Chapter 1: The Antique Appraiser
Here, let me show you
This package is approximately the size of a bowl, and I am unsure what exactly is inside it
As time passed second by second, Zheng Zheng examined the fragment under the desk lamp, turning it over and over, yet remained silent
Zheng Zheng did not express this clearly. To speak seriously, the lowest price for Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain can exceed 500,000, and among the fine pieces, prices in the millions or even tens of millions are not uncommon. However, this cannot be said to that old man, because what he brought are merely fragments. Discussing the complete value is no different from stabbing him in the back
Is the boss present
"Oh, elder brother... you..." Zheng Zheng felt a sinking sensation in his heart, estimating that the elderly person had not packed properly while bringing the items over, and the journey had jostled the porcelain, causing it to shatter.
Zheng Bei walked to the counter, fiddled with a pile of fragments for a while, and then looked at Zheng Zheng with a face full of schadenfreude: "Come on, tell me, how much did you pay for this? I want to see just how much of a sucker you are."
"I rarely make such mistakes, so there's no need for you, Young Master Zheng Bei from Zheng University, to worry about it for me," Zheng Zheng said coldly
Zheng Zheng did not deceive him; among this pile of fragments, only a few relatively larger pieces hold value. The identification of this as a Yuan blue-and-white porcelain vase relies entirely on these slightly larger fragments. If these fragments were purchased, it would only be possible to find a few larger ones among them, which could then be displayed on a stand. Although they are fragments, they are still pieces of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, which would suffice to enhance the ambiance of the shop.
"Go ahead and tell me, how much do you charge?" Zheng Bei took out his wallet and said, "If you haven't made a mistake, I can buy this item. At least it will uphold your reputation and prevent outsiders from saying that the descendants of the Zheng family misidentified an antique."
The old man was quite astute; noticing that the young man and Zheng Zheng did not seem to get along, he chose not to involve himself in the matter at all. After greeting Zheng Zheng, he left Donglai Pavilion on his own.
Is it a bead? Zheng Zheng thought to himself, and the action of opening the package became a bit lighter.
It is now noon, the sky is somewhat overcast, and there are no customers coming in to make purchases. Zheng Zheng is dozing off at the counter, half asleep and half awake
Antique Street of Xidu City
"These items are indeed valuable, but that is only when they are complete and intact." Zheng Zheng shook his head and pointed at the fragments on the cushion, saying, "If I am not mistaken, these fragments should belong to Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain. It is difficult to specify which type it is, as there are too many fragments at hand; we will have to wait until they are assembled to have a general idea. However, the minimum value of Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain is at least several hundred thousand, and the exquisite pieces will be even more valuable." It is difficult to specify which type it is, as there are too many fragments at hand; we will have to wait until they are assembled to have a general idea. However, the minimum value of Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain is at least several hundred thousand, and the exquisite pieces will be even more valuable.
With the accounts settled, the old man complained to Zheng Zheng for a moment, then turned around and prepared to leave Donglai Pavilion
Upon seeing the young man enter, Zheng Zheng's expression suddenly turned extremely poor. He sneered twice, lit a cigarette, squinted his eyes, and said: "Zheng Bei, Young Master Zheng, I cannot bear to be called that by you. You know me, the type of person I dislike the most is that kind of two-faced villain who speaks sweetly but harbors malice."
The old man stared in disbelief, looking as if he wanted to have a serious conversation with Zheng Zheng: "Young shopkeeper, I understand that you merchants are in it for the money, but this price is just too much. Something worth over 100,000 yuan is only valued at 500 yuan just because it’s broken? You, young shopkeeper, give me 500 yuan... Young shopkeeper, although I don’t understand this, isn’t this a bit too harsh? Just raise it a little, even if it’s 1,000 yuan..."
Accompanying with a smile to soothe the old man, Zheng Zheng handed him a cigarette. Watching the old man angrily smoke it, he then spoke in a calm and unhurried manner: "Although this is Yuan blue and white porcelain," Zheng Zheng said, picking out the largest shard from the pile of fragments, "the largest piece is only this big. The useful ones are just these relatively larger fragments, which can be displayed in the shop. Whether they can be sold is another matter."
In the end, the old man appeared somewhat lacking in confidence; since this item is broken, the price naturally needs to be discounted, and his words carried a hint of guilt.
You are indeed worthy of it, absolutely worthy. Although your branch of the family is merely a collateral line, you are still a member of the Zheng family, and being addressed as Young Master Zheng is something you can certainly bear. Zheng Beifu adjusted his frameless glasses, responding with a sharp tone; although he called him Young Master Zheng, the disdain in his voice was evident to all.
Seeing that the old man was still skeptical, Zheng Zheng knew that this old gentleman was stubborn and difficult to persuade. Therefore, he shook his head and said: "I am sincerely revealing this to you, my elder brother, the highest price is 500 yuan. If you trust me, we can exchange money for goods hand in hand. If you do not trust me, then I have no other options."
You ... ... " Zheng Bei's eyelids twitched a few times, but when his gaze swept over the pile of fragments that Zheng Zheng had not yet had the chance to collect on the counter, he unexpectedly shifted from anger to laughter, chuckling to himself.
Young Master Zheng, it seems that your market has opened? What good items have you acquired? Or have you finally sold the junk from your store?
Hearing the old man urging him, Zheng Zheng came to his senses, gently placed the fragments he was holding down, and nodded to the old man.
Beside him lay a bronze balance scale, which Zheng Zheng had just received from a door-to-door salesman a couple of days ago. This scale appeared antique and could be considered a nice decorative piece
"What would you like to buy, old brother?" Zheng Zheng suddenly woke up with a start, smiling as he stood up to offer a cigarette. The old man was not dressed particularly well, but Zheng Zheng showed no sign of disdain; a rural elder might just have something valuable to offer.
Zheng Zheng took the high-brightness desk lamp from the side of the table, and then retrieved a box from beneath the counter, which contained essential tools for antique appraisal, such as tweezers, gloves, and magnifying glasses
Hearing the old man say this, Zheng Zheng felt relieved. No matter how good the porcelain is, as long as it is somewhat cracked, the price must be significantly discounted. For pieces that are broken to this extent, the price is even lower, and even if they are collected, there is not much profit margin. However, since he had nothing to do at the moment, Zheng Zheng was happy to help the old gentleman with the appraisal.
The items wrapped inside the package are nothing other than a collection of fragments of blue and white porcelain, the largest of which is merely two fingers wide and one or two inches long, while the smaller pieces are only as large as a fingernail.
What?!
The old man discarded the cigarette butt, crushing it forcefully with his foot, and then said: "Five hundred yuan is just five hundred yuan, better than having nothing."
"Little shopkeeper, what exactly is going on?" The old man waited for about five or six minutes, seeing Zheng Zheng only flipping through a few larger fragments, yet he remained silent. The old man, unable to contain his impatience, couldn't help but ask Zheng Zheng a question.
Zheng Zheng sighed; since this old gentleman insisted, he had no choice: "A maximum of 500 yuan, any more would be difficult"
"Don't, don't say that." Zheng Bei laughed heartily, appearing extremely pleased: "You are but a branch of the Zheng family. Although not many people know about this matter, it is indeed a substantial issue. If you misjudge it, it would also tarnish the image of our Zheng family"
Furthermore, Zheng Zheng flicked the ash from his cigarette and coldly snorted, "What I have taken has nothing to do with you at all"
Alright
It is indeed a genuine item, and it is also a good one
It really won't do, dear elder brother, please listen to me.
"Go ahead, old man, let me see a bit more clearly," Zheng Zheng said with a cheerful smile.
I said ... ... Zheng Bei. Zheng Zheng threw the lighter in his hand to the side, and it landed perfectly in the pan of the bronze balance, producing a crisp sound.
I come from the countryside, and today I have come to the city. I happened to bring an old item with me, and I would like you, the shopkeeper, to take a look at it. The old man took the cigarette, lit it, smiled at Zheng Zheng, and said.
These fragments... heh, quite interesting. Zheng Zheng, do you also have moments of misjudgment?
Zheng Zheng let out a sigh, gathered his spirits, and carefully unwrapped the package. However, as he began to open it, he felt that something was amiss, for the contents inside the package were actually changing shape as he gradually unwrapped it.
No, I just want to know the price today. Young shopkeeper, just give me a straightforward answer. The old man gritted his teeth, his expression appearing extremely stubborn, indicating that he was determined to get to the bottom of this matter today
Zheng Zheng is just in his twenties, but he has already been working as a "plate handler" in this antique shop for two years
Turning on the desk lamp, Zheng Zheng spread a soft mat on the table and sifted through a pile of fragments for a while, selecting a piece that was about the size of half a finger, placing it under the lamp for careful observation. The other fragments were heavily worn and too small to be of any use for identification.
He raised his head, squinting his eyes at the impeccably dressed Zheng Bei, and spoke in a low tone: "If you have something to say, then say it. If there is nothing, the door is right behind you. You shouldn't be the kind of brainless fool who can't open the door by yourself and expects me to do it for you"
Just as Zheng Zheng was in a half-asleep, half-awake state, the door of the antique shop was pushed open, and an old man stepped in, holding a backpack, the contents of which were unknown.
Before the old man could reach the door, a young man in a suit pushed the door open and walked in. Without waiting for Zheng Zheng to speak, the young man shouted loudly. Although his words were quite polite, the tone was inappropriate, revealing a hint of disdain and sarcasm, almost masterfully sarcastic.
"How much is it worth?" Upon seeing that Zheng Zheng said it was a good item, the old man was quite pleased and immediately wanted to know a specific price
Seeing the old man nod, Zheng Zheng took out 500 yuan from his wallet and handed it to the old man
Zheng Zheng looked at the old man's expression and sighed inwardly, but he could not hide it. He shook his head and said, "Elder, I see that this item has also been passed down from your ancestors; it would be better to keep it in the family."
The old man nodded, took out a package wrapped in newspaper from his backpack, and placed it on the counter
As the last layer of the newspaper was unwrapped, Zheng Zheng finally saw what was contained within the package.
The old man noticed that Zheng Zheng's expression was somewhat peculiar, and with a hearty laugh, he said: "It was already broken when I brought it over. This has been passed down in the family; it was broken in my grandfather's generation, but not a single piece is missing, it has all been passed down. I brought it over just to let the young shopkeeper take a look at it, to see how much it might be worth."
Then... then this value... the old man's expression was not very good. Although Zheng Zheng was still attentive while speaking, this sense of disparity was still difficult for the old man to accept