Chapter 303 If you can't explain it clearly, you'll have to pay compensation.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the roof, revealing all the dust particles in the air.
Tang Nanyan followed quietly behind, observing Lin Sicheng's tall and straight back.
Although my previous impressions were deep, they always felt lofty and distant. But after what just happened, they suddenly felt much more vivid.
He is modest and polite, gentle and refined, and can make jokes, though he can also be mischievous at times.
Because of her family background, she knew many talented people. Some were capable, some had good personalities, some were humorous, and some were serious and taciturn. Of course, there were also those like Jing Zeyang, who were all talk and no action, only good for eating, drinking, and having fun.
It seems that Lin Sicheng possesses all the virtues of these people: calm and composed, steady and reserved, profound in learning, and insightful about the ways of the world.
He possessed qualities that these people lacked: he was both scholarly and martial, intelligent and brave, courageous and responsible, and fearless...
Hmm, if you think about it this way, wouldn't you become a perfect person?
Tang Nanyan's thoughts raced as she followed behind, wandering around slowly. Lin Sicheng and Xu Qin chatted as they walked, mostly discussing matters related to physical evidence identification.
Jing Zeyang and Fang Jin neither understood nor liked to listen, their four eyes darting around aimlessly.
“Brother Jing, look: a bronze animal horn cup from the pre-Qin period… I’ve seen it before, the Shaanxi History Museum has one. Why don’t we ask Professor Lin about it?”
Jing Zeyang pointed at the stall owner: "Yes, he'll take one item from the Shaanxi History Museum!"
"Is that really possible?" Fang Jin was stunned. "The one in the Shaanxi History Museum was unearthed from Wannian Mausoleum (the tomb of Liu Bang's father, also known as the Tomb of the Retired Emperor of Han)?"
Jing Zeyang sighed: Knowing full well it couldn't be true, why did you still ask Lin Sicheng?
Wasting time.
"Let's go!"
“This one looks a bit like the Four-Sheep Bronze Zun,” Fang Jin said, pointing to a small bronze cauldron. “It also looks quite old.”
After taking a closer look, Jing Zeyang couldn't help but shake his head: What's so old about him?
At the connection between the tripod and its legs, the weld seam, which was not completely covered by rust, can even be seen.
Jing Zeyang held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help but ask, "Assistant Fang, I have a question that has been bothering me for several days. Would you mind if I asked it?"
"It's nothing!" Fang Jin said nonchalantly. "Brother Jing, ask me anything."
"You graduated from the Archaeology Department of Xida University, right? Or were you a graduate student?"
"right!"
"Assistant Fang, how did you graduate?"
Fang Jin was stunned, and his face turned red.
It wasn't that he was angry: they had spent many days together and were quite familiar with each other. If they hadn't developed a good relationship, Jing Zeyang wouldn't have been so direct.
Fang Jin felt a little ashamed: a top student from Northwest University, yet his insight was not as good as that of Jing Zeyang, an outsider.
His voice was barely a whisper: "Archaeology department, no identification tests!"
"Don't mind it!" Jing Zeyang patted his shoulder. "I just wanted to remind you that if you're not with your cousin Lin, don't go shopping for things."
"Professor Lin said the same thing!" Fang Jin nodded vigorously. "Professor Wang was even more direct, saying that even a mountain of gold wouldn't be enough for me to pay back the money!"
Well, at least they can listen to what I say.
Jing Zeyang nodded secretly.
And so, the two wandered aimlessly, until Jing Zeyang stopped.
There was a small, inconspicuous stall in the corner of the canopy.
The stall owner was a thin, middle-aged man wearing an old, faded jacket, dozing off against a rattan trunk that was missing its handle.
The stall was cluttered with various items: dusty copper coins, coarse porcelain bowls with dull glaze, and a few things that looked like silver hairpins.
Only a baby doll in the corner stood out.
It's about the size of a palm, entirely gleaming yellow, with a dazzling sheen. The overall design depicts a child lying prone, arms supporting him, head tilted back.
His features were extremely clear: long, thin eyebrows, upturned eyes, and upturned lips. He seemed very happy, grinning from ear to ear, with two deep dimples at the corners of his lips.
After glancing at it a few times, Jing Zeyang muttered to himself, "This thing feels pretty real, doesn't it?"
Fang Jin nodded in agreement: It really is quite authentic, and it's clean. Unlike most antiques, which are either covered in rust or grease.
Although it is shiny, it has a patina that shows its age, indicating that it is well preserved, cleaned and polished frequently, and handled often.
After looking at it again, Jing Zeyang raised his voice a few decibels: "Boss... hey, wake up! What kind of thing is this?"
The stall owner opened his eyes and glanced at Jing Zeyang: "Porcelain body with gold plating, Moleha, from the Ming Dynasty!"
Jing Zeyang didn't hear clearly: "What?"
"Maraha is the name given by the ancient child-granting boy when praying for a child!"
The stall owner pointed and said, "This is a genuine Ming Dynasty antique. Just look at the porcelain and its condition; you can tell it came from the imperial palace. It has received countless offerings and enjoyed the royal aura. Not only will it bring you many children, but it will also bring prosperity to your home and attract good fortune!"
Jing Zeyang ignored the boss's boasting.
Lin Sicheng once said: When browsing antique streets, never listen to the shopkeeper's boasting. The more he boasts, the more problematic the item is.
You have to look at it yourself and make your own judgment. Even if a hundred points are correct, if you're unsure about only one point, don't buy it.
He squatted down and weighed the doll in his hands.
It's not very heavy, and it's probably hollow. The gold skin has a slightly deep reddish tinge, with the patina characteristic of a priceless heirloom.
Just as the owner said, the porcelain is of excellent quality, without any burrs, impurities, or black spots. The craftsmanship is also superb, with a rounded shape, harmonious proportions, and lifelike expressions.
Whether it's from the Ming Dynasty or came from the imperial palace is unknown. But Jing Zeyang felt that this thing was at least a hundred years old, and it was definitely not something that could be made in a small workshop.
Of course, Jing Zeyang was well aware of his own limitations; he was just taking the opportunity to hone his observation skills.
After a moment's thought, he turned the doll over. Looking at it again, he paused, surprised: "Boss, why is the base so oily?"
"That's not oil, that's wax!" the shop owner explained with a smile. "I wax it every few days, otherwise it wouldn't look so new."
This was the first time Jing Zeyang had heard of this, and he looked surprised: "No, you're waxing perfectly good porcelain?"
The stall owner said smugly, "You don't understand, do you? This isn't just any ordinary old item; it's a statue of a deity I brought from a temple. I have to take good care of it."
"It's too thick, I can't see the tire underneath!" Jing Zeyang put it on the stall. "Clean it up for me!"
When examining porcelain, one should first look at the base; this is common sense. The wax on the base was indeed quite thick, but the shop owner didn't seem to mind and simply wiped it a couple of times with a rag.
Jing Zeyang pointed again: "Why is there an eye here?"
What eye? This is the navel of the porcelain.
He's obviously an amateur...
With that thought in mind, he wiped the wax from the center of his navel and carefully scratched it with his fingernail.
He put it back on the stall and picked it up again. But it was all for naught; in terms of professional knowledge, he was no match for Fang Jin.
Looking back, Jing Zeyang saw Lin Sicheng standing to the side, discussing a problem with Xu Qin. Without any hesitation, he said, "Cousin Lin, give me a look!"
Knowing that he and Fang Jin were looking at something, Lin Sicheng and Xu Qin would stop as soon as the two of them stopped. However, they were busy discussing something and hadn't paid much attention to what the two of them were looking at.
Lin Sicheng simply picked it up, thinking it was something that caught his eye. But as soon as he touched it, he suddenly froze.
Good heavens, Panjiayuan actually has this?
Knowing that he wanted to have it appraised, Tang Nanyan and Xu Qin also came over.
In order to leave a good impression on Lin Sicheng, Xu Qin would certainly not offer opinions on things she didn't understand, but Tang Nanyan had no such scruples.
"This porcelain doll is quite lifelike!" She glanced at it for a moment, "but it feels a little strange!"
Lin Sicheng asked with interest, "What's strange about it?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it," Tang Nanyan said, staring at the doll. "It just doesn't feel very comfortable."
Lin Sicheng secretly praised: No wonder he served in the army.
It sounds mysterious, even a bit superstitious, but some people in certain professions do have a more sensitive intuition than ordinary people when they encounter strange things or enter strange places.
For example, soldiers, police officers, and genuine Taoist priests.
For example, temples, ancient monasteries, ritual implements, or even evil artifacts...
Thinking it over, Lin Sicheng held the puppet and ran his fingertips over the strange runes.
The product is indeed excellent; it is by no means the product of a small workshop, nor the work of an ordinary craftsman. The lines are rounded, the shape is unique, and every curve exudes a strange, almost twisted sense of power.
At first glance, the child's smile is innocent and pure, the patina is quite old, and it has a strong sense of age, which is indeed very similar to the Mahora in historical records.
The "Qianchun Suishi Ji" (Southern Song Dynasty) states: "They were all decorated with carved wooden railings and colorful decorations, or with red gauze and green cages, or adorned with gold, pearls, ivory and jade, or with colorful silk around the neck... to pray for offspring."
But upon closer inspection, a hint of primal, wild ferocity is subtly revealed. Especially those eyes, which seem to possess a life of their own, silently gazing upon the world.
After looking around, Lin Sicheng lowered his eyelids and focused his gaze on the strange runes.
After a moment's examination, he frowned: "Mahora?"
"Of course it's a Mahora!" the stall owner declared confidently. "From the Ming Dynasty!"
"Heh~"
Lin Sicheng chuckled and turned it over. The base was quite white and fine, but strangely, the navel wasn't the protruding nipple common in porcelain, but rather a small hole slightly larger than a needle prick.
I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it feels like oil is seeping out of those eyes.
Indeed, it was correct. Lin Sicheng stretched out his hand and said, "Boss, come on, have a sniff!"
What's so good about this smell?
Just as he was pondering this, an indescribable odor entered the boss's nostrils. At first glance, it carried a hint of sweetness and a fishy smell, as if it had been subjected to incense burning, the scent of incense and candles having seeped into the porcelain.
But strangely, it seemed to contain a few strands of sour, rotten grease, and the stench was getting stronger and stronger.
"Ugh!" The boss stretched his neck, his stomach churning, and he almost vomited on the spot.
Is this a ghost?
He's had this thing back for almost a year, and it's been in perfect condition ever since...
The shop owner covered his mouth: "What...what's this taste?"
"You really want to ask?" Lin Sicheng dodged the question slightly. "If I tell you, you probably won't be able to sleep for a year!"
That's nonsense. At worst, it's just a fake; you'll only lose a little money. And everyone doing business here has been fooled before.
The problem is that the smell is too pungent, and the boss suspects that the young man may have done something to it.
The problem is, he watched it from beginning to end, while the young man just held it in his hand and looked at it...
After a moment's thought, he said decisively, "You tell me!"
"Corpse oil!"
The boss's eyes bulged: "What is it?"
"Corpse oil, and it's refined!" Lin Sicheng said calmly. "Have you ever had barbecue? The Korean kind: the meat is placed on a hot plate, sizzling and dripping oil..."
It's no exaggeration: of the six people including the boss, five of them had their faces change at the same time, and their necks instinctively stretched, looking like they were about to vomit.
"My antiques are perfectly fine, where would I get corpse oil from?" the shopkeeper said with a sullen face. "Don't talk nonsense if you're not buying!"
Lin Sicheng sighed: "Do you wipe it every day?"
Of course, I not only wipe it, but also wax it every now and then, otherwise how could it be so shiny?
The boss nodded.
“Every day I take it home, and I make an offering to it and burn a few sticks of incense?”
The boss was taken aback.
Firstly, he genuinely believed in this, and secondly, the item truly resembled something from a temple, as it had an extremely strong incense and candle scent when he brought it. Fearing the scent would dissipate over time, he would take it home every day and re-fumigate it with incense and candles.
In a flash, just as he was about to nod, he realized something was amiss: How did this young man know so much?
Sensing something was wrong, he snorted coldly, "What business is it of mine whether I offer incense or not? Buy it or leave!"
"Okay!" Lin Sicheng nodded and put the items on the stall.
Fang Jin quickly handed over a wet wipe, and Lin Sicheng carefully wiped his hands.
Before anyone knew it, a crowd had gathered around the stall. Perhaps they were drawn by the uniqueness of the product, or perhaps they were attracted by Lin Sicheng's mention of "corpse oil."
It's also possible that they were attracted by the stench.
Although the taste wasn't strong, it was strange, like meat that had been frozen for a long time, thawed, and then spoiled.
Why does it smell so bad?
"The young man said that there was corpse oil inside the doll."
"What do you mean by 'playing with oil'?"
"They say it was made from human flesh!"
"You son of a bitch..."
"Who knows? Tibetan Buddhism just makes a lot of random ritual implements, doesn't it?"
"You know what, looking at this shape, it really does resemble something from Buddhism..."
The group started talking all at once, and the boss's face grew increasingly dark.
He picked up the doll and glanced at it. Its face was no longer black, but green: the oil stains around the navel that he had pried open were even more obvious.
And it smelled even worse than before; if he hadn't been holding his breath, he would have thrown up long ago.
Seeing that the group was about to leave, he suddenly realized what was happening and grabbed Jing Zeyang's arm.
"Wait a minute... You think you can just leave after you've broken my things?"
Jing Zeyang was stunned: "What did you say?"
"You broke my things..."
"Heh, trying to scam me, huh?"
Jing Zeyang sneered and was about to start, but Lin Sicheng stopped him.
He smiled and said, "The boss must be reasonable to do business here: you applied the wax and you pried open the hole, what does it have to do with my friend?"
Yes, they only pried open the wax a little bit. But the problem is, if they hadn't pried open that hole, how could something that was perfectly fine have started to smell bad?
Indeed, he did it himself, but this guy would only do it if he had nothing better to do than clean it up.
What's more, if this pretty boy hadn't mentioned corpse oil, how could he have attracted so many onlookers?
If word spreads from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, how can he possibly sell this stuff?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He stretched out his hand and said, "You better explain yourself clearly. If you can't give me a straight answer, you'll have to pay me back!"
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