Self-Inflicted Humiliation

Chu Chen continued, "Let's first look at the 'color' of this blue and white porcelain jar. It's clear and transparent enough, but is it a bit too light in brilliance and richness? And does the diffusion look natural, or is it a bit stiff? The glaze also feels too smooth, rarely having that uneven, bumpy texture."

"Let's talk about the bubbles. True Sumaliqing, under a magnifying glass, shows bubbles distributed in a starry pattern, varying in size and spacing. The bubbles on this blue and white porcelain jar don't look like that shape, do they?"

At this moment, Qian Changxing, standing nearby, began to mock again, "I admit what you're saying has some merit, but the differences from the real thing are too few. Perhaps there were some issues during firing? How can you prove this blue and white porcelain jar isn't real? I think you're just making assumptions! Hey, young people are just young people."

He then shook his head, putting on an exaggerated expression of regret.

Chu Chen ignored him, smiled, and said, "Mr. Qian, you're already so old, why don't you know how to respect others? Can you let me finish speaking? Yes, the previous points were indeed ambiguous. Then look at this spot, there shouldn't be any more 'doubt'!"

After speaking, Chu Chen held the blue and white porcelain jar, mouth facing down, tilted at a certain angle, and then had everyone use a magnifying glass to look at a spot on the inner neck wall he was pointing to. After examining it, everyone was shocked and found it unbelievable. There were two extremely tiny characters engraved there: "Huo Ni."

Earlier, Chu Chen had used his ability to determine that this blue and white porcelain jar was a high imitation from the Republic of China era. This immediately made him think of Zhang Huo Ni. He then followed Zhang Huo Ni's habits and indeed found this mark in a very hidden spot on the inner neck of the blue and white porcelain jar.

Upon seeing this hidden mark, Qian Changxing's face turned red and then white. Angrily, he roared, "You knew about this mark all along, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Chu Chen smiled and said, "Mr. Qian, didn't you say earlier that I should point out all the fake parts? Besides, weren't you the one constantly interrupting me just now? Why are you blaming me now?"

"You!"

"Enough!" Zhao Qirui shouted angrily.

Seeing Zhao Qirui's outburst, Qian Changxing remembered his position and immediately shut his mouth. However, his eyes towards Chu Chen were filled with malice.

Zhao Qirui turned, smiling at Chu Chen, "Truly formidable, this younger generation. I didn't expect Brother Chu, at such a young age, to have such sharp eyes and be able to handle things independently."

Chu Chen waved his hand modestly, "Manager Zhao, you flatter me. I only learned to see this after being fooled by Zhang Huo Ni. Otherwise, how could I compare to all you seniors?"

"Hey, I knew it, so you were fooled before!" Qian Changxing sneered from the side again.

Everyone was speechless. They didn't expect Qian Changxing to be so shameless, saying such things even at this point, acting like a sore loser. Even Zhao Qirui didn't want to talk to him anymore.

At this moment, Zhu Dafu stroked the blue and white porcelain jar and said to Grandpa Li, "Old Li, can you let me have this blue and white porcelain jar?"

Grandpa Li was stunned at first, then shook his head. "No, no, this blue and white porcelain jar is my lifeblood. I will never part with it. Even if I die, I will take this blue and white porcelain jar with me to the afterlife."

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. If this blue and white porcelain jar were genuine, it would be understandable for him to treasure it so much. But why would an old man be like this over a fake?

Seeing everyone's confusion, Grandpa Li sadly began to tell the story of the blue and white porcelain jar.

Grandpa Li first encountered this blue and white porcelain jar more than twenty years ago. He saw it at a collector friend's house and was instantly captivated, vowing to obtain it. After much effort and a large sum of money, he finally persuaded the collector friend.

Although Grandpa Li persuaded the collector, he didn't persuade his wife. This blue and white porcelain jar was worth a fortune, and buying it would use up all their family's savings. His wife naturally refused, as they still had elders and children to support. However, Grandpa Li was adamant and secretly bought the blue and white porcelain jar.

This matter would have ended there, at most with a marital spat or his wife going back to her parents' home. Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable. A month later, Grandpa Li's wife fell seriously ill and required a large sum of money for treatment. At this point, how could Grandpa Li's family possibly have so much money?

Grandpa Li wasn't like he was now, with countless collections. It was just a small hobby back then. In the end, he had to prepare to sell the blue and white porcelain jar to raise money. However, the original collector friend had already moved away. Looking back, it's very likely that the man knew the blue and white porcelain jar was a fake and had set a trap for him.

After much searching, Grandpa Li found a buyer. However, the master hired by that person saw through the problems Chu Chen had mentioned earlier, raising doubts. Naturally, the blue and white porcelain jar couldn't be sold. Unable to do anything else, Grandpa Li had to consider selling his house, but it was already too late.

Some might ask why Grandpa Li didn't think of selling his house first. It should be known that it was just after the reform and opening up. Even if his house was large, how much could it be worth? Moreover, even wealthy people wouldn't buy a house in what was still a rural area at the time.

Also, people at that time had strong family values. As the saying goes, "There's no place like home." No one would think of selling their house in an emergency if they had other options.

After finishing his story, Grandpa Li couldn't help but shed tears. Everyone listened with sighs of emotion. The antique collecting world is like this: when a person becomes too greedy, the destruction of their family is not far behind. It's better for Grandpa Li, at least his house is still there.

After transferring the money at the bank with Grandpa Li, Zhao Qirui, having matters to attend to in Jin Province, prepared to bid farewell to everyone.

Before leaving, Zhao Qirui handed Chu Chen a business card, smiling broadly, "Brother Chu, let's keep in touch in the future."

Chu Chen, somewhat flattered, accepted the business card and quickly took out one of his own to give to Zhao Qirui. "Definitely, definitely. Manager Zhao, if there's anything within my capabilities in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Zhao Qirui smiled and nodded, then greeted Uncle Wu and the others before walking towards his car. However, he stopped at the car door and said to Qian Changxing, who was standing nearby, "Master Qian, I've troubled you greatly this time. I'll give the labor fee to Master Dong. It's just that the places I'm going next are inconvenient, so I'll have to trouble you to return on your own. Don't worry, I'll reimburse you for your travel expenses." After saying that, he got into the car and drove away.

Qian Changxing stood in place, his face a picture of disbelief. He then glanced at Chu Chen and the others, let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and left in a hurry.

Zhao Xueyi looked like he wanted to laugh, shaking his head. "It seems Manager Zhao has reached his limit with him. It's a pity that even Old Dong was implicated this time. Manager Zhao used to call him Old Dong."

Silence fell upon everyone. They all felt that Old Dong was unfairly treated. It was truly a case of one bad apple spoiling the whole barrel.

Afterward, Zhao Xueyi patted Chu Chen on the shoulder. "Well done, Xiao Chen. You've caught Manager Zhao's eye. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given you his business card. It will definitely be beneficial for you in the future."

Chu Chen repeatedly waved his hands, calling it luck.

Zhu Dafu smiled and said, "Without skill, even with a lot of luck, you still won't be able to see things clearly. Xiao Chen, you've officially come of age. But Uncle Fu wants to say something unpleasant: accept praise where it's due, but don't get arrogant or complacent. Remember, the world of antiques is extremely deep!"

Chu Chen felt a cold sweat break out all over his body. He had indeed become a little complacent due to everyone's praise just now. This reminded him of his mindset when he wanted to buy the Tang Sancai. Zhu Dafu's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over him from head to toe, instantly sobering him up.

Although he now had his special ability, giving him an innate advantage over others, if he didn't have enough knowledge, finding valuable antiques would rely on luck. The use of his special ability was limited. After appraising the blue and white porcelain jar earlier, he had tested it and found that his ability couldn't be stacked, meaning he only had three uses per day.

Chu Chen bowed to Zhu Dafu. "Thank you for your teachings, Uncle Fu."

Uncle Wu and the others smiled happily upon seeing this. Zhu Dafu said with a smile, "Alright, alright, don't be so serious. It's good as long as you can take it to heart."

Since Zhao Xueyi was familiar with the area, he took charge of arranging the shipping for the furniture. Afterward, everyone drove back to Beijing.

At ten o'clock in the evening, after a six-hour journey, they finally returned to Panjiayuan, exhausted. They hadn't eaten anything during the trip and were now starving. After storing their day's acquisitions, they found a nearby restaurant.

In the private room, after ordering their food, Zhu Dafu took a sip of tea. "My old bones are about to fall apart. Next time we go somewhere far, it's more comfortable to fly."

"That's right, after all, we're getting old. We don't have the energy we used to."

Uncle Wu sighed and then turned to Chu Chen. "By the way, Xiao Chen, is there something wrong with that Buddha statue of yours? I know my old friend never married."

Seeing Zhao Xueyi and the other two looking confused, he explained, "Xiao Chen is my old friend's adopted son."

The two suddenly understood and then turned to look at Chu Chen.

Chu Chen chuckled, "I thought Uncle Wu wouldn't ask?"

Uncle Wu said with a wry smile, "Your Uncle Wu isn't that careless. I just didn't ask on the road so I wouldn't get distracted."

Chu Chen chuckled sheepishly, "Uncle Wu is indeed thoughtful. That Buddha statue isn't simple; it likely has something hidden within."

Hearing Chu Chen say this, everyone was eager to know what was going on. This was also why Uncle Wu hadn't asked earlier. Otherwise, during the long journey, rushing could easily lead to an accident.