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

Chapter 11 Family Origin
"Master Hao!"

Following the sound, a man in his fifties came downstairs.

"Master Liu, give me a slap!"

"A feather duster? That's rare! Hey, cursive script in the Liu style, isn't that pretty?"

He stared at the words, his fingers dabbing non-stop for almost two minutes. Then, Master Liu's eyes lit up: "Pu Xinyu!"

Lin Sicheng looked at him with admiration: "Master Liu, do you have good eyesight?"

"It's just that I've been doing this for longer, so I have more experience!"

Master Liu smiled and said, "Cursive script is easy to write well, but to be able to carve well, one must be a famous painter. And to be able to write with strength and fluency, and with a gentle and graceful feeling, one must be a master of painting, calligraphy, and carving..."

Looking at the feather dusters and bamboo poles, they are at least sixty or seventy years old. If you count them, there are only a handful of masters who can achieve such skills in that era..."

"It's just right. The signature is 'Presented to Mr. Qiu Ming'. Forgive my ignorance, but I only know that at that time, only Mr. Shen Yinmo called himself Qiu Ming. And the only famous artist who was good friends with him and was also a painter, calligrapher, and engraver was Pu Xinyu..."

"Great!"

Lin Sicheng gave a thumbs up, Master Liu smiled modestly, but Master Hao curled his lips.

At first, he listened very seriously, but when he saw Lin Sicheng's shocked and admiring look, he realized something was wrong: What's the difference between what he said and what you just said?

Then what the hell are you worshipping?

Then I thought, he knows so much, but he still brought it for appraisal. Could it be that he has too much money to burn?
So, the appraisal is fake, but the things sold are real.

The result is good: after spending a thousand dollars and adding a few words of flattery, Lao Liu is so happy that he blurts out everything. Isn't that equivalent to endorsing him?

Sure enough, after saying a few words of thanks, Lin Sicheng looked at Hao Jun with a smile: "Manager Hao, do you want to accept it?"

Nonsense, what am I going to do with the computer if you don’t charge me?
"You're so young, but you're so smart?"

Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west, using someone else's chicken to lay eggs... It's just selling a collectible, but you even use military tactics?

Lin Sicheng just took it as a compliment.

Sighing, Hao Jun turned on the computer and called up several sets of photos.

There are Liu style calligraphy, as well as bamboo carvings and wood carvings, all of which are works by Pu Xinyu that have been auctioned in recent years.

The two masters picked up the dusters and compared them carefully.

The font and handwriting are correct, the engraving is correct, and even the aging of the feathers and bamboo poles is fine.

But even so, the two of them watched for more than ten minutes. After confirming that everything was correct, Hao Jun pushed the computer aside and said, "Come on, take a look for yourself!"

Lin Sicheng took a quick look: a 2.4-square-foot copybook of Liu Kai calligraphy sold for 52,000 yuan at Artron Auctions. Another 3-square-foot copybook sold for 43,000 yuan at Jingcheng Chengxuan Auctions.

There is also a small double-piece brush holder carved with yellow bamboo and dead tree patterns, which was auctioned by the Xiling Seal Society for 36,000 yuan.

"It's too low!" Lin Sicheng said slowly, "This is Mr. Shen's relic!"

Hao Jun glared at Master Liu: You're so quick to speak, now you're done, right?
Master Liu realized later that this young man was too cunning and that just two words of compliment had revealed his true identity.

He smiled awkwardly: "I'm not really sure, I'm just saying it's possible!"

Lin Sicheng thought about it: From beginning to end, Master Liu never said words like "certain" or "absolutely".

"That's right!" He nodded. "After all, it's the first collectible feather duster released in China, right?"

Hao Jun was stunned for a moment: "How dare you brag?"

This thing is indeed rare, but it is definitely found in the Forbidden City, and probably has been collected by some people in Beijing, but it has not been put on the market.

But on the other hand: this is indeed the first feather duster of the decorative type that has appeared in Xijing City so far.

No matter what category the cultural relics and collectibles belong to, I am afraid of them being associated with the first one.

Furthermore, it was Old Liu who said it himself. No matter how thick-skinned Hao Jun was, he couldn't say something like "I have nothing to do with Mr. Shen."

When the two are combined, a fair price must be given.

He thought for a moment and said, "Eighty thousand, it can't be any higher!"

Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up: "Deal!" Hao Jun choked: Is that too high?
It’s not that the thing is only worth this much, but this kid’s psychological expectations are not that high at all.

But the words have been spoken, can you take them back?

He rolled his eyes, asked for the card number, and handed it to the cashier: "Eighty thousand, after tax!"

Quite particular.

Not long after, a text message arrived. Hao Jun handed over the card and personally sent him to the door.

He probably had a good impression of Lin Sicheng, so he handed him a business card before leaving: "Next time you find something, just bring it to me!"

"Of course!"

Lin Sicheng took it in his hand and looked at it again:
General Manager of Xijing Rongbaozhai.

Secretary-General of SX Provincial Traditional Folk Art Research Association.

Researcher at the Xijing Training Base of the Peking University School of Resources and Cultural Relics Appraisal.

Lin Sicheng was shocked: Not only is he the shopkeeper, but he is also half politician and half businessman?

The key is the last line: Although this college is a business training institution similar to an MBA, it is led by Peking University’s School of Cultural Heritage and jointly established with the Palace Museum and the National Museum.

The so-called researchers are teaching professors, and they must come from one of these institutions.

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and tentatively greeted him, "Brother Hao?"

Who is your senior brother?
Hao Jun was both angry and amused: "Is this how my fellow apprentice can play tricks?"

Haha, you really graduated from Peking University?

If we were to rank archaeology and cultural heritage schools in China, Peking University would naturally be number one, and Northwestern University would definitely be number two. The two schools have been collaborating and exchanging ideas since the late 1980s, so calling each other "senior" is no mere formality.

Although this senior brother is a bit old.

"Isn't that what you don't know?" Lin Sicheng took advantage of the situation and took out the naked female Buddha statue. "Brother, you have a lot of experience and a wide circle of friends. Could someone please take a look at it?"

"You're really rude?"

Hao Jun laughed, took the Buddha statue, and narrowed his eyes again: "Shan Nayaka of the Sakya Sect?"

"No...how did you know?"

Seeing Lin Sicheng's shocked and unworldly look, Hao Jun felt very happy: "Isn't it written on the ribbon?"

It is indeed written, but that is the Bashi eight-character script from the Yuan Dynasty, which has long become a dead language?

Lin Sicheng's mind raced, and he guessed almost everything in an instant: This Brother Hao must have majored in Buddhist relics when he was in college. If he put it in the category of antiques, wouldn't it be a miscellaneous item?
When it comes to ancient Chinese character research, no other college can compare to Peking University.

What a coincidence, isn't it? It's a lucky coincidence.

He exhaled: "Then please, Senior Brother!"

"It's a handy thing, but it still needs to go through the machine, which might take two or three days. I'll give you a ticket first!"

Hao Jun took another look and said, "I estimate it's at least tomorrow morning, or even from the Yuan Dynasty. It's a pity that it's too small and it's a broken piece. So don't hold your hopes too high: if you make a move, it will only get three dusters at most!"

Not a lot.

Lin Sicheng estimated that even if he asked his grandfather to help, it would probably only take two and a half.

"Thank you, senior brother!"

"No need!" Hao Jun waved his hand. "As usual, I have to ask: where did it come from?"

Not daring to say he found it, Lin Sicheng blurted out: "I found it with my grandfather, my grandfather Lin Changqing!"

Hao Jun was stunned for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief.

I said, Xi’an University is quite impressive, but it’s impossible that a student who is still studying there would suddenly appear and have better eyesight than him who has been immersed in antiques for more than 20 years?

Now I feel better: So it’s a family tradition?
(End of this chapter)