Sister Ying handed me the keys to the factory for safekeeping, so I stopped going to the Hongyuan shop.
Every day, I would take the bus to the factory to study the Zisha teapots.
The inventory of Zisha teapots was enormous, and finding the so-called map among so many was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
This day, as usual, I was alone in the factory, examining the Zisha teapots.
Hong Yunpeng drove over and found me.
"Xiaofei, what are you doing here?"
Hong Yunpeng asked, seeing me wandering around the warehouse.
"Brother Hong, you're here?" I smiled. "Sister Ying asked me to find some Zisha teapots with good craftsmanship to sell at the shop."
Hong Yunpeng glanced around, didn't ask further, and leaned in mysteriously, "Will you come with me somewhere later?"
"Where to?"
"I've got my eye on something and want you to take a look for me," Hong Yunpeng said with a smile.
"What is it?"
"You'll know when you get there. It's definitely something good," Hong Yunpeng rubbed his hands. "Don't worry, if it works out, I won't shortchange you."
I smiled, "Brother Hong, what are you saying? It's just looking at something for you, no need to be so polite."
In Guangling, besides Sister Ying, Hong Yunpeng was the one who treated me best, and I genuinely considered him a friend.
Naturally, being a friend, I wouldn't refuse him.
Seeing my response, Hong Yunpeng put an arm around me, "Go take a look first."
We got in his car, and he took me to an antique shop near Tianning Temple.
The shop wasn't large, but it was quite crowded. As we entered, the owner was busy with customers.
I glanced around and realized this shop specialized in inkstones, with various inkstones displayed on cabinets against the wall.
Hong Yunpeng greeted the owner and then led me to a tea table, where he began to explain.
He said the shop owner's surname was Feng, nicknamed "Feng the Inkstone," and he had been specializing in selling inkstones near Tianning Temple for many years.
A while ago, Boss Feng had acquired several inkstones with good craftsmanship from somewhere.
He was unsure of their authenticity, so he had spread the word, inviting people to come and appraise them.
Upon hearing this, Hong Yunpeng came to join the fun, hoping to find a bargain.
"Xiaofei, once you've examined them, I'll listen to whatever you say," Hong Yunpeng said.
I chuckled, "Brother Hong, let's see the items first. I won't feel confident until I've seen them."
Hong Yunpeng patted my shoulder, "Alright, don't have any reservations. I trust your judgment."
I found it a bit amusing, but I wasn't worried at all.
China has four major types of inkstones: Duan inkstone, She inkstone, Taohe inkstone, and Chen ni inkstone.
Each type of inkstone had its own intricacies. Even a small inkstone held a world of knowledge.
My father used to tell me that anything associated with ancient scholars, no matter how unremarkable, was meticulously crafted.
From this, one could see how much importance ancient people placed on culture.
Five thousand years of civilization weren't just for show. Compared to the mechanized things of the Westerners, they were far more refined.
After Boss Feng finished attending to his customers, he came over to us.
"Boss Hong, it seems you're well-prepared today?"
Boss Feng was a middle-aged man in his forties with yellow teeth, wearing a shirt and trousers, looking nothing like a scholar.
"Let me introduce my brother, Xiang Fei. When it comes to appraisal, he's the best," Hong Yunpeng said, giving a thumbs-up.
I quickly added, "Brother Hong, you flatter me. I only know a little, and in front of you, I'm just a junior."
"Brother Xiang is very humble," Boss Feng said with a smile. "Please sit, I'll go fetch the items."
"Okay."
Hong Yunpeng had praised me too highly, and I felt a bit unaccustomed. However, remembering Sister Ying's words, I felt a conflict within me.
While waiting for Boss Feng to retrieve the goods, I noticed an inkstone with good craftsmanship on a shelf not far away.
So I walked over and picked it up to examine it.
Upon closer inspection, I was astonished!
It bore the signature of Li Gonglin!
Who was Li Gonglin? He was a famous painter of the Northern Song Dynasty, known as the "foremost painter of the Song Dynasty."
Setting aside everything else, this inkstone alone was worth at least six to seven hundred thousand yuan!
An item worth six to seven hundred thousand yuan was casually placed on this shelf, and honestly, I could hardly believe it myself.
I have a habit when examining items used by scholars: I always look at the inscription first.
This was a principle my father had instilled in me since childhood.
There were countless scholars in ancient times, but items used by Li Bai and Zhang San were entirely different.
The inscription on this inkstone was in seal script, and not many people could read it.
I had only learned it because my father forced me to as a child, and it was etched into my memory.
The inkstone was square and didn't appear particularly special.
An ordinary person wouldn't notice it, and the reason I was drawn to it was precisely because it was too ordinary compared to other inkstones.
Who would have thought that this inconspicuous inkstone was actually genuine?
I examined it carefully for a while, confirmed it was authentic, and then placed it back.
Sitting back at the tea table, Hong Yunpeng asked me, "What is it? Did you see something good?"
"No, I was just looking around," I replied with a smile.
A moment later, Boss Feng arrived with the batch of inkstones he had acquired, inviting me to examine them at my leisure.
I picked them up one by one and examined them. I discovered they were all fakes, not a single one was genuine.
I couldn't help but find it amusing. This Boss Feng even called himself "Feng the Inkstone."
He casually placed genuine items in the shop but treated a few fakes like treasures.
"Xiaofei, how is it?" Hong Yunpeng asked me impatiently.
I pursed my lips, "I'm not entirely sure about these items, but their craftsmanship is good."
"I told you, this batch of goods is unusual. It took me a lot of effort to get them," Boss Feng said proudly.
I asked, "Boss Feng, how much are you selling these inkstones for?"
He smiled and held up five fingers, "A fixed price, fifty thousand each."
He really dared to ask for that price. All of them combined were worth at most a thousand yuan.
I nodded calmly, glanced at Hong Yunpeng, and then said, "How about this, Boss Feng, we'll discuss it further and get back to you?"
"Still discussing?" Boss Feng said. "Many people have come to see my goods these past few days. Several buyers were interested. If it weren't for the friendship between you and Boss Hong, I would have sold them already."
Hong Yunpeng was also getting impatient. He looked at me and said, "Xiaofei, why don't you pick one that looks good? I'll reserve it first?"
I gave him a look. Who knew this guy misunderstood my intention and pointed at the fake inkstone in front of me, saying, "I'll take this one!"