"How about it, this thing of mine is pretty ordinary, right?"

In order to prove that what he said was correct, Zhou Laosi actually listed the shortcomings of his porcelain.

"As for kiln-changed glaze, there are actually two things to look at: glaze color and signature."

"My piece is expensive because it is inscribed with the inscription 'Made in the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty'. As for the glaze color, the glassy texture is not strong, and the red is a bit black, which is considered to have stepped on all the bad points. In addition, because it has been in circulation for a long time, there are some traces of bumps on it..."

Zhou Laosi was talking eloquently, and Zhang Yang was stunned listening to him. He thought:
Wow, the theory is all right, but the application is all wrong!
Is the glass-like appearance of this kiln-changed glaze still "not strong"? It should be compared with the new porcelain fired in Jingdi Town that it seems weak, right?

Compared with the authentic ones from the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, the glass texture is much stronger, and it is obvious at first glance that it is a product of the modern improvement of the porcelain clay preparation technology.

The glaze's absorption of kiln smoke does seem to be quite obvious, and the entire porcelain is just as Zhou Laosi said, red with a hint of black, which is in line with the technical characteristics of early kiln-fired glazes.

However, there is actually a slight difference between the blackening phenomenon caused by the carbon that absorbs the black smoke in the kiln and the effect of directly adding black carbon powder to the glaze.

One is black on the surface, and the other is black inside.

The one in front of me is obviously the latter.

Zhou Laosi understands kiln-changed glazes, but he doesn't fully understand them. He is the one who only wants to make a half-full jar worth a lot of money.

The result is that a modern imitation of an antique handicraft was purchased as an official kiln product from the three dynasties of the Qing Dynasty.

Although he had seen through the trick, Zhang Yang did not rush to say anything. The two parties were not related, and it might not be a good thing for him to reveal the truth.

What if the other party is happy even if he buys a fake? It's hard to say what happens to rich people.

Besides, there was Grandpa Lu next to us, so we didn't have to worry about a dull occasion.

"Mr. Zhou, you are an expert in theoretical knowledge!" Grandpa Lu looked at Zhou Laosi who was talking eloquently, and for some reason, he felt a sense of admiration for him.

They are richer and more knowledgeable than you, no wonder they can buy so many good treasures.

"You must have put a lot of effort into studying porcelain, right?"

"Of course." Zhou Laosi said proudly, "I learned treasure appraisal from a master in Jingdi Town before. I invited him to my home and offered him a million-dollar annual salary and one-on-one teaching."

"I didn't let him go until I knew all the key points of identification by heart."

"I see." Grandpa Lu looked at Zhang Yang with emotion, and was already planning in his mind what conditions he would use to convince Zhang Yang after returning to give him one-on-one tutoring.

Zhou Laosi showed off his professional theoretical knowledge, while Grandpa Lu beside him kept asking questions with a learning attitude.

The two of them sang in unison and chatted for nearly a quarter of an hour.

Taking advantage of this time, Zhang Yang carefully looked at the antiques on the table.

After watching it, whenever I look at Zhou Laosi’s face again, I always feel that there is a bit of leek green on his face.

Most of the items were correct, but there were a few high-quality imitations and restorations mixed in, which made Zhang Yang feel that the premium on this table of things might be more than 250%.

A bit of an idiot.

It's not easy for Mr. Zhou to buy so many problematic items at the auction...

Zhang Yang was just thinking about these things when Zhou Laosi beside him suddenly mentioned him:

"Mr. Zhang, I'm sure you've noticed that I have some accomplishments in kiln-changed glazes."

"Yeah, I heard it a long time ago." Zhang Yang immediately nodded in agreement, covering up the fact that he didn't hear much just now.

"That's all." Zhou Laosi raised his thumb, pointed at himself proudly and said, "My integrity prevents me from taking advantage of others."

"So, as long as there is no problem with your Yongzheng official kiln piece with kiln-changed glaze, it will definitely be worth more than 300 million."

"I won't take advantage of you. The most I'm willing to pay is 500 million. Of course, it depends on the quality of the item. If it's worse than mine, then the price will definitely be lower."

"If you have no objection to this price, let's agree on this price. You can't raise the price when I'm about to pay. You can't sue me to get my money back if the price goes up after I buy it." "Is that okay?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhou. We Qingzhou people keep our word and always do what we say." Grandpa Lu testified for Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang also nodded in agreement, proving that what his grandfather said was correct.

But he still had a question:
"Mr. Zhou, how did you get the price of five million? Isn't it a bit too high?"

Zhou Laosi was afraid that Zhang Yang would go back on his word, and Zhang Yang was also afraid that the other party would go back on his word. There were many lawsuits in antique transactions these days. It was not like decades ago when the court would not be responsible for antiques once they left the counter.

"High? Not high!"

"Let me ask you something first, Mr. Zhang. Are you not making a blind offer? Are you not planning to cheat me out of money?"

"No." Zhang Yang nodded honestly. For a business worth millions, earning a dozen points of profit was not considered cheating, absolutely not.

"That's fine. Based on your quotation and my understanding of the industry, I've adjusted it slightly upwards so that both of us are satisfied."

"You have so many good things here. Let's get to know each other better. There will be opportunities for transactions in the future!"

Zhou Laosi's attitude was very sincere and his purpose was very clear. He was willing to pay a little more in the first transaction just to make a friend.

Zhang Yang is a high-quality seller recommended by the auction company. In other words, he is a supplier of the auction company.

Zhou Laosi thinks like a businessman. As a client of the auction company, he naturally thinks that it will be cheaper if he buys the goods directly from the supplier. At least he can save the commission of the middleman.

A little initial investment will bring long-term profits, which Zhou Laosi thinks is quite cost-effective.

"Mr. Zhang, do you have any doubts? I really want to make friends with you."

"If you have goods in the future, please sell them to me directly. You don't need to ship them to Hong Kong and let the auction company earn the money."

"Okay!" Zhang Yang thought about it and agreed to Zhou Laosi's offer.

The extent of this premium is not even as high as 250% of the antiques on the table. So Mr. Zhou still made a profit.

The items collected by Li Zi's family are real things, with certificates issued by experts from the Palace Museum.

Seeing that Zhang Yang agreed, Zhou Laosi clapped his hands excitedly and cheered, "Great!"

"So when can we see the goods? I can accept cash or online banking. You can choose RMB or USD."

"This... is not possible for now. The things are still in Qingzhou." Zhang Yang replied somewhat embarrassedly.

"It's okay. There's an airport in Qingzhou, right?"

"Of course there is. Qingzhou's last name is not Su."

"Okay then. I'll fly straight to you guys after I finish my business in Hong Kong."

"It just saves me the trouble of going through customs."

Since the other party was so open, there was certainly no reason for Zhang Yang to refuse.

He had already figured out Zhou Laosi's temper. He was a bit generous like a coal boss, unwilling to beat around the bush and liked to treat people with sincerity.

Such people often like others to treat them with sincerity.

Zhang Yang joined in the conversation for a few words, and after explaining his method, he stated without any hesitation the original purpose of his visit - to borrow a snuff bottle.

"To be honest, a friend of mine wants this snuff bottle, but he is short of money."

“So I want to borrow it, find someone to make a replica, and keep it for collection.”

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhou. Although the imitation is exactly the same, there are no more than ten people in the world who know about it. The imitation will never appear on the market and affect the value of your collection." (End of this chapter)