Chapter 3

It's amber with insects inside!

When Dan Fei took the small ball, he immediately came to this conclusion.

Amber with insects, a type of amber, formed millions or even hundreds of millions of years ago, can be considered a living fossil of the present day. Not long ago, a grape-sized amber was unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty's Haihunhou tomb, causing a sensation, which shows the preciousness of amber with insects.

Dan Fei hasn't seen much amber with insects, of course, many counterfeit products masquerading as amber with insects are a different matter. He didn't expect that among the items Cao Sanye was testing him with, there would be such a thing.

As he touched the amber with insects, feeling the vicissitudes of history within, Dan Fei was momentarily lost in thought.

Cao Ning'er pouted, feeling that this boy was somewhat unworthy of Uncle San's trust. Uncle San had no disciples, but many people knew his background and wanted to be his disciples. The significance of this was also significant. She never thought Uncle San would give Dan Fei a chance.

When the seven items were scattered on the table, she naturally evaluated them. The one she liked best was the warm jade pendant, and the pearl was also good. However, Cao Ning'er was also self-aware, thinking that Uncle San's test would not be so simple. The tripod is a national treasure, and in terms of significance, it is naturally precious. The black lacquer jar, though unremarkable in appearance, was very mysterious. The most valuable item should be among these four.

She didn't expect Dan Fei to pick up something that looked like a stone, which probably wasn't even as valuable as the gold ingot.

Dan Fei admired the amber with insects for a long time, finally putting it down. He thought that if it were to be sold, it probably wouldn't even exchange for good equipment.

Why? No one recognizes its value!

He sighed slightly in his heart but thought about Cao Sanye's words. He casually picked up the jade pendant, glanced at it, and put it back on the table.

When he picked up the needle-like stone, Dan Fei was interested and looked at it for a while before putting it back on the table.

When Cao Ning'er saw him pick up the jade pendant, she was slightly pleased, thinking that this servant still had some discernment. However, when he put down the jade pendant and picked up the stone needle, she frowned.

These servants usually receive copper coins and grain, and rarely see gold and silver. Of course, they don't know the value of the jade pendant. Seeing Dan Fei fondling the stone, Cao Ning'er felt like watching a child's coming-of-age ceremony, feeling anxious for him as he chose the lesser over the greater.

But in a moment, Cao Ning'er found it somewhat amusing, thinking, "Why should I be anxious for Uncle San to choose a disciple?"

Dan Fei finally put down the stone needle, picked up the gold, the small tripod, and the lacquer jar, glanced at them, and put them down quickly, clapping his hands.

"Do you have an answer?" Cao Sanye said in a low voice.

Dan Fei smiled and said, "I can't tell which one is more valuable."

Cao Ning'er almost fainted, thinking, "This boy is too honest. You can't leave the questions unanswered, can you?"

Cao Sanye in the darkness also fell silent, not knowing if he wanted to jump out and beat this boy. Dan Fei, however, didn't care and said, "If there's nothing else, I'd like to leave."

Cao Ning'er was taken aback again, feeling that his tone didn't have the air of a servant but rather that of a peer. She frowned deeply.

After a long time, Cao Sanye said, "Very well."

Dan Fei turned and left. Cao Ning'er was somewhat angry and turned to say, "Uncle San, is this the person you chose? I think he has no rules or standards. If you entrust matters to such a person, I will be the first to disagree."

Cao Sanye in the darkness muttered, "He has no rules, but his standards are..."

"What?" Cao Ning'er asked, puzzled.

"Surprisingly high." Cao Sanye's voice also had a hint of surprise, and he said in a low voice, "But how is that possible? Where did this boy learn these things?"

Hearing Uncle San's evaluation of Dan Fei, Cao Ning'er couldn't help but be surprised. "How high are his skills?"

"High enough to match the three-story pavilion." Cao Sanye said lightly.

Cao Ning'er found Uncle San's words amusing but was also shocked. The Cao family was a large clan, and in the midst of chaos, many capable people emerged. In recent years, the most outstanding was Cao Cao, and Cao Hong, who followed Cao Cao, was also highly meritorious. However, Cao Ning'er knew that the Cao family's current glory was largely due to Uncle San.

Uncle San had high standards and keen insight, and rarely praised people. Today's evaluation of Dan Fei was unprecedented.

Though she trusted Uncle San's judgment, Cao Ning'er was still puzzled, "Uncle San, but he didn't do anything?"

"That's because you didn't look carefully enough." Cao Sanye said lightly.

Cao Ning'er's face turned red, and she looked at the seven items on the table but didn't notice anything unusual. She was somewhat不服 (unconvinced) but knew that Uncle San wouldn't make baseless claims. What did that boy do to make Uncle San look at him differently?

After a long time, Cao Sanye sighed, "Ning'er, Uncle San knows you are very intelligent and are one of the few knowledgeable women in Xuchang. Uncle San also knows you want to help him. But often, different fields are like different mountains, and Uncle San's work is looked down upon by many."

"But Ning'er knows Uncle San is the most capable person." Cao Ning'er said, biting her lip.

Cao Sanye seemed to smile, "To do Uncle San's work, not only must one be capable, but also have insight into this field. Because every time you open a tomb, you face more than just the gold and jewels inside. If that were the case, it would be a lower level."

Cao Ning'er was puzzled, "Then what is considered a higher level in Uncle San's eyes?"

Cao Sanye was silent for a long time before saying, "You know that the seven items on the table were not from the same time, right?"

Cao Ning'er's eyes brightened, and she looked at the seven items on the table again, gaining some understanding. She picked up the small tripod and examined it for a while, "This tripod should be from the Xia Dynasty."

She managed the Cao family's business, and her discernment was far superior to that of ordinary women. Hearing Uncle San's "hmm," Cao Ning'er picked up the lacquer jar and examined it for a long time, hesitantly saying, "After the bronze era, the royal family preferred lacquerware. This lacquerware, judging by its color and patterns, seems to be from the Western Zhou Dynasty."

Not hearing any response from Uncle San, Cao Ning'er picked up the jade pendant and examined it for a long time, "This jade pendant might be from the early Han Dynasty..." After a long time, Cao Ning'er finally said, "The pearl should be a recent product from Kuaiji near the coast, and the gold ingot, oh, was cast during the reign of Emperor Wen, as it has the mark of the official mint."

After a long time, she finally identified five of the seven items, which was already quite difficult. She thought that to ordinary people, gold is just gold, regardless of the dynasty.

Suddenly, she was startled and stared at the table, speechless.

The tripod from the Xia Dynasty, the lacquer jar from the Zhou Dynasty, the jade pendant from the early Han Dynasty, the gold ingot cast during the reign of Emperor Wen, and the pearl from recent times in Jiangdong. She had worked hard to identify them but was not entirely sure. However, when she looked at the order of the items on the table, she suddenly realized that the order had already been arranged. She clearly remembered that when she first placed the items on the table, they were in a chaotic and unordered state.

Her eyes narrowed, and she focused on the two items placed before the tripod. After a long time, Cao Ning'er said, "These two items were used before the Xia Dynasty? That would mean the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?"

In the darkness, Cao Sanye slowly said, "According to my knowledge, the stone needle was used during the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and the amber with insects formed even before that."

The unremarkable amber with insects was placed at the very front.

Cao Ning'er's heart trembled, not believing that there was anyone else in the world besides Uncle San who could identify the ages of these seven items with just a few glances.

Was Dan Fei just guessing?

This thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. The possibility of picking up and putting down seven items in the correct chronological order was extremely low. The only explanation was that Dan Fei not only had a higher discernment than her but also a more profound knowledge.

Only then did she fully understand the deeper meaning of Uncle San's words earlier—where did this boy learn these things? How is that possible!

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Wishing all friends a happy Lantern Festival! Here is the second update, thank you for your strong support! Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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