Chapter 22: Dehua White Porcelain

After listening to Liu Dong's words, Old Li smiled and waved his hand, saying in a calm tone, "Forget about becoming my disciple. I'm old now and just want to enjoy my grandchildren and live out my days. Teaching apprentices is too tiring, so I'll have to decline!"

Although he said that, the old man was truly reassured about Liu Dong's character.

To be honest, when he decided to pass on his years of experience in antique appraisal to Liu Dong, he was still somewhat hesitant. After all, it was their first meeting today. Although Liu Dong was the nephew of an old friend, and the old man had a good impression of him at first sight, he still felt a bit uneasy.

However, after seeing Liu Dong's gratitude and sense of repayment, he was truly at ease.

"But even if I don't take you as a disciple, if you have any questions about antiques in the future, you can still come to me!"

After hearing Old Li's words, Liu Dong understood that he wouldn't be able to become his disciple today. Although he felt a bit disappointed, he was very grateful for the old man's willingness to teach him. He decided that when the right opportunity came, he would repay the old man for his kindness.

With this decision in mind, Liu Dong held the precious books in his hands and sat back down.

"Sir, Mr. Zhao, who often visits you, is here. He's in the living room on the second floor!" At this moment, the female servant surnamed Zhang, who had just taken a call, quickly walked over and said.

"Mr. Zhao?" After a moment of confusion, Old Li quickly understood. "It must be Zhao Defa! Ha ha, I didn't expect him to show up right after we were just talking about him!" He paused, then turned to look at the two of them, focusing on Liu Dong. "Xiao Dong, the person who bought your snuff bottle is here!"

"Let's go and see him. This time, we'll make that old fox bleed more!" Long Shu finished his tea in one gulp, a determined smile on his face as he quickly stood up.

Seeing his eager manner, Old Li couldn't help but shake his head, and Liu Dong found it somewhat amusing. This was the first time he had seen Long Shu like this.

On the east side of Old Li's courtyard, there was an arched gate. Passing through it led to the front hall of the Chenxiang Pavilion, which had the same structure as Long Shu's Taiyi Pavilion. Therefore, Liu Dong was quite familiar with the place.

It was almost six o'clock, but summer days were generally a couple of hours longer. It was also the coolest part of the day, so there were still many guests in the Chenxiang Pavilion. However, most of them were tourists visiting Quancheng and didn't recognize Old Li and Long Shu as they came from the back courtyard, so no one approached them.

Walking up the ancient and heavy wooden stairs, the three of them soon arrived at the reception room on the second floor of the Taiyi Pavilion.

"Old Li, you promised to find me some good items! Oh, Uncle Long is here too!" Hearing the footsteps, a middle-aged man turned around and saw them. He was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and brown pants, with a jade bead bracelet on his wrist. His high cheekbones gave him a very spirited appearance. He smiled and came forward to greet them.

Although Liu Dong rarely watched TV and had never seen Zhao Defa in person, he could sense the authority of a leader and the wealth of a successful businessman from this middle-aged man.

"Good items aren't like cabbages; they're not that easy to find!" Old Li shook hands with the man and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, saying irritably.

As the saying goes, 'A man without desires is strong.' Although Zhao Defa was wealthy and influential in Quancheng and even the entire Dongshan Province, his influence in the antique world was far less than Old Li's. Since there were no conflicts of interest between them, they treated each other as equals, with the more accomplished one taking the lead.

"It's no problem if you don't have any. As long as you're willing to let me have that He Chaozong Dehua white porcelain Guanyin statue from your collection, you can name your price!"

After hearing his words, Old Li couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Old Zhao, don't even think about that. It's the pride of my Chenxiang Pavilion, and I won't sell it for any price."

"Ha ha!" Although he had expected this result, Zhao Defa couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. A genuine He Chaozong Dehua white porcelain Buddha statue from the Ming Dynasty was a world-class treasure, no less valuable than the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty. There are fewer than two hundred authentic He Chaozong Dehua white porcelain pieces in the world, and they are highly sought after by major museums worldwide.

Thanks to the spread by the Ming Dynasty missionary Marco Polo, Dehua white porcelain, known as 'fake jade,' has gained worldwide fame. Whether it's Qing Dynasty or Republican-era Dehua white porcelain, it is highly valued in the international market.

Therefore, such priceless treasures, which are almost priceless, are also highly sought after by collectors worldwide, and Zhao Defa, who loves collecting, is no exception.

However, because it is so precious, Old Li has never considered parting with it. He has kept it in the Chenxiang Pavilion as a prized possession, which has made the Chenxiang Pavilion very famous in the antique collecting circle.

Almost every one or two weeks, collectors and merchants come from far and wide to see the He Chaozong Dehua white porcelain treasure, and thanks to these people, Old Li's Chenxiang Pavilion has become increasingly prosperous.

"This young brother looks unfamiliar; I don't think I've seen him before!" Perhaps to shift the awkward atmosphere after being refused by Old Li, Zhao Defa smiled and asked, seeing Liu Dong at the back.

As the host, it was Old Li's responsibility to introduce the guests. So, when he asked, Old Li brought Liu Dong forward. "Come, Xiao Dong, this is the Zhao Defa I mentioned to you, Mr. Zhao!"

"Old Zhao, this is a younger relative of mine and Uncle Long, named Liu Dong. He's also into collecting and has a good eye!"

Upon hearing that Liu Dong was into collecting and had a good eye, Zhao Defa's eyes lit up. He quickly extended his right hand, firmly shook Liu Dong's hand, and said with a pleased expression, "I didn't expect Liu brother to have such a connection with the two of you. We must get to know each other better in the future!"

"Mr. Zhao, you're too kind!" Liu Dong's demeanor was natural and composed, showing no signs of fear or flattery due to Zhao Defa's status, which earned him a higher regard from Zhao Defa.

Long Shu, standing to the side, nodded in satisfaction at Liu Dong's performance and said with a smile, "Alright, now that we've met, let's sit down and talk."

"Right, right, let's all sit down!" Old Li also called out and, as the host, sat in the main seat facing north. The other three followed suit.

"Old Li, you came in a hurry and didn't bring anything. This fifty-year-old ginseng was a gift from a business partner. I don't need it, so I brought it for you today. Please accept it."

As he spoke, Zhao Defa signaled, and immediately a robust bodyguard, dressed in a black suit and wearing sunglasses, who looked like a gangster, walked over with a beautifully packaged red box.

"Uncle Long, I know you like tea. I was planning to give you this 'Da Hong Pao' when I visited, but since we met here, you can take it back with you."

After opening the red gift box, two boxes, one large and one small, appeared. Zhao Defa took them out, placed the larger, rectangular box in front of Old Li, and handed the smaller one to Long Shu. The smaller box likely contained the Da Hong Pao they had been drinking earlier.

Seeing the two gifts on the table, Liu Dong was secretly amazed. Although he didn't know the price of the ginseng, he was familiar with the premium Da Hong Pao they had been drinking. Currently, one gram of Da Hong Pao costs over ten thousand RMB, while one gram of gold is only about three hundred RMB. So, saying it was more valuable than gold was an understatement. The box in front of Long Shu contained at least twenty-five grams, which would be worth around three hundred thousand RMB.

Since the Da Hong Pao tea for Long Shu was already so valuable, the ginseng in front of Old Li must be even more expensive.

After realizing this, Liu Dong couldn't help but be impressed by Zhao Defa's generosity. "He's so generous; it's clear he's not just a regular rich person."