"So, Feibai, after reading for over a decade, your intellectual and moral standards are on par with the ignorant common folk of ancient times." At this moment, Gao Dequan seized the opportunity to lecture, "Don't you feel ashamed?"

"Just now, I was joking, merely to lighten the mood. Truth be told, I was blinded by envy."

Yu Feibai felt a pang of embarrassment, yet maintained a righteous stance: "However, this is all Wang Guan's fault! This is the third time he's lucked into a find, and each subsequent find has been more precious than the last. Now, this is completely outrageous—he even stumbled upon a miraculous treasure like a zitan sunken wood bead! Most importantly, he bought it right in front of me for a mere two hundred yuan! Two hundred yuan!"

By the end, Yu Feibai was practically shouting.

"What!"

This outburst finally unsettled everyone else. Although no one voiced their feelings when Wang Guan acquired such a treasure, in truth, a degree of envy simmered beneath the surface for all of them.

However, whether it was Old Qian, or Fang Mingsheng and Gao Dequan, wealth had long since become mere numbers to them; no matter how much they envied Wang Guan, true jealousy did not take root.

But to hear that this object was acquired by Wang Guan for only two hundred yuan—it was practically like receiving it for free.

At this juncture, who could possibly remain composed?

How could one not be envious of such heaven-defying luck?

Even Old Qian, with his broad-mindedness and tranquil state of mind, had a flicker of this thought cross his mind. He wondered why such a fortunate occurrence never happened to him when he was young.

"It really was just luck," Wang Guan said with a modest smile, realizing this was the only explanation he could offer at the moment.

"Uncle De, you have nothing more to say now, do you?"

Yu Feibai muttered, "I told you long ago that luck is the key to striking it rich in antiques. But you lectured me, saying that no matter how good your luck, it's useless without good connoisseurship. Yet, the facts show the exact opposite."

"Uh..."

Gao Dequan shook his head, utterly speechless.

"Wang Guan, tell us, how did you obtain this bead?" Old Qian was extremely curious. "Someone possessing a treasure like this would not ordinarily part with it easily."

In truth, Old Qian left half the sentence unspoken: such a precious item was probably one Wang Guan couldn't afford either.

Just as Wang Guan was about to explain, Yu Feibai eagerly cut in: "Let me tell you. I know the sequence of events best; it is my eternal pain, something etched into my very bones."

"It happened that day when I was buying a jade belt, and I asked Wang Guan to take a look for me."

Yu Feibai's expression was highly dramatic, as if submerged in a painful memory, sighing mournfully, "Then, he was rummaging around in the antique shop and discovered a three-legged toad (Jin Chan) with a rather unusual shape. It was made of fired clay. The shop owner didn't recognize its value and asked for one thousand yuan, which we haggled down to two hundred before closing the deal."

"Do you all know how much I regret this now? Knowing that the Jin Chan is a symbol of wealth, I actually stood by and watched Wang Guan walk away with it!" Yu Feibai alternated between emotional fervor and utter dejection. "If I had known, I should have bid against him..."

Noticing that Yu Feibai was straying from the point, Old Qian frowned immediately. "Stick to the main issue."

"The main point is that they brought the item back, and I was asked to appraise it."

At this, it was Gao Dequan's turn to give a wry smile, feeling a touch of shame. "I didn't sense anything unusual either, so I concluded it was an artifact from the mid-Ming period, a scholar's desk ornament symbolizing success in the imperial examinations (Tuocheng)."

"That wasn't entirely wrong," Old Qian nodded. "But what does this have to do with the bead?"

"It has everything to do with it!" Yu Feibai exclaimed. "The form of the three-legged Jin Chan is a toad holding a bead in its mouth. This bead is the very one held in the toad's mouth!"

"It turned out that way?"

Hearing this, Old Qian immediately looked up at Wang Guan, astonished. "How did you discover there was something strange about the bead in the toad's mouth?"

"This..."

"This was my contribution again!"

Wang Guan was about to speak, but Yu Feibai jumped in first, shouting excitedly, "Yesterday, he and I were out shopping, and I told him about the illusion technique of 'jade hidden within stone.' Then, he got restless and decided to crack open the Jin Chan, took out the bead, and placed it in water to soak and clean. Next, as you all witnessed, he picked up another rare treasure."

"An accident, a pure accident," Wang Guan laughed. "Besides, didn't Old Qian also witness an illusion technique before? The treasures you obtained must have been considerable, too."

"That's different," Old Qian shook his head. "Back then, I saw an ancient painting that used the trick of 'covering the key part with a leaf' to conceal the crucial elements, making the viewer believe it was a fake. Later, a great collector saw through it. That master collector was the one who told me about this concealment technique—using the false to hide the genuine."

"Who was that great collector?" Wang Guan was extremely curious. If he hadn't possessed special abilities, he couldn't have possibly seen through such a mystical concealment method. But now, hearing that there was such a figure who unmasked the illusion purely through insight and experience filled him with admiration.

"If I tell you, you should know him," Old Qian smiled slightly, his face full of reverence. "He is the foremost connoisseur in Beijing, a great collector, and a renowned scholar: Wang Shixiang."

"Ah, it was him. No wonder..."

Immediately, everyone understood, feeling that it made perfect sense.

Wang Guan was also no stranger to Wang Shixiang. After all, the books by this scholar resting on Wang Guan's bedside table—Bamboo Carving Arts, Appreciation of Bamboo Carvings, Treasures of Ming Style Furniture, Ancient Chinese Lacquerware, and others—were all written by this academician.

"Mr. Wang was not only able to collect but also to write. He treated collecting as research, transforming the craft of the marketplace into high culture, even pioneering a field of study for the century," Old Qian sighed. "He elevated the minute techniques of the common stalls to the realm of high art, meticulously uncovering obscure knowledge on the verge of extinction. Not only did he fill a long gap in the history of Chinese craftsmanship, but he also provided today's collectors and researchers with an indispensable reference manual."

"'To collect is to learn, and to learn is to collect'—that is Mr. Wang's state of being," Old Qian mused with emotion. "I cannot achieve that level. However, I do not demand that you reach it either; I only hope you emulate Mr. Wang's attitude of learning through enjoyment. Do not focus too much on the monetary value of artifacts, but rather on understanding the cultural significance they embody."

"For instance, this zitan sunken wood bead."

As he spoke, Old Qian carefully retrieved the bead from the water, gently wiping away the moisture. The surface of the bead instantly returned to its dark purple hue, lacking the vibrant splendor it possessed submerged in the water.

"Why does the purple gleam vanish when the bead is removed from the water? How is that purple light formed? Furthermore, why does the bead spin automatically when placed in water without anyone touching it? How did ancient craftsmen calculate the refractive index of water when micro-engraving patterns into the bead's grain? These questions, and more, require us to study and verify."

Old Qian chuckled approvingly. "Wang Guan, your attitude regarding this matter is quite correct. After obtaining the treasure, you did not rush to publicize or boast about it but spent an entire night devoted to its study."

....................... Thanks to book friend "HengfengHF" for the tip. Last day of the weekend, asking for collections and recommendation votes. C

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