During this time, Jiang Hao made several phone calls, asking if Yu Zhenping had contacted him. It seems that the guy was also getting anxious. Since he didn't have the initiative, he was naturally hesitant to do things.
"Next……"
Manager Zhang, who was standing at the door, shouted loudly towards the outside. He had truly seen what an expert was like today.
No matter what type of antique it is, Zhuang Rui can identify its authenticity and provide evidence as soon as it comes into his hands. Zhuang Rui is a true expert in all things antiques. The saying "everyone has their own specialty" does not apply to Zhuang Rui. So far, there is no object that can stump him.
"Hey, this is a nice item..."
As Zhang Li shouted, an elderly man in his sixties entered the room. Zhuang Rui's eyes lit up when he saw the object the man was carrying.
Chapter 696 Woodblock
The old man was not tall and looked to be in his early sixties. He was wearing a white, sweat-wicking exercise uniform, which made him look very energetic. However, from the moment he entered the office, Zhuang Rui's eyes were fixed on the object he was holding.
The old man was holding a wooden board about one meter long and seventy centimeters wide. It was a dark red color and had some relief carvings on the side of the board facing Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui was sitting not far from the door. As soon as the old man came in, although he couldn't get a good look at the wood carving, Zhuang Rui could tell that the relief on the wood carving was a door god with a big head and a small body. As for whether it was Qin Qiong or Yuchi Gong, Zhuang Rui couldn't tell.
Although the wood was very fine, Zhuang Rui could tell that it was probably not made of sandalwood, otherwise the old man probably wouldn't have been able to lift it.
"Grandpa, come, come, it's so hot, put your things down first..."
Zhuang Rui stood up and helped the old man place the wooden plank on the square table. After handling it, Zhuang Rui felt that although the plank was quite thick, it was not very heavy.
"I'll do it myself, I won't let the teacher do it for me..."
The old man waved his hand repeatedly, and finally, at Zhuang Rui's insistence, he let go and allowed Zhuang Rui to put the things on the table.
"Hehe, old man, have some water first..."
Zhuang Rui laughed. Manager Zhang, now acting as a waiter, immediately took a glass of water and handed it over.
"Thank you, Xiao Zhang..."
The old man seemed to know Zhang Li. After taking the water Zhang Li poured for him, he stood there somewhat awkwardly and said, "Teacher Zhuang, this thing was passed down from my ancestors and has always been kept at home. Recently, our house was demolished, and the compensation wasn't enough to buy a house in the city, so I brought this thing here for you to see. If it's worth a little money, I'll sell it..."
"Old man, just call me Xiao Zhuang. I don't deserve to be called a teacher. May I ask if your ancestors were from Zhuxian Town?"
When Zhuang Rui heard that the old man was going to sell this item, his eyes lit up. Although the wood was ordinary, this item had quite a history. When he used his spiritual energy to examine it earlier, the spiritual energy contained within the wood was yellowish-white, indicating that it was at least a relic from the early to mid-Qing Dynasty.
The full name of this woodblock should be New Year picture engraving board, and the New Year pictures made from it are called woodblock New Year pictures. Before printed materials dominated the market, the paper pictures that people used to paste during festivals were all made from this inconspicuous woodblock.
Those familiar with history should have heard of Zhuxian Town. Yue Fei once defeated the Jin army here. If it weren't for the twelve imperial edicts ordering his execution, perhaps Chinese history would have been rewritten. However, in modern times, Zhuxian Town is famous for its woodblock New Year pictures.
Zhuxian Town woodblock New Year paintings, along with Yangliuqing New Year paintings from Tianjin, Taohuawu New Year paintings from Jiangsu, Weifang New Year paintings from Shandong, and Mianzhu New Year paintings from Sichuan, are collectively known as the Five Great New Year Paintings (some say the Four Great New Year Paintings) and have been listed as one of the world's intangible cultural heritages. They are also among the most folk-style handicrafts.
The characteristics of Zhuxian Town New Year paintings are full composition, bold and concise lines, simple and exaggerated shapes, and fresh and bright colors, which are in line with the colors of the woodblock prints.
Another characteristic of Zhuxian Town New Year paintings is that they are divided into two categories: one is paintings of deities, such as the Kitchen God and the God of Heaven and Earth, and the other is paintings of door gods. Door gods are the most common in Zhuxian Town woodblock New Year paintings, and the door gods are mainly military generals Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde.
Therefore, as soon as Uncle He entered, Zhuang Rui immediately guessed the origin of the wooden tablet. Zhuxian Town is located in Henan Province, and door gods are a local specialty. If Zhuang Rui didn't have this kind of insight, he wouldn't be able to continue in the antique business.
"Oh, how embarrassing! Since you've figured it out, Teacher Zhuang, I won't hide it anymore. You're right, my family moved from Zhuxian Town..."
The old man nodded, a hint of embarrassment on his face, as if he had done something wrong by bringing the wooden tablet here today.
"Teacher Zhuang, this is Uncle He. Our families used to live together and were very close. Uncle He is in urgent need of money recently and has been asking me to sell this piece of wood. Since you're looking to buy something today, I called Uncle He and asked him to bring it over for you to take a look..."
Seeing that the old man seemed embarrassed to speak, Zhang Li, who was standing to the side, told Zhuang Rui what had happened.
It turns out that the old man was from Zhuxian Town. This wooden carving was also a family heirloom. However, after that crazy era, although the item was still there, their family's craftsmanship was not passed down. The old man also left his hometown and came to Zhengzhou with his family.
Uncle He worked as a laborer his whole life. Although his son was filial, he wasn't very capable and only earned a fixed salary. The family had enough to eat and drink, but they didn't save much money.
The sudden announcement of demolition means that if the residents have to move to the suburbs, their son and daughter-in-law will have to commute much further to work, and it will be inconvenient for their grandson to go to school. So, Uncle He wants to buy a house near where he used to live.
However, the government compensation is still more than 200,000 yuan short of the original amount needed to buy a house in the same area, which is causing the old man a lot of worry. After thinking it over, it seems that the only thing of value in the house is the wooden plaque left by his ancestors.
So after rummaging through his belongings to find this old man's work, Uncle He asked Zhang Li to help him sell it. In the past two months, several people have come to his house to look at it, but because the old man's asking price was a bit high, they couldn't reach an agreement.
Zhang Li only called Uncle He after seeing how generous Zhuang Rui was, to see if Zhuang Rui was interested.
"Grandpa, let me check the things first..."
Zhuang Rui was afraid that if he asked to buy it right away, the other party would raise the price on the spot. Besides, when he was learning miscellaneous appreciation from Uncle De, he had already heard about New Year picture woodblocks. He could take this opportunity to see them for himself.
"Please, feel free to look around..."
Although Zhuang Rui was young, the old man, having received Zhang Li's instructions, knew that he was a nationally renowned antique expert, hence his somewhat reserved demeanor.
Zhuang Rui didn't say anything more. He picked up a magnifying glass and carefully examined the wooden board on the table.
Woodblock printing originated in the Tang Dynasty, but it became popular from the Song Dynasty onwards. Since these were folk handicrafts, the wood used to make the woodblocks was sourced from wherever it was available, and the materials were generally of poor quality. Woodblocks from the Tang and Song Dynasties would probably have long since decayed and become difficult to preserve.
Ordinary wooden boards are carved from boxwood, which is widely distributed. However, in Zhuang Rui's eyes, this wooden board was carved from peach wood, which is unique to Feicheng, Shandong. After hundreds of years, the wooden board is still dense and delicate, and emits a faint fragrance.
After observing for a while, Zhuang Rui looked up and asked the old man, "Uncle He, how much do you want to sell this wooden tablet for?"
"This...this, 300,000..."
He Bo hesitated for a moment before quoting a price, which caused many people in the room to shake their heads. They were all from Henan and were familiar with the woodblocks from Zhuxian Town. Generally speaking, woodblocks like these could be bought for 100,000 yuan.
"Sir, 300,000 is a bit too expensive..."
"Yes, although there are fewer woodblocks now, we can still get them in Zhuxian Town..."
To the experts in the room, He Bo was asking for an exorbitant price. Judging from the prices Zhuang Rui had given when appraising the items earlier, they knew perfectly well that this price was too high.
"Three hundred thousand?"
Zhuang Rui frowned slightly; the price was higher than he had expected.
"It's 300,000, Teacher Zhuang. This thing has been passed down in my family. Selling it now would be a disservice to my ancestors. I won't sell it for less than 300,000. At most, I'll move to the suburbs..."
Uncle He has a deep affection for this woodblock. He often saw it when he was a child. Later, he fled famine with his family to Zhengzhou. He didn't bring anything with him except this woodblock. It can be said that this woodblock also embodies the old man's longing for his elders.
“Alright, Uncle He, it’s as you said, 300,000. Manager Zhang, let’s write up an agreement. Peng Fei, come up with 300,000…”
After thinking about it for a while, Zhuang Rui finally decided to buy it. This wooden tablet was obviously carved from wood sourced from Shandong. It has been preserved from the mid-Qing Dynasty to the present day without a single crack or insect infestation, which is extremely rare.
"Brother Zhuang, this thing isn't worth 300,000, is it?"
Peng Fei took out thirty stacks of RMB from his backpack and placed them on the table.
The question Peng Fei raised was exactly what the collectors in the room were thinking: spending 300,000 yuan to buy something that was only worth 100,000 yuan, it seemed like a bad deal.
Zhuang Rui smiled upon hearing this and said, "Peng Fei, although this wooden tablet doesn't date back to the Ming Dynasty, it should be from around the Kangxi era, which makes it quite precious. Based on that, we should add some points. On top of the price of 100,000, we should add at least 50,000."
Secondly, this wooden board is carved from peach wood. As everyone knows, peach wood is believed to ward off evil spirits, and peach wood from Feicheng, Shandong is considered an even more powerful object for warding off evil and suppressing disasters. Based on this alone, I can add another 50,000 yuan to the price.
Thirdly, consider the condition. This wooden tablet is in excellent condition, without any insect damage or rot, and the carving is exquisite. That alone adds another 50,000 yuan to the price..."
The people in the room found it amusing, and one of them shouted, "Boss Zhuang, what about the remaining 50,000?"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the four sides of the room and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, this wooden board is an heirloom of Uncle He's family. Although I can't call myself a gentleman, I'm still taking what others cherish. Adding another 50,000 would be reasonable, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, Teacher Zhuang is right!"
"Professor Zhuang is so kind and righteous!" "Yes, he's compassionate and loyal; only someone like that deserves the title of expert..."
"No doubt about it, Professor Zhuang. If I ever need anything in the future, I'll definitely come to Beijing to find you..."
Zhuang Rui's words not only drew cheers from those inside the room, but also from those waiting outside to appraise the items. Zhuang Rui's remarks completely convinced these people who were in the antique business.
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Chapter 697 Connections
"Teacher Zhuang, thank you so much, thank you so much..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Mr. He, who was over sixty years old, couldn't help but take out a tissue to wipe away his tears.
These days, if you ask what the hardest thing is, it's borrowing money. Aside from immediate family members like fathers and sons, even relatives are hesitant to ask. We hear stories all the time of people turning against each other because of loans.
To buy this house, Uncle He had shamelessly begged many people, but without exception, he was turned away by everyone. He never expected that this young man in front of him would agree so readily.
In fact, Uncle He had consulted many people about the woodblock and understood its value. By buying the woodblock, Zhuang Rui had given him at least 100,000 yuan as a favor.
"Uncle He, woodblock printing is a traditional craft of our country. Woodblocks from the Ming and Qing dynasties will only increase in price. In a few years, they might be worth more than 300,000. Don't go back on your word then..."
Zhuang Rui laughed. He said this partly to comfort the old man, and partly because what he said was true. In the 1990s, you could buy lacquerware in Shanxi for three or five hundred yuan, but now you can't buy it for thirty or fifty thousand yuan. As time goes by, these things have huge appreciation potential.
After exchanging pleasantries with Uncle He, Zhuang Rui turned to Zhang Li and said, "Manager Zhang, arrange for a few people to take Uncle He home or to the bank. Handling so much money is too much for him..."
This antique market has always been a mixed bag. Back in Pengcheng, a few thugs were willing to kill each other for a few tens of thousands of yuan. If Uncle He were to take this 300,000 yuan by himself, he might be targeted by someone as soon as he left the antique market. In that case, Zhuang Rui would be bringing trouble upon the old man.
"Yes, yes, Teacher Zhuang is so thoughtful. Xiao Liu, Xiao Wang, you two take Uncle He to the bank and deposit the money there for peace of mind..."
Zhang Li nodded repeatedly and then arranged for two security guards to accompany Uncle He to the bank to deposit the money, as it wasn't safe to keep it at home.
In the following period, Zhuang Rui appraised another forty or fifty antiques. He was very fast at appraising them, and he could point out whether they were real or fake in a single sentence. His citations and references made everyone believe him.
There were seven or eight good items among them, but none of the people wanted to sell them, and Zhuang Rui didn't force them. However, at the very end of today's appraisal event, he spent 480,000 RMB to acquire a flower and bird painting by Huang Binhong.
Anyone familiar with the history of modern Chinese painting knows that Huang Binhong was an indispensable master of traditional Chinese painting in modern times.
In the history of modern Chinese painting, there is a saying that "Huang in the South and Qi in the North". "Qi in the North" refers to Qi Baishi, a master of flower-and-bird painting who lived in Beijing, while "Huang in the South" refers to Huang Binhong, a master of landscape painting from Anhui.
Huang Binhong achieved fame later than Qi Baishi, making him a late bloomer. The prices of his works were initially low, but they have increased year by year, and in recent years they have surpassed those of Qi Baishi's paintings.
Compared to the "Mountain Dwelling" painting that Zhuang Rui bought first, Huang Binhong's works were much more expensive. The price difference between the two was like the appearance fee of a superstar and a newcomer in the film industry—they were not on the same level. This made Zhuang Rui feel quite sorry for Xiao Junxian.
It's a bit of a pity that the painting by Huang Binhong that Zhuang Rui received is a secondary work, a flower-and-bird painting, and it's not very large. Of course, if it were a landscape painting, Zhuang Rui probably wouldn't be able to buy it for 4.5 million, let alone 450,000.
However, Zhuang Rui was very satisfied with his trip to the antique market today. He not only found two ancient Shang Dynasty cloud artifacts at bargain prices and acquired two works by modern calligraphers and painters, but also an early Qing Dynasty New Year picture printing block. These items, which are still circulating among the people, are very difficult to collect, and this can be considered as adding some items to his museum's collection.
"Manager Zhang, senior colleagues, if you all have the time, please do me the honor of visiting my museum when it opens..."
The people outside who were appraising the treasures had all left. Zhuang Rui, with two paintings tucked under his arm and Peng Fei, holding the woodblock print of the New Year picture, prepared to say goodbye to the people from the antique market.
Previously, Zhuang Rui, Lao Qi, Manager Zhang, and others had exchanged business cards, which was also a way for him to advertise his museum, which had not yet opened.
Although he didn't have Mr. Ma's connections, Zhuang Rui believed that with his appraisal skills, he could still gather some collectors and frequently visit museums to exchange information about collections and collecting knowledge.
"Teacher Zhuang, don't worry, I'll definitely be there. You've had a long day. I was going to treat you to dinner tonight, but since you don't have time, that's fine. But please accept this..."
Manager Zhang and others escorted Zhuang Rui to the entrance of the antique market. When they hailed a taxi, Zhang Li stuffed a plastic bag into Zhuang Rui's hand.
Zhuang Rui squeezed the money in his hand and knew there was at least thirty or forty thousand yuan inside. He quickly said, "Manager Zhang, let's forget about this. We're all friends, there's no need for this..."