Chapter 190 A Long and Arduous Road Ahead, Starting Anew
The man picked up the items one by one and put them back into the box.
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Master, move it over here, and we'll take another look!"
Zhao Xiuneng was taken aback: Teacher Lin, didn't you just say that wooden beads aren't very interesting?
It was truly uninteresting. Lin Sicheng thought it looked like bodhi seeds or olive pits, things that could be grown in the ground and were very easy to cultivate. But drilling a hole, stringing it together, and selling it for thousands or tens of thousands—wasn't that just a tax on people's intelligence?
This applies to even more valuable woods like huanghuali, zitan, and agarwood. They're neither carved nor polished, lacking any technical skill or artistic merit, yet they're sold for five, six, or even ten times the price of the wood itself. What is this if not a tax on people's intelligence?
So Lin Sicheng had glanced at it a few times before, assuming it was just ordinary agarwood, and hadn't paid it any attention. It wasn't until the man accidentally spilled some on the ground that he realized the sound it made seemed a little off…
He held it in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and then brought it to his nose to smell it. Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: it was top-grade agarwood, Hainan sinking white kyara.
That's strange, to see something like this in Xi'an?
In the antique trade, the agarwood referred to here doesn't refer to the one in my hand, but rather to fragrant wood from the Thymelaeaceae family. It's not exactly common, but it's not particularly rare either.
It can be planted in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian, and Yunnan. It matures in a few years and can be used to make beads and carvings. The antique carvings, bracelets, necklaces, and furniture on the market are all made of this type.
In the traditional Chinese medicine industry, only the heartwood of agarwood trees that secretes a large amount of resin to aid healing after being injured or infected by fungi is called agarwood.
To put it simply, agarwood is the knot or scab in the heartwood of the tree.
The Compendium of Materia Medica states: The heartwood of this tree sinks in water, hence the name "sinking wood." There are four grades: the non-sinking type is called "yellow ripe wood," the semi-sinking type is called "straw incense," and the completely sinking type is called "ripe knot wood."
The incense produced on the island (Hainan) has shapes resembling stone pestles, elbows, fists, phoenixes, sparrows, turtles, snakes, clouds, and figures... It is called Penglai Incense, also known as Qinan, and is a top-grade product.
How expensive?
For example, in 2008, the price of gold was around 150 yuan per gram, while the lowest grade of yellow agarwood was about three times the price of gold, around 500 yuan per gram.
Turn over the semi-submerged agarwood, and it'll be around 1200-1300 yuan per gram. Turn over the fully-sinking, mature agarwood, and it'll be around 2500-2600 yuan per gram.
Agarwood that looks grayish and doesn't emit any odor (it has little smell at room temperature), but when lit and smelled a couple of times, can make you feel like you're on drugs, is called Qinan.
The price has doubled again: five or six thousand per gram.
Don't be fooled by its small size; the beads are over two centimeters in diameter. Weigh it in your hand, and it's about an ounce. But just parked right outside, Mr. Zhao's Mercedes-Benz GL450, which he bought last year, could buy at least two of those cars.
The reason it's so expensive is simply because the higher the density of this substance, the higher its oil content, and the stronger its medicinal effects.
To give another example: the rhinoceros horn in Angong Niuhuang Wan can prolong life, while the agarwood in Suhexiang Wan can temporarily keep a patient in a coma awake for a short while so that they can give their last words...
So, using something like this to carve a bracelet... Lin Sicheng had never even considered it, let alone seen it...
He looked at them twice, then calmly put them aside and casually picked out a string of rosewood prayer beads: "Secretary Gao, what's the price of these two strings?"
"Yellow Flower Ghost Eye, this rosary has smaller beads, it's cheaper, 20,000..."
Gao Jing then pointed to Qinan, "This one is a bit more expensive, it's Yazhuang agarwood (from Vietnam), the bead diameter is seven fen, it costs 50,000!"
Sure enough, they're selling Qinan as ordinary Vietnamese agarwood?
But it's not surprising: this string of beads in my hand has no fragrance at all, and even a traditional Chinese medicine doctor from a regular hospital might not be able to recognize it. How can you expect an antique dealer to recognize Qinan?
Even 80 out of 100 people don't know the specific difference between agarwood that doesn't sink and agarwood that sinks.
With a sigh of relief, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Alright, it's on me!"
Zhao Xiu was still able to swipe his card. Lin Sicheng felt a slight sense of relief as he watched the beads being packed into the box.
After finishing their tea and exchanging pleasantries, the three of them stood up.
After leaving the villa and getting into the car, we returned to school in about half an hour.
The car was parked at the door, and Zhao Xiuneng called out to Zhao Da and Zhao Er, and they started carrying things out one by one.
Shang Yan greeted them with a look of curiosity.
Lin Sicheng tossed the meal card to Sun Le and told him to order food at the cafeteria, while he helped carry the things into the office.
Hearing the commotion, Wang Qizhi came downstairs, quite surprised: "Why did you buy so much?"
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "I've run into a big player, and I'm in a hurry to unload my goods!"
Upon hearing the name "Da Zhuang," Wang Qizhi was at a loss for words.
It seems that Lin Sicheng has some kind of innate attribute, he loves to find these kinds of crooked and unorthodox people, and he can run into them as soon as he goes out.
With two policemen following him, there was no danger whatsoever. It seems he's managed to find quite a few good items.
Thinking it over, Wang Qizhi and Shang Yan helped carry the things inside, looking at each item one by one.
"Song Dynasty Jizhou kiln appliqué porcelain? This is rare..."
"The ivory pen holder and ivory brocade box are of good quality and the carving is excellent..."
"Huh... they even do braces?"
After taking a closer look, Wang Qizhi looked up and asked, "Who bought this, Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Xiuneng nodded: "Yes, Professor Wang."
"How much?"
"Twenty-five thousand per kilogram!"
Wow, what a price!
And this quality... wait, something doesn't seem right?
Based on current market prices and the quality of these two ivory tusks, they should cost at least 30,000 yuan. That's 25,000 yuan per kilogram, which is equivalent to a 20% discount.
But this isn't a matter of discounts; rather, Zhao Xiu specializes in restoration, is quite knowledgeable about porcelain, and has some understanding of miscellaneous items. However, ivory and horn are basically outside his expertise.
If you're lucky enough to find one or two finished products, that's somewhat possible. But buying a whole set of orthodontic braces?
It wasn't that Wang Qizhi was underestimating him; General Manager Zhao couldn't even distinguish between mammoth ivory, African ivory, and Asian ivory.
Therefore, it must have been Lin Sicheng who instigated it.
Thinking to himself, Wang Qizhi rested his chin on his hand: But how could it be such a coincidence?
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the relevant policies should be announced around May Day. Therefore, at most three months, Zhao Xiuneng's ivory pieces should double in value.
Let's weigh it again. Both of them weigh over 100 kilograms. Just two orthodontic treatments alone could earn three million?
Seeing him squinting, Lin Sicheng explained, "The other party was in a hurry to ship the goods, so it was just a coincidence!"
Given Lin Sicheng's shrewdness, Wang Qizhi naturally couldn't see through it. He thought it was truly a coincidence and couldn't help but sigh: "Zhao Xiuneng managed to snag this by chance?"
Even he himself didn't know that Lin Sicheng had helped him get a huge bargain: just these two ivory tusks meant he had earned back everything he had invested in the studio...
Amidst sighs, Fang Jingxian disassembled the bronze wine vessel, and Wang Qizhi's eyes lit up: "Who bought this, Mr. Fang?"
Fang Jingxian nodded hurriedly: "Yes, Professor Wang, Teacher Lin helped me with this, it cost 200,000 yuan."
Wang Qizhi was taken aback: "How much?"
Fang Jingxian was stunned by the question and it took her a long time to say, "Professor Wang, two hundred thousand!"
Two hundred thousand, could five two hundred thousand buy it back?
Secretly astonished, Wang Qizhi looked at Lin Sicheng twice more, his eyes filled with an indescribable strangeness.
"Hey buddy, hey, I should at least let my partner make some money too. But to let my partner earn over a million with just one move... Lin Sicheng, are you a money-giving genius?"
Zhao Xiu can earn even more; even if we calculate it less, it's still over three million... Adding the two together, it's roughly five million.
How much lottery ticket wins the top prize? Honestly, even Wang Qizhi would hesitate.
He held it in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and after confirming that it was genuine, Wang Qizhi looked at Fang Jingxian and said, "This is a bronze jue with engraved decorations from the Ming Dynasty, surely a noble title..."
Fang Jingxian was suddenly taken aback: "Imperial gift?"
"Of course it's an imperial gift; otherwise, it would be exceeding the prescribed limits!"
Wang Qizhi put down the bronze wine cup and sighed slowly, "President Fang, you've got a great deal: it's worth at least six or seven hundred thousand!"
Suddenly, Fang Jingxian's heart started pounding: Did she pick it up?
Lin Sicheng asked her to pick it up...
While at the villa, Fang Jingxian had considered that the bronze wine vessel might have some history and could certainly be profitable. But she never imagined it could be this profitable.
Having been in this business for almost twenty years, this was the first time she'd struck gold. Forget making five or six times the profit; she could count on two hands the number of times she'd ever made more than double her initial investment…
While he was still in a daze, Shang Yan gave him a wink, and Fang Jingxian suddenly realized: "Hey buddy, there's no reason to keep all the money you make to yourself."
She took a deep breath: "Teacher Lin..."
Lin Sicheng understood her meaning, but before he could finish speaking, he waved his hand to interrupt: "President Fang, there's no need to be so polite. Even towing services get referral fees, let alone supplies? You can keep it..."
What's more, I earn even more!
While pondering this, he opened the box and took out the three pieces of porcelain.
At first, Wang Qizhi and Shang Yan were both a little suspicious: a bottle and a plate, at first glance, both were quite eye-catching.
But upon closer inspection, they are all folk kilns?
Most of the folk kilns from the Qing Dynasty were just so-so; a piece in good condition might only fetch 30,000 to 80,000 yuan...
Just as she was wondering, Lin Sicheng took out a pastel-colored cup. Shang Yan squinted at it, her eyes immediately lighting up. The box had barely touched the table when she grabbed it.
"Official kiln famille rose porcelain, the body is slightly thick, it seems to be a technique from the Qianlong period onwards... Cobalt outline, hmm, it should be from the Jiaqing or Daoguang period... Wait, a gold-painted red mark?"
As if talking to herself, Shang Yan muttered to herself, her eyes fixed on the word "Zhan Jing" on the bottom of the cup:
"It must be Jiaqing-Daoguang famille rose porcelain, but Zhan Jing... Zhan Jing... is that a person's name or a place name?"
Having studied it for half her life, Shang Yan could immediately recognize that it was a famille rose porcelain from the mid- or late-Qing dynasty, and even pinpoint it to the Jiaqing or Daoguang period.
Judging from the gold and red enamel markings on the bottom of the cup, she could basically conclude that this porcelain cup was definitely an imperial artifact, rather than an ordinary decorative piece.
But I just couldn't remember what the two characters "湛静" referred to or what their meaning was.
"Mr. Zhao, do you remember me?"
Zhao Xiuneng paused for a moment, then shook his head.
When Lin Sicheng was choosing this cup, he had a guess: it was not an export famille rose porcelain, but a Qing Dynasty imperial piece, and Lin Sicheng must have gotten a bargain.
He could guess which palace or hall in the Forbidden City "Zhanjing" must refer to. But to be honest, the Forbidden City has "more than seventy palaces of various sizes" and "more than nine thousand rooms." Add the Yuanmingyuan and Xiheyuan, and the total is more than fifteen or sixteen thousand, and each room has a name, which is sometimes changed. Who could remember them all so clearly?
Shang Yan paused for a moment: "Professor Wang, do you know?"
You specialize in porcelain, and you're asking me?
Shang Yan, are you trying to put me on the same starting line as you?
"I don't know!" Wang Qizhi glanced at it: "Are you asking Lin Sicheng?"
Shang Yan knew to ask Lin Sicheng, she just wanted to see if her memory had deteriorated or if Lin Sicheng was just too good.
"Professor Shang, this is the Zhanjingzhai of the Yuanmingyuan!"
Lin Sicheng stated directly, "After Emperor Daoguang ascended the throne, he bestowed upon Consort Quan the Yuanmingyuan Palace, named 'Zhanjingzhai,' which served as Consort Quan's outer palace thereafter."
Emperor Xianfeng was born here, and it was here that Consort Quan was formally enthroned as Empress Xiaoquancheng. When Xianfeng was about ten years old, Empress Quan passed away here. The *Veritable Records of the Qing Dynasty* states: "The Emperor accompanied the Empress Dowager to Tongle Garden. After the meal, he visited the Empress Dowager at Zhanjingzhai to check on her illness and escorted her back to Qichun Garden..."
After Emperor Xianfeng ascended the throne, it was converted into Jifutang, serving as the bedroom of Empress Xiaozhenxian (Cian)... It was later destroyed by the Eight-Nation Alliance, so its existence was short-lived..."
The group of people were all stunned: Is this a matter of how long it has existed?
Empress Xiaoquan was conferred her title here, and Emperor Xianfeng was born here, meaning he was born and raised here. Empress Xiaoquan also passed away here.
Even Empress Xiaozhenxian, the wife of Emperor Xianfeng, lived here.
Empress Quan was Emperor Xianfeng's birth mother. So when Empress Xiaozhen lived here, the items would definitely not have been changed. This cup could mean that it served two empresses in succession.
Perhaps the old nanny used this cup to feed Emperor Xianfeng porridge, and Emperor Daoguang even used it to feed Empress Quan medicine...
Of course, the latter two points are purely speculative. But according to Lin Sicheng, Zhanjingzhai was the only outer palace in the Qing Dynasty where an emperor was born, and Emperor Xianfeng lived there until he was ten years old. This can't be faked, right?
Everyone talks about imperial artifacts, but how many of them were actually used by the emperor and empress?
Wang Qizhi breathed a sigh of relief: "How much did it cost?"
"Three items for 220,000!"
Wang Qizhi paused, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
Just now, I was saying that Lin Sicheng was a money-spending genius. He took Zhao Xiuneng and Fang Jingxian around for a whole morning and made them earn almost five million without batting an eye.
But in the blink of an eye, he earned it all back more than he could have.
If handled properly, this cup could be worth more than two bronze goblets belonging to Fang Jingxian. It would also be worth significantly more than Zhao Xiuneng's two ivory tusks…
In a moment of surprise, the cup was passed from Shang Yan to Wang Qizhi, then to Zhao Xiuneng, and finally back to Wang Qizhi.
He thought for a moment, then made the final decision: "Give it to Anning, put it up for auction, and it'll be just in time for the Poly Auction Spring Sale!"
Lin Sicheng nodded: "Teacher, I plan to find a teacher from the Palace Museum to take a look first!"
"Don't worry, she knows how to do it," Wang Qizhi replied, then looked at the remaining two items. "What about these two?"
Lin Sicheng succinctly replied, "Just bought it randomly!"
I understand. It's just a deceptive tactic, a fake to fool people. It's not worth watching.
With a casual glance, Wang Qizhi picked up the two wooden beads again.
At first, he didn't pay much attention, thinking it was just ordinary rosewood and agarwood. But as soon as he picked it up, his hand involuntarily felt a sinking sensation: It's so heavy?
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be about an ounce?
But let's be clear, this is wood, not jade. If it were ordinary agarwood, it would weigh at most ten or twenty grams…
Secretly surprised and suspicious, they weighed the pieces again. Wang Qizhi put down the huanghuali wood and stared intently at the smaller string of pieces.
I put it under my nose again, and it had no fragrance... But if it has no fragrance, what kind of agarwood is it?
With another forceful scratch using his fingernail, Wang Qizhi's heart skipped a beat: This wasn't agarwood, it was agarwood fragment...
Wait, is this Qinan (a type of agarwood)?
As if in disbelief, Wang Qizhi looked at it carefully, smelled it repeatedly, and even scratched it with his fingernails.
But it's useless; it's as hard as a rock, you can't even scratch it. The key question is, how oily does it have to be to have absolutely no smell?
But that's absurd. Where would an antique dealer get something like that?
After a long while, he finally raised his head, his eyes blinking: "How much did it cost!"
"fifty thousand!"
Wang Qizhi froze, his lips moving slightly: "Fifty thousand, that's enough to buy just one of them. This string has twelve in total, how much is that?"
Lin Sicheng is quite something; he can encounter such extremely rare, unusual, and ridiculously expensive things as soon as he steps out of his house, things that ordinary people have never even heard of.
Just like the rhinoceros horn cups from Zhejiang, and the apricot glaze...
If you do the math, you've made six or seven million in just half a day... You can't even rob a bank that fast.
Secretly surprised, Wang Qizhi handed the beaded string to Lin Sicheng: "It's best to sell them separately!"
It means that it should not be sold as a collectible item, but as a medicine.
Lin Sicheng nodded: "Teacher, I understand!"
Wang Qizhi thought for a moment: "Save one for me when the time comes!"
Why would we need to wait until then?
Without hesitation, Lin Sicheng immediately disassembled the string of beads.
Wang Qizhi instinctively wanted to stop him, but the words stuck in his throat.
The old man is getting on in years, so it's definitely better to be prepared.
Besides, the bond between teacher and student is so long that it's impossible to calculate...
Lin Sicheng picked the largest one. He didn't refuse, tore off a napkin, wrapped it up, and solemnly put it into his coat pocket.
Shang Yan and Fang Jingxian were completely baffled: Why would they sell perfectly good agarwood beads separately?
Looking at Wang Qizhi again, he had seen everything, yet he looked so wistful.
Only Zhao Xiu's eyes darted around.
He didn't recognize it, but he'd heard of it. Then he looked at Wang Qizhi's expression... and in an instant, his pupils lit up: This thing, is it Qinan?
Suddenly, he thought of his elderly mother, who was already over eighty years old and spending the winter in the capital...
Zhao Xiuneng's eyes were fixed intently, his lips trembling, but he dared not utter a sound: This kind of thing is not a matter of how much money it is worth; it's probably something you can't buy even if you have the money.
Otherwise, Wang Qizhi wouldn't have had that expression.
However, Wang Qizhi is Lin Sicheng's teacher, not him. Unless the formal apprenticeship is completed, and the old lady or the eldest and second eldest sons speak up…
Just as he was pondering this, Lin Sicheng opened another one and handed it forward: "Don't use it randomly. You should ask a doctor first, preferably a famous one..."
Zhao Xiuneng was startled and quickly took the item. Before he could say "thank you," Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, don't look for it anymore. Once it gets a little warmer after Qingming Festival, we'll have the old lady come to Xijing."
After the incense table is set up, if you trust me, I'll take the old lady's pulse... If possible, I'll also mix her a drink to help improve her blood circulation..."
Zhao Xiuneng was stunned for a moment, but instantly, his face flushed and he bent his waist downward with force.
Was Lin Sicheng only talking about toasting and formally becoming an apprentice? The drink Lin Sicheng mentioned that he would mix... was it mixed in a rhinoceros horn cup?
For a moment, Zhao Xiuneng didn't know what to say, and murmured, "Teacher Lin..."
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Don't call me teacher anymore, call me junior brother..."
Zhao Xiuneng's throat bobbed, and he nodded vigorously.
Wang Qizhi stood by and watched, but was pleased to see it happen.
The saying "Many are the most righteous among the lowly" perfectly describes someone like Zhao Xiuneng, a roughneck. How dare he invest millions in Lin Sicheng's studio when nothing's even started?
In return for a favor, if an incense table were set up, the two would become fellow disciples, and Lin Sicheng would certainly not allow him to suffer a loss.
In return for a favor, Zhao Xiuneng would never take the bead for nothing, nor would he let the old lady drink that cup of wine for free. Furthermore, once the two ivory tusks made money, Zhao Xiuneng certainly wouldn't pretend to be deaf and dumb…
As he was pondering this, Sun Le and Li Zhen came in carrying lunchboxes. Lin Sicheng was starving, so he quickly tidied himself up and started eating.
Fang Jingxian was so excited that she didn't even bother to eat and left first.
Shang Yan and Wang Qizhi had classes in the afternoon, so only Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng, along with Zhang Feng and Xu Gaolan, who were disguised as a driver and assistant, were in the reception room.
Halfway through the meal, he seemed to suddenly remember something: "Brother Zhang, when you're done, report to Director Chen: that Secretary Gao from today, it should be Miao Taiyue's gloves..."
Zhang Feng and Xu Gaolan were startled: "Teacher Lin, who are you talking about!"
"In the Miao Taiyue region of Beida Mountain, there's a saying among tomb raiders: 'Southern Shaanxi, the Great Sea (Yu Dahai); Northern Shaanxi, the Great Mountains; in Guanzhong, find Yang San (Yang Bin)...'"
Of the four people at the table, three were stunned.
Beida Mountain, Miao Taiyue... Uncle Shan?
Yang Bin had already left the country when he was arrested.
But that's not the point. What surprised them was how Lin Sicheng knew.
Let's recall: that Secretary Gao never mentioned who her secretary was from beginning to end.
Fang Jingxian should know a little, but similarly, she never mentioned who Secretary Gao's boss was from beginning to end.
Upon arriving at the location, Zhang Feng even called to check on the villa. But to no avail; he found absolutely nothing.
Lin Sicheng didn't say anything and kept his head down while eating.
We can't exactly tell Zhang Feng that he's the only one in the entire Shaanxi province smuggling ivory.
Zhang Feng didn't even have time to eat. He picked up his phone and went outside, only returning a quarter of an hour later.
But the phone seemed to still be on; after coming in, it was handed to Lin Sicheng: "Teacher Lin, Director Chen!"
Lin Sicheng sighed, took the phone, and said six words: "Uncle Chen, I don't have time!"
After saying that, the call was disconnected with a "beep".
The unveiling ceremony is next week, and afterwards I have to report to the college's Youth League Committee. After that, I need to quickly organize the information on tea dust glaze, and then I need to conduct intensive training.
To be honest, he was already struggling to deal with just Yu Dahai, so how could he have the energy to go after Miao Dashan?
A simple reminder would be much appreciated...
Zhang Feng and Xu Gaolan opened their eyes, their lips moving slightly.
"Don't look at me, I don't have time to look at me!" Lin Sicheng pointed at Zhao Xiuneng, "You guys shouldn't look at him either. He's all disheveled, what would he do with so much leftover stock? Believe me, he'll be exposed as soon as he gets there."
The two policemen exchanged a glance, speechless.
Zhao Xiuneng grinned, showing his teeth.
That makes sense, but if Lin Sicheng hadn't emphasized it, these two would definitely have forced him to join them.
My mother was right: it was definitely worth it to acknowledge this junior brother...
Just as he was secretly pleased, Wang Qizhi pushed open the door and entered, holding a cell phone in his hand, as if he had just finished a call.
After entering, he sat down next to Lin Sicheng and said, "The dean just called and the time is set, Monday afternoon!"
Lin Sicheng nodded and breathed a sigh of relief: Is the unveiling ceremony about to take place?
It was as if I were treading in the footsteps of my past life, walking the same old path again. Yet, a strange feeling still lingered in my heart:
The road ahead is long and arduous, but we must start afresh.
...
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