Zhao Xueyi

Uncle Wu laughed. "You don't need to be modest. In our line of work, if you know something, you know it; if you don't, you don't. Still, what you said about not having learned enough is correct. Don't even mention you—even I'm the same. China has five thousand years of history, and there's far too much to learn. Even if you studied until you were old, you still couldn't finish it all."

"You performed so well today, so I have a reward for you, too. Next Tuesday, I'll take you with me to Yunzhong City in Jin Province to search through an old residence. But remember, when the time comes, talk less and observe more."

When Chu Chen heard about this good fortune, he happily agreed again and again.

Over the past few years, Chu Chen had searched old residences with Uncle Wu and others, but they had only been small operations. Since Uncle Wu had put it that way, it had to be a centuries-old residence with plenty of fine items inside. Although there would surely be a large volume of transactions in such a situation and he would have little say, simply being able to witness it would still be a rare experience in his collecting career.

Seeing how happy he was, Uncle Wu laughed. "Look at you, kid. The reason I didn't take you to search major residences before was that your knowledge wasn't sufficient. Don't let your eyes turn red when you see things later, or you'll be more likely to make mistakes in appraisal normally. Since you're no longer just a theoretician, I'll definitely take you along from now on."

Chu Chen thought about it and realized Uncle Wu was right. Newcomers in the antiques trade who were only half competent would inevitably feel envious—or at least covetous—if they frequently witnessed major transactions. When they later encountered high-quality fakes, they might act on impulse and jump in. Such cases were far from uncommon. From this, it was also clear how much painstaking care Uncle Wu had taken with Chu Chen.

Uncle Wu then asked him, "By the way, Xiao Chen, do you have enough money on hand? Do you need Uncle Wu to lend you some?"

Chu Chen naturally wouldn't tell him the truth. He replied, "I still have some money with me. It's enough to get by, so don't worry, Uncle Wu. If I really can't make ends meet, I'll come and trouble you."

Uncle Wu calculated silently. He knew a little about Chu Chen's finances and estimated that he should have just enough, so he nodded. "All right. Tell me if you run out of money. Otherwise, watch out—I'll get angry."

"Old Wu, is there any news about the matter I asked you to handle last time?" Uncle Wu had barely finished speaking when an urgent shout came from outside the door.

Right afterward, a chubby middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a light gray short-sleeved shirt and drenched in sweat, charged into the shop. Then, in his booming voice, he said, "Old Wu, hurry, hurry! Give me some water first. I'm dying of thirst."

Uncle Wu took a bottle of mineral water and handed it to him. "Old Zhao, can't you keep your voice down? Every time you come to my shop, you shout at the top of your lungs. You're going to shatter my porcelain bowls and bottles with that voice of yours."

Old Zhao's real name was Zhao Xueyi. He had a small shop in Panjiayuan, but he was also a famous antique broker there. His reputation was excellent, and many powerful and wealthy people liked to use him to find antiques they loved.

Uncle Wu and Zhao Xueyi had been friends for many years. Whenever he needed porcelain, he would generally ask Uncle Wu first before looking elsewhere.

Zhao Xueyi gulped down the entire bottle of mineral water, then let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, that hits the spot. Old Wu, I've learned to cultivate my character now, too. I don't usually speak so loudly. It's just that customer drove me crazy."

Uncle Wu laughed. "Haha, I'd sooner believe a sow could climb a tree than believe Old Zhao could cultivate his character. Still, I'm rather curious. Who could have driven you to this state?"

Zhao Xueyi was speechless. "If you don't believe me, then forget it. Who else could have driven me this crazy? That shrewish girl from Old Li's family, of course."

Uncle Wu exclaimed in surprise, "You mean Li Beibei? Wasn't she sent to the army by her father? How did she get back? Besides, she knows me. Why did she come to you to buy it?"

Zhao Xueyi laughed. "She said she couldn't get used to life in the army, so she shamelessly begged Old Li to arrange her discharge. Now she's a junior police officer at the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Isn't Old Li's birthday coming up in a few days? She came to ask me to find a Three-Fruit Pattern Bowl for her. As for why she didn't come to you, it's because she's too embarrassed."

Uncle Wu thought about it and immediately understood why. He shook his head with a smile.

Chu Chen, who had been listening from the side, asked curiously, "Uncle Wu, who's Li Beibei? Why have I never seen her? Why would she be too embarrassed to come to your shop?"

When Zhao Xueyi heard Chu Chen speak, he froze before saying, "Huh? Xiao Chen, you're here!"

Chu Chen said, speechless, "Uncle Zhao, you're only noticing me now?"

Zhao Xueyi laughed loudly. "My mistake, my mistake. I was anxious and focused on talking to your Uncle Wu, so I really didn't notice you. If you want to know about Li Beibei, go ask Wu Ke. She'll definitely give you a thorough answer."

Seeing the barely restrained amusement on his face, Chu Chen grew curious as well. Could Wu Ke and Li Beibei have some sort of grudge? I'll definitely ask her when I get the chance.

"Xiao Chen, I heard you acquired that Tang Sancai camel from Old Xiang. When will you let Uncle Zhao take a look?"

"Here it is!" Uncle Wu pointed at the pile of pottery fragments, somewhat irritated.

Although Chu Chen had been fooled by a top-grade fake this time and could be forgiven, Uncle Wu was still annoyed that Chu Chen hadn't discussed it with him beforehand.

Thinking back on it, Chu Chen did feel he had let down Uncle Wu's concern for him, so his expression grew awkward.

Zhao Xueyi immediately walked behind the counter. When he saw the pottery fragments, he was equally shocked. "Ah, how did it get damaged?"

Chu Chen once again explained what had happened from beginning to end.

After listening, Zhao Xueyi took out a magnifying glass and picked up the crucial pottery fragment to examine it carefully. As he looked, he sighed. "Zhang Huo Ni's craftsmanship is truly incredible. Without these two characters, I would have been fooled too. Xiao Chen, making a mistake this time isn't embarrassing. It doesn't even count as paying tuition, since it was only a Republic of China imitation."

Chu Chen asked curiously, "Uncle Zhao, have you never seen Old Xiang's Tang Sancai?"

Zhao Xueyi put down the Tang Sancai fragment in his hand and said, "You know what Old Xiang is like. He's never had much use for brokers like us. He says we reek of money. How would I have had a chance to see that camel of his? What a pity it was damaged. Otherwise, I could have recovered at least some of my investment."

Chu Chen replied, "Uncle Zhao, even if the camel hadn't been damaged, I wouldn't have sold it. After all, it's far too genuine."

Uncle Wu and Zhao Xueyi were both stunned. They quickly understood and nodded in satisfaction.

Zhao Xueyi then patted Chu Chen on the shoulder. "Good. With a character like yours, Uncle Zhao will definitely look after you from now on."

"Haha, Old Zhao, I have something I need to trouble you with right now."

Uncle Wu pointed at the Three-Fruit Pattern Bowl and said, "Xiao Chen, tell your Uncle Zhao the results of your appraisal of this Three-Fruit Pattern Bowl again."

Zhao Xueyi immediately became interested. "All right, I'd like to hear how skilled Xiao Chen is, too."

Chu Chen smiled shyly, but he wasn't nervous. After clearing his throat, he clearly repeated the conclusions he had reached earlier.

After listening, Zhao Xueyi clapped his hands and praised him. "Not bad. Based on this alone, I agree to let you come along to search the residence the day after tomorrow. Old Wu, that's what you were talking about just now, right?"

"Old Zhao, you're quick on the uptake. What do you think of this Three-Fruit Pattern Bowl?"

Zhao Xueyi picked up the Xuande Underglaze Red Bowl imitation and said with great excitement, "Although this is merely a late mid-Qing Dynasty imitation of an authentic Kangxi piece, it isn't much inferior to an authentic Kangxi piece. Its condition is first-rate, so it's definitely suitable. Come on, let's go to my shop right now and send that little brat on her way. If she keeps pestering me, I'll lose years off my life!"

"Haha, Old Zhao, you're finally getting what you deserve." Uncle Wu packed the bowl into a gift box, instructed Chu Chen to watch the shop, then picked up the box and left with Zhao Xueyi.

With Zhao Xueyi's booming voice gone, the shop immediately grew quiet.

Chu Chen recalled how the supernatural ability had felt when he used it just now. It had indeed confirmed his earlier conclusions: the time it took to absorb that aura represented the antique's age, while the strength of the aura truly represented the value of the antique. Like this Three-Fruit Pattern Bowl—the aura was shorter than that of the previous Wucai figure bowl, but it was far stronger.

Chu Chen also discovered another phenomenon. His nerve response speed was now much faster than before. If it had been in the past, he definitely couldn't have clearly distinguished such a tiny difference of half a second.

He had one final use of his supernatural ability remaining that day. Since there were no particularly valuable porcelain pieces in the shop, Chu Chen used it on a blue-and-white plate made by a mid-Qing Dynasty folk kiln. It likewise confirmed his earlier judgment.

At that moment, he secretly rejoiced. With such a supernatural ability, how could I fail to encounter opportunities to find hidden treasures?

After that, Chu Chen had nothing much to do. He noticed that the computer nearby was still on, with the page displaying the news from earlier still on the screen, and he became somewhat interested.

Chu Chen had never touched a computer before. Although Uncle Wu had asked him to learn, he hadn't been interested in the past and had never taken it seriously. Fortunately, there was also a basic computer-operation tutorial beside the computer. He could learn and practice at the same time, so he picked up the book and began reading.

However, the more Chu Chen read, the more astonished he became. He could now read ten lines at a glance, and more importantly, everything he read was clearly stored in his mind.

Before long, Chu Chen had finished the book, which was over a hundred pages long. When he thought back and checked against the book, he found that he remembered everything he had read. He hadn't missed even a single punctuation mark and could recite the entire thing backward.

After closing the book, Chu Chen was deeply shocked. Could this be the legendary photographic memory? This is too amazing! It must be another benefit brought by the supernatural ability.

Chu Chen was so happy that he could hardly close his mouth. This photographic memory was like adding wings to a tiger. Although the supernatural ability had greatly helped him appraise antiques, he still had to rely on his own abilities outside of those three daily uses.

Now that he had photographic memory, learning about antiques became much easier. Moreover, he could study not only porcelain but also jade, calligraphy and painting, and other fields. That meant his chances of finding hidden treasures in the future would surely increase greatly. How could Chu Chen not feel excited?

"Us common folk, today we ought to be happy; we common folk, today we ought to be happy..."

Humming a song, Chu Chen followed the instructions in the book and began operating the old computer.