Chapter 13

Qixiang understood very well that this was the expression of someone who had found a bargain. Whether it was a big bargain or a small one, as long as it was a bargain, the sense of achievement and satisfaction was more intoxicating than fine wine and sweeter than candy, making one unable to stop and savor it endlessly...

He also had to admit that with the rising tide of nationwide collecting, at least ninety percent of those now engaged in collecting were driven by the hope of finding a bargain and becoming rich overnight.

However, someone like Master Wei, despite not treating wealth as lightly as a cloud, had a professional level of expertise that put him beyond the more basic stages, making him more inclined towards aesthetic appreciation.

In other words, the bargains Master Wei picked up might not be very valuable, but they definitely had a high观赏 value.

Understanding this, Qixiang naturally became very interested: "Master Wei, what have you found? Can you let me have a look?"

"No problem." Master Wei was straightforward and directly handed over the string.

Qixiang flattened his palm, waiting for Master Wei to place the string, then firmly held it to examine it.

At first glance, he was immediately surprised. The bracelet was made up of fifteen beads. Each bead was about the size of a thumb, very smooth, with mottled and twisted patterns on the surface.

However, such beads were clearly fake jade beads.

Qixiang examined them carefully and still came to the same conclusion. These fake jade beads were produced on industrial production lines, with a cost of at most a few yuan each.

Don't be fooled by the bracelet's current luster; if worn for a long time, it would become dull and even crack and crumble.

Qixiang didn't believe that Master Wei, with his keen eye, would fall for such an obviously fake string of beads.

At this moment, Master Wei smiled and asked, "How about it? Isn't it good?"

"Uh?" Qixiang hesitated, stammering, "Master Wei, forgive my poor eyesight, but I can't see what's good about this string of beads. Could you please enlighten me?"

Qixiang didn't believe in authority, but he was even more convinced that even if Master Wei made a mistake, it wouldn't be with this string of beads. By simple elimination, either Master Wei was wrong, or his eyesight was limited and he couldn't see clearly.

Master Wei gave him an approving look, took the string back, and with a slight force, pulled the string apart.

In Qixiang's surprised gaze, Master Wei casually handed a handful of beads to a nearby child, smiling kindly, "Go play with them."

The child was taken aback for a moment, then beamed and said sweetly, "Thank you, Grandpa."

"Good boy!"

Master Wei patted the child's head and promptly stepped away to avoid being misunderstood as having ulterior motives or trying to kidnap the child.

Qixiang was also a bit puzzled by Master Wei's actions, not understanding their meaning.

At this moment, Master Wei flipped his hand, and a bright bead shimmered in his palm.

"This is?" Qixiang's heart stirred, deep in thought.

"Take a look." Master Wei handed the bead over again.

Among the string of beads, Master Wei had only kept one.

Qixiang was very cautious, taking the bead to examine it carefully. As soon as he touched it, he immediately noticed the difference.

There is a Chinese idiom, "mixing fish eyes with pearls." In ancient times, the eyes of large fish were similar to pearls, and some unscrupulous merchants would mix fish eyes with pearls to deceive people.

Such tricks of passing off inferior goods as superior, whether in ancient or modern times, are not uncommon.

However, if a pearl were to fall among a pile of fish eyes, who could be sure that the pearl was a pearl and not a fish eye?

Qixiang sighed, smiling bitterly, his expression a mix of self-mockery and determination: "This is... agate!"

With so many fake things, it's easy to be deceived by the illusion and overlook the real thing. But now, with the real thing selected, even if Qixiang's eyesight was poor, he could still identify it.

As expected, this bead was a natural agate. The color was bright and vivid, pure and natural, smooth and fine. The patterns were natural and flowing, the colors distinct, the layers strong, and the bands clear.

When held up to the light, the bead had a glass-like oily luster. All these signs indicated that it was definitely agate.

"Yes, it's agate." Master Wei confirmed his judgment.

Qixiang smiled, praising, "Master Wei, your keen eye and meticulous observation are truly remarkable, like the eyes of a hawk..."

Looking at the same string of beads, others could easily spot the pearl and pick up a small bargain, while he was clueless and needed repeated reminders to understand. This was the difference.

"You should look more and learn more; you can do the same in the future." Master Wei encouraged him casually.

"I will try my best..." Qixiang returned the agate bead and then said with a smile, "By the way, Master Wei, I have something else I'd like to ask you."

"What is it? Go ahead." Master Wei asked, in a good mood and willing to offer guidance.

"Do you have agarwood in your shop? Aquilaria wood!" Qixiang emphasized, which was the main reason he had stayed to wait.

"Aquilaria wood?" Master Wei raised an eyebrow. "You want it?"

Qixiang nodded vaguely and smiled, "Master Wei, it's hard to find good aquilaria wood these days. Your shop should have some, right?"

Qixiang repeatedly emphasized the need for aquilaria wood because he was also knowledgeable about it.

Generally, the denser the aquilaria wood, the more resin it contains, and the better its quality. Therefore, the ancients often used whether it could sink in water as a standard to classify aquilaria wood into different grades.

Aquilaria wood that sinks in water is called "aquilaria wood"; the next grade, which floats halfway, is called "stacked wood" or "letter wood" or "manipulated wood"; the next grade, which slightly sinks and floats on the surface, is called "yellow ripe wood."

Qixiang specifically wanted aquilaria wood because he didn't trust the quality of the aquilaria wood available on the market.

Due to the rarity of aquilaria wood and the low probability of its formation, the ancients considered high-quality natural aquilaria wood to be priceless.

In the Song Dynasty, it was said that one liang of aquilaria wood was worth one liang of gold. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, this saying evolved into "one inch of aquilaria wood is worth one inch of gold."

In modern times, the price of aquilaria wood has soared, far exceeding the value of gold. With the potential for profit, some people have resorted to various means to accelerate the formation of aquilaria wood or even forge it.

In an era of rampant fakes, Qixiang had to be cautious to avoid being deceived.

"Aquilaria wood, I do have some in my shop..."

At this moment, Master Wei smiled and said, "But the quantity is limited, only two or three liang."

"Two or three liang is enough." Qixiang quickly said, "I hope Master Wei can part with it."

"Doing business, if you want to buy, I can't refuse." Master Wei waved his hand, "Come, let's go to my shop."

Master Wei's shop was not far from here. They took a car and arrived in about ten minutes.

It was a two-story shop, with the four white characters "Bogu Yawen" (Antiquities and Elegant Playthings) in black ink, giving a classical and elegant impression.

The interior decoration was also ancient and elegant. Bamboo and wood window carvings, shiny wooden floors, and wicker tables and chairs all exuded a sense of reverence for the past.

"Master Wei, you're back."

Qixiang followed Master Wei into the shop, and several sharp and capable assistants gathered around.

"Go about your business..." Master Wei said, as there were still customers in the shop, and it would be inappropriate for them to leave their customers to surround him.

The assistants understood Master Wei's character and nodded, dispersing to continue their work.

"Xiao Qi, let's go upstairs."

At the same time, Master Wei gently beckoned and led Qixiang to a reception room on the second floor.

"Sit down first, I'll go get the aquilaria wood."

Master Wei poured him a cup of water and left the reception room.

Qixiang drank some water and looked around the room with interest. The windows were bright and clean, the style simple and elegant, with calligraphy and paintings hanging on the white walls, seemingly the works of lesser-known artists.

High-end, grand...

This was Qixiang's overall impression of Bogu Yawen, and he was very envious. Thinking of his own small shop, which couldn't compare, the difference was like heaven and earth.

Qixiang sighed and admired the calligraphy and paintings on the walls.

Time passed unnoticed, and after more than ten minutes, Master Wei still hadn't returned.

Qixiang was a bit puzzled and wondered whether to go out and check.

At this moment, an assistant pushed the door open, a smile of apology on his face: "Mr. Qi, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

"It's fine..." Qixiang frowned slightly, looking around, "Where is Master Wei?"

"A regular customer suddenly came to the shop, an old friend of Master Wei, and he personally went to entertain him." The assistant smiled, explaining, and held up a box, "Mr. Qi, this is the aquilaria wood you wanted. Master Wei asked me to bring it to you."

As long as there's aquilaria wood, that's good...

Qixiang's frown eased, and he smiled, "Master Wei has many important matters to attend to, which is understandable."

The assistant nodded in agreement and walked over with a smile, placing the box on the table and indicating, "Mr. Qi, as you requested, this is the only aquilaria wood we have in the shop. Please take a look."

Qixiang opened the box and saw a piece of wood that looked like dried tree bark.

The piece of wood was thick, dark brown, about the size of a baby's palm, with fine and dense patterns, and a slight oily luster visible to the naked eye.

Without a doubt, this was aquilaria wood, the kind that could sink in water.

Qixiang examined it while asking, "Can I handle it?"

"Sure..." The assistant naturally had no objections.

Qixiang picked up the piece of wood. The surface was not very smooth, with irregular wood patterns, as if composed of many mixed patterns.

Most importantly, the piece of wood had no smell, and no fragrance could be detected.

Qixiang knew this was a normal phenomenon. After all, aquilaria wood only emits fragrance when burned. When not burned, the fragrance is contained internally, which is quite interesting.

"How much is this piece of aquilaria wood?" Qixiang asked, having studied it and finding the quality of the aquilaria wood to be good, not to be missed.

"Three hundred thousand!" The assistant smiled, but the price he quoted made Qixiang's wrist tremble slightly.

"Three hundred thousand?"

Qixiang's expression was complex. Although he knew that aquilaria wood was definitely not cheap, he hadn't expected it to be this expensive...