Chapter 33

【Repair Value: 7 points!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Modern porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Song Dynasty Jun Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Modern porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Qing Dynasty Yongzheng porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

As Su Xiaofan continuously examined each shard, a cascade of information flooded his mind, making him feel dizzy from the sheer volume of details about the shards.

These shards came from almost every dynasty, and interestingly, modern shards were the least common, while Song Dynasty shards were the most. Occasionally, he would find a few shards from the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty.

When Su Xiaofan set up his stall at the Luochuan antique market, he also got to know the vendors who sold porcelain shards.

In earlier years, when some kiln sites were excavated, thousands of porcelain shards were unearthed. Most of these shards were very cheap, often sold by the bag and weighed by the pound, and even a few yuan per shard was considered profitable.

On the contrary, modern shards were rare because they were usually discarded in the trash when broken, and no one would go out of their way to collect them.

Therefore, in the antique market, the items with the least fakes were ancient porcelain shards and coins. These items were not expensive, and the cost of producing fakes was often higher than their market value, making it unprofitable.

"This won't work either. There are so many shards, and it's impossible to piece them all together into a single item," Su Xiaofan thought, scratching his head. After some consideration, he decided to focus on the Song Dynasty Ding Kiln shards.

Among the shards he examined, the Ding Kiln shards were the most numerous. The Ding Kiln was originally in the northern province, close to Yanjing, so it was possible that the vendor's ancestors had collected them from there.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many kiln sites were unearthed during urban construction, and countless porcelain shards were found. A large portion of these shards were destroyed, while a smaller part ended up in the hands of the public, eventually making their way to the stalls.

With his decision made, Su Xiaofan began to select shards with similar color and luster, as only those with the same color had a chance of forming a complete item. Solid-colored shards were easier to piece together than those with blue and white designs.

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Song Dynasty Ge Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain shards, cannot be repaired!】

One by one, Su Xiaofan placed the shards into a basket. After a while, he noticed that the Ding Kiln white shards were the most common, so he removed the shards of other colors, leaving only the white ones.

The information in his mind flashed rapidly, and in just about twenty minutes, he had selected more than half a basket of Song Dynasty Ding Kiln shards.

After some thought, Su Xiaofan stopped and shifted his attention to the entire basket.

【Repair Value: 7 points!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln carved flower pen washer: damaged, can be repaired, requires 1 repair point, repair?】

To Su Xiaofan's great surprise, his guess was correct. Among the Song Dynasty Ding Kiln shards, there was indeed a complete set of shards, and his repair value was sufficient to restore it.

"No repair!"

Su Xiaofan responded in his mind. He couldn't repair it yet, as he hadn't obtained the shards.

"Damn, I picked so many?"

Glancing at the basket, Su Xiaofan was startled. Without noticing, he had selected nearly two to three hundred shards, which would cost him around six to seven thousand yuan at thirty-one yuan per shard.

Looking up, he saw the vendor still engrossed in his novel. Su Xiaofan began his strategy, taking out a handful of shards at a time and checking the information for the basket.

If the information indicated that the shards could not be repaired, it meant he had selected the shards of a repairable item, and he would then carefully identify them.

Although there were hundreds of shards, the process was quick. In less than half an hour, Su Xiaofan had narrowed it down to about thirty shards, with over twenty of them added to make up the number.

"My luck is really good; I managed to piece together a complete item like this."

Looking at the shards, Su Xiaofan felt a sense of disbelief. Among thousands of shards, the Song Dynasty Ding Kiln carved flower pen washer was actually broken into only seven pieces.

What Su Xiaofan didn't realize was that his good luck was actually due to the selection process of the repair system in his mind. Collecting a complete item was inevitable because valuable shards were often preserved intact when broken.

For example, shards from excavated kiln sites were often swept together and sold in bags, but they were still complete shards of individual items, just not reassembled.

"Boss, I've made my selection. Give me a price."

Su Xiaofan called out to the vendor and handed over the small basket.

"Wow, you took your time. I finished several chapters. Damn, that guy in 'Golden Eye' wrote about a dozen chapters on a single gambling scene..."

The vendor put down his phone, took the basket from Su Xiaofan, and looked inside. "Bro, you have a good eye. There's even a shard from the Chai Kiln in there."

"Come on, boss, don't try to raise the price. If you had a Chai Kiln shard, you wouldn't be here selling at a stall."

Su Xiaofan laughed.

The Chai Kiln was established during the early years of the Later Zhou dynasty in the Five Dynasties period, named after the emperor's surname. It was later known as the Chai Kiln from the Song dynasty.

Chai Kiln porcelain was known for its sky-blue color, mirror-like clarity, paper-thin body, and bell-like sound. It was highly prized and considered the best among all kilns.

The Chai Kiln is one of the most mysterious kilns in Chinese history, with very few surviving pieces. Its existence is still debated, and the saying "a shard of Chai Kiln is worth a thousand pieces of gold" specifically refers to Chai Kiln porcelain.

The vendor's claim about the Chai Kiln shard was clearly a tactic to raise the price, a common practice in the antique market.

"We agreed on thirty-one yuan per shard. If you want to sell, I'll pay. If not, I'll leave without causing any trouble. What do you say?"

Su Xiaofan didn't waste words. He knew that people in Yanjing were good at haggling, and his negotiation skills were probably not as good as the vendor's.

"Alright, you seem like a straightforward guy. Let's do it your way."

The vendor knew he couldn't get much more from Su Xiaofan and checked the shards in the basket.

"There are thirty-two shards. I'll charge you one thousand yuan..."

The vendor used a calculator and placed it in front of Su Xiaofan.

"Bro, did your math teacher teach you sports or music?"

Su Xiaofan looked at the vendor, who was smiling innocently, and said, "My math teacher taught me English. Thirty-two shards at thirty yuan each should be nine hundred yuan, right?"

"Cough, nine hundred and fifty, nine hundred and fifty yuan. I'll give you a ten-yuan discount. How about that?"

Businesspeople are never shy. The vendor wasn't embarrassed and showed Su Xiaofan a payment code.

Su Xiaofan, used to such tactics, wasn't angry. After paying, he asked the vendor for a bag to put the thirty-two shards in.

"Hey, bro, how about this pen washer as a gift?"

Before leaving, Su Xiaofan pointed to a small, unassuming white pen washer.

Su Xiaofan had checked it with his repair value; it was a modern craft item, but the material was similar to the shards he had selected.

"Sure, you're a good guy. Take it."

The vendor nodded and put the pen washer in Su Xiaofan's bag.

"Bro, see you again."

The vendor smiled, satisfied with the deal. The cost of the shards was probably less than fifty yuan, and both were happy.

"Sure, see you."

Su Xiaofan's smile was even brighter, and he used a bit of the Beijing dialect he had just learned.

Amidst the bustling crowd, Su Xiaofan felt exceptionally good. Today, he had unlocked a new function of the repair system: damaged items could be repaired as long as the shards were complete.

"Should I repair this porcelain first, or buy another item?"

While looking at the stalls, Su Xiaofan's mind was on the bag in his hand. He remembered his competition with Zhao Zhengshan and was considering whether to use the repaired Ding Kiln porcelain or find another item.

For just one repair point, he could restore a complete Ding Kiln porcelain, and the anticipation was driving him crazy. He had no more interest in looking for bargains.

"Repair it first, and then decide based on the result!" Su Xiaofan made up his mind.

Looking around, he walked into a small alley.

The alleys on both sides of the antique street were residential areas with various items scattered around. Standing next to a trash bin, Su Xiaofan lit a cigarette and waited until no one was in sight.

He put his hand into the bag and gathered the seven shards.

【Repair Value: 7 points!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln carved flower pen washer: damaged, can be repaired, requires 1 repair point, repair?】

"Repair!" Su Xiaofan thought.

【Repair Value: 6 points!】

【Song Dynasty Ding Kiln carved flower pen washer, cannot be repaired!】

Seeing the information in his mind, Su Xiaofan felt a smooth, complete porcelain item suddenly appear in his hand.

He didn't dare to take it out directly. Lifting the bag, he saw a small pen washer, slightly bluish-white, a bit larger than a saucer.

A pen washer is a type of stationery used to hold water for washing brushes, often paired with other items like water droppers, inkstones, brush stands, and seal boxes, known as the "Nine Minor Treasures of the Study."

The pen washer Su Xiaofan repaired was a shallow, carved flower design, a famous type of Ding Kiln white porcelain, and looked very exquisite.

What made Su Xiaofan happiest was that the pen washer retained the aged glaze and patina of ancient porcelain.

Even the soil that was originally attached to the shards was still on the porcelain, making it look like an unremarkable small dish.

If it weren't for the repair value in his mind, Su Xiaofan wouldn't have believed that this item, which looked like a small saucer, was actually a Song Dynasty Ding Kiln carved flower pen washer.

"It's not too bad; it should pass."

Su Xiaofan took out the modern craft item he had been given and threw it into the trash bin.