Chapter 411: Imitating the Ancients

Are there any blue antique clay teapots?

The answer is yes.

The year before last, Zhongzheng Auction sold one: a Blue Glazed Antique-Style Pot by the Yixing clay artist Jiang Liangfang from the Daoguang period.

The starting bid was one million; I don't know the final transaction price, but it was certainly higher than one million.

This price is already considered cheap; there are much more expensive ones, for example, this one:

Or for another example, this one:

Both of these are Qing Imperial Custom-Made Pots produced by the Danran Studio, one of the four great purple clay halls during the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras. The first one is slightly higher in price: 3.2 million; the second one is lower: just over 2 million.

Actually, from the perspective of craftsmanship and artistic level, the second one is higher. There is only one point: the lid was lost, and it was replaced by the modern purple clay master Wang Yinxian.

There are even more expensive ones; the Forbidden City has one: a Ming Yixing Kiln Sky-Blue Glazed Dove-Head Pot.

If one were to estimate its value, this piece would be worth at least ten million. The reason it is so expensive is not just because of its age, but because of the craftsmanship. There is another point: traditional purple clay is not glazed, but this type is. In essence, this is just porcelain fired with a purple clay body. Therefore, it is fundamentally different from the Kiln-Transmutation Pot belonging to Lin Sicheng.

That is why Xiao Yuzhu was so surprised: Lin Sicheng's pot was only five or six million, yet this one is nearly ten million?

Although she is a "half-filled bottle" (only partially knowledgeable), she is not completely ignorant, and she just felt: it's not worth it!

Looking at the label again, the eyes of several people seemed to be flashed: Shi Dabin's purple clay enamel?

Shi Dabin was a master second only to the founder of purple clay teapots, Gong Chun, in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. If this pot were crafted by him, it would certainly be worth this price. But the problem is, no matter how you look at it, Shi Dabin's craftsmanship would never look like this.

First, it is clumsy: at a glance, it gives one a sense of fatness and awkwardness, like a big, fat person with short arms and short legs, without the slightest feeling of "coordination" or "naturalness."

Second, the painting does not match the pot; with this shape of pot, even if one painted a big pumpkin, a fat peach, or directly matched it with a peony, it would be more coordinated than this flower-and-bird painting.

Third, the colors are too mixed and messy; the painting itself is okay, but looking at the overall effect, it is like a hodgepodge, far from the "antique" and "elegant" charm of purple clay.

Even a semi-layman like Xiao Yuzhu could see it, let alone Lin Sicheng?

Seeing him standing far away without the slightest bit of curiosity, the few of them understood: there is a problem with this pot.

Xiao Yuzhu blinked her eyes and pointed at the label: "It's almost ten million?"

Of course, it couldn't be that expensive?

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Subtract three zeros!"

Before his words had even faded, the eyes of several people widened in unison, including the shop assistant, and even more so the shop manager.

"Eat and drink recklessly, don't talk nonsense; get it straight, this is the treasure of Rao Yu Zhai!"

It was just that there were no other customers in the shop, otherwise the manager would have chased them out.

His eyes bulged, and just as he was about to say something, Lin Sicheng waved his hand and pointed at the pot in the cabinet: "Manager, don't be in a hurry to get angry; it's possible you don't know the situation. If you think what I said is wrong, you can ask the master craftsman, or even ask the boss: has this pot been Handled (the item is old, but it has been repaired), or to put it bluntly: is this an Old Charge (a later dynasty imitating an earlier one...)"

Having followed Lin Sicheng for so long, they had all learned a bit; at the very least, the three assistants all knew what "Handled" and "Old Charge" meant. "So, this pot is a fake, right?" Xiao Yuzhu looked puzzled, "Then why put it in such a conspicuous position? Aren't you afraid of being recognized by an expert?"

Lin Sicheng smiled: "This pot is not for experts to look at; to be precise: it is not meant to be sold!"

"Ah?"

Xiao Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: this is used to test laymen, or perhaps, to test fools.

As long as a customer enters the shop, once they hear "treasure of the shop," who wouldn't be curious?

They would definitely take a look and definitely ask. Through the conversation and even the expressions of the customers, the shop assistant can roughly judge how much discernment this person has and how much experience they possess.

If it is a "club" (an ignorant person) who knows nothing, or a semi-layman, then naturally, they strike hard—the harder they can fleece them, the better...

Xiao Yuzhu could understand, and the manager could naturally understand too. His expression changed, and he pointed at Lin Sicheng: "My perfectly good treasure has turned into a fake in your mouth? Get out, quickly... don't force me to call people..."

Before he finished speaking, just as his finger pointed over, Jing Zeyang "whooshed" and darted over, blocking in front of Lin Sicheng: "You dare to sell fakes openly, and you don't allow people to talk about it? Come on, call them... if you don't call people, you're a coward!"

"Ha, acting tough, are you?" The manager took out his phone, "You just wait for me."

Jing Zeyang sneered: "I'll wait then."

Neither of their voices was low, and the three people over by the sofa all looked over.

The master craftsman saw the situation quickly and hurriedly got up and walked over.

He first took a glance: several men and women, all looking to be in their twenties, indeed very young. But people rely on clothes, and those in this line of work rely on their eyes. The master craftsman could tell at a glance that the conditions of these few were not bad.

So-called "harmony brings wealth," he first blocked them, meaning not to make the call yet, and then looked at the manager: "What's going on?"

"Master, these few are clearly here to smash the place." The manager looked angry, pointed at Lin Sicheng, and then turned to point at the blue glazed pot in the glass cabinet, "This person said our pot is a Handled Old Charge, worth at most ten thousand yuan..."

Master Wan was suddenly stunned, his two eyes staring at Lin Sicheng.

That's right, among the five young people, this one is the youngest, at most just over twenty. But this person knows "Handled," and even knows "Old Charge"?

Industry jargon is easy to learn, but what is difficult is the discernment: Wan Younian absolutely did not believe that the person in front of him could have such high discernment.

Although he thought so in his heart, Master Wan still patiently smiled first, then cupped his hands: "Is the boss a Seat Merchant (an antique dealer with a shop) or a Traveling Merchant (a middleman without a shop)?"

This was using jargon to test if he was a peer.

"Neither!" Lin Sicheng took his two hands out of his pockets, and then stretched his right hand forward. At the same time, his accent changed to a Guanzhong dialect, "Just picking up some scraps in Xijing; this time I'm just here in Beijing for tourism, and happened to come into your esteemed shop..."

Seeing the right hand Lin Sicheng extended, Master Wan's eyes went straight, and for a moment he forgot to shake it.

Stunned for several seconds, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes seemingly carrying hooks, nailed to Lin Sicheng's face.

Look at these hands: without thirty or fifty years of skill, could these hands be trained like this?

It's not that the rust on Lin Sicheng's hands is thick, but the grooves on the inside of the four fingers of his right hand, as well as the callus on his little finger: the former is left by frequently using sandpaper; only professional Lacquer Repair and grinding of lacquer will leave this kind of callus. Look at the black rust inside the callus—isn't that the lacquer that often seeps in?

The spot on the little finger is even more identifiable: only those who frequently touch up Colored Porcelain will leave this kind of callus, and look at the blue rust inside—besides blue-and-white, there can be no second kind.

Anyone who repairs porcelain, without ten years or more of skill, who would dare to do Lacquer Repair?

Without thirty years or more, who would dare to paint blue-and-white?

Look at this face again: there aren't even a few hairs in his beard...

Seeing him as if stunned, Lin Sicheng withdrew his hand and smiled again: "Master, don't mind: I really didn't come to 'light a candle' (smash the place). It's just that a friend asked, so I explained a little..."

Calling a turtle a bastard in front of the turtle—you still don't call this smashing the place?

Master Wan's eyelids twitched, he stared at Lin Sicheng for a long time, and then cupped his hands again: "What is your surname, Master?"

"I dare not call myself a master; my humble surname is Lin!"

"Lin Shifu!" he addressed him, then pointed at the Blue Glaze pot, "May I ask your name?"

This was because he did not believe Lin Sicheng's eye for antiques was truly that sharp.

He was even suspecting whether his shop had offended some peer, had been scouted out in advance, and then had a few young people sent over to test the waters. "Fine, then I'll be direct!" Lin Sicheng sighed and pointed at the pot, "This pot looks like the craftsmanship of Li Baozhen. Even his best pieces are worth no more than 100,000 at most. What's more, this one has had its mark altered? Ten thousand is truly not a low price..."

Li Baozhen was a ceramic artisan during the Republic of China; his fame was not low, but not high either. His pots had one distinct characteristic: they were thick, heavy, and stout, which was out of step with the mainstream, so the price never went up. They were usually three to four or five to six ten-thousands, with very rare boutique pieces reaching eight or nine ten-thousands.

The craftsmanship of this one could only be considered average, worth about thirty or forty thousand. But the label dared to mark it at nearly ten million, and it still kept the "Li Baozhen" mark on the bottom? Altering a mark requires grinding the base; once ground, it becomes a semi-damaged piece. If it could retain even thirty percent of its value, that was Lin Sicheng being generous with his estimate.

After Lin Sicheng finished speaking, Wan Younian's eyelids weren't just twitching; his scalp was twitching along with them. Not only twitching, but it also felt numb.

The item was brought back by the Old Chairman several years ago. Whether it was a Li Baozhen pot, what the original mark on the bottom was, and whether it had been altered, he knew clearly. But the problem was, only the two of them knew; even the boss (the young chairman Shen Songcai) didn't know. He only knew this pot was an old imitation, but didn't know what it was imitating or whose craftsmanship was used to imitate it.

He wouldn't say it, and the Old Chairman certainly wouldn't say it, so it couldn't be that a peer had scouted them out in advance. It was that this young man had truly identified it based on his own ability.

The problem was, not only was he standing so far away, but there was also a glass case in between. And this young man had only taken a few glances, without even laying a hand on it?

Having been in this line of work for so many years, he hadn't even heard of such an eye for antiques, let alone seen it.

Wan Younian turned his head, took a look at the Blue Glaze pot, and then turned back to look at Lin Sicheng.

Immediately, he bowed to him.

This old man was already over sixty; Lin Sicheng hurriedly dodged, "Wan Shifu, just say what you have to say!"

"Fine!" Wan Younian nodded, "Lin Shifu, Rao Yu Zhai has small capital and thin profits, and we only run a small business. Whatever you take a fancy to, it will be at the base price. Anything under ten thousand, you may pick one as you please, just to make a friend..."

The so-called "pick as you please" naturally meant giving it away for free.

Wan Younian was unsure of Lin Sicheng's background: to be this young yet have such a lethal eye—who the hell would believe he had no foundation? He was even more unsure of Lin Sicheng's purpose.

In the old society, this kind of behavior of exposing fakes in public at the slightest disagreement was known in the trade as "Light a Candle," also called "Lift the Coffin." Just looking at the literal meaning, one could tell how vicious this move was.

It had been nearly sixty years since the Liberation, and although people didn't pay much attention to these customs anymore, the basic industry standards remained: unless there was a deep grudge, no one would do this. Wan Younian wanted to test him: was this person a "dragon crossing the river" just passing through to stir up trouble, or a "tiger sitting on its home turf" who had come specifically to seek revenge?

Do not doubt it: regardless of whether this person had any background, based on this eye for antiques alone, if you offended him, he would dare to make Rao Yu Zhai unable to complete a single business deal starting from today.

He could just move a stool and sit across the street, and for every item sold, he would "light a candle" on it. Within three months, if Rao Yu Zhai didn't close down, Wan Younian would dare to take the boss's surname. Therefore, he had to probe the bottom line; if he wasn't an enemy, it was merely a matter of losing a little money.

But Lin Sicheng wasn't a robber, was he?

He didn't beat around the bush either, and was straightforward: "It was indeed a bit presumptuous today, Wan Shifu, please forgive me. Then I'll be direct: later, when that Expert Liu returns, could you let me handle that Brush Washer?"

What thing?

Wan Younian was stunned: after all this, with my soul almost scared out of me, you just wanted this?

Not only was it troublesome, but you took such a big detour... why didn't you say so earlier?

But immediately, he reacted: if this person had been direct, he might not have been able to see it at all.

Just look at this face: so young, he would 100% be treated as someone just watching the fun. Forget about handling it; he would be chased away just by leaning in. How did that saying go: if you don't show some skill, you don't know how many eyes the King of Hell has. That was why he pulled this stunt... Wan Younian let out a long sigh of relief: thank goodness, as long as he wasn't an enemy. Although that Brush Washer wasn't his, he could still make the call. Just as he was about to agree, with his mouth half-open, Wan Younian suddenly paused, his eyes fixed on Lin Sicheng's hands.

Lin Sicheng knew at a glance what he was suspecting: was there a problem with that Brush Washer?

Not to mention that he hadn't even seen the item yet, he wouldn't dare to draw a conclusion. Even if there really were a problem, Lin Sicheng couldn't be so tactless as to point it out on the spot.

Whether it was the group setting up the scheme or this person from Hong Kong, it had nothing to do with him. He wasn't a saint, and he wasn't that bored. Lin Sicheng smiled, "Wan Shifu, don't overthink it. I'm just purely curious: I've never seen a Ming Imitation Ru Ware and wanted to see what it looks like." Wan Younian was half-believing: "When you were outside, Lin Shifu, did you not get a chance to handle it?"

Lin Sicheng was noncommittal: "I didn't have the time!"

Assuming Lin Sicheng had arrived late and missed the chance, Wan Younian said nothing more.

"That's easy to handle!" He nodded and pointed to the side, "That is the boss of my shop, and that is General Manager Chen from Hong Kong, who is also a buyer. Is Lin Shifu interested in getting to know them?"

Lin Sicheng smiled and shook his head, "Thank you, Wan Shifu, but I have social anxiety!"

Wan Younian nodded: looking at his eloquence and presence, how could he have social anxiety?

This was clearly a fear of trouble, not wanting to be hypocritical and put on a smiling face.

Very normal: if Wan Younian had such a pair of hands, he would be even more arrogant than Lin Sicheng.

With this thought in mind, Wan Younian invited Lin Sicheng to the sofa nearby and had his apprentice brew a pot of tea.

At first, he only started the conversation symbolically, but then, the more they chatted, the more surprised he became. The lingering doubt in his heart was completely dispelled: this person was truly capable, and his ability was exceptionally high.

Wan Younian certainly couldn't do Artifact Restoration; at most, he understood a little, but that wasn't worth mentioning. But when it came to appraisal, he was confident he had some skill, yet compared to Lin Sicheng, he felt he was several floors behind.

The key was that Lin Sicheng would often say something casually that gave him a feeling of sudden enlightenment and profound realization.

After chatting for a long time, Wan Younian finally realized: was this Lin Shifu intentionally guiding him?

Oh no, he was repaying a favor: thanking him for making the decision to let him see that Brush Washer.

He was also apologizing in a roundabout way: "lighting a candle" on Rao Yu Zhai's treasure upon entering was somewhat inappropriate.

At first thought, it felt unbelievable: one was in his early twenties, the other was over sixty. By age, Wan Younian was old enough to be Lin Sicheng's grandfather. But how did that saying go: a true transmission is but a single sentence, while a false transmission is ten thousand volumes of books. Even if it were just a few simple sentences, Wan Younian might not be able to fully grasp them even after studying them for a year or two.

Wan Younian stood up and bowed to Lin Sicheng again.

This time Lin Sicheng didn't dodge, just smiled, "Wan Shifu, there's no need for that!"

In fact, he hadn't said anything special, just pointed things out simply, not involving any secret techniques or ultimate skills. However, it just so happened that Wan Younian was stuck at a bottleneck, and what he lacked was exactly this kind of guidance.

It was also a fortuitous encounter; he felt this old man was decent: for behavior like Lin Sicheng's, who "lit a candle" the moment he walked in, any other shop would have beaten him out long ago.

How could they be as polite as Wan Younian?

The two were chatting happily, but Shen Songcai nearby found it stranger the more he watched: wasn't he here to smash the place?

They were at daggers drawn before, so why were they suddenly so harmonious?

What was even stranger was that Wan Younian was being overly polite, bowing again and again as if he were seeing an elder. Chen Weihua was also confused, but he was preoccupied with the Brush Washer, so he didn't pay much attention.

Just then, Liu Zhaoting called to say that the transfer had been completed, the item had been collected, and he was on his way back. Chen Weihua finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Shen, I have to trouble you, could you help me draft a transaction Contract?"

The shop had standard forms, so what was there to trouble about?

Shen Songcai nodded, "It's a small effort!"

"Many thanks, Mr. Shen!" Chen Weihua stood up, "I'll go to the restroom!"

"Little Wu, show Mr. Chen the way!"

After instructing the clerk to draft the Contract, Shen Songcai pretended to stroll over.

Lin Sicheng stood up first, and Wan Younian hurriedly introduced, "Boss, this is Lin Shifu, who came here by reputation and wants to take a look at that Brush Washer!" Here to see a curiosity?

I'm not kidding, that item is truly quite rare.

"Oh," Shen Songcai responded subconsciously, then suddenly paused: Wait... Old Wan, what did you call him?

Master?

In the Antique Trade, these two words are not used lightly: only the head appraiser who sits in the shop to anchor the business is qualified to be addressed this way.

Someone like Manager Wu, at most, counts as a "big youth" (a senior Apprentice who has basically finished his apprenticeship and can barely scrape a living in this trade).

Looking at Lin Sicheng's face again, he looks just like a college student?

While he was stunned, Lin Sicheng reached out his hand: "Boss Shen, sorry for the intrusion!"

Although he was very suspicious, Shen Songcai remained polite and reached out to shake it: "It's just a cup of tea, no intrusion to speak of..."

But before he finished speaking, he suddenly froze again. First, he shook hands subconsciously, then he lowered his head in disbelief.

He stared for a long time.

Following in his father's footsteps, Shen Songcai's ability and experience cannot be said to be very high, but at least he is no layman. For a moment, staring at Lin Sicheng's right hand, his mind was full of "Holy shit": this person is not only a Master, but a Master who can perform Scavenger of Broken Pieces?

And, he can perform Ceramic Repair on blue and white porcelain?

Looking at this face again, I'll be damned, I've really seen something today...

He couldn't help but ask: "Master Lin, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two!"

Actually, he was still a few days short.

Even so, it shocked Shen Songcai quite a bit: in the Treasury, the laborers who only move goods and aren't even qualified to take on a master are all older than Lin Sicheng. But these hands don't lie.

Shen Songcai also understood why Wan Younian was so respectful, bowing to Lin Sicheng from time to time: nine times out of ten, he had learned some real techniques from this person.

Not to mention being able to guide Wan Younian and make him sincerely convinced, just how high must this person's appraisal skills be? Just these hands: how many restoration experts in all of Beijing can work with lacquer and perform Artifact Restoration on colored porcelain and blue and white porcelain?

It's not that there aren't any, but you have to go to the Forbidden City or the big-name shops to invite them.

He hurriedly withdrew his hand, reached into his suit pocket, and took out a business card. Then he handed it over with both hands: "I am but a humble man, Shen Songcai!" Lin Sicheng took it: this person is also quite interesting.

The two exchanged numbers, and Chen Weihua also came out of the restroom.

Lin Sicheng was indeed afraid of trouble, but since he had run into this, it was impossible not to observe some social etiquette.

What's more, he still wanted to see that Brush Washer, which definitely required the consent of this Boss Chen.

Shen Songcai introduced them in the middle; at first, Chen Weihua only thought: Lin Sicheng was just purely curious and looking for something novel.

But after shaking hands with Lin Sicheng, he suddenly lowered his head, looked extremely carefully, and then suddenly raised his head, staring into Lin Sicheng's eyes. For some reason, his eyes revealed a few traces of suspicion, and even vigilance.

At first, Lin Sicheng was also confused: they had never met before, where did this Boss Chen's hostility come from?

But when he glanced at his own hands from time to time, and then tried hard to recall, Lin Sicheng realized belatedly: this person thinks he is an accomplice of that woman from before?

Both are restoration experts, and both have high skill levels. Even this young man's skill at Scavenger of Broken Pieces might be better than that woman's? But being a restoration expert is not a common profession; on the contrary: they are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, pitifully few.

So why is it such a coincidence that just as one left, another came, and both are experts?

It's no wonder Boss Chen is suspicious: if it's too coincidental, then it's definitely not a coincidence...

Lin Sicheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

But there was no need to explain, and since this person had a preconceived notion, he figured even if he explained, Chen Weihua wouldn't believe him.

They just exchanged simple pleasantries, both sides sat down, and Wan Younian had his Apprentice brew new tea.

A cup was poured, and just as they held it in their hands, a "clatter-clatter" sound erupted, and several people swarmed into the shop.

The driver, the secretary, Liu Zhaoting, and that man in the cotton-padded jacket.

Seeing Lin Sicheng, the man in the cotton-padded jacket was stunned, and then seeing Chen Weihua opposite, the man's pupils shrank sharply.

No way... how did this guy end up here?

And he's so familiar with the old Hong Konger?

Subconsciously, several terms popped into the man's mind: setting a trap, Lift the Coffin, releasing a tiger, setting off a firecracker...

He even started calculating: if he gets targeted, how should he run later?

But damn it, they've never met, no grudges, why go that far?

Just as he was in shock and doubt, Chen Weihua coughed: "Mr. Liu, this person is a Porcelain Bone Guy, Release a White Pigeon to Peck a Big Customer..."

He spoke quickly and convolutedly, mixed with Hong Kong underworld slang.

Even Wan Younian didn't understand it.

Liu Zhaoting only understood half of it, just the phrase "Porcelain Bone Guy," which means someone who repairs porcelain.

Subconsciously, he looked at Lin Sicheng's hands, and Liu Zhaoting's pupils couldn't help but shrink.

His eye for antiques was higher than Chen Weihua's, Shen Songcai's, and even Wan Younian's. At a glance, he knew this was a master of Scavenger of Broken Pieces. For a moment, Liu Zhaoting was half-amazed and half-suspicious: what amazed him was, at this age, how were these hands trained?

What he suspected was exactly the same as Chen Weihua's thought: Scavenger of Broken Pieces experts are so rare, not only did he meet two today, but this one is also so young?

Then does he have any connection to the woman from before?

Seeing Chen Weihua's guarded look again, naturally, Liu Zhaoting guessed the second half of Chen Weihua's sentence: is it possible this person was sent by that woman to intercept the deal and poach the business?

If you ask how he would poach it: just by these hands, if he says there is a problem with this item, would you be suspicious, would you feel disgusted?

If things go wrong, the deal might just fall through.

Then again: why not just refuse to let him see it and kick him out?

But this isn't his house, and it's certainly not Chen Weihua's house; since they are on guard, no matter what this person says later, just treat it as farting.

Thinking secretly, Liu Zhaoting exchanged a look with Chen Weihua, and they both nodded in unison.

They didn't understand, but someone else could: for example, the man in the cotton-padded jacket. Hearing "Release a White Pigeon to Peck a Big Customer," his eyes lit up, and he took a peek at Lin Sicheng's face.

Lin Sicheng could understand even better: he was just curious, yet he was treated as some kind of "scammer" or "troublemaker"?

He sighed and exchanged a look with the man in the cotton-padded jacket. Instantly, both sides understood: the other party also understood.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but a flash of pleading crossed the eyes of the man in the cotton-padded jacket. But it was extremely fast, gone in an instant...

For a business worth several million, one cannot be too careful; signing a contract is only natural. Shen Songcai had the clerk bring over the printed transaction contract. Stealing a glance at Lin Sicheng, the man in the cotton-padded jacket picked up a pen and signed his Daimyo. Don't say it, it was quite meaningful: Duan Jingwei.

At the same time, the clerk photocopied the Identity Card. It was that kind of ordinary first-generation Identity Card, a plain white card with a black-and-white photo printed on it. It felt like it had been used for many years, with the edges already curled. The photo wasn't taken very well either, being somewhat blurry. But fortunately, at least one could recognize that the person in the photo was indeed the same person standing before them.

But have no doubt: it was fake, and even if taken to the Public Security Bureau, it might not necessarily be detected as a fake Identity Card...

The speed was fast; after signing in a few strokes, Liu Zhaoting opened the box lid again.

This was also one of the procedures: he was only authenticating on behalf of others, and according to the rules, after the deal was closed, the buyer had to inspect the goods.

At least to prove that the item had not been swapped.

Chen Weihua held it in his hands, examining it carefully, looking at it for nearly five minutes.

Lin Sicheng sat opposite, his eyes not blinking once, a look of shock and suspicion hidden deep within them.

The glaze color was uniform but slightly stiff, as if it had been dyed with a layer of blue ink.

The base color was uniform, far lacking the sense of depth found in genuine Ru Porcelain. The Glaze Layer was slightly thick; looking at the interlayer from the side, one could see a distinct Dead White body. Looking at the crackle again: it resembled a straight grid, even more like it had been carved with a needle or knife, too standardized, too neat.

When Chen Weihua turned it over, Lin Sicheng followed suit and looked at the base foot: the ring foot was too sharp, lacking roundness, white as plaster.

The body material at the bottom was extremely dense and extremely clean: almost no impurities could be seen.

After watching for a while, Chen Weihua picked up the Magnifying Glass, and Lin Sicheng followed along to look: the bubbles beneath the glaze were dense, like fish roe. They were uniform in size and arranged extremely neatly, exuding a sense of rigidity.

Looking at the opening, the broken edge was sharp, and almost no traces of oxidation could be seen.

This was, of course, not Song Ru Porcelain, but the problem was that it looked exactly like Ming Imitation Ru Porcelain. And no matter how Lin Sicheng looked at it: this piece looked like a Chenghua Imitation? Was he seeing ghosts?

It couldn't be that this man in the cotton-padded jacket had been kicked in the head by a donkey, taking something worth five million and selling it as two million?

But that was impossible: if that were the case, how to explain the woman from before and the Taiwan Pangzi?

As these thoughts swirled, Lin Sicheng raised his head and glanced at the man in the cotton-padded jacket.

The moment their eyes met, the man in the cotton-padded jacket seemed to have a hint of smugness on his face. But when he realized Lin Sicheng was looking at him, his expression straightened, and he smiled in a fawning manner.

Sure enough, a swindler.

Otherwise, why would you keep staring at me, and what is there to be fawning about?

Just then, Chen Weihua finished looking and put down the Brush Washer. Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Boss Chen, may I take a look?"

There was no reason he couldn't.

If Lin Sicheng was here to cut in on the deal, no matter what he said, he would just ignore it. He could also take the opportunity to see if it was as he had guessed: if it was that woman, or even an accomplice of Liu Yida.

If he guessed wrong, it didn't matter. Regardless, these hands couldn't lie, and since restoration experts were so scarce, it could be considered building a good connection. Chen Weihua did not hesitate and nodded.

Lin Sicheng said thank you, and as if unconsciously, he glanced at the man in the cotton-padded jacket.

It is no exaggeration: in an instant, the man's heart jumped into his throat.

He who travels one hundred miles has covered only ninety; he was just one last step away, so he must not let any accidents happen.

Really: it was just that the conditions didn't allow it; if they had, he would have knelt down for Lin Sicheng.

Lin Sicheng remained unmoved, took out the Magnifying Glass, and picked up the Brush Washer again.

But the moment he touched it, he was stunned: how could this thing be so light?

Compared to Ming Imitation Ru Porcelain, it was at least one-fourth or one-fifth lighter. But looking at the body, it wasn't particularly thin. This meant the density of this Brush Washer's porcelain body was about twenty percent lower than a normal Ming Imitation.

By logic, the porcelain clay of Jingdezhen could not mold this kind of porcelain body.

If it wasn't fired in Jingdezhen, then where could it be?

In his suspicion, Lin Sicheng turned it over again: the base was not only white but also dry. It looked exactly like the cold, dry color of bones after being exposed to the sun. The body of a normal Jingdezhen Imitation Ru Ware is also white, but no matter how white, it cannot escape the Sticky Rice Body. This one, however, was clearly very white, yet it gave one a visual sense of being "very old."

But it was extremely subtle, and fearing he might be wrong, Lin Sicheng shone a Flashlight on it.

That was right, that cold, hard, and old kind of dead white.

Seeing this, Lin Sicheng had a vague feeling of "having seen this before." But for some reason, he couldn't recall it for the life of him?

Time waited for no one; Lin Sicheng stopped struggling and turned the Brush Washer over: the glaze color was too blue and extremely thin, the floating color like a mirror surface, hanging only in a thin layer.

Looking at the glaze luster from the side, there were no gradient colors or Gold Powder, only a layer of light gray showing through.

This was normal, as Imitation Ru Ware is like this, but there was one point: the gray of Ming Imitation ware is the color of a duck egg, blue with gray, gray with green. But this one, besides blue, only had gray.

The key was that the feeling of having seen it before came again? Like two threads, he wanted to grab them but couldn't.

Lin Sicheng shook his head and looked at the crackle again: the cracks appeared black, with gold showing through in parts, just as the woman from before had said: tea-stained gold.

Moreover, the cracks were stiff and straight, without any sense of depth, and felt slightly rough to the touch. This was typical: carving lines on the raw body before Glazing, and when it came out of the kiln, a splash of ice water would cause it to crack along the carved lines.

But there was one point: looking at the Ice Crackle as a whole, it was not as neat as a chessboard, as the female student of Liu Zhaoting had said. Although it was neat, it was like branches spreading. Looking from further away, it was like a flower.

If one had to use a metaphor: it was more like a chrysanthemum.

Hmm, a chrysanthemum?

That's right, a chrysanthemum...

A light seemed to flash in his mind, and Lin Sicheng was suddenly stunned.

He finally knew where that feeling of having seen it before came from: he had seen this kind of Imitation Ru Porcelain once in his past life: in Tokyo, Japan, at the "Wind of Japan Celadon" exhibition.

To translate: the Exhibition of Ancient Japanese Imitation Ru Porcelain.

So, this was Ming Imitation my foot?

This was Japanese Imitation, to speak plainly: it was imitated by Japan!