Chapter 20

Even those who dislike Yun Zhongwu have to admit that the gift he presented was thoughtful.

Futu and Futo, in Buddhist terminology, are essentially the same. Now, Yun Zhongwu has given Chen Futu an exquisitely crafted Futo tower, which is like adding flowers to brocade, symbolizing good fortune.

It was also evident that Chen Futu quite liked the gift, his eyes filled with deep appreciation, but he said, "Zhongwu, this must be very valuable. Why did you spend so much on it..."

"Old Wei and I have a good relationship, he gave me a friend's price, just a few hundred thousand," Yun Zhongwu said with a broad smile, turning to ask, "Old Wei, isn't that right?"

"Cough..." Old Wei was vague, "More or less, more or less."

Multiply a few hundred thousand by ten, and that's about right. After all, although he had to give up his cherished items under duress, it doesn't mean he was powerless to resist.

Yun Zhongwu could have the item, but the price had to satisfy him. Otherwise, if he caused a fuss, Yun Zhongwu would also end up in a mess and wouldn't have an easy time.

Everyone knew that Yun Zhongwu was lying, but no one intended to expose him. After all, this was a kind of well-intentioned "lie." Seeing that Chen Futu didn't plan to investigate, why should anyone be so serious?

At this moment, Yun Zhongwu lifted his chin, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Brother Jiang, isn't this thing pretty good?"

"Average, it's okay," Jiang Baiwan said lightly, not fearing others would call him ungrateful.

Qi Xiang, however, knew that the critical moment had arrived. Everything went according to the original plan, smoothly steering the conversation to the gift and then having Chen Futu show everyone the gift.

Yun Zhongwu's intention, combined with Jiang Baiwan's cooperation, was seamless.

Sure enough, seeing Jiang Baiwan's confident demeanor, the others were very curious, speculating that the gift Jiang Baiwan brought must be good, at least on par with the Futo tower.

Yun Zhongwu watched coldly, a gleam of satisfaction flashing in his deep eyes, then expressed his doubt, "Brother Jiang, from what you're saying, the gift you brought is even better?"

"Whether it's good or not, it's not up to me to say; it needs everyone's judgment," Jiang Baiwan countered, "The value of a gift isn't in its price but in the sincerity behind it."

"What do you mean by that?" Yun Zhongwu's face changed slightly.

"I mean that your gift is just a way to take advantage, not at all thoughtful," Jiang Baiwan sneered, "Who doesn't know that you, Young Master Yun, have plenty of money. You always pick the most expensive things, not the most suitable ones..."

Yun Zhongwu laughed instead of getting angry, "Alright, I also want to know what your so-called suitable gift is."

"Then open your eyes and look..."

As he spoke, Jiang Baiwan opened a large box and removed the foam, revealing a robust, ancient, and heavy bronze ding.

"Bronze ding!"

Many people's eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but gather around.

The people present, with their status and experience, no longer just looked at the exquisite appearance of things but also appreciated their deeper meaning.

For example, the ancient bronze ding, with its green patina and soil marks, might not be considered beautiful in appearance.

But this kind of weathered, water-eroded appearance, in some people's eyes, was a natural beauty, unpretentious and very attractive.

After all, after thousands of years of cultural influence, everyone was familiar with the culture of the ding, not caring about its value but the meaning it represented.

"Is this a real ding? From which period?" Many people were curious.

After all, the older the bronze ding, the more valuable it is. However, it is universally recognized that only the bronze dings from the Shang and Zhou dynasties are the most symbolic.

This was because during that period, the casting techniques reached their peak and were never surpassed by any subsequent dynasty.

Of course, not being able to surpass doesn't mean they couldn't be replicated. Throughout history, emperors had an extraordinary obsession with bronze dings, creating and replicating many, filling their palaces with them.

As for the common people, they knew the value of bronze dings, and the practice of forgery was rampant, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake dings.

"Let me take a look..."

At this moment, Old Wei, seeing the opportunity, couldn't resist stepping forward to examine it. Everyone knew that Old Wei was a master of artifact appraisal, so they quickly made way for him to study it.

After a thorough examination, Old Wei nodded slightly and said carefully, "Preliminary judgment, this should be a real ding."

"Old Wei, please give us a detailed explanation, let us learn as well," someone suggested, and others agreed.

"Let me give a brief explanation," Old Wei smiled and began, "The method of appraising bronze artifacts mainly involves examining the casting techniques, shape, patterns, inscriptions, and the quality of the bronze."

"To put it simply, this method can be summarized in a few sentences: observe the shape, examine the patterns, recognize the inscriptions, check the patina, and find the casting marks..."

Old Wei gestured, "Everyone can see that this ancient ding has feet and handles, is not too tall or large, and has a very standard shape. The surface is covered with cloud and thunder patterns, which are the most common. There are no inscriptions, indicating that it is not a ritual object but a practical one."

"After all, ancient dings are divided into two types: one is used in the imperial temple, symbolizing the establishment of the world. The other is a practical object used for cooking wine and meat."

Old Wei analyzed in detail, "The casting marks refer to the traces left by the casting process. Some dings have obvious marks, while others have more sophisticated marks that are not easy to find."

"Let's talk about the patina instead."

Old Wei noticed the puzzled expressions of the people around him and immediately skipped this part, continuing, "For beginners, studying patterns, inscriptions, the quality of the bronze, and the style can be challenging, so it's better to start with the patina."

"Bronze artifacts have been passed down for thousands of years, and there are roughly three ways: buried in the ground, submerged in water, or passed down through generations."

Old Wei tried to explain in simple terms, "Generally speaking, most ancient dings that have survived to this day are unearthed artifacts, while those submerged in water or passed down through generations are extremely rare."

"Of course, due to differences in the quality of the bronze and the soil and water conditions, the patina of buried bronze artifacts can vary, with common types being green, red, blue, and purple."

Old Wei smiled, "However, regardless of the type of patina, the method to distinguish genuine from fake patina is simple. Just brush it with hot water mixed with alkali, and the fake patina will fall off, revealing the forgery."

"If it's genuine patina, it will become even more apparent after brushing."

Old Wei, not afraid of getting dirty, licked the bronze ding with his tongue and confirmed, "Yes, this is definitely a genuine ancient ding. After all, a true thousand-year-old ancient ding has no copper smell at all..."

"Clap, clap, clap..."

In the study, a round of applause immediately broke out.

Many people trusted Old Wei's appraisal skills and had no doubt about his judgment.

Old Wei smiled modestly and waved his hand, "I apologize for any mistakes. I can only confirm that this is an ancient ding. As for its exact age, I can't tell."

"After all, I am not a specialist in bronze artifacts. To make a precise dating, one needs to understand the styles, names, patterns, and qualities of bronze artifacts from different periods, and examine the bronze quality, patina, decoration, craftsmanship, smell, and sound comprehensively to reveal the answer."

Old Wei's expression became serious, "This is a very precise science and cannot be taken lightly."

"Brother Wei, you make a good point. I'll ask you to introduce some experts in this field to come and conduct a detailed appraisal," Chen Futu smiled, walked over, and stopped to admire the bronze ding, showing a deep appreciation.

At least in everyone's eyes, Chen Futu's appreciation of the bronze ding surpassed that of the Futo tower.

After all, as a local hero, what rare treasures had Chen Futu not seen?

The Futo tower, no matter how precious, probably couldn't match his private collection. In comparison, the bronze ding might not be as valuable as the Futo tower, but Chen Futu's liking for it was enough.

At this moment, it was Jiang Baiwan's turn to feel elated. He glanced at Yun Zhongwu, his satisfaction unhidden.

Yun Zhongwu, however, ignored it, picked up a glass of red wine, and sipped it slowly.

At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly exclaimed, "This ding looks familiar, I think I've seen it somewhere."

"Hmm?" Everyone was taken aback.

"I'm sure I've seen it..." The person stepped forward, walked around the ancient ding, and suddenly realized, "Oh, this ding looks very similar to the one in our provincial museum."

"What?" Some were puzzled, while others were thoughtful.

"Yes, it's exactly the same," the person sighed, with a strange expression, "But the ding in our museum was stolen a month ago and hasn't been found..."

"Stolen?"

In an instant, many people exchanged glances, somewhat surprised. Then, they seemed to understand and immediately stepped back, indicating they wanted to stay out of it and observe the situation.

No one was a fool. Jiang Baiwan had just brought the item, and someone immediately claimed it was stolen. To say there was no ulterior motive, they wouldn't believe it even if they were beaten to death.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the study became somewhat delicate.

Surprisingly, as the party involved, Jiang Baiwan was not angry or upset, and he didn't even try to defend himself, instead showing a hint of a cold smile.

After a moment, Yun Zhongwu broke the silence, "Brother Jiang, someone is slandering you. Don't you plan to refute it?"

"The clear will be clear, and the murky will be murky. What's there to say?" Jiang Baiwan said calmly, with an aloof and independent demeanor.

This response made Yun Zhongwu's chest feel tight, as if he had clenched his fist and punched into a cotton ball, feeling empty and uncomfortable.

He took a breath, his murderous intent half-revealed, "Brother Jiang, your attitude is very suspicious."

.........................

During the new book period, I really need your support for collections and recommendations. Please support me.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends