Chapter 39 He is in puberty
Tong Zhongyuan turned off his cell phone and leaned against the windowsill in a daze. He seemed to have thought of something interesting and smiled faintly.
If she wasn't afraid of offending him, Song Suiyang would have secretly taken a photo of him at this moment and sent it to Qin Tian. She didn't know what kind of expression she'd see next time. But Qin Tian said he had a lunch date and wouldn't be eating with her. Alas, this woman, I'll never get to hear the best gossip. I'll have to tell her tomorrow.
Qin Tian put down his phone. Tang Zhixu and Xu were watching a movie together tonight, so it didn't matter whether they had lunch or not. Song Suiyang and others often ate together, so a day earlier or later would be fine. Tong Zhongyuan...was alone in China, so since he'd asked, he should have agreed.
Qin Tian stood up, suddenly feeling a bit suffocated. He decided to go to the cafe and order another cup of tea. By this time, the employees had already bought their coffee and were working, while the visitors hadn't even finished their rest. Qin Tian ordered a fruit tea, and for some reason, his thoughts turned to Tong Zhongyuan. He wondered if he could survive a year without coffee or tea. That was quite a challenge.
She looked out the French windows into the lobby of the Shanghai Museum and noticed a figure that looked familiar. The old man who had insisted on coming to the museum to appraise treasures was back again, talking to the security guard.
Qin Tian walked over, and the old man saw her as if he had found a savior.
"Little girl," he called to her, "you still remember me? Where's the male forensic expert from last time? I've come looking for him several times, but they said he's not here. Can you go and call him for me?"
Qin Tian was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. In his eyes, Tong Zhongyuan was the appraisal expert.
"What do you want with him?"
"I've been to the auction house he recommended. Their starting price is very low, only 50,000. How can this be? This is a national treasure! If it starts at 50,000, what if it's sold for 60,000? I'll be at a huge loss. Please help me find the expert from last time. I want him to issue a certificate proving that this Buddha statue is a national treasure. Let them raise the price!"
"Uncle, this Buddha statue of yours was made during the Republic of China. It's not from the Tang Dynasty. The starting price of 50,000 is not low."
"Nonsense! The expert last time said this is the real thing!"
Qin Tian stroked his forehead and said, "He said it was a treasure from the Republic of China. A precious treasure, not a fake one."
"I don't care. He said it anyway. Call him out. There's no way I could sell it for 50,000. It's impossible."
"Uncle, listen to me. He's not an appraisal expert, he's a restoration expert. I'm the appraisal expert." She showed him her work ID. "See? He doesn't have the final say. He can't give you a certificate."
The old man was stunned when he saw the words "Cultural Relics Appraisal Group" on her work badge. He muttered, "What should I do? 50,000 is impossible. This is a national treasure from the Tang Dynasty. There's no way I can sell it for 50,000."
Qin Tian tried to persuade him, "Fifty thousand is just the starting price. Buddha statues are very popular in the auction market. Although your statue is from the Republic of China, it's in excellent condition. It's not impossible for it to fetch two hundred thousand. If it were from the Tang Dynasty, I'd say it would be troublesome. Tang Dynasty artifacts are not allowed to be auctioned or traded privately."
"That's different, that's different," the old man said. "I need the money. Even if I get 200,000, it won't be enough. My wife has cancer. Chemotherapy is painful, and she doesn't want it. I heard there's stem cell treatment abroad, but it costs at least 600,000. Otherwise, why would I sell the heirloom? If I don't sell it, I'll have to sell the house. Where will we live after that?"
Qin Tian looked at him silently. When the news of her mother's cancer broke, she had heard her parents discussing it in the room. Qin Yunjie wanted to sell the house for treatment, but his mother disagreed, saying where would they live if they sold the house? What about the child? Qin Yunjie said he couldn't take care of her now.
"Don't rush into any treatment. You have to follow the doctor's advice. If the doctor tells you to have chemotherapy, you have to do it. Medicine is advanced now, so let's take it step by step."
The old man sighed and said, "Little girl, you are not married yet. You won't understand."
You won't understand. Someone had said the same thing to her mother when she died. It seemed as if the love between husband and wife was the most noble emotion in the world, and a single phrase, "You don't understand," could cover up all the misjudgments. In the eyes of relatives, Qin Yunjie was the best husband, and his mother's life was worth having him. Perhaps, but he wasn't a good father.
"Did you bring the item? Let me check it for you again."
Qin Tian returned to the office to retrieve the toolbox. She remembered her lunch appointment with Tong Zhongyuan and had to send him a message saying she had something urgent to do and would meet up another day. Knowing him well, this excuse was enough. She didn't need to elaborate; he wasn't interested. Then the message popped up, and he said, "What's up?"
Qin Tian thought for a moment and replied, "Identify a cultural relic for someone."
The old man saw her holding the toolbox and finally believed that she was really an identification expert.
The old man's surname was Sun, and his name was Sun Minfu. He lived on the ground floor of an old residential complex. He had enclosed a piece of public green space in front of his house, creating a small courtyard. He led her into the courtyard, calling his wife's name. A thin, sickly-looking woman emerged.
"This is Xiao Qin, an expert from the Shanghai Museum," Sun Minfu said. "Go get a glass of water."
Sun Minfu led her into the living room and asked her to sit down. He then went into the inner room. After a while, he brought out the Buddha statue and placed it on the coffee table. Qin Tian put on gloves, took out a magnifying glass, and squatted on the ground, examining it inch by inch. After examining the entire statue, she gently turned it over and examined its base. The characteristics were obvious. Tong Zhongyuan was not mistaken. It was indeed a late Qing Dynasty and Republican-era imitation of a Tang Dynasty chrysanthemum stone Buddha statue. The auction house's estimated reserve price was also reasonable, and the final transaction price was estimated to be between 120,000 and 180,000 yuan, unlikely to exceed 200,000 yuan.
She put down the Buddha statue and faced Sun Minfu's expectant face. She opened her mouth but said nothing.
Did you agree to the appraisal just to tell him that his heirloom was a replica? Tong Zhongyuan had asked her that. He was right again. Why was he always right? She had made this trip, given Sun Minfu false hope, just to tell him once again that his heirloom was a replica.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, "It's from the Republic of China. My colleague was right. Its value... is just this."
Sun Minfu's expression suddenly fell. He muttered, "How is that possible? It was passed down from my grandfather. It was said to be a family heirloom."
Qin Tian looked at the Buddha statue silently.
"Then, how much is it worth? How much can it be sold for?" asked Sun Minfu.
"It's hard to say," she said with difficulty. "Based on past experience, it's hard... hard to exceed 200,000."
Sun Minfu sat down on the chair, and his wife looked at him worriedly at the door.
Qin Tian quietly removed her gloves and put the magnifying glass into her toolbox. She picked up the box containing the Buddha statue with one hand and, with the other, lifted the heavy statue into the box. Suddenly, she stopped. It was so heavy. Chrysanthemum stone is relatively loose and lightweight, so how could it possibly be so heavy? This weight was beyond what a chrysanthemum stone should weigh.
She reset the stone statue. Quickly opening her toolbox, she donned gloves and pulled out a UV lamp. She shone the UV light from the head to the base, then around the entire body. Impossible, there had to be a mark. She lifted the statue and gently flipped it over, revealing the base. The UV light swept across the base repeatedly, finally spotting a thin, whitish reflection on the side edge. Her heartbeat quickened. She turned off the UV lamp and pulled a pair of tweezers from her toolbox. She scratched the spot where the light had been, leaving a mark on the stone.
Sun Minfu rushed over and said, "Xiao Qin! What are you doing?"
"Trust me. If you break it, I'll pay you two hundred thousand."
She found a small hook from her toolbox, hooked it to the scratched area, and pulled hard, creating a small crack. She put the hook down, picked up a magnifying glass, and walked the Buddha statue to the brightest part of the window. Deep in the crack, there was a reflection of gold.
She closed her eyes instantly, her heart beating faster than ever.
The doorbell rang and Sun Minfu's wife went out.
She returned to the table and sat down. She took out a geological hammer from the toolbox. She stared at the Buddha statue. Sun Minfu looked at her, not daring to breathe. She raised her arm and hammered down at the Buddha statue!
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