Chapter 66

Professor Qin carefully examined the three plum vases for a while, then asked, "Young Prince, do you have anything else?"

"There's a small dish!" Yang Kang smiled, and as he spoke, he opened the drawer below the multi-treasure cabinet, took out the small dish he had bought in the morning, and handed it to him, saying, "I hope Professor can help take a look."

"Hmm?" Professor Qin, being an expert in ancient porcelain, immediately looked up and asked, "Recently restored, who did it?"

"I did it myself!" Yang Kang smiled, "My father taught me this skill, and I learned it, but I wouldn't dare to touch Yuan blue-and-white porcelain. I can only handle ordinary things."

Professor Qin carefully picked up the small dish, brought it close to his nose, and asked, "Is glutinous rice soup the main ingredient?"

Yang Kang nodded and smiled, "Professor, you are truly knowledgeable!"

"Haha..." Professor Qin chuckled, gave a thumbs up, and praised, "Your skills are quite good."

"You are much better than me, sir." Yang Kang spoke the truth; the small dish had no curvature, making it easy to restore, and it was small to begin with.

"This thing, practice more, and you'll get better." Professor Qin nodded and smiled, "I didn't expect you to have such a deep family tradition!"

"Professor, you are joking!" Yang Kang's lips curled into a bitter smile. Deep family tradition? Indeed, his father had taught him many things in the past, and he knew the basic appraisal of antiques, but without the Taiyin Treasure Mirror, he would never dare to do antique business; the risks in this industry were too high.

"What a delicate thing!" Professor Qin played with the small dish, not without emotion.

"Porcelain is the essence of Chinese culture!" Yang Kang also felt emotional.

"Right, do you plan to sell this small dish?" Professor Qin asked.

"Yes, I'll take it to Langyuan tomorrow. If someone wants it, I'll sell it." Yang Kang smiled; selling this small dish would probably cover the renovation costs for his Jade Treasure Hall.

"Good idea!" Professor Qin smiled, "At Langyuan, there are usually auctions, and there are many tycoons."

"Haha!" Yang Kang wanted to say, "There are many fools," but he held back and didn't say it.

"In the past two years, Ming and Qing porcelain prices have risen. Your small dish with the famille-rose melon and butterfly pattern is from the Qianlong period. Even though it has been restored after breaking, it won't affect its value much," Professor Qin said.

"Professor, since that's the case, can you give me an estimate?" Yang Kang asked.

"Let me think!" Professor Qin hesitated for a moment and then said, "I estimate it to be between 200,000 and 300,000 yuan. One, it has no mark; two, it's very small; three, it has been restored."

"Okay!" Yang Kang nodded. Being able to sell it for 200,000 to 300,000 yuan made him very happy. After all, a few days ago, he had sold a Kangxi blue-and-white lotus bowl for 2 million yuan, which he had bought for only 2,000 yuan. It was a great find, and the antique business was indeed highly profitable.

As for this famille-rose melon and butterfly pattern small dish, it was just a bonus, and it didn't matter whether he sold it for more or less.

"Is there anything else? Bring it out for me to see," Professor Qin smiled and asked.

"No!" Yang Kang shook his head. Although that morning he had also bought three teacups, they were dull and unappealing. He had studied them for a few days with no results and locked them in the cabinet below the multi-treasure cabinet.

Dull porcelain?

Suddenly, Yang Kang's heart stirred, and he suddenly remembered a story his father had once told him. Could such things really exist in the world?

Thinking about this, Yang Kang smiled and said to Professor Qin, "Professor, let's go downstairs and sit. Don't stay in my bedroom; I have some quirks."

"Should I say you have quirks, what excuse would I have?" Professor Qin couldn't help but laugh. The two of them went downstairs together.

"By the way, I suddenly remembered—" Professor Qin sat down in a wicker chair in front of the multi-treasure cabinet downstairs and said, "I heard someone on the antique street is trying to sell a bronze vessel, a bird-shaped zun."

"Bird-shaped zun? How big is it?" Yang Kang asked curiously, "If it's big, it could be a national treasure!"

Professor Qin said, "I heard it's quite big!"

Yang Kang's heart stirred, and he asked, "Who is selling it? How dare they sell such a thing?"

Professor Qin thought for a moment and said, "I heard his surname is Jiang, and he plans to take it to Langyuan tomorrow. Anyway, if such a thing is brought there, they will definitely try to sell it for a high price and will seek me or Old Zhen. We'll see tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Yang Kang nodded, "If it's a large bronze bird-shaped zun, I'll take a look."

Professor Qin chatted with him for a few more minutes, then got up to leave, repeatedly reminding him not to forget tomorrow. Yang Kang smiled and agreed.

After Professor Qin left, Yang Kang also left and went straight to the supermarket, then to a pharmacy to buy a few herbs. He then hurried back.

After returning, he went straight to the storage room, filled a basin with water, and started preparing the cleaning solution. Once the solution was ready, he went upstairs and carefully brought down the three teacups, then immersed them in the cleaning solution. After everything was done, he carefully locked the storage room door.

"Father said that depending on the degree of pollution and erosion by yin soil, the soaking time varies. Ordinary things only need to soak for one day and one night. I'll see tomorrow if it's yin soil pollution. I hope it works and doesn't make me waste my time," Yang Kang thought to himself.

Yang Kang had once heard his father mention that antiques generally fall into two categories: those with a clear lineage and those from ancient tombs.

Buried treasures, over time, are eroded by the yin soil underground, gradually losing their original luster and becoming dull. This requires professional cleaning methods.

Just like the coloration of ancient jade, the so-called coloration is actually the result of jade being buried underground and being invaded by mud and water or other substances, making it dull. After ancient jade is unearthed, it needs to be played with and cared for over a long period to gradually restore its original luster.

The coloration on ancient jade not only does not damage the jade but also forms a special beauty and is a standard for collectors to appraise ancient jade.

However, other things are different, such as ancient porcelain.

If ancient porcelain is polluted by yin soil under certain conditions, it becomes dull and loses its luster. Simple care is not enough; it needs to be soaked and cleaned with some herbs.

Yang Kang had never seen "yin soil pollution" before. That old man pitifully came to sell the three teacups, and out of kindness, he bought them. Although the Taiyin Treasure Mirror had identified them as genuine, they were dull and unappealing.

"I hope it's yin soil pollution, and soaking and cleaning will work. Otherwise, it would be a real pity for the Ming Chenghua doucai teacups to be ruined," Yang Kang thought to himself.

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