Chapter 5

Holding the box, Chen Yi walked back to the Treasure Hall, but Uncle Liu had already closed the shop and left. Chen Yi looked up at the Jade Treasure Hall next door, hesitated for a moment, and then walked in.

Although he had only been coming to Uncle Liu's Treasure Hall for a little over a month, Chen Yi was not unfamiliar with the owner of the Jade Treasure Hall. Since Uncle Liu's Treasure Hall focused on porcelain business, while the Jade Treasure Hall focused on jade, there was not much conflict between the two. Uncle Liu and the owner of the Jade Treasure Hall often interacted, drinking tea and exchanging experiences.

Because of this, Chen Yi had also gotten to know the owner of the Jade Treasure Hall. Now that Uncle Liu was not here, he could only ask for help from him. Although the owner was somewhat snobbish, asking him for help should not be a problem.

"Young man, are you here to buy something... Oh, Xiao Yi, you're here to visit. Where's Mr. Liu? Why didn't he come? Come in and have a cup of tea." When Chen Yi entered, a middle-aged man was drinking tea in the shop. Seeing someone come in, he stood up to greet them, but when he saw Chen Yi, he couldn't help but smile and said.

Uncle Wang, Chen Yi waved his hands, "Uncle Wang, I'll skip the tea. Uncle Liu went to meet an old friend and closed the shop. I came here because I have something I need you to look at."

"Oh, I didn't expect Xiao Yi to be able to find treasures in just a month. Come, let me see what good treasure you found." The middle-aged man named Wang, upon learning Chen Yi's purpose, smiled, with a hint of mockery in his smile.

Young people these days, thinking they've learned a bit about antiques and want to find treasures and make a fortune.

Chen Yi quickly walked over without sitting down, and handed the box to Uncle Wang. He had pinned all his hopes on this piece of jade to complete his treasure-hunting task.

"Xiao Yi, sit down. It takes some time to appraise things." Uncle Wang took the box and, seeing Chen Yi still standing, couldn't help but smile.

"Uncle Wang, just look at it. I'll stand here." Chen Yi said, somewhat nervously.

Uncle Wang smiled and shook his head, not paying attention to Chen Yi anymore. He focused on the box in his hands, opened it, and a white Guan Gong statue appeared before him. He took the jade in his hands, carefully examined it, and his brows furrowed, seemingly uncertain. After a moment of contemplation, he took out a magnifying glass and examined it for a long time, then shook his head and smiled, placing the jade back in the box. He looked up at Chen Yi and asked, "Xiao Yi, how much did you pay for this jade?"

"What's wrong, Uncle Wang? Is this fake jade?" Seeing Uncle Wang shake his head, Chen Yi's heart sank, and he quickly asked.

Uncle Wang smiled, with a hint of mockery in his tone, "Xiao Yi, the jade is real, and the carving technique is old, but there's a big problem with this jade. Young people should learn more and ask more questions, don't rush to find big treasures. Tell me, how much did you pay for it?"

"Uncle Wang, what's wrong with this jade? It's real, right? I paid four hundred for it." Chen Yi's heart sank.

"Ha, four hundred, it's a lesson. Xiao Yi, you don't understand jade at all, so don't try to find treasures in jade. Real jade comes in many varieties. For example, the jade you bought is from Korea."

Uncle Wang shook his head and smiled, took a sip of tea, and continued in a lecturing tone, "Korean jade, compared to real Hetian jade, has the same hardness but is very rough in quality, and the color is quite different."

He looked up at Chen Yi's puzzled expression, and his mocking tone became even stronger, "You won't understand these things. To put it simply, Hetian jade is priceless, while Korean jade is abundant. The current market price is one thousand RMB per kilogram. Your jade is only about ten grams, so you can do the math."

Hearing Uncle Wang's words, Chen Yi's face darkened. One thousand RMB per kilogram, he had not found a treasure but had been cheated.

"Ha, Xiao Yi, learn more about antiques before you think about getting rich. If you want to buy Hetian jade, I have a lot, and it's much cheaper than what you can find on the street. This high-quality Hetian jade only costs three hundred RMB, which is much more valuable than the four hundred RMB Korean jade. Consider it as an appraisal fee."

Seeing Chen Yi's dejected look, Uncle Wang chuckled and casually picked up a dusty jade pendant from the corner, placing it on the table with a mocking smile.

Chen Yi felt disheartened, seeing the mocking look on Uncle Wang's face. He sighed, having hesitated to enter this antique shop because of Uncle Wang's poor character, but he had not expected to be mocked so much.

Indeed, all merchants are cunning. Thinking of Uncle Liu, who had taken good care of him, Chen Yi felt a warm feeling in his heart. He looked at the jade pendant Uncle Wang had placed on the table, shook his head, took out three hundred RMB from his inner pocket, placed it on the table, and walked out of the shop with the two pieces of jade, his steps heavy.

Walking out of the shop, he looked at the Korean jade he had bought for four hundred RMB, shook his head, and smiled bitterly, then asked the appraisal system, "Why did this jade, which is a modern imitation and no more than five hundred years old, fail the appraisal?"

"The appraisal system determines the age of an object based on its shape, structure, and craftsmanship. If an antique is a replica of something from five hundred years ago, the appraisal charm's energy will perform a comprehensive appraisal based on that era to determine if the object is genuine."

"So if an antique is a replica of something from the early Ming Dynasty, the energy of the初级 appraisal charm is not sufficient to support the appraisal of that era, leading to a failed appraisal."

Hearing the appraisal system's response, Chen Yi was very angry, "There are such restrictions? It's clearly a modern imitation, why not just determine the age of the object directly?"

"I'm sorry, this is to ensure a more accurate appraisal. Some objects are very old, but were made much later. For example, a piece of jade that has evolved over thousands of years, if carved during the Ming Dynasty, would be considered Ming Dynasty jade. If carved today, it would be considered modern jade. Therefore, determining the age of the object directly has many flaws, and a comprehensive appraisal based on shape, craftsmanship, etc., is necessary."

Chen Yi helplessly scratched his head. He understood that the appraisal system's explanation was correct and reasonable. Besides jade, many antiques have similar issues, such as ancient paintings on paper that has been passed down from ancient times. If only the age of the paper were determined, it would be incorrect.

He had not expected that a piece of jade he was so confident about would still be a mistake. Chen Yi looked at the so-called high-quality Hetian jade he had bought for three hundred RMB, feeling almost in tears.

Three hundred RMB for an appraisal fee, that guy really had the nerve to ask for it. Chen Yi wished he could throw the jade pendant in the trash right now.

He only had four appraisal charms left. Chen Yi smiled bitterly, looking at the jade pendant worth three hundred RMB, which was covered in dust. Even after wiping it, some dirt remained.

From the patterns on it, it seemed to be a dragon. The feel of the jade was good, and it made a crisp sound when tapped. It felt cool to the touch, indicating it was likely real jade.

The owner of the Jade Treasure Hall was so snobbish, no wonder Uncle Liu said he was not skilled. What should he do with this jade pendant? Should he throw it aside or appraise it?

After some thought, Chen Yi bit his lip again. He had already spent three appraisal charms on the jade, so one more wouldn't make a difference. From his experience, this jade felt much better than the Korean jade he had bought earlier.

"Would you like to appraise the jade in your hand?"

As he placed the appraisal charm, the appraisal system prompted. Chen Yi closed his eyes, steeled his resolve, and said yes.

"Appraising... Appraisal successful. Information as follows..."

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