Chu Chen carefully examined the box, then muttered, "It looks very new!"
Hearing that, the burly man grew anxious and said gruffly, "How could it possibly be new? I personally dug it out..."
"Ahem!"
Before the man could finish, Old Ma coughed heavily, then glared fiercely at him. That single look left the big, brawny man trembling with fear. A trace of terror flashed through his eyes.
After a while, Old Ma smiled obsequiously at Chu Chen. "Young Master Chu, this box is indeed somewhat new, but there's a practical reason for that. Besides, with your discerning eye, you should be able to tell at a glance whether it's genuine."
Old Ma could not stop marveling at Chu Chen's eye for appraising antiques. Earlier, when he saw that Chu Chen was only a young man of around twenty, he had found Ma Xiaoqiang's introduction quite laughable. Chu Chen was merely a youngster—how could he possibly make a name for himself in the antiques trade, where experience was especially important?
However, Chu Chen's performance afterward had given Old Ma quite a shock. Not only had he identified everything Old Ma had brought, but he had also explained his reasons clearly and logically. His performance was no different from that of a renowned expert.
Although this had dispelled Old Ma's idea of deceiving Chu Chen, he was secretly delighted. Since Chu Chen was so capable, he certainly would not object to the authenticity of the items he had brought this time.
Why was that? It turned out that antiques passed down through the ages were generally divided into those passed down through use—in other words, what people usually called heirloom objects—and those passed down through burial, meaning unearthed objects. Buried objects were further divided into two categories: shallow burial and deep burial.