The characters on the couplet were vigorous and unique, forming their own distinct style.
Though no one was credited, I had a rough idea in my mind who was behind this couplet.
"I presume some friends have already noticed the unique characteristics of this couplet in my hand?" Bai Zhujing asked with a smile.
Many people began to whisper amongst themselves, clearly having guessed the author of the couplet, just like I had.
Bai Zhujing scanned the crowd, his gaze occasionally falling on me.
I pretended not to notice and took a sip of my tea.
"Xiaofei, did you figure anything out about this couplet?" Hong Yunpeng asked curiously.
I replied, "If I'm not mistaken, this couplet should be written by Yang Shoujing."
"Who is Yang Shoujing?" Hong Yunpeng asked.
I gave him a wry smile and explained, "Yang Shoujing was a famous calligrapher from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. His characters were dignified and robust, with neat structures, and his brushstrokes were smooth and substantial, executed cleanly and decisively, possessing his own unique style, making them relatively easy to recognize."
Hong Yunpeng nodded thoughtfully.
"May I ask the friend who selected this couplet to please identify themselves?" Bai Zhujing announced.
Soon, two people stood up and cupped their hands towards Bai Zhujing.
"This couplet is from the hand of Yang Shoujing, and its current market valuation is approximately sixty thousand," Bai Zhujing stated.
Upon hearing this price, the two who stood up looked somewhat dejected.
Clearly, with this price, winning the top prize seemed rather uncertain.
Half an hour later, Bai Zhujing had appraised most of the items on the table.
There were quite a few people who had chosen several items, but those items were not priced very high.
Three antiques remained on the table, and among them was the Magnolia cup I had chosen.
The Magnolia cup was placed at the very end, and I wondered if it was done intentionally.
I didn't particularly mind, as the highest appraised item so far was only a porcelain bowl worth over three hundred thousand.
Compared to my Magnolia cup, it was nowhere near comparable.
When Bai Zhujing picked up a Peach blossom cup, I couldn't help but let out a soft "Oh."
Hong Yunpeng couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"
I stared at the Peach blossom cup for a long time, and my heart skipped a beat.
How come I hadn't seen this cup before?
This was also a Hetian jade cup!
And judging by its craftsmanship and design, it should be an artifact from the Ming Dynasty!
The body of the cup was carved with a few peach branches, and beside them was an old man symbolizing longevity. The carving was extremely exquisite.
Most importantly, this cup had clearly been cleaned, with no old traces on it.
A cup like this should have been obvious at first glance, yet I only noticed it now?
I felt I must have been careless before, failing to examine it closely, and thus missing such a fine piece.
"May I ask the friend who selected the Peach blossom cup to please identify themselves?" Bai Zhujing said slowly.
A man wearing a washed sky-blue denim jacket and sunglasses stood up.
This man appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a middle-parted long hairstyle, looking quite fashionable. However, his attire seemed entirely unrelated to antiques.
"It seems I'm destined to win the top prize today," the man said, standing up and removing his sunglasses, a smug smile on his face.
"It's him?" Hong Yunpeng exclaimed.
"Brother Hong, do you know this person?" I asked.
"This man's name is Wang Yang, a master of finding treasures that have been overlooked, who has emerged in recent years. There are many rumors about him in the Guangling antique circle; some say he's an illegitimate son of a prominent family in Yanjing, while others claim he's the last successor of Xieling... anyway, theories abound."
I was somewhat surprised and asked, "Is he very skilled in appraising treasures?"
Hong Yunpeng pondered for a moment and said, "He's probably not as good as you, but he's not far off. Sister Ying once asked him to help appraise some items, and his valuation was quite high."
I nodded.
"One Ming Dynasty Peach blossom cup, market price eighty thousand."
As soon as Bai Zhujing's voice fell, everyone present gasped.
I felt this price seemed a bit low, and just then, Bai Zhujing continued, "Although the material used for this cup is Hetian jade, there is a slight chip on the rim, so the price can only be discounted."
As he spoke, he deliberately showed the slight imperfection on the cup. "Speaking of which, this cup was also taken out from Yipinzai by me; I just wanted to add some joy to Anyuantang."
Only then did I realize that this cup belonged to Bai Zhujing, which explained why he knew so much about it.
Wang Yang seemed indifferent to this defect, his smile unwavering. "There's no need to look at the remaining two items, is there? Among these items, only the Peach blossom cup I selected is of the highest value."
Bai Zhujing heard this and looked at me with a smile.
His gaze conveyed that he already knew I had chosen a Magnolia cup.
I quickly gave Hong Yunpeng a meaningful look, signaling him to say something.
He immediately understood and stood up, saying, "So you say your Peach blossom cup is the highest value? Just like that?"
"Oh? Who is this troublemaker?" Wang Yang asked, smiling at Hong Yunpeng, then his eyes flickered. "If I remember correctly, your surname is Hong? Weren't you working under An Ying before?"
"What's it to you who I am or who I work for? Since the first prize is being hosted by Mr. Bai, the appraisal must be completed before it's considered final. Judging by your tone just now, it's as if Anyuantang is your family's establishment!"
Hong Yunpeng spoke without mincing words.
Wang Yang, instead of getting angry, chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, let's follow the rules then. Let's not waste any more time; Mr. Bai, please continue."
Bai Zhujing nodded and picked up a string of ancient coins, saying, "I believe there's no need to look further at this, right? Everyone present should be familiar with it."
This was a string of ordinary Five Emperors' coins. Although the condition was good, they would fetch at most a few thousand yuan on the market.
The person who had chosen this string of coins was a middle-aged man wearing a gray suit. As Bai Zhujing spoke, he cupped his hands towards him.
"Then there's only one last item left."
Bai Zhujing picked up the Magnolia cup I had chosen, and I simply stood up directly, saying, "This cup was chosen by me."
"Ah, it's young brother Xiang Fei. Thank you for coming to grace us with your presence," Bai Zhujing said with a polite smile.
I cupped my hands and replied, "I'm just here to join the fun."
"Young brother Xiang Fei, why did you choose this Magnolia cup?" Bai Zhujing inquired.
Hearing his question, it seemed he wanted me to explain the cup's provenance myself.
However, I didn't respond to his prompt and instead said, "Mr. Bai, please do your appraisal first. Since I chose this cup, how much do you think it's worth?"
Bai Zhujing smiled slightly and said, "In my opinion, the market price for this Magnolia cup is only a little over two thousand."
As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Yang was the first to burst into laughter, "I thought he had picked some treasure, but it turns out to be nothing but inferior goods."
Bai Hanyan in the distance also couldn't help but show a pleased expression, looking at me with great smugness.
I sighed helplessly and said, "It seems there are truly few people with discerning taste in Guangling."