Chapter 302 Going Against the Grain
Panjiayuan on weekends is like a pot of boiling douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), bustling, scalding, and noisy, filled with the unique lively atmosphere of old Beijing.
Crowds surged through the passageways between the shantytowns, with stall owners calling out in drawn-out tunes, mingling with the sounds of bargaining.
Lin Sicheng stood beneath the archway, the sunlight slanting down, casting a faint golden glow on his face. His eyes, like probes, swept over the old objects, some new, some fake.
"Hey, Cousin Lin!"
A slender figure pushed through the crowd, reeking of scallions from a jianbing (Chinese crepe). Jing Zeyang held up a plastic cup, "Have a sip!"
A stench of rancid rags wafted into his nostrils, and Lin Sicheng frowned slightly.
He discovered that native Beijingers all had a particular fondness for urging outsiders to drink douzhi (fermented mung bean juice). Ye Anning was like that, and so was Jing Zeyang.
However, Ye Anning was lying; Jing Zeyang genuinely wanted him to try it: "Yin San Douzhi, a century-old brand, is the most authentic in Beijing..."
It's not quite a century old, but it's definitely the most authentic. Of course, the taste is also the strangest. It's not like Lin Sicheng didn't taste it in his previous life.
He shook his head firmly: "Brother Jing, I don't like it!"
"You'll gradually get used to living in the capital as you get older..."
Jing Zeyang didn't try to persuade him anymore. He inserted the straw, took a bite of the pancake in the left hand, and a sip of soy milk in the right.
Lin Sicheng was alright, but Fang Jin covered his nose and hid seven or eight meters away.
As they walked, Jing Zeyang realized something was wrong: "Where's Squad Leader He?"
"I had an urgent task at work and couldn't come today!"
Jing Zeyang, biting into a pancake, mumbled, "We shouldn't have come a long time ago. This is Beijing, not abroad."
Lin Sicheng nodded: Although it is not as safe as it was after the 19th Party Congress, Beijing is still the capital city. It is not as good as the best, but it is not as bad as the worst.
Besides, I'm not so precious that I need someone to protect me.
He brought it up a few times, and Dean Zhang and Dean Ma felt that they were being a bit too anxious. Besides, they were busy before the holiday, so they recalled Squad Leader He...
"Then just call me whenever you go somewhere in the future!"
"Thank you, Brother Jing! Although Squad Leader He couldn't come, he arranged for another driver!"
Jing Zeyang nodded: "That's right!"
As they walked and talked, the three of them entered the market.
Just as he stepped over the archway, Jing Zeyang suddenly stopped, his eyes bulging outwards.
Not far away, only about ten steps away, two figures were standing at a stall selling ancient books.
One of them stood out: her high ponytail was neatly tied back, revealing a full and smooth forehead. Her neck was fair, her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite, and her posture was as upright as a pine tree.
At first glance, he exudes a sharp and efficient aura.
Suddenly, Jing Zeyang felt that the soy milk in his hand no longer tasted good. He hesitated and muttered, "It's true that enemies are destined to meet!"
Lin Sicheng glanced at it: What a coincidence, it's Xu Qin and Tang Nanyan.
He suppressed a laugh: "Brother Jing, what are you afraid of? She's not going to hold you down and beat you up for no reason."
“Cousin Lin, you don’t understand! Fang Qing spent a year abroad, got bored, and came back. Lately, she’s been trying to contact me indirectly…”
Jing Zeyang sighed and pointed to Tang Nanyan not far away, "The key is, this woman is too nosy. Do you think I can't avoid her?"
I understand now, a good horse doesn't eat the grass it's already grazed.
When it comes to romantic relationships, it's not appropriate for outsiders to comment. But since we've run into each other, we should definitely say hello.
Lin Sicheng walked over and noticed someone standing behind him. Tang Nanyan instinctively turned her head.
Their eyes met, and a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in her pretty eyes: "Oh, Teacher Lin?"
Xu Qin turned around and was taken aback: What a coincidence!
Panjiayuan is such a big place, it's amazing that we bumped into each other on the same day, in the same passageway.
It was actually not a coincidence at all: they were both looking for old martial arts books. Although the market is large, there is only one place where ancient books are concentrated, so it is not surprising that they met.
"Officer Tang, Section Chief Xu."
Xu Qin was very surprised: "Teacher Lin, what a coincidence!"
"What a coincidence!" Lin Sicheng nodded with a smile. "Section Chief Xu is here to shop too?"
Xu Qin felt a little guilty: "Nan Yan and I don't really know much about this. We just felt like wandering around on a whim!"
Was it just a whim?
Lin Sicheng glanced casually at the stall in front of the two men: it was full of old books.
Comic books, newspapers, children's books, martial arts novels... Near the stall closest to the two, there was an open old boxing manual.
Lin Sicheng immediately understood, but did not point it out.
"Then you two keep watch!"
Xu Qin was about to nod when Tang Nanyan interrupted, "Teacher Lin, wait a moment... um... um... um..."
After looking at several pieces of jade, Tang Nanyan suddenly had a bright idea when she saw a jade stall not far away. "Sister Xu and I have our eye on a piece of jade, but we're not sure if it's real or fake. Could you please take a look at it for us?"
Lin Sicheng could tell at a glance that she had made it up on the spot, but he was not bothered: he had just borrowed the ancient boxing manual from someone yesterday, and he couldn't pretend not to know it after just one night.
Furthermore, these two are definitely here today to look for old boxing manuals, hoping to learn something from him. Ultimately, they want to help him.
After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "Of course, where is it?"
Tang Nanyan pointed casually: "There!"
"Okay, let's go take a look!"
The five of them walked over together, and Tang Nanyan kept giving them meaningful glances.
Xu Qin understood what she meant: helping him find boxing manuals would deepen their relationship, and asking for his help would also deepen their relationship.
Who cares if it's a white cat or a tabby cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat.
Upon closer reflection, that makes perfect sense.
As the sun rose higher, the air was filled with the unique, aged scent of old objects. The group stopped in front of a jade stall.
The stalls were filled with a dazzling array of items: bracelets, necklaces, jade hairpins, earrings, white jade, agate, jadeite, crystal... all kinds of products, everything imaginable.
The stall owner was a lean, middle-aged man with quick, alert eyes: "Gentlemen, what would you like to see?"
Tang Nanyan glanced at the stall and pointed: "Teacher Lin, that one, a thumb ring!"
Lin Sicheng glanced around: near the center were several jade thumb rings, gleaming in the sunlight.
It's not very green, nor very translucent; it's somewhere in between, with a slight yellowish tinge within the emerald green.
This type has a professional term in jadeite grading: "tea green," which refers to a clear, greenish-blue color with a slight yellow tint. It's slightly better than bean green, but slightly inferior to clear, green jadeite.
In a jewelry store, this wouldn't be considered a special item, but at an antique market stall, it's considered a good find.
"Quite a good amount of water, huh?" Jing Zeyang leaned down for a closer look. "Good quality, and it looks quite old."
The stall owner immediately put on a smile: "Boss, you have a good eye. This is genuine old pit tea, a treasure passed down from my ancestors. If it weren't for an urgent need for money, I would never have taken it out... Look at the quality, the color..."
Xu Qin leaned closer out of curiosity: To be honest, she hadn't inspected much jade. Although Lin Sicheng had just conducted training, she wasn't really confident about applying it in practice.
Now look at this one: the base color is a clear blue with a slight yellow tint, like a clear sky after rain.
It's impossible for Nanqin to just randomly point and actually pick out a real item, right?
Just as he was thinking about it, Lin Sicheng squatted down and picked up the ring. He glanced at it casually, then put it back.
"good!"
The two short words were spoken in a steady tone and with a calm manner.
Having spent half his life in the antique business, reading people's expressions was just a basic skill. The stall owner's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile: "Would you like to take a look at the others?"
"Thank you, but no need!"
Lin Sicheng stood up and left, while Jing Zeyang and Tang Nanyan had the exact same expression: looking back every few steps.
Even after they'd turned the corner, Tang Nanqin was still tilting her head back, recalling, "It looked pretty real to me, didn't it?"
Jing Zeyang scoffed, "If it's in this place, which one doesn't look genuine?"
"Fine!" Tang Nanyan sneered, "Then tell me, what was wrong with that one just now?"
Jing Zeyang was speechless: What could he possibly say?
He actually thought it looked quite real, but Lin Sicheng glanced at it and left, not wanting to look at it any longer, which meant there was definitely something wrong with it.
"The fluorescence looks fake. It's a B-grade product filled with resin. It's made of material that has been etched with strong acid and then filled with resin. It looks quite real to the naked eye, but you can see the flaws when you shine a UV light on it."
Lin Sicheng's voice was not loud, "You can see it with the naked eye, under sunlight and with a magnifying glass: the 'grain' of natural jadeite is very random, appearing as patches of varying sizes, while that piece was so regular it looked like a grid drawn with a ruler..."
Tang Nanyan was taken aback: "But just now, Teacher Lin, you didn't use a magnifying glass, nor did you shine it on the sun?"
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "It's a feeling!"
No expert relies on intuition when making an assessment. But the professional knowledge involved is too vast to explain in a few words. Besides, even if it were explained, Tang Nanyan might not understand.
Tang Nanyan could tell from the obvious perfunctory attitude that the man was being dismissive, and she couldn't help but purse her lips.
Jing Zeyang laughed gleefully, but fearing a beating, he didn't dare laugh out loud.
Lin Sicheng and Xu Qin walked at the front:
“Section Chief Xu, Officer Tang has my phone number, I can give it to you again. If you want to discuss anything, feel free to call me anytime. I'm young, and I still need a lot of guidance from my seniors…”
Lin Sicheng was implying that he wasn't as serious or arrogant as they imagined, and that they didn't need to specifically look for an opportunity to ask him anything.
A hint of awkwardness appeared on Xu Qin's face: "I'm just afraid of troubling you!"
"It's not a trouble, nor is it asking for advice; we're just exchanging ideas."
"Thank you, Teacher Lin!" Xu Qin said with a hint of gratitude. "Then I won't bother you any longer today."
"You're too kind!" Lin Sicheng smiled. "If you're not busy, we can take a look around together."
The words were simple, yet perfectly timed and subtly wise: they neither put Xu Qin in a difficult position nor embarrassed her by revealing her thoughts.
Lin Sicheng doesn't seem like a young man in his early twenties, full of vigor and vitality. He seems more like a wise man who has experienced many ups and downs and seen the vicissitudes of life.
Tang Nanyan followed at the back, and the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Instinctively, she saw Jing Zeyang behind her, and her heart skipped a beat. She took a step back and asked, "Jing Zeyang, are you quitting your job at the dance troupe?"
Jing Zeyang curled his lip: "Is it any of your business?"
"Yes, of course it's none of my business!" Tang Nanyan sneered. "But Fang Qing is quite concerned. Last week she even said she wanted me to accompany her to the dance troupe to find you."
She's looking for someone, is she looking for someone?
Jing Zeyang gritted his teeth: "Tang Nanyan, can you please mind your own business?"
"Sure, let's see if you can speak properly!"
I fucking...
Seeing Tang Nanyan feint her fist, Jing Zeyang immediately deflated.
You can't beat her in a fight, and you can't exactly go to the adults to complain, can you? If you do, you might get another beating: "A young man in his early twenties, getting beaten up by a girl every day, aren't you ashamed?"
He took a deep breath: "Okay, ask away!"
"Didn't I already ask why you didn't go to work?"
Tch, you might as well just be direct: Why do I spend all my time following Lin Sicheng around?
"It was arranged by Uncle Wang!" Jing Zeyang didn't mention Qin Ruozhi and his cousin, but pointed at Lin Sicheng. "Didn't expect that, did you? 'A great teacher produces a great student!'"
Who is it, Uncle Wang San, Wang Qizhi?
Tang Nanyan paused for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: That's unlikely, isn't it?
According to the elders, the third son of the Wang family was the most unreliable, a complete scoundrel. He did whatever he wanted, cared about nothing, and acted entirely on his own whims.
Of course, she's definitely much better than Jing San'er; at least she doesn't indulge in debauchery and extravagance. But to say that she could teach a student like that seems highly improbable.
Putting aside other issues: why didn't the bureau invite Wang Qizhi directly for training, but instead invited his student?
That's one point; the second is personality.
If you magnify Jing Zeyang's personality by a factor of two, you'd think of a young Uncle Wang. With a personality like that, you couldn't have taught such a calm and reserved student.
While they were pondering, the group walked through the crowd and passed several stalls selling porcelain and secondhand books.
After a quick glance, seeing nothing he wanted on the stall, Lin Sicheng didn't stop.
As he strolled along, a faint scent of medicine wafted into his nostrils. Lin Sicheng stopped and glanced at an inconspicuous stall in a corner.
The stall was cluttered with miscellaneous items, among which was a simple and antique-looking rhinoceros horn cup with a subtle, warm luster.
The cup is small, a deep brown color, with intricate and elaborate patterns engraved on its body. It is covered with a thick patina, giving it an antique feel.
The key element is that faint, almost imperceptible medicinal fragrance.
More importantly, what is the difference between this cup and the Crimson Cloud Cup unearthed from the Ming Dingling Mausoleum (the tomb of Emperor Wanli) and now treasured in the Palace Museum?
Lin Sicheng sighed and looked at the old man who was nestled in the recliner, seemingly dozing, but actually observing them through his eyes.
"Boss, may I take a look at this cup?"
The old man slightly raised his eyes and stroked his goatee: "Take it yourself?"
Pretty casual, huh?
But don't doubt it, he's just playing on your rebellious psychology.
Lin Sicheng nodded and took the rhinoceros horn cup in his hand.
Of course he knew it was fake; he was just curious: why could it look so much like it?
After tapping it once he got his hands on it, Lin Sicheng realized with certainty: So it just looked similar?
The differences in touch, smell, and even hearing are vast. But this is based on the premise that he has seen the real thing and studied it quite thoroughly.
To ordinary people, or even semi-experts like Brother Zhao and Teacher Zhao, it looks exactly like a real rhinoceros horn.
Lin Sicheng glanced at it again and put it back.
The boss, who had been extremely calm and composed, like Jiang Ziya sitting on a fishing platform, opened his eyes: "Didn't you like it?"
Lin Sicheng remained noncommittal: "It's alright!"
Upon hearing that it was alright, the old man sat up straight.
In other places, "还行" might still mean "okay," but here, it's a direct way of telling you: this thing is not right.
That's quite unusual. Countless people have seen this thing, but this is the first time I've seen someone so confident and certain.
He stood up, took out his cigarette case, and offered me one. Surprisingly, it was a pretty good cigarette: a hard pack.
"Young man, tell me, where is it alright?"
Lin Sicheng sighed.
Don't underestimate him just because he's a conman; he knows how to learn and understands how to keep up with the times.
Even if they had doubts in their hearts: "This kid is young and inexperienced, what does he know?" they still held the mentality of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free": "What if this kid figured something out?"
The saying goes, "It's always good to have more skills." Next time you try to imitate something, at least you'll know how to improve it...
Thinking it over, he waved his hand and pointed to the cup: "The saltpeter was too strong when it was boiled, it has a smell."
"Huh?"
The old man froze, and it took him a long time to come to his senses.
He solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, then picked up a small stool: "I must ask you for your guidance!"
But Lin Sicheng didn't move.
The old man thought for a moment, then took out his wallet: "You need tuition fees, right?"
Everyone stared wide-eyed, including Jing Zeyang, Xu Qin, Tang Nanyan, and Fang Jin.
It's no exaggeration to say that this was the first time they had ever seen anything like it.
Lin Sicheng was both amused and exasperated: "What kind of status do you have to be to need to give pointers to a fraudster?"
He shook his head. "Let me ask you first: where did this donkey hoof come from? Why is it so big and so long?"
The old man jerked back, looking as if he'd seen a ghost; his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "A fellow traveler?"
“Those who do this kind of work wouldn’t come here. I’m just curious!” Lin Sicheng pointed to the cup again. “Tell me first where this donkey is from, and I’ll point out two flaws.”
The old man believed it without a doubt.
Just by looking at it, you can tell that it's a donkey hoof, not a water buffalo, yellow cattle, or yak horn. This person is definitely an expert among experts.
Afraid of being overheard, he lowered his voice and uttered a single word: "Hide!"
After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng suddenly realized: Good heavens, Tibetan wild asses?
The cost of replicating such a cup would be tens of thousands. No wonder it's half-hidden, half-revealed, and placed among a pile of junk?
He nodded: "The sour taste is too strong, the burning is too intense, the ice crack is too deep, the bamboo grain (a unique pattern of rhinoceros horn) is too coarse... the soaking time is too short, and the dye is uneven."
"Also, it was only cooked for one hour, so it wasn't cooked thoroughly: the fishy and gamey smell was too strong, and it even smelled like urine and donkey dung!"
The boss was stunned, amazed by the extraordinary talent.
These flaws do exist, but he dares to guarantee that, let alone collectors and enthusiasts, even if you ask ten experts who specialize in appraising horn artifacts, eight of them would at most be able to spot one of them.
The remaining two might see everything, but definitely not that quickly. To put it bluntly: less than an hour, and the boss would practically eat the cup.
He quickly reached into his sleeve, pulled out a string of milky-white beads, and bowed down again.
The beads are quite large and white, but they are a bit new.
It's not an antique, but rather a handcrafted item: giant clam shell.
Although fishing has long been banned in China, it's not banned in Southeast Asia. So it's not very expensive; the cost price of a string of these is around 1,000 to 2,000 yuan.
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "How could I possibly accept that?"
The old man smiled broadly and said, "Please help me."
"I definitely don't have a solution, but I can give you a little pointer!"
The old man bent down even lower: "Please tell me!"
Lin Sicheng took the bead in his hand: "Don't use the phoenix vine to soak it. This stuff does have a high flavonoid content, which can indeed fool ordinary collectors into thinking it's real rhinoceros horn processed by ancient imperial physicians."
But an experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctor could spot it immediately: "This stuff wasn't discovered until the 1980s, and it wasn't listed in the Chinese herbal medicine catalog until the 1990s... Where would such a thing exist in ancient times?"
The old man was suddenly stunned: How could he, a counterfeiter of rhinoceros horn cups, know what new Chinese medicine is and what old Chinese medicine is?
He must have paid countless tuition fees and put in a great deal of effort to learn about the Phoenix Vine.
The boss was stunned for a long time until Lin Sicheng turned and left before he came to his senses.
Looking at Lin Sicheng's back, he cupped his hands and bowed down, bending his waist to a ninety-degree angle.
This isn't just an expert, this is a fucking master...
Lin Sicheng was holding the skewers, and his eight eyes kept glancing back and then back at him.
It wasn't until now that they realized: the rhinoceros horn cup was a replica made from a donkey hoof. But there were too many flaws, and Lin Sicheng saw through it one by one.
The shop owner was so impressed and grateful for his guidance that he gave him a skewer as a gift.
To be honest, apart from Fang Jin, the other three had visited Panjiayuan many times, but what happened today was truly the first time they had ever seen anything like it.
Looking at the old man again, they had already walked about ten steps, and he was still apologizing with his hands clasped as he watched Lin Sicheng leave.
For a moment, Tang Nanyan hesitated, unsure whether she should ask the question.
After following them for quite a while, she finally couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Lin, were the donkey hooves they were using poached from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau?"
"It's not worth taking such a big risk to make a fake antique. Domestic regulations are strict, but they're incredibly lax abroad, just like this giant clam shell pearl necklace... The hoof he used to make that cup was probably hunted down in India, Nepal, or Pakistan and processed on the spot..."
After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Officer Tang, that's not what you're asking, is it? Are you wondering how I should advise the scammers?"
Having her thoughts exposed, Tang Nanyan smiled sheepishly and nodded.
Lin Sicheng left a very deep impression on her: a person who could brave danger alone, who hated evil as if it were his enemy, and who was also selfless and devoted to his own interests, and who taught the police his most secret tricks, would never teach a swindler how to swindle more people just for a string of beads.
She couldn't quite grasp the situation: the contrast was too great, it couldn't be a split personality, could it?
"Don't worry, he knows about those problems even if I don't tell him. The key is, he can't solve any of them!"
Lin Sicheng twirled the string of beads, "The key to the medicinal effect of rhinoceros horn cups lies in the live cutting. Donkey hooves naturally have no medicinal effect, but if you want the imitation to have blood seep deep into the keratin layer like rhinoceros horn, it also needs to be live-cut, and it needs to be processed immediately after cutting..."
"It doesn't matter in the plains, but in the plateau region, the water can only be boiled at 90 degrees Celsius at most. Even if you boil it for a month, let alone 24 hours, you still won't get rid of the fishy smell."
"Secondly, donkey hooves are too dark in color, almost black. Even the darkest rhinoceros horn is only close to dark brown. To lighten the color of a counterfeit, it must be burned with acid. But no matter what kind of acid it is, it will inevitably leave a residue and cause coarse, deep cracks, rather than the natural bamboo grain or ice crack patterns..."
Tang Nanyan suddenly realized: Lin Sicheng wasn't giving advice at all, but rather doing the opposite, pointing the stall owner towards the underworld.
The more the man believed it, the more he would ponder it. And the deeper he pondered, the more fake his cup became...
Haha... I didn't know you could do that?
Suddenly, her two pretty eyes lit up...
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