Fu Ying asked in surprise, "Are you seeing things? Aren't I Yingying?"
Zhou Xuan snorted and said, "I was dreaming about my wedding ceremony with my wife, and you woke me up. My wife is gone, and our wedding night is over. You'd better give me my wife back!"
"Pah, you're a bad person!" Fu Ying blushed, spat, and said, "Lazybones, get up! Aunt Liu's dishes are laid out in the dining room, and the whole family is waiting for you!"
Zhou Xuan reached out his hand, and Fu Ying blushed and retreated far away, afraid that he would pull her onto the bed. Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Madam, come and help the master get up!"
"No!" Fu Ying giggled and slipped out of the room.
Zhou Xuan chuckled. Life was good. He had no worries about food or clothing, and his whole family was happy. He could tease his beautiful wife whenever he had free time, and make a fortune whenever he had a spare moment. He wouldn't trade this kind of life for an emperor or a god!
After washing up and going downstairs, and having breakfast, Fu Ying drove the Bugatti Veyron and took Zhou Xuan to the store first.
Zhou Xuan didn't call to inform them when he returned that night. Neither Zhou Xuan nor Zhou Cangsong knew that inside the shop, Old Wu was appraising an inkstone that a customer had brought to pawn.
Zhou Xuan and Zhou Cangsong watched from the sidelines. The customer was a middle-aged man around thirty years old. He seemed rather impatient. Zhou Xuan glanced at the man; his eyes were unfocused, and his right thumb and forefinger were merely rubbing together. It was clearly a gesture from someone who played mahjong frequently, presumably someone who had lost money and pawned things from home to gamble again.
Zhou Xuan'er examined the inkstone, but he didn't know much about it and couldn't assess it based on experience. He immediately recognized it as a product from the Republican era, and considered it of average quality.
Old Wu examined it for a while before saying, "Sir, this inkstone of yours is from the Republic of China period. Of course, the value of an inkstone isn't just determined by its age. The value of an inkstone is usually reflected in several aspects. First, the material. Currently, the auction prices for ancient Chinese inkstones on the international market are quite high, and the vast majority are made of Duan inkstone. The quality of Duan inkstones is undoubtedly the best. Second, you also need to look at its carving craftsmanship."
The customer was getting impatient and said, "Boss, stop giving me all this nonsense. Just tell me how much it's worth, and whether you want it or not. If not, I'll take it somewhere else!"
Old Wu smiled and said, "Alright, if you want to be direct, I'll be direct. Five hundred yuan!"
The price was close to Zhou Xuan's estimate, and Zhou Xuan truly admired Old Wu. He was truly a man of exceptional skill; one shouldn't take on a task beyond their capabilities. Whether it was porcelain, antiques, jade, ancient calligraphy and paintings, or coins, he could handle any of them with ease and possessed profound expertise in every area. Zhou Xuan's shop had really found a treasure!
The man paused, clearly disappointed. Five hundred yuan was too much. He said, "Five hundred yuan? My old man said before that this is an old item, worth a lot of money, and you only want five hundred yuan?"
Old Wu said calmly, "This inkstone is from the Republic of China era, so it's not that old. There are several kinds of value for an inkstone, and I'm telling you that, but you won't listen. To be practical, five hundred yuan is a very reasonable price. If you take it to another shop, they might only give you around three hundred yuan. Why don't you take it and have a look?"
The middle-aged man reached for the inkstone, snorted, and asked sullenly, "Don't push the price too hard. Raise it a little and I'll give it to you, to save you the trouble!"
Old Wu continued to shake his head with a smile.
The middle-aged man immediately took the inkstone and left the shop with a dissatisfied expression.
Old Wu then looked up at Zhou Xuan and said, "Little Zhou, you're back? Hehe!"
Zhou Cangsong was startled and turned around. He was both surprised and delighted to see Zhou Xuan and Fu Ying.
Zhou Xuan has been appearing and disappearing mysteriously lately, coming and going as he pleases, leaving no one able to find him. But his return is always a good thing; there are many important matters he wants to discuss with him. Deep down, he sensed that his childhood brother, though seemingly indifferent, was clearly no longer the brother he remembered. While his character and temperament remained unchanged, his abilities were completely foreign to him. Handling tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars and goods was something he felt constrained and hesitant to act upon, yet Zhou Xuan handled it with ease and nonchalance.
Therefore, when faced with major events, they still want Zhou Xuan to take the lead, since he is the one with the final say. They themselves are filled with anxiety and uncertainty, unable to make the decision.
**Quickly call Ah Chang to make tea, and invite Zhou Xuan and Fu Ying to the inner room. Fu Ying didn't want to talk about these things with them, and instead looked at some of the recently received goods in the shop alone.
In the inner room, after Old Wu sat down, he said to Zhou Xuan with a smile, "Little Zhou, what do you think of that inkstone from Wang Gang?"
Zhou Xuan smiled and replied, "I don't know much about inkstones, but I just heard what Old Wu said. First, it's from the Republic of China era, which isn't very old. Second, regarding the carving technique, the carving on this inkstone seems a bit rough. Although they tried their best to make it exquisite, their skill level was limited. It's like a painter with poor skills trying to imitate a famous painting; no matter what, he could never capture the essence of the original."
Old Wu nodded and said, "You're right. This inkstone, if we get it, can sell for around a thousand at most. The value of an inkstone also depends on its shape and condition. Generally speaking, square or round inkstones are much more expensive than irregular ones. The cultural background also has a great influence on the value of an inkstone. As the saying goes, an inkstone is valuable because of its fame, which refers to the inscriptions on the inkstone. Many famous people especially love inkstones, particularly the renowned Duan and Qin inkstones. They would leave poems or aphorisms on the inkstones they used."
As he spoke, Old Wu picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and then said, "In Jinnian, the quality of an inkstone auctioned in Shanghai depends on several factors, including its material, craftsmanship, condition, and inscriptions."
Secondly, touch it—run your hand along the inkstone to feel if it's smooth and delicate. A smooth surface indicates good stone quality; a rough surface indicates poor stone quality. Thirdly, tap it—hold the inkstone in your hand and gently tap it with your fingers, listening to the sound. For Duan inkstones, a wooden sound is best, followed by a tile sound, and then a metallic sound. For Qin inkstones, a clear, crisp sound is best. Fourthly, wash it—remove the ink stains from the inkstone to reveal its original appearance. This makes it easier to see if there is any damage or repair. Note that the color of repaired areas will differ significantly from the original color of the inkstone.
Zhou Xuan nodded. "Firstly, the inkstone from that middle-aged man wasn't of high quality, like a Duan or Qin inkstone. Secondly, the craftsmanship was poor, the appearance was average, and there was no inscription by a famous person. Of course, for a famous person to leave an inscription, the material would have to be top-quality." Old Wu sighed. "That inkstone was just an ordinary one, but it was at least seventy or eighty years old. I'm giving it a slightly higher price; in other shops, three hundred would probably be too much!"
Just then, Achang poked his head in, chuckling as he whispered, "Old Wu, that inkstone seller is here again. What should we say?"
Volume 1, Chapter 198: Xu's Jewelry
The two Wus smiled at Zhou Fu and said, "We're here just in time. Hehe, everyone, how about we try to negotiate a lower price?"
Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "Forget it, but I think this guy is probably blinded by gambling. It's pathetic!"
The group got up and went into the outer shop. When the middle-aged man saw Old Wu come out, he immediately put the inkstone he was holding on the table and said, "Never mind, five hundred it is!"
Old Wu smiled and picked up the inkstone again to examine it carefully. The man retorted angrily, "I just let you look at it, why do you have to go through all this trouble to check it again? Do you expect me to replace it?"
Old Wu chuckled and said, "Sir, this is our rule. No matter how carefully we inspect, if an item has been taken and then put back into the warehouse, we must treat it as a new item and inspect it carefully. This is industry practice, and it's also about being responsible to our employer. If it's been replaced, are we just going to buy it without even inspecting it? That doesn't make sense anywhere!"
The middle-aged man also felt he was in the wrong, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, "Forget it, hurry up and get it checked, and pay me as soon as it's done!"
After checking the inkstone and confirming that it was the same inkstone he had just looked at, Lao Wu handed it over to Achang, asked Li Li to issue a receipt, and then paid him five hundred yuan.
Only after receiving the money did the middle-aged man put the five hundred yuan into his pocket and leave dejectedly. He was clearly not satisfied with the price of the inkstone. However, after visiting several other shops, it was indeed as Old Wu had said: they offered the highest price, while the other shops couldn't even afford three hundred yuan.
After the man left, ** laughed and said, "Our boss is back. How about we leave an hour early today and everyone go out for a big meal? The boss is treating, to reward the employees."
Zhou Xuan chuckled and said, "Alright, let's pick a place with good food. But it's still early, boss, let's go check out the stone-cutting factory in the suburbs."
Old Wu stayed behind to watch the shop, and Zhou Cangsong wanted to go along to take a look. Four new employees had been hired. Adding to the original two, there were six people in total, which was enough.
Only then did Li Li have a moment to express her gratitude to Zhou Xuan: "Brother Zhou!"
Zhou Xuan smiled and asked, "Xiao Li, are you getting used to the work?"
"It's great, Manager Zhang. Uncle Zhou and Uncle Wu have been very kind to me. I've gotten the hang of the job and I'm enjoying it," Li Li said, genuinely grateful.
"That's good!" Zhou Xuan nodded and said, "Is your dad better? If your family needs anything, you can talk to me or Manager Zhang. You can even get an advance on your salary. Don't be shy." Li Li nodded, her eyes bright, the worry from before gone. "My dad is completely better. No matter what, it's all thanks to Brother Zhou for bringing good luck to our family. Thank you!"
Zhou Xuan waved his hand, smiled, and then asked casually, "How's Zhou Tao doing lately?"
Li Li casually replied, "He's pretty good too. He comes back for lunch every day and helps out, but..." She rambled on for a bit, then suddenly looked up and noticed that Zhou Xuan's gaze was a little strange. After thinking for a moment, her face turned red, and she stopped talking.
Zhou Xuan chuckled, thinking that if Li Li had this expression, then there was hope for his brother's situation. He smiled and said, "Brother Zhang, let's go. How about this, Xiao Li can go and see too? Anyway, there's nothing else to do. Dad and Xiao Li can ride in Brother Zhang's car. My car only has one seat. Hehe, let's go."