Qian Yaosi thought to himself with a hint of resentment, but he still wanted to buy it. At his age, money was no longer very important. The reputation of being a "money-grubber" was something he had earned when he was young. His offer of 300,000 yuan per piece was just a habit of taking advantage of others.
"Five hundred thousand per piece, sir. Any more than that would be greedy."
Qian Yaosi gritted his teeth and quoted another price. To be honest, the dzi bead wasn't actually worth that much, but after wearing those two old dzi beads, his high blood pressure and heart disease had been effectively relieved. Zhuang Rui's dzi bead bracelet was clearly of higher quality than his own, so this time he had really gone all out.
After announcing the price, Qian Yaosi looked at Zhuang Rui, who was still smiling, and felt a chill in his heart. This was no young man at all; he was a little fox. Hearing such a high price, he could still remain calm.
Zhuang Rui was actually quite surprised. He had consulted a lot of information beforehand and even called Uncle De in Zhonghai. He knew that if this string of dzi beads were auctioned, its price should be around five million. He didn't expect that the fat old man in front of him would offer such a high price. However, Zhuang Rui had no intention of selling the dzi beads, and he was certain that he would not lose the bet with the old man.
"Damn it, why didn't I go to the market with you guys in Lhasa that day? How come all the good things happened to this blockhead?"
Liu Chuan could tell the fat old man wasn't joking, and he said somewhat sullenly, which made Zhuang Rui both laugh and cry. If Liu Chuan had been there, he might have stabbed the stall owner with a knife first. Would he have had the chance to meet the Living Buddha? He would probably be in jail.
"Okay, that's the price."
Zhuang Rui nodded and agreed.
Shopkeeper Qian was overjoyed upon hearing this. Although he had lost money on this deal, it was insignificant compared to his health. He immediately prepared to ask Zhuang Rui whether he would accept a check or a bank transfer. His shop had a card reader in case of large transactions.
"If I lose, I'll transfer the dzi bead to you, Mr. Qian, at this price. But if I win, Mr. Qian can't go back on his word."
Just as Qian Yaosi was about to ask, he heard Zhuang Rui say these words. He wasn't angry. Young people are always more confident. People who have just entered the antique business and don't know much about it all feel good about themselves at first. Only after paying tuition a few times will they realize how deep and shallow this industry is.
"Of course, when I speak, I mean it. There's no reason for me to take back what I've said. Don't you all agree?"
Qian Yaosi readily agreed and called out to the shop assistants, which naturally drew a chorus of flattery.
The porcelain in this antique shop is all displayed on a shelf, divided into five layers from low to high. The top layer can only be taken down by standing on a ladder. Each layer has five empty spaces, and each empty space holds a piece of ceramic, including vases, bowls, figures, and so on.
During this period, Zhuang Rui had read books about ceramics and visited many antique shops in Pengcheng Antique Market. He knew that most of the things displayed outside were high-quality imitations of porcelain. Otherwise, if someone accidentally broke them, the shop owner would be devastated.
"Please help me..."
Qian Yaosi waved his hand, and several shop assistants came forward to take all the porcelain off the shelf and place it on a square table in the shop for Zhuang Rui to examine and appraise.
The rule in the antique trade is that items don't pass through your hands. Generally, others won't hand you items. You leave them there and handle them yourself. If you accidentally break them, then it's your responsibility.
Chapter 122 A Failed Attempt to Steal a Chicken Backfires (3)
At this moment, Qian Yaosi appeared quite magnanimous. He turned on all the lights in the store, illuminating the more than 30-square-meter shop as bright as day, looking completely confident.
Seeing that the shop assistants had already taken all the porcelain off the shelf, Zhuang Rui walked over with an air of importance, taking out a magnifying glass about the size of a thumbnail from his pocket as he went.
Zhuang Rui obtained this thing from Song Jun when he was in Song Jun's shop. He did it not for any other reason than to pretend to be someone else in certain situations and to conceal the function of his eyes. It was small and he usually carried it with him. He never expected it to come in handy today.
When Qian Yaosi saw that Zhuang Rui actually carried a magnifying glass with him, he was first stunned, and then laughed to himself. He was not afraid that Zhuang Rui did not understand, but he was afraid that Zhuang Rui did not understand deeply. The more knowledgeable a person is, the more likely they are to have a vague understanding of these things.
Moreover, there are several high-quality porcelain replicas on the table. If Qian Yaosi didn't examine them carefully, he might have been fooled. Although these pieces are high-quality replicas, they still cost tens of thousands of dollars. Qian Yaosi had them made at a high price using ancient techniques and formulas, and their shapes and glazes are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
Those high-quality porcelain replicas were displayed on the top shelf. The shop assistant had to use a ladder to bring them down. They were specially prepared for officials who liked to show off their refined tastes or wealthy bosses. Just imagine displaying such a piece of porcelain in your office—whether it be antique and simple, or exquisite and gorgeous—it would certainly reflect the owner's status and taste.
Moreover… Manager Qian’s eyes glanced casually to the side. He was absolutely certain that Zhuang Rui would not be able to find that obvious object. Although it was used for fishing, it just so happened that Manager Qian himself had used it today.
Zhuang Rui was holding a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl in his hand, pretending to look at it. If he had looked at it from a month ago, this bowl would have looked pretty much the same as the soup bowl he used at home. The one at home also had blue-and-white patterns, and the patterns looked clearer and more beautiful than the one in his hand.
However, after getting to know Song Jun and others, and especially after returning to Pengcheng from Tibet and gaining the ability to distinguish different types of minerals, Zhuang Rui put in considerable effort in appreciating ceramics and jade. His skill level had improved significantly compared to before. However, this was his first time handling actual antique porcelain, and when he first picked it up, he compared it to the porcelain bowls from Jingdezhen at home.
If Qian Yaosi knew what Zhuang Rui was thinking at this moment, he would definitely be so angry that he would vomit blood. This Kangxi blue and white bowl was specially commissioned by him. At that time, it followed the ancient firing process. From selecting materials to shaping the blank, applying glaze, and firing in the kiln, it cost Qian Yaosi a lot of money and resources to successfully fire it. It can be said that although this item is a fake, it is still very expensive.
However, when Zhuang Rui appraises objects, it's easy to determine whether they are genuine or fake, but difficult to understand the underlying principles. Even if you bring him a piece of Yuan blue and white porcelain, he can tell you whether it's genuine or fake, but to know the truth, it's like asking a blind person for directions.
Just as he was about to use his spiritual energy to distinguish them, Zhuang Rui suddenly had an idea. This was a rare opportunity to get hands-on experience. What Zhuang Rui lacked most right now was hands-on experience with antiques. Hearing the fat shopkeeper's confident words, he figured that even if these porcelain pieces were fake, they were fakes that looked quite real. It would be perfect for Zhuang Rui to use them to verify the knowledge he had learned.
After having this thought, Zhuang Rui put aside his joking thoughts and began to seriously examine the blue and white porcelain bowl in his hand.
Blue and white porcelain, also known as white-ground blue and white porcelain, often simply called blue and white, is one of the mainstream varieties of Chinese porcelain. The origins of blue and white porcelain can be seen in the Tang and Song dynasties, while mature blue and white porcelain appeared in the Hutian Kiln in Jingdezhen during the Yuan dynasty. Blue and white porcelain is made by using cobalt ore containing cobalt oxide as raw material, drawing patterns on the ceramic body, covering it with a layer of transparent glaze, and firing it once in a high-temperature reducing flame.
This is a large blue-and-white porcelain bowl with a figure design. The rim flares outwards, and the bottom has a ring foot. The porcelain body is fine and the walls are thin. The glaze of the entire bowl is creamy white. Zhuang Rui examined it carefully and concluded that the painting on the outer wall of the bowl should be the "Elegant Gathering at the Western Garden" scene. He had recently seen this painting in a book about fan paintings.
Zhuang Rui was thrilled to find that he had actually put his knowledge to practical use. That's the allure of antiques; the sense of accomplishment when you use your knowledge to distinguish the genuine from the fake is indescribable.
The painting "The Elegant Gathering at the Western Garden" depicts a gathering of 16 literati, led by Su Shi, at the Western Garden, where Wang Jinqing, the Imperial Son-in-Law and Commander-in-Chief, composed poems, painted, discussed Zen, and debated Taoism. Mi Fu's "Record of the Elegant Gathering at the Western Garden" documented this grand event. Subsequently, the theme of "The Elegant Gathering at the Western Garden" has been a popular subject for literati painters throughout the ages, thus becoming a classic theme for fan paintings and porcelain paintings.
The painting on the exterior of this large blue-and-white bowl depicts only selected scenes, executed with skillful brushwork, vibrant blue glaze, and an elegant, antique style. At the bottom of the bowl is a six-character mark in underglaze blue double-ring regular script: "Made in the Kangxi Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty." The characters are dignified, neat, and powerful, with ample spacing between them. Based on Zhuang Rui's knowledge of blue-and-white porcelain, this should be a genuine Kangxi piece. Zhuang Rui recalled reading that Kangxi blue-and-white porcelain is renowned for its fine body and glaze, vibrant blue glaze, diverse and simple shapes, and beautiful decorations. The glaze of this bowl is rich and lustrous, subtly giving it a moist appearance under the light. Considering both, Zhuang Rui believes that even if this bowl wasn't made in the Kangxi imperial kilns, it should still be an antique.
"Brother Zhuang, this Kangxi blue and white porcelain bowl, although it was made in a folk kiln during the Kangxi period, is a rare and genuine masterpiece among folk kilns. Genuine Kangxi porcelain is hard to find, and it is rare to find one that is old yet in good condition. Its value is no less than that of ordinary official kiln pieces. Brother Zhuang has a good eye. Is this the one you've set your sights on?"
Just as Zhuang Rui had made up his mind about the blue and white bowl, he heard Qian Yaosi's voice. Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui's old face involuntarily turned red. Fortunately, he was not fair-skinned to begin with, so the redness was not very noticeable. The reason why Zhuang Rui thought it was a Kangxi official kiln porcelain was because most blue and white porcelain from folk kilns did not have reign marks, but often had hall marks, also known as studio marks.
"Manager Qian, the marks used for Kangxi folk kiln blue and white porcelain are not the 'Made in the Kangxi period of the Great Qing Dynasty' mark. You're trying to fool me. This is a modern imitation, just a pretty good one."
After hearing Qian Yaosi's words, Zhuang Rui's heart stirred. If this old fox spoke like that, the object in his hand was probably fake. He took a closer look and sure enough, there was no spiritual energy in it. It was probably not even from the Republic of China era, let alone the Kangxi era. It was a modern imitation that had been artificially aged.
"Brother Zhuang, that's not how it works. Although there are relatively few pieces of Kangxi folk kiln porcelain with the mark 'Made in the Kangxi Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty,' they do exist. There are at least a dozen pieces of folk kiln blue and white porcelain with the reign mark that have been verified and passed down. How do you know that mine is not one of them?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Yaosi became anxious and hurriedly tried to explain. Little did he know that it was his mention of folk kiln blue and white porcelain that caused Zhuang Rui to use his spiritual energy. Of course, even if he hadn't said anything, Zhuang Rui would still have used his spiritual energy to verify its authenticity after he had finished handling it.
"It's fake. It's definitely fake. I haven't read any books that mention this kind of folk kiln blue and white porcelain. I'd better look at the next one."
Zhuang Rui put on a "don't bully me because I don't know anything" look on his face, insisting that the blue and white bowl was fake, because folk kilns don't have year marks. Qian Yaosi was both amused and exasperated, but there was nothing he could do. Besides, he naturally knew whether it was real or fake. He just wanted to fool Zhuang Rui with his almost indistinguishable forgery skills.
"If I had known, I would have just copied an official kiln piece and put it here."
Seeing Zhuang Rui touch the next piece of porcelain, the old shrewd merchant thought to himself with resentment.
"Wood, all these things are the same, can you tell the difference? If you ask me, let's stop dawdling here, take a walk around and go back to the hotel. Lei Lei and the others need to go back soon."
Liu Chuan was getting impatient. He was already annoyed that he couldn't get close to Zhuang Rui today, and now that Zhuang Rui was staring blankly at a large pile of porcelain, he was even more bored.
"Hehe, young man, it's not past midnight yet, there's still plenty of time. The spring night is short, there's no rush."
Qian Yaosi chuckled beside her, which made Lei Lei stomp her feet in exasperation. She pinched Liu Chuan's waist hard, making him beg for mercy in a low voice.
"Old man, you're not an antique dealer, so you wouldn't know the fun in it."
Having finally shaken off Lei Lei's fingers, Liu Chuan muttered resentfully to himself, but was too embarrassed to say anything about leaving.
Actually, he was wronging Manager Qian. Ever since Qian Yaosi started collecting scrap in the early 1980s, his wife felt ashamed and divorced him. For the past twenty years, Qian Yaosi has never remarried, but he has had many women. To this day, he still keeps four or five young, beautiful women with slim waists and round hips. Just two years ago, when Qian Yaosi was fifty-eight years old, one of the women gave birth to a son for him.
Zhuang Rui was now fully absorbed in appreciating the porcelain. Of the twenty-odd pieces, he had already examined sixteen or seventeen. He could immediately distinguish the authenticity of eight or nine of them, but he was unsure about the other seven or eight. He had to use his spiritual energy to investigate them, only to find that they were all fake.
"You're so greedy! We're not selling you those counterfeit goods today? Closing up so early..."
Just as Zhuang Rui's attention was entirely focused on the porcelain on the table, a sound came from the half-closed roller shutter door outside the shop. An elderly man with white hair and beard and a ruddy complexion strode in, followed by a young man carrying a box in his right hand.
Chapter 123 A Failed Attempt to Steal a Chicken Backfires (4)
Lost in thought about the porcelain, Zhuang Rui was interrupted by the sudden sound. He looked up towards the source of the sound and saw Manager Qian heading towards him.
Just as the roller shutter sounded, Zhuang Rui was feeling a bit uneasy. Although he could distinguish the authenticity of porcelain by sight, he didn't know what made it fake. He only knew the appearance but not the reason, which made him very eager to learn more. He also made up his mind that once he returned to Zhonghai, he would definitely learn about antique appreciation from Uncle De.
"Brother Gu, it's been a few years since we last met. You still look very healthy."
Qian Yaosi smiled broadly, his eyes narrowed into slits, and stepped forward to give the newcomer a tight hug.
"You're so greedy for money, go easy on me. My old bones can't take your abuse. No matter how healthy I am, I'm not as healthy as you. I heard you had a big, healthy baby boy two years ago. That's considered a good story in our line of work."
The newcomer broke free from Qian Yaosi's arms and said jokingly that they were old friends and he wasn't afraid of Qian Yaosi getting angry and turning against him.
"Good heavens, Manager Qian, the story I just told you really is about you! Amazing, amazing, even that antique dealer is probably not as good as you."
Upon hearing the visitor's words, Liu Chuan, Zhuang Rui, and the others were all astonished and their mouths dropped open. This Qian Yaosi looked to be at least sixty years old, and he had a son just two years ago. Wasn't he born when he was fifty-eight or fifty-nine? Although Liu Chuan outwardly wore an expression of admiration, he was secretly thinking to himself: Who knows whose child it is?
As if seeing through Liu Chuan's thoughts, Manager Qian said with a smile, "Brother Gu, don't flatter me. I don't know how many people are talking behind my back. But I, Old Qian, don't care. That son is mine. I've done a paternity test. Anyone who's jealous can have one of their own."
Hearing Qian Yaosi's words, Liu Chuan was truly convinced; the saying "old age brings strength" couldn't be more fitting for this fat old man.
"Brother Gu, you didn't come to my son's 100-day and first birthday celebrations. What gift did you bring for my son this time?"
Qian Yaosi abruptly changed the subject and actually asked the visitor for a gift. It was only natural for a father to ask his son for something, but Qian Yaosi's actions were a bit exaggerated. His chubby white hands were already stretched out in front of the visitor.
"I knew you'd be so greedy and that'd be the first thing you'd say. I've already prepared this for you: a jade Guanyin pendant, which is said to protect against all evil. It's perfect for your son to wear."
The old man seemed to know Qian Yaosi's character well. Upon hearing this, he immediately took out a Guanyin pendant tied with a thin red string from his pocket and placed it in Qian Yaosi's hand.
Qian Yaosi didn't stand on ceremony. He immediately pinched the jade Guanyin with two fingers and examined it against the light. After a moment, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He said, "Brother Gu is indeed a master of jade. Your work is truly exceptional. This mutton fat jade is a rare treasure. On behalf of my good-for-nothing son, I thank you, brother."
With his discerning eye, Qian Yaosi glanced at the pendant and saw that the entire piece was a white with a greasy sheen, without a single impurity. He knew that even among mutton fat jade, this Guanyin pendant was considered a top-grade piece.
Mutton fat jade, also known as "white jade" or "mutton fat jade," is a top-grade nephrite and is extremely precious. Many ancient emperors used white jade as the material for their imperial seals. Among the treasures in museums around the world, artifacts carved from white jade are regarded as "national treasures." For example, the unearthed "Empress's Seal" from the Western Han Dynasty was carved from flawless mutton fat jade.
Mutton fat jade has been highly valued since ancient times, but it is extremely rare, almost impossible to find in modern times. Currently, a kilogram of mutton fat jade can fetch around 600,000 yuan on the market. Even so, most of these so-called mutton fat jade pieces are actually high-white mountain jade or pebble jade. If they lack the original skin, they are mostly high-white mountain material, far removed from genuine mutton fat jade. It can be said that even with money, one cannot necessarily buy a truly exquisite piece of mutton fat jade.
Slightly inferior mutton fat jade will have a slight yellow tinge in its white color, and even worse jade will have a slight light gray tinge in its white color. However, this Guanyin pendant is completely white, smooth, and round, like solidified white fat. It is the finest mutton fat jade, so the gift given by the old man mentioned by Qian Yaosi is extremely precious.
Qin Xuanbing, who was standing to the side, also showed a hint of curiosity after hearing Qian Yaosi's words. You know, jewelry stores sell not only diamonds, gold and jadeite, but also jade, which is one of the most important products. Of course, jadeite is also a type of jade, and it is the representative of hard jade.
Nephrite and jadeite both belong to the chain silicate family. Nephrite is a calcium magnesium silicate within the amphibole group, hence it is also called amphibole jade or nephrite. Jadeite, on the other hand, is a sodium aluminum silicate within the pyroxene group, hence it is also called pyroxene jade or pyroxene jade. Pyroxene jade has a subtle crystalline structure, a vitreous luster, and is clear and lustrous. In contrast, amphibole jade's color is closer to the creamy beauty of solidified wax.
However, Qian Yaosi had no intention of showing the mutton fat jade in his hand. After thanking the old man, he immediately put it into his pocket, thwarting Qin Xuanbing's desire to find out more.
The arrival of this old man interrupted Zhuang Rui's work of appreciating porcelain. Qian Yaosi saw that everyone looked puzzled, so he introduced him: "This gentleman's surname is Gu. He is the vice chairman of our country's jade association. If you are interested in jade, you might as well get to know Brother Gu later."
Upon hearing that the elderly man before them was actually the vice chairman of the Jade Association, Lei Lei and Qin Xuanbing both showed expressions of surprise. The jewelry exhibition held in Nanjing was co-organized by the Jade Association and relevant parties in Nanjing. They never expected to meet the person in charge here.
However, neither of the two women revealed their identities. The Jade Association had only provided a platform for this jewelry exhibition. As for which company could shine at the exhibition, that would depend on their own abilities. Even if the Vice Chairman Gu was handed over, it wouldn't have a significant impact.
However, Qian Yaosi did not introduce Zhuang Rui and the others to the elderly man surnamed Gu, which greatly displeased Vice Chairman Gu. He glared at Qian Yaosi and said, "You scoundrel, you're really ungrateful! You just took my stuff, and now you're turning your back on me. Tell me honestly, what kind of show are you putting on today? You're so old, don't bully the youngsters..."
The old man surnamed Gu could also tell that the young man seemed to be interested in buying Qian Yaosi's porcelain and was currently appraising it. Although he knew that most of Qian Yaosi's items were fake, he naturally didn't want to expose him out of respect for his old friend. However, Gu was a kind-hearted person and didn't want to see these young people pay the price for being greedy. So he said the words above, hoping to dissuade Qian Yaosi from his idea of ripping people off.
Upon hearing the old man's words, Qian Yaosi's face showed a rare hint of embarrassment. However, when his eyes glanced at Zhuang Rui's right wrist, his expression immediately returned to normal. It seemed that the dzi bead bracelet was quite attractive to him.
“Brother Gu, I’m not here to rip people off today. Even if I offer money to Brother Zhuang, he might not accept it.”
"Huh? Is that so? You're always so greedy, taking money and never giving it back. When did you suddenly become kind-hearted?"
Old Gu was somewhat surprised. He knew that although Qian Yaosi was cunning in business, he was always a man of his word. Since he had said that, there must be a reason.
Seeing that Brother Gu was pressing him for answers, Qian Yaosi reluctantly revealed that he had discovered the old dzi bead in Zhuang Rui's possession. He knew that this man, who had spent his entire life immersed in the jade business, would definitely be tempted if he heard that Zhuang Rui had an old dzi bead blessed by a living Buddha, since dzi beads are an extremely precious gemstone.
"Young man, do you really have a bracelet made of ancient dzi beads?"
As expected, upon hearing this, Gu Lao immediately turned his gaze to Zhuang Rui. However, his perspective differed from Qian Yaosi's. Qian Yaosi's gaze towards the dzi bead was one of undisguised desire to possess it, while Gu Lao's gaze towards Zhuang Rui was one of seeking his consent and wanting to appraise it.
"Sir, after I've appraised these items, I'll show them to everyone, regardless of whether I'm selling this dzi bead or not. Is that alright? But you all can't handle it."
Seeing the old man's burning gaze, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but smile wryly. He had already given the dzi bead a very high valuation, but he hadn't expected its value to exceed his prediction.
"Ignore that money-grubbing guy. I bet none of the items in his shop are real. You're guaranteed to lose if you bet with him."