Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1845: Chapter 1748: Good Stuff

Over there, Li Hang was already hastily searching for the last antique, while Huo Sining was not in a rush. As she reached each corner, she swept her gaze over the gifts, making rough estimates of their age and value without hurrying to make a decision.

Li Hang saw Huo Sining wandering around in the room, yet hesitating to act, and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly, convinced that she was at a loss. This made him even more confident that he would win this competition.

He searched again and eventually picked a pair of porcelain pieces he thought were quite valuable, then walked energetically to the doorway, not in a hurry to leave, but standing there with his arms crossed, leisurely watching Huo Sining make her selections.

Seemingly unaware of Li Hang’s gaze, Huo Sining focused on her own affairs, calmly watching as time ticked away.

When Huo Sining touched a wooden box, her hand paused, and almost instinctively, she softly exclaimed, ”Oh?”

It was a long narrow box, about only two centimeters wide and twenty centimeters long. The box seemed to be made of ordinary camphor wood, engraved with designs, appearing quite simple.

But when the box was opened, Huo Sining saw a brush inside.

The brush handle was glossy, showing a purplish-black hue, clearly evident of an aged purple bamboo handle.

The brush is considered a category in antique collections, though it’s a niche within the Four Treasures of the Study. Generally, brushes not made from special materials are hard to preserve, as the most worthless among materials for brush handles is bamboo.

Of course, brushes aren’t limited to bamboo. In ancient times, powerful aristocrats would use mahogany, nanmu, and sandalwood for handles, with highly priced ones using ivory rhino horn and Hetian jade, meant more for appreciation and collection.

The brush before her was made of purple bamboo, with the handle in decent condition. But being bamboo, this was clearly an ordinary writing brush.

Such an item, if seen at a common Antique Street stall, Huo Sining probably wouldn’t give a second glance because it appeared too inconspicuous, or downright trashy, with even common ten-dollar shop-bought brushes being better.

Yet, this brush appeared among the Li Family’s pile of gifts, meaning it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Besides, when Huo Sining picked up the box containing the brush, she distinctly saw the brush emitting a dense purple Spiritual Energy.

Since it had Spiritual Energy, it proved the brush was ancient, and holding it, Huo Sining could feel the thick patina on the handle. Judging by the energy and patina, this item was likely from the late Tang to early Song Dynasty.

Huo Sining quickly searched her mind and soon retrieved some recorded information about the brush, a hint of a smile appearing on her face.

Having found the first item, Huo Sining hesitated not and handed the box containing the brush over to Butler Li.

Seeing Huo Sining having chosen her first item, Li Hang curiously craned his neck as if trying to see what she had picked. Yet Butler Li, being deft, soon covered the box, keeping its contents a mystery to Li Hang.

Huo Sining wasn’t bothered at all by Li Hang’s prying gaze and continued searching among the numerous items.

The room contained many open objects, but Huo Sining always maintained a discerning eye. Having spent so long in this circle, she developed an odd proclivity, seldom interested in easily recognizable items, accustomed to rare finds, her curiosity and standards constantly rising, feeling disdain for ordinary objects.

Though aware her mindset wasn’t ideal, she couldn’t change. Having picked the brush, she continued her tour, accidentally kicking a brocade box off the shelf and causing it to drop onto the carpet, its lid opening to reveal a black item thrown out.

It was an inkstone of an ancient appearance, black and simplistic.

Huo Sining, though not well-versed in inkstones, recognized it as a fine She Inkstone.

Known as one of the Four Famous Inkstones of Huaxia, a common item in the Four Treasures of the Study, the inkstone was embellished with Kylin motifs and striking Gold Star Ornamentation, evidently made by a master hand.

However, what drew Huo Sining’s attention weren’t the exquisite carvings, but the two sizeable chips on the inkstone’s sides.

The inkstone’s chips seemed accidental, cleverly obscuring the Kylin and Gold Star Ornamentations.

This reminder clicked within Huo Sining’s mind, recalling a Ming Dynasty She Inkstone she found at a Shufangzhai antique shop in Las Vegas. It also bore a dragon and tiger pattern, with two similar chips, and similarly obstructed patterns. Even the chips’ size and cover positioning were akin!

Considering this, Huo Sining’s curiosity piqued as she instinctively crouched to pick up the inkstone from the carpet.

In the Heavenly Eye’s perspective, the She Inkstone emanated rich purple Spiritual Energy, affirmatively proving its Ming Dynasty origin.

The She Inkstone’s energetic aura and intricate crafting were so similar that coincidence seemed implausible unless both were crafted by the same person!

This revelation made Huo Sining pause, her eyes widening unconsciously.

The two She Inkstones, combined with their engravings, made Huo Sining realize the items were far from simple as she initially thought.

The Las Vegas-found She Inkstone had been tossed into her storage ring, unattended due to its damage. It was neglected for quite some time.

Although yet to retrieve the ring-held item, Huo Sining began surmising its origin, the remarkable similarity hinting at her inkstone’s provenance.