Chapter 8

At first, everything was fine, but as the saying goes, if you walk in the dark for too long, you will eventually encounter a ghost. In the end, he offended a person of considerable power. Not only did he spend a year in prison, but he also had to pay a large sum of money to finally settle the matter. At the time, this incident had a significant impact in the antiques industry.

After Qian Changxing was released, he disappeared, and it was said that he went to the south. No one knew when he returned, and he even became Zhao Qirui's appraiser.

Zhao Xueyi complained a bit, "Old Dong really is something. Knowing Qian Changxing's character, how could he still protect him?"

"Ah!" Zhu Dafu sighed, "I know about this. Old Dong had no choice. Their families have been close for generations, and during the turbulent times, Qian Changxing's father saved Old Dong's life. Do you think Old Dong could ignore him? Everyone has their own difficulties!"

For a moment, the car was silent.

Not long after, the two cars arrived at a house. After getting out, everyone didn't immediately look around but stretched their bodies, as they had been sitting for over five hours, making their bodies quite stiff. Fortunately, the two elderly men were in good health; otherwise, a typical person in their sixties or seventies would have found it hard to endure.

On Zhao Qirui's side, there were three people in total, with the driver also serving as his bodyguard. As soon as Chu Chen saw the driver's spirit and energy, he knew he must be a skilled person. Although he had never seen the legendary Zhongnanhai bodyguards, this driver should be on par with them. From this, it was clear that Zhao Qirui's background was not simple.

Seeing Zhao Qirui and the others get out of the car, Chu Chen and the others went up to greet him. During this time, Chu Chen took a closer look at him.

Zhao Qirui looked to be around forty-one or forty-two years old, with a robust build, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He exuded a refined and capable aura. He didn't seem like a billionaire who lived a life of luxury, and he appeared quite approachable.

Zhao Qirui was also an old acquaintance of Uncle Wu and the others. They all greeted him warmly, but when it was Chu Chen's turn, Zhao Qirui seemed to pause slightly before smiling and asking Uncle Wu and the others, "Who is this young man? He looks quite spirited, and I've never seen him before."

Chu Chen was 1.83 meters tall, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, a straight nose, and a well-built body from years of martial arts practice. He gave off an imposing and dignified presence, and his frequent smiles made him appear sunny and likable. Many people had a good first impression of him.

Uncle Wu quickly replied, "Mr. Zhao, this is my nephew. He has learned some knowledge about porcelain from me. He's here today to gain some experience, and I hope you will take care of him in the future."

Chu Chen bowed and said, "Hello, Mr. Zhao. My name is Chu Chen. I hope you will take care of me in the future."

Zhao Qirui's eyes lit up, then dimmed, and he smiled, patting Chu Chen on the shoulder. "Alright, young man, you seem quite capable. I'll help you with anything within my power."

Everyone smiled in response, and Chu Chen also thanked Zhao Qirui with a smile, though he didn't take it too seriously, thinking Zhao Qirui was just being polite.

For a moment, everyone was in a harmonious mood, but there was a slight discord. Qian Changxing, who had been mentioned earlier, had been standing quietly by Zhao Qirui's side from the beginning, looking at Uncle Wu and the others with a hint of resentment in his eyes. He didn't greet them at all.

Qian Changxing was short and had a somewhat shifty appearance, with a goatee. Chu Chen already had a poor impression of him, and now his opinion of him was even lower. Even if Qian Changxing didn't like them, he could at least greet them for the sake of appearances.

Now, while Zhao Qirui was chatting and laughing with Uncle Wu and the others, Qian Changxing stood there motionless. Did he think he was more important than Zhao Qirui? It was no wonder Zhao Qirui was slightly displeased and distant with him, and Chu Chen could clearly sense this.

After that, everyone walked toward the house. Chu Chen began to look around.

The house was a typical example of a Shanxi merchant's courtyard, not as large as some of the bigger ones that spanned tens of thousands of square meters, but it still covered over a thousand square meters. The walls were particularly tall, resembling a castle, and it was clear that the defensive capabilities were strong.

Zhao Xueyi knocked on the door, and soon an elderly man, who looked to be in his seventies or eighties, opened it. He was dressed neatly and, upon seeing everyone, bowed and said, "I felt you were about to arrive. Please come in." He then gestured for them to enter.

Once inside the courtyard, Chu Chen kept looking around. The architecture followed the style of a Shanxi merchant's courtyard, with the main buildings having single-sloped roofs and the courtyard being long and narrow. The layout resembled a simplified version of the famous Qiao Family Compound.

The elderly man's surname was Li. According to Zhao Xueyi, he was also a collector and had been acquainted with Zhao Xueyi for many years. This trip was at Li's invitation.

Li invited everyone to sit in the living room and served them tea before saying, "This is your first visit, so let me explain. I've been collecting antiques for most of my life, but unfortunately, my children are not interested in this field and have immigrated abroad."

"Now that I'm old, after I pass away, they will eventually sell all these antiques. I'd rather sell them to friends in the antique community than let them be ruined by my children."

Zhao Xueyi nodded and said, "Old Li, I've already told my friends about your situation. Time is precious, so let's go see the items."

Li chuckled and led them to a storage room. Chu Chen walked in and saw that the room was not as he had imagined; there were no antiques displayed in abundance.

Seeing everyone's puzzled expressions, Li said, "Sorry, everyone. A few local collectors knew I was selling my items and have already been here."

"Ah!" Zhao Xueyi said angrily, "Old Li, that's not very fair. We came all the way from Beijing. Are we supposed to pick through what's left?"

Li laughed and waved his hand. "Old Zhao, don't be upset. I've saved the best for you. I promise everyone will find something valuable."

He then led them to a square table and pointed to the table and two armchairs. "Take a look at these three items first. I'll bring out more treasures later."

Once Li left, everyone immediately began examining the table and chairs.

First, let's talk about the table. It was about 1.6 meters wide, 50 centimeters deep, and about 80 centimeters high. At first glance, the wood grain was clear and beautiful, like flowing clouds, and you could see the naturally formed "ghost face" patterns, which are typical of Hainan rosewood.

The thick patina on the table's surface indicated that it was quite old.

Zhu Dafu took out a handkerchief to wipe the table and then used a magnifying glass to examine it closely. After a while, he said, "Not bad, this is likely a Hainan rosewood table. Judging by the patina and craftsmanship, it's probably from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty and has significant collection value."

Everyone seemed to agree, nodding in approval, except for Qian Changxing, who stood there expressionless, which made Chu Chen uncomfortable. He decided to ignore him.

Next, they looked at the chairs. At first glance, the two chairs were made of rosewood and were five-screen armchairs.

Rosewood furniture is a type of classical and artistic furniture made from rosewood. It has always been highly regarded in China, and during the Ming and Qing dynasties, only the emperor could use it.

Rosewood is an extremely valuable type of wood, growing very slowly and taking hundreds of years to mature. Large pieces of mature wood are extremely rare, and the wood is hard and dense, suitable for carving intricate patterns. Rosewood items, when polished and waxed, do not need paint and have a silk-like luster.

The wood grain of rosewood is fine and flowing, with endless variations. Its deep color gives it a dignified and beautiful appearance, making it considered the best of all woods. It is said that "an inch of rosewood is worth an inch of gold."

Rosewood was only available to the royal family, who had the resources to obtain it from the South Seas. Even when it was presented as a gift, it was given to the emperor. The common people could not obtain it. Later, some rosewood was available in local areas, but it was used by local nobles.

Therefore, a finely crafted old piece of rosewood furniture is extremely rare. Now, two exquisite five-screen armchairs were in front of them, which was quite invigorating.

These two five-screen armchairs were almost identical, with the backrests and armrests made from thick, single boards, forming a five-screen style. The armrests had beautiful curves, and the top rail was designed in a book-scroll style, curving backward. The backrests were double-sided high-relief carvings of the "Fu Qing You Yu" (Blessings and Abundance) pattern, and the armrests were also double-sided high-relief carvings of the dragon pattern.

The seat panels were flat and well-made, with no sparing of materials. The intricate carvings and the patina indicated that they were likely from the Guangdong workshop during the Qianlong period.

Guangdong workshop furniture, mainly produced in the Guangdong region, is characterized by the use of high-quality materials and meticulous craftsmanship.

Guangdong workshop furniture emphasizes the consistency of the wood and never mixes other types of wood. Craftsmen select the best materials to highlight the beautiful wood grain. Guangdong workshop furniture is not painted, leaving the wood grain exposed.

During the Qing dynasty, the furniture in the imperial court was made by skilled craftsmen from Guangdong, and even today, the most traditional and authentic techniques are still in the hands of these craftsmen.

These two five-screen armchairs, with their excellent condition, are undoubtedly masterpieces of the Guangdong workshop, highly representative and rare.