Hearing Elder Feng's mild complaint, Wang Guan chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Who knew plans could go awry... Never mind that. Elder Feng, are you interested in this snuff bottle?"

Although it was an exhibition, sales weren't forbidden after it concluded. Otherwise, why hold such a grand exhibition? It was less an exposition and more a promotional event. The primary goal was to move merchandise and thereby expand influence.

"It’s not so much about being interested."

Elder Feng was curious then, "I just thought the piece was rather beautiful, and lacking in ornamentation, so I looked a bit longer. You mentioned earlier that this 'Crane's Red' was from a bird's skull—is it a Red-crowned Crane?"

At this point, Elder Feng frowned slightly. After all, the Red-crowned Crane is a nationally protected animal; if the snuff bottle were truly made from one, he wouldn't buy it, no matter how fine the piece was.

"It's not a Red-crowned Crane."

Wang Guan shook his head, then suddenly laughed, "Elder Feng, when it comes to Crane's Red, it's quite a jumbled account. Thanks to martial arts novels and television dramas, many people probably think it's a colorless, odorless poison that kills on contact or severs the heartstrings. Even those who know it isn't poison assume it's a crane's skull."

"However, both these assumptions are very likely wrong and rather unreliable."

At this moment, Wang Guan slowly began to explain, "In our collecting circles, especially concerning curios and trifles made from the remains of rare birds and beasts, there is a saying: one red, two blacks, and three whites. The black refers to rhinoceros horn, and the white refers to ivory. As for the red—that is Crane's Red."

"Crane's Red ranks first. Far from being a poison, it's not a crane's skull at all, but rather the casque—the helmet-like structure on the head—of the Helmeted Hornbill, which comes from the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. You must know that the skulls of most birds are hollow inside and cannot be carved. Yet, the casque of the Hornbill is solid, displaying colors ranging from red on the outside to yellow within. Furthermore, its texture is fine and easily carved, comparable to ivory."

At the right moment, Wang Guan smiled, "The reason such a material was called Crane's Red is mainly because its place of origin was too far from China. The ancients had never seen the Helmeted Hornbill, and upon hearing the descriptions from overseas merchants, they mistakenly believed the Hornbill was some kind of celestial crane, so they simply dubbed this yellowish-red substance 'Crane's Red.'"

"Ah, so that's how it is," Elder Feng was quite astonished. "I have never heard of that before."

"That is because once the Hornbill's casque was discovered, it suffered a near-extinction event. Due to changes in the ecological environment and centuries of hunting, the Helmeted Hornbill is now critically endangered, and its casques are increasingly rare. Naturally, few people know about it."

Wang Guan sighed with a touch of melancholy, "This material is quite rare. Compared to porcelain or jade, it's a niche area within antique curios. Even seasoned collectors might not venture into this field. Because few people collect it, its fame isn't widespread. But in ancient times, it was a prized treasure coveted by high officials and nobles."

"According to some historical records, the price of Crane's Red was extremely high—one casque could trade for two jin of ivory. Perhaps for this reason, the Helmeted Hornbill suffered even more intense poaching than elephants."

Wang Guan shook his head with a sigh, then gestured, "However, judging by the color of this snuff bottle—it’s a relatively pale yellow, showing an ancient patina—it should be carved from Crane's Red handed down from antiquity."

"Is that so? Well, that’s acceptable then." Elder Feng’s brow relaxed slightly. As long as it wasn't a modern piece, he could accept it. After all, discussing animal protection with people from ancient times would be a laughable notion.

"The piece is quite good," Wang Guan stated fairly. "In the early years, people didn't know much about Crane's Red, so collecting it was an obscure corner of curios, and the price remained relatively stable. But about a few years ago, the price skyrocketed, appreciating nearly tenfold by now."

"The reason is also tied to the general environment. When other things rose in price, Crane's Red naturally followed. But the main factor is the Hornbill’s endangered status; the material is a non-renewable resource, leading to the principle of scarcity driving up value."

Fewer items meant higher prices; this was the most common universal truth.

Elder Feng nodded lightly, then shook his head again, "Forget it. I was just looking casually; I won't buy this one."

"True, this piece is better suited for handling," Wang Guan suggested. "If Elder Feng is looking for pieces to admire, perhaps you should look at snuff bottles with porcelain or glass bodies instead."

These dual-material snuff bottles usually featured painted designs, which better suited Elder Feng's aesthetic taste.

"We'll see about that later..."

Elder Feng waved his hand, then suddenly asked, "You came all this way to see me; is there something specific you need?"

Wang Guan quickly explained, "Elder Feng, didn't I tell you before? I know an elder who is a great expert in firing porcelain. He intends to use fragments of Mao Porcelain to refire a new batch of ceramics..."

"The ceramics are fired already?" Elder Feng was somewhat surprised. It wasn't surprising, as he had heard about this for over half a year and assumed it had been dropped. He hadn't expected it to actually succeed.

"Yes, they were finished firing just yesterday." Wang Guan chuckled, "I specifically brought some over and hoped Elder Feng could help appraise them."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go immediately."

Upon hearing this, Elder Feng forgot all about the snuff bottle and immediately waved Wang Guan back.

Soon after, led by Elder Feng, Wang Guan re-entered the courtyard residence. He had already handed the gifts he brought to the housekeeper for safekeeping, and now, with a simple instruction, they were presented immediately.

A dinner set, a wine set, and a tea set—piece after piece of exquisite porcelain filled the table, radiating a crystalline sheen under the sunlight that momentarily blinded Elder Feng’s eyes.

"This is..."

Elder Feng carefully picked up a teacup, examined it for a moment, and then his expression darkened: "Wang Guan, how could you do this?"

"Elder Feng, what did I do?" Wang Guan was utterly confused.

"Do you take me for senile?" Elder Feng chided, "What new porcelain? This is clearly Mao Porcelain. I only gave you two pieces, yet you brought three sets—this is improper, I absolutely cannot accept them."

"Elder Feng, look closely, this is genuinely new porcelain," Wang Guan said, caught between laughter and tears. "If it were true Mao Porcelain, the glaze wouldn't have this sharp, aggressive fire-luster."

"Nonsense, what fire-luster?"

Elder Feng naturally didn't believe him, his expression firm. "Young man, you're too early to try and fool me. Don't forget, I worked on the 7501 Project back in the day. How could I not know what Mao Porcelain looks like?"

"Elder Feng, these are replicas, they must look very similar..."

Under Wang Guan's continuous explanation, after much persuasion, Elder Feng became skeptical yet willing to consider the possibility.

After all, things fresh out of the kiln were too bright and new; Elder Feng also sensed something was amiss. Finally, he took out an authentic Mao Porcelain cup for comparison, and the difference became evident.

At that moment, Elder Feng also remarked with feeling, "It truly is a replica. If you hadn't said so, I wouldn't have noticed."

"Notice what?"

Just then, someone entered the hall from outside—it was Elder Feng's son, Feng Hui. Upon seeing him, Wang Guan was startled, thinking how coincidental it was to run into this incorruptible customs inspector again.

"Dad, weren't you at the exhibition? You're back so quickly?"

After half a year, Feng Hui had largely forgotten Wang Guan. After walking into the hall and glancing around, he seemed a bit surprised, "Oh? We have a guest?"

"This is Wang Guan, don't you remember?" Elder Feng reminded him, then beamed, "He specially came from Jingdezhen to visit me and brought a gift of great significance."

"Wang Guan?" Feng Hui paused, then the memories of the past surfaced, and he was naturally quite astonished, "It has really been a long time..."

Greeting Wang Guan somewhat formally, Feng Hui also noticed the three sets of Mao Porcelain on the table. Just by looking at the exterior, he could tell these items were extraordinary, so he asked curiously, "Dad, are these ceramics very precious?"

"That's hard to say; I'm not entirely sure how precious they are." Elder Feng's reply confused Feng Hui. Not understanding what he meant, he looked to Wang Guan, hoping for an answer.

"These are replicas of Mao Porcelain."

Wang Guan smiled, "They certainly aren't as precious as genuine Mao Porcelain, but they still possess extremely high collector value."

"Mao Porcelain replicas." Upon hearing this, Feng Hui clearly understood something and was immediately astonished, "I thought the materials used to make Mao Porcelain were exhausted. How can they still be replicated?"

Before Wang Guan could answer, Elder Feng cut in first, "If they can replicate it, that is their skill, and it's a secret that cannot be casually revealed. Why are you digging for details?"

"Alright, alright, I won't ask." Feng Hui forced a wry smile and casually picked up a plate to examine it. He found the plate light and thin, the body stark white like cream, exquisitely beautiful—truly fine work.

"Be careful with that, don't break it," Elder Feng cautioned. Regardless of whether these were replicas, he already treated them as originals and naturally cherished them dearly.

"Dad, don't worry, it won't break." Feng Hui carefully set the plate down, then affirmed, "That’s right, the glaze is very bright; they are indeed recently made replicas."

"Uncle Feng understands porcelain appraisal too?" Wang Guan was a bit curious.

"I’ve seen enough, so I naturally understand."

Suddenly, Feng Hui became deeply reflective, "For the past six months or so, for reasons unknown, the smuggling of ceramics has been extremely frequent. We have intercepted over a dozen ships."

"Ceramic smuggling?" Wang Guan was surprised. "Ceramics seem quite cheap; why would they need to be smuggled?"

"Antique ceramics," Feng Hui explained. "In the beginning, when we intercepted a smuggling vessel, we found it filled entirely with very cheap porcelain. We found that very strange, thinking the porcelain was just a cover, perhaps hiding some contraband within. However, after a thorough search, we found nothing, so we could only issue fines."

"Then we intercepted three or four more ships consecutively, all loaded with porcelain, and only then did we realize something was amiss."

As he spoke, Feng Hui sighed, "Later, an experienced veteran customs officer suggested to us, could it be that something tricky is hidden within those very ceramics..."