Chapter 9: None Are As Awesome As You

In just two minutes, the cashier finished writing the receipt, and a shop assistant led a man in his early forties, who looked a bit plump, to the reception area.

The Appraiser got straight to the point: "My surname is Hao. Where is the item!"

Lin Sicheng stood up: "Sorry to trouble you, Master, it's this!"

The Appraiser was stunned for a moment, his expression looking slightly odd: A chicken feather duster?

Not to mention, he had never seen such an object before.

He had heard of them, though: in the late Qing Dynasty, the Cai family in Beijing made dusters specifically for the imperial palace, known at the time as "tribute dusters."

Although they were chicken feather dusters, every feather was the same color and length, and the handle was made only of small-leaf Red Sandalwood.

Looking at this one again: the feather colors were messy and chaotic, and the handle was just an ordinary bamboo pole; it certainly had nothing to do with a tribute duster.

So, what was the value in appraising it?

He frowned: "Are you sure you want an appraisal?"

The implication was: it's not too late for you to regret it now.

Lin Sicheng paused and then smiled, pointing to the end of the duster, "Of course I want an appraisal. Look, Master: there is writing!"

There are many things with writing on them; it is impossible for every single one to be a piece of art. Even if it were art, it is impossible for every piece to be valuable.

Truly a young man; one thousand yuan, just thrown away like that?

He sighed, opened the box, put on gloves, and as he reached out to take it, he squinted his eyes: there really was writing, "Mr. Qiuming"... it looked a bit familiar.

The key was that this calligraphy looked extraordinary.

Was it Liu style, or running-cursive script? But it had its own spirit and backbone, and was graceful, fluid, vigorous, and lean.

An ordinary person couldn't write it, let alone carve it; based on this, the author was at least a famous master.

Looking back at this "Mr. Qiuming"... wait, Shen Yinmo?

His eyes lit up, but then he frowned again: something wasn't quite right.

It wasn't that the calligraphy was wrong, but the person: Shen Yinmo first studied the "Two Wangs," then studied "Ouyang Regular Script"; he had more than enough uprightness, but he couldn't write this kind of graceful intent.

Furthermore, what author would call himself "Mr."? Although he was a true gentleman!

The Master looked at it for a long time, then stared at Lin Sicheng: "The old grime is too thick, it needs to be cleaned!"

"Fine, clean it!"

"It will take two days!"

It would take that long?

Lin Sicheng looked left and right, then pointed to the toolbox: "Master, how about I do it myself?"

Young man, you have no patience at all; can you even do it?

Thinking this in his heart, the Master still nodded and took out the tools one by one.

"The item is definitely old, at least fifty or sixty years old. It hasn't been properly maintained, which is why such thick old grime has accumulated..."

"After so long, the aging of the bamboo pole is likely significant; you must use a soft brush first, and you can't use too much force..."

The Master rambled on, and Lin Sicheng nodded continuously, but he didn't pick up a brush; instead, he picked up a cotton cloth.

With a "glug," he poured an entire bottle of walnut oil onto it, then wrapped it around the bamboo pole.

The Appraiser looked resentful: This young man, his main strategy is "you say your piece, I'll do my own thing."

Then why are you nodding?

But then again, he actually knew his stuff.

After about three minutes, Lin Sicheng unwrapped the cotton cloth, picked up a carving needle, and picked away the grime piece by piece.

The Appraiser was both shocked and amazed: this young man was more than just knowledgeable; his technique was incredibly skilled.

He was bold enough, and what was rare was that his hands were steady.

Secretly praising him, as the old grime was picked away piece by piece, more and more characters were revealed. Master Hao read them out word by word: "If one does not sweep a single room, how can one sweep the world? In the winter month of the Wuchen year, Yuanke made this in Zuojing, gifted to Mr. Qiuming."

Winter month of the Wuchen year... if Mr. Qiuming was Shen Yinmo, then it must be November 1928.

But where was Zuojing? He had never heard of it.

Who was Yuanke? He knew even less.

He didn't remember any calligrapher using this pseudonym, otherwise he wouldn't be unable to recall it. But this calligraphy was definitely not the work of a nobody.

And nine times out of ten, it was a famous carver.

But unfortunately, after looking for a long time, Master Hao couldn't figure it out. He rubbed his chin and smacked his lips: "Young man, your one thousand yuan isn't easy to earn, is it?"

Lin Sicheng held back a laugh and nodded.

If it were that easy to earn, this item wouldn't have ended up at a street stall.

The duster was indeed an ordinary duster; even without the grime, only the four characters "Mr. Qiuming" could make one think a little: during the Republic of China, Mr. Shen Yinmo used "Qiuming" as his pseudonym.

A famous scholar, revolutionary, educator, calligrapher, and poet... he co-founded *New Youth* with Mr. Chen, Lu Xun, and Hu Shi, later served as the president of Peking University, and was a member of the Kuomintang Supervisory Committee. In the field of calligraphy alone, people called him "South Shen, North Wu," and one of the "Two Great Craftsmen of Peking University."

Just ask, isn't that eye-catching?

But as it happened, this calligraphy wasn't written by Shen Yinmo?

And since there was no way to prove it was a relic of Mr. Shen, one could only look for other sources, such as this author who used the pseudonym "Yuanke."

To be honest, it was really hard to find: this "Yuanke" was indeed quite famous; people called him "South Zhang, North Pu," referring to him and Zhang Daqian.

But that was in the past; ever since he fled to Taiwan in '49, his reputation had declined year by year.

That was one reason; the second: there were too many of his works in existence, and they hadn't been hyped up, so whether in collecting or appraising, there weren't many people in the country researching him.

It wouldn't be until four or five years later that he would rise on the coattails of Zhang Daqian. But unfortunately, it still didn't end up being hyped up.

The third: he had too many pseudonyms, dozens if you counted the common and uncommon ones. And this "Yuanke" he hadn't even used for many years, so even an expert in Calligraphy and Painting might not remember it, let alone an expert in miscellaneous items.

Lin Sicheng didn't keep him in suspense, pointing to the final signature: "This Yuanke is Pu Xinshe."

Master Hao was stunned for a moment: "Who did you say?"

"Puyi's younger cousin, grandson of Yi, originally named Aisin Gioro Puru, first styled Zhongheng, later changed to Xinshe, with aliases including Hermit of the Xi Emperor, Recluse of Xishan, Old Prince's Grandson, Mingyi, Guest in the Pot, Garden Guest..."

This "Garden Guest" refers to him living first in the Cuijin Garden of the Gongwang Mansion, then the Xihe Garden, and later moving back to the Cuijin Garden... However, after Puyi became the emperor of Manchukuo, that is, after 1932, he abandoned this alias to avoid suspicion. So, it wasn't for long...

Looking again at the Wuchen year on the duster, it also matches: in 1928, because he publicly supported the student movement, Shen Yinmo was wanted by the authorities and temporarily took refuge in Japan. Since he had previously studied abroad at Kyoto University twice, he rented a room in the Yoshida Dormitory in Sakyo Ward.

At that time, Aisin Gioro Puru happened to be teaching at Kyoto University and was also living in the Yoshida Dormitory... One a calligrapher, one a painter, both were celebrities in the Beijing cultural circle, so they had long known each other.

Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, and having been close friends before, it was a joy upon joy. But with no other possessions on hand, Aisin Gioro Puru gave the Chicken Feather Duster at his side to Shen Yinmo..."

Lin Sicheng talked on and on, but Master Hao's expression became increasingly strange: You're quite the storyteller, aren't you?

But turning it over in his mind, it wasn't impossible: History calls them "Zhang Daqian of the South and Aisin Gioro Puru of the North." Aisin Gioro Puru excelled in Landscape Pattern and figures, was skilled in carving, and his calligraphy was not bad either; he and Shen Yinmo were indeed well-acquainted.

If it were really as this young man said, with the two of them stranded in Japan and meeting suddenly, it would be very normal for Aisin Gioro Puru to gift a Chicken Feather Duster to Shen Yinmo.

Of course, it was only possible. So even if it were proven to be Aisin Gioro Puru's work, the value would be average.

This is because there are too many works: rumor has it that Zhang Daqian has over twenty thousand paintings in existence, and this man has at least triple that.

Because there are many, the value is not high, and naturally, there is little Artifact Research on them.

Besides, he mainly researches miscellaneous items, while Aisin Gioro Puru was a painter, and what was carved on this bamboo pole was calligraphy? He also used such an alias that he rarely used, so, really, one couldn't blame his lack of discernment.

It's no exaggeration to say that if he had encountered it, even if there were no grime on it, he wouldn't have spent four hundred.

Forty would be about right...

"So it's a Japanese Chicken Feather Duster?"

Having found another excuse for himself, he pointed at the shop assistant, "Call Master Liu, and bring my computer while you're at it."

After shouting, he stared at Lin Sicheng again, "Where did the item come from?"

"Picked it up at Xiaodongmen, cost four hundred!"

What the hell?

He was startled: "You didn't bring it from home?"

"How could that be?" Lin Sicheng said, unable to laugh or cry, "It's not like it's far, one question and you'd know!"

"No... then how do you know so much?"

Lin Sicheng smiled: "I study at the Xida Department of Cultural Relics and Museology, I'm a senior this year!"

Master Hao's lips twitched: I'm a Peking University graduate myself, and I'm not even as impressive as you.