Hearing this, Qin Sheng glanced at Gu Ming, his mind filled with curiosity. What was going on today? First, a porcelain pillow from a customer, and now another one from someone else? And both were from the Song Dynasty Ding Kiln!
"Old Xu, I have a customer here," Qin Sheng reminded Old Xu, who, as usual, had carelessly brought someone over without assessing the situation properly.
Old Xu was momentarily startled, then his eyes darted around before he noticed that the second floor wasn't empty, and immediately stopped, awkwardly smiling at Gu Ming and saying, "Sorry, I didn't realize you were here."
"Please bring that gentleman over to the side and have him wait. I'll be done with Miss Gu shortly," Qin Sheng said quietly, walking over to Old Xu.
"Qin Sheng, this is different. The man behind me brought a Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain pillow. I had a hard time pulling him away from Boyazhai, so let's..." Old Xu tilted his head toward Gu Ming, urgency in his tone.
Qin Sheng sized up the man Old Xu had brought with him. The man, wearing ordinary clothes, had a big bundle in his arms. His eyes flickered suspiciously as he looked around. His clothes showed signs of wear, and his trousers were covered in mud, suggesting he wasn't someone used to the city's clean streets—he gave off a somewhat rustic vibe.
"Miss Gu also brought a Song Dynasty Ding Kiln porcelain pillow," Qin Sheng said to Old Xu.
Old Xu's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly turned to look at Gu Ming, who was sitting at the table, and the porcelain pillow on the table.
Upon seeing the pillow, Old Xu pointed at it and stammered, "This... this porcelain pillow..."
"What's wrong?" Qin Sheng followed Old Xu's gaze to the porcelain pillow.
Old Xu gave Qin Sheng a strange look, his voice hesitant. "The porcelain pillow Miss Gu brought looks similar to the one Old Li has behind me."
Similar porcelain pillows?
Qin Sheng pondered for a moment, then looked at Gu Ming before walking toward her. "Miss Gu, the man behind me, Mr. Li, has brought a porcelain pillow. It seems somewhat similar to the one you have. If you don't mind, would you like to compare them?"
Gu Ming was surprised by Qin Sheng's straightforwardness. She instinctively looked at Old Li, who was standing behind Old Xu.
Old Li, hearing Qin Sheng's words, was also surprised. When their eyes met, there was a fleeting moment of hesitation in his expression, but it quickly faded.
Gu Ming didn't quite understand why Qin Sheng was doing this, but since her porcelain pillow was genuine, she wasn't afraid for others to see it. She nodded in agreement, saying, "I don't mind."
Seeing that Gu Ming had agreed, Old Xu smiled widely and quickly pulled Old Li to sit at the table next to Gu Ming.
Gu Ming naturally moved her porcelain pillow a little closer to her, not wanting anyone to accidentally touch it.
After some urging from Old Xu, Old Li carefully took out his porcelain pillow and placed it on the table, facing Gu Ming's.
At first glance, the two porcelain pillows did look somewhat similar. However, upon closer inspection, it was easy to tell that while their styles and sizes were similar, Gu Ming's porcelain pillow had a poem on it, while Old Li's did not.
Before anyone could comment, Old Xu, who had been standing behind Old Li, quickly noticed the difference.
Old Li's porcelain pillow had the distinct "tear marks" of Ding Kiln porcelain, as well as "bamboo brush" marks, which made it look like a fine piece at first glance. However, when compared to Gu Ming's pillow, there was an odd sense of discord.
If Gu Ming's porcelain pillow seemed alive and vibrant, Old Li's seemed lifeless and slightly stiff.
The difference was clear, and Old Xu's previously smiling face slowly turned serious, his lips pressed tight, revealing uncertainty.
Of course, simply comparing the two didn't automatically mean that Old Li's porcelain pillow was a fake. After all, not all porcelain pieces give off a sense of liveliness.
There was a huge difference between ordinary porcelain and top-quality porcelain, not only in appearance but also in price.
Qin Sheng took out a professional magnifying glass and focused on observing the two similar porcelain pillows, with Old Xu occasionally whispering something in his ear.
Just like in Jingdezhen, Qin Sheng's calm demeanor and focused attitude made it hard to tell what he truly thought of the two porcelain pillows.
Gu Ming admired this and began to think highly of Qin Sheng. While he may not have been a professional in ceramics, he exhibited the composure that a professional evaluator should have, never revealing any of his personal emotions, no matter whether the pieces were genuine or not.
"Both porcelain pillows have their own merits. My knowledge is limited, so I'll need to consult with another expert. Please wait a moment," Qin Sheng said, after a while, as he set down the magnifying glass and addressed both Gu Ming and Old Li.
Since the porcelain pillow was real, Gu Ming didn't object.
However, when Old Li heard that they were going to wait for someone else, he immediately showed his displeasure. He began to gather his porcelain pillow, saying, "I'm in a hurry. If it's going to take too long, I'll just go to Boyazhai."
"Old Li, don't be in a rush. It won't take long. If the item is genuine, we'll give you a reasonable price immediately," Old Xu quickly reassured him, emphasizing the word "genuine."
"My porcelain pillow is definitely genuine!" Old Li shot an angry glare at Old Xu.
Seeing that Old Li was getting upset, Old Xu quickly smiled and said, "Don't be angry. I'm sure your porcelain pillow is genuine, or I wouldn't have brought you here. But this business requires a lot of caution, so please be patient."
Old Li seemed to be unsatisfied with Old Xu's explanation, and grumbled about going to Boyazhai.
While Old Xu was busy persuading Old Li, Qin Sheng walked to the side and made a phone call, seemingly arranging for someone to come.
"May I take a look?" Gu Ming suddenly interrupted, drawing the attention of both Old Li and Old Xu.
Since the "expert" Qin Sheng mentioned hadn't arrived yet and Old Li was eager to leave, Gu Ming became even more interested in the porcelain pillow that Old Li was guarding. Her left hand was itching, and she thought it would be better to check the authenticity herself.
When Old Li heard that Gu Ming, who had been silent, wanted to see his porcelain pillow, he initially intended to refuse. However, before he could say anything, he noticed the look of doubt in Old Xu's eyes. After a brief pause, he nodded at Gu Ming.
Gu Ming smiled faintly at Old Li, extending her left hand to gently touch the surface of Old Li's porcelain pillow. The surface felt smooth, but her left hand didn't detect any warmth, nor did she feel any special sensation.
Old Li's porcelain pillow was a fake!
Gu Ming made her judgment and carefully examined the porcelain pillow. The "tear marks" and "bamboo brush" marks were well done, but even though they were convincing, the fake could never be as real as the genuine article. There were subtle differences that gave it away.
"This porcelain pillow has been passed down through my family for generations," Old Li said as he watched Gu Ming examine the porcelain pillow carefully.
"Passed down for generations, that's impressive," Gu Ming nodded, lightly placing the porcelain pillow back in front of Old Li.
"Indeed, if it weren't for the difficulties at home, I wouldn't have brought it out. It's such a valuable item, but now, after I bring it here, I'm still getting vague responses," Old Li said, frowning as he glared at Old Xu.
Just then, Qin Sheng, who had finished his call, looked over and asked unexpectedly, "Miss Gu, what do you think of this porcelain pillow?"