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墨書 Inktalez
I took a light sip of tea and casually asked, "Jiaojiao, I heard that you have quite a bit of knowledge about antiques. The landscape painting you gave me last time has an exquisite composition and skilled brushwork. I wonder which master created it?"
Lin Jiaojiao paused slightly with the teapot in her hand, glanced at me, and quickly returned to her natural demeanor, smiling as she replied, "Aunt, you're too kind. I only know a little about antiques. That painting was something I stumbled upon at an auction; I'm not sure which master it belongs to."
"Is that so?" I set down my teacup, leaning slightly forward and gazing intently at Lin Jiaojiao. "Just the other day, I was flipping through an ancient book that described a landscape painting strikingly similar to the one you gave me. It is said to be an authentic work by the Tang Dynasty painter Li Sixun, worth a fortune."
Lin Jiaojiao's expression changed slightly but quickly returned to normal. She forced a calm smile and said, "Really? How fortunate! It seems I've stumbled upon a treasure."
I chuckled inwardly while maintaining a composed exterior and continued, "Yes, I think it's quite fortunate. However, the ancient book also mentioned that Li Sixun's works typically employ a special technique called 'small axe strokes' for the texture of mountains and rocks, but the painting you gave me seems not to have used this technique."
As I spoke, I carefully observed Lin Jiaojiao's changing expressions.
I noticed her previously rosy complexion gradually turning pale, with fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
She tightly gripped her teacup, her knuckles turning white, yet she still forced herself to remain calm as she said, "Aunt, you are truly knowledgeable. I don't know much about these technical details; perhaps I remembered it wrong."
I couldn't help but laugh inwardly; Lin Jiaojiao was indeed putting on an act. She knew nothing about antiques and was merely trying to please me.
I decided to test her further.
"Jiaojiao, I remember you mentioned before that you were interested in Song Dynasty Ru Kiln porcelain. I happen to have a Ru Kiln celadon bowl in my collection. Would you like to take a look?" I asked with a smile.
Lin Jiaojiao's eyes flashed with a hint of panic upon hearing this, but she quickly masked it and smiled, saying, "Sure, I have long admired Ru Kiln porcelain. It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to see it in person."
I stood up and walked to the Antique Display Shelf, opening a delicate wooden box and taking out a sky-blue Celadon Bowl.
"This is the Ru Kiln Celadon Bowl from my collection. What do you think?" I handed the Celadon Bowl to Lin Jiaojiao with a smile.
Lin Jiaojiao took the Celadon Bowl and examined it carefully.
As she looked, she nodded repeatedly while muttering some professional terms, as if she were truly knowledgeable about antiques.
I stood by, observing her reaction without revealing my thoughts, but I already understood.
Lin Jiaojiao was indeed talking nonsense; the professional terms she used were completely irrelevant and full of holes.
I cleared my throat to interrupt Lin Jiaojiao's "performance," pointing out a subtle detail on the Celadon Bowl. "Jiaojiao, look here. This crackled pattern doesn't seem to match the characteristics of Song Dynasty Ru Kiln. Take another careful look."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jiaojiao's face turned pale. She hurriedly placed the Celadon Bowl back on the table and stammered, "Auntie, I... I don't really understand these things. Maybe I made a mistake..."
Seeing her flustered demeanor, I couldn't help but smirk inwardly; Lin Jiaojiao's disguise had finally been completely exposed by me.
"Jiaojiao, I know you want to please me, but there's no need to force yourself to do something you're not good at," I said gently as I approached her. "Just be yourself; you don't need to worry about anything else."
Lin Jiaojiao lowered her head, unable to meet my gaze. She knew that her disguise had been seen through, and at that moment, she felt like a clown stripped of its clothes, overwhelmed with shame.
"I, I understand, Aunt," Lin Jiaojiao said softly, her voice tinged with a hint of choked emotion.
I patted her shoulder and smiled, saying, "Alright, it's getting late. You should head back and rest."
Lin Jiaojiao nodded and stood up to take her leave.
Watching her retreating figure, a cold smile crept onto my lips. This game has only just begun!
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