Chapter 3: The Bronze Balance
Zheng Zheng's skills in antique appraisal are commendable, yet he does not possess absolute confidence in accurately determining the value of every antique he encounters. However, with the acquisition of this bronze balance, Zheng Zheng seems to have gained a significant advantage, making the appraisal of antiques no longer a challenge for him, and the likelihood of making mistakes in judgment has become a thing of the past.
Zheng Zheng reached out to touch the chip, but his fingers seemed to pass through the air. Although it appeared that he had made contact with the chip, there was no sensation at the point of contact. Zheng Zheng wanted to pick up the chip to weigh it, but he was unable to do so no matter how hard he tried
In the state between half-asleep and half-awake, Zheng Zheng suddenly jolted, and the slightest hint of drowsiness vanished without a trace
Today, the jade pendant that Wang Qian purchased for one hundred thousand yuan somehow projected onto the scale pan of the bronze balance. The weight that originally represented one hundred thousand yuan was now equal to the value represented by this jade pendant. It was precisely for this reason that I realized the bronze balance had inexplicably regained its equilibrium.
On the left side of the scale, there is a white chip placed on the pan. This chip is clean and devoid of any markings, and its weight is unknown. On the right side of the scale, there is a jade pendant formed from white smoke. Although it appears somewhat ethereal and unstable, Zheng Zheng can clearly see the engraved patterns on it
After pondering for a while, Zheng Zheng understood the connections among these matters: after selling that pile of blue and white porcelain fragments yesterday, for reasons unknown, the bronze balance recorded this transaction and formed a token. The bronze balance will only be unbalanced when there is a weight present on one of its pans.
Sitting idly can easily lead to fatigue. Zheng Zheng sat for a while longer, and drowsiness gradually crept in, causing his eyelids to battle against each other, making it hard for him to resist the urge to take a nap
None of these are of any significance; the only thing that truly matters is the function of this bronze balance, which has already demonstrated its extraordinary qualities.
At first, he thought that this bronze balance was merely a well-crafted artifact, but it now appears that there is much more to this bronze balance than meets the eye. However, despite Zheng Zheng's extensive experience and confidence in appraising antiques, he cannot accurately determine the era to which this bronze balance belongs, nor does he have any knowledge of its origin.
Yesterday, before collecting the fragments of the blue-and-white porcelain, Zheng Zheng was also in a half-asleep, half-awake state, yet he did not notice the anomaly on the bronze balance. The reason for this, I fear, can be attributed to Zheng Zheng's few drops of blood. Although Zheng Zheng has always regarded the concept of blood recognition as a joke, it now seems that this is the only explanation.
I am very angry
On the bronze balance, the weights on the left side and the jade pendant on the right side vividly appeared before Zheng Zheng's eyes
Old Xu, seeing Zheng Zheng looking at the items in the box, asked with great interest: "Zheng Zhangpan, what do you think? Is this item bought by the boss worth this price? I always feel that spending 100,000 yuan on this piece of jade is a bit excessive"
How did this come about ... ... '' Zheng Zheng pondered in various ways, yet he could not figure out where this chip originated from, leaving him filled with immense doubt.
As soon as this thought arose, Zheng Zheng felt as if his heart was being clawed by a cat, unable to calm down no matter what. If he hoped to wait for business to come to the store, that would be quite difficult; who can predict when business will arrive?
Zheng Zheng lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. As he exhaled a puff of smoke, the strange emotions within him calmed down somewhat, yet he still felt an uncontrollable excitement.
This is ... ... '' Zheng Zheng squinted his eyes and looked over, only to see that some characters slowly began to appear on the paper. Although the writing on it was not very clear, Zheng Zheng could see that it was indeed a check.
At the same time that he was secretly contemplating, the chips on the balance beam began to change.
He had a vague feeling that his own good fortune had arrived along with this bronze balance.
Looking back this time, Zheng Zheng finally saw clearly
The chips, like smoke and clouds, slowly dispersed, yet they did not vanish; instead, they coalesced into a sheet of paper formed from white smoke
Zheng Zheng gasped in shock, his eyes involuntarily widening as the scene on the scale slowly faded from his view
Even though he was mentally prepared, Zheng Zheng was still shocked by the scene before him and couldn't help but curse. He never expected that this bronze balance could actually read his thoughts, which was rather astonishing.
With a sense of doubt, Zheng Zheng squinted his eyes once again at the bronze balance.
After taking a drag from a cigarette to calm his emotions, Zheng Zheng began to focus his thoughts and thoroughly study the peculiar bronze balance.
After carefully observing the bronze balance for a while, apart from the fact that the bronze balance had inexplicably returned to equilibrium, Zheng Zheng still could not discern anything amiss from the bronze balance.
It is somewhat regrettable that this jade has not been well maintained, and that subsequent generations have not taken the care to polish this piece of jade. As a result, the jade appears rather dry, and its luster is insufficiently rich. If the owner were to invest time in properly polishing this piece of jade, it would be fundamentally unproblematic to recoup both the principal and profit.
Zheng Zheng took the jade pendant out of the wooden box, played with it for a while, and then casually placed it beside him, not far from the bronze balance.
In the world of antiques, the most feared situation is misjudgment. Those with a discerning eye may be able to identify the era of an object, but accurately assessing the value of an antique is a challenge that all antique enthusiasts must face. Many collectors, although they have found genuine items, end up paying a price that far exceeds the true value of the object. While this is certainly better than purchasing a counterfeit, it is still quite an unfortunate circumstance. Many collectors, although they have found genuine items, end up paying a price that far exceeds the true value of the object. While this is certainly better than purchasing a counterfeit, it is still quite an unfortunate circumstance
In a state of confusion, Zheng Zheng's eyes unconsciously swept over the bronze balance, only to find that the bronze balance had somehow regained its equilibrium, and on the two pans of the balance, there appeared two white objects that resembled smoke and clouds.
Having understood these issues, Zheng Zheng was very clear in his mind about how this jade tablet was projected onto the bronze balance. Whether it was this jade pendant or the pile of fragments from yesterday, they shared a common characteristic: they had all been touched by Zheng Zheng and were all located near this bronze balance
The check states an amount of 100,000, and the name written at the signature line is none other than Zheng Bei, who purchased that pile of blue and white porcelain fragments yesterday.
Is it really just an illusion? Zheng Zheng was momentarily uncertain, but he had no better evidence to prove that what he had just seen truly existed
"One hundred thousand yuan was spent on this, which is not a loss." Zheng Zheng placed the wooden box on the counter, touched the jade pendant, and then said: "From the carving style of this jade pendant, it should belong to a certain prince of the Qing Dynasty. This item is not particularly rare in terms of age, but the quality of the jade material is exquisite; just the jade material alone is worth around fifty to sixty thousand yuan."
Although the origins of this bronze balance are unclear, through his own exploration, Zheng Zheng has already figured out its functions to a considerable extent. As for the potential applications of this bronze balance, Zheng Zheng has also developed a clear understanding in his mind
Inside the mahogany box lies a jade tablet intricately carved with a hollow dragon design. Both the texture of the carving and the quality of the jade are considered to be of exceptional choice
There is no need to ponder where the jade pendant came from. As for the jade pendant placed beside the bronze balance, Zheng Zheng could not figure out how it appeared on the bronze balance in such a projection-like manner, so he simply chose not to think about it.
On the two pans of the bronze balance, there is a white object that resembles smoke and clouds. Although it appears to be floating erratically, its shape remains largely unchanged, and Zheng Zheng is able to see clearly what it is.
The white jade pendant on this scale platform is recognized by Zheng Zheng. This is the hollow carved jade pendant that Old Xu sent over earlier, which is now placed beside Zheng Zheng, not far from the bronze balance.
What is going on ... ... Zheng Zheng rubbed his eyes, then steadied his mind and carefully looked at the bronze balance that had already regained its equilibrium
So it is like this
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Old Xu took his leave from Donglai Pavilion
Now, the bronze balance that Zheng Zheng sees with his own eyes is not significantly different from when it was first received, but after witnessing those scenes, Zheng Zheng no longer regards this bronze balance as trivial
What he is more concerned about is how the chip that appeared on the left side of the balance came to be If I am not mistaken, the reason why this bronze balance was tilted on one side should be due to the presence of this chip
Zheng Zheng exchanged the check given by Zheng Bei yesterday and compared it with the virtual check formed on the bronze balance. The virtual check on the bronze balance was identical to the check in his hand. The chips on the bronze balance clearly represented the one hundred thousand yuan that Zheng Zheng obtained after yesterday's transaction.
In a state of inexplicable influence, Zheng Zheng slightly narrowed his eyes, resembling someone caught between sleep and wakefulness
The boss often says that Zheng Zhangpan has a keen eye, and today I have truly witnessed it for myself. Old Xu nodded repeatedly, sincerely praising.
The bronze balance, which had unknowingly regained its equilibrium, stood quietly beside Zheng Zheng's desk. The two pans were clean and devoid of any items. The two white objects that Zheng Zheng had just seen, resembling smoke and clouds, seemed to be mere illusions that appeared in the haze between his half-asleep and half-awake state.
In this case, it seems that only I can see what happens on this bronze balance. Hehe, that's good; in the future, I won't have to worry about others seeing what is on this bronze balance.
Hiss ... ...
Can't wait? If I can't wait, I'll go out myself
Having obtained such a treasure, even though Zheng Zheng had already cultivated a considerable level of composure, he could not help but feel a surge of excitement, his hands caressing the bronze balance, his heart filled with exhilaration
Although he was aware of the remarkable capabilities of this bronze balance, Zheng Zheng had never truly utilized its power, which left him feeling somewhat uneasy. He now felt as if he possessed the skills to slay dragons but could not find an opportunity to put them to use, and this sense of disparity greatly frustrated him. At this moment, he had only one thought in mind: to immediately experiment with the true purpose of the bronze balance in his hands