Chapter 1 Reality Has Always Been Stark

and Liu Zhuangui started to take over. He first looked at the smaller piece, took it in his hand, and at a glance, his face lit up. After playing with it for a moment, he put it down.He picked up anot...At Panjiayuan's stalls, a young man kept spinning nonstop.

The young man's attire doesn't match these antiques and luxury goods at all.

The white undershirt is a little bit yellowish from being washed repeatedly, and because it's out of shape, the neckline is incredibly big. It's almost gone.

This kid's garment is obviously made of nylon, with that kind of... feel to it. It's fine to wear normally, but as soon as it gets wet, it sticks to everything. You can't even shake it off without effort.

He has a pair of rubber sandals on his feet.

He kept picking up things from the nearby stalls and looking at them, shaking his head almost as soon as he got hold of them, then putting them back down.

The vendors don't care about such people. These wares are just here for display.

"It's just stall after stall, he keeps doing this. The middle-aged man running the next stall is getting impatient."

"Hey kid, are you going to buy it or not This stuff is really expensive, can you afford to pay for it if you break it"

The young man looked up and smiled at the middle-aged man. He wasn't bad-looking, with a mouthful of big white teeth that calmed the stall owner down by a third.

"Uncle, these things of yours are all fake, and they're too poorly made."

The stall owner's temper just flared, his nostrils flaring, eyes wide and bulging, looking like he was about to start a fight:

"You said someone's stuff is fake You little punk, if you don't know anything, just shut up. Believe me, I'll beat you up."

Zhao Xuan looked at the angry middle-aged man in front of him, somewhat surprised.

The other party is clearly selling counterfeit goods, and the quality of the fakes is miles worse than their own. Why can't they just say something

He was about to speak again when a man in a long robe and large divination sash walked over.

"Fourth Brother, why are you so angry That young man only said a couple of truths. What's with the threatening hand gesture"

The middle-aged man was about to leave when he looked up and saw someone coming. He immediately cupped his fist and smiled, saying:

"Liu shopkeeper, where did you go to the market It's not that I'm angry with others, this little guy can't buy anything, so he's looking for us to be happy here."

"Don't always think about bullying outsiders, the reputation of old Beijing people has been ruined by your lot."

Liu Zhanggui scolded, that middle-aged man of the fourth son not only took it, but also looked very capable.

Liu Zhǎngguì glanced at Zhao Xuēn again, nodded at him as a greeting, then turned and walked away.

"Uncle, who is that person Why did he say that to you and you still smiled"

Lao Si, hearing Zhao Xuan's question, instinctively wanted to get angry, but remembering what Liu Zhuangguan had just said, he snorted coldly and replied unhappily:

"Since you still call me Shoush, I'll tell you, Liu the shopkeeper is the former manager of Bogu Zhai. He's a master appraiser, a learned scholar, and naturally deserves respect."

"Fourth Brother, are you afraid that Liu the Shopkeeper won't help you with your appraisal Don't pretend to be a cultured person."

A vendor next to him made a witty remark, causing several nearby people to burst into laughter.

Lao Si was a little annoyed, stretching his neck and saying:

Aren't you Our big brother shouldn't say things like that to our second brother. Even Liu, the shopkeeper, would say a few words to you, and you'd be alive.

Hello everyone, I only require on-site appraisals. When will he come over

With a few teasing remarks, Zhao Xuan also seemed to understand.

These people only have a superficial understanding of antiques. Don't be fooled by their eloquent sales pitches when they sell things to others, but in reality, few of them can tell genuine from fake when they buy things.

So they would ask for appraisals, but most appraisals were paid. Only Liu Guan (Liu the shopkeeper) would occasionally give them free appraisals.

Zhao Xuan thought for a moment, then walked in the direction where Lao Si had just pointed.

Upon entering the shop district, one immediately spots a large signboard for "Bo Gu Zhai" – a sizable establishment with a grand entrance.

Opposite the door are two rows of shelves. The first shelf is full of porcelain, and on one side shelf, there are miscellaneous items such as lacquerware, embroidery, bronze, Buddhist statues, and gilt objects.

On the right side of the door, there are several wooden chairs placed, with a tea table in the middle.

Against the wall, there is a shelf surrounded by a railing. The shelf is covered with glass and locked. Underneath the shelf are rows of cabinets filled with jade and stationery.

He first looked at the shelf of porcelain. He just glanced at some things, but he picked up a few and examined them closely, shaking his head from time to time, occasionally nodding.

"Young man, how did you get here"

Hearing the sound, Zhao Xuan looked up and saw it was Liu, the shop manager.

"Liu Zhàngguì, I'm here looking for work. Are you still hiring"

He asked like that, which was rather presumptuous.

In the antique business, one typically favors those who are related over strangers.

Whatever it says, it's worth that much. If it says 50, it's worth 50 yuan. If it says 50,000, it's worth 50,000 yuan. So there's no easy way to fix this.

Moreover, many things are too valuable or sensitive to be shared with outsiders.

"Oh, what will you do"

Liu the shopkeeper didn't have a good impression of him. Although he had scolded the fourth earlier, this young man kept spinning around there, saying he had no other thoughts. Who would believe that

"I can handle both big and small tasks."

Zhao Xuan casually replied, "This was what his master taught him when they were in the mountains."

"What is life, what is a fine living"

Liu Zhuangui, hearing this reply, was suddenly interested.

"Life is about moving things around, cleaning and tidying up. What's meant by "fine work" is discerning truth from falsehood, studying history to understand its layers."

Liu, the shopkeeper, was startled at first, but then he quickly narrowed his eyes.

To say Zhao Xuan understands authentication is a joke. He doesn't even understand the jargon and runs to other people's stalls saying they're selling fakes. What kind of person does that

Moreover, besides a few well-established brands in Panjiayuan that guarantee quality, which other stores there don't sell fakes

Of course, the concept of "genuine" and "fake" doesn't really apply to antiques. Just like a porcelain vase, it is inherently a vase with value. The idea of counterfeits simply exists because some people try to replicate valuable items.

When it comes to counterfeit goods, people usually don't say it too directly. They use euphemisms like "not sure if it's genuine" and so on, and passersby understand. Nobody would point at something and bluntly declare it fake.

"What a big mouth you have, young man..."

As the two were talking, a guest arrived.

> Liu Zhàngguì smiled and greeted him.

"Old Wu, how did you have time to come over today"

"Xiao Liu, take a look at these two curious things. Xiao Guo, bring the stuff out."

After Lao Wu finished speaking, the young man who followed Xiao Guo opened the box. To prevent breakage, there were many cushioning and shock-absorbing materials inside the box. After removing the top layer, he took out two porcelain pieces, one large and one small.

Liu, the shopkeeper, laid a piece of velvet cloth on the tea table. Only then did Xiao Guo put down the porcelain.

Xia Guo let go, and Liu Zhuangui started to take over. He first looked at the smaller piece, took it in his hand, and at a glance, his face lit up. After playing with it for a moment, he put it down.

He picked up another, larger bottle, his face filled with even greater surprise.

"Nice stuff, Lao Wu."

Mr. Wu smiled without making a sound. Liu, the shopkeeper, had a smile on his face. The old man was testing him, wasn't he

He was about to speak when he saw Zhao Xuan standing there, his face complex and his thoughts racing.

"Hey young man, come take a look. Just get one thing right and you're hired."

Liu Zhàngguì already had the answer in his heart, both items were treasures that could open a great door. Showing them to Zhao Xuēn was not simply a matter of saying whether they were real or fake.

To know the name of a type, you need to differentiate between generations, where is it real and where is it fake

You have to say something insightful, otherwise just stating the truth or falsehood is too simplistic.

When Zhao Xuan saw the two things, his heart pounded wildly because these two things were not unfamiliar to him. In fact, no one in this world knew them better than he did.e."What a big mouth you have, young man..."As the two were talking, a guest arrived.> Liu Zhàngguì smiled and greeted him."Old Wu, how did you have time to come over today""Xiao Liu, take a look at th...