Reborn Treasure Appraiser: I Really Didn’t Want to Be an Expert

Chapter 107 Liu Haisu (Monthly Ticket Plus 33)

The aroma filled the entire restaurant and the tables were filled to the brim.

There are both meat and vegetarian dishes, with good color, aroma and taste.

Ye Anning gripped the chopsticks tightly, veins bulged on her wrists, her almond-shaped eyes sparkled from the heat, and tiny beads of water formed on her thick eyelashes.

He kept picking up food with his chopsticks and chewing with his mouth. His cheeks were bulging like buns, and the corners of his mouth, which were stained with rice grains, were stained shiny by the sauce.

The way he eats... is it the same as when he was just released?
Lin Sicheng held the chopsticks in mid-air.

Ye Anning seemed to have sensed something, and raised her head and smiled innocently: "Lin Sicheng, it smells so good!"

Then, it remains the same.

Wang Qizhi gritted his teeth and said: Ye Anning, even pigs look better when they eat than you.

He was about to curse when he was hit on the calf.

Right.

I forgot for a moment that Lin Sicheng was also there.

Pretending not to see, Wang Qizhi lowered his head and ate.

Shan Wangshu picked up a piece of fish fillet for Wang Youjian, with a smile in his eyes: "Youjian, is it delicious?"

“Mmmmm~ Delicious!”

The little fat boy nodded vigorously: "Brother, what kind of fish is this?"

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Stir-fried mandarin fish slices."

“Where are the shrimps?”

"Just regular braised shrimp, but fried in lard first!"

"It's delicious~ Senior brother, can you come to our house next week as a guest?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned by the question: Are you coming or not?

He thought about it and said, "Okay!"

The little fat boy smiled widely, and Dan Wangshu curled the corners of his mouth imperceptibly.

Wang Qizhi was confused: Didn’t they just call me rude? How come the mother and daughter are thinking about asking Lin Sicheng to cook next week?

Just as he was suspicious, Shan Wangshu used his serving chopsticks to pick up a shrimp for Lin Sicheng: "Qi Zhi said, you're only 20, so you're going to school early?"

"Thank you, Master's Wife!" Lin Sicheng smiled. "It wasn't too early. I skipped a grade in the second grade of elementary school."

"Oh, no wonder. What month is your birthday?"

"November 20th!"

"It's almost time then?" Shan Wangshu said, as if he suddenly remembered, "Qi Zhi, when is An Ning's birthday?"

Wang Qizhi was still a little puzzled: You have raised Ye Anning since she was a child, and you don’t know when Ye Anning’s birthday is?
"November 13th?"

"Oh, it's so close, only a week away?" Shan Wangshu looked surprised. "Sicheng, you'll want to come over when the time comes, right?"

"Huh?" Lin Sicheng was stunned: "I've never been here before!"

"Oh, is that so?" Shan Wangshu was not disappointed at all. "An Ning basically doesn't celebrate, but they will definitely celebrate this year. I'll invite you then. Will you come?"

Lin Sicheng didn't think much about it: "Come!"

"Well, it's a deal, more people means more fun!"

Shan Wangshu smiled and looked at Ye Anning again.

Ye Anning was sitting next to them. She subconsciously stopped using her chopsticks and lowered her eyelids slightly.

Shan Wangshu nodded secretly: It’s settled!

As soon as he mentioned his birthday, Wang Qizhi calculated it deliberately and said, "Oh!" "I almost forgot: after your birthday, it will be the 24th. Will it be your zodiac year next year?"

Ye Anning paused and glared at him obscurely. Shan Wangshu was so angry that he almost gnashed his teeth, wishing he could throw the bowl of rice in Wang Qizhi's head.

Wang Qizhi, Wang Qizhi, why are you bringing up something that is not relevant?

When you should be smart, you are dumber than a pig!
Wang Qizhi was hit on his calf again, much harder than before, and only then did he realize it.

He opened his mouth slightly, and a strange look flashed in his eyes: He said that he wanted Lin Sicheng to come as a guest next week and to celebrate Ye Anning's birthday. So this is what his wife meant?
As he was thinking, he looked at Ye Anning again.

You look quite silly, but the question is, how can Lin Sicheng not know whether you are really silly or just pretending to be silly?
Forget it, just let it be and leave everything to fate.

He had no intention of interfering and just focused on eating.

After the fat boy finished his meal, he went to do his homework. Dan Wangshu brought him a bottle and a glass of wine.

Knowing that Lin Sicheng didn't like it very much, Wang Qizhi opened a bottle and gave each of the four people a glass.

Just chatting, talking about school, Wang Qizhi's past interesting stories, and Shan Wangshu's current unit.

Ye Anning suddenly remembered: "Lin Sicheng, do you have time tomorrow to help me look at something..."

Before he could finish his words, Wang Qizhi flatly refused: "No time!"

Ye Anning pursed her lips: "I'm talking about after school!"

"I don't have time after school!" Wang Qizhi put down his wine glass. "Ye Anning, I haven't asked you yet: What kind of crappy class are you in? There's no one left in such a big company..."

Before he could finish his words, he was kicked in the leg again. Wang Qizhi paused and curled his lips again: "Bring him back tomorrow. Lin Sicheng has something to do these two days and has no time to go out. He has to stay on campus at night!"

Dan Wangshu and Ye Anning thought it was just something going on in the laboratory and didn't think much about it.

They chatted for a while longer, discussing their first meeting and the internal reference book that Lin Sicheng had sold to Wang Qizhi. Shan Wangshu pointed to the antique shelf and said, "Sicheng, you have such a good eye. It's a good opportunity for you to help me take a look at these things."

Suddenly, Wang Qizhi's heart tightened.

Suddenly, Lin Sicheng understood.

In a flash, the teacher and student exchanged a glance.

Shan Wangshu didn't notice it, but Ye Anning saw it clearly and curled her lips slightly.

"Okay Master Wife!"

After replying, Lin Sicheng stood up, and Shan Wangshu and Ye Anning also stood up.

Only Wang Qizhi was calm and composed, holding the glass and sipping the wine slowly.

The book says it well: No matter how strong the winds are, I will remain unmoved...

There are so many things, there is almost no empty space on the three antique shelves.

It's quite diverse, with everything from seals and inscriptions to porcelain and ancient coins. Most importantly, they're all quite authentic.

But it wasn't surprising: Professor Wang had a good eye and was even more experienced, so there weren't many things he could spot. Just as he was thinking this, Shan Wangshu took down a porcelain plate and said, "Look at this one first!"

"it is good!"

Lin Sicheng took it:

A square round plate with a white glaze base. The bottom of the plate is painted with a bunch of pine branches and a white crane standing on one leg.

The glaze is smooth, the colors are bright, and the painting is also excellent: the colors are elegant and the brushwork is vigorous and beautiful.

It's just a little new, the glaze has a noticeable sheen, and the painting is too realistic.

After taking a quick look, Lin Sicheng turned it over and looked at the inscription: Made in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty.

It was definitely not something from the Guangxu period, but it was not something that Wang Qizhi would miss.

He was particularly confident: "Master's wife, this is a new pastel from the Republic of China. It incorporates Western painting techniques and uses lead-free glazes, but it borrows some of the Guangxu style."

Reading quickly?

It only takes two minutes from the start to the conclusion.

Shan Wangshu nodded, skipped this one, went to the middle, and then took out another carving tool, which was a gourd.

This kind of thing is rare. Because it is not practical, it is rarely made by the people, so it is also called "palace carving".

The general method is that when the gourd bears fruit, it is clamped using molds of various shapes and engraved with various patterns. After it grows naturally, it is cut and processed into the required utensil.

They are usually used as ornaments and are not carved, so they are elegant and clear.

Look at this one: it is in the shape of a duck with a bent neck and looking back, with a slender and curved middle part that becomes the neck and a duck beak. It is very lifelike and has natural texture.

Or is it the Kangxi style?

The only thing is that it is too old. Although some parts are still shiny, they are not full and natural.

Similarly, Lin Sicheng believed that such things should not make Wang Qizhi misjudge.

"The earliest modern imitations date back to before the founding of the People's Republic of China!"

"Ah, is it an imitation?" Shan Wangshu seemed surprised. "How did you imitate it?"

"Wash first: Treat the surface with sodium hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Once corrosion lines appear, bake, smoke, and then sand. Then wax and wipe to make the surface look old, but retain the effect of patina."

Shan Wangshu was stunned: "It's quite complicated?"

"It's quite complicated!" Lin Sicheng turned around and put it back, "otherwise it wouldn't be so realistic!"

There was a hint of disappointment on Shan Wangshu's face.

Lin Sicheng didn't see it, but Ye Anning saw it clearly, pursing her lips and smiling silently. Then she turned around and blinked at Wang Qizhi.

Wang Qizhi glared at her: Why doesn’t your aunt play by the rules?

Ye Anning winked: "How should I know? But you deserve it."

I asked you to give Lin Sicheng a secret signal, is that okay now?
Going forward, Shan Wangshu took down a lacquer box. Lin Sicheng took a look at it: a red lacquer box with camellia decoration?

I have been studying lacquer recently, but this is the first time I have seen lacquerware.

Look closely: the cover is decorated with dozens of camellias, with oval leaves interspersed between them, shading them from front and back, making the layout full and lively.

The vertical walls are decorated with chrysanthemums, roses, camellias, peonies, and pomegranates in sequence, grouped in pairs and alternating between high and low angles.

The craftsmanship is very representative: a typical Ming Yongle multi-layer red lacquer carved flower box with thick lacquer layer and rounded carvings.

Unfortunately, imitation lacquerware will also age. It is impossible for the color to remain so bright from the early Ming Dynasty to the present.

It should be a product of the late Qing Dynasty, but the level of exquisiteness cannot be imitated by ordinary people, so it is at least a palace imitation.

He glanced at it again, the word "imitation" on the tip of his tongue. He accidentally caught sight of Ye Anning's half-smile, and Lin Sicheng thought quickly and said:
"Master's wife, this is Qingfang!"

"Ah?" Shan Wangshu's eyes lit up. "Which dynasty?"

Yes, which dynasty?
At most after Guangxu, but that certainly cannot be said.

On a sudden change of mind, Lin Sicheng predicted two hundred years in advance: "At least the three Qing dynasties, it looks like before Emperor Qianlong..."

"Oh, really?" Shan Wangshu was even happier. "Your teacher also said it looked like a replica of the Kangxi Emperor's style!"

"Yes, yes, it's the Kangxi imitation!" Lin Sicheng nodded vigorously. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered it... Teacher, you really have good eyes!"

Ye Anning gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and his facial features wrinkled.

There was no way she could do this, otherwise she would laugh out loud.

The more he endured, the more painful it became. He cursed in his heart: Lin Sicheng, that's enough. This is your master's wife, and you're just coaxing her like this?

Of course, the one who should be blamed the most is my uncle: it’s too much!

While cursing, Ye Anning saw Dan Wangshu take down a picture frame. He felt something in his heart and moved closer.

It was an oil painting: a quiet girl wearing a fox fur coat, standing quietly under a tree.

But there is no title, no postscript, no signature, and no seal, just the painting.

A closer look reveals a cool overall tone, yet the colors are powerful, the lines bold and unadorned. The brushstrokes are heavy, yet their sharpness is palpable, evoking a sense of the unspoken "heavy sword without a sharp edge, great ingenuity without effort."

The main color is black, supplemented by gray and yellow, with rich layers, sharp contrast and strong visual impact.

What's strange is the color scheme of the base image: it's like splashing ink in traditional Chinese painting, followed by shading and outlining. Only then are the details adjusted using oil painting techniques.

Especially the treatment of lines: outlining, leaving blank space, and inking, with the typical center-point brushwork.

From this perspective, it becomes a typical "Western painting with Chinese methods": the ink-splashing landscape technique of traditional Chinese painting is combined with the light and shadow technology of Western Impressionism.

The key lies in the blending of colors and ink, the interweaving of Eastern freehand brushwork and Western three-dimensionality, which has both visual expression and flowing charm.

Anyone who can paint to this level must be a famous artist.

And it's very familiar.

Lin Sicheng closed his eyes and thought for a while, then opened them suddenly. His eyes swept across Shan Wangshu and Ye Anning, and a glint of light flashed in his pupils.

Looking at Wang Qizhi lying on the sofa, he was steady and composed.

Seeing Lin Sicheng staring at him, Wang Qizhi slowly picked up his teacup and said, "Look at the painting. Why are you looking at me?"

Ye Anning curled her lips: Uncle, do you think Lin Sicheng is giving you a secret signal?

He was surprised: This shouldn’t be the case. When did the teacher acquire such vision and skills?

Just as he was secretly happy, Lin Sicheng exhaled: "Liu Haisu!"

(End of this chapter)