Clay figurine maker Jiang has his own handicraft factory in Shaanxi and many apprentices. Although he can't be called a rich man, he can live a comfortable life without any problem.
As he said, the old man came out only to broaden his grandson's horizons, not to make money at all.
After receiving my answer, the old man, like a child who had received a beloved toy, began to build a charcoal kiln with his grandson in the warehouse.
According to Jiang, the clay maker, once he decided to forge something, he had to completely imitate the ancient craftsmanship in every aspect, from kneading the clay, throwing, printing, trimming, drying, to carving, glazing, firing, painting, and glaze color changes.
With such a national-level ceramic master endorsing me, I naturally have no worries.
Making pottery is a long process. According to Ni Ren Jiang, it will take at least half a month to get the finished products for this batch of pottery we need.
During this period, we found several small tombs from the Western Zhou Dynasty and collected a large amount of raw materials for the clay figurine. Without exception, all of these tombs collapsed, and we never encountered any bronze artifacts again.
After more than ten days of rest, my injuries have mostly healed, and Monkey has also been discharged from the hospital.
To avoid being attacked again, we did not continue to stay at the accommodation arranged by Qinghuai, but instead stayed at a cheap hotel near the warehouse.
That evening, Monkey and I were playing cards in the room when Song Laosan, who had gone out to buy dinner, pushed open the door and walked in, grinning at me: "Good news! I just got back from the warehouse. Our batch of stuff is almost done. The father and son are getting it aged!"
I perked up immediately: "How far have we progressed?"
Old Song grinned and said, "When I came back, Mudman Jiang was teaching his grandson how to use hydrofluoric acid mixed with water to remove the firelight. Mudman Jiang said he would work through the night to make the color, and after the glutinous rice mold is made, he would mix the tomb soil we brought back with lime to make yellow mud to coat the outside. After three days, soil rust will appear!"
I added, "Give him a call and tell him to mix some of the bronze artifacts we brought back into the clay when he's applying the clay, and then sprinkle some salt on it! That way, the rust won't be able to be scraped off with a knife, and it won't be detectable!"
Hearing our conversation, the monkey rolled its eyes at me: "Young Master Duan, if you have this skill, why didn't you show it off sooner? Remember when we were kids, we used to collect mineral water bottles all over the streets to get to internet cafes? If you had known, you could have made a fake back then, and you wouldn't have suffered all that trouble."
"The antique business is all about human nature. If we had been forging things since we were young, it's uncertain whether we would have survived to this day!"
I pointed at Song Laosan: "Let's not talk about anything else, just look at the Song family. Both of his older brothers lost their lives because of this business! Also, do you know what Third Master's father's nickname is?"
The monkey thought for a moment: "Song Lao Er?"
"Get lost, don't make fun of my dad!"
Old Man Song cursed at the monkey and placed the food bag on the bedside table: "My dad's name was Song Iron Leg. When he was young, in order to gain the trust of a smuggling gang, he presented a fake item as a treasure. As a result, he was recognized and his right leg was broken inch by inch. After the old man passed away, there was a large lump of molten iron in his cremated ashes. They were all steel nails connecting the bones. People in this business are not clean. Once you are caught red-handed for counterfeiting and selling fakes, you basically have to endure whatever they tell you to do. If it goes to the authorities, neither side will get away with it."
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the monkey looked at me nervously: "Young Master Duan, if selling counterfeit goods is really as dangerous as Third Master said, then you shouldn't show up for the shipment the day after tomorrow. Let me go instead!"
"No, I have to handle this personally the day after tomorrow. I can't find out anything about Chuanshitang without contacting them."
I dragged the bedside table over, opened the food bag on it, and asked Song Laosan, "Apart from the Mud Man Ginger thing, how are things going?"
Old Song nodded: "Don't worry, everything is ready."
...
Luoyang Cultural Expo City is an ancient-style architectural complex. In addition to cultural artifacts, it also offers leisure and entertainment as well as local snacks, making it more like a commercial complex scenic area that integrates traditional culture.
Ma Quezi's Chuanshitang is located on the main street of Wenbo City. Although the business is antiques and miscellaneous items, most of the items displayed in the shop are handicrafts.
Early that morning, I deliberately changed into a set of cheap clothes I bought at the morning market. Before entering the house, I even scratched the ground with my hands to get black dirt under my fingernails. I then walked into Chuanshitang carrying a crossbody bag.
The shop had just opened, and a young clerk was sweeping the floor. When he saw me walk in, he immediately greeted me with a smile: "Handsome, come in and take a look. Are you looking to buy souvenirs or gifts?"
Seeing how enthusiastic this young man was, my heart sank.
In the antique business, what is the most important thing?
eyesight!
A qualified antique shop assistant should be able to tell a lot about a customer's background and spending level the moment they walk in.
To create an inconspicuous impression, I deliberately made my clothes and shoes a little dirty, so that the other person would actively guess my identity.
As it turned out, the young man didn't even bother to look at me closely.
Perhaps I am born with an air of nobility, and even this unassuming outfit cannot conceal this radiance?
I glanced around and pointed to a fake Tang Dynasty-style ceramic bowl on the display shelf, asking, "How much does this bowl cost?"
"It says it right here, 3,880! We're having a promotion right now, so if you're serious about buying, you can get a 20% discount." The young shop assistant smiled broadly. "Everything in our store comes with a certificate of authenticity, so you can buy with confidence."
I pointed to something next to me and asked, "How much does this cauldron cost?"
At this moment, a middle-aged man came out from the back room. Seeing that I had left many footprints on the ground, he said in a deep voice, "That's not a cauldron, that's an incense burner!"
I saw a hint of impatience flash across the middle-aged man's eyes, and a surge of joy filled me. I awkwardly chuckled, "Ah... so this is an incense burner. It's quite a delicate little thing!"
"Young man, looking to buy some gifts?" Although the middle-aged man could tell I wasn't one of their target customers, he still spoke politely: "Our Chuanshitang products are quite expensive and not really suitable for ordinary people. If you really want to buy something, I suggest you go further in. The prices at some of the smaller shops in the back are more reasonable, since their rent is cheaper and their costs are lower."
I gave a slightly embarrassed smile: "Brother, I'm not here to buy anything, I just wanted to ask if you buy antiques."
"antique?"
The middle-aged man looked me over with some skepticism, but finally fixed his gaze on my shoulder bag: "Did you bring the things?"
"I brought it."
As I walked toward the counter, I took off my handbag: "The reason I came here is because your storefront is quite big. A store this big shouldn't be lying."
"Of course, our Chuanshitang has a good reputation on this street..."
The middle-aged man was halfway through his sentence when he saw me place my handbag on the counter and open it. His eyes lit up immediately: "Young man, where did you get this pottery tripod?"
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