, but... this isn't something I identified..."
In the blink of an eye, Zhuang Rui was surrounded by several tourists from out of town. This was the first time he had ever felt so admired. However, Zhuang Rui knew that although he knew this thing was an antique, he would not have been able to explain its origins without Uncle De's help.
People only ask for your autograph if they respect you. Zhuang Rui also carefully wrote his name in several people's notebooks. After a chaotic seven or eight minutes, the store finally quieted down.
However, this also brought some benefits. Those who got the autographs became more generous when buying things. Seven or eight people actually bought nearly 10,000 yuan worth of stationery, which made Zhuang Rui sigh. It turns out that the celebrity effect can really be converted into economic benefits.
"Teacher Zhuang, I really like this brick inkstone. Do you think... you could part with it? We can discuss the price..."
After the shop had emptied a bit, Qi Zhu expressed her intention to buy an antique inkstone to Zhuang Rui.
Qi Zhu's father was a jade collector, but after Uncle De appraised the room full of so-called antique jade, it turned out that they were mostly fake. Although Uncle De didn't say it outright, others could guess it. So after seeing her father's angry expression, Qi Zhu became extremely concerned about the authenticity of antiques.
In today's antique market, genuine items are scarce. It's rare to find an item that can be given as a gift to one's father and has been authenticated as genuine by experts. Qi Zhu has already made up her mind to buy it.
"I'm sorry, Sister Qi Zhu, one of the main businesses of my shop is writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. I don't plan to sell this inkstone; I'll keep it as a prized possession of the shop..."
Zhuang Rui rejected Qi Zhu without even making an offer. Firstly, he wasn't short of money, and secondly, such a valuable inkstone was hard to find even at auctions, and now that it had been given away for free, Zhuang Rui was eager to keep it; he certainly wouldn't sell it.
"Teacher Zhuang, I'd like to give this to my father as a gift. What do you think of the price of 1.5 million RMB?"
Qi Zhu was still somewhat unwilling to give up, so she offered the highest price she had in mind. If Zhuang Rui were a businessman, he would probably sell it, right?
"I'm so sorry, Sister Qi Zhu, I personally really like this item too..."
To Qi Zhu's disappointment, Zhuang Rui still rejected her, which made Qi Zhu realize that he was not short of money and that opening this shop was probably just a hobby for him.
"Madam, if you're looking to buy an antique inkstone, I have a few nice ones here. They're much cheaper, but they're definitely genuine. You might want to consider them..."
Fearing that Zhuang Rui would succumb to Qi Zhu's pleas and sell the inkstone, Zhao Hanxuan quickly diverted Qi Zhu's attention.
The happiest person in the shop when Zhuang Rui refused to sell the brick inkstone was none other than Zhao Hanxuan. Although the inkstone wasn't his, Zhuang Rui said he would keep it as a prized possession, which meant he could play with it anytime.
Chapter 570 Ruyi
Qi Zhu's original intention was simply to buy a genuine antique inkstone. However, seeing Zhuang Rui's resolute attitude, she immediately listened to Zhao Hanxuan's advice and went to select several other inkstones. With Uncle De, her free appraiser, around, Qi Zhu was no longer afraid of buying a fake.
"Honey, you're amazing!"
After everyone around Zhuang Rui left, Qin Xuanbing whispered something in Zhuang Rui's ear.
This society is still male-centric, so Qin Xuanbing was naturally overjoyed to see her man's exceptional talent.
"Of course, your husband is great in every way..."
Zhuang Rui gave Qin Xuanbing a wicked smile and kissed her on the cheek, startling Qin Xuanbing who quickly pushed him away. Although she had studied abroad, she still couldn't understand or do what those couples did, kissing in the street without a care in the world.
“Xuanbing, let’s go to Qin Ruilin’s place tomorrow. I’ll have my brother-in-law send over a batch of jadeite rough from Pengcheng. You can make some designs based on the rough, and then we can hand them over to Master Luo to carve…”
Zhuang Rui felt a little guilty. After arriving at the shop, he was busy selling pearl flowers and appraising this ancient inkstone, neglecting Qin Xuanbing and not exchanging a single word with her for a long time.
Although Zhuang Rui had little practical experience with women, he loved reading. He learned from books that women without jobs would eventually lose themselves and would be suspicious and paranoid, following men around all day.
Zhuang Rui didn't want his wife to be just a decoration at home. After all, Qin Xuanbing was a young jewelry designer who was just beginning to make a name for herself internationally. It would be too unfair to her if she didn't work.
"Okay, honey, you can go ahead and do your work, don't worry about me..."
Qin Xuanbing smiled. It's said that men are most attractive when they're working, and she also really enjoyed watching Zhuang Rui's focused expression when he was appraising antiques.
"Um……"
Zhuang Rui squeezed Qin Xuanbing's small hand, then walked to Uncle De's side and said, "Uncle De, I'll have to trouble you to take a look at these things for me. Although they are all genuine, I'm not very familiar with the current market prices. Uncle De, could you please give me a price?"
If it weren't for Uncle De, Zhuang Rui's beaded flower would probably have sold for a pittance. This shows that to do business in antiques, it's not enough to just be able to identify the real from the fake; you also need to understand the current market conditions for these items.
Although Uncle De no longer works at the pawnshop, he still attends antique auctions in Zhonghai in his spare time, so he is quite familiar with the prices of these items. Of course, if Zhuang Rui could find Manager Qian from the Kyoto Auction House, the pricing would be even more accurate.
Uncle De shook his head with a wry smile. He had originally intended to browse Panjiayuan Market, but Zhuang Rui had unexpectedly dragged him into it. However, he was happy to oblige. His expression immediately turned serious as he said, "You little brat, you dare to open a shop and do business without knowing anything? I can help you set prices, but you have to tell me the origins of these items. Although you have some powerful connections, there are some things you still can't get involved in..."
While Zhuang Rui was talking to Qin Xuanbing, Uncle De was looking at the ruyi pearls and jade antiques in the cabinet. The more he looked, the more shocked he became, because judging from the workmanship of these items, they were basically made by the Imperial Workshop. Not only were there Qing Dynasty items, but some of them also looked like they had Ming Dynasty style.
Uncle De was worried that Zhuang Rui might have gone astray and acquired these things. He had just heard that a museum in Shenyang had been robbed recently, and it contained many precious cultural relics that Puyi had taken with him.
"Uncle De, what are you thinking? Let's go inside and talk..."
Seeing Uncle De's suspicious look, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh and cry. However, with so many people around, Zhuang Rui could only open the cabinet, put all the jewelry and antiques into his bag, and take them to the inner room.
“Uncle De, that’s how it is. I wouldn’t dare lie to you. Xuanbing is right here, and she knows about it too…”
After entering the inner room, Zhuang Rui recounted everything that had happened in Myanmar to Uncle De.
However, Zhuang Rui kept the matter of the 10 tons of gold a secret. It wasn't that he didn't trust Uncle De, but because the matter involved Ouyang Lei's use of military helicopters, which was not suitable for too many people to know. Moreover, the gold had little to do with these antiques.
"You're really lucky, kid. By the way, if you don't like jewelry and antiques, you can sell them all. But this tortoiseshell ruyi is a nice piece; it has a lot of potential for appreciation, so you can keep it..."
After hearing what Zhuang Rui had to say, Uncle De could only shake his head. He then handed Zhuang Rui a piece of paper and marked the prices of the antiques one by one. However, when he picked up the tortoiseshell ruyi, Uncle De stopped.
Is there something special about this?
This ruyi scepter, entirely black with a sheen of ink, is crafted from tortoiseshell. It has a smooth, rounded patina. The front is carved with a pattern of butterflies playing among flowers, while the back features a continuous Buddhist swastika pattern.
"Of course, you still need to study more and read more books. Let me tell you about the intricacies of this object..."
Uncle De gave Zhuang Rui a disapproving look and explained the collectible value of the tortoiseshell ruyi to him.
It turns out that hawksbill turtles have been cherished by nobles and wealthy merchants throughout history and have been regarded as heirlooms, a symbol of longevity. The carapace of hawksbill turtles can be used to make exquisite ornaments. The famous poem "The Peacock Flies Southeast" from the Han Dynasty contains the line "Wearing silk shoes, with hawksbill turtle shells shining on her head."
The Huidong Port Nature Reserve established in Guangdong Province, my country, primarily protects sea turtles such as hawksbill turtles and green sea turtles. For example, Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty used hawksbill turtles to make combs, fans, musical instruments, hairpins, and even entire hawksbill turtle specimens.
The word "如意" (ruyi) originates from the Sanskrit word "安娜律!" (anaru).
It is one of the Buddhist implements introduced from India. The handle is shaped like a heart and is made of bamboo, bone, copper, or jade. When Dharma masters give lectures, they often hold a Ruyi handle and write the scriptures on it to prevent forgetting them.
In folk tradition, the Ruyi has always been known as "self-reliant." Many people may know that this thing is used to scratch an itch, but that's what poor people call it. From the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Ruyi became widely used and became very popular during this period, becoming an item in the hands of emperors and high-ranking officials.
During the Qing Dynasty, the emperor and empress used ruyi as a reward to princes and ministers. When the emperor was selecting a concubine, if a ruyi was given to a person, it meant that she would become the empress. In the Republic of China era, ruyi became a valuable gift, which wealthy families gave to each other as a wish for happiness and fulfillment.
As times have changed, the Ruyi has now faded from people's daily lives and become an antique. However, each exquisite Ruyi, carrying its history and the auspicious and beautiful meaning it contains, remains pleasing to the eye and loved by people.
"No wonder I have more than a dozen Ruyi scepters; they were all bestowed upon me by the emperor..."
After listening to Uncle De's words, Zhuang Rui finally understood the true value and meaning of the Ruyi. In short, as a symbol of good fortune, this thing is now highly sought after by collectors. The Ruyi in Zhuang Rui's hands are all palace items, in other words, they were used by the emperor and his wife to scratch their backs. Their appreciation potential is many times greater than that of Ruyi in the common people.
Zhuang Rui had no interest in jewelry or antiques, but he did pick out this ruyi scepter. It was a popular collectible item among miscellaneous items, so he decided to keep it for himself.
After Uncle De marked the prices of all the antiques for Zhuang Rui, Zhuang Rui put them out and made a copy of the list by hand. He gave one copy to Monkey so that he could memorize each item, and naturally kept the other copy for himself.
At this moment, Qi Zhu also selected an antique inkstone worth 80,000 yuan. Although it was not as valuable as the brick inkstone, it was still used by wealthy families in the Qing Dynasty, and Qi Zhu was quite satisfied with it.
After paying, Qi Zhu said to Zhuang Rui, "Teacher Zhuang, come visit Zhejiang sometime. We're a major producer of chicken-blood stone. Your shop sells stationery, but I see you're missing something like seals. If you need any in the future, I can take you to select some chicken-blood stone..."
Zhuang Rui took out the document Qi Zhu had just given him and waved it, saying, "Thank you, Sister Qi Zhu. If I go to Zhejiang in the future, I will definitely trouble you. Please don't find it too much trouble..."
"Old Zhao, don't we sell seals?"
After seeing Qi Zhu off, Zhuang Rui looked at Zhao Hanxuan. He hadn't paid attention to this matter before, but after hearing what Qi Zhu said, he really felt that something was missing. After the calligraphy and painting were finished, they were usually stamped with a seal. The seal was indeed inseparable from the Four Treasures of the Study.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Zhao Hanxuan's expression turned somewhat strange. He finally said, "Boss Zhuang, we used to sell seals in the shop. Back then, I even hired a craftsman to make seals for customers. But later, when I went to Changhua to buy chicken-blood stone, I was cheated out of a fake and lost over 200,000 yuan. After that, we stopped selling them..."
Zhuang Rui laughed when he heard this. This old Zhao is really unlucky. He was tricked out of more than 8 million yuan in Beijing, and he was also tricked when he went to Changhua to buy chicken blood stone. I really don't know how he managed to keep this shop going for several years.
"I still need to sell the seals. I'll go to Zhejiang when I have time..."
Zhuang Rui remembered that a few days ago when he went to deliver an engagement invitation to his senior master, Gu, Gu had told him that when he first started learning carving, he could start with seal carving. Sure enough, Zhuang Rui took it to heart as soon as he heard that, because he had done it when he was a child.
The main reason for this was Liu Chuan. After the two brothers entered high school, Zhuang Rui had good grades, but Liu Chuan often failed every subject. Every semester, when he brought his report card home, he would inevitably get a beating. So Zhuang Rui came up with a solution for him.
Chapter 571 Tossing and Turning
Zhuang Rui had always done well in high school, but Liu Chuan was a poor student. This guy was good at everything from walking dogs to playing with birds, but he was very lax in his studies. He relied entirely on guessing during exams. When doing multiple-choice questions, he would just roll dice and guess A, B, C, or D. He basically failed every subject.
By then, the two were no longer at the school where Zhuang's mother taught. So, every semester when it was time to get the exam report cards for their parents to sign, Zhuang Rui would find a carrot, carve Liu Chuan's father's name on it, and use it as a stamp for signing.
As for the report card that Liu Chuan's parents saw, the two naughty boys bought it themselves, and of course, they filled in the grades randomly. This trick worked quite well because Liu Chuan's parents were usually very busy, and they were even pleased with their son's improved grades.
Liu Chuan was finally free from that situation. Although his father found out about it during the last semester of his senior year, Liu Chuan was already beyond redemption by then. Plus, both of them were older now, so for the first time in their lives, these two boys did something wrong and didn't get a beating.
Zhuang Rui was born to enter the antique business; he's been forging things since he was a child—a small example that reveals a larger truth.
"Boss, it's very difficult to tell if this bloodstone is fake. I think we should get some other seal materials instead of this bloodstone..."