Tianhuang Ornament

The lake water was so clear that one could easily see the fish swimming leisurely within. Golden weeping willows lined the banks, their dense foliage providing ample shade in this season. The view was a sea of green, a captivating scene that made the summer heat seem to dissipate instantly.

Coupled with an ancient, quaint little bridge arching over the eastern confluence of the gourd-shaped lake, the entire panorama presented a picturesque image of a tranquil home by a flowing stream. Seeing such beauty, Chu Chen couldn't help but hesitate. When he eventually bought a house, should he choose a traditional courtyard house or a residence filled with such rustic, natural charm?

On the eastern side of the lake, nestled among the lush weeping willows, stood an exquisitely designed octagonal pavilion.

Inside the pavilion sat a white-haired elder and a graceful, young maiden. They were drinking tea and chatting, while on the wooden table in the center of the pavilion lay a brocade box, presumably containing the Tianhuang Shou Xing ornament that Liu Qinshu had mentioned earlier.

Upon seeing Uncle Wu and his companions arrive, the elder greeted them, "Ziping, you're here. Is this your nephew? The young man looks quite spirited."

"Greetings, Old Liu."

Uncle Wu and Chu Chen first paid their respects to Old Liu. Then, Uncle Wu replied, "Yes, this is my nephew, Chu Chen. I brought him into this line of work myself, and he's already achieved some success in porcelain."

Old Liu listened with a pleased and emotional expression, saying, "It's good to have achievements. Our profession needs fresh blood. The waves behind push the waves ahead; our generation is getting old!"

Hearing Old Liu's words, Li Beibei immediately chimed in with flattery, "Grandpa Liu, you're still as sharp as ever, you're still one of the waves ahead!"

Everyone chuckled softly at her remark.

After greeting Uncle Wu, Li Beibei said slyly, "Uncle Wu, so this is your nephew? He looks presentable. I wonder if he's as capable as you say?"

Chu Chen gave a wry smile at her words, thinking he'd gotten caught in the crossfire because of Wu Ke. He grumbled inwardly, If you have the guts, go fight with Wu Ke. Why take it out on someone else?

Li Beibei's appearance was comparable to Wu Ke's. She stood about 1.7 meters tall, with very delicate features that also exuded a heroic and spirited aura. Wu Ke's style, on the other hand, was more akin to a delicate young lady from a good family.

Crucially, Li Beibei's chest was undeniably magnificent, truly earning her the title of "milk cow." On the street, her beauty and figure would undoubtedly turn a hundred percent of men's heads.

Chu Chen would normally glance at such a beauty if he saw her on the street, but that would be mere appreciation. As for liking someone, he preferred Wu Ke's type a bit more, though he found Wu Ke's personality a bit hard to handle.

It wouldn't be bad to get to know such a beautiful woman, and prejudice wouldn't matter. However, today was a very important day for Chu Chen, one that would affect his future development in the antiques trade. This was his first meeting with Old Liu, and he didn't want Li Beibei's prejudice to cause any mishaps or leave Old Liu with a bad impression of him.

"You child."

Old Liu had heard about the feud between Li Beibei and Wu Ke and knew why she spoke that way. However, there was some truth to her words; capability wasn't proven by mere talk. He turned to Chu Chen and said, "Indeed, Beibei has a point. How about this, Little Chu, Beibei has brought a Tianhuang ornament this time. Why don't you tell us about it?"

"Old Qian, this..."

Uncle Wu was taken aback when Old Liu asked Chu Chen to appraise the Tianhuang. Although he encouraged Chu Chen to learn about antiques other than porcelain, everyone had their specialties. He had absolutely no confidence in Chu Chen's appraisal skills regarding Tianhuang.

Seeing Uncle Wu's anxious look, Old Liu chuckled, "Ziping, if Little Chu is truly as you described him to me, then he'll definitely be able to tell. Do you think I would ask the impossible?"

Uncle Wu felt a bit embarrassed by Old Liu's words, while Chu Chen gave him a reassuring look. He then set aside the item in his hand and turned his gaze to the Tianhuang Shou Xing ornament in the brocade box.

Tianhuang is a well-known, unique "soft gemstone" native to China. It is produced in an area less than one square kilometer in Shou Mountain, in the southeastern province of China. Because its color is generally yellowish and it is mainly found in the fields, it is called Tianhuang Stone.

Tianhuang Stone has a warm, moist, and smooth texture, making it the premier among soft carving stones. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Tianhuang was presented as tribute to the imperial palace and was carved into imperial seals and artistic ornaments. Thus, Tianhuang Stone is also revered as the "King of Stones" and the "Emperor of Stones," making its value incomparable.

Therefore, since ancient times, there has been the saying, "An ounce of Tianhuang is worth ten ounces of gold." However, due to years of mining, Tianhuang has become increasingly scarce, and its price has soared year after year in recent years. Some people have even changed the saying to "An ounce of Tianhuang is worth ten thousand ounces of gold," highlighting its preciousness.

However, due to its value, Tianhuang has been plagued by fakes since ancient times. With advanced technology today, counterfeits of Tianhuang are rampant. Methods like dyeing to create fake skins using chemical means, or using stones of similar color and texture to impersonate it, are common and difficult to guard against. Therefore, one must keep their eyes wide open when purchasing Tianhuang.

Before Chu Chen picked up the ornament, Treasure Sense had already alerted him that it had value. When he held the Tianhuang, it felt warm and delicate, indistinguishable from genuine Tianhuang. However, this alone couldn't prove the ornament was authentic, as Chu Chen knew several imitations shared these characteristics and also had value.

Next, Chu Chen took out a flashlight and a magnifying glass, meticulously examining the ornament piece by piece. Afterward, he placed the ornament back into the box.

Seeing this, Old Liu asked him, "Little Chu, what do you think?"

"I will share my thoughts with everyone. However, I am still young and inexperienced, so if there is anything I say incorrectly or incompletely, I ask for your indulgence."

Chu Chen began with a humble remark, then continued, "This Tianhuang Shou Xing ornament, the Shou Xing is carved with exquisite detail. The beard is depicted in a way that appears chaotic yet orderly, possessing considerable spirit. At first glance, the patina and carving seem to be from the mid-Qing dynasty."

"It seems you really do have a knack for it, just as Uncle Wu said," Li Beibei said, a hint of joy on her face after hearing Chu Chen's assessment.

Seeing this, Liu Qinshu smiled, "Beibei, you're twenty-four already, why are you still so impatient? Let Little Chu finish speaking first."

Li Beibei stuck out her tongue sheepishly at Liu Qinshu's words, looking both playful and adorable.

Chu Chen was momentarily stunned by her expression before quickly regaining his focus. He apologized, "Miss Li, I'm truly sorry. I just said that at first glance it resembles a mid-Qing dynasty piece. In reality, this ornament has actually been artificially aged in the contemporary era."

"How is that possible?" Li Beibei exclaimed, immediately becoming agitated.

Seeing her reaction, Old Liu comforted her, "Alright, Beibei, don't rush. No matter how anxious you are, a fake can't become real. Let's hear what Little Chu has to say about the situation."

Due to its preciousness, the loss from buying fake Tianhuang can be substantial. Especially this ornament, weighing about a hundred grams, even if it's not top-quality Tianhuang, it should still be worth several hundred thousand.

At this, Chu Chen could only offer her an apologetic look. He then picked up the ornament again and explained to everyone, "Actually, this ornament is both real and not real. It's real in that the Tianhuang used is genuine. It's not real in that it's made by piecing together small pieces of Tianhuang."

Upon hearing this, Li Beibei wanted to interject again but was promptly stopped by Liu Qinshu. Chu Chen smiled faintly and, using a strong flashlight to illuminate a spot on the ornament, said, "If it were a genuine piece of Tianhuang Stone, its red veins would be continuous and consistent in their characteristics. Please look here: the red veins develop continuously. However, over here, the characteristics of the red veins differ from the previous spot."

"Let's also look at the 'radish patterns.' In genuine Tianhuang, the radish patterns are of relatively uniform thickness, distributed evenly, and arranged in a continuous, orderly manner. But here, they are clearly inconsistent in thickness and show signs of discontinuity. From these two points, it can be seen that this ornament is a pieced-together Tianhuang."

"Of course, there's another simple method to identify it. If you have a needle, heat it red-hot and then poke it at the spots I just indicated. There should be a smoking phenomenon. This is caused by the melting of the adhesive."

"However, from these two points, one can also tell that the person who artificially aged this ornament is a master. Firstly, the materials he chose, the radish patterns and red veins inside, are quite similar. If one doesn't observe very carefully, it's easy to miss this.

"Moreover, the carver's skill is exceptionally high. He skillfully concealed the seams where the pieces were joined, making it look completely natural. After carving, he likely used powder ground from Tianhuang Stone, mixed with an adhesive, to conceal the seams, making it even more convincing."

"However, even though this ornament is pieced together from carved Tianhuang, the Tianhuang used and the carving itself are still quite good. Therefore, it still has some value. I don't know how much Miss Li paid for it, but if it was inexpensive, then it would be a reasonable purchase."

Looking at Li Beibei's conflicted expression, it seemed she had paid a considerable sum when she purchased it.