Chapter 25: Mansheng Pot

Purple clay is purple clay; it can be not purple, but it cannot be not red.

It can also lean toward brown, lean toward tan, or even lean toward yellow. But regardless of which one it is, the base tone is always red; it is absolutely impossible for it to lean toward blue.

Blue Purple Sand Pot... I have never even heard of such a thing.

Hao Jun's eyes widened as he looked at it from every angle: when he turned it to the back, where the Flashlight could not reach, the pot body was purple.

But as long as he shifted the angle slightly, the clay color would turn toward red; shift it again, and it would turn blue.

Looking at it upside down, it remained the same.

Lao Song was the same, his brows knitted and his mouth agape.

Suddenly, he snatched the Flashlight and shone it; the pot body emitted a blue light. Once the Flashlight was turned off, it became purple.

He would not give up, so he used a tea tray to carry the pot outside, facing the sun.

It was all for nothing; although it did not turn directly blue, it emitted a distinctly blue-tinted red light.

Lao Song's face turned green as he carried the teapot into the room: "Why wasn't it this blue before?"

Lin Sicheng did not speak, but pointed to the ceiling.

With just this small light bulb, dim as a ghost market, it would be a wonder if you could see clearly.

"Could it be that some pigment was added when the embryo was molded?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lao Song wished he could slap himself.

The reason why the Purple Clay Teapot can stand apart from ceramics is precisely because it involves no Glazing, no painting, and possesses the natural, vintage feel of the sand texture.

If any pigment were added, it would only be worth even less.

Of course, it probably isn't worth much money now anyway: a Blue Purple Sand Pot—anyone who knows the trade would laugh their teeth out upon hearing of it.

"Why would it be like this?"

"The copper blue content is too high."

Lao Song was stunned for a moment: "What?"

"It is basic copper carbonate, or copper sulfate."

Lin Sicheng explained patiently: "The reason why a Purple Clay Teapot changes color when heated is mainly due to the different iron content in the pottery clay.

The higher the iron content, the deeper the color, such as the classic Zini Pot or Zhuni Pot. The lower the iron content, the lighter the color, such as the rare White Clay Pot: like the Lipi Pot or Yabai Pot.

But it is very rare for one to lean toward blue; if it must lean toward blue, there is only one reason: the copper blue content in the clay is quite high. There are not many places that produce pottery clay with this characteristic, but Yixing certainly does not!"

"But why can't you tell usually?"

"Because of spectral neutralization: red and blue neutralize into purple, unless there is interference from strong light."

Isn't it precisely because of the strong light interference that the color separated into layers?

Lao Song's face was ashen: whose child is this, and why does he seem more seasoned than an expert who has been immersed in this craft for decades?

To say that what he said makes no sense would be nonsense.

He held onto a final shred of hope: "It really isn't a Yixing pot?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "One hundred percent!"

"Then what is there left to talk about?"

Because over ninety percent of famous pot makers were born in Yixing, trained in Yixing, worked in Yixing, and also became famous in Yixing.

If it is not produced in Yixing, then what is there to talk about regarding a Purple Clay Teapot?

Lao Song was at a loss for tears.

Of course, he was still half-skeptical about the talk of copper sulfate, but the fact that this pot leaned blue was an indisputable reality.

He has been in this line of work for over twenty years, and a Blue Purple Sand Pot... he had never even heard of such a thing, damn it.

If one had to find an explanation: either, as Lin Sicheng said, it was not produced in Yixing. Or, as he had guessed before, pigment was added.

But as for coloring a Purple Clay Teapot, by the late Qing Dynasty and Republic of China, it was not as good as the non-Yixing products from the mid-Qing Dynasty. After all, it is not as if there were absolutely no famous non-Yixing purple clay masters in the mid-Qing Dynasty.

He pulled himself together: "Old Hao, who are the famous non-Yixing purple clay masters from the Qing Dynasty?"

Hao Jun thought for a moment: "From the early Qing Dynasty, Xu Jinhou and Hui Mengchen were not from Yixing, but this pot is from the mid-Qing period, so that is obviously impossible. There were two in the mid-Qing: Chen Hanwen and his son Chen Yinqian.

Although they were from Yixing, because Chen Hanwen was at odds with his elder brother Chen Mingyuan, he moved far away to Zhejiang. If you go any later than that, there are no famous masters."

Lao Song also recalled: Chen Yinqian, no fame to speak of. Even if it really was a copy by him, ten thousand or eight thousand yuan would be the absolute limit.

Chen Hanwen, Chen Mingyuan's younger brother... come to think of it, it really is possible: no wonder it was copied so well?

But to be honest, the fame is just average.

But isn't that better than nothing at all?

He made a bitter face and then grimaced: "Old Hao, I won't ask for thirty thousand, and you don't offer fifteen thousand; let's meet in the middle, twenty thousand!"

Hao Jun jumped up in fright and stepped back two paces: "Lao Song, do you take me for a fool?"

"You believe what a child says?"

"He is a child, yes, but his grandfather is Lin Zhangqing!"

Hao Jun sighed, "Lin Sicheng, I won't lie to you: Professor Lin is an old senior, and he is currently hospitalized, so I didn't want to trouble him, thinking I would let you take a look first.

Let me tell you the truth, don't be angry: I thought if you couldn't tell, I would have an excuse to ask Professor Lin for help once he was discharged from the hospital. But I didn't expect you to be able to see to this extent? Senior Brother apologizes to you: I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai..."

Lin Sicheng was between laughter and tears: "That is a bit much!"

Hao Jun shook his head and said nothing more.

Lao Song stood with his mouth agape, stunned for a long time.

Lin Zhangqing's grandson... no wonder he is so knowledgeable?

But no matter how knowledgeable he is, this pot still has to be sold, right?

He forced a smile, "Old Hao, this pot is from the mid-Qing, that much is certain, right? I'll lower the price again, just like you said, fifteen thousand!"

Hao Jun shook his head: "Fine, even if it is a pot by Chen Hanwen, is it worth fifteen thousand?"

Lao Song kept his mouth agape, not knowing what to say.

Two years ago, a Chen Hanwen Straight-bellied Round-mouthed Pot was auctioned, but it lacked a lid; it only fetched 590,000 after the contemporary Purple Clay Teapot master Gu Jingzhou provided a matching lid.

In all honesty, if that lid were put up for auction separately, it would likely fetch over 500,000.

But at least this one still has its lid.

"120,000, not a cent lower!"

Hao Jun sighed: "Lao Song, at this point, it's no longer a question of money. Forget about famous masters or eras, and don't mention who has looked at it. You've been in this business for so many years, put your hand on your heart: have you ever seen a Purple Clay Teapot with a bluish tint?"

Lao Song's lips twitched, and he was speechless.

He truly hadn't, but was he really going to be stuck with it?

He gritted his teeth: "100,000... I really bought it for 100,000, I'm giving it to you at cost!"

Hao Jun had already made up his mind; he wouldn't take it even for 10,000, let alone 100,000.

Just as he was about to shake his head, Lin Sicheng smiled: "Senior Brother, 100,000 isn't impossible; after all, natural Blue Sand Mud is rare, so it at least has some research value."

Lao Song nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Yes your head... I'm not Professor Lin, I'm just an antique peddler, what do you want me to research?"

Lao Song had a flash of inspiration: "Just because you can't research it doesn't mean others can't, like Professor Lin... young man, you're right, this is Blue Sand, it might even be a one-of-a-kind piece... If Old Hao doesn't want it, it's because he doesn't know its worth. I'll sell it to Professor Lin, it's not expensive, just 100,000!"

"One-of-a-kind, Lao Song, you really dare to brag?" Hao Jun sneered, "Besides, Professor Lin is retired, what research would he do?"

Lao Song was silenced again.

Lin Sicheng looked bewildered; he didn't know how things had developed to this point.

No, this is a real treasure, and I didn't say the pot wasn't valuable, so what's with you two pushing it back and forth?

Did I push too hard?

But thinking carefully, aside from those few sentences explaining why the pot body had a bluish tint, he only said two things regarding the value of the pot:

It's a very realistic imitation!

It's not made of Yixing pottery clay!

It was impartial, and he even gave it a compliment.

So what was the reason that made Hao Jun go from longing for it to fearing it like a tiger? And what was the reason that made Lao Song go from thinking he had a rare commodity to being afraid of being stuck with it?

He understood; it was mainly the issue of the bluish tint on the pot body. It was indeed rare... well, one could almost say it had basically never appeared before.

Plus the two of them asking and answering, and a bout of overthinking: that non-Yixing pots aren't considered Purple Clay, that there are no masters outside of Yixing, and then, it became like this:

Not a master's work, not produced in a famous place, and it's a damn style no one has ever seen before—how much could this pot be worth?

But to be honest: for only 100,000, buying a pot made jointly by Chen Hongshou and Yang Pengnian—he would wake up laughing in his dreams if he could get that.

So Senior Brother Hao, if you miss this village, there won't be another shop.

He smiled: "Senior Brother Hao, Grandfather is indeed retired, but there are many research institutions, and it's not like you don't have acquaintances? For example, Xida, or the Yaozhou Kiln Research Center... if you flip it, you can still make ten or twenty thousand!"

Hao Jun shook his head: "Ten or twenty thousand, isn't that more trouble than it's worth?"

He paused slightly: "If you really think it has research value, it's not impossible to buy, but it's best to ask Professor Lin first!"

No... I didn't say I wanted to buy it, I was telling you to buy it.

Why can't I get through to you?

Lao Song started nodding again, almost shoving the pot into Lin Sicheng's hands: "Yes, yes, yes... sell it to a research institution. Professor Lin is our Shaanxi Province authority on ceramics; he knows so many research institutions, flipping it for thirty or fifty thousand would be easy."

Lin Sicheng sighed.

Hao Jun could no longer be persuaded; if he tried any more, Hao Jun would definitely figure it out. But at the same time, Lao Song would also come around, and thinking about buying this pot for 100,000 would then be wishful thinking.

Of course, he couldn't miss out on the item. If Hao Jun couldn't be convinced, he would just have to act himself. But honestly: having lived two lives, this is the first time he's seen a buyer and seller join forces to shove a bargain into his own arms.

He thought for a moment: "I only have 80,000!"

He really only had 80,000, the 80,000 from selling the Chicken Feather Duster last time.

Unexpectedly, Lao Song didn't even hesitate: "80,000 is 80,000, but you can't have the box!"

As he spoke, he grabbed a slightly larger box, padded it with a layer of foam, and shoved the pot inside.

With a few "zzzt" sounds, the tape tore with a harsh noise, and in the blink of an eye, he had wrapped it three times inside and out.

Then he pushed it in front of Lin Sicheng, took out a POS machine, and beamed: "Thank you for your patronage!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: No... was that even three minutes?

Boss Song, oh Boss Song, how afraid are you of being stuck with this pot?

"No, Lao Song... you're bullying a kid who doesn't know better, right? Put that POS machine down..."

Hao Jun looked like he had a toothache and looked at Lin Sicheng very seriously: "Does this pot really have research value?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "It has some, to an extent!"

"As long as it has some!" Hao Jun was still a bit uneasy, "Otherwise, why don't you ask Professor Lin again?"

Lin Sicheng took out his bank card: "No need!"

Hao Jun said nothing more: Lin Sicheng must understand ceramic research, otherwise he wouldn't have seen through the radioactivity of the Inverted Pot from the Cultural Relics company.

Thinking about it this way, it should be as he said; flipping it would still make some money.

Then he would buy it.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng swiped the card, printed the receipt, and carried the pot in his hand.

Lao Song was all smiles as he saw the two out the door.

After walking more than ten meters, Hao Jun snorted: "This son of a bitch definitely didn't buy it for 100,000, otherwise how could he be smiling?"

"Maybe!"

But for an item like this, a difference of twenty thousand didn't matter.

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Senior Brother, didn't you have someone look at it before?"

How is that possible?

Hao Jun excels in miscellaneous items and specializes in religious Cultural Relics, but he only has a superficial understanding of porcelain; he definitely had to find an Expert to appraise it.

But Rongbaozhai only collects Calligraphy and Painting and treasures of the study, so they have no porcelain expert; he just brought Master Liu, who specializes in Calligraphy and Painting, to take a look.

"Of course I invited one; just the day before yesterday, I brought Master Liu to take a look."

"Who?"

"Just Lao Liu, Liu Guoyi; you saw him last time when I sold the duster!"

Lin Sicheng recalled: that Calligraphy and Painting Expert in Hao Jun's shop?

"What did he say?"

"He said the carved characters were quite neat, but the Craftsman spirit was too heavy, and the seal script was only average."

That shouldn't be right, should it?

Last time, in no more than a minute, he pointed out that the line of characters on the duster was the work of Pu Xinshe. And compared to that, Chen Mansheng's fame is incredibly high.

After all, it is an imitation; it is understandable if he couldn't recognize the font and seal script style on the pot, as even he himself had to ponder for a long time before matching it to Chen Mansheng.

But to say the characters had too heavy a Craftsman spirit and the seal script was only average... impossible.

If he didn't even have that bit of Appraisal eye, he wouldn't be a master expert at Rongbaozhai.

Subconsciously, two terms popped into Lin Sicheng's mind: intercepting the deal, poaching the item?

Just as he was guessing wildly, a hearty laugh reached his ears: "Oh, General Manager Wu, what a coincidence?"

Lin Sicheng took a look: a man in his early fifties, pot-bellied, who looked clearly startled after seeing Hao Jun.

But he reacted quickly, hurriedly extending his hand and squeezing out a smile: "General Manager Hao, it really is a coincidence; what brings you to Xicang today?"

"Came to the Center for a meeting, and since I was free, I came over to look around!"

He didn't introduce Lin Sicheng, just exchanged simple pleasantries, and the two parted ways.

At the moment of parting, General Manager Wu glanced at the box in Lin Sicheng's hand, his expression somewhat suspicious and even more unnatural.

Lin Sicheng's heart stirred: "Senior Brother, who was that?"

"A professional middleman; he often introduces Calligraphy and Painting collectors to the shop, sometimes buying, sometimes selling."

"Is he very close with Master Liu?"

"Yes, the two have a very good personal relationship."

As the words fell, Lin Sicheng subconsciously turned his head. That person was standing in the corridor, seemingly talking to someone.

Looking closer: Lao Song was leaning against the door frame, pointing over here.

There was no need for doubt; this person was sent by Master Liu to poach the item. Therefore, if he had come ten or twenty minutes later, this pot would have been gone.

But they were colleagues in the same unit, and Hao Jun was his superior, after all?

Looking at the bag in his hand, Lin Sicheng sighed.

If it weren't for Hao Jun, this item wouldn't have fallen into his hands...

"Senior Brother, let me tell you something!"

Hao Jun walked and browsed, nonchalant: "Go ahead!"

"This is a Mansheng Pot!"

Hao Jun seemed not to have heard clearly: "What pot?"

"A Mansheng Pot with the body molded by Yang Pengnian, and the calligraphy, carving, and seal script done by Chen Mansheng!"

With a "buzz," the sound seemed to vanish from his ears, and a "Boom—" echoed in his brain.

Hao Jun was dumbfounded: "Impossible!"

Knowing he wouldn't believe it for a moment, Lin Sicheng nodded: "Let's go, to the hospital!"