Chapter 37

"Although the texture of the black avocado is slightly inferior to that of the purple avocado, it is still a rare and precious object that has been passed down for hundreds of years."

After discussing the material, Su Xiaofan dated the pen holder.

"This should be an object from the late Ming Dynasty, and the carving work is by a master. Judging from the patina, it was definitely appreciated and played with in a study in earlier years. I wonder how it ended up in the antique market."

"Very well said!"

Jing Shizhen looked at Su Xiaofan with surprise, clearly not expecting Su Xiaofan to be so accurate in dating the object.

The guest surnamed Tong, who had been sitting silently beside them, also looked at Su Xiaofan with a strange expression, as Su Xiaofan was too young to seem like someone from the antique trade.

"Can you tell what is carved on it?"

Jing Shizhen's evaluation was not yet complete. Being able to identify the material and date the object relied on keen eyesight, which would surprise Jing Shizhen but not shock him.

If Su Xiaofan could describe the pattern and its significance carved on the pen holder, it would demonstrate a cultural foundation. Jing Shizhen did not have high hopes for Su Xiaofan's understanding of the cultural significance of the pen holder.

"Uncle Jing, if I'm not mistaken, this pen holder should be called a 'High Relief Eight Loves Pattern Pen Holder,' right?"

Su Xiaofan said with a smile. Even without the information in his mind, he could see the high relief carving.

High relief refers to a carving technique where the pattern is significantly raised above the surface, commonly seen in pen holders, incense holders, and Shoushan stone carvings.

However, Su Xiaofan initially did not understand the term "Eight Loves." Later, he secretly looked it up on his phone and found out that the "Eight Loves" refer to the cherished items of eight historical figures.

Tao Yuanming loved chrysanthemums, Meng Haoran loved plum blossoms, Su Dongpo loved inkstones, Wang Xizhi loved geese, Zhou Dunyi loved lotuses, Mi Fu loved stones, Li Bai loved wine, and Lu Yu loved tea. These eight people together are known as the "Eight Loves of Literati."

The high relief on this pen holder depicts the "Eight Loves of Literati." On this small pen holder, the skilled craftsmanship carves eight figures and their cherished items, making it a masterpiece by a master.

"You are correct. The full name of this pen holder should be 'Late Ming Dynasty Huanghuali High Relief Eight Loves Pattern Pen Holder.'"

Jing Shizhen clapped for Su Xiaofan, "Xiao Su, you are truly remarkable. Where did you learn all this knowledge?"

In the antique trade, lineage is important. Typically, only apprentices trained by a master would have such deep knowledge. Otherwise, such obscure knowledge is known by very few.

"Uncle Jing, I learned from Brother Gang."

Su Xiaofan's statement was not a lie to Jing Shizhen. He indeed learned about items like Huanghuali beads from Zheng Dagang, but the more in-depth knowledge he acquired on his own.

"From Gangzi?"

Jing Shizhen shook his head, "You must be joking. If he knew about the 'Eight Loves of Literati,' I would give him my Jingxin Hall."

"Xiao Su, can you say more? Can you identify the maker of this pen holder?"

"Uncle Jing, please, I've already told you everything I know."

Su Xiaofan shook his head with a bitter smile. If it were ancient calligraphy or paintings, he might have guessed the author, but pen holders are too niche, and many are made by craftsmen, not even considered masterpieces.

"Let me tell you then."

Jing Shizhen said, "Although there is no signature, if I'm not mistaken, this pen holder should be the work of Chen Zisheng from the late Ming Dynasty. Chen Zisheng once carved a 'Lanting Xu' ivory pen holder, with exquisite craftsmanship. Chen Zisheng was a man of great integrity and was highly respected among literati during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties."

Currently, the only known pen holder by Chen Zisheng is the ivory one. This one is his second pen holder, with profound significance...

Jing Shizhen provided several arguments for the origin of this Huanghuali pen holder. First, the carving style is very similar to the ivory pen holder with the 'Lanting Xu' engraving. Additionally, Chen Zisheng was from Qiong Province, where he had access to old Huanghuali tree roots. It is unknown how this Huanghuali pen holder ended up in the Beijing antique market after several hundred years.

"Uncle Jing, how much is this pen holder worth?"

Su Xiaofan asked. With his current financial status, he could not afford to collect antiques; he was merely a middleman, or simply a small antique vendor.

"Chen Zisheng is highly regarded in history. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he refused to serve the Qing Dynasty and lived a life of poverty. If his items were auctioned, many would recognize their value."

Jing Shizhen thought for a moment and said, "A few years ago, a Huanghuali 'Kuihua' pen holder from the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties was auctioned in Hong Kong for about 2 million. However, the carving on that pen holder was very simple, and the craftsmanship was far inferior to this one..."

Jing Shizhen paused and continued, "Based on my estimation, if this pen holder were auctioned, it would not be less than 3 million, and if it were highly sought after, it could reach over 5 million!"

The reason Jing Shizhen said Su Xiaofan had found the biggest bargain of the year was because he bought the item for 150 yuan, and it could be auctioned for 3 to 4 million, a profit of over ten thousand times. This is almost unimaginable in today's relatively mature antique market.

Of course, such things were common in the 1970s and 1980s.

Back then, people could barely afford to eat, and no one collected antiques. Famous calligraphy and paintings were sold as waste paper, and Huanghuali tables and chairs were sold for 5 yuan each. Today, many of China's major collectors, including Jing Shizhen himself, benefited from that era.

"Minimum 3 million, and it could reach 5 million?"

Su Xiaofan was stunned. This was a huge windfall. He originally had only about ten thousand yuan left, and now he could potentially have several million, of course, if he sold the pen holder.

"Are you surnamed Su?"

Just as Su Xiaofan was thinking about how to spend 5 million, a voice came from the side, "I really like this pen holder. How about this, I'll offer 4 million. Would you be willing to sell it?"

"Who are you?"

Su Xiaofan looked in the direction of the voice and saw the middle-aged man sitting on the sofa.

"I am surnamed Tong, Tong Dongjie. I run a tourism and cultural company. Your pen holder is quite rare, and I would like to collect it. What do you think, Xiao Su?"

The middle-aged man spoke to Su Xiaofan but looked at Jing Shizhen.

"Uncle Jing, what do you think?"

Su Xiaofan also looked at Jing Shizhen. This was Jing Shizhen's Jingxin Hall, and if they conducted a transaction here, it would be somewhat inappropriate.

"Xiao Tong, you should know my rules."

Jing Shizhen's expression was unreadable, "For items I appraise and that are sold in the Jingxin Hall, I charge 20% of the transaction price, which you should pay. As for the taxes, you two can negotiate."

"Uncle Jing, I understand the rules. 4 million goes to Xiao Su, 800,000 to the Jingxin Hall, and I will cover all the taxes. What do you think?" the middle-aged man said respectfully.

"The money the Jingxin Hall earns is really easy."

Hearing the conversation between Jing Shizhen and Tong Dongjie, Su Xiaofan was amazed. Without spending a penny, just by appraising the item, they earned 800,000, which was like getting something for nothing.

"The item is not mine, and whether to sell it is up to Xiao Su."

Jing Shizhen did not seem to like Tong Dongjie, and his tone was not very welcoming.

"Uncle Jing, since Mr. Tong likes it so much, I'll let it go to him."

Su Xiaofan did not hesitate and made his decision. If the item were auctioned, it might take a long time to sell, and 4 million was not a small amount. Money in hand is better than a bird in the bush.

"Alright, I'll have someone prepare the contract. You can sign it and then transfer the payment."

Jing Shizhen waved his hand and called a staff member to give instructions. The contract was already in an electronic template in the store, and it only needed minor adjustments.

Of course, the 800,000 Jing Shizhen charged was not for nothing. He would act as a guarantor, and if there were any issues with the item later, people would not find Su Xiaofan but the Jingxin Hall.

While preparing the contract, someone brought a digital camera to take photos of the pen holder from different angles.

The store had a digital photo printing device. After printing, both parties would sign and fingerprint the photos. This was one of the methods the Jingxin Hall used to prevent fraud.

The Jingxin Hall had its own process for antique transactions, and it was handled by a dedicated person. In about ten minutes, all the pre-transaction documents were ready.

Su Xiaofan and Tong Dongjie signed the contract and the photos. Tong Dongjie called one of his subordinates, who transferred the money to Su Xiaofan's bank account according to the contract.

Just for the on-site transaction, Tong Dongjie spent 4.8 million, not including the taxes he would have to pay later, making the total cost over 5 million.

This gave Su Xiaofan a glimpse into how wealthy people buy antiques.

Su Xiaofan spent his days in the antique market, enduring the wind and sun, and could only make a few hundred yuan a day by haggling with others.

But now, in the Jingxin Hall, while enjoying air conditioning and tea, Su Xiaofan sealed a deal worth several million in just a few words. The difference in business was like heaven and earth.

"Uncle Jing, what about that matter? Can you find the time to go?"

After the transaction with Su Xiaofan, Tong Dongjie had someone take the pen holder away, seemingly not as attached to it as he claimed.

"Is there something you need?"

Su Xiaofan and Zhao Zhengshan exchanged glances, understanding the situation.

Tong Dongjie must have seen that Jing Shizhen appreciated Su Xiaofan, so he used the purchase of the pen holder to give Su Xiaofan a good price and even gave the Jingxin Hall 800,000 in commission, covering all the bases.

"Not in a hurry, let's not talk about it now. Xiao Su, what did you buy in that bag? Did you find another bargain?"

Jing Shizhen seemed to not want to discuss matters with Tong Dongjie in front of Su Xiaofan and others, and turned his attention to the other bag on the table.