"Let's go, it's on Wangfu Street."
Wang Shuning got on his bicycle and followed Tao Zhongxiao.
I have heard about Wangfu Street. It was the place that was smashed the most in those years. I heard that many of the people living there were descendants of royal relatives.
After arriving at the place, Wang Shuning looked at the dilapidated courtyard walls and roofs, which were almost in ruins.
Tao Zhongxiao led Wang Shuning through many twists and turns into an alley, where there was a whole row of single-room houses. Judging from the bricks and tiles on the roofs, they should be quite old.
"Come in." The door opened a crack, and a rough-faced, thin man gestured to Tao Zhongxiao.
Wang Shuning followed Tao Zhongxiao in.
There was no light in the room. The light came in through the window, making all four corners dark.
When the man saw Tao Zhongxiao bringing a girl, he asked uncertainly, "Brother Mao, is this girl rich? My things are not cheap."
Tao Zhongxiao glanced at Wang Shuning awkwardly, then turned to the man and said, "Big customer, just take out the things. There is nothing she can't afford."
The man looked Wang Shuning up and down suspiciously, then turned around, walked into the room and closed the door.
Tao Zhongxiao explained with a smile: "Usually, men come to buy, and you are the first woman."
Not long after, the man opened the door and came out holding something.
All wooden boxes.
The moment he opened the box, a hint of surprise flashed in Wang Shuning's eyes.
It's a jade necklace, and it looks like an old thing.
"This thing is passed down from my ancestors. It came from the palace. Only the imperial concubine can wear it. Take a look at it." The man stood aside and motioned Wang Shuning to take a look at it himself.
Wang Shuning leaned over and looked at the jade necklace carefully. Each bead was the same size, color and water content. They should have been picked out from a piece of stone.
She turned on the flashlight and shone it on the beads. There was enough water, so they must be real.
The man continued to open several other boxes. Except for a white jade pendant, the rest were all porcelain.
Famille rose bowls, blue and white plates, and a small white porcelain bamboo vase.
Wang Shuning asked, "Aren't there any bigger ones? Like the porcelain ones that are one meter high?"
The man smacked his lips. "How could it be so big that it still exists today? It was smashed to pieces a few years ago."
Wang Shuning curled his lips.
Look at the seals on the bottom of these porcelains, they are all from official kilns.
Jade is not easy to fake in this era, and the authenticity is also relatively easy to distinguish. At most, the age is exaggerated a little. Wang Shuning originally didn't quite believe it when she heard that it was worn by the empress in the palace, but now looking at these official kilns, she began to believe it a little.
"Are there any of your ancestors who were officials?"
The man raised his chin proudly and said, "Serving closely beside the emperor, these things are all rewards from the government."
Wang Shuning raised his eyebrows, and his first reaction was: "Eunuch?"
The man raised his eyes, "Royal guard."
Wang Shuning nodded and praised quickly, "Oh, that's amazing."
How could the imperial guard get hold of something worn by the imperial concubine? Judging from the expression on his face, he must be a eunuch.
Seeing Wang Shuning still looking, Tao Zhongxiao said, "Don't worry, there must be nothing wrong with the stuff. I know this area best."
Wang Shuning put down the magnifying glass and turned off the flashlight. "How much are these?"
The man pointed at the three pieces of porcelain and said, "These three are three hundred yuan each, the jade necklace is six hundred, and the jade pendant is two hundred."
Wang Shuning was not satisfied with the price. It was not the time of liberalization yet, and these things could not be circulated in the market. If they were not intended to be passed on to the next generation, they would be sold cheaply. His price was too high.
"The porcelain is fifty yuan each, the necklace is one hundred and fifty yuan, and the jade pendant is thirty yuan."
The man opened his mouth in shock. There was no time for bargaining. He looked at Tao Zhongxiao and said, "You can take care of the people you brought."
Tao Zhongxiao pulled Wang Shuning aside and said, "You cut too hard."
Wang Shuning said unhappily, "He saw that I was a little girl and didn't know much about the business, so he quoted such a high price. What's the harm if I bargained for a little more?"
Tao Zhongxiao said in a deep voice: "How much money can you give? I'll go and ask."
Wang Shuning pursed his lips. "The jade necklace is half of what he quoted. The other porcelain pieces are so small, and the jade pendants are just so-so in carving. I think the total should be about three or four hundred."
Tao Zhongxiao: "I'll go and talk to him."
Wang Shuning folded his arms across his chest, thinking that his price was probably too high.
When the man heard that the three porcelains were worth a hundred yuan, he said, "Brother Mao, these are all from the official kiln, from the palace, they are different from the ordinary goods outside."
Tao Zhongxiao put his arm around the man's shoulders and said, "Come on, you know how much these old things cost now. We finally got a buyer from out of town. If we miss this opportunity, we'll never get another one. You're in a hurry to sell it, right? Hurry up, we still have to go to the next one."
The man suddenly became anxious, "Is there another buyer?"
Tao Zhongxiao: "Of course, when the time comes, if there is something better than yours, she will definitely choose it. Can't you see that she wants a bigger one? Your size is a bit shabby."
The man complained: "If it was seven years ago, I also had a big one, but it was smashed to pieces. I was so sad, because it was a treasure left by our ancestors."
Tao Zhongxiao: "The higher you sell, the higher my commission will be. Brother Mao can't cheat you. This girl is very smart."
The man said helplessly: "Forget it, take all the 700 yuan."
Wang Shuning stretched his head and said, "Six hundred and five."
The man opened his eyes wide: "I~"
Tao Zhongxiao pulled the man back and said, "Six hundred and fifty dollars, deal."
Wang Shuning counted the money from his pocket and handed it to the other party.
After the transaction, the man took a large bamboo basket from the corner, filled it with half-rotten vegetable leaves and hid the box inside.
Wang Shuning followed Tao Zhongxiao out carrying a bamboo basket and entered another dilapidated courtyard less than 300 meters away.
Looking at the calligraphy and paintings on the table, Wang Shuning couldn't make any sense at all.
There are too many things to pay attention to in ancient paintings. In treasure appraisal programs, there are countless examples of modern imitations of ancient works. It is not easy to determine whether the ink marks are hundreds or thousands of years old. If you only look at the seals, you will not be able to recognize them unless you are a particularly famous calligrapher or painter.
"Why don't we just forget about calligraphy and painting?" Wang Shuning said to Tao Zhongxiao tactfully.
The seller was furious when he heard this. He finally found a buyer and now it was going to fail. "If you think it's too expensive, the price can be lowered."
Wang Shuning explained: "It's mainly because I can't tell the difference. I heard that there are many imitations of things that are hundreds of years old and thousands of years old. If you are not an expert, you can't tell them apart."
The seller quickly said: "These are definitely real. My grandfather used to do this. Look at these seals. They are all from famous people in ancient times."
Wang Shuning pursed his lips suspiciously, "But I don't know any of them."
Tao Zhongxiao advised, "His grandfather and great grandfather were both scholars who liked to collect these ancient books and paintings. Although they are not as beautiful as jewelry, the prices will definitely increase after a few decades when the environment is not so tense. You might as well take them. A dozen paintings combined are not as valuable as those two porcelains. It is cost-effective to buy more."
Wang Shuning was troubled: "If it was copied by a modern painter, it would only be two or three hundred years old, so I would be at a huge loss."
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