Chapter 4 Inheriting the Family Business
Looking at the content again: "I, a commoner, rose from Shangluo... I was originally a commoner, and rose from Shangluo. Who else could this be but Li Zicheng?"
Next, read: Nian□Putian□Tu...Fifteen years later, he cultivated the northern □Great River, led his troops to submit...His meritorious deeds are recorded...Now that □□is settled, rewards will be given according to □...He is enfeoffed as a second-class earl...You are spared two deaths, and your son is spared one death, to repay your merits...Respectfully issued in the first year of Yongchang.
Just by looking at the last two lines, anyone who can read will know what this is.
Looking at the third line, "cultivated" and "in fifteen years, he crossed the Yellow River to the north and led his troops to surrender," anyone familiar with the history of the Ming Dynasty knows:
Lin Yangcheng, one of the thirty-six prominent figures of the late Ming Dynasty, was known as the "King of Contention." In the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the Yellow River breached its banks, leaving Lin Yangcheng with no other recourse. He led his troops to Kaifeng and joined forces with Li Zicheng.
Therefore, this was the iron certificate of merit bestowed upon Lin Yangcheng, the Prince of Zhengshi, by Li Zicheng after he became emperor.
Commonly known as: a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Looking at the dimensions: it is about 20 centimeters high, and if unfolded, it should be about 40 centimeters wide. If measured in Ming dynasty fine craftsman's measure, it is exactly "6.5 inches high and 1.25 inches wide".
The History of Ming states: "The second-class bo is 6.5 inches tall and 1.25 inches wide... which corresponds exactly to the second-class bo in the document."
Therefore, if this iron certificate is genuine, at least from now on, Ming historians will no longer need to argue: Li Zicheng bestowed upon Lin Cheng the title of Second-Class Earl, not Duke…
The more he recalled, the more certain Wang Qizhi became, and the faster the veins on his forehead throbbed.
I was so close at the time, just one stall away, why didn't I see it?
No, I saw it.
He was standing right next to the child when he bought the tile, but the rust was so thick that there were only a few scattered words on the tile, and you couldn't make out anything at all.
He wondered at the time, what is this kid buying this for?
Until that big black guy threw me to the ground, revealing a lot of words...
He was increasingly surprised as he thought about it: "How did you figure that out back then?"
“I didn’t see that coming!” Lin Sicheng pointed to one of the lines: “God’s judgment is that He truly seeks only relief.”
"At the time, there were only the two words 'God' on it, and I was curious: temples are covered with iron tiles, and churches are covered with iron tiles too? Anyway, it wasn't expensive, only forty yuan, so I bought it..."
Wang Qizhi: "Hehe!"
Do you think I believe it or not?
The rust had just crumbled, revealing so many words, and the child didn't even blink, which means he knew what it was when he bought it.
Then look at the next piece: Deceiving the heavens and crossing the sea, feinting to the east and attacking in the west... Buying antiques, even military strategy is being used?
His eyes lit up: "Sell or not? I'll offer a high price!"
Lin Sicheng pursed his lips: What good thoughts are you having? It's only a few words.
The more characters are unearthed, the higher the research value becomes, and the collection value skyrockets, potentially even doubling in value.
"Don't worry, let me find a place to clean the rust first, and then I need to verify its authenticity!"
Of course it needs to be washed and tested, but Wang Qizhi was very certain: just by looking at the iron and rust, he knew this thing couldn't be fake.
He patiently persuaded him: "I'm the expert, I'll help you wash it!"
Lin Sicheng glanced at him.
"Don't believe me?"
"It's not that I don't believe it!" Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, "It's iron!"
"I know, what's wrong?"
Lin Sicheng sighed: "You're researching copper!"
Don't assume they're all metal artifacts; the restoration techniques are worlds apart. How could Lin Sicheng dare to let him clean them?
Wang Qizhi stared in disbelief, stunned for several seconds: "How did you know?"
"Look at your hands: the fingertips are black, which is caused by frequent contact with copper rust substances such as cuprous sulfide and tin oxide... You work in Baoji, right?"
Wang Qizhi looked suspicious: "There are so many institutions researching bronze artifacts, why can't we do it in Xijing?"
"You're an expert, of course you know: different hydrology, different climate, different strata, different soil types, the acidity and alkalinity of the soil will be different. As a result, the composition of the rust on unearthed artifacts will be different..."
Wang Qizhi felt a chill run down his spine: "Of course I know, because I really am an expert. But how old are you, and what makes you think you know?"
Seeing that he looked stunned, Lin Sicheng smiled again: "Don't worry, I'll definitely contact you after it's been washed and analyzed!"
Wang Qizhi nodded blankly.
Lin Sicheng nudged Gu Ming, who left the bank like a zombie, completely dazed.
Shan Wangshu was already stunned. Looking at Lin Sicheng's back, her face was full of disbelief: "What kind of family does this kid come from?"
Wang Qizhi was still in a daze, his mouth moving faster than his brain: "I guess it has little to do with family... Just like your dad, he's so capable, but aren't you three siblings all good-for-nothings?"
"Wang Qizhi..." Shan Wangshu roared, grabbing the man's waist.
"Oh...I was wrong..."
...
Gu Ming was like a sleepwalker the whole way.
They've been playing together since they were little kids, so who doesn't know the other?
But suddenly, it felt like I didn't recognize him anymore?
"Wait... how did you suddenly become able to see through anything?"
"Nonsense, did I waste my university education?"
Gu Ming scoffed, "Going to university? What a load of crap! You had to take seven courses a semester and you failed three... If it weren't for my connections, you'd be repeating two years out of three..."
Lin Sicheng choked for a moment: As the saying goes, you can't force a cow to drink water. You could say that these three years were three years of complete slacking off. It would be a miracle if he didn't fail his courses.
But the past is the past, and the present is the present.
"What do you know? Do you even know what cultural heritage preservation is, or what appreciation is? These are completely different things... If I hadn't taken too many minor courses in appreciation, how could I have failed?"
"But you can't just slack off for a little while and expect to get something for nothing?"
"It's not like I only learned to appreciate art after going to university. I've been following my grandfather since I was a child, and I've learned it by observing."
Gu Ming was skeptical: "I've watched it quite a bit, how come I didn't learn it?"
Lin Sicheng smiled without saying a word, while Gu Ming paused for a moment and clenched his fist.
Although Gu Ming is two years older, Lin Sicheng is three times smarter and more perceptive than Gu Ming. In any case, from childhood to adulthood, Lin Sicheng has always been the one to think, while Gu Ming has always done the work; there has never been an exception.
To say that Lin Sicheng suddenly had a breakthrough and could even make money from it seems a bit sudden and unreliable.
But the 10,000 yuan on Lin Sicheng's card and the two tiles he was carrying couldn't possibly be fake, could they?
Gu Ming thought for a moment, then pointed to the iron tile: "How much can this sell for?"
"Only ten thousand or eight thousand!"
"Bullshit!" Gu Ming gritted his teeth. "Do you think I'm blind?"
When he took the ten thousand yuan, the man didn't even blink. But when he saw the iron roof, he trembled with excitement.
Gu Ming suspected that even 100,000 yuan wouldn't be enough to break that iron tile.
What does 100,000 mean?
Old Gu, as the deputy director, would have to work for four years without eating or drinking. Uncle Lin, being a level higher, would have to work for at least three years.
Lin Chengwa, on the other hand, only used half a day?
Suddenly, Gu Ming's eyes lit up as he looked at the densely packed antiques, which resembled stacks of bright red banknotes.
"Want to wander around some more?"
"I'm not going to turn around anymore." Lin Sicheng shook his head. "Shall we go to the supermarket to buy groceries and a case of wine?"
Gu Ming blurted out, "Our grandpa loves Moutai the most!"
"Okay, then let's go with Moutai!"
"A box costs several thousand, are you really going to buy it?"
What else?
All his skills are inherited from his grandfather; what's so special about buying his grandfather a case of Moutai?
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