"At first, I felt these two were a bit unreliable, but then when Wang Yang explained what he needed them to do, they changed their clothes and truly transformed into two great collectors.
'A stammerer driving a cart, drives all the way to Mexico.'
Xiao Guang let out a Beijing-style jingle, which was quite amusing.
I gave them twenty thousand yuan, ten thousand as their fee for helping me, and ten thousand for their expenses.
'Forget the fee; given our relationship with Wang Yang, talking about payment would be too sentimental,' Lao Guang said. 'Anyway, if we get this done properly, it won't have been a wasted trip.'
I couldn't help but notice how much they seemed to owe Wang Yang.
Since they said that, I didn't have much else to say and asked Wang Yang to send them to the hotel.
Immediately after, I began to work on my own matters.
To make Liu Hun take the bait, I needed to offer something of great value, so I decided to start with porcelain.
I went to Hongyuan and spent eighty yuan to buy a Doucai large vase.
This vase was obviously fake, the most fake one imaginable. When I brought it back, Wang Yang looked at me doubtfully and asked, 'You plan to use this vase to set a trap?'
'What's wrong? Can't I?'
'This is too fake! Unless Liu Hun has eyes in the back of his head, he'll be fooled.'
'Then you just wait and see!'
Although most of the methods in the 'Seven Stars Nine Arts Xuan Kong Secret Techniques' were for repairing artifacts, by dissecting those repair methods, one could find ways to artificially age items.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but I used an ancestral secret manual for aging things.
If my ancestors knew about this, they probably wouldn’t be able to rest in their graves.
However, as the saying goes, learn and apply flexibly.
If any ancestors have complaints and visit me in a dream, I can explain myself.
I cleared out a room on the second floor, placed the Doucai large vase on the table, and began my work.
The most important aspect of porcelain is its glaze, especially the surface sheen on fakes that have been fired recently.
This sheen is very bright and dazzling, appearing somewhat rigid.
Insiders call it 'floating light,' while others refer to it as 'thief's light.'
Older porcelain, due to its age, has a softer luster on its surface without this 'floating light.' Therefore, the first step is to remove the 'floating light.'
The most effective way to remove 'floating light' is by polishing.
There are many polishing methods, using animal hide, coconut shells, or fine sandpaper.
Of course, porcelain polished with these materials will invariably show traces of abrasion.
However, in the 'Seven Stars Nine Arts Xuan Kong Secret Techniques,' I found a polishing method that uses tempered charcoal.
I wasn't sure if this method would work, so I spent days and nights polishing. To my surprise, I actually managed to remove the 'floating light'!
When the work was finally complete, I found Wang Yang and asked him to fetch a tank of manure from nearby.
He was stunned when he heard this: 'What do you need manure for?'
'Why ask so many questions? Just go get it,' I said.
Wang Yang looked reluctant and sighed, 'Are you sure about this?'
'You'll know whether it works or not, just do as I say for now.'
This guy was quite cunning; he spent a few dozen yuan and found two people nearby to fetch a tank of manure.
The smell was something that not just anyone could tolerate. The room was filled with an overwhelming stench.
Both he and I had to roll up paper and stuff it into our nostrils.
I placed the polished Doucai large vase into the manure tank to soak.
This was to make the glaze more authentic.
Manure contains organic matter that acts as a corrosive agent, allowing the porcelain to achieve an etched glaze effect.
Although some people use acidic or alkaline chemicals like sulfuric acid or formalin, these agents are too corrosive and can make the color appear 'rigid,' lacking the vibrancy of ancient glazes.
Therefore, soaking in manure is the optimal solution.
To achieve a good corrosive effect and save time, I added some medicinal herbs according to the ancestral secret technique.
After several days of soaking in the foul-smelling tank, the Doucai large vase, when taken out, looked quite convincing at first glance.
After cleaning it, Wang Yang stared at the vase for a long time: 'Is this still the same vase you bought earlier?'
'Of course, it is.'
'It looks so real?'
'This is just the appetizer; the next two steps are the most crucial,' I said.
'What else do we need to do?' Wang Yang asked, blinking.
I chuckled, 'Hurry and find someone to dispose of the manure.'
The next day, I hung the vase with a string, set up a stove, placed a large pot on it, poured in oil, and dumped all the prepared Chinese herbs into it. The smell was even more pungent than the manure.
Wang Yang couldn't stand it and went somewhere to find two gas masks.
He said, 'You're not aging something; you're developing a biological weapon!'
I kept stirring the pot with a spatula, letting the oil smoke and the heat bake the Doucai large vase.
This was primarily done to make the vase 'oil-coated.'
When it was almost done, it was time for the final step, 'refiring.'
'Refiring' involves wrapping the porcelain in special clay and firing it again in a kiln.
This is done to give the porcelain 'earth patina.'
For half a month, the original Doucai large vase completely transformed its appearance.
Looking at the Doucai large vase placed on the table, Wang Yang examined it under a magnifying glass from all angles.
As he looked, he exclaimed, 'If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it! Xiao Fei, your aging technique is truly masterful!'
I smiled and said, 'Tomorrow, find an expert to examine it. If they can't tell anything, then it's a success.'
'Alright!'
The next day, Wang Yang spent five thousand yuan and found an expert from who-knows-where.
He spent over two hours examining the Doucai large vase and ultimately found nothing. As he was leaving, the expert said, 'I didn't expect Guangling to still have such a precious Doucai large vase. I've truly opened my eyes this time.'
All preparations were complete, and only the east wind was missing. Da Guang and Xiao Guang had also visited every antique shop in Guangling.
Even though I hadn't gone out much during this period, I had heard that a great collector had arrived from the capital and was everywhere collecting Doucai vases, offering outrageously high prices.
In an instant, many people in Guangling were inquiring about Doucai vases.
This is how the antique circle works; if a great collector is willing to spend money, many antique dealers will try to profit from the difference.
I knew that simply doing this wouldn't realistically lure Liu Hun, so I had to throw out a bait.
And that bait, naturally, was Bai Hanyan…"