Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 505: Chapter 501: Relics

”Golden Rhinoceros Paperweight! My goodness, I understand what you’re saying now! Are you telling me that this object is the Golden Rhinoceros Paperweight that Lu You gave to that Zhang Zi?!”

After going around in such a big circle, Huo Sining finally got it and nodded.

There are many precious varieties of Tianhuang Stone, including Chicken Oil Yellow, Tian Huang Frozen Stone, Silver-Wrapped Gold, White Tian Stone, Black Skin Stone, and so on. What Huo Sining valued was not so much the inherent value of this golden piece of Tian, but its historical significance.

Tianhuang Stone is formed from rocks that accidentally split open and were buried in the fields, undergoing millions of years of evolution.

Under special environmental conditions, these stones undergo great changes in shape, color, and texture, thus possessing unique ornamental value.

Just like Jadeite needs color and quality assessment, Tianhuang Stone must also be judged for its shape, texture, and color.

The value of Tianhuang is no less than that of high-grade Jadeite, and it is precisely because of such huge profits that many unscrupulous traders resort to all methods of forgery.

Nowadays, it’s extremely difficult to buy a genuine piece of Tianhuang Stone on the market, not to mention the historically famous Golden Rhinoceros Paperweight in Huo Sining’s hands?

Paperweights, also known as Book Town, are among the most commonly used items in the study, used to hold down paper while writing or painting.

When paperweights began to be produced, they were specifically used to press down papers and books. Scholars, while playing with Bronze and Jade artifacts, habitually used these heavy objects to prevent their papers from being blown away by the wind.

Over time, paperweights evolved into a study tool and gradually a culture of paperweights developed. Paperweights slowly became a symbol of taste and status for scholars and literati.

Paperweights are made from a variety of materials and come in different shapes. Common materials include wood or stone, more upscale ones use Bronze or gilded copper, and the most valuable ones are made from materials like Tianhuang Stone or Amber.

However, paperweights crafted from materials such as Tianhuang Stone and Amber are rare, firstly because these materials are very expensive, and secondly, to carve them into paperweights, a lot of raw material has to be wasted, which most people are reluctant to part with.

Paperweights are mainly rectangular or oblong in shape, but there are also carvings based on figures, animals, or the ”Four Gentlemen” of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, combining both ornamental and practical value.

The paperweight in Huo Sining’s hand was carved in the shape of a rhinoceros, with extremely exquisite workmanship. Having endured hundreds of years of history and buried within the Chessboard Stone for such a long time, it still looked delicate and lifelike after being cleaned.

Before the Chessboard Stone was opened, even Huo Sining only knew that something was hidden inside, never imagining that it was such a fine piece.

Many people know Zhang Zi’s poem. Huo Sining had seen vendors on Antique Street selling machine-processed Yellow Wax Stone Rhinoceros paperweights claiming them to be the treasured piece of Lu Fangweng, in order to deceive those newcomers just entering the antiques circle.

Who could have thought that this Golden Rhinoceros Paperweight would be hidden inside a peculiar Chessboard Stone? If Azure Pearl hadn’t detected something unusual about this Chessboard Stone, this paperweight might have remained undiscovered for many more years.

At that moment, Su Qingqing also looked at Huo Sining with some envy. She had previously complained about Huo Sining bringing back a broken rock all the way from Hetian; who would have thought that there was actually a treasure hidden inside it?

Su Qingqing had always thought Huo Sining was lucky, but for his luck to be outrageously good to this extent, everyone would be envious and resentful.

The next afternoon, Huo Sining received a call from Wu Jun, saying that Xu Lian and others had agreed to sign the agreement.

Huo Sining didn’t want to see Xu Lian at all. Originally, this matter could have been handled directly by Wu Jun and the lawyer, but Xu Lian and Huo Yong insisted on meeting Huo Sining again.

Huo Sining naturally knew why they wanted to see her, but by now, Huo Sining had the upper hand, and she really didn’t regard Xu Lian’s family as an issue.

”Speak, what do you want from me?” said Huo Sining impatiently as she entered the rented room and got straight to the point.

Xu Lian and her family had already signed the agreement, and Wu Jun had given them the antidote. Their complexions still hadn’t quite returned to normal, but the dark bumps on their faces had begun to recede and were no longer as monstrous.

”We can leave and never bother you again, but you must give us another five million!” Xu Lian stretched out five fingers toward Huo Sining, making a lion’s demand.

Huo Sining looked at Xu Lian as if she were an idiot, ”Why should I give you money? Five million, do you think I’m a fool?”

Xu Lian smiled mysteriously, ”Because I have something that you would willingly pay five million for.”

Huo Sining was taken aback, ”What?”

Xu Lian calmly said without any fuss, ”Your parents’ keepsakes.”

Huo Sining’s heart skipped a beat. She knew her mother had lived at Huo Yong’s place for a long time and that her mother had entrusted her to Huo Yong and Xu Lian’s care when she fell seriously ill, but she had never considered that Xu Lian might actually have her parents’ keepsakes.

Huo Sining’s intuition was sharp. While Xu Lian spoke, her gaze stayed fixed on Xu Lian and she noticed no flickering guilt in her eyes, so it seemed Xu Lian wasn’t lying.

She couldn’t help but take a deep breath and looked coldly at Xu Lian, ”How do I know if what you’re saying is true or false? Maybe you’re just trying to extort money from me.”

A look of triumph appeared on Xu Lian’s face, ”Believe it or not, if you don’t give me the money, I won’t insist. But I can’t guarantee that once I get back to Baiyun Village, I might not burn those things just because I feel like it.”

”You!” Huo Sining finally showed anger on her face. She had always felt she could manipulate Xu Lian, but she hadn’t expected the woman to have such an ace up her sleeve.

”Five million is just a drop in the bucket for you. Surely you wouldn’t give up your parents’ keepsakes over such a trifling amount of money?!” Liu Meiling mocked from the side.

Huo Sining looked coldly at the few people in the room, and suddenly a faint light glimmered in her eyes.

Five million? They would have to see if they had the appetite to swallow such a large sum of money!

As Huo Sining took out a bank chequebook and promptly wrote a cheque for five million, then tore it off, Xu Lian and the others’ eyes lit up with excitement, and Xu Lian’s hand subconsciously reached out to take the cheque.

With a flick of her wrist, Huo Sining avoided Xu Lian’s hands, a thick mockery flashing in her eyes, ”Do you really think I’m so foolish and gullible? What if you take the money and don’t give me the keepsakes? Cash on delivery, I don’t pay until I see my parents’ keepsakes. You can just look at the money for now.”

”Wu Jun, accompany them on a trip to Baiyun Village!” Huo Sining handed Wu Jun the cheque, saying, ”Give them the money after we’ve got the goods!”