When people examine an antique, they first check its appearance and then use instruments to test it. If this imperial edict is tested with instruments, the confirmed date will undoubtedly indicate that the item is genuine!
Lewis was stunned and speechless for a long time. He had specifically taken Chinese language courses for Fu Ying's sake. Of course, he recognized those five characters and knew what they meant. Just as Zhou Xuan had said, he had been fooled. He had spent 1.65 million to buy a fake!
He had always looked down on Zhou Xuan, but Zhou Xuan's insight and actions forced him to admit defeat. Even Liu Qingyuan hadn't been able to tell the item was fake when it was auctioned off. This item had been authenticated by numerous experts, who certainly wouldn't do it intentionally. Having a fake item at auction would only damage their reputation, a loss they would suffer, as they were responsible for verifying and authenticating every item. And after the auction, they would receive a substantial sum of money.
If counterfeit goods are found, their reputation and judgment will be damaged, which will directly affect their income. Therefore, they will never mistake counterfeit goods for genuine ones. Of course, this result means that they have also been deceived!
Zhou Xuan could tell that this surprised both Lewis and Liu Qingyuan. Zhou Xuan's approach was also very prudent; he simply picked out the thread from the right axle. Lewis could later use the thread to sew the axle back together and restore it to its original state. However, once they realized that the item was fake, their mindset would be different!
What Lewis found even more unbearable was that if Zhou Xuan was just a high school student as he claimed, then Jiang, a high school student much shorter than him, was truly a blow to him both physically and mentally!
Having pointed out this flaw, Zhou Xuan didn't say anything more, but simply stood aside with an expression that spoke volumes in silence.
Lewis's face turned ashen, all his initial composure gone. He gritted his teeth, picked up the imperial edict, and placed it in the box he had brought. Then he put the bundle and the thread in as well, gave Liu Qingyuan a farewell gesture, and left.
Liu Qingyuan sighed somewhat. After Lewis left, he stood there for a while before remembering something. He quickly pulled Zhou Xuan down to sit with a smile and said, "Little Brother Zhou, it seems you've improved even more in the past few months. Hehe, this old man truly admits his inferiority!"
After learning Zhou Xuan's secret, Fu Ying had even more confidence in him, believing that nothing could stump her beloved. Her admiration for Liu Qingyuan made her happier than anything else.
Her Uncle Liu was always a very eccentric person. He would completely ignore those he didn't like, but he would be more affectionate towards those he liked than his own son. But winning his favor was no easy feat. Even she herself was never treated as well by Liu Qingyuan as he had been towards Zhou Xuan.
Liu Qingyuan first boiled a kettle of water and brewed tea. The tea set was a matching set of purple clay teapots, and the tea leaves were treasured collectibles taken from the cabinet.
Zhou Xuan was much more patient now, leisurely enjoying tea and conversation with Liu Qingyuan. In truth, much of Zhou Xuan's knowledge and experience came from the practice of using ice energy; the process was often ambiguous, but the results were accurate.
of.
Liu Qingyuan listened with a burning desire, his mind already pounding. He had been vaguely confused, yet the expert had pinpointed the key points, much like a master of unorthodox martial arts. The martial arts he practiced were all unbelievable, yet he too had ultimately reached the pinnacle!
Fu Ying knew nothing about tea, but because of Zhou Xuan, she patiently drank a few small cups of tea, the aroma of which was unforgettable. She also listened to Zhou Xuan chatting with Liu Qingyuan, rambling on about all sorts of things.
Afterwards, Liu Qingyuan pulled Zhou Xuan into the inner room to examine his collection. Without exception, Zhou Xuan pointed out the value of the genuine articles and the flaws of the fakes. He also identified several items that Liu Qingyuan had always believed to be genuine.
Liu Qingyuan was completely captivated, abandoning his age and status, and treating himself as Zhou Xuan's student and apprentice, wanting to extract all of Zhou Xuan's experience and knowledge in one fell swoop.
However, Zhou Xuan's true strength came from his ice-qi ability, which Liu Qingyuan couldn't possibly take away. When identifying and authenticating Liu Qingyuan's antiques, they mainly relied on ice-qi, supplemented by book knowledge and experience from recent times, which was understandable. After all, a fake is a fake, and a fake has its flaws; it can never pass for the real thing.
Fu Ying watched the old man and the young man lose themselves in their own world, feeling both amused and annoyed. She had originally brought Zhou Xuan along to settle this debt, but Zhou Xuan was so engrossed that he had completely forgotten that his girlfriend was with him. Girls need to be cherished and protected, so she couldn't help but cough a few times.
Zhou Xuan paused, startled by Fu Ying's cough. He then realized Fu Ying was still with them, and they must have been at Liu Qingyuan's for four or five hours or more. He quickly said, "Uncle Liu, it's getting late. We have to go back!"
Liu Qingyuan waved his hand and casually said, "Don't go, I'm not Senior Uncle Liu, I'm your disciple. You're my Master Zhou!"
Hearing that Liu Qingyuan was disrespectful to his elders, Fu Ying angrily said, "Uncle Liu!"
Liu Qingyuan was taken aback, then realized that his words were quite inappropriate, and immediately said awkwardly, "Yingying, let this boy stay with me a little longer, just a little longer!"
Fu Ying replied seriously, "Alright, Uncle Liu. It won't be long, just five minutes. I'll set the time now; it's 6:10 now. We'll leave at 6:15!"
Liu Qingyuan was stunned. He couldn't find any fault with Fu Ying. He had indeed said those words, but that wasn't his intention. However, he couldn't do anything about it. He could only look at Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan may have been carried away with his own antics, but he never forgot Fu Ying. He smiled and said, "Uncle Liu, I'll join you again when there's a banquet. It's getting late, you should rest!"
Fu Ying immediately stood up with a smile on her face, her smile as beautiful as a flower.
Liu Qingyuan sighed helplessly. He muttered, "They're all the same kind of guys who forget their mothers once they get married!"
Just as Fu Ying was about to speak, Zhou Bi quickly dragged her towards the door, saying to Liu Qingyuan as they walked, "Uncle Liu, we're leaving now. We'll come and keep you company next time we have time!"
At the counter, the second senior brother said with a smile, "Junior sister, your friend has arrived. I must treat him to a meal. Please, have a private room!"
"No, I'll take advantage of Second Senior Brother next time!" Hearing that Second Senior Brother was being polite to Zhou Xuan, Fu Ying's tone became much more amiable.
While in the taxi, Fu Ying instructed Zhou Xuan: "After you get back and eat, tell him you have a headache. Don't play chess with Grandpa. Grandpa is old and not very strong. He forgets the time when he starts playing chess and ends up playing until the middle of the night. What if you exhaust Grandpa?"
That's true. Although Zhou Xuan helped Fu Yuhai's aging body functions, the old man is still a hundred years old. No matter how much he's stimulated, he can't compare to a young person. Even if he's twenty years younger than he is now, he's still an eighty-year-old. How can he do things like a young person? Zhou Xuan chuckled and scratched his head, saying, "I forget everything when I play chess with Grandpa. You said I won't play chess with him today. I'll just say I have a headache!"
Back at the Fu residence, it wasn't Sister Yu who opened the door, but Lu Liang. He saw on the monitor that Zhou Xuan and Fu Ying had returned, so he quickly came out to open the door.
Mu respectfully said, "Miss, Mr. Zhou!"
Zhou Xuan smiled and patted his shoulder. "Brother Lu, I'm much younger than you. Just call me Little Zhou or Zhou Xuan, don't call me Mr. Zhou, it sounds awkward!"
Lu Liang chuckled. Zhou Xuan's personality was very likable; martial arts practitioners often admire straightforward personalities.
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In the living room, Fu Tianlai, Fu Yuhai, Fu Ban, Yang Jie, and Li Junjie were all present, along with a woman in her forties who possessed an air of elegance and nobility. There was also a man who appeared to be in his forties or fifties, but he was in a wheelchair, clearly having difficulty walking.
Upon seeing the two people, Fu Ying exclaimed with delight, "Second Aunt, Second Uncle!"
She then pulled Zhou Xuan aside and said, "Zhou Xuan, this is my second aunt and uncle, Junjie's parents. But, Uncle, what happened to your foot?"
Fu Ying's second aunt is named Fu Zheng, and her second aunt's husband is named Li Tao. After Li Junjie called back, he boarded a passenger plane last night and just arrived at 6 pm today.
Fu Zheng took Fu Ying's hand and looked her up and down, saying, "Yingying, you seem to have lost some weight?"
Volume 1, Chapter 192: Sand in the Eye
Liu Zheng felt that Fu Xu had lost weight, and everyone was sure it was true. Fu Xu had been in a state of distress for a while and was quite exhausted.
“Sigh,” Yingying Fu Zheng sighed, then continued, “Your second uncle really suffered a bolt from the blue. Just a month ago, he was in a car accident. Both his legs were comminuted fractures. According to the hospital examination and treatment, his right shinbone was particularly badly injured. After removing the bone spur that was embedded in the muscle, the joint was shortened by an inch. The doctor recommended either adding steel nails to the joint or surgery, but with the leg bone shortened by an inch, walking will be affected. That's what the doctor said, but what they really meant was that your second uncle had a hip injury. He came to New York this time to have a follow-up examination and see if there are any treatment options!”
Li Junjie was supporting Li Tao's wheelchair from behind, and both he and Fu Zheng and her son looked worried. Fu Tianlai and his son Fu Se were also considering which hospital to go to for treatment.
Li Tao himself didn't seem to care, and said with a smile, "What are you all worried about? I'm almost fifty years old. So what if I'm lame? I don't want to have steel pins in my leg or anything. Anyway, my son is all grown up now. Wouldn't it be better for the family to get together more often?"
Fu Tianlai frowned and said angrily, "What are you saying? I'll arrange it. I know several of the best hospitals in New York. With today's advanced medical technology, even if they insert a steel nail, the surgery is very simple. There's nothing to worry about!"