Retreating now was impossible.
I could only brace myself and say, "I want to know what was in the coffin buried with your grandfather."
As I uttered these words, I felt my heart pounding faster.
The entire private room also became eerily silent.
Wu Tingxiu's usually serene gaze suddenly held something new, and she slowly looked up at me, "You aren't your second uncle's people? Who exactly are you? What do you want?"
I took a deep breath and said, "Ms. Wu, who we are is not important. The reason we sought you out today is that we hope you can help us once... As for other matters, I will explain them to you later. Of course, if you are willing to help us, I will remember this favor. If you ever need our assistance, please don't hesitate to ask."
As I spoke these words, I lacked confidence myself.
Who was Wu Tingxiu?
According to Wang Yang, she was one of the most prominent wealthy individuals in Guangling.
And us? We were merely three penniless and powerless nobodies.
We had dug up her grandfather's grave, and we should be thankful she wasn't pursuing us for it, yet here we were, asking for her help. This was sheer wishful thinking.
Wang Yang looked at me dejectedly, appearing regretful, while Hong Yunpeng looked expectant.
Wu Tingxiu stared at me for a long moment, then let out a soft laugh, "I don't even know your names, why should I help you?"
I replied, "Ms. Wu, what you say is true, but I believe there will be times you need our help."
Wu Tingxiu said with interest, "For example?"
"For example..." My mind raced as I said, "For example, I am a treasure appraiser. In Guangling, there isn't an artifact that can fool my eyes, not even Bai Zhujing might be my match."
This wasn't an empty boast. Bai Zhujing was indeed stronger than me in certain aspects, but in terms of comprehensive ability, he was definitely no match for me.
Hong Yunpeng chimed in, "That's right! Xiao Fei isn't lying. Bai Zhujing was fooled by him twice before!"
Wu Tingxiu's eyes darted, and she looked at me, asking, "What is your name?"
"Xiang Fei."
"You say your treasure appraisal skills are better than Bai Zhujing's?"
"Yes."
Wu Tingxiu reached for the collar of her clothes and took off a jade pendant from her neck.
She placed the pendant on the rotating glass table and gave it a gentle push, sending it spinning towards me. "Then take a look, what is this jade pendant made of? What dynasty is it from?"
Wang Yang and Hong Yunpeng glanced at me simultaneously. I pursed my lips and picked up the jade rabbit pendant, which was strung on a fine gold chain.
It was still slightly warm in my hand, carrying a faint scent of her body.
The carving of the little jade rabbit was simple and fluid, clearly reflecting Han dynasty aesthetics.
It was golden-yellow overall, and felt very comfortable in my hand.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be chicken-fat yellow jade," I said.
Among Hetian jade, chicken-fat yellow jade is considered a very high grade, even one level above mutton-fat jade.
This small jade rabbit alone would be worth at least a hundred thousand.
The main reason was the excellent condition of this jade rabbit, with no impurities, and the carving was also superb.
Wu Tingxiu raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her expression.
Seeing her expression, my brow furrowed. I looked closely at the little jade rabbit again, and then I was stunned. This wasn't chicken-fat yellow jade!
Realizing I had misjudged, I quickly said, "However, judging by the carving, this doesn't seem to be genuine chicken-fat yellow jade..."
Hong Yunpeng leaned in and whispered somewhat confusedly, "You just said it was chicken-fat yellow jade, and now you're saying it isn't?"
I ignored him, and Wang Yang's face also seemed to carry a hint of confusion.
Seeing Wu Tingxiu also staring at me thoughtfully, I explained, "In ancient times, when carving jade, the prevalent method was the drill carving technique, using tools called 'tuozi.' The tuozi had a small spindle, and the jade was placed beneath it. To engrave a line, the tuozi would be made to touch the surface, creating a line with each touch. Each segment would only be a small part, and the next segment would be joined to it."
I paused and continued, "Generally, the grooves created by this method are V-shaped, wider at the top and pointed at the bottom. However, the grooves on this jade rabbit are U-shaped, clearly made using laser engraving. Since it's something made with laser engraving, it's naturally not genuine. As for the material, I'd say it's South Sea jade."
As I finished speaking, a spark of surprise appeared in Wu Tingxiu's eyes, and she couldn't help but clap her hands, "Excellent eyes!"
Hong Yunpeng was taken aback and asked, "This is a fake?"
I nodded.
Wang Yang took the little jade rabbit from my hand and examined it closely. After a moment, he said, "This is fake? How could..."
"How does it look like the real thing?" I asked with a smile.
Wang Yang nodded.
I didn't say much more. Instead, I took the jade pendant, placed it on the rotating glass table, and pushed it back towards Wu Tingxiu.
Wu Tingxiu picked up the jade rabbit pendant and put it around her neck. "It seems you do have some skill. Since that's the case, as long as you help me with one matter, I will tell you what accompanying burial objects were placed with my grandfather."
"What matter?"
Wu Tingxiu stood up and took out a business card from her handbag, placing it on the table. "This is my phone number. Contact me tonight at eight."
With that, she left the private room without any further hesitation.
After she left, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
Hong Yunpeng quickly grabbed the exquisite black business card and looked at it repeatedly.
It only had a name and a phone number, with a few black lotuses drawn on it.
"That jade pendant just now, was it really a fake?" Wang Yang asked.
I nodded.
"But it didn't look like it."
Wang Yang was also a treasure appraiser, so he had his own methods for appraising antiques.
I said, "At first, I also thought it didn't look like it. It's mainly because we used subjective thinking."
"Subjective thinking?"
"Yes." I nodded. "Think about who Wu Tingxiu is. A wealthy woman like her, would she wear a fake piece of jade? That's why, at first, I thought it was chicken-fat yellow jade. Later, the reason I realized the jade was fake was also due to another factor."
"What factor?" Wang Yang asked.
"Besides the engraved lines, the grooves of old jade are usually dull and lusterless. After hundreds or thousands of years, the grooves get oxidized, forming an oxide layer that looks grayish and murky. But on her jade, none of these were present," I explained.
Actually, these weren't the main reasons. The primary reason was that I had noticed the subtle changes in Wu Tingxiu's expression.
At that moment, my father's words suddenly came to mind: "Appraise treasures by appraising people first. A skilled treasure appraiser must have keen eyes and ears, not missing any detail."
Only by doing so can one ensure they are not deceived!