Chapter 107: Ox-Hair Markings

He Ruijing had no heart to respond to Chen Xiong’s inquiry. Instead, he slowly rose to his feet, bowed deeply to Su Zheng and the crowd, and said, "My apologies to everyone. My previous appraisal was incorrect; this Song Dynasty double-eared vase is indeed a forgery."

"What?!"
"How can that be? How did it suddenly become a fake?"
"Exactly! Didn't he just say it was real? Is Master He colluding with that young man?"
"Impossible. Master He is not that kind of person. Don't talk nonsense. But I am curious, what is the basis for this conclusion?"
"Master He, please enlighten us so we can learn something."

The crowd erupted in commotion, intrigued by the sudden shift in the appraisal and eager to understand the reasoning. The reactions from Chen Xiong and his associates were even more intense.

"Master He, please look carefully. This is an heirloom from my family; how could it be a fake?" Feng Qingyuan was the first to speak, his voice laced with anxiety.

"Yes, Master He, perhaps you should take a break and re-examine it. Could you have made a mistake due to fatigue?" Chen Xiong looked aghast, reaching out as if to guide He Ruijing to a seat.

"Master He, I’ve examined it several times myself. It is authentic. There is no way it is a fake!" Wu Rongsheng was even more blunt, adamant in his own judgment.

"Heh... everyone, please, calm down," He Ruijing said, gently brushing off Chen Xiong’s hand. He paused for a few seconds, looking at the crowd before sighing. "First, I must thank this young man. Without his reminder, I would have truly made a grave error." He nodded toward Su Zheng, expressing his genuine gratitude.

Chen Muxue gazed at Su Zheng in astonishment, finding his miraculous performance hard to believe. A wave of self-reproach washed over her, and she opened her mouth slightly, though no words emerged. Su Zheng walked over to her, offered a gentle smile, and took her slightly cold hand in his.

"The 'ox-hair texture' is a hallmark of official kiln porcelain from the Song Dynasty. There are two types of craquelure patterns: large and small. The large ones are long and coarse, sometimes running vertically from top to bottom like a strand of ox hair hanging down, hence the name. Even in small-patterned porcelain, there are usually a few longer, thicker lines. The colors are typically eel-blood red, fish-roe yellow, ink black, or ash grey, with eel-blood red being the finest."

He Ruijing pointed to the vase on the counter to continue his explanation. "This piece has those ox-hair textures, which initially deceived me. But after this young friend pointed it out, I re-examined it and realized these textures were added later. Because the Song Dynasty kiln technology was not as advanced as in later periods, these patterns occurred naturally. By the time of later dynasties, the technology had improved, and these patterns rarely appeared. Therefore, they were added artificially to trick people into believing it was a Song Dynasty piece."

"I must admit, the craftsmanship of this imitation is quite sophisticated. If one does not examine the piece in its entirety, it is nearly impossible to detect." He added, "Although it is not an original, it still has value. I estimate it to be the work of a craftsman from the Qing Dynasty, worth about two or three hundred thousand on the market."

He Ruijing explained in great detail, even comparing the vase's textures to genuine Song Dynasty examples on his phone. The crowd finally understood, and applause broke out.

"Haha, please, don't applaud me. In truth, even I must thank this young friend. It was his sharp eye that caught the flaw; otherwise, I would have been responsible for passing off a counterfeit as genuine." He Ruijing nodded at Su Zheng with deep appreciation and respect.

"This young man is amazing! It turns out he is the true master, hiding his talent all along!"
"Indeed. He just didn't care to bicker with us. That is the mark of a great person."
"I had a loose tongue earlier; please forgive me, Master! Could I have your contact information? I may need your expertise in the future!"
"Master, what is your name? Let's be friends."

The onlookers’ attitudes shifted entirely, their gazes filled with flattery and respect. Many clamored for Su Zheng’s contact information, their demeanor humble and polite.

"No! This is impossible! My father wouldn't collect fakes! This is impossible!" Feng Qingyuan shouted, waving his arms, unable to accept the reality. Chen Xiong, looking even more humiliated, lowered his head and prepared to slip away.

"Stop right there! You cannot leave yet," Su Zheng said calmly from behind.

"Cough... you... what do you want?" Chen Xiong’s face flushed deep red as he struggled to ask, immediately wishing he could slap himself. This was an invitation for humiliation. The young man was clearly calling him out to fulfill the terms of the bet. In front of so many people, as the head of the Chen family, having to slap himself and shout that he was a fool three times was worse than death.

"Jianguo! My good brother, are you feeling better? We haven't had a drink together in a long time. Don't go home for dinner tonight; bring your wife and join me at my place. Let's have a proper drink," Chen Xiong stammered, spotting Chen Jianguo and approaching him with forced warmth.

Chen Jianguo was still reeling from the shock of the appraisal, feeling as though he had narrowly escaped disaster. Looking at the brother who, only minutes ago, had been cold and ruthless in his demand for money, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

"Forget it. I'm not in the mood to drink tonight," Chen Jianguo said, giving his brother a cold look for the first time. He added with calm resolve, "Just do as Su Zheng asked. We have a business to run; we don't have time to waste here with you." He threw Feng Qingyuan's words back at his brother, intentionally referring to Su Zheng as "Xiao Zheng."

Chen Xiong stood frozen, his expression locking in place. He had never imagined that Chen Jianguo, who had always been submissive and obedient, would suddenly change into a different person, daring to stand up to him. He had overlooked one thing: while Chen Jianguo had indeed feared him, Chen Xiong’s recent actions had pushed him to the brink. As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a man.