Chapter 81
She smiled and looked at Grandpa Zhang. When she saw the obvious uneasiness in his eyes, Yang Ye immediately adjusted her tone. She lowered her voice and said gently, "Grandpa Zhang, I have seen this thing of yours. It is indeed a good porcelain vase. However, it may be a little different from the ones we usually collect in our store."
Grandpa Zhang was stunned, the uneasiness and anticipation on his face froze in an instant. He frowned in confusion, looked at Yang Ye with some bewilderment, and his voice was also tinged with confusion, "What do you mean, Boss Yang? What do you mean by different? This has been passed down from my grandfather's generation. It has been kept at home for many years."
Yang Ye did not answer, but quietly turned the blue and white porcelain vase so that the light in the room could hit the surface of the porcelain vase. Her eyes were calm and she was considering her words carefully. Perhaps she was giving Grandpa Zhang some time to buffer.
The atmosphere in the store was a little quiet for a moment, and Grandpa Zhang unconsciously clasped his hands together.
"Xiao Xiao, what does your boss mean?" Grandpa Zhang saw that Yang Ye didn't say anything, so he turned to ask Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao was stunned for a moment when her name was suddenly called. She put down her freshly brewed tea and walked over quickly. At her desk, she quickly glanced at the porcelain vase on the table and made a judgment. But she didn't directly answer whether it was true or not. Instead, she dragged her office chair from behind and helped Grandpa Zhang sit down.
"The boss looked at the things carefully, she must have looked at them carefully before telling you." Xiao Xiao's voice was crisp. After she finished speaking, she handed over the cup of tea and said, "Please drink some tea first, and wait for the boss to tell you slowly."
Grandpa Zhang took the teacup and took a sip. The warm tea aroma temporarily soothed the irritability on his face, and his tense shoulders seemed to relax a little. However, there was still confusion in his raised eyes, which moved back and forth between Yang Ye and Xiao Xiao.
Yang Ye finally spoke. She tilted the porcelain vase on the table slightly, pointed at the glaze on the vase and said to him, "Your item is indeed very good, but the color is really wrong. The blue and white on it is too bright. Old items usually use Sumaliqing, which has a hint of purple in the blue. In the light, the whole color should sink in, but your color is too bright."
She gently lifted the bottle again and pointed at the bottom. "And your signature. The stroke order of the characters is still different. Some are darker, some are lighter. The wear marks are also very deliberate. Overall, yours is a good item, but it's not what we need in our store."
Grandpa Zhang sat there with a frown on his face, not saying a word. He took several sips of the teacup I had just put down. After a while, he asked, "Boss Yang, you've been talking to me in such a long circle. You're saying that this thing of mine is fake, and you won't accept it, right?"
Yang Ye nodded slightly, his eyes filled with apology.
"How is this possible?" Grandpa Zhang's emotions also rose a little. His voice was much higher, with resentment and anger. "I asked someone else to look at it a few days ago, and they said mine was a good thing. How come you say it's fake?"
Yang Ye didn't argue, but gave his answer gently, "Grandpa Zhang, I can't comment too much on what others say, but from my professional point of view, the overall appearance is wrong. However, it is indeed a very good imitation. You can take it home and put it in your home as a beautiful ornament. There is no problem with that. It is worth the price."
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!" Grandpa Zhang was suddenly excited. He stood up from his seat and pointed at the porcelain vase with trembling fingers. "I asked someone to identify it, and they told me it was real. How could it be fake? They even reported it to me."
As he spoke, he tremblingly took out a few sheets of folded paper from his pocket. He unfolded the paper and almost forced it into Yang Ye's hand. "Look at it, look carefully. It's written in black on white paper, and it's stamped with someone's red seal. How can this be fake?"
Yang Ye took the reports. "Jinshizhai Appraisal Center" was printed in large letters at the beginning. The first page briefly analyzed the porcelain vase, examining its pattern, age, and glaze. The next page contained color photos of the vase taken from various angles, carefully chosen for their lighting. Many photos were shot using a warming filter. Yang Ye quickly scanned the description of the vase.
The vase is about 35 cm tall, with a lipped mouth, a thin neck, a plump shoulder, and a bulging belly. It has a regular shape and symmetrical proportions, which conforms to the common style of folk kilns in the late Qing Dynasty. The body of the vase is painted with blue and white, the blue and white color is pure, the layout is appropriately dense, and the brushstrokes are neat, which has certain characteristics of the times.
Continuing his gaze, the report's contents were convincing. The glaze on the vase was translucent, with visible signs of natural wear and an aged patina in some areas, consistent with the characteristics of late Qing Dynasty glazes. The colors were distinctly layered, the brushstrokes smooth and natural, and the artistic conception simple and unpretentious. The exposed base of the vase was a delicate, glutinous white, well-sintered, and neatly trimmed, with signs of natural wear and oxidation. Comprehensive appraisal determined that this blue and white landscape vase is a genuine product from a folk kiln during the Guangxu reign of the late Qing Dynasty. It is well-preserved and in excellent condition, possessing high collectible and market value. A preliminary market valuation of approximately RMB 30,000 is estimated.
This conclusion was drawn by Mr. Wu Yu, a senior appraiser of our center, based on his many years of experience and after combined with advanced instrument-assisted testing. The report is authentic and valid, and is hereby certified.
She suppressed the absurdity and confusion that kept growing in her heart until she saw the end. The signature was stamped with a striking red institutional seal and Wu Yu's own name seal. These papers looked professional, rigorous, and almost flawless. If it weren't for the fact that the things in front of her had so many loopholes, even Yang Ye would have been fooled by these reports alone.
"Jinshizhai Appraisal Center, Appraiser Wu Yu"
The name, the organization.
A strong sense of disharmony and fear made her heart tighten. Yang Ye's fingers suddenly felt cold. She seemed to have thought of something and turned to look at Xiao Xiao who was standing opposite her. The moment their eyes met, Xiao Xiao understood tacitly. She walked to the coffee table and took the business card that she had just put down.
Yang Ye took the business card.
Jinshizhai Appraisal Center, appraiser Wu Yu
Same agency name, same appraiser
An inexplicable chill enveloped the inexplicable terror, and panic suddenly crept up her spine, causing Yang Ye to shudder. She clutched the papers and business cards tightly, not knowing what to say for a moment.
The store was eerily quiet, as if even their breathing was unnecessary.
The floor-to-ceiling glass door leading to the yard was opened, and sunlight streamed in directly from outside. The sunlight was obscured by floating dust, and the wind blowing from the yard seemed to carry a certain dullness and deep depression.
Grandpa Zhang was still caught up in his excitement and didn't notice Yang Ye's sudden change of expression. He stood there, unable to stop saying, "Well, I didn't lie to you, did I? It's clearly written here, and there's even an official seal. How can a red official seal like that be fake? And the experts said this bottle is worth at least this much."
He stretched out his hand and made the number three.
Yang Ye took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice as steady as before. Pointing at the signature on the report, she tried to speak in a casual tone, "This report is indeed quite... quite well-organized. Who did you do the appraisal?"
"It's the appraisal shop that just opened in the city." Grandpa Zhang's attitude changed immediately when he heard her ask this. "It's on the new commercial street on Jianguo Road. The storefront is decorated in an old-fashioned style, with three floors. The room is bright and many people go there for appraisals. My third uncle next door and his family also went there. When they came back, they told me that the machines there are very advanced, and that their appraisal teachers all graduated from the Provincial Museum and are very capable."
"So amazing?" Xiao Xiao took over the conversation and continued talking to Grandpa Zhang.
"Yeah, and getting the report for this thing isn't easy. If you want something simple, you can get it on the same day, but simple ones are useless. They're just a few pieces of paper with no guarantee. You need this kind of appraisal certificate like me. The manager also told me that with this appraisal certificate, whether I sell it in the future or need to insure it, or even when I'm old and want to pass it on to my daughter, this report will come in handy."
"So that's how it is. They've thought it through really carefully." Xiao Xiao nodded in agreement, but her eyes quickly exchanged with Yang Ye, and there was an expression of disbelief and surprise in both of their eyes.
"Hey, Grandpa Zhang, is this appraisal expensive? How much does it cost?" Xiao Xiao asked again
"It's not expensive, just three thousand yuan," Grandpa Zhang answered simply, with a sense of relief as if he had gotten a bargain.
“So cheap”
"Yes, the manager said that this is the price they charge just to build up their reputation and run promotions. They call it something, something, something, a trial discount. When we become more famous, it will cost at least seven or eight thousand to authenticate something like mine."
Her brow furrowed ever tighter as she stood there, taking deep breaths over and over. Her chest expanded and contracted with the rise and fall of the breaths. But no matter how long she held it in, it felt like a nameless fire was choking her chest. The nagging restlessness grew stronger, along with a deepening fear.
"Grandpa Zhang" Zhou Yiheng also came over and said, "Our boss has seen your bottle and the report. So let me ask you, how much do you plan to take?"
Grandpa Zhang was a little worried when he heard this question. "Doesn't the report say there will be 30,000 yuan?"
"The price in the report is just a reference. Your item is 30,000 yuan from them, but we may not be able to give you 30,000 yuan. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide."
"Well, well, I don't know what your market situation is like?" asked Grandpa Zhang.
Zhou Yiheng explained, "Our market prices are changing every day. You can't just follow ours. You have to think of the price yourself, and then we can tell you."
"Now you ask me to think about it, how can I figure it out?"
"That's it." Seeing that they had found the right direction, Zhou Yiheng continued to talk to Grandpa Zhang, "How about this? You go back today and think about how much you want to sell it for. We'll discuss it again. When you have decided on a price in a couple of days, we'll come back to discuss the rest of the matter."
Grandpa Zhang was already a little unsure, and after hearing what Zhou Yiheng said, he stopped talking, nodded, and left with the bottle.
As soon as the door closed, the smile on Zhou Yiheng's face disappeared instantly. He walked back quickly, looked at Xiao Xiao, and then looked at Yang Ye with her.
"Boss, is there any problem with this report?" Xiao Xiao asked.
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