Chapter 52

A jade Guanyin sculpture, a Han Dynasty octagonal bronze mirror, and a string of bodhi beads.

This was Su Xiaofan's morning haul.

It wasn't that Pan Garden only had these few items that could be placed in the nurturing pool; rather, Su Xiaofan was unwilling to make more purchases.

Su Xiaofan's purpose in visiting Pan Garden today was originally to find a few restorable antiques to bring back to Luochuan.

However, Su Xiaofan couldn't resist and threw the octagonal bronze mirror into the nurturing pool, consuming 10 points of restoration value.

But since Su Xiaofan had intended to find a few items for experimentation, it wasn't a loss.

After a morning of wandering, Su Xiaofan checked the addresses of other antique markets on his phone while having lunch.

To be honest, Pan Garden is very famous, but finding a good deal there is really difficult.

Antique enthusiasts from all over the country have sifted through Pan Garden countless times, like panning for gold in a river.

Even if there were any good deals in Pan Garden, they would have been found long ago.

Being able to find a few items that could be nurtured in Pan Garden was already very satisfying for Su Xiaofan.

In the afternoon, Su Xiaofan planned to visit other markets.

Compared to Pan Garden, places like the Northern Old Goods Market still had some good deals.

Of course, Su Xiaofan wouldn't go to the Northern Old Goods Market, as the incident with the pen washer and pen holder might have already spread.

However, Beijing has many advantages, and besides Pan Garden and the Northern Old Goods Market, there are at least a dozen other places selling antiques in Beijing.

Su Xiaofan wasn't greedy; he planned to find seven or eight good deals and then find a way to sell them, as he still owed over 100,000 yuan in debt.

"Hmm? Uncle Jing?"

Just as Su Xiaofan was about to follow the navigation to the subway, his phone rang.

Previously, due to the yin stone incident, Su Xiaofan had put Uncle Jing's phone number on the blacklist.

However, since Uncle Jing was now his creditor, Su Xiaofan had already removed his number from the blacklist a few days ago.

"Xiaofan, where are you?" Uncle Jing asked after the call connected.

"I'm at Pan Garden."

Su Xiaofan said with a smile, "I owe you money, so I need to find a few good deals to pay you back."

Su Xiaofan had been in the antique market for a few years, and the reason his business was good was that he liked to understand people's psychology.

Sometimes, repeatedly emphasizing something can create a psychological suggestion, making it seem less abrupt when it actually happens.

Just like how Su Xiaofan always talked about finding good deals, which made Uncle Jing think he was lucky.

"Want to pay me back by finding good deals? You might as well buy a lottery ticket."

Jing Shizhen replied with a hint of displeasure.

"Uncle Jing, didn't I get the money for the meteorite by finding good deals?"

Su Xiaofan said with a smile, not getting angry.

"Well, that was just your good luck!"

Uncle Jing was a bit speechless, as that was indeed the case.

"Uncle Jing, do you need something? Not here to collect the debt, are you?"

Su Xiaofan couldn't look at his phone while on the call, so he stood at the subway entrance without going down.

"Is a few hundred thousand worth it?"

Jing Shizhen said, "You're in Beijing these two days, right? I have something and need your help."

"Ah? Uncle Jing, what do you need help with? I plan to go back to Luochuan tomorrow."

Su Xiaofan was taken aback and said, "I came to bring my sister to school and don't want to stay in the school guesthouse for too long, so I'm planning to go back tomorrow."

"Anything to do back there?" Jing Shizhen asked.

"Uncle Jing, I still have business in the Luochuan market."

Su Xiaofan said, "Brother Gang has called me several times, asking when I'm coming back. He's preparing to take me to visit a few temples to find some ritual objects for you."

Su Xiaofan wasn't lying; Zheng Dangang had indeed been urging him to return to Luochuan.

Zheng Dangang had witnessed the transaction between Zhao Hengjian and Su Xiaofan, which had a significant impact on him.

After some reflection, Zheng Dangang decided to upgrade his business from selling fake ritual objects to selling genuine ones.

As Zheng Dangang put it, Luochuan, being the capital of nine dynasties and the birthplace of Buddhism, has no shortage of temples.

Zheng Dangang believed that ritual objects, which are used for auspiciousness, exorcism, and other purposes, are most likely to be found in temples.

So, Zheng Dangang placed his hopes for the second spring of his business on the numerous temples in Luochuan.

During the days Su Xiaofan was in Beijing, Zheng Dangang had already done some market research, noting down the locations of over a hundred temples and dozens of Taoist temples in Luochuan.

Now, Zheng Dangang was waiting for Su Xiaofan to return so they could visit these temples and expand their ritual object business.

"Well, you two better not do anything reckless."

Hearing Su Xiaofan's words, Jing Shizhen said with a mix of amusement and concern, "Even if there are ritual objects in those places, they are kept secret. Don't waste your effort. I have something I need your help with."

"Uncle Jing, what do you need? I haven't even bought my train ticket yet."

Su Xiaofan couldn't think of what he could do to help Uncle Jing.

"It's like this," Jing Shizhen said, "Beijing TV recently did a program and invited me to be a guest..."

Su Xiaofan found a less noisy place to listen to Uncle Jing finish his story.

It turns out that in recent years, TV programs about antique appraisal have been very popular, with high ratings on all channels, including CCTV.

Beijing, being the cultural center of the country, has also been keeping up, broadcasting antique appraisal programs for several years with good feedback.

However, with so many appraisal programs, viewers have become fatigued, and to attract them, something different is needed.

So, Beijing recently did a program where they smashed antiques on the spot, which indeed attracted viewers.

But it also caused controversy, as a non-professional expert seemed to have "tested" someone's genuine antique by smashing it.

This led to a big fuss, and the case even went to court, affecting Beijing TV as well.

The program of smashing antiques had to be stopped, but antique programs still needed to continue, as they had high ratings.

So, Beijing TV launched a specialized antique appraisal program, where each episode focused on one type of antique.

For example, the last episode focused on paintings, and antique enthusiasts from Beijing and across the country could bring their paintings to the program for free appraisal.

Surprisingly, a genuine Tang Yin painting and two valuable paintings by Bai Shi were found during this appraisal.

The current episode's specialized appraisal was on miscellaneous items.

The program invited renowned collector and chief appraiser of Jingxin Hall, Jing Shizhen, to be the head of the expert panel for this episode.

Typically, a program invites four experts as guests.

Beijing TV was no exception, having invited three other experts besides Jing Shizhen.

However, the bronze expert from the New Palace Museum, who was originally invited, had to go to Shanxi Province to appraise and protect some newly discovered Qin Dynasty bronze artifacts and could not attend the program.

The recording was scheduled for the next evening, and while it was possible to invite another expert at the last minute, Jing Shizhen thought of Su Xiaofan.

According to Jing Shizhen, to have high ratings, the program needed controversy and conflict.

Inviting a young, non-professionally trained but expert-level appraiser would undoubtedly make the program more interesting.

Jing Shizhen, being a businessman first and an appraiser second, suggested this idea, which was well-received by the leadership of Beijing TV.

What does a TV station need most? News, whether positive or negative.

The previous controversy over smashing antiques had significantly increased Beijing TV's ratings and advertising revenue. Inviting a controversial young expert would likely boost ratings again.

"Uncle Jing, are you sure about this?"

Listening to Jing Shizhen's story, Su Xiaofan felt like he was hearing a fairy tale.

Asking a high school graduate who had only been out of school for three or four years to be a guest appraiser on a TV program seemed like a joke.

Although he had some knowledge of bronze artifacts, Su Xiaofan didn't think he deserved the title of expert.

"Xiaofan, you're from the Bronze Village, so you shouldn't have trouble with ordinary bronze artifacts."

Jing Shizhen didn't choose Su Xiaofan randomly; he knew something about him.

"Uncle Jing, I can't do it!" Su Xiaofan firmly refused.

To be honest, with the restoration system, Su Xiaofan believed he was the best at identifying genuine and fake antiques.

However, antique appraisal isn't just about identifying authenticity; one must also explain the basis for the judgment, which was Su Xiaofan's weak point.

"Hey, you, this is a good opportunity for you."

Hearing Su Xiaofan's refusal, Jing Shizhen said, "Let's talk in person. You're at Pan Garden, right? I'll send a car to pick you up."

"Uncle Jing, I really can't do it." Su Xiaofan smiled bitterly and continued to refuse.

"No nonsense, come over and talk in person."

"Alright."

Su Xiaofan felt he should respect his creditor, "Uncle Jing, don't send a car; I'll take the subway. Is it to your shop?"

Half an hour later, Su Xiaofan sat in the tea room of Jingxin Hall, looking at Uncle Jing with a helpless expression.

"Uncle Jing, if you wanted me to be on a singing competition show, I'd be fine."

Su Xiaofan took a sip of tea and said, "For an antique appraisal show, you should find a wise old man with a white beard. Experts, like doctors, are more respected the older they are..."