Chapter 33 I'm not selling anymore
Lin Sicheng and Gu Ming are true sworn brothers.
Back in the 1990s, all industries were in chaos, including antiques. So, unsurprisingly, the old man was targeted.
The process was very dangerous. If it weren't for luck in running into Gu Kaishan, the old man would have lost his life.
Since then, the old man has gained a godson. Therefore, Gu Ming's use of "our grandpa" was not just a random way of addressing him.
The two grew up playing together, and whenever Gu Ming asked him for help, he would skip class to help him.
It wasn't complicated: the girl he was pursuing had an elder in her family celebrating a birthday, and the elder liked old objects, so the girl, catering to that taste, had been looking for a suitable item for a long time.
Gu Ming happened to find out and volunteered, saying that his godfather and godbrother were both experts.
The girl didn't believe it at first, but Gu Ming simply took a picture of her grandfather's old work photo. The girl looked at it and exclaimed, "Wow! Professor of Cultural Heritage Conservation at Xida University, archaeology expert..."
But forget about my godfather, he's still in the hospital, so I can only ask my godbrother to take care of it.
Lin Sicheng was naturally happy: Gu Ming can talk to anyone, just don't talk about the person from his previous life.
A woman who loves traveling alone, is also an avid mahjong player, and can play all night long, is unlikely to stay unfaithful...
Just as I was having these thoughts, the taxi screeched to a halt at the entrance of the residential area.
Gu Ming and the girl sat in the back seat. The girl had her hair tied in a ponytail, fair skin, and delicate features.
"Xinfang, this is Lin Sicheng, whom I often tell you about. He's a senior majoring in cultural preservation at Xida University... This is Li Xinfang, my colleague at the hospital!"
The girl greeted him confidently: "Hello!"
It really wasn't the same person from my past life?
Lin Sicheng perked up: "Hello, hello, haven't eaten yet?"
Gu Ming blinked: "We already ate when we came, didn't you eat?"
You bastard, why didn't you say so earlier? Why have you been standing at the entrance of the residential area for so long?
Cursing under his breath, Lin Sicheng got into the passenger seat: "I've already eaten. Where's the food? Let's go straight there."
"In Xicang!"
Upon hearing the name Xicang, Lin Sicheng felt a chill run down his spine: he had been putting in a lot of effort, ready to show off his skills and make Gu Ming proud.
But even Ma Weidu came to Xicang and had to leave empty-handed. You can imagine what the girl must have found herself.
But it's okay.
If all else fails, ask Brother Hao for help. What kind of items does Rongbaozhai not have?
In a flash, the taxi started moving, and half an hour later we arrived at Xicang.
Perhaps because it was morning, the smell wasn't as strong as last time I came. There were also very few people, just a few here and there.
The girl led the way, and the three of them entered a jade shop.
It's much bigger and brighter than the one Old Song had last time, with all glass display cases and spotlights shining brightly.
The materials are diverse, and the shapes are varied.
They must have come quite a few times; the owner greeted them as soon as they entered.
"Dr. Li, are you here to look at that string of court beads?"
"Yes, could you please get this for my friend so he can take a look?"
The boss nodded, then glanced back, a hint of disappointment on his face: Why are the people he brought this time so young?
Being young means lack of experience and insight; what kind of advice can you give?
By the end, nine times out of ten, you'll say: "I'm not sure either..."
Oh well, the customer is king, I'm just waiting for this order to come home for the New Year.
With a sigh, the boss went into the inner room and took out a box.
Li Xinfang was very straightforward, handing it over to him and saying, "Lin Sicheng, thank you for your trouble!"
"Of course!" Lin Sicheng accepted it.
It's about the size of a palm, a bit heavy in the hand, with a deep wood color and a faint scent of sandalwood.
The box looks authentic, made of genuine Hainan rosewood, and it's quite old, at least from the late Qing Dynasty.
However, the carving and lacquer work were mediocre, suggesting it was made in a small workshop.
After glancing at it, Lin Sicheng casually opened it, and a faint green glow came into view.
A court bead, or Hetian jade?
With its fine texture, oily feel, and soft color, it is genuine Hetian mountain jade.
With its numerous pores, overlapping textures, and natural, smooth tool marks, it is clearly handmade.
There is a noticeable matte film formed due to long-term oxidation, and the jade is slightly darker at the edge of the small hole for threading, indicating that it has been frequently polished and has been there for many years.
If you only look at the beads, they really do look real, dating back at least two hundred years, around the mid-Qing Dynasty.
The only drawback is that the beads are somewhat small and made of jade. In the Qing Dynasty, these beads were classified as "miscellaneous treasures" and were worn by civil officials of the fifth rank and military officials of the fourth rank and below.
Looking again at the Buddha's head and the pendant... Lin Sicheng paused slightly: Something's not right?
These items are actually from different eras?
Fearing he might not have seen it clearly, Lin Sicheng took a closer look: indeed, the Buddha head was from the mid-Qing Dynasty, but the pendant was from the late Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China.
Upon closer inspection of the silk rope, it turned out to be a dark blue ribbon, which looked quite old, but had too many frayed strands due to wear and tear.
Upon closer inspection and a sniff, Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly: It's soaked in butter!
The key issue is that the beads don't smell right either...
After glancing at it a few times and smelling it a few more times, he put the prayer beads back and closed the box.
Just as he was about to return it, he paused again: "Is it okay to just buy the box?"
Li Xinfang was taken aback: "Huh?"
Does that mean it won't work?
Never mind then.
Lin Sicheng placed the box on the counter and gently pushed it inwards.
The boss's eyelids twitched: No... what do you mean by this?
If you ask about the price and say "it's too high," or if you don't understand it at all and vaguely say "I don't understand," the boss won't think much of it.
But Lin Sicheng didn't ask about the beads, he asked about the box, and even acted like he "had already seen through it," which made the boss feel like he had been poisoned.
The daffodils aren't blooming, are you just pretending?
Pretending is one thing, but what if I go out and spout nonsense, and Dr. Li believes me? Who would I sell this Qing Dynasty court bead to?
As the saying goes, cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents...
The boss glanced sideways and said, "Young man, do you understand? If you think there's a problem, just say it directly. Don't beat around the bush or hide anything."
Lin Sicheng chuckled: "I do know a little bit, so should I really say it?"
"It's alright, just tell me!"
"Alright, the green ribbon is made of silk, but it's no more than three years old. To make it look old, they smear butter on the pillar and then keep wrapping and twisting it..."
The Buddha head and pendant are genuine, but one dates from before the Jiaqing era and the other from after the Guangxu era, a full hundred years apart…
"The beads are real, but they're not court beads; they're Buddhist beads... to put it simply, the kind monks use!"
With each word Lin Sicheng spoke, the boss's face grew paler, until finally, upon hearing "used by monks," it turned completely green: "How did my perfectly good court beads, belonging to a third-rank official, become a monk's... What the hell do you know?"
"Really? I can smell it too..."
Lin Sicheng chuckled: "Yellow ripe fruit, Artemisia capillaris, white angelica, cypress, catnip, clove... There are also three kinds of tea: Wuyi, Liuan, and yellow tea, and two kinds of fruit: red dates and walnuts. And five kinds of dried branches: peach, willow, mulberry, locust, and paper mulberry..."
"Go find a master Chinese medicine practitioner: if even one ingredient in the fragrance of your bead is missing, I'll buy the bead; name your price..."
The boss seemed frozen, his lips trembling, but he dared not utter a single word.
He didn't know if it had that much fragrance, but he at least knew that before he acquired the string of beads, it had indeed been placed in a temple and hung on a Buddhist shrine for many years to be scented.
But what the hell?
He stared at Lin Sicheng, his lips trembling uncontrollably: "I...I won't sell it anymore..."
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