Chapter 41 It's better not to let him know.
Having been instructed beforehand, the greeter led them directly to the reception room.
As soon as he entered, his nephew Wang Youwei grabbed Wang Qizhi's arm and started bragging:
"Uncle, you don't know, the dog bowl is so dirty and smelly, you wouldn't even dare throw it in the trash can..."
"But just a splash of water, and 'whoosh,' it becomes an antique? Sister Anning actually said it's worth at least several hundred thousand..."
"The key thing is that guy, he doesn't look much older than me..."
Wang Qizhi was taken aback: "What is that, a dog bowl?"
The older brother only said that he had his eye on a cloisonné piece and asked him to come and take a look. Wang Qizhi really didn't know what the piece was or where it came from.
"Yes, it's a dog bowl!"
Wang Qihua sighed, "It was dog food and dog feces. The bowl was completely covered inside and out, and you could smell the stench even through the car window..."
I was puzzled at the time: the young man was quite energetic and dressed smartly. If he could afford a dog, how come he couldn't even afford a bowl?
But then he wiped it with a cloth, and the blue porcelain was revealed... Only after Anning explained did we realize it was cloisonné..."
Wang Qizhi was stunned: he had heard countless stories of finding bargains over the years. But finding a dog bowl as a bargain was truly a first for him.
Where is the stuff?
"We arrived a bit early, so we've already sent Huaizhi and Anning to inquire!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open, and her two nieces walked in together.
Wang Qizhi pointed his finger and said, "Call your mom, I won't take care of you!"
Ye Anning scoffed, "It's alright, tomorrow I'll just grab a basin and a stick, and stand at the west gate..."
"You think I'm afraid of you? Come on then!"
The uncle and nephew were bickering, with Hao Jun following closely behind, and a salesman carrying a basin behind him.
Perhaps due to the enclosed environment, a foul odor wafted out as soon as the outer soft cloth was opened.
Wang Qizhi exclaimed in surprise: "It really is a dog bowl?"
A brief introduction, getting straight to the point.
Wang Qizhi immediately used a high-powered scope, moving incredibly fast: "The bronze body is very thin, and the overall design is simple yet beautiful, so it should be from the Kangxi period..."
"The cloisonné lines are fine, even, and of uniform thickness, and the craftsmanship requirements are even more stringent than during the Kangxi period..."
"The base blue glaze is made of cobalt blue and azurite, the water lily leaves are lake green, and the fish tails are light pink. The latter two are domestically produced enamel materials newly created during the Yongzheng period... This basin should be made during the Yongzheng period, most likely in the early Yongzheng period!"
Wang Qizhi paused for a moment, then asked with some doubt, "But it doesn't seem like the work of the Imperial Workshops?"
Ye Anning blinked: "Why?"
"Too many pinholes in the glaze indicate that the glaze mixing process is not yet mature."
"The decorations on the bottom of the basin are too three-dimensional, and the style of Western painting inherited from the Kangxi period is too strong..."
"The composition is overly meticulous, resulting in an overall bloated and cluttered effect..."
Wang Qizhi scoffed, "Given Yongzheng's personality and his obsession with enamelware, if the Imperial Workshops had produced something like this, this basin could have been smashed in the face of the Grand Eunuch..."
Ye Anning paused for a moment, recalling something Lin Sicheng had said by the roadside:
Kangxi and Qianlong reigned for 121 years, ten times longer than Yongzheng. Yet, the combined imperial edicts issued for enamelware are less than half of those issued during Yongzheng's twelve-year reign, demonstrating the extent of their obsession. If the Imperial Workshops were to produce enamelware in such a state, the Grand Eunuch might as well quit his job…
They're not the same at all; there's absolutely no difference!
She sighed and turned the basin over.
"Huh, a reverse-seat room... a reverse-seat room?" Wang Qizhi's eyes lit up. "A trial production model from the Prince Yi's residence!"
Everyone in the reception room was stunned.
Hao Jun was completely bewildered: It's one thing to be no match for Lin Sicheng, but where did this guy come from?
Wang Qihua and Ye Anning were also quite shocked: the third brother (the youngest uncle) had been interested in this field since he was a child, studied it in college, and had been working in it for nearly ten years, and his research level was extremely high.
He could tell just by looking at the money; they weren't surprised at all.
But that young man was only around twenty years old. Where did he get his experience and develop his eyesight?
The key question is, how badly was this pot burned?
Wang Qizhi was still a little skeptical: "Is it really a dog bowl?"
"The dog was lying under our car at the time, how could it be fake?"
"You can tell how well it was sealed back then just by smelling it: the smell had seeped in."
"He's really only in his early twenties. Standing next to Youwei, it's hard to tell who's older or younger."
"I can recite the Draft History of the Qing Dynasty and the Qing Palace Archives by heart!"
Upon hearing the last sentence, Wang Qizhi was startled again: "Is that really possible?"
But you never know, just like Lin Sicheng, who is only in his early twenties.
I just feel like Xi'an is a really weird place...
Out of mere curiosity and without giving it much thought, Wang Qizhi put away the magnifying glass and said, "Manager, name your price!"
"Eight hundred thousand, 17% commission!"
"Less than a million, the price is acceptable, issue the invoice!"
Wang Qizhi made the final decision, stared at the bottom of the basin, and sighed:
"Brother, what a pity. The main design element is these two fish, but the glaze on them has almost completely worn off. Otherwise, it would be worth more than three hundred thousand..."
Wang Qihua also felt it was a pity: "Third brother, can this glaze be repaired?"
"Of course, it's possible, but you'd have to find a master glaze restorer, like Professor Yang Shiqi or Professor Cheng Qun (a porcelain restoration expert at the Palace Museum)... We do have one at Northwest University, who used to be the vice dean of our department, but unfortunately he's retired..."
Wang Qizhi thought for a moment: "But his grandson hasn't graduated yet, he's in our department. I'll ask him if I can ask him for help."
Hao Jun was watching the salesperson issue the invoice when he was stunned: the vice dean of a college at Xida University, who is also a porcelain restoration expert? If this is not Professor Lin, who else could it be?
And his grandson is still studying at Xida University and hasn't graduated yet?
Subconsciously, he glanced at the cloisonné enamel bowl on the table, then at Wang Qizhi: Although the antique circle is not big, this is too much of a coincidence.
Just as he was marveling at the amazing feat, Wang Qizhi took out his phone, scrolled through it a few times, and made a call:
"Once you get to school tomorrow, come to my office when you have some free time... What, you're injured?"
"Lin Sicheng, don't give me that nonsense... Come on, tell me which hospital you're in, I'll come see you."
"What? You don't need to be hospitalized? If you don't need to be hospitalized, why aren't you coming to class?"
"If you don't come to see me tomorrow, I'll come to see you..."
Hao Jun's eyes widened, but he didn't dare to utter a sound: Judging from his tone, this was more than just knowing each other.
He's a teacher, after all. If he said, "Lin Sicheng, 800,000 is too high, give me a lower one," would Lin Sicheng lower the price or not?
After issuing the invoice, Wang Qihua swiped his card.
After packing the sunflower-shaped tray into a box, Hao Jun saw the group out of the shop.
Seeing the two cars drive out of the parking lot, he took out his phone, then hesitated for a moment.
If Professor Wang sees that potted plant tomorrow and realizes that Lin Sicheng isn't surprised at all, he might think: "So you knew I was the one who bought it yesterday."
What, you're afraid I'll haggle over the price, so you don't dare say a word on the phone?
Forget it, it's better not to let him know...
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