As Liu Hun's words fell, several men in black vests holding paper and pens began to move around the hall.
When one of them came to our table, I realized they were here for registration. Those participating in the opening "Kai Men Hong Cai" (first draw of the year) needed to sign their names.
I took the pen and wrote my name.
Liu Hun was seated at the innermost octagonal table, chatting with some people, seemingly not the one organizing this event.
After everyone had signed, a man stood in the center of the hall and announced loudly, "An Yuan Tang, Kai Men Cai. A total of twenty-three participants. Those whose names are called, please follow me to the inner hall."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man called out a name, and that person followed him to the inner hall.
It took about ten minutes before those who went inside emerged.
After waiting for nearly an hour, during which Hong Yunpeng and I must have drunk several pots of water, it was finally my turn.
"Mr. Xiang Fei."
Upon hearing my name, I quickly stood up and walked over.
I noticed Liu Hun glance at me, then resume his conversation and tea drinking.
The inner hall wasn't large; I had been inside An Yuan Tang a few times before.
It had previously been a storage room, but it had now been converted into something resembling a study.
In the center stood a rectangular rosewood table, with a grand scholar's chair behind it. Two rows of bookshelves lined the walls, filled with many calligraphies, paintings, and ancient books; it was impossible to tell if they were genuine.
Currently, the rosewood table, about seven or eight meters long, was covered with numerous antiques. I counted roughly thirty items, covering almost everything.
Calligraphy and paintings, ceramics, bronzes, ancient coins, jade articles, rubbings, seals, silk embroidery, cloisonné, lacquerware, Yixing teapots, enamels, glass objects, Fahua porcelain, ivory carvings, colored inks, brush holders, bamboo carvings, fans, wood crafts, fine stones...
I had to admit, Liu Hun took this opening draw quite seriously. Collecting so many different kinds of items wouldn't have been easy.
"Mr. Xiang, you have twenty minutes to select the items you believe are valuable."
The man who led me in spoke to me.
I nodded and leaned in to examine them closely.
With so many items, even if I looked at each one individually, twenty minutes, let alone a day, wouldn't be enough.
While I was confident in my appraisal skills, I still needed time.
Given twenty minutes, sharp eyesight was crucial, but luck would play a significant role.
I avoided looking at the items in good condition because I knew most people, faced with such a spread, would naturally focus their attention on the well-preserved pieces.
However, the better the condition, the more time it consumed. By the time you finished a thorough examination, the twenty minutes would be long gone.
At that point, even if you didn't want to choose that item, you would have no choice.
Standing before the table, my gaze swept across each piece, finally settling on an unassuming magnolia cup.
I walked over, picked up the magnolia cup, and felt it in my hands. It felt somewhat "ta shou," or "striking to the hand."
"Da shou" meant it was quite hard, with a significant rebound when touched, also called "zha shou" or "prickly to the hand."
From a young age, my hands had been trained by my father using ancient methods, so my tactile sensitivity was much higher than that of an ordinary person.
After a few touches, I discovered a crack on the magnolia cup.
At first, I thought this magnolia cup was made of Qingtian stone, but seeing this crack, I immediately realized it wasn't Qingtian stone!
If I wasn't mistaken, the material for this magnolia cup was Hetian yellow jade!
This wasn't a crack at all; it was a "ge," or a natural flaw in the jade!
I picked it up and examined it carefully against the light. The entire magnolia cup was semi-translucent, and I instantly took a deep breath.
I hadn't expected to see such a fine item here.
Setting aside other considerations, the condition and material of this magnolia cup alone would fetch at least a million yuan!
"Five minutes remaining."
A voice interrupted my thoughts. I placed the magnolia cup back on the table and glanced at the other items again.
My mind immediately felt at ease.
Among this collection, the magnolia cup I had chosen was likely the best piece.
Perhaps the person who placed the magnolia cup here hadn't even realized its value.
I wondered, if I ended up winning the grand prize, would this magnolia cup then become mine?
The thought of Liu Hun's expression at that moment made me feel refreshed.
Imagine, an item worth millions, given away so readily...
Following the rules, I wrote the magnolia cup I had chosen next to my name and walked out of the inner hall.
Hong Yunpeng, seeing me emerge, couldn't help but grab me and ask, "How was it?"
I glanced at Liu Hun, who was not far away, and whispered to him, "Brother Hong, don't worry. If nothing unexpected happens, we've got this grand prize in the bag!"
Hearing me say that, Hong Yunpeng's face lit up, "I knew it! With you here, the grand prize is as good as ours!"
After all twenty-three participants had visited the inner hall, Liu Hun looked at the registration roster and walked to the center of the hall. "Everyone has selected their desired items. Now, Master Bai will commence the draw."
As he spoke, Bai Zhujing walked in through the main entrance, accompanied by Bai Hanyan.
The moment that woman saw me, her face was full of schadenfreude.
Bai Zhujing seemed to notice his daughter's gaze towards me and also looked in my direction. Our eyes met, and he gave me a slight nod. I returned it, acknowledging the greeting.
"Today marks the grand reopening of An Yuan Tang, a significant event for Guangling's antique community. I, Bai Zhujing, express my gratitude to all of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this opening ceremony..."
After Bai Zhujing finished speaking, many people responded in kind.
"Master Bai is too kind!"
"What are you saying, Master Bai? We'd come to Master Bai's establishment even if we were extremely busy..."
"With Master Bai overseeing An Yuan Tang, its business is sure to flourish!"
...
It was evident that Bai Zhujing held considerable prestige. Compared to Liu Hun, Bai Zhujing seemed to be the major shareholder of An Yuan Tang.
"I will be serving as the referee for this Kai Men Hong Cai. Does anyone have any objections?" Bai Zhujing asked with a smile.
"No!" everyone replied in unison.
"Very well, Shopkeeper Liu, please hand me the roster."
Liu Hun walked over and handed the roster he was holding to Bai Zhujing, then stood aside as if he were a bodyguard.
After reviewing the roster, Bai Zhujing instructed people to bring out all the antiques selected by participants from the inner hall.
There were about forty to fifty people in the hall, and only half of them were participating in the Kai Men Hong Cai.
Once the antiques were brought out and arranged, Bai Zhujing began his judgment, referring to the roster one by one.
He first picked up a pair of calligraphic couplets. I noticed that when he picked up this pair of couplets, two people visibly stirred.
If I guessed correctly, both of those individuals had chosen these very couplets.