Chapter 7 Buddha Statues
In the context of "wenwan" (文玩), "wen" (文) comes first, followed by "wan" (玩).
So don't be surprised by any kind of item you encounter in the antique market.
What Xiao Yuzhu found strange was the price: urban workers earned 1,200 to 1,300 yuan a month, while migrant workers earned even less, averaging 800 to 900 yuan a month.
Lin Sicheng spent four hundred yuan to buy a broken feather duster.
After looking at it for a long time, she blinked and asked, "Senior sister, is this thing very old?"
Li Zhen examined it carefully: "The patina is very thick; it must be quite old."
Even if it's old, it's still just a feather duster, not worth four hundred.
After Lin Sicheng paid, Xiao Yuzhu stared at the duster and said, "Lin Sicheng, you're quite rich, aren't you?"
You're quite adept at using yin and yang?
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Not bad!"
Unexpectedly, he was so blunt that Xiao Yuzhu was momentarily speechless: "Why did you buy this?"
"Sweep the kang!"
Xiao Yuzhu was stunned, not knowing how to respond: You used to be so aloof, how come you're suddenly so funny?
Li Zhen curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
Another customer arrived at the stall, and the stall owner quickly put on a smile: "Mr. Chen, Teacher Sheng."
Not wanting to block their business, Li Zhen and Xiao Yuzhu moved aside.
Lin Sicheng also turned around and narrowed his eyes.
Two middle-aged men were standing in front of the wood carving stall. He recognized one of them: a well-known collector and lacquerware appraisal expert from Xijing.
He has a keen eye and the skills, but his reputation isn't good: he often engages in the despicable act of "distinguishing the genuine from the fake" and "distinguishing the fake from the genuine."
It seemed that Li Zhen also knew her, and she was whispering with Xiao Yuzhu.
When the two arrived at the stall, the man in the suit pointed to a wooden carving: "Teacher Sheng, that's the one!"
The stall owner hurriedly handed it over: "Teacher Sheng, please take a look!"
Teacher Sheng nodded and took it.
Lin Sicheng also glanced at it: a Guan Gong statue carved from a longan, about twenty centimeters tall. The style was very rough, and you could tell at a glance that it was carved using the "Xiangyuan School" axe-cut technique.
However, the wood grain is clear, without losing its smoothness and delicacy.
Upon closer inspection, it is entirely purplish-red, a very deep color, yet it also has a hint of gray.
Normally, wood carvings that have been passed down for over a hundred years will develop this grayish, aged look, but this one certainly doesn't.
First, it's too shiny; second, the wood grain is too dark; and third, the gray sheen is too light—it's obviously been artificially aged.
Teacher Sheng should be able to tell.
Sure enough, Teacher Sheng first looked at it, then touched it, then knocked on it, and then smelled it.
Finally, he dabbed some saliva on the wood carving, tasted it with his tongue, and frowned immediately: "When did you buy this?"
The stall owner quickly replied, "I found this when my father was alive; it's been almost ten years!"
"Oh, the stuff is alright!"
Teacher Sheng said it was alright, but returned the wood carving.
Mr. Chen's expression changed: The product is not right?
The stall owner was taken aback at first, then quickly forced a smile: "Why don't you take a look at the others, such as this Guanyin statue and this female Buddha statue? I found them in the snowy area and had them examined by someone. They are at least from the Ming Dynasty!"
Teacher Sheng examined each piece, shaking his head as he looked at them: "This one is too new, the smaller one is quite old, but it's not in Tibetan script!"
The stall owner's face immediately fell.
Lin Sicheng suppressed a laugh: "You failed to fool me the first time, and you're trying to fool me a second time? No wonder people will choose you."
The Guanyin statue has dense, spiderweb-like patterns and a scorched, dull appearance; it looks fake no matter how you look at it.
The bottle without clothes is quite authentic, but it's clearly written in Mongolian script. Why do you insist it was sourced from the snowy region?
Expert Sheng just has a bad reputation, not bad eyesight.
Huh, she's not wearing any clothes?
Is it written in Mongolian?
Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up. After the stall owner saw the two people off with a dark face, he pointed and said, "Boss, bring that Buddha statue over and take a look."
In a flash, the stall owner's eyes lit up: "Which one?"
If someone dares to buy a broken feather duster for four hundred dollars, wouldn't they be able to sell a Buddha statue for tens of thousands?
"The one you just pointed out to Teacher Sheng, the smaller one, the female Buddha statue!"
"Okay, okay..." the stall owner replied, carefully carrying it over. "Young man, let me tell you, this is a genuine find from LS Red Mountain. So don't be fooled by its damaged state; it would fetch at least hundreds of thousands at auction..."
Lin Sicheng just chuckled, looked at it twice, and then held up one finger: "One thousand!"
The shop owner looked troubled, and before he could even open his mouth, Lin Sicheng shoved the wooden carving into his hand: "If you don't want to sell it, then forget it!"
"This is a Tantric Buddhist statue!"
It is indeed a Tantric Buddhist statue, but the stall owner was just making it up on the spot; it was a lucky accident. Otherwise, something like this wouldn't be on their stall.
Lin Sicheng shook his head and turned to leave, but the stall owner grabbed his arm: "Hey, young man... a thousand it is!"
Lin Sicheng took the statue and took out his wallet.
The stall owner took the money, beaming with joy: "Young man, take a look at this big one!"
Lin Sicheng didn't even look up, his voice lowered: "Roasted by fire!"
The stall owner was taken aback: That Teacher Sheng only said it was new?
The stall owner was also certain: Teacher Sheng was just guessing, but didn't know why it was new.
This young man is quite something, he saw right through it all.
Wanting to argue a bit, but lacking confidence, the stall owner forced a smile: "You're joking. Why don't you take another look at this Guan Gong statue? It's definitely an antique over a hundred years old. I've had it for almost ten years."
Lin Sicheng looked helpless: You really are persistent, trying to squeeze every last drop out of a sheep?
He sighed, "You really dare to brag? If you take a longan carving to the north, it's bound to explode."
The stall owner was completely stunned, his smile freezing on his face: Oh right?
Longan, also known as dried longan, has a dense wood texture and fine grain, making it particularly suitable for carving.
However, because the south is humid and the north is dry, longan carvings must be kept in a controlled temperature and humidity environment in the north, otherwise they will crack within two years.
Look at this bottle at my feet: it's not even cracked, let alone shattered.
But he just blurted out: "I've had this for over ten years... If it's been sitting out like this every day, it would have been fried to a crisp by now?"
He was both surprised and suspicious, and suddenly looked up: where was the young man?
...
"What did you say to the boss that startled him like that?"
"I told him my grandfather is an archaeology professor at Xida University, and that he shouldn't lie to me!"
"Then why did you fall for it?"
Xiao Yuzhu pointed to the female Buddha statue in his hand, "That expert Sheng didn't even bother to glance at it, but you, you spent a thousand yuan?"
"That's called getting good value for money!"
"Where is the value?"
Lin Sicheng thought for a long time: I can't just say, "I have excellent eyesight, this thing is definitely valuable."
"At least it's quite unique. I'll put it by my bedside and look at it every now and then!"
"Hiss~"
Xiao Yuzhu drew out the word, her face full of disgust.
It was indeed quite unique: completely naked except for a ribbon around her neck.
The carving is also superb, with a prominent front and a curved back. If you turn it over and look at it from the back, you can see that every fold is a fold, every wrinkle is a wrinkle, every wisp is a wisp, every strand is a strand... It's incredibly lifelike and vivid...
The key is the expression: a hint of seduction beneath the solemnity, a touch of lust beneath the dignified demeanor...
She pouted and said, "You'd be better off watching a movie than this."
Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment.
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