Hearing Pi Qiu-shi’s introduction, Wang Guan immediately knew this person was close to him and greeted him warmly. “Is Fatty Pi taking a jab at me, or is he paying me a compliment?”

Brother Sha’s real name was certainly not Sha Yi-dao, but Sha Qingfeng. He had been scrambling in the trade since he was fourteen or fifteen, grinding away for twenty years until he finally gained recognition and became a relatively well-known art broker. “Naturally, it’s a compliment.”

At this moment, Pi Qiu-shi chuckled, “After all, not everyone has the skill to deliver that one decisive cut.”

As for the so-called ‘one decisive cut’ (Sha Yi-dao), it truly wasn't a derogatory label, but rather a mark of high praise. It was intended to commend Sha Qingfeng’s sharp eye and masterful haggling skills. A negotiation cut was like one swift slice—precise, hitting the seller’s absolute bottom line without deviation. Over time, the moniker ‘Sha Yi-dao’ had stuck.

“I don’t think it sounds like praise; it sounds like he’s exposing my true colors,” Sha Qingfeng laughed, curiously sizing up Wang Guan. “Little brother, are you a colleague from Beijing? We should get closer in the future…”

Sha Qingfeng said this primarily out of respect for Pi Qiu-shi. Otherwise, considering Wang Guan’s youth, he would likely have dismissed him as a fresh apprentice entering the field and wouldn't have been so courteous.

This difference clearly showed the gap between having connections and not having them. An introduction smoothed the entry into the circle. When one doesn't address the monk directly, one shows deference to the Buddha; friends of friends generally start with a two or three-tenths goodwill, easily sparking conversation even if they were strangers moments before—one meeting leads to familiarity, two to closeness...

Just like now, even though he was privately surprised that Pi Qiu-shi brought along such a young man, Sha Qingfeng maintained an unruffled exterior. Instead, he warmly invited Wang Guan to sit down and instructed a pretty young lady to serve tea.

“Thank you.” Wang Guan felt a degree of constraint, which was actually the most normal and appropriate reaction. Arriving as a newcomer and acting overly casual and unreserved would certainly make one seem presumptuous.

Wang Guan picked up his cup and took a slight sip of tea, using the moment to observe the others carefully.

At this point, the other few people seemed to be examining some object. Seeing this scene, Wang Guan wasn't surprised, as Pi Qiu-shi had already briefed him before they arrived. These gatherings weren't frequent; when they did convene, it was either to discuss business or because someone had acquired something valuable and invited everyone over for appraisal.

It now appeared this gathering belonged to the latter category.

Wang Guan looked closely and noticed that the items the men were handling were yong figures.

The so-called yong figures were effigies buried with the deceased in ancient tombs. They first appeared during the Eastern Zhou period, serving as substitutes for human sacrifice—a progression in civilization, in a way.

China’s most famous yong figures are naturally the life-sized Terracotta Army unearthed from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. However, the figures the group was currently admiring were smaller; based on Wang Guan’s estimation, they seemed to resemble Han Dynasty yong.

Compared to the life-sized Qin figures, the Han yong were noticeably smaller. Even the largest Han yong were barely a third the size of their Qin counterparts. The reasons behind this were simply matters of national strength and custom.

It must be remembered that after the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the fierce Chu-Han Contention raged for several years, eventually ending with Liu Bang’s victory. Although he established the great Han Dynasty, the early economy was devastated. The Emperor himself couldn't find four horses of the same color to draw his carriage; officials had to travel by slow ox-carts, and the poverty of the common people can only be imagined.

Lack of national strength, frankly speaking, meant a lack of money. They couldn't afford to live lavishly while alive, let alone in death; thus, the specifications and styles of burial goods were significantly scaled back. Even during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, when the nation flourished, the established precedents were difficult to change, so the practice continued.

“Who brought these things?”

At the same time, Pi Qiu-shi asked curiously, “They look like Han Dynasty Shuochang Yong (storytelling/singing figures).”

Shuochang Yong belonged to a category of figures depicting acrobatic and musical performances.

In the mid-Western Han Dynasty, political stability returned, the economy recovered and developed steadily, and the living standards of the people began to rise. Once basic needs were met, simple material comforts could no longer satisfy the people’s demands.

At this point, people focused more on spiritual enjoyment, giving rise to song, dance, acrobatics, and the ‘hundred entertainments’ (Bai Xi).

The flourishing of these musical and acrobatic performances actually had something to do with Liu Bang. As is widely known, Liu Bang came from humble origins. Even after achieving imperial status, he held a greater fondness for folk music and dance.

There is a clear record in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji) that when Emperor Gaozu of Han returned to his hometown to feast with the elders, when the wine flowed freely, he played the Zhu zither, danced, and sang the ‘Great Wind Song.’ It was from him that folk music began to replace the aristocratic music styles of the pre-Qin period, laying the foundation for the later Han Yuefu poetry.

Not just Liu Bang, but few of the founding generals had noble backgrounds, confirming Chen Sheng and Wu Guang’s sentiment: “Are kings and marquises born to their station?” Naturally, their tastes aligned; they enjoyed lively, rhythmic music and dance, leading to the proliferation of Shuochang Yong and acrobatic figures among burial goods.

This meant that compared to the relatively common warrior or servant figures, Shuochang Yong were practically the 'fresh air' among terracotta figures, holding greater collector value.

“Old Meng picked these up.”

Sha Qingfeng smiled at this point, “He has good luck. He just took a short trip, found these things at a stall in an antiques market, felt they were nice, and picked them up on impulse.”

“Why don’t I ever have luck like that?”

Pi Qiu-shi looked envious. With a call, someone naturally handed over one of the figures.

Wang Guan also examined it from the side. The figure appeared to be made of clay, with exaggerated styling. Its hands were spread open above and below in a supporting gesture, the waist slightly bent as if caught mid-spin, conveying a strong sense of movement.

After watching for a moment, Wang Guan mused thoughtfully, “These are Han figures unearthed from the Sichuan region, aren't they?”

“Why do you say that?” Sha Qingfeng asked with a smile, showing no surprise. Since Pi Qiu-shi dared to bring him here, Wang Guan must have some skill; otherwise, it would be embarrassing to bring him along just to make a fool of himself.

“During the Han Dynasty, especially the mid-period, the Sichuan region was already forming the embryonic shape of the ‘Land of Abundance,’ with a highly prosperous and developed economy. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been such a wealthy magnate as Zhuo Wangsun,” Wang Guan smiled. “Whether officials or commoners were relatively well-off, the terracotta figures they produced generally carried an expression of joy and delight.”

“This expression is incredibly subtle, like that of an innocent child—simple, pure, and carefree. Even after a thousand years buried, and though the surface of the figure is somewhat weathered and blurred, that fleeting smile fixed in the exaggerated features, the spiritual aura of the posture, is so vivid that it instantly inspires affection upon one glance.”

As he spoke, Wang Guan pointed to a patch of whitish earth bloom on the figure in Pi Qiu-shi’s hand. He first touched it lightly, rubbed the powder between his fingers, and then analyzed, “This should be a figure excavated from a cliff tomb (Yamu); the surface is coated with rock seepage. The earth bloom is very solid, preliminarily indicating it’s authentic.”

“Impressive eyesight,” Sha Qingfeng complimented. “Do you specialize in this?”

“More or less,” Wang Guan smiled. Not cheating with supernatural abilities, in terms of professional expertise, ceramic appraisal was his strength; everything else was mediocre, just passing knowledge.

“No wonder,” Sha Qingfeng said with understanding. “Not bad…”

“Not just not bad, absolutely better than you,” Pi Qiu-shi said with a grin. “Do you believe me, if we really compared, my brother’s eye is at least a few blocks ahead of yours.”

“Nonsense, of course, I believe you. I’m not in this field, why wouldn’t I believe you?” Sha Qingfeng rolled his eyes.

At the same time, others chimed in, laughing, “Exactly. Old Sha specializes in studying Western oil paintings; he doesn't mix with our crowd. Talking to him about domestic antiques is less practical than just buying him a cup of coffee.”

“What are you all saying? You’re deliberately taking shots at me!” Sha Qingfeng grumbled good-naturedly. “I didn’t provoke any of you for no reason.”

“You didn’t provoke us, but we’re jealous,” someone next to him laughed. “You quietly secured a huge deal without saying a word; it’s simply unacceptable if you don’t treat us.”

“Yes, yes…” Envy flickered across the faces of the others.

“Fine, fine, I’ll treat,” Sha Qingfeng declared generously. “I’ll cover the tea money.”

Instantly, a chorus of derision rose up, everyone showing expressions of disdain. How much could tea cost at a private club? And since the bill was settled periodically rather than paid on the spot, hearing this prompted someone to shake his head and sigh, “Stingy, utterly stingy, more miserly than a miser, truly someone who won't part with a single cent.”

“So what do you people want?” Sha Qingfeng spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “We’re all just trying to make a living; it’s not easy to scrape by. Even if colleagues are rivals, you should at least leave us a way to survive.”

“Stop playing the victim; that’s what we should be saying,” the others retorted with a fresh round of mock condemnation.

Taking advantage of the lull, Wang Guan quietly asked Pi Qiu-shi for clarification.

Through Pi Qiu-shi’s explanation, Wang Guan finally understood the situation. The phrase ‘studying Western oil paintings’ referred to the fact that Sha Qingfeng specialized in Western oil art experts.

Of course, this itself wasn't strange, especially in a place like Hong Kong, where Western art forms were more readily accepted. Perhaps in the eyes of many, studying Western oil painting was not only simpler but also more practical. In any case, specialization leads to success, and Sha Qingfeng was a prime example.

However, what truly inspired envy and jealousy wasn't Sha Qingfeng’s ability to appraise Western oils, but the fact that recently, using his acute intuition, he had quietly signed exclusive consignment contracts for works by a major overseas Chinese painter.

This kind of arrangement wasn't rare in the market; nearly every well-connected and capable art broker held similar contracts. But what made this noteworthy was that shortly after the contract was signed, that great painter passed away.

Everyone knew this was the biggest iron law of the art market: even the work of an unknown painter appreciates slightly after their death. Needless to say, when a renowned great painter passes away, the value of their remaining works is certain to multiply several times over. Under these circumstances, it was hardly surprising that everyone envied Sha Qingfeng so much... (To be continued)