Chapter 335: Buying a Cricket Jar

He Zuming walked to the entrance of the siheyuan,

Then he pointed at the siheyuan and said to me, "Jianqiang, do you know how much this siheyuan is worth?"

I said, "Mr. He, I heard a siheyuan costs forty million."

"That was before; it's doubled. Now a siheyuan costs a hundred million. So here money isn't really money. A speck‑sized place is worth a hundred million."

"Sigh, at the foot of the Imperial City, everything under heaven is precious."

"Let's go."

He Zuming then knocked on the door,

Soon a young servant came out,

When the door opened,

he said, "Mr. He, you're early."

"Morning, Xiao Yan. Have you eaten?" He Zuming greeted in the Sijiucheng dialect.

"Already ate, Mr. He. How should I address this gentleman today?" Xiao Yan asked.

"He's Mr. Zhao; he wants to see the crickets," He Zuming said.

"Alright. Mr. He, Mr. Zhao, please come inside," Xiao Yan gestured.

I followed He Zuming into the courtyard,

At the entrance stood a glazed‑tile screen bearing the Fu Character; beyond it the courtyard was planted with green bamboo and furnished with stone tables and stools.

Then there were two side rooms.

Passing the side rooms, we reached the second courtyard.

The second courtyard housed a fully enclosed Nuan Peng.

Inside it was truly springlike,

with bonsai, artificial rocks, strange stones, plants, and the sound of flowing water.

He Zuming pointed at a flower and said, "Only here can you see the world‑famous white peony. Look, in this season it's already budded."

I followed He Zuming's hand, and on a large peony tree there were indeed several buds.

"When it blooms, be sure to invite me to admire it," He Zuming said.

"Don't worry, Mr. He. Whoever is invited will certainly ask you to come see it," Xiao Yan replied.

"Mr. Li, is he up?" He Zuming asked.

"He's up, waiting for you inside. Mr. He, Mr. Li just acquired a new jar and is waiting for you to take a look," the servant said, leading us into the main house.

Inside the main house stood a man in a Tang‑style robe, in his fifties.

When he saw us arrive,

he clasped his hands and said, "Mr. He, greetings."

Mr. He also clasped his hands,

"Greetings, Mr. Li."

No need to ask; this is the Hongguo Li mentioned earlier on the road.

"How should I address this gentleman?" Hongguo Li asked He Zuming, pointing at me.

"He is Mr. Zhao, from the Xinfadi area, also a player, a good fish‑insect enthusiast, and has long heard of Mr. Li's reputation, so he came especially to visit," He Zuming said.

I quickly clasped my hands in salute,

"Mr. Li's name is renowned, I've long wanted to meet him but had no chance; thanks to Mr. He's recommendation, today I finally meet the real master player Mr. Li."

Hongguo Li also clasped his hands,

"Mr. Zhao, you're too kind. I'm just a fun person, not particularly skilled, merely lifted by people in the circle. Go inside quickly; Xiao Yan, fetch water."

"Alright, gentlemen, please have a seat inside," Xiao Yan said.

He Zuming and I entered the house,

Inside, the first thing I heard was the chirping of crickets,

then I saw a plaque on the wall that read "Douqu Hall".

The floor of the room was surprisingly paved with yellow earth.

We sat in front of an Eight Immortals table,

Soon Xiao Yan poured two glasses of water and placed them before us,

"Please enjoy, gentlemen."

I nodded.

At that moment Hongguo Li took out a yellow‑green jar from the room,

"Mr. He, I only acquired this Zhao Ziyu jar a few days ago, but have been hesitant to appraise it. Now that Zhao Ziyu is here, please take a look."

Hongguo Li carefully handed the jar to He Zuming,

He Zuming took it in his hand, examining the jar inside and out.

After a while, he placed the jar to his nose and sniffed,

then said to Hongguo Li, "Mr. Li, someone has tampered with it. It's a fake."

"Ah, how could that be? I bought this jar for eight hundred thousand. Look at the pattern on the bottom. It's an ancient Yan Zhao Ziyu make; earlier imitations were made."

"And look at the shape of the jar, and its color—how could it be a fake?" Hongguo Li insisted.

He Zuming didn't argue with him,

he simply took out a cigarette, lit it,

then laughed, "Mr. Li, I heard that during the Republic era a Zhao Ziyu cricket jar was worth a hundred silver dollars. This one is only eight hundred thousand, so you've taken a huge loss."

"What you say isn't false; the shape and the clay are almost the same as Zhao Ziyu's jars."

The most crucial part is the mark at the back; Zhao Ziyu's genuine jars all have a small gourd engraved on the bottom rim of the lid, with a seal script 'Zhao' character inlaid in the middle,

All those bearing the gourd-shaped Zhao mark are made from specially selected refined clay by Zhao Ziyu himself, personally fired; surviving examples number no more than 180.

The rest are all imitations.

Mr. Li, this imitation of yours is also a fine piece; it should be a Daguang ware, and Daguang ware was a famous product of the Republican era.

He specializes in imitating Zhao Ziyu; in both craftsmanship and clay used, it can easily pass as genuine.

Zhao Ziyu's jars are judged mainly by the clay quality; the clay contains no gold specks, and the purity of the clay in his jars is unmatched in the world.

The clay must undergo repeated settling and filtering for over three years, then be tempered through scorching heat and severe cold before it can be used.

Zhao Ziyu's jars have a tall, sturdy shape; the rim and handle give a feeling similar to Han jade.

Mr. Li, the jar in your hand is just a bit short of proper firing; even so, it's worth 800,000.

After all, it's a Republican-era imitation of Daguang ware.

Upon hearing He Zuming say that,

Hongguo Li's face broke into a smile,

"Indeed, Mr. He, with your vast experience and wide exposure, this jar is truly an imitation; you could see it at a glance."

There are many imitations of Zhao Ziyu's jars in the world, but they only resemble the form; they still fall short of capturing the spirit.

Mr. He, since it's an imitation,

I don't want to keep it either,

Republican-era items are too recent in age.

Please, Mr. He, make the move.

"This is simple; today I brought Mr. Zhao over just to see what Mr. Li has in his hand."

Mr. Zhao, you've been looking for an old jar, haven't you? Mr. Li happens to have one.

To know, for keeping insects, one must use an old jar; new jars have excessive heat and can easily harm the insects.

This jar is from the Republican era; although it's not by Zhao Ziyu, it is also a Daguang imitation.

Since Mr. Li wants to sell it,

Then I'll act as a middleman; Mr. Li, name your price." After He Zuming said that, he glanced at me.

I instantly understood; He Zuming was having me buy that broken jar.

I immediately said: "Mr. Li, to you all I'm just a small player, a beginner, just getting started; a few days ago I bought several jars,"

they were all modern imitations; I wanted to buy older jars, so I sought out He Zuming, who told me you have genuine pieces here.

Mr. Li, please name your price."

"Haha, Mr. Zhao, you sound like a straightforward person at first hearing; I most like dealing with straightforward people. As I just said, I bought this jar for 800,000."

He Zuming has also appraised it; although it's not a genuine Zhao Ziyu piece, it is still a Republican-era Daguang imitation and has market value.

As for me, I'm a businessman,

a businessman must concern himself with profit.

I'll offer one million for this jar. Mr. Zhao, this price is out of respect for Mr. He's face.

I looked at He Zuming,

He Zuming also looked at me,

"Mr. Zhao, you weren't looking to buy a jar from last year to raise insects, were you?"

This jar is good; it's a genuine Republican-era piece. Mr. Li, let's do this: out of respect for my face, let me give you a discount.

"Then let's knock off fifty thousand." Hongguo Li said, extending his hand.

Just now He Zuming gave me that look; I understood his meaning—he wanted me to buy this jar.

So I said: "All right, Mr. Li, Mr. He; I consider myself learning from the two of you. I'll take this jar. I'll pay a ten-thousand deposit now and send the rest this afternoon."

He Zuming said: "Mr. Zhao, I'm merely acting as a go-between between you two; once the purchase is made and you leave, you can't back out. Moreover, Mr. Li, after selling to Mr. Zhao you can't take on a second master."