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墨書 Inktalez
Bai Tang stirred the coffee in her cup with a spoon, her gaze falling on the temporary parking area in front of the square. A taxi with a Provincial Capital license plate stopped, and two men got out. The young man was handsome with a bright smile; Bai Tang recognized him as her online friend, Field of Hope, whose real name was Sheng Qingxi. The middle-aged man was refined and wore gold-rimmed glasses, his face somewhat familiar. Bai Tang thought for a moment but couldn’t recall where she had seen him before.
Sheng Qingxi turned his head, searching for Bai Tang’s figure, and spotted a girl standing up at a table in the café beside the square, waving at them. His eyes lit up as he pulled his uncle towards the café.
“Hello, Bai Tang, I’m Sheng Qingxi.” Sheng Qingxi enthusiastically extended his hand to the girl. Upon seeing her in person, he found that she was even more beautiful than in her photos; her skin was delicate and smooth, with no visible pores, glowing with radiance. She had a fresh and natural aura, exuding a friendly yet ethereal charm, as if he were looking at a benevolent fairy. Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but sigh; why would such a wonderful talent have no interest in acting?
“Hello!” Bai Tang reached out to shake hands with Sheng Qingxi, the delicate touch making him admire her even more. There were many beauties in the Entertainment Industry, but those with such a comfortable aura like her were truly rare.
“Sister Bai, hello! It’s great to see you again!” Zhang Feng said with a broad smile. He felt fortunate to encounter this girl again. The Jian Zhan, the replica of Zhu Zhishan’s “Chronology of Births,” and the exquisite Embroidered Handkerchief—this girl had many treasures!
“Who are you?” Bai Tang blinked in confusion; she had forgotten about Zhang Feng, who was her first trading partner.
“Sister Bai might not remember me clearly; I’m Zhang Feng. I once bought a Jian Zhan black kiln from you.” He had even given her his business card! It seemed she didn’t care much for it after all! Zhang Feng smiled helplessly; in the industry, many people vied for just one of his business cards, yet this lady seemed to have tossed it aside without a second thought. Clearly, she knew nothing about the antique world.
As memories returned, Bai Tang recalled that she indeed had met this man before.
“Hello, Mr. Zhang!” Bai Tang shook hands with Zhang Feng, her eyes filled with curiosity about how Sheng Qingxi and Zhang Feng came together.
Noticing Bai Tang’s confusion, Zhang Feng smiled and said, “I’m Xi’s uncle. I’m very interested in your shop’s items; when I heard he was coming to see you, I decided to join him. I hope you don’t mind.”
Now that they were here, it wouldn’t matter if she minded or not.
“Welcome is still an understatement!” Bai Tang smiled brightly. “Let’s head to the hotel to rest! I’m not sure if Mr. Zhang booked just one room, but there aren’t many outsiders in our city, so there should be available rooms at the hotel.”
“Is the hotel far?” Sheng Qingxi asked.
“Not far; it’s just a five-minute walk.”
"Then let's walk and enjoy the scenery," Zhang Feng said. He had a good impression of City D; although it was not large, the urban development and greenery were well done. The air was many times fresher compared to the noisy big cities. Walking along the road and seeing the smiles on the faces of passersby, Zhang Feng also felt a taste of happiness and comfort.
"Bai Tang, what local specialties does your city have?" Sheng Qingxi was a foodie who would seek out the most characteristic local dishes whenever she visited a new place.
"We have quite a few local specialties, like Eight Treasure Oil Cake, Sesame Oil Chicken, Juice Beef, Chained Silk Rabbit... these can all be eaten as snacks. When you leave, I’ll give each of you a big bag."
"Great!" Sheng Qingxi was extremely happy and nodded repeatedly, not declining the offer.
"Enjoying fine lamb, with flavors of red and white preserved in the mountains, served in jade bowls for your tasting," Bai Tang continued to introduce. "Fish Head Hot Pot is especially authentic; let me treat both of you to it."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go today!" Sheng Qingxi said, nearly drooling at the thought.
Bai Tang smiled and said, "Come to our house for dinner today. My mom and I have prepared a lot of delicious food to welcome you!"
"That’s too much! I don’t want to trouble Auntie and Uncle!" Sheng Qingxi replied.
"It would be more troublesome for them if you don’t come! You should know that everything is almost ready. If you don’t come, our family won’t be able to finish it all, and it would go to waste," Bai Tang insisted.
This made Sheng Qingxi and Zhang Feng laugh.
"Then we’ll bother you," they agreed.
Sheng Qingxi and Zhang Feng didn’t have much luggage, so the three of them easily arrived at the hotel where Zhang Feng's room was booked. They dropped off their bags at the hotel and followed Bai Tang to Bai Family.
Bai Dad and Bai Ma warmly welcomed them, their enthusiasm almost overwhelming Sheng Qingxi. Bai Tang facepalmed; her dad had mistaken Sheng Qingxi for her boyfriend.
Bai Tang could only take advantage of Sheng Qingxi and Zhang Feng's attention being drawn to the decorations in the room to quietly pull Bai Dad and Bai Ma aside to explain that Sheng Qingxi was really not her boyfriend, just an ordinary friend visiting City D for business.
Bai Dad and Bai Ma were so disappointed! It was not easy to have a boy of a similar age come to see their daughter, but it wasn't what they had hoped for. Oh dear, what should they do about their daughter's personal issues?
Although Bai Dad and Bai Ma were disappointed, their enthusiasm for the two did not diminish. They served sunflower seeds, peanuts, fruits, and snacks to welcome them. Zhang Feng smiled and thanked them, sitting on the sofa and surveying the surroundings. The Bai family's house, though not large, was arranged very warmly yet elegantly. On the left side of the wall by the television hung a large inscription: "The highest good is like water; it benefits all things without contention." The calligraphy was in Han Li style, incorporating elements of seal script, cursive script, and Wei Bei strokes, with dynamic brushwork that enriched the beauty of the clerical script. The structure blended seal script and cursive script, presenting a fresh take on tradition. Upon seeing it, Zhang Feng recognized it as the work of a calligrapher he knew. He then noticed a pale blue vase on the television cabinet; its ancient yet beautiful design was actually—
"Shadow Blue Porcelain?" Zhang Feng exclaimed.
"What Shadow Blue Porcelain?" Bai Dad asked in confusion.
Zhang Feng pointed at the vase: "Mr. Bai, this vase is Shadow Blue Porcelain. Didn't you know?"
Bai Dad chuckled: "I don't know much about porcelain. This vase was bought by Tang Tang; I just thought it looked nice and used it for flowers."
Sheng Qingxi felt like kneeling before Bai Dad; such a precious piece of Shadow Blue Porcelain was being used as a flower vase—wasn't he afraid of breaking it?
"Sister Bai, where did you buy this Shadow Blue Porcelain?" Zhang Feng turned to ask Bai Tang, his interest in her growing stronger. This girl was quite mysterious; she was just an ordinary girl from a regular family, yet how did she come to possess such valuable antiques?
"Ah, I bought it at Songxianqiao Market. I thought it was just an ordinary piece of porcelain when I bought it," Bai Tang replied, also quite surprised. She had purchased the vase for twenty copper coins—so cheap that she never expected it would have such significance.
With Zhang Feng's experience, he could tell that Bai Tang was lying, but he didn't expose her. Instead, he smiled and said: "Sister Bai, you really struck gold with this one. Can you sell me this vase? I'll offer two million!"
"Two million?" Bai Dad was taken aback. "Mr. Zhang, are you sure? How could such a vase possibly be worth two million?"
Zhang Feng smiled at Bai Dad: "Mr. Bai, this vase is not an ordinary piece of porcelain; it's Shadow Blue Porcelain."
“What is Shadow Blue Porcelain?” Although Bai Dad enjoyed watching antique appraisal shows, he had little professional knowledge about antiques.
“Shadow Blue Porcelain, also known as Yingqing porcelain, is a treasure of traditional porcelain-making techniques. Its predecessor is Qingbai porcelain, referred to as ‘white with blue flowers.’ Shadow Blue Porcelain was uniquely created in Jingdezhen during the mid-Northern Song period. Its glaze color is a light and elegant blue-white, with a clear and beautiful surface. The body is firm and smooth, with a warm luster akin to jade, which is why it has historically been called ‘fake jade.’” Zhang Feng explained to Bai Dad and Bai Ma, who had been drawn in by the “two million” from the kitchen. Of course, Bai Ma did not forget to serve the brewed tea to her guests.
Sheng Qingxi chimed in, showing off his half-baked knowledge of antiques: “The Qingbai porcelain from Jingdezhen during the Song Dynasty is most famous for being produced at Hutian kiln, followed by Xianghu, Shengmeiting, Liujiaban, and other kilns. At that time, the varieties included bowls, plates, vases, jars, and other daily utensils. The early Northern Song Qingbai porcelain had no patterns; it was prized for its regular shapes and jade-like glaze. After the mid-period, its decoration mainly featured carved designs, along with printing, shallow reliefs, hollowing out, and piling up. The elegant and tasteful Qingbai porcelain often had hidden floral patterns within the glaze that appeared faintly visible, giving an endless charm. Qingbai porcelain once became all the rage and was marketed both domestically and internationally. According to the Song Dynasty’s ‘Dream of the Eastern Capital,’ there were specialized shops selling white porcelain in both Bianliang and Lin'an for the daily lives of people in the capital. Wang Dayuan recorded external trade of porcelain in ‘Records of Island Barbarians.’ In Southern Song poet Li Qingzhao’s ‘Drunken Flower Shade,’ there’s a line about ‘jade pillows and gauze windows,’ where jade pillows refer to Qingbai porcelain pillows…”
Bai Ma exclaimed, “It sounds so impressive! Using such precious porcelain as a vase feels like we’re committing a crime against a pearl covered in dust!”
“Then sell it to me! I will definitely make it shine!” Zhang Feng said with a smile.
“Daughter, why not sell it to Mr. Zhang?” Since Bai Ma had spoken up, Bai Tang naturally agreed and accepted Zhang Feng’s check before handing over the vase.
Zhang Feng felt immensely proud; he had just arrived and already found a treasure. He believed he would discover even more treasures while staying close to Bai Tang. However, he did not notice that the three members of the Bai Family exchanged knowing glances filled with pride that matched his own.
If he had known earlier, he would have texted his dad to bring out more vases. Bai Tang thought happily; she never expected her luck would allow her to find treasures even in ancient times. She planned to visit the glass factory in the capital more often.
Everyone was pleased as Bai Ma invited her guests to sit down for dinner. Enjoying a table full of dishes made from ancient ingredients, the uncle and nephew found them incredibly delicious and praised Bai Ma's cooking. Bai Ma laughed heartily but knew she was benefiting from the quality ingredients. Nevertheless, being complimented on her cooking made her very happy; she kept serving dishes into Zhang Feng’s and Sheng Qingxi’s bowls until both were stuffed.
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