Precious Furniture

At first, nothing happened. But as the saying went, if you walked the night road often enough, you were bound to encounter a ghost. In the end, he had provoked someone quite powerful. Not only had he spent a year behind bars, but he had also paid a large sum of money before the matter was finally settled. At the time, the incident had caused quite a stir in the antiques world.

After Qian Changxing was released, he vanished without a trace. He was said to have gone south, but no one knew when he had returned. Now, he had become Zhao Qirui's appraiser.

Zhao Xueyi complained somewhat bitterly, "Old Dong really is something. He knew exactly what kind of person Qian Changxing was, so why did he still protect him?"

"Hey!" Zhu Dafu sighed. "I know about this. Old Dong couldn't help it. Their families have been friends for generations. Besides, during the turmoil, Qian Changxing's father once saved Old Dong's life. Do you think Old Dong could bring himself to abandon him? Everyone has their own difficulties!"

The car fell silent for a while.

Before long, the two cars arrived one after the other in front of a residence. After getting out, everyone did not look around first, but instead stretched and loosened their bodies. They had been sitting in the cars for more than five hours, and their whole bodies were stiff. Fortunately, the two elderly men were in good health; otherwise, most people in their sixties or seventies would never have been able to endure it.

There were three people with Zhao Qirui. The driver doubled as his bodyguard. The moment Chu Chen saw the driver's bearing and vitality, he knew the man had to be highly skilled. Although Chu Chen had never seen the legendary top bodyguards, this driver probably wasn't much inferior. From this alone, it was clear that Zhao Qirui's background was anything but simple.

When Zhao Qirui and the others got out of the car, Chu Chen and the others stepped forward to greet him. During this time, Chu Chen carefully looked him over again.

Zhao Qirui appeared to be forty-one or forty-two. He was burly, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, and his entire person radiated a capable, refined air. He looked nothing like a billionaire who had been pampered and raised in luxury. He also seemed quite approachable.

Zhao Qirui and Uncle Wu's group were old acquaintances. The moment they met, they warmly shook hands and exchanged greetings. But when it was Chu Chen's turn, Zhao Qirui seemed to pause slightly. Then he smiled and asked Uncle Wu and the others,

"Who's this young man? He looks quite spirited. I haven't seen him before."

Chu Chen was 1.83 meters tall, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a straight nose. Because he had practiced boxing for years, he had not an ounce of excess fat on him, giving him an impressive, heroic air. On top of that, he often wore a broad smile, so he looked like a sunny young man at first glance. As a result, many people had an excellent first impression of him.

Uncle Wu hurriedly replied, "Manager Zhao, this is my nephew. He's learned a little about porcelain from me and came along today to broaden his horizons. I'll have to trouble you to look after him in the future."

Chu Chen hurriedly bowed. "Hello, Manager Zhao. My name is Chu Chen. I'll have to trouble you to look after me in the future."

Zhao Qirui's eyes brightened when he heard this, then dimmed again. He smiled and patted Chu Chen on the shoulder. "All right. You're a fine young man. As long as it's within my ability, I'll certainly help."

Everyone exchanged knowing smiles. Chu Chen also smiled and thanked Zhao Qirui, but he did not take the words to heart. He believed Zhao Qirui was merely saying it for courtesy's sake.

Everyone was getting along harmoniously, but there was also one discordant sight. Qian Changxing, whom they had just been discussing, had stood reservedly beside Zhao Qirui from beginning to end. There was a faint trace of resentment in the way he looked at Uncle Wu's group, and he never greeted them at all.

Qian Changxing was short to begin with, and his furtive-looking face was topped by a goatee. Chu Chen had already disliked him somewhat, and now his opinion of him fell even lower than it had after hearing about him. Even if Qian Changxing disliked them, surely he could at least offer a greeting for appearances' sake.

Now Zhao Qirui was chatting and laughing with Uncle Wu's group while Qian Changxing stood motionless. Did he think his status was even higher than Zhao Qirui's? No wonder Zhao Qirui was displeased. In fact, Chu Chen could clearly sense that Zhao Qirui had developed a trace of dissatisfaction and distance toward Qian Changxing.

Afterward, everyone headed toward the residence. Only then did Chu Chen begin looking around.

This residence was in the typical style of a Jin merchant courtyard. Although it was not one of those especially large courtyards covering tens of thousands of square meters, it still occupied more than a thousand square meters. The surrounding walls looked exceptionally tall and imposing, almost like a castle. One glance was enough to tell that its defensive capabilities had to be formidable.

Zhao Xueyi stepped forward and knocked on the gate. Before long, an elderly man opened it. He looked to be in his seventies or eighties, but he was dressed quite smartly. After stepping outside, he cupped his hands toward everyone and said, "I had a feeling you'd be arriving soon. Please, come in." As he spoke, he gestured for them to enter.

After entering the courtyard, Chu Chen kept looking around. The architecture followed the characteristics of a Jin merchant courtyard. The main buildings mostly had single-sloped roofs, while the courtyard was a rectangle that was narrow from east to west and long from north to south. The layout resembled a simplified version of the famous Qiao Family Courtyard.

The old man's surname was Li. Zhao Xueyi said he was also an avid collector and had known him for many years. This trip had been arranged because of Grandpa Li's invitation.

Grandpa Li invited everyone to sit in the reception room, then served them tea before saying, "It's your first time here, so let me explain the situation. Old Zhao already knows about it. I've spent most of my life collecting antiques. Unfortunately, neither my son nor my daughter has any talent for antiques, and both of them have emigrated overseas."

"I'm old now. After I die, they'll sell all these antiques sooner or later. Since that's the case, I thought it would be better to pass them on to friends in the antiques world rather than let my children ruin them."

Zhao Xueyi nodded. "Old Li, I've already explained your situation to my friends. Time is precious, so let's go look at the pieces first."

Grandpa Li chuckled and said no more. He led them to a storage room. When Chu Chen entered, he saw that the room was nothing like he had imagined. It was not filled with antiques of every description.

Seeing the puzzled expressions on their faces, Grandpa Li said, "Hehe, my apologies, everyone. A few local collectors heard that I was selling off my collection and already came by once."

"Hey!" Zhao Xueyi said angrily. "Old Li, that's not very fair. We came all the way from the capital with great difficulty. Are we supposed to pick over what others left behind?"

Grandpa Li waved his hand with a smile. "Old Zhao, don't get angry yet. I've kept the good things for you. I guarantee that everyone will find something worthwhile."

With that, he brought everyone to a square table and pointed to it and the two armchairs beside it. "Take a look at these three pieces first. I'll bring out some more treasures later."

After Grandpa Li left, everyone immediately began examining the table and chairs.

First, there was the table. It was roughly 1.6 meters wide, about fifty centimeters deep, and around eighty centimeters high. At a glance, the wood grain on its surface was clear and beautiful, flowing like clouds and water. One could also clearly see naturally formed "ghost-face" patterns. These were the basic characteristics of Hainan huanghuali wood.

The thick patina on the table's surface showed that this huanghuali table had some age to it.

Zhu Dafu took out a handkerchief and wiped the table, then pulled out a magnifying glass and examined it carefully. After a while, he said to everyone, "This is indeed a Hainan huanghuali table. Judging by its patina and workmanship, it should be a work from the late Ming and early Qing period. It has considerable collectible value."

Everyone seemed to have no objections and nodded in agreement. Only Qian Changxing stood to the side with an expressionless face, which made Chu Chen feel uncomfortable. After that, he simply stopped looking at him, preferring not to be bothered.

Next were the chairs. At a rough glance, both were five-panel armchairs made of zitan wood.

Zitan furniture was a type of classical fine furniture made from zitan, combining artistry with individuality. Zitan furniture had always held a lofty status in China. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, only the emperor was permitted to use it.

Zitan was an extremely precious timber. Because it grew slowly, it took centuries to mature. Large, usable pieces were exceedingly difficult to obtain. Its wood was hard and dense, making it suitable for carving all kinds of exquisite patterns. Zitan objects needed no lacquer after being waxed and polished; their surfaces naturally displayed a satin-like luster.

The grain of zitan was fine and lively, with endless variations. Its color was especially deep and dignified, yet elegant and beautiful. It was therefore regarded as the finest of woods. Nine out of ten zitan trees were hollow, and the largest had a diameter of only around twenty centimeters. Thus, people said, "An inch of zitan is worth an inch of gold."

Only the imperial family had the means to procure zitan from the South Seas. Even when other countries sent tribute, it was presented to the emperor, and ordinary people could not obtain it at all. Later, zitan could also be found locally, but it was still reserved for regional princes and nobles.

Therefore, a finely crafted piece of old zitan furniture was extraordinarily rare. Now, two exquisite zitan five-panel armchairs stood before them, and the sight could not help but lift everyone's spirits.

The two zitan five-panel armchairs were nearly identical. The backs and armrests were made from thick solid panels joined together, forming a five-panel screen design. The armrests had graceful curves, while the crest rails extended dramatically backward in the shape of an open scroll. Both sides of the back panels bore high-relief carvings of "Fortune and Celebration with Surplus," while both sides of the armrests featured high-relief stylized kui-dragon patterns.

The seat boards had been installed flush. The material had been used without the slightest restraint, and the workmanship was meticulous. Judging by their patina, craftsmanship, and other characteristics, they should have been Guangdong-style furniture from the Qianlong period.

Guangdong-style furniture referred to furniture produced mainly in the Guangdong region. Its defining characteristic was the lavish use of materials, with no cutting corners.

Guangdong-style furniture emphasized consistency in the wood's properties and never mixed in other types of timber. Craftsmen selected the finest wood for production. To display the beauty of the grain, Guangdong-style furniture was not lacquered; the wood was left completely exposed.

During the Qing Dynasty, the palace furniture was made by Guangdong's Master Craftsmen. Even now, only the Master Craftsmen of Guangdong possessed techniques that were truly traditional and authentic.

Judging by their condition, these two five-panel armchairs were undoubtedly masterpieces among Guangdong-style furniture. They were highly representative and exceptionally rare treasures.