Chapter 34

"Old Mr. Guo, then we'll thank you in advance!" Xiao Yu said with a bad temper, looking unhappy.

It was understandable. No matter who found out that a collection of items contained a 'bomb,' even if they knew the 'bomb' wouldn't harm them, they would still feel upset.

However, Old Mr. Guo's actions were beyond reproach and even in line with industry norms.

After all, in the world of antiques, the most basic quality is discernment. If one is 'blind' or 'has eyes but sees nothing,' it's best to change professions early to avoid embarrassment and being taken advantage of.

Qi Xiang was very clear about this principle, so he didn't feel stifled. After entering the room, he began to observe carefully but couldn't lock onto a target for a long time. The main reason was that there were too many items, making it hard to decide.

Xiao Yu was also in the same situation. His eyes darted around, and after a few minutes, he couldn't help but scratch his head: "Qi Xiang, what do you think we should choose?"

"It's hard to decide..." Qi Xiang was also hesitant and slowly analyzed: "But in terms of market popularity, the most sought-after are undoubtedly porcelain and calligraphy and paintings."

"In that case, there's no need to think. Let's go for porcelain and calligraphy and paintings." Xiao Yu made a quick decision: "I'll look at the porcelain, and you look at the calligraphy and paintings."

In the room, Xiao Yu played a small trick. There were more porcelain items, at least two large racks, while the calligraphy and paintings only occupied one row, with very few pieces.

This was determined by the nature of the items. Porcelain is relatively durable and can last for a thousand years if not deliberately damaged. However, most calligraphy and paintings are made of paper and can easily rot and be destroyed if not properly preserved, influenced by climate and environment.

Often, out of ten thousand calligraphy and paintings, only one can be perfectly preserved and passed down to modern times. This is why ancient paintings from a thousand years ago are highly sought after by the world, as rarity makes them valuable.

The principle that rarity makes things valuable is correct. However, the more valuable something is, the higher the likelihood of counterfeiting. With fewer calligraphy and paintings and more counterfeits, how likely is it that Old Mr. Guo would be fooled?

So, Xiao Yu chose porcelain without hesitation. Qi Xiang, however, didn't mind this small trick and walked straight to a pile of calligraphy and paintings, browsing casually.

The calligraphy and paintings were neatly arranged on the shelves.

It was clear that Old Mr. Guo didn't place much importance on these items. If he truly valued them, they would be stored in special boxes with the air removed to prevent moisture, rot, and insect damage.

Qi Xiang casually unrolled a scroll and understood the reason at a glance.

With his appraisal skills, he found the painting to be quite good. Unfortunately, there were no seals or signatures on it. In other words, it was an anonymous work.

An anonymous work, no matter how well-painted, is not valuable.

This is because calligraphy and paintings emphasize famous artists and their works, as well as the celebrity effect.

For example, among Ming Dynasty painters, Tang Bohu was the most famous, so even though his works were not the best among Ming Dynasty painters, they were the most popular and sold the best.

The reason for this is that the influence of folk legends and TV dramas made Tang Bohu a household name. Even illiterate nouveau riche knew of Tang Bohu, so when they tried to cultivate a refined taste, they naturally preferred his calligraphy and paintings...

With more buyers, the price naturally went up.

So, in the antique market, there is a practical rule: fame equals price. Therefore, anonymous works, no matter how well-painted, do not fetch high prices.

Since the items were not valuable, there was no need to preserve them carefully.

Qi Xiang shook his head slightly, tied the scroll back up, and put it away, then continued to the next one.

One scroll after another, not just paintings but also calligraphy scrolls.

Among these works, some definitely had seals and inscriptions, but after careful examination, Qi Xiang found that most of these seals and inscriptions were from unknown artists he had never heard of.

Perhaps it was due to his limited knowledge, but it also indicated that the most valuable of these calligraphy and paintings were likely local minor artists' works, not of significant importance.

Qi Xiang picked and chose, quickly reaching the last scroll.

It was tucked away in the corner of the shelf. When he took it out, a cloud of dust rose, indicating that the scroll was not highly valued by Old Mr. Guo and had been forgotten in the corner for a long time.

Qi Xiang reached into the corner to retrieve the scroll. Before he even opened it, a subtle and obscure vibration made him pause, slightly dazed.

"Qi Xiang, did you find something good?"

At that moment, Xiao Yu, holding a plate, walked over with a smile: "I've told you, I've seen Old Mr. Guo's calligraphy and paintings... they're just average. Don't waste your time, look for something in the porcelain instead."

Xiao Yu still had a conscience. After choosing an item, he didn't forget to remind Qi Xiang. He hadn't mentioned it earlier mainly because he was afraid Qi Xiang would compete with him. Now that there was no competition, he naturally wanted to be 'brotherly.'

Qi Xiang glanced over and saw that Xiao Yu was holding a blue-and-white porcelain plate with a restrained glaze, looking quite good.

"This is?" Qi Xiang asked: "What period is the plate from?"

"Look..." Xiao Yu flipped the plate over, revealing a blue-and-white circle on the bottom with three characters.

"Chang Le Tang!" Qi Xiang praised: "You have good eyes, you found something good."

"That's right..." Xiao Yu was very pleased.

The characters on the bottom of the blue-and-white plate were a hall name. Generally, porcelain with a hall name was custom-made and of higher quality than ordinary porcelain.

As long as the item was not a fake, its value could be assured.

"I estimate this is a late Qing dynasty folk kiln masterpiece," Xiao Yu speculated: "After all, it's a custom-made piece. The craftsmanship, the blue-and-white lines, and the glazing technique are all quite meticulous..."

"Uh-huh." Qi Xiang nodded absentmindedly, then focused and carefully unrolled the scroll in his hand.

"This painting..." Xiao Yu also leaned in to look and was surprised: "I've never seen this painting before. Is it a new acquisition by Old Mr. Guo?"

The painting unfolded, a vertical scroll.

Fifty centimeters wide and nearly a meter long, it was a large format.

Qi Xiang gazed at it, seeing that the paper was yellowed with obvious wormholes, very worn and in poor condition. The content of the painting was an elderly man in a long robe and high hat, sleeping on a stone with his wrist under his head.

The artist's brushwork was extremely skillful, and with just a simple outline, the elderly man's deep sleep was vividly portrayed. However, it was also an anonymous work.

The entire scroll had no seals, no inscriptions, and no signatures.

To put it simply, for calligraphy and paintings, seals and inscriptions are like modern ID cards. With an ID card, one can accurately know a person's birth date and name.

Similarly, calligraphy and paintings need signatures and seals to determine their specific era and author.

But with anonymous works, it's hard to date them.

"Ah, as expected, it's not much." Xiao Yu immediately shook his head: "Qi Xiang, give up. Although Old Mr. Guo collects calligraphy and paintings, he just plays around with them and doesn't invest too much."

Qi Xiang ignored him, carefully examined the painting, and then suddenly asked: "Have you chosen your item?"

"Eh?" Xiao Yu was taken aback and then raised his hand: "I've chosen, it's this plate."

"Good, let's go." Qi Xiang rolled up the painting and indicated: "Let's go find Old Mr. Guo to pay."

"What?" Xiao Yu was stunned, then reacted and was extremely surprised: "You want this painting?"

Qi Xiang smiled but said nothing, leaving the room lightly and heading for the living room. While they were choosing items, Old Mr. Guo and Xiao Ding had already returned to the living room to entertain Mr. Hai, who had come back to transfer money.

At that moment, Mr. Hai was gently caressing a fragrant Buddha, looking very pleased.

Old Mr. Guo's eyes were filled with reluctance, but his son was smiling brightly, overjoyed.

In this capitalistic society, everything can be measured by money. As long as there is enough money, even the most precious and beloved items can be given away, with no such thing as a non-saleable item.

Moreover, no matter how precious the fragrant Buddha was, it couldn't compare to family. For his son's future, Old Mr. Guo, despite his pain and reluctance, could only watch as the item left his possession.

Out of sight, out of mind. Old Mr. Guo turned his gaze and forced a smile: "Mr. Qi, have you chosen your item?"

"I have, it's this painting." Qi Xiang indicated.

"Painting?" Old Mr. Guo was taken aback and then smiled: "Which painting?"

"This one..." Qi Xiang handed over the scroll.

Old Mr. Guo took it casually, unrolled it, and looked at it, somewhat surprised: "Mr. Qi, are you sure about this one?"

"Yes, this one." Qi Xiang was very certain.

"Uh..." Old Mr. Guo hesitated: "Mr. Qi, you don't have to give me face. You can choose another painting."

Old Mr. Guo suspected that Qi Xiang was deliberately choosing this worthless painting to do him a favor.

In fact, Xiao Yu also thought so, secretly praising Qi Xiang's intelligence. Favor and reciprocity, with give and take, they would become familiar. Once familiar, they would have a connection, and with a connection, there would be no fear of not getting good items in the future.

"Such a calculation, worthy of the most promising wolf..." Xiao Yu sighed and quickly chimed in with a smile: "Old Mr. Guo, since he likes this painting, it means he really likes it. A thousand pieces of gold can't buy what one truly loves, so just fulfill his wish."

"That makes sense." Qi Xiang agreed: "Old Mr. Guo, give me a fair price, and I'll take it."

"Alright!" Old Mr. Guo thought for a moment and smiled: "Let's be friends, and stay in touch."

As he spoke, Old Mr. Guo raised a finger and said subtly: "Actually, this painting is not bad. Although it's an anonymous work, it's from the Ming Dynasty, so it's worth something, at least this much..."

...

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