Chapter 100 You're Really Difficult to Deal With
Shang Yan's face was practically beaming with joy.
The day before yesterday, she told Fang Jingxian what the visitor said: "Don't underestimate him just because he's young. If even he can't understand this, you'll never find anyone in Xi'an who can."
This might sound like boasting, but Shang Yan was quite certain: when it came to understanding Buddhist artifacts, especially Tibetan Buddhist artifacts, no one in the entire school surpassed Lin Sicheng.
This is what Wang Qizhi told her personally when she called him last night.
But Shang Yan didn't expect Lin Sicheng to be this good.
Materials, shapes, carving techniques, age, religion, beliefs... as well as Theravada Buddhism and foreign history.
Let alone students, and let alone foreigners, even among university professors: aside from the historical scope of their own research, which one dares to say they have any knowledge of the history of other dynasties?
Let alone abroad?
What Shang Yan couldn't understand the most was: palm-leaf manuscripts, ancient Sanskrit, and the Vinaya Pitaka!
The school has a major in foreign archaeology, specifically Silk Road archaeology, with a focus on Buddhist culture in Central Asia.
Just as Tang Sanzang traveled thousands of miles, even taking a detour, to visit and worship the Bamiyan Caves (in Afghanistan, the oldest and largest surviving group of Indian Buddhist buildings in the world), the school organizes professors to study there at least once a year.
The principal probably can't even count how many times the Dunhuang Library Cave has been visited in a year, or how many people have gone there.
But if you take the list and ask each professor individually, which one can recognize the scriptures on it?
Shang Yan was like this, and so were the three siblings.
Looking back, I felt that he was just dawdling around, doing things half-heartedly and irresponsibly.
Now that I think about it: it is precisely because I know it so well that I can see through it at a glance.
To say that he was wrong is nonsense: if you remove the Pali and Sanskrit content and the Theravada Buddhist parts from what Lin Sicheng said, what remains is no different from what the five experts previously invited said.
Let's take another look at the expressions of the owners:
The man held a paper cup in his hand, his palm slowly clenching, the tea rising little by little, overflowing from the rim of the cup, dripping onto the floor tiles.
The woman gripped the sofa armrest, her fingertips digging into her skin until her nails turned bluish-white. Her neck stretched forward, revealing taut, pale blue veins, and she gasped for air as if a thorn was lodged in her throat.
If Lin Sicheng had been wrong about even one thing, the two of them would have jumped up long ago. The fact that they remained motionless, with such "ghost-like" expressions on their faces, meant that the couple knew perfectly well what Lin Sicheng was saying.
Suddenly, a surge of anger welled up in Fang Jingxian's mind, her face turned pale, and her eyes gradually reddened.
But unintentionally, Lin Sicheng glanced at her indifferently, as if to say: Since you're in this line of work, is this all the composure you have?
It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. His anger gradually dissipated, and Fang Jingxian silently recited two lines: "A calm mind is called tranquility, and a peaceful spirit is called serenity..."
After calming herself down, she sighed again: "Hasn't this always been the case in this industry?"
Even when you're the seller shipping the goods, isn't that the same thing?
If you have a keen eye and excellent appraisal skills, then you deserve to be rich. If you have poor eyesight, are only half-baked, and yet are arrogant, then sorry: even Heaven would be outraged if you didn't lose money.
Compared to them, this couple was relatively honest; at least they didn't make any guarantees that the sculptures were genuine Ming Dynasty Buddhist carvings, court-made statues, or royal tributes...
Fang Jingxian slowly exhaled, about to say something, when the boss suddenly stood up: "President Fang, I'm so sorry, I really didn't notice so much when I bought it... I blame my poor eyesight..."
Fang Jingxian narrowed her eyes, her words carrying a double meaning: "So, Mr. Zhao was fooled?"
"Yes, I made a mistake!" The boss was quite frank. "Luckily, it wasn't much, only 300,000!"
Startled, Fang Jingxian broke out in a cold sweat: Three hundred thousand? You dare to buy a Ming Dynasty Buddhist statue?
So I wasn't wrong: that bastard knew perfectly well what was going on.
There's no need to even guess; if he dares to ask the price, he'll add a zero to the end of 300,000.
But as the saying goes, it all comes down to skill. Even if you've been fooled, you can only blame yourself for being blind.
She snorted and stood up: "Then, Mr. Zhao, you're busy!"
"Mr. Fang, don't rush off..." the shopkeeper said with a smile. "I figured this Buddha statue might not suit your taste, otherwise you wouldn't have come six or seven times without making a decision. So, I've prepared another one for you..."
Fang Jingxian remained silent: It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I just suffered a terrible setback. If I don't learn my lesson, I might as well buy a block of tofu and smash my head against it.
So, we should thank Shang Yan and his student: really, she had already decided that if Shang Yan checked it and there were no problems, she would buy it.
Thank goodness...
Feeling a lingering fear, she raised her eyelids slightly and asked, "What is it?"
“It’s a Guanyin statue made of high-quality icy jadeite…” Mr. Zhao raised his hand, first making a vertical gesture, then a horizontal one, “So tall, so big!”
Fang Jing paused for a moment, her eyelids twitching slightly: "Two palms high, at least forty centimeters. One palm wide, at least ten centimeters."
The key question is, is it a high-grade icy jadeite or a Guanyin statue?
Such a thing is truly rare, and as a birthday gift, it is no less valuable than Buddhist statues from the Ming Dynasty.
She nodded: "Where is it?"
"Mr. Fang wants to see it in the vault on the second basement level. I'll go get it now!"
"look!"
"Please wait a moment!"
Mr. Zhao called his wife, grabbed the keys, and went out.
Fang Jingxian thought for a moment, then took out her phone and dialed a number.
It's obvious they're inviting experts; they must be nearby, as they said they'd be there soon.
Since it was a new jade artifact made of jadeite and had nothing to do with antiques, Lin Sicheng wanted to go back.
Shang Yan was reluctant to leave: "A half-meter-tall jade Guanyin statue, weighing at least ten kilograms, don't you want to take a look?"
Lin Sicheng shook his head: "It is quite rare!"
Actually, it's just that it's less common now.
In his past life, he had seen two jade Guanyin statues weighing fifty tons each. One was in Shaoguan, Guangdong, and the other was in Huludao, Liaoning, but the carving had not yet begun.
"It's rare to see you shaking your head like that?" Shang Yan said, both amused and exasperated. "What kind of spell did that guy surnamed Wang cast on you that made you so eager to go back?"
Lin Sicheng smiled but did not answer: "Then Professor Shang, you can take your time looking at it. I'll take a taxi back!"
How could I possibly let Lin Sicheng take a taxi?
"Lin, please wait a moment. I'll have Jingyuan take you!"
She gave her younger brother a wink, then picked up her bag, pulled out a small notebook, and quickly scribbled a few lines.
Then, with a gentle tear, he handed it forward, saying, "Thank you for your help today, Lin!"
What's this, a check?
Let's count again: there's a 3 in front, followed by... ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands.
Shang Yan's eyes widened in surprise: Fang Jingxian, you really have the heart to do this?
Although they hadn't talked before, based on her understanding, Fang Jingxian wouldn't be stingy; she should have a few thousand yuan.
But 30,000... is enough for her salary and bonuses for a year.
Lin Sicheng was also taken aback.
Don't think it's too little, because this isn't about finding a bargain or making a transaction; it's about authentication.
According to market prices, the transaction price is at most two or three percent of the market price. For example, the bronze expert who was still detained in the detention center sold the bronze censer for four million, but he only took eight thousand yuan, and that was after the transaction was completed.
In general, if a deal doesn't go through in the end, the person will treat you to a meal, and if they're feeling particular, they might give you some travel expenses, which would be a couple thousand yuan at most.
But 30,000?
Lin Sicheng narrowed his eyes: "President Fang, thank you!"
He said thank you, but Lin Sicheng didn't even extend a hand: "If the teacher has something to do, the disciple will do it!"
What does that mean?
The reason he came today and why he went to such lengths is because of Professor Shang, not because of money.
So, just one sentence made Shang Yan feel as sweet as if she had eaten honey: This kid is not only sweet-talking, but also very straightforward in his work.
Imagine this: you can get 30,000 yuan with just a wave of your hand, who wouldn't be tempted?
Thinking it was just a polite refusal, Fang Jingxian smiled and said, "It's really not that much: if it weren't for your help today, wouldn't I have to pay out several million?"
That makes sense, but that's not how you calculate it. If it were three to five thousand, Lin Sicheng would definitely have accepted it.
But 30,000?
Lin Sicheng felt that Fang Jingxian was like someone who had fallen into the water and was about to drown, clinging to anyone as a lifeline. She wouldn't care what they were; if she could grasp onto them, she would hold on tightly.
There's no real risk involved, but this kind of person is troublesome; in some ways, even more difficult to deal with than Ma Lan.
Lin Sicheng smiled and nodded again: "Thank you, Mr. Fang!"
Fang Jingxian was stunned, her already pale face turning even paler: So clever?
Desperate times call for desperate measures; everyone seems like a savior... That's her true state of mind right now.
The key point is that the person in front of me really seems like a savior.
But why be so smart?
A hint of embarrassment appeared on her face. She forced a smile and put away the check: "Please excuse my poor appearance!"
"polite!"
After replying, Lin Sicheng stood up and said, "Professor Shang, I'll be going now!"
"good!"
Fang Jingyuan took the car keys and followed behind.
Looking at Lin Sicheng's retreating figure, and then at the checks on the table, Shang Yan belatedly realized, "What did you do?"
It's not about what I did, but what I wanted to do.
The moment the thought crossed my mind, it was suppressed.
Fang Jingxian watched Lin Sicheng leave the store with unblinking eyes: "Do you have his eye for talent?"
"nonsense!"
Of course not.
Shang Yan quickly came up with a clever idea: "I'm a teacher, a professional educator, not a professional appraiser!"
"Then he's a professional scholar!"
One sentence made Shang Yan choke on her words.
Fang Jingxian sighed again: "At just over twenty years old, you have such a sharp eye. You can rattle off knowledge of Ming history, foreign history, Southern Buddhism, Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and so on. You're even fluent in Sanskrit... Your schools probably wouldn't teach that, would they?"
"Although you didn't say it, I can guess that he must come from a family with a long history of scholarship. Then I thought: if I could ask him or his elders to give me something, would I not have to wander around aimlessly like a headless fly?"
Even if he disagrees, his judgment is undeniable. If I ask him to assess me, even if I'm just randomly trying things out, wouldn't my success rate be higher?
"But maybe I was too impatient, too eager, which made him think I was a hassle, so he didn't want to get close to me at all..."
Fang Jingxian kept rambling on, but Shang Yan's eyes widened even more: Lin Sicheng said you're difficult to deal with, and I don't believe it?
So you really are quite difficult to deal with...
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