Chapter 476: Fish Glue

Fu Manshu looked slightly hesitant, while Li Zhiyuan frowned slightly.

Watching the expressions of the two, Feng Sanjiang curled the corner of his mouth: Lin Sicheng used just one sentence to test the depth of these two?

"Seeing one leaf fall, one knows the year is drawing to a close; the gentleman follows virtue, accumulating the small to become great..." The first part comes from *Huainanzi: Shuo Shan Xun*: "Seeing one leaf fall, one knows the year is drawing to a close. Seeing the ice in a pot, one knows the cold of the world."

The idiom "one leaf reveals autumn" comes from this. Anyone with a bit of traditional cultural foundation could guess upon hearing this that Ye Anqi's surname is Ye. The latter two parts come from the *I Ching: Sheng Hexagram*: "There is wood within the earth, ascending; the gentleman follows virtue, accumulating the small to become great."

"Gathering wood to form a forest, accumulating thickness to release thinly" comes from here.

From this, it can be seen that this old man only understands antiques and likely knows at most how to appraise them. As for how broad his reach, how deep his insight, or how learned he is, that is not necessarily the case.

As for this woman, she is purely a layman.

Feng Sanjiang could even guess some of her current psychological activity based on her expression: I asked you your surname, why are you putting on airs as an intellectual? That Manager Li might be slightly better, but only to a limited extent; nine times out of ten, he thought in the wrong direction, assuming Lin Sicheng was intentionally making things difficult for them. It can only be said that it was like a chicken talking to a duck; they were simply not on the same channel.

It wasn't just Fu Manshu who thought this; even Ye Anlan and Tao An didn't quite understand: for no good reason, why did Lin Sicheng suddenly start quoting classical Chinese? Ye Anlan blinked, meaning: what is Lin Sicheng doing?

Ye Anning looked at her strangely: "You don't understand?"

Ye Anlan rolled her eyes: "Duh!"

She just didn't have as many schemes as Ye Anning, which didn't mean she lacked culture. She was at least a graduate of a prestigious university and knew the source of these two lines and what they represented.

Ye Anning thought for a moment: "Not everyone who understands antiques understands the classics."

The phrasing was a bit convoluted, but Ye Anlan understood: the "classics" here refers to history and culture.

Huh, Lin Sicheng was probing their background to see if they were in the same trade. If so, how high was their ability?

But why was it like speaking in code?

Suddenly, she showed some curiosity: "Is this Jianghu Cut Mouth?"

Ye Anning shook her head: What kind of Cut Mouth is this?

When Lin Sicheng speaks Jianghu Cut Mouth, those who don't understand can't even tell it's a Cut Mouth...

Ye Anlan was excited: "Ye Anning, you've been hanging out with Lin Sicheng for so long, have you learned any? Say a couple of lines?"

"Why would I learn this?"

"Isn't there a saying, marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog?"

Ye Anning glared: "Ye Anlan, I think your skin is itching!"

Besides, Lin Sicheng only learned this because his work required it. Even he doesn't use it often, so why would he teach me?

Ye Anlan wasn't afraid at all: "Aren't you going to marry him sooner or later? What's there to be afraid of people saying?"

Ye Anning let out a "Hmph" and rolled up her sleeves: "That still wouldn't be your turn to say it!"

Since they were small, she had never once gotten the better of Ye Anning. Seeing things were about to go wrong, Ye Anlan turned and ran.

They were still in the market, not far away. In just four or five minutes, the group arrived in front of Nanmu Wood Wood Studio.

Ye Anqi stopped and looked at the sign: "Nanfeng Zhimu... Manager Fu has great spirit, a heroine who does not yield to men!"

Fu Manshu didn't understand the implication and couldn't grasp why he specifically mentioned this, so she just smiled: "You flatter me!"

More accurately, she wasn't sure if Ye Anqi was just saying it casually or if he was mocking her.

Actually, Ye Anqi was praising her: "The south wind knows my intent, blowing my dreams to the western continent; love rises with the wind, but when the wind stops, the intent remains unsettled."

If these lines were written on paper, they would certainly be a love letter. But if hung in front of a shop, they naturally represent ambition and aspirations: The south wind knows my intent, but when the wind stops, the intent remains unsettled!

To translate: Born at the wrong time, a soulmate is hard to find!

As for whether it is high ambition or having eyes higher than one's hands, that is unknown for now, but at least the style is high enough.

After a brief pause, the group entered the shop. Two young women in suits and skirts stood at the entrance, and slightly further inside stood two men in their thirties.

Without an introduction, they didn't know how to address them, so they could only nod in greeting and lead the way inside.

Lin Sicheng scanned left and right but didn't see the previous clerk or manager.

Entering the shop, they walked straight inside to the set of Acid Branch Wood Official Hat Chairs. Lin Sicheng and Ye Anqi stopped in unison. Neither spoke, just looking at the label: Luomen Tenon Longevity, Wenzhong Relics.

After thinking, Li Zhiyuan stepped forward.

He assumed these people didn't know the meaning of "Luomen Tenon Longevity, Wenzhong Relics" and prepared to explain it to them.

But just as he was about to open his mouth, Lin Sicheng waved his hand: Why would a translation be needed?

Of the eleven people standing here, eight were experts. The only three laymen were Ye Anqi, Ye Anlan, and Tao An. But they only lacked deep knowledge of antiques, not culture.

And on the contrary: the three had extraordinary backgrounds, family traditions, and were graduates of famous universities; their foundation in traditional culture was much deeper than that of ordinary people. Crucially, all three were authentic Guangzhou people, residents of the Guangzhou prefecture for generations, and descendants of prominent families. How could they not know Luo Bingzhang, one of the eight great ministers of the late Qing Dynasty?

Luo Bingzhang, originally named Jun, courtesy name Yumen, pseudonym Ruzhai, was from Hualing Village, Huaxian, Guangzhou Prefecture (now Hualing Village, Huadu District).

A Jinshi of the twelfth year of the Daoguang reign, he served as a Hanlin Academy Shujishi, was appointed as a Compiler, and was in charge of writing records. Later, he served as an Expository Academician, Censor, Hubei Surveillance Commissioner, Hunan Governor, Sichuan Governor-General, and Grand Secretariat Assistant.

He, along with Ceng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang, and Zhang Zhidong, are known as the "Eight Great Ministers of the Late Qing Dynasty." He passed away in his office in Chengdu in the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign, was posthumously awarded the title of Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent, enshrined in the Temple of Worthies, and given the posthumous name Wenzhong.

Throughout the Qing Dynasty, among officials from Guangdong, Luo Bingzhang held the highest rank, had the greatest influence, and was the most famous. Therefore, seeing "Luomen" and "Wenzhong," they immediately thought of Luo Bingzhang.

Just by looking at these eight characters, they knew the meaning: this set of Official Hat Chairs was the legacy of Grand Secretariat Assistant Luo Bingzhang.

And it was made of Thousand-Fold Ghost Face Pattern material; if it were authentic, the price of 1.2 million would not be considered too high.

But unfortunately, it was not!

After waiting for a while, seeing them just staring at the chairs without speaking or moving, Fu Manshu and Li Zhiyuan exchanged glances.

What did this mean? They couldn't possibly be insisting on verifying this, could they?

Thinking secretly, Fu Manshu pointed forward: "You two, shall we go to the tea room for a cup of tea first?"

"Alright, thank you Manager Fu, but there's no rush!" Lin Sicheng pointed at the Official Hat Chairs, "May we take a closer look?"

Fu Manshu didn't understand but had to nod: "Of course!"

As she spoke, she signaled to Li Zhiyuan, who understood immediately and prepared to introduce them.

Lin Sicheng waved his hand: "Thank you Manager Li, we'll just look ourselves!"

As he spoke, he looked toward the back: "Master Feng, Master Ding, you come take a look too!"

The two hurriedly stepped forward, their tone very humble:

"Lin Shifu, I understand a bit about porcelain, but I haven't had much contact with wooden objects!"

"Lin Shifu, I only know a little bit as well."

The former was Ding Aqin, and the latter was Feng Sanjiang.

Lin Sicheng smiled: "It's fine, I don't know much either!"

The two exchanged a look: back in Beijing, when looking at those few Imitation Ru Ware Sky-Blue Glaze Brush Washers, hadn't Lin Sicheng said the same thing: I don't know much either.

But what was the result?

The two had spent half their lives in the underworld and played with porcelain for half their lives, yet they had never seen anyone who understood it better than him...

With this thought in mind, the two walked over.

When Feng Sanjiang and Ding Aqin said they didn't understand, it was actually only relative: to dare to be a con artist, and even a con artist who specializes in swindling experts and insiders, one's eye and craftsmanship must be top-notch.

Take Chen Weihua and Liu Zhaoting, whom they met in Beijing earlier; they were professional enough, right?

One was an antique dealer with a business spanning Hong Kong and Nanyang for generations, and the other was a well-known appraiser in Beijing from a professional appraisal institution. To be able to lead these two around in circles, one can see how high the level of simulation was for the items they used to set up the scheme.

From this, it is clear that these two, plus Hu Pangzi, truly have real skills.

The so-called "master one method, master a hundred methods"; it is impossible for Feng Sanjiang to only focus on swindling insiders who specialize in porcelain. If he happened to run into someone who liked miscellaneous items, would he just not swindle them?

Therefore, he might not be an expert, but he cannot be ignorant.

Ding Aqin was even more so: she certainly wouldn't repair bamboo, wood, or furniture antiques, but she at least knew how to repair and how to appraise them. She had to know the characteristics of high-imitation and Scavenger of Broken Pieces goods in these categories, and what the tricks were.

Otherwise, before they could swindle others, others would have swindled them first...

But it was all in vain; after looking for a long time, they still couldn't make heads or tails of it:

No matter how they looked at it, these three pieces seemed like authentic old Acid Branch Wood objects: the surface of the tea-colored skin was close to black-red, and one could tell at a glance that it had been smoked by fire for at least a hundred years. It had either been placed in the main hall or the Shrine before.

The patina was warm and moist like jade, close to a glass base, with a restrained and profound luster, which also indicated: it had been oxidized for at least a hundred years.

The black veins (black or dark brown wood grain formed by long-term oxidation of the wood) were clear and fluid, like a Landscape Pattern scroll. The pores (wood ducts) had shrunk (becoming thinner and closing as moisture evaporated), clear and natural.

The fragrance was extremely faint, yet elegant and distant, and not easily smelled. One needed to put their nose close to the gap in the mortise and tenon on the back of the chair to smell a faint, elusive scent.

Weighing it slightly: the weight was heavy in the hand, indicating that the old material had high density and the moisture had fully evaporated.

Calculating it: it must also be over a hundred years old...

Besides this, looking at the Mortise and Tenon: the fit was precise, and after over a hundred years, the structure remained stable; the manual chisel marks inside the mortise holes were clearly visible. The large flat surfaces (seat base boards) also had clear, consistent, and fine wavy patterns left by manual long planes. One could also see traces of manual polishing with horsetail grass, sandpaper leaves, etc., with smooth and rounded lines.

Looking at the wear and patina: the wood on the front edge of the seat, the front of the armrests, and the footrest (lower crossbar) was worn smooth as jade, blending with the wear marks, with a natural transition.

Touching it with the hand, it felt like stroking waves. This is the faint undulating sensation that appears on the surface of furniture after the wood has been weathered for a hundred years. The signs of use were also obvious: there were slight burn marks on the chair surface, and ink stains that had seeped deep into the wood were vaguely visible on the table surface.

Therefore, no matter how they looked at it, these three items seemed real.

The "New-Old Splicing," "Artificial Weighting," and "Artificial Coloring" that Lin Sicheng mentioned before were truly impossible to see.

But Feng Sanjiang and Ding Aqin at least knew: Lin Sicheng would never talk nonsense...

After looking for a long time, the two looked sheepish: "Lin Shifu, sorry, our skills are not refined enough!"

"You are too modest!"

Lin Sicheng replied, then stared at the chair and examined it a few more times.

To say it without bragging: those eight years in the Forbidden City were not spent in vain; he had touched and appraised more rosewood furniture than everyone present had ever seen. This subsequently led to him having trouble judging how high his current appraisal level for wooden objects was, and what the gap was compared to ordinary appraisers. The reason he let Feng Sanjiang and Ding Aqin take a look was just to speculate: did this Boss Fu and this Manager Li know there was a problem with these items?

Was their level limited, their appraisal ability insufficient, or were they knowingly selling fakes?

Since even Ding Aqin and Feng Sanjiang couldn't see a single clue, then it must be the latter.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng pointed to a Mortise and Tenon on the back of the chair: "Ding Shifu, in Guangzhou, do you know any experts who use Fish Maw Glue for Scavenger of Broken Pieces?"

Ding Aqin thought for a moment: the Fish Maw Glue Lin Sicheng referred to definitely meant Fish Bladder Glue; the experts she knew who used this for Scavenger of Broken Pieces were those who repaired ancient porcelain, including herself, and she was a master.

But using fish glue to repair furniture... she had never heard of it.

First, because the materials are different: compared to porcelain, wooden Cultural Relics have a loose texture, making Bone Glue and Hide Glue with stronger permeability more suitable. Second, fish glue has poor moisture resistance, and wood is relatively prone to dampness. If the maintenance is slightly poor and the humidity in the collection environment is slightly high, the Mortise and Tenon will loosen.

Third, fish glue is relatively expensive, with a cost more than ten times that of Hide Glue. Furthermore, although the bonding strength is high, the solidification speed is slow, which would lead to a longer construction period.

Therefore, whether for bonding during production or repairing after damage, fish glue is rarely used for furniture...

Just as she was thinking this, Ding Aqin was suddenly stunned: No... isn't that what is used on this?

As if struck by electricity, she suddenly lowered her head and stared closely with wide eyes. Then, she touched it with her hand.

The texture was hard and brittle, like sun-dried plastic sheets, presenting a deep red translucent color, and shimmering with a horny luster.

On the outside of the Mortise and Tenon joint, residual glue lines were vaguely visible. But the boundaries were blurred, and the color was deeper, like purple-red Amber.

Tilting it slightly and looking against the light: the light shone into the glue seam, reflecting a flash of dark golden light.

These were all appearance characteristics of Fish Bladder Glue.

It was indeed Fish Bladder Glue, but the problem was: this coloration, this degree of oxidation, was definitely not old glue.

Let alone a hundred years, it hadn't even been ten years...

As if unwilling to give up, Ding Aqin lowered her head and smelled the glue seam of the Mortise and Tenon: it was extremely faint, but she still smelled a few wisps of a faint fishy odor. Whose fish glue could still emit a fishy smell after being left for over a hundred years?

The key was that this Mortise and Tenon was definitely not repaired later, but was the most original workmanship.

And it wasn't just this one spot; almost all the Mortise and Tenon joints used this kind of glue...

In an instant, Ding Aqin raised her head, her pupils slightly constricted: This chair... is fake?

Oh no, it's an imitation...