Chapter 60

Holding a beautifully packaged porcelain bottle, the two people walked out of the porcelain shop. Wu Di looked up to the sky and let out a silent long howl, finally finding one that wasn’t wrapped in a bedsheet and was still leaking!

Song Hongyan looked at Wu Di and said with a smile:

"Little Junior Brother, I think you’re mostly wrong."

"Oh? Why do you say that, Senior Brother?"

"Although modern times have seen more machine-painted items, there are still many skilled artisans. Moreover, the bottle has obvious signs of artificial aging. You spent 29,000, so you must have been wrong."

"Ha ha, there are two flaws with this bottle, but it’s precisely these two flaws that made the old shopkeeper miss it, allowing me to find a small bargain."

"Oh? What are the two flaws? Tell me more."

"The first one is the artificial aging you mentioned. You didn’t handle it, but if you did, you’d know it’s not artificial aging but grease. Smell it."

Wu Di put his hand in front of Song Hongyan, who really grabbed it and sniffed, saying:

"It seems there is a bit of a greasy smell. Damn, is this the smell of your cigarettes?"

"The surface of the bottle has a layer of grease. If you smell inside, there’s also a scent of spices. So I deduced that it was collected not long ago, and before that, the owner kept it in a kitchen cabinet to store spices."

"Alright, I’ll give you that. What’s the second flaw?"

"The second is the body of the bottle. The body is indeed a bit loose. Logically, the Cheng family wouldn’t ruin their reputation like this. But I remember reading a post on a forum where the moderator said that after the Cheng family achieved success, they offended someone and were framed. For over half a year, they lived in poverty and took any job. This piece must be from that period. The most critical point is that the landscape and birds are indeed the work of the Cheng family."

"Damn, which forum? How come I never saw it?"

"I don’t remember. I just stumbled upon it once while searching on Baidu and browsed through it."

Wu Di didn’t know which forum it was, but the Heavenly Book told him it was genuine. Even if the body was loose and crumbly, if the Heavenly Book said it was real, it was definitely real. With the current abundance of information, it’s easy to bluff people.

Song Hongyan was about to say more, but Wu Di pleaded:

"Senior Brother, can you let me pass this small test? If you’re upset that I took your bargain, here, take the bottle. That should be fine, right?"

"Devil, everyone thinks you’re just lucky, but who knows you actually have such a vast amount of information? There are countless ceramics over five thousand years, and you know a bit about all of them. Xiao Wu, tell me honestly, did you really only study for two months?"

"Uncle Wen can vouch for me. But I can reveal a small secret: I read books at most twice, and I can’t forget them even if I try. Also, when I went back home, I stayed at a stone-cutting factory for four days and nights, examining and cutting nearly a thousand raw stones. I might have a natural talent for this, with a strong sense for stones and antiques. I wonder if this good luck will continue in Ruili."

"Damn, I’m so unbalanced, extremely unbalanced. Give me the bottle, and I’ll put it up for auction, letting you find the bargain!"

"Ha ha, if you want to auction it, go ahead. It’s not a masterpiece anyway, and I don’t have space to keep it."

"Right, Xiao Wu, I heard you bought a big house?"

"Yes, the porcelain panel was dug out from the wall. Didn’t you know?"

"Come on, say something nice to your Second Senior Brother, and he’ll help you big time."

"Big help? What kind of big help?"

Song Hongyan smiled without speaking, looking up and gazing into the distance, like a transcendent sage.

"Handsome, charming, graceful, wise, invincible, unparalleled, smooth-talking, loved by all, making flowers bloom, unbeatable in the world, a heartbreaker, known for his beauty, kind-hearted, shocking, getting whatever he wants, and famous within 200 miles—Second Senior Brother, tell me!"

Wu Di spoke at a speed rivaling Hua Shao, almost out of breath, and looked pitifully at Song Hongyan.

"You little brat! Do you know who made the master’s treasure room?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot! My basement isn’t done yet! Hurry, don’t keep me in suspense, tell me quickly."

"Our auction company and the master’s treasure room were both made by a friend of mine. When the time comes, you can also entrust him with the surveillance for your entire house. He’s definitely better than any ordinary company."

"Alright, I’ll contact Professor Yang right away. The house plans will be ready in the next two days, and we can meet with your friend then."

"Okay, I’ll contact him now. His name is Lin Hu, and we call him Hu Zi. He was a top soldier back in the day."

The plans wouldn’t be ready until the next morning, so Wu Di asked Professor Yang to communicate with Song Hongyan’s friend Lin Hu, entrusting him with the surveillance for the basement and the courtyard. Professor Yang agreed immediately. With this major concern resolved, Wu Di felt much lighter.

"Let’s go, pick all the bargains in Spring City, leaving none for the later arrivals."

Song Hongyan pouted.

"You little brat, does that include me, your Second Senior Brother?"

"Second Senior Brother, please lead the way."

Gulai Pavilion was a large store with a wide variety of items, including jade, porcelain, calligraphy, coins, seals, snuff bottles, and bronze artifacts. The arrangement was far worse than that of the porcelain shop, chaotic and disordered, making Wu Di dizzy.

"This is the characteristic of tourist areas. With many people, there are many choices, so some stores keep adding varieties. If one area doesn’t work, another will. You’ll always find something you like. But to find a bargain, this kind of store is better."

"Why?"

"Everyone has their specialty. For example, I specialize in jade and miscellaneous items, and Old Yang specializes in porcelain and calligraphy. With such a mixed collection in his store, can he guarantee he won’t be wrong? After all, human energy is limited."

Wu Di nodded. He still had many areas to explore. Without cheating with the Heavenly Book, he would still be a small salesperson struggling for a few thousand yuan in commissions every day. In this society, wealth is increasingly concentrated, and life is tough for ordinary people. So he cherished this hard-earned opportunity, determined to study hard while the Heavenly Book was still with him, striving to become a master like his master, living by true skills.

Sending a seal as a gift for the master’s birthday is also a good choice. Let’s start with seals. The best materials for seals are Tianhuang stone and Jixue stone. The owner had over a dozen seals, but none were of high quality. There was a large Tianhuang stone sculpture of the Three Stars of Happiness, Wealth, and Longevity, which fit the theme of a birthday, but the carving was mediocre, and the stone was coarse, mixed, dry, and rough. It was hard to recognize it as Tianhuang stone at first glance. The price was a whopping 180,000 yuan!

Wu Di turned to other counters. Song Hongyan was looking at a gourd. Seeing Wu Di approach, he smiled and said:

"People think gourds are used by the Manchu nobility in Beijing and Tianjin for keeping singing insects, but gourds have been used as vessels since ancient times. The character 'hu' in oracle bone script, Yan Hui’s 'a gourd of drink,' and 'cutting the gourd in the eighth month' in the Book of Songs are early references. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, scholars often used gourd vessels, as recorded in literature. In the 'Ode to the Red Cliff,' Su Dongpo mentioned 'rowing a small boat and raising a gourd cup.' In the Ming dynasty, more gourds were made. ZJ carried Li, and his gourd cups were famous far and wide, with people vying to buy them. After the Qing dynasty, artisans in Beijing, Xushui, Sanhe, and Liaocheng in Shandong also made gourd insect containers. Sanhe Liu and Tianjin’s Gourd Zhang were among the best. Finding a genuine piece would be a good collection."

The other customers had already put down the items they were selecting. After hearing Song Hongyan, they applauded and praised him. Wu Di was stunned, realizing he still had a long way to go.

Song Hongyan’s intention was to remind Wu Di not to be complacent, but he inadvertently affected the store’s business. Tourists even gathered around, asking Song Hongyan to help them select items. Song Hongyan smiled apologetically at the shopkeeper, who was magnanimous and said:

"I’ve played with gourds for decades, but I’ve never explained them as thoroughly as you. Today, I’ve learned a lot. Young brother, let’s chat upstairs. Everyone, all items selected today are 20% off, as a thank you for your support and to share the joy."

Everyone cheered, and those who had already paid shouted:

"Will those who have paid get a refund?"

The old man laughed:

"Those who have paid already have their treasures. Why not hide them and enjoy them secretly instead of causing a commotion here?"

Everyone laughed, and the store’s business improved even more. Wu Di secretly admired the old man’s skill.

The old man’s surname was Liu, and he had come from old Beijing, which explained why he had many items loved by Beijingers. Learning Wu Di’s purpose, he smiled:

"Brother Wu, I have something that might interest you."

The old man went to the next room and brought back a box. Wu Di couldn’t guess what it was from its size. When he opened it, he saw a Tianhuang stone sculpture of the Three Stars of Happiness, Wealth, and Longevity, similar to the one he had seen earlier, but the stone quality and carving were vastly superior.

Wu Di pointed to the sculpture and asked:

"Shopkeeper, is there any special story behind this sculpture?"

"Ha ha, Brother Wu, you have a keen eye! This sculpture and the one you saw earlier are from the same stone, a rare case of two different qualities from one stone."

Wu Di held the sculpture and examined it carefully. The stone quality, though not top-notch, had the characteristics of Tianhuang stone: fine, dense, smooth, greasy, warm, and cohesive. The body was covered with fine radish patterns, and the carving was exquisite, making it a good collection piece.

Song Hongyan took the stone and examined it closely, smiling:

"Good stone. In recent years, it’s rare to see such Tianhuang stone. The ancestors have dug them all up."

Wu Di casually asked:

"Shopkeeper, how much for this stone?"

After asking, he habitually swept his little finger and froze.