White Jade Hairpin from the Han Dynasty

"Elder Wu." Zhang Yang turned back and walked up to him. One glance at the porcelain vase in Wu's hands told Zhang Yang it was genuine.

"My young friend, do you know anything about porcelain?" Wu Daorong asked Zhang Yang, holding the vase.

Zhang Yang grinned and nodded. He had experience with all sorts of antiques.

"Good. Sorry for the trouble, but could you take a look and tell me when this vase was made and what it's worth?" Wu Daorong placed the vase in Zhang Yang's hands.

"Zhang Yang, let's go home!" Cheng Dongxue urged.

They had come to buy her mother a birthday present, but things had gone wrong from the start. Zhang Yang had landed in trouble, and now that it was settled, he was helping someone appraise a vase. Hadn't they lost sight of why they were here?

"Don't rush me. This vase is well made. Let me take a look." Zhang Yang smiled confidently at Cheng Dongxue.

"Please," Wu Daorong said to Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang examined the blue-and-white vase. It stood about thirty centimeters tall and was intact except for a drilled hole in the base. He reached a conclusion at once, and the corners of his mouth rose.

"Well?" Wu Daorong asked when he saw Zhang Yang smile.

"What period do you think it's from?" Zhang Yang asked the man who owned the vase.

"During the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty," the man replied.

"It is from the Qing dynasty, but not as early as the Qianlong reign. The workmanship is almost modern. This vase dates from the late Qing or Republican period. More precisely, it's a piece that was exported and later brought back," Zhang Yang said.

Everyone was surprised, especially the collectors who knew only a little about porcelain.

"Vases like this were made for export to earn foreign currency. Once they reached foreign buyers, people who didn't know what they were used them as table lamps. They drilled a round hole in the base to run the cord through."

"So this kind of vase isn't worth much, especially with a hole drilled in it. At a glance, I'd say it's worth less than ten thousand."

Zhang Yang confidently identified the period and gave his estimate.

"What?"

The man stared at him in shock. He had clearly lost a great deal.

"But I paid a hundred thousand for this Qianlong blue-and-white vase!" the man exclaimed. He had taken a crushing loss.

"My young friend, you certainly know your trade. This vase is a risky purchase. Many experienced dealers wouldn't touch it. It's fine as a decorative piece, but if you bought it as an investment and hoped it would appreciate, you made the wrong choice."

Wu Daorong expressed his admiration for Zhang Yang's appraisal skills again, then turned to the man.

"Don't be too upset. This sort of thing happens all the time in collecting. If you like it, keep it. Whatever else, it makes a fine display piece, and it is old."

"I suppose that's all I can do." The man lowered his head, clutching the vase, and fell silent.

Cheng Dongxue was convinced now, too. Zhang Yang might have guessed correctly once, even if he had nearly been tricked. But twice? He wasn't that reckless, or that lucky.

"Let's go home. We still haven't bought a birthday present." Cheng Dongxue sounded a little annoyed. Zhang Yang had been so busy showing off his appraisal skills that he had forgotten the gift. Then she wondered if he had delayed them on purpose.

"You came to buy a gift? My shop has plenty to choose from. Why not have a look? I'm sure you'll find something you like." Wu Daorong took the opportunity to invite Zhang Yang to his shop. He wanted to get to know this young collector.

"Then let's take a look, Elder Wu," Zhang Yang agreed at once. He wanted to get to know Wu Daorong too. He had heard of him long ago, but they had never been friends.

"Then let's go and see what Elder Wu's shop has. There's bound to be something we like." Worried Cheng Dongxue would object, Zhang Yang hurried to reassure his wife. They had come all this way; they couldn't go home empty-handed. He really did want to choose an antique that would impress his mother-in-law, Yang Su.

"But..."

"No buts. Just stay with me."

Cheng Dongxue had never browsed Antique Street or bought an antique, so she had had no idea what to expect. Today had taught her one thing: none of it was cheap.

So Cheng Dongxue worried she hadn't brought enough money. Zhang Yang, meanwhile, never carried much cash.

But Zhang Yang insisted, so Cheng Dongxue went with him. Without her, Zhang Yang might not have enough money and could end up being mocked again.

So Elder Wu personally led Zhang Yang and Cheng Dongxue to the Antique Pavilion.

The Antique Pavilion was a sizable shop and one of Wu Daorong's businesses. Several employees were busy preparing to close for the day.

Wu Daorong had only just left, and now he was back. The employees greeted him.

"Professor Wu."

"Professor Wu."

That's right, Wu Daorong was a celebrity, and he was also an honorary professor at Kyoto University.

“My young friend, feel free to look around the shop and choose anything you like. I'll give you twenty percent off,” Wu Daorong said, watching Zhang Yang browse.

Once inside, Cheng Dongxue found herself surrounded by antiques of every kind. Before long, she was absorbed in looking through them herself.

Zhang Yang needed to choose a suitable gift for his mother-in-law, preferably something she could actually use. She didn't like antiques, especially after Cheng Hai had learned his lesson the hard way several times.

Yang Su was in her forties, still fairly young, and attractive. She had retained her charm. The gift had to suit her; otherwise, she would look down on it and bully Zhang Yang again.

Women liked jewelry, so Zhang Yang concentrated on the jade and jadeite pieces.

"That's a good piece. Worth buying." Wu Daorong had been watching Zhang Yang closely. When Zhang Yang picked up a white jade hairpin, he spoke up.

“Western Han white jade. The carving is bold, and it was made from a single piece of raw jade. The workmanship suggests a court workshop. At the very least, it belonged to a Western Han noble,” Zhang Yang said admiringly.

“An excellent eye. Just as you said.” Wu Daorong was even more surprised. Zhang Yang truly knew a great deal.

On closer inspection, the White Jade Hairpin's head was a butterfly with its wings slightly spread, while its long body formed the shaft. A patch of the raw jade's red skin remained at the tips of the wings, making the butterfly look lifelike.

Zhang Yang gently stroked the hairpin. It felt wonderfully smooth, with signs of use and an authentic patina.

“It really is beautiful.” Hearing him, Cheng Dongxue hurried over and took the White Jade Hairpin, delighted.

“Elder Wu, what do you think?” Zhang Yang was asking for a price.

“We bought this White Jade Hairpin for the shop while I was away. An employee paid five hundred thousand for it. I'll give it to you for three hundred thousand—sixty percent of what we paid. Let's call it the start of a friendship.” Wu Daorong sighed. The White Jade Hairpin was good, but it was nowhere near worth five hundred thousand. His employee had misjudged it, and it had sat unsold in the shop for years.

Zhang Yang was startled. He had chosen the White Jade Hairpin because he had seen value in it far beyond its use as an ornament. It seemed Wu Daorong hadn't discovered its secret.

"Elder Wu, I'll take this hairpin, but I insist on paying the full price," Zhang Yang said.

Wu Daorong was taken aback. "Why, my young friend? Is there something I missed? Have I failed to see its true value?"

Wu Daorong was perceptive. Zhang Yang was being so generous, offering five hundred thousand outright—more than he had asked for. Unless Zhang Yang was a fool, there had to be some secret he had overlooked.