Chapter 10: Meeting the Beautiful Campus Belle Again
Master of Appraisal A Cheng replied truthfully, “No!”
“Mr. Lin brought a pair of old, dilapidated lacquer wine cups. They looked like old items from the late Qing Dynasty or early Republic of China. I made a mistake when appraising them, bringing shame to our Zhenbao Pavilion.”
Zhou Zhongdang asked, “A Cheng, you’ve been a Master of Appraisal for many years. How could you make a mistake on a pair of relatively recent lacquer wine cups?”
Master of Appraisal A Cheng replied with an exaggerated expression, “The pair of seemingly dilapidated lacquer wine cups Mr. Lin brought actually concealed ancient rhinoceros horn cups from a long time ago. It’s truly amazing!”
“That is quite novel.” Zhou Zhongdang put down the brush in his hand.
Master of Appraisal A Cheng continued, “A layer of oiled paper was attached to the surface of the rhinoceros horn cups, and the oiled paper was brushed with disguised red lacquer, perfectly hiding the priceless rhinoceros horn cups inside the lacquer wine cups. Why would the owner of these rhinoceros horn cups back then have such a brilliant operation?”
Zhou Zhongdang replied, “Never doubt the wisdom of the ancients!”
“In ancient times, there were frequent wars and continuous years of conflict. Many high-ranking officials and nobles, fearing that their treasured possessions would be plundered or stolen, would painstakingly disguise valuable cultural relics as items of low value to pass down to their descendants so that they would not be coveted by thieves.”
Master of Appraisal A Cheng exclaimed, “So that’s how it is!”
“Presumably, the owner of these rhinoceros horn cups in ancient times must have also hidden the valuable rhinoceros horn cups inside the lacquer wine cups to avoid them being stolen or plundered.”
Zhou Mengyao’s eyes lit up after hearing this, and she smiled beautifully, “Dad, as the daughter of a Master of Appraisal, this is the first time I’ve heard of such a strange thing.”
Master of Appraisal A Cheng respectfully said, “Mr. Zhou, I must trouble you to personally come to the VIP room to appraise and estimate the value of the rare treasures Mr. Lin has brought.”
“Let’s go!” Zhou Zhongdang started to move.
“Dad, I’ll go with you to the VIP room to see where my Old classmate Lin Lang found such rare treasures.”
Zhou Zhongdang walked with his hands behind his back, teasing, “Daughter, are you going to watch the excitement, or are you going to see your male Old classmate Lin Lang?”
“Of course, I’m going to watch the excitement!” Zhou Mengyao raised her exquisite little face.
Zhou Zhongdang said with a smile, “I remember when you were in high school, your mother told me that you had a crush on your desk mate, the campus heartthrob, which somewhat affected your academic performance.”
“Today, as your father, I just found out that this Lin Lang was your desk mate for all three years of high school. Could it be that the campus heartthrob you had a crush on in high school was Lin Lang?”
Motorcycle Goddess Zhou Mengyao’s exquisite little face instantly turned red, like a pufferfish, and she said angrily, “Did my mom secretly read my diary?”
Zhou Zhongdang realized he had let slip, and quickly replied, “I didn’t betray your mother, Daughter, just pretend I didn’t say anything just now.”
Zhou Mengyao, with a displeased expression, followed her father Zhou Zhongdang down the stairs, pouting and complaining, “My mom’s act of secretly reading my diary has infringed upon my right to privacy.”
“My mother spying on my privacy through improper means when I was in high school is an illegal act.”
Zhou Zhongdang laughed loudly, “Daughter, you’re exaggerating. Your mom secretly reading your diary back then was also out of concern for you, fearing that early romance would affect your studies, and wanting to help you solve the troubles of growing up.”
“Hmph~ You parents always say it nicely. I protest this!”
“My mom’s act of secretly reading my diary is wrong, it lacks boundaries, and it’s a very wrong behavior. I express my strong dissatisfaction with her wrongdoing and resolutely oppose and condemn it!”
Zhou Mengyao pouted playfully, looking sweet, cool, and adorable, beautiful like a mystery.
Zhou Zhongdang replied dotingly, “Alright, alright, alright!”
“Dad will condemn your mom’s wrong behavior from many years ago with you, and apologize to you on your mom’s behalf, okay?”
AI generated Zhou Mengyao beautiful picture
“Hmph~ If apologies worked, what would we need the police for? Some practical compensation is better than anything!”
“You mischievous girl, it seems you want to take this opportunity to extort something from your father. Speak! What do you want this time?”
Zhou Mengyao replied with a radiant smile, “I fancy a convertible sports car with a pitchfork-like logo. It only costs a little over 5 million after being imported into the country, hehe…”
Zhou Zhongdang asked, “A convertible sports car with a pitchfork-like logo, what brand of sports car is that?”
Master of Appraisal A Cheng reminded, “It’s a maserati.”
Zhou Zhongdang listened and said with a smile, “You know what, the maserati logo really does look like a pitchfork.”
“But Daughter, you already have seven or eight luxury cars under your name, and several of them are convertibles. Can you even drive so many luxury cars?”
“Dad, are you unwilling to buy it for your Baby daughter?!”
Zhou Zhongdang replied dotingly, “Buy, buy, buy!”
“It’s just a little over 5 million. Spending a small amount of money to make my daughter happy, I don’t feel bad at all!”
“Dad is still the best to me, so I’ll forgive Mom for secretly reading my diary.” Zhou Mengyao smiled sweetly and happily.
Zhou Zhongdang shook his head and laughed, “It’s all my fault for letting it slip, allowing you, this girl, to extort a maserati convertible sports car based on old events.”
“Hehe…” Zhou Mengyao chuckled, having gotten her way.
While speaking, Zhou Mengyao and Master of Appraisal A Cheng, surrounded Zhou Zhongdang, who was walking in front, and entered the VIP reception room downstairs, where they saw Lin Lang and Gu Keqing enjoying tea.
The female tea artist in Hanfu respectfully greeted, “Hello, Mr. Zhou!”
Zhou Zhongdang looked at the junior Lin Lang and greeted him with a smile, “Hello, Mr. Lin!”
Lin Lang politely stood up and replied, “Hello, Uncle Zhou!”
“Once again, I trouble you, sir, to personally appraise and estimate the value of my junior’s treasures. I apologize for the disturbance!”
“Mr. Lin is patronizing our Zhenbao Pavilion. Your esteemed presence at our pawnshop brings glory and is highly sought after!” Zhou Zhongdang said politely with a smile.
Gu Keqing stood up, nodded with a smile, and greeted Lin Lang’s female Old classmate Zhou Mengyao.
Zhou Mengyao sweetly greeted, “Hello, Keqing Cousin!”
Immediately after, Zhou Mengyao looked at the strikingly handsome Lin Lang and smiled sweetly, “Old classmate, I didn’t expect us to meet again so soon!”
Lin Lang replied with a smile, “Indeed!”
“After I venture into the antique industry, I will frequently have business dealings with Zhenbao Pavilion and your esteemed father. It seems that our opportunities to meet as Old classmates will increase in the future.”
Zhou Mengyao asked curiously, “Lin Lang, didn’t you major in finance in college? How are you proficient in antique collecting and appraisal?”
Lin Lang humbly replied, “I’m just new to the antique industry, I only know a little bit.”
Zhou Zhongdang’s gaze fell on the appraisal table, where he saw many lacquer fragments scattered next to a tea knife, an old, dilapidated lacquer wine cup, and an ancient rhinoceros horn cup that had been stripped of its oiled paper and lacquer disguise, seeing the light of day again, with a lustrous sheen and perfect condition.
“This is truly a rare ancient rhinoceros horn cup with an obvious provenance!”
Zhou Zhongdang carefully picked up the rhinoceros horn cup. Under the lights of the VIP room, he admired the precious and rare ancient rhinoceros horn cup as if he had found a treasure, unable to put it down, constantly marveling and praising it.
“This rhinoceros horn cup has a folded rim, a deep belly, and a ring foot with an inwardly slanting wall.”
“The bone is firm, yellow, and finely polished, with an amber-like color that is slightly translucent. It is carved in the round, with a lustrous sheen like congealed fat, and the carving is delicate, complex, and highly skilled.”
“This piece has a stable and generous shape, is smooth to the touch, and is excellently polished. The artist spared no expense in materials, which is quite impressive.”
“The rhinoceros horn carvings that survive today were mostly made during the Ming and Qing dynasties of our country, and are highly valued by countries worldwide. Major museums in Europe, America, and our country all have collections, and they are also coveted by private collectors.”
“The form and craftsmanship of this rhinoceros horn cup clearly indicate it is a royal rhinoceros horn cup offered as tribute from outside the Tang Dynasty. It has distinct period characteristics and is rare in existence, definitely a fine antique rhinoceros horn cup!”
“Mr. Lin, could you tell me if this pair of lacquer wine cups, concealing Tang Dynasty rhinoceros horn cups, is a family heirloom?”
“Or was it acquired at a high price?” Zhou Zhongdang asked curiously.
Lin Lang replied truthfully, “To be honest, this pair of lacquer wine cups, concealing Tang Dynasty rhinoceros horn cups, was just bought by this junior for 385 yuan at an antique stall outside, a lucky find.”
“Because this junior needs a large amount of start-up capital at the beginning of his venture, he reluctantly decided to pawn this pair of rare ancient rhinoceros horn cups at Zhenbao Pavilion.”
Zhou Zhongdang exclaimed in shock, “Mr. Lin has excellent discernment!”
“In Shanghai’s Jing’an Temple Jewelry and Antiques City, no one has found such a big bargain in many years. It seems Mr. Lin has profound accomplishments in antique collecting and appraisal!”
“Uncle Zhou, you flatter me!”
“This junior has just entered the antique industry and only got lucky by chance.” Lin Lang appeared very modest.
Master of Appraisal A Cheng was shocked after hearing this, and exclaimed with great admiration, “Mr. Lin is truly a divine person blessed with good fortune! I admire him! I admire him!!!”
Zhou Mengyao blinked her charming big eyes and exclaimed, “Lin Lang, your luck is too good, isn’t it?”
“You just casually visited an antique market and found a pair of ancient rhinoceros horn cups hidden inside lacquer wine cups. Doesn’t that mean you’ll have to struggle 30 years less and get rich all at once?!”
AI generated Zhou Mengyao beautiful picture