Jing Shi Zhai has five people in total. The manager is Fang Zhicheng, Chen Sanyan's brother-in-law, who is thirty-three years old. The second person in charge is Uncle Liu, who is over fifty years old. Uncle Liu looks like an inconspicuous old man, but he was very famous in the Yangzhou antique circle in his early years. Uncle Liu's father was also a top expert in the antique business before the liberation and his family was quite wealthy. However, after the liberation, he was criticized and labeled as a monster and demon. His family's antique collection was also confiscated, and his family fell into decline. But Uncle Liu learned a lot about antiques from his father since he was a child.
It took Chen Sanyan three visits to Liu Shu's humble abode to finally persuade him to come out. Later, when they were going to expand south, Chen Sanyan had no choice but to move Liu Shu here to manage the store. So, Liu Shu was in charge of most of the major projects at Chongkou and the other store in Shenzhen.
Of course, Uncle Liu was in charge of the technical work, while Fang Zhicheng was in charge of managing people and money. The store was clearly divided into two parts: Fang Zhicheng was in charge of finances and personnel, while Uncle Liu was fully responsible for the purchase and sale of antiques and jade. Even if Fang Zhicheng wanted to take on this responsibility, he didn't have the ability.
There was also a man named Li Jun who worked at the shop regularly. He was a young man in his late twenties and also from Yangzhou. Since we knew him well, we felt more at ease. There were also two apprentices, Achang and Aguang, who were hired on the spot in Chongkou. They only came to work during the day and went home at night.
Southerners love tea, and they even call breakfast "drinking morning tea." Every household has a tea set.
Uncle Liu also enjoys this hobby. Besides appraising the goods he buys and sells, he can't do without his big pipe and tea set.
Chen Sanyan brought Zhou Xuan back to Jingshizhai. Fang Zhicheng and Li Jun had gone out to have some fun, leaving only Uncle Liu in the shop, drinking tea and smoking his opium pipe.
Fang Zhicheng usually disliked Uncle Liu smoking this dry tobacco; the smell was really unpleasant. But the shop couldn't do without him, so he had to put up with it.
Uncle Liu doesn't smoke cigarettes; he only smokes the kind of locally grown tobacco from the countryside, which is strong and has a strong flavor. As soon as Zhou Xuan entered the inner room of Jing Shi Zhai, he could smell the strong smell of tobacco.
Chen Sanyan gestured for Zhou Xuan to sit down, then smiled at Uncle Liu and said, "Uncle Liu, I saw something good on the pedestrian street today, take a look!"
Chen Sanyan chuckled as he took the manuscript from Zhou Xuan and handed it to Uncle Liu.
Uncle Liu put the pipe aside, then laid the manuscript flat on a mahogany table. He then took a straight wooden strip about a foot long and a soft brush, gently smoothed the manuscript, and then opened it from the back.
Zhou Xuan then witnessed the work of a true professional. Uncle Liu frowned when he saw the manuscript was dirty and tattered. At that moment, Zhou Xuan realized that Uncle Liu wasn't disgusted by the manuscript's dirtiness and tattered state, but rather heartbroken!
Turning on the main lights in the hall immediately illuminated the room.
After turning to the first page, Uncle Liu took a straight wooden stick and pressed the curled corners of the manuscript firmly. Then he used a soft brush to gently sweep away the dust before looking at the words on the manuscript.
After just one glance, Uncle Liu's hand trembled slightly. He quickly opened the case of reading glasses on the table, took out the glasses, and put them on his nose.
Zhou Xuan initially thought Uncle Liu wanted to get a magnifying glass, but he didn't expect him to get his reading glasses.
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Volume One: The Lotus Buds Just Begin to Emerge, Chapter Five: The Treasure Appraisal at Jingshi Studio (Part Two)
When Uncle Liu was appreciating Yuan Mei's manuscript, he did it somewhat differently from Chen Sanyan. He extended his index finger and traced each stroke of the characters on the manuscript.
Seeing Uncle Liu engrossed in his calligraphy, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Liu, do you think this manuscript is real or fake?"
Uncle Liu frowned, glanced at Zhou Xuan, and his eyes showed disdain and contempt.
Chen Sanyan smiled and said, "Xiao Luo, don't rush. Uncle Liu is verifying the authenticity of the manuscript."
Zhou Xuan asked curiously, "Can you determine authenticity just by tracing the characters with a brush?"
Chen Sanyan was immediately embarrassed. Had he really misjudged? Zhou Xuan didn't even understand the most basic common sense, so how could he recognize Yuan Mei's manuscript?
After thinking for a moment, Chen Sanyan explained: "Generally speaking, the most common and widespread method for authenticating manuscripts is to start with 'brushwork.' Brushwork refers to the form and method of the movement of dots and lines in calligraphy and painting. Chinese calligraphy has a long history of thousands of years, and brushwork is the most important soul and core of calligraphy and painting. The quality of brushwork is the most important criterion for measuring the level of calligraphy and painting art. Therefore, the authenticity of calligraphy and painting must first be reflected in the brushwork."
"Oh." Zhou Xuan hadn't expected there to be so many intricacies in calligraphy and painting. Compared to these professionals, he was clearly out of his depth.
Chen Sanyan continued, "Uncle Liu is distinguishing Yuan Mei's brushwork from the shapes of the dots and lines. Calligraphy is closely related to a person's temperament and environment; there are specific requirements. 'The brush tip should be like a steel pestle, its force penetrating the paper' refers to the strength at the tip of the brush. This strength should be contained, not displayed outwards; if it is, it's called 'bulging veins.' The speed of calligraphy and painting is secondary; the main thing is whether the lightness, heaviness, speed, turns, and pauses of the brushwork conform to the rules. Some people use a worn-out brush and dry ink to create the illusion of flying white to mislead the viewer. In art criticism terms, this is called 'a drawn sword and a drawn crossbow,' but there's nothing in the brushwork. Appraising large paintings is like 'a high mountain.'" Pay particular attention to brushwork in depicting large trees and long lines of clothing. Large paintings require bold brushstrokes, as the saying goes, "Please let your brushstrokes flow freely to create a straight trunk." However, bold brushstrokes are not arbitrary scribbles; do not be misled by affected "ostentatious display" or "pretentious cleverness." Only then will you realize that true boldness lies in subtlety, unlike ostentatious display or pretentious cleverness. When judging meticulous brushwork with fine, short lines, one must examine whether each stroke is powerful and skillful. Ancient masters often used metaphors such as "like an ink stamp on mud," "like a cone drawing in sand," "spring clouds drifting in the sky," "flowing water on the ground," "embodying strength within grace, and vigor within gentleness," and "a sword embroidered with earthen flowers, concealing a firm substance within; a cauldron of emerald green, radiating sharpness on the outside," to describe brushwork.
After hearing what was said, Zhou Xuan only understood half of it, and it was neither clear nor unclear.
When Chen Sanyan started talking about his research experience on antiques and calligraphy, he became very enthusiastic and began to speak at length.
"In calligraphy, since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, people have regarded calligraphy merely as an art form for expressing brush and ink skills. They admired metaphysics and were fond of simplicity. The calligraphy style at this time was elegant, unrestrained and light."
"By the Tang Dynasty, society was stable, the economy was prosperous, people were ambitious, and scholars and literati were bold and unrestrained in their calligraphy, which was also orderly and rigorous."
"During the Song Dynasty, urban economies flourished, urban culture thrived, and the literary atmosphere was particularly vibrant. Calligraphy styles were characterized by their steady elegance, beauty, variety, novelty, and exquisiteness. Subsequently, the harsh Mongol rule of the Yuan Dynasty suppressed the spirit of scholars, leading to a rigid and conventional style of calligraphy, confined to the styles of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and limited to both ancient and modern forms. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the imperial examinations gradually became the only path to officialdom for scholars. The strict requirements of the imperial examination papers and official documents, coupled with constant persecution, resulted in a conservative mindset among scholars and officials. During this period, the official script and the court script became prevalent, characterized by neat layouts, symmetrical and graceful characters, straight and rounded strokes, stiff and constrained structure, and a dignified, elegant, steady, and vigorous style."
Zhou Xuan was dumbfounded. He never expected that a simple question would lead to so many complicated details, including brushwork, dates, and dynasties. No wonder he couldn't improve his calligraphy. However, he was truly impressed by Chen Sanyan's extensive knowledge.
However, Zhou Xuan was more concerned about the authenticity of his manuscript, as it was related to a huge sum of 175,000 yuan. He quietly whispered to Chen Sanyan, "Boss Chen, your research on calligraphy and painting is so profound. Could it be that Uncle Liu is even more knowledgeable than you?"
His question was driven by ulterior motives. If Chen Sanyan said that Uncle Liu was more capable than him, then the manuscript would still be up to Uncle Liu to decide, and it was uncertain whether it was true or not. If Uncle Liu was not as capable as Chen Sanyan, then he would be much more at ease, since Chen Sanyan had already said it was true. However, Chen Sanyan had not thought of the real meaning behind his question.
Chen Sanyan smiled and said, "Uncle Liu's specialty is antiques and artifacts, calligraphy and paintings are secondary."
Zhou Xuan understood what Chen Sanyan meant. His forte was antiques, while calligraphy and painting were secondary. Chen Sanyan didn't explicitly say that Uncle Liu was weaker than him in calligraphy and painting, but the implication was clear.
Zhou Xuan calmed down a bit and glanced at Uncle Liu. The old man had already closed his manuscript and was muttering to himself with his eyes closed, looking very much like those old landlords on TV.
After a while, Uncle Liu opened his eyes, raised his face, nodded, and said, "It's the manuscript of the owner of Suiyuan Garden!"
Zhou Xuan felt a weight lifted from his heart, thinking to himself, "That's right, what nonsense about the owner of Suiyuan dropping his schoolbag!"
Uncle Liu pointed to the manuscript and said, "The owner of Suiyuan Garden was a writer of his own, and was as famous as Ji Xiaolan, known as 'Yuan in the South and Ji in the North.' He advocated the 'theory of spirituality,' so all his works were based on 'truth, novelty, and liveliness.' However, his poems often narrated trivial matters around him, and were mostly about romance and nature. Some of his poems tended to be vulgar, especially in his later years. The supplementary manuscript of Jianzhai records many ghost stories, but they are not the same as his previous work 'What the Master Did Not Speak Of.' He also added some supplementary views on life. The value of his manuscript... can be said to be truly precious. How much did it cost to buy it back?"
"One yuan!" Zhou Xuan held up one finger. He didn't really know Yuan Mei's name, but he was pleased to hear Uncle Liu say that he was as famous as Ji Xiaolan. He did know Ji Xiaolan; there are so many TV dramas these days, the only thing missing is showing Ji Xiaolan changing his underwear to visit a brothel.
Uncle Liu asked in surprise, "One yuan?" Then he sighed, "That's a real bargain. But I've been in the South for so long and have visited many street stalls and shops, but they are full of counterfeit and fake goods. There are hardly any valuable items to be found. It's really lucky that you found this manuscript. According to the current assessment of the value of the other manuscripts by the owner of Suiyuan, this supplementary manuscript is worth between 250,000 and 300,000 yuan."
Hearing the old man say that, Zhou Xuan was completely relieved. He wasn't greedy for the manuscript to sell for tens of thousands more. It was best to take what he could get. Besides, this was an unexpected windfall. It was important that he could convert it into cash. Moreover, if you make a profit, why would others buy it?
He immediately smiled and handed the manuscript to Chen Sanyan with both hands, saying, "Mr. Chen, let's stick to the agreement as before."
Chen Sanyan readily accepted the money, saying, "Alright, Xiao Zhou is a straightforward person, so I won't waste any more words. Uncle Liu, I've reached an agreement with Brother Xiao Zhou to buy this manuscript for 180,000. Xiao Zhou will have to spend another 5,000 on food. Hehe, it just so happens that I have two friends from Yangzhou who have come to the south. Let's get together and chat later, and see what kind of interesting things they have."
Uncle Liu was initially disdainful of Zhou Xuan's ignorance, but after he explained the true value, Zhou Xuan stopped trying to raise the price, and his opinion of him improved slightly. In addition, it seemed that Chen Sanyan was treating him differently, so his expression softened a bit.
It's not that Chen Sanyan deliberately lowered the price for Zhou Xuan. In fact, in the antique and calligraphy industry, private and public transactions are two different things. Public transactions and auctions must be conducted according to regulations and taxes must be paid to the state. Yuan Mei's manuscript would be worth about 170,000 to 200,000 yuan in a private transaction, but it might sell for 300,000 yuan or even more at an auction. However, the auction house's commission, taxes, and other expenses are also a considerable expense. Therefore, the price Chen Sanyan offered to Zhou Xuan was not very low.
Chen Sanyan then said, "Uncle Liu, do you have enough cash in the shop? Let's pay Xiao Zhou."