Chapter 88

At this moment, Qi Xiang became a bit more curious and took the initiative to ask about the details of the plate.

"Zouzhu Pan (Walking Pearl Plate)," Zhu Qiao replied very succinctly.

"Zouzhu... Pan?" Qi Xiang was taken aback, puzzled, and said, "Did you make a mistake? I've only heard of Zou Panzhu (Walking Plate Pearl), not Zouzhu Pan."

"That's right, it's Zouzhu Pan," Zhu Qiao said confidently, "A plate that can make pearls walk."

"Which plate can't make pearls walk?" Qi Xiang retorted, leaving Zhu Qiao speechless.

After a long silence, Zhu Qiao finally spoke, somewhat angrily, "Anyway, it's that kind of plate. You'll know what it is when you see it. It's definitely a good thing, something extraordinary."

"…I'll believe you this time." Qi Xiang asked, "Where is it? Is it far? I won't go if it's too far."

"Very close," Zhu Qiao said, pointing his mouth, "There, that's it…"

Qi Xiang followed his gaze and saw that Zhu Qiao was pointing to a very ordinary residential building, only two or three hundred meters from the shop entrance, indeed very close.

In just two or three minutes, they arrived there. The house door was tightly closed, and it was silent.

"Knock on the door!" Zhu Qiao ordered. Before his lackeys could move, the door creaked open, and a young man with an oiled head and powdered face walked out.

"Master Zhu, you've come," the young man bowed and smiled obsequiously, "I said I could bring the item over, no need for you to come in person."

"Don't talk nonsense. If I weren't just nearby, I wouldn't bother coming," Zhu Qiao said arrogantly, "Where's the item? Don't dare to lie to me, or you'll die a terrible death."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, absolutely not. Even if I had the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, I wouldn't dare to deceive you," the young man shook his head in fear and hurriedly gestured, "Master Zhu, the item is inside, please come in…"

Zhu Qiao grunted through his nose and lifted his chin to walk into the house.

At the same time, Qi Xiang followed him in. The house was very common, with a typical layout. The hall was not large, with a long bench and two short stools surrounding a tea table, very simple.

Zhu Qiao sat on the long bench without any courtesy, crossing his legs and said, "Take out the item. I'm in a hurry and don't have much time to waste here."

"Yes, yes, Master Zhu, please wait a moment, I'll be right back," the young man hurriedly responded and ran into the room.

Qi Xiang watched coldly and then asked, "Are you sure the plate he mentioned is a treasure?"

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have called you to see it," Zhu Qiao said indifferently, "If it's real, it's definitely the best. If it's fake, well, if he dares to deceive me… I'll break his legs."

"But I don't think he has the guts to deceive me. Besides, his ancestors were once wealthy…"

Zhu Qiao casually added, "Back then, he was one of the seventy-two golden dogs of Nanxun. Although his family has fallen on hard times now, they must still have some inheritance left."

"An ancestral treasure?" Qi Xiang mused, not committing to an opinion. After all, as a professional in the field, he knew better than anyone that so-called family heirlooms and legendary treasures were mostly unreliable.

It had nothing to do with the special history of the time; mainly, there were too many people making up stories. Anyone with something in their hands liked to claim it was an heirloom, making the term "ancestral treasure" a synonym for lies.

"I'm not sure if it's an ancestral treasure. But I do know he's gone crazy with poverty, owing a mountain of debt. Someone has already spread the word that if he doesn't pay up, they'll kidnap him to Thailand."

Zhu Qiao watched the commotion with a smug look on his face.

"Why Thailand?" Qi Xiang couldn't quite understand.

"You don't get it," Zhu Qiao chuckled, "They'll send him to Thailand, turn him into a woman, and sell him to pay off his debts."

"Ugh…" Qi Xiang shuddered, "You city people really know how to play."

"Debts must be repaid, it's only right," Zhu Qiao smiled, "But this method is indeed good. In the future, if anyone owes me money, I'll do the same…"

While they were chatting, the young man hurried out. Qi Xiang glanced at him casually and had to admit that the young man was quite handsome. If he were sent to Thailand for a sex change, he might have a bright future.

Thinking of this, Qi Xiang shivered and quickly dismissed the thought, focusing on the item in the young man's hands.

The young man came out holding a square, flat brocade box. He placed the box on the tea table and smiled ingratiatingly, "Master Zhu, this is the plate I mentioned, the Zouzhu Pan!"

"Open it and let's see," Zhu Qiao said lazily.

The young man complied immediately, opening the box. Inside was a layer of red silk, not only to keep dust out but also to prevent vibrations, showing how carefully it was preserved.

As he lifted the red silk, he called out, "Move back, move back a bit, don't block the light."

At Zhu Qiao's gesture, his lackeys obediently stepped back. The small living room immediately felt more spacious. A beam of sunlight slanted in from the door, making the room brighter.

At this moment, the young man lifted the red silk, and a gentle, bright luster flowed out of the box.

"Hmm?"

Qi Xiang focused and saw that the item in the brocade box seemed quite good.

It was a snow-white plate, about twenty centimeters in diameter, perfectly round, made of plain porcelain, crystal clear, and very delicate and beautiful, with no patterns.

"This thing is pretty good," Zhu Qiao said, lowering his crossed legs and leaning forward to examine it, "Zouzhu Pan?"

"Yes, Zouzhu Pan," the young man beamed, explaining in detail, "Master Zhu, this plate is very smooth and fine. If you place a pearl on it, it can roll for over ten minutes without stopping, hence the name Zouzhu Pan."

"This is a good thing, an ancestral treasure. Back when the government confiscated property… no, during the destruction of the Four Olds, my grandfather sank the plate in the river, and it survived that crisis."

The young man sighed, "For such a thin plate to remain intact to this day is quite remarkable."

"Let me see…"

Zhu Qiao reached out and picked up the plate, holding it in one hand, making the young man beside him tremble with fear, afraid that Zhu Qiao might drop it.

"It's so light."

Zhu Qiao examined it for a moment and was somewhat surprised, "The plate is very thin, it feels like it would shatter if you squeezed it. Is it reliable?"

You should be more careful…

The young man was almost in tears, his forehead sweating with tension.

Qi Xiang couldn't stand it and walked over, "If you don't know, don't just look. Give it to me, I'll appraise it."

"Here…"

Zhu Qiao weighed the plate and handed it over.

Qi Xiang didn't take it, gesturing, "Put the plate down first, I'll take it myself."

"What a fuss…"

Zhu Qiao pouted, understanding, "You appraisers all have this habit. You're afraid of dropping it when you hand it over, so you insist on putting it down first. It's unnecessary."

"It's safer this way," Qi Xiang said casually, "If it breaks, it's hard to determine who's responsible. You might be able to compensate, but I might not."

"If it breaks, it's on me." Zhu Qiao said decisively but put the plate down.

Qi Xiang gave him a half-smile, then rolled up his sleeves, rubbed his hands on his pants to ensure they were dry, and gently picked up the plate to examine it carefully.

"Blown porcelain!"

At first glance, Qi Xiang came to this conclusion.

"What's that?"

Zhu Qiao was puzzled, "What is blown porcelain?"

"Have you never heard of blown porcelain?"

Now it was Qi Xiang's turn to be surprised, "Don't you have any at home? It's impossible. Blown porcelain is a famous type of porcelain. Your family must have a few to entertain guests, right?"

"My family doesn't have much porcelain, just purple clay and pottery…" Zhu Qiao rolled his eyes, "Is that a problem?"

"…No problem." Qi Xiang shrugged, "Then why are you buying this plate? Do you have too much money to burn?"

Qi Xiang's casual remark infuriated the young man, who spoke up angrily, "You're just an appraiser. Just do your job. Whether Master Zhu buys the porcelain or not is none of your business. Don't meddle and worry unnecessarily."

"Uh…" Qi Xiang was stunned, then both angry and amused.

He now suspected that the young man might be mentally deficient. Knowing he was an appraiser, he dared to offend him, not fearing that he might deliberately misidentify a genuine item as fake.

"Shut up!" Zhu Qiao was angry, glaring, "Let him finish. Whether I buy it or not, I'm still considering…"

"Master Zhu, please don't," the young man's face fell, pleading, "This is a good thing, you won't regret buying it. I'm relying on it to save my life. Please be merciful and help me."

"Just because you say it's good, it is?" Zhu Qiao was unmoved, sneering, "You don't get to decide. I'll make the decision based on what he says."

At that moment, the young man looked at Qi Xiang, his face showing a mix of emotions. He wanted to soften his stance but was too proud to speak.

Qi Xiang ignored him and continued to examine the plate, explaining, "Blown porcelain, also known as thin-walled porcelain or eggshell porcelain, developed from the Northern Song Dynasty's Qingbai porcelain and flourished during the Ming Dynasty."

"The most distinctive feature of this type of porcelain is its extreme thinness, as thin as a cicada's wing, as bright as glass, and as light as a cloud."

Qi Xiang continued, "The thickness of the porcelain wall must be controlled to less than one millimeter, thin like a sheet of paper. When viewed against the light, the wall appears almost transparent, as if there is no body, leaving only a layer of glaze, hence the name blown porcelain."

"Is this thing very valuable?" Zhu Qiao blinked, more concerned about its value.

"Whether it's valuable depends on its craftsmanship and age," Qi Xiang held up the plate to examine it. The porcelain wall was translucent at this moment.

All the characteristics indicated that it was indeed blown porcelain.

The problem was that in ancient times, blown porcelain was a rare treasure. However, in modern times, with the efforts of experts in Jingdezhen, the secrets of blown porcelain have been fully understood, and it has become a common craft item…

Tomorrow, the strong recommendation will start. Please support, collect, and recommend!

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