Chapter 68: The Bronze Cauldron
Xu Youyou returned to the hotel and opened the training session exchange page. The system had rewarded her with five training sessions. She initially thought she could learn five different professional skills separately, but unexpectedly, to the system, five hours equaled just one class.
The exchange page was filled with various courses, making it difficult for Xu Youyou to choose. In the end, she settled on antique training. Lying on the hotel bed, she confirmed her selection and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
She belatedly realized that, if nothing else, these training sessions were excellent as sleep aids.
In her dream, a middle-aged woman wearing a black suit and gold-rimmed glasses appeared before her. Behind the woman was a projection screen. “Today’s lesson is: Identification and Appreciation of Bronze Artifacts.”
Perhaps it was because this was a one-on-one class, or maybe the instructor was simply outstanding, but Xu Youyou listened intently. When the lesson ended, she still wanted more, and even her subsequent dreams were filled with bronze artifacts.
The next morning, Xu Youyou woke up feeling refreshed. Without even bothering to eat breakfast, she hurriedly jotted down notes in her notebook, afraid she might forget what she had learned in the training session.
Since she had completed all her tasks in Gansu Province, she decided not to leave immediately. It was rare for her to travel, and it would be a pity not to explore the local sights. She hired a tour guide and set off to experience the region properly.
The tour guide was fairly diligent and didn’t seem to be a scammer, though he did talk a lot.
“Miss Xu, you seem to be running your own business. What do you do?” the guide asked curiously.
At first glance, most people might mistake Xu Youyou for a wealthy young lady. However, the way her staff addressed her—calling her “boss” rather than “miss”—quickly dispelled that notion.
“I do a little business, dealing in antiques and jade,” Xu Youyou replied casually.
The guide shook his head. “With an entourage like yours, it’s definitely more than just ‘a little business.’ The antique trade is a great field. My brother is into that too—he travels to rural areas to find good pieces. Many antique dealers source their goods from him.”
Xu Youyou responded noncommittally, “If fate allows, I can take a look at his collection.”
The guide immediately perked up. “Oh, fate is definitely on our side! Our travel route happens to pass by his place. You can check out his stock—since I’m bringing you, he’ll even give you a discount!”
Xu Youyou nodded indifferently.
On the third day of their private tour, as their vehicle traveled along National Highway 227, it unexpectedly stopped in a small village.
The guide enthusiastically said, “Miss Xu, my brother’s house is in this village. I called him in advance, and he’s waiting for us.”
The guide failed to notice that Xu Youyou’s four bodyguards, who had previously been relaxed and casual, were now on high alert, sticking close to her.
The village was sparsely populated, mostly occupied by the elderly and children. It seemed that most of the younger residents had left for work in the cities. When they finally met the guide’s so-called “brother,” Xu Youyou couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
“You have quite a few brothers,” she remarked.
The house they arrived at was a single-story dwelling covering about a hundred square meters. The floor wasn’t paved with tiles or cement—it was just bare, dirty earth.
From inside, five or six strong young men suddenly emerged, causing Xu Youyou’s bodyguards to nearly spring into action.
The guide quickly explained, “It’s hard to find jobs in rural areas, so a few of them joined forces to run this business. Miss Xu, come take a look—there are some great pieces inside.”
The house faced south and was divided into east and west rooms. The door to the western room was tightly shut, and faint sounds could occasionally be heard from inside. When Xu Youyou glanced in that direction, the guide and his companions showed a flash of nervousness.
Stepping onto the soft dirt floor, Xu Youyou followed them into the eastern room, where a variety of antiques were displayed.
There were paintings, porcelain, and even bronze artifacts.
Xu Youyou wasn’t very knowledgeable about paintings, but she understood porcelain. Although the pieces were marked as being from the Qianlong and Yongzheng periods, they were actually modern reproductions.
“This is a Qianlong famille rose hollow-carved auspicious bottle…” one of the men began.
Xu Youyou frowned and corrected him, “It’s called ‘famille rose,’ not ‘rose famille.’ This is a Qianlong famille rose hollow-carved ‘Blessings in Abundance’ revolving vase.”
The guide wasn’t embarrassed by his brother’s mistake. Instead, he clapped his hands and said, “Miss Xu, you could say that whole name in one breath—you must be an expert! Why don’t you appraise the value of this piece?”
“You really want me to appraise it?” Xu Youyou asked with a smirk.
The guide nodded earnestly. “A buyer once offered a million for it, but my brother thought that was too low and didn’t sell.”
Xu Youyou raised her chin slightly and spun the vase’s inner section. “If you’re going to make up stories, at least make them logical. The inner section of a revolving vase should display different images through the outer hollow carvings, like a moving lantern. But your fake piece doesn’t even have paintings on the inner part.”
Sure enough, as she turned the inner vase, it revealed nothing but a blank surface.
The guide forced an awkward smile. “Looks like my brother misjudged this one.”
Xu Youyou understood the rules of their trade—this first item was merely a test. Only after the buyer passed would they bring out the real treasures. However, she found their “test” to be too crude, as if they were trying to trick a fool.
Sure enough, seeing that Xu Youyou wasn’t interested in the displayed antiques, they finally brought out something more mysterious.
“We have a bronze artifact. I wonder if the boss is knowledgeable about these?” the guide asked.
Xu Youyou’s eyes lit up. She had just studied bronze artifacts for five hours and was eager to put her knowledge to the test. While she felt incredibly confident, she remained humble outwardly. “A little.”
They unveiled a red cloth, revealing a bronze square cauldron about 30 centimeters tall.
Xu Youyou’s demeanor changed, and she regarded the artifact with seriousness.
Seeing her reaction, the guide’s group felt a surge of excitement.
“Do you have a toothbrush? And a cup of clean water?” Xu Youyou asked.
Someone quickly handed her a brand-new toothbrush. She took it, dipped it in water, and was about to start scrubbing the cauldron.
The guide immediately stopped her. “Miss Xu, please don’t scrub it randomly. What if you damage my piece?”
Xu Youyou explained, “Professional archaeologists clean artifacts this way. Don’t worry, it won’t get damaged.”
The guide looked it up on his phone and realized she was telling the truth. He then stepped aside, no longer interfering.
Xu Youyou added, “If you don’t trust me, you can do the scrubbing yourself.”
