Chapter 10

Although Su Dahai did not explain to others, the news that a Song edition book was discovered in the antique market and that someone had picked up a bargain quickly spread like wildfire. Anyone in the trade received the news in the first instance. Yu Lifei picked up the manuscript of the Nanyue Old Draft and left, completely unaware of the legendary story that was spreading in the antique market.

When Yu Lifei walked into the rice noodle shop he had visited yesterday, Wu Wengu had not yet arrived. Yu Lifei found an empty table and waited. He took out the half brick he had just bought, poured some water on it, and took out the ink stick, quickly grinding it into ink. He pulled out a sheet of paper, cut it to size, pondered for a moment, and then, with a clear idea in his mind, wrote swiftly and confidently.

Just as Yu Lifei was putting away his writing tools and placing his resume on the table, he saw Wu Wengu walk in, his face flushed. Wu Kexin accompanied him, wearing a tight T-shirt and a floral short skirt, looking fashionable and cute.

"Grandpa Wu, this way, please," Yu Lifei quickly stood up and said with a smile.

"Little Yu, I was delayed at the antique market for a bit. Hey, what's that?" Wu Wengu noticed the paper hanging on the edge of the table as soon as he walked over. He glanced at it and thought the writing was quite good.

"It's my resume," Yu Lifei quickly took the paper down and respectfully handed it to Wu Wengu.

"The writing is bold, free, and powerful, Little Yu. I didn't expect you to have such good calligraphy skills." Wu Wengu looked at the writing before the content. He was surprised by Yu Lifei's brushwork, which required at least a decade of practice. Nowadays, even middle-aged people might not have such good handwriting.

Wu Kexin also glanced at it. Although she had learned calligraphy since childhood, she admitted she did not have such skill. Last night, Yu Lifei had given her the impression of being just a martial artist. She also thought he must have used a weapon to cause such significant damage. His attitude last night had also annoyed her. However, now, she suddenly felt that Yu Lifei's attitude had been neither humble nor arrogant. People are like that; when they feel inferior in some aspect, their perception changes subtly.

"Grandpa Wu, do you think this resume is okay?" Yu Lifei asked humbly. Due to the development of computer technology, most people now print their resumes. Handwritten resumes like his were rare. He was confident in his calligraphy and often wrote when he had free time. Now, with the right tools, he would write again.

"No problem, absolutely no problem. I've already made the arrangements. I'll take you for an interview later, and if everything goes well, you can start work tomorrow." Wu Wengu said. Before leaving in the morning, he had already mentioned Yu Lifei to the deputy director of the Tanzhou City Museum, Wu Zhicun, who was also his son. A temporary security guard at the museum was not a highly sought-after position; if it didn't work out, he could be fired at any time.

"Thank you, Grandpa Wu." Yu Lifei quickly stood up, bowed, and said.

"Little Yu, last night you picked up a bargain, which I thought was a good story. But this morning, there was a big news in the antique market." Wu Wengu said. On his way, he had deliberately passed by the antique market and heard that someone had bought a Song edition book for fifty yuan, a much bigger bargain than what Yu Lifei had found yesterday.

The antique market is full of legendary stories, and tales of sudden wealth are not uncommon. It is precisely because of such stories that the antique market has such charm, attracting so many people.

"Really? Grandpa Wu, this morning I bought an old book at a stall. I don't know if it's real or fake, but regardless, it's a token of my appreciation. I hope you won't refuse it." Yu Lifei did not pay much attention. He did not realize that the big news Wu Wengu was talking about was about him. He took out the Nanyue Old Draft from his bag and respectfully presented it to Wu Wengu.

"Nanyue Old Draft?!!! Little Yu, did you buy this for fifty yuan this morning?" Wu Wengu took it casually, but when he saw the title, he was shocked and looked at Yu Lifei in disbelief.

Last night, Yu Lifei had spent seventy yuan on a Qing dynasty child bathing a cow figurine, which he thought was rare. But today, he had bought a Song edition book for just fifty yuan, a luck that was truly extraordinary. Wu Wengu had been dealing with antiques all his life, but he had never seen anyone as lucky as Yu Lifei.

"I don't know if it's real yet," Yu Lifei smiled modestly. Although he had a good feeling, he lacked the ability to authenticate it. Even if it was genuine, he could not explain its value.

"Let me take a look. But Little Yu, whether it's real or fake, I can't accept it." Wu Wengu calmed down and said slowly. He then took out a pair of white gloves and put them on before carefully picking up the Nanyue Old Draft. Yu Lifei did not understand the rules of antiques and did not realize that such a valuable item should not be casually placed on a dining table.

"Grandpa Wu, I bought this book to give it to you." Yu Lifei quickly said. To him, the book's value, no matter how great, was still just fifty yuan.

"Little Yu, one shouldn't be too worldly. I'm helping you because you have no relatives in Tanzhou, and I admire your abilities and character. I'm not doing it for you to give me something. Besides, can I accept such a valuable item? Dare I accept it?" Wu Wengu's face showed displeasure.

After saying that, Wu Wengu ignored Yu Lifei and took out a small magnifying glass to examine the book carefully. Yu Lifei, seeing his focus, did not dare to disturb him. After a long time, Wu Wengu put down the magnifying glass.

"Little Yu, I was skeptical about a Song edition book appearing in Tanzhou. Now it seems to be true." Wu Wengu sighed. The cultural value of Song edition books alone is captivating, regardless of their economic value.

Although block-printed books first appeared in the Song dynasty, Song edition books are considered the best. During the Song dynasty, the engraving was meticulous and precise, and the proofreading was extremely thorough, with no errors or omissions. The writing in Song edition books was done by famous calligraphers, not ordinary craftsmen.

Song dynasty books have uniform and neat paper, clear and moist ink, and a very clean and clear print. The ink is used just right, and even if it gets wet, it will not leave a noticeable mark when dried. Opening the book, one can naturally smell the fragrance of the ink.

Moreover, in Song dynasty books, when the emperor's name appears, it is always avoided. For example, the character "Kuang" would be written without the horizontal stroke at the bottom, becoming "Gan." The middle vertical stroke in "Guang" is also missing. The bottom horizontal stroke in "Heng" is also missing. The dot in "Zhen" is also not present.

The layout design of Song edition books is exquisite. The distribution of text is very meticulous, and the height and width of the frame and the number of lines and characters are determined by the size of the font and the number of characters per line. Large-character editions have seven to eight lines per half-page, with about fifteen to sixteen characters per line. Small-character editions have thirteen to fourteen lines per half-page, with about twenty-three to twenty-four characters per line. The most common are medium-character editions with nine to twelve lines per half-page and eighteen to twenty-two characters per line. Many scholars use Song edition books to correct errors in ancient texts from the Ming and Qing dynasties, restoring their true appearance.

During the Song dynasty, the government placed great importance on proofreading, even involving the emperor. To ensure the quality of the books, several measures were taken. For example, the engraving plates had to be proofread three times: by the proofreading official, the re-proofreading official, and the main judge. After the engraving was completed, the plates had to be proofread again. Additionally, the names of the proofreaders were published at the end of the book to indicate responsibility.

"Grandpa, Song edition books are not easy to come by. Don't be fooled." Wu Kexin, although her eyes were on the Nanyue Old Draft, kept glancing at Yu Lifei. Seeing his calm face, she was secretly amazed. Although she did not know the exact value of Song edition books, from her grandfather's excitement, it was clearly very valuable. Yu Lifei did not seem like a wealthy person, yet he could remain calm in the face of such a valuable item, which was truly remarkable.

"Do you doubt my judgment? Let's have Zhigui take a look." Wu Wengu said. Zhigui, whose full name is Ren Zhigui, is Ren Jingtian's father and one of Wu Wengu's former students. He now works at the cultural relics bureau, specializing in Song dynasty history. Although Wu Wengu is Ren Zhigui's teacher, he is not as knowledgeable about Song dynasty history as Ren Zhigui.

"Grandpa Wu, I trust your judgment. There's no need to ask anyone else," Yu Lifei gently shook his head and said slowly.

"You trusting me is not enough. Uncle Ren is an expert on the Song dynasty. Only after his authentication can it be considered genuine." Wu Kexin's eyes widened, and she said unhappily.

"Little Yu, it's better to have Zhigui take a look. If he finds out that a Song edition book has appeared in Tanzhou, he will come to you even if you don't go to him." Wu Wengu smiled. All collectors and appraisers, if not obsessed with antiques, cannot become experts. Ren Zhigui's research on Song dynasty history has reached an obsessive level. He wants to study anything from the Song dynasty. If he finds out about a Song edition book, he will definitely come to appraise it.

Originally, Wu Wengu planned to take Yu Lifei to the museum for an interview after meeting him. But now, because of the Nanyue Old Draft, the job interview has been put on hold, and the priority is to authenticate the Nanyue Old Draft.