Chapter 54

After sending Old Yuan back to the office, Wu Di and Zhao Haoran discussed the project. He asked Zhao Haoran to arrange for three people to take the materials from three manufacturers and go to Tiancheng the next day. Zhao Haoran smiled and said:

"Good kid, you're doing business all the way to the seaside! I wanted you to come help, but the water is too shallow to keep a big fish like you. Is it okay if I go with you tomorrow?"

"No problem. I'll be going to Yunnan in a few days. If things here need to be done quickly, you'll have to arrange for someone to follow up. It would be best if you could go with us."

"Perfect, I can learn from you. It's like secretly apprenticing. What? Do you have another project in Yunnan?"

"No, a friend asked me to go with him to gamble on stones."

After ending the call with Zhao Haoran, Wu Di followed the usual routine and drove straight to Old Chang's villa.

"Haha, what are you up to this time? Old Chang doesn't have another granddaughter!"

Old Yang and a few others were drinking tea under a tree in the courtyard. When they saw Wu Di come in, they teased him. Chang Linlin was not pleased:

"I'll call my sister Ziyi and tell her someone misses her!"

"Ouch, I wish! My brother has been worried sick about that crazy girl. I think Xiao Wu is great, just a bit too dark. But as long as his heart isn't dark, it's fine!"

Wu Di stumbled, almost throwing the bottle he was holding. Was this praise or an insult?

"Xiao Wu, why are you wrapping things in a sheet again? What's the secret? Show it to me, old man."

Wu Di placed the bottle on the small table, picked up an empty cup, and poured himself a cup of tea.

Old Chang was delighted when he saw the bottle:

"Ouch, Xiao Wu, you might have made a mistake this time. Did you take this bottle from the Forbidden City?"

Old Yang casually picked up the bottle and said:

"You're right, it's a good imitation. It's an old piece, probably from the Republic of China era? Ha, the biggest flaw is here. It has a bottom mark, and the blue and white has a halo effect. That's a bit too good, isn't it?"

Old Chang gestured for Wu Di to sit down and smiled:

"Xiao Wu, no two pieces of porcelain are exactly the same, especially the fine ones. Some people specialize in imitating these to deceive beginners. Haven't you seen the catalog of Forbidden City artifacts?"

Wu Di smiled bitterly. This was called the darkness under the lamp, or the harm of experience. Even someone like Old Chang could make this mistake. It seemed this bottle was just meant for him.

"I haven't seen it. I just thought the bottle was beautiful and seemed old. Want to take another look?"

"Sure, let me take another look. Don't worry, who in this field hasn't made a mistake? If anyone says they haven't, I'll go to their door! This piece is quite beautiful, even as a craft. Look, the colors are bright, the painting is exquisite, the body is uniform, and the glaze has a clamshell luster... Wait, this looks real? Let me take another look."

Seeing Zhong Qi drinking tea and playing with his phone, Wu Di quietly teased Chang Linlin:

"Sister Linlin, I have a question."

"Go ahead, I like ambitious kids."

"Is it you who married my fourth brother, or is it him who married you? He hasn't been home for a while."

He spoke quickly and ran away. Chang Linlin was stunned, her ears turning red. She gritted her teeth and chased after him, directing Zhong Qi to intercept him.

"Xiao Wu, come here, where did you get this bottle?"

"What's wrong?"

"Tell me, where did you get this bottle?"

"Today, I went to Tiancheng to meet a client. It was in his office. I thought it was worth 700,000, so I bought it back. Is there a problem?"

"700,000? You found a great deal! I have to call Old Han and see if his is still there, or if it's been replaced."

"Really? This thing was bought by my client at an auction two years ago!"

"You believe that? But they probably wouldn't deceive with an auction. Still, it's worth a call."

Wu Di stood by as Old Chang made the call. A soft, smooth hand touched his arm from the side. Wu Di was startled and turned to see Chang Linlin's smile:

"Good little brother, let me take good care of you!"

Her hand tightened, and a sharp pain shot through him. Wu Di almost screamed, gasping for air and shouting:

"Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain!"

"Hmph!" Chang Linlin held her head high like a hen that had just laid an egg and went to chat with Zhong Qi.

"Old Han said he'll come and take a look. Come, let me admire this bottle again."

Wu Di and Zhong Qi discussed going swimming, leaving the two old men to study the bottle. Chang Linlin stuck out her tongue and said:

"Leave them alone. Sometimes they look at things all day. I don't know what they see."

The sun was setting, and the water felt a bit cold. Wu Di climbed out and saw it was almost six. The day had been fulfilling, especially finding such a great deal, which made him very happy.

After changing, he came to the back yard and heard someone shouting and running in:

"Old Chang, Old Chang, is the thing still here? Let me see. I brought the one from the Forbidden City."

An old man, not noticing Wu Di, ran straight into the living room. Another middle-aged man carefully carried a cardboard box and followed behind.

"Really similar! Like twins! The painting is exquisite, the colors are bright, and it's a priceless treasure!"

The two bottles were placed side by side, and President Han carefully examined them for a while, sighing:

"Definitely the work of the same artist, but there are subtle differences. Look at the colors, the lines, the body... Most importantly, one has a mark, and the other doesn't."

"Xiao Wu, the porcelain painting you donated last time received high praise and was called the eighth wonder of the world by our experts. Later, I saw the jade carving, which could be called a miracle. Look, these two bottles are like twins, separated for over 300 years. Now they finally meet. Can you bear to let them be separated again? Can you bear to let them feel the pain of not being able to see each other?"

Why do these words sound so familiar? Wu Di didn't take President Han's rambling seriously, thinking the old man was quite fashionable, even listening to such songs.

"Old Han, are you having a professional relapse? You're still not letting Xiao Wu go after he donated such valuable things?"

"Hehe, it's a habit, a habit. Xiao Wu, this time, I'll let you keep one."

After dinner, Wu Di prepared to leave, as he had to go to Tiancheng the next day.

Old Chang called him over and led him to the study, asking:

"Xiao Wu, I have a question. Are you willing to learn about antiques from me?"

"What?"

"Learn about antiques and become my last disciple, Chang Youxue."

"Of course! I was asking Uncle Wen to take me as a disciple a few days ago, but he said he doesn't take disciples. Having you as my master is something I never dared to dream of."

"Oh, so you think I'm not as good as Wen Yaru? You mean I'm taking someone others don't want?"

"No, no, really, uh..."

"Xiao Wu, to learn about antiques, you need talent, but luck is also important. Imagine spending a lifetime learning about antiques, having all the skills, but only being able to see a few fine pieces through glass in a museum. How frustrating would that be? You have talent and luck, and you can see the big picture. As long as you put your heart into it, your achievements will surpass mine."

Old Chang waved to stop Wu Di from speaking:

"Antiques require a proper lineage. Having a master and who your master is are crucial in this field, helping you be quickly accepted. But whether you can learn and how much you can learn depends on you. You have two senior brothers. One is Yang Linxue, who is also an old man and works at the Forbidden City Museum. His sour face makes everyone avoid him. Was I crazy to take such an inflexible guy as a disciple?"

Wu Di didn't dare to respond, just smiling apologetically.

"The second senior brother is Song Hongyan, who runs an auction house. He's a bit like you, interested in gambling on stones but not obsessed. I'll call them over tomorrow, and you can meet them, making it a formal apprenticeship."

Wu Di looked around, searching for something. Old Chang was curious:

"What are you doing?"

"Master, I'm looking for a cup to kowtow and offer you tea."

"Ha, no rush, no rush. We'll do it when your godfather, godmother, and senior brothers arrive. Sigh, the generations are all mixed up..."

Wu Di's eyes darted around, and a little devilish smile appeared on his face:

"Why don't we just announce that my fourth brother is demoted a generation? That would solve the problem!"

"Ah!?"