Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1851: Chapter 1754: A Bluff Exposed

”The first item is a writing brush made of purple bamboo, with a complete patina. Judging by the patina, it seems to be from the early Song Dynasty. However, as a bamboo product, its collectible value is average. The preliminary estimate of this brush’s price is between thirty to fifty thousand.”

”The second item is a Ming Dynasty She inkstone. It is one of the four famous inkstones with decent carving and appearance, but unfortunately, the surface of this inkstone is damaged, which greatly reduces its value. The preliminary estimate of this She inkstone’s price is between fifty to sixty thousand.”

”The third item is a bronze incense burner from the Ming Dynasty, made exquisitely with a fine patina and superb craftsmanship. Among these three items, it is the most exquisite fixed craft piece, with a price of around five hundred thousand.”

The appraisal results of the three items were already out, but Li Hang’s verdict caused the corner of Huo Sining’s mouth to tilt upward unconsciously, unable to conceal the deep mockery in her eyes.

Li Hang already felt uncertain about his verdict, and seeing Huo Sining sneer, he became furious out of embarrassment, couldn’t help but sharply ask her: ”What are you laughing at?!”

Huo Sining raised an eyebrow, looking at Li Hang: ”What am I laughing at? Naturally, I’m laughing at some people trying to act grand with the simplest facade. Only possessing shallow skills, yet wanting to show off, and quickly getting exposed with just a slight test!”

Li Hang’s face turned crimson immediately, his eyes filled with anger and hatred as he glared at Huo Sining:

”You vile woman, what nonsense are you spouting? How have I been pretending or boasting? Is my appraisal wrong? Then tell me, where is it wrong?”

Huo Sining chuckled and shook her head: ”I don’t recall naming anyone. Mr. Li, are you so anxious to jump out because you’re feeling guilty?”

Li Hang was rendered speechless by Huo Sining’s words, only glaring at her fiercely.

At this time, Huo Sining calmly stood up and walked toward the center of the exhibit, heading to the table where the three selected items were placed.

”You ask me where the appraisal went wrong. My assessment is that it’s utterly baffling and terribly muddled.”

”To authenticate an antique, one must first analyze its patina, embellishments, and craftsmanship in various aspects. Only after every characteristic has been thoroughly evaluated can one determine its authenticity, its era, and its origins and historical background.”

”However, from Mr. Li’s answer, I cannot discern any particular features of these antiques. Your conclusions are all superficial, touching merely the surface.”

”Do you know why this happens?”

Huo Sining looked up and cast her gaze at Li Hang:

”Because you assumed anything brought here as a gift must be genuine, so you initially considered these three items to be authentic.”

”Thus, you completely overlooked this point, then took it for granted, matching these items with the knowledge you learned from books, writing it all down randomly. Although it seemed elaborate and reasonable, such an answer could apply to any antique.”

”But where did you get the confidence to think they were all real? Even the red coral sent by you and your grandfather could be fake; aren’t you afraid others might also be fooled?”

This question from Huo Sining first made Li Hang flush with shame, and then he felt waves of panic as he hurriedly looked up at Huo Sining with disbelief, asking urgently:

”Are you saying there’s a fake among them?”

Contrary to Li Hang’s emotions, the rest of the Glazed Li Family pricked up their ears at Huo Sining’s words.

If there was also a fake among the three items chosen by Huo Sining, then they wouldn’t be the only ones embarrassed. In such a scenario, pulling someone else into the water was most desirable.

So the people of the Liuli Li Family looked at Huo Sining with eager eyes, clearly seeing the potential owner of the next fake as their ally.

Seeing their reactions, Huo Sining couldn’t help but feel speechless. She looked at Li Hang with a faint smile, asking: ”Isn’t it clear to Mr. Li which one is the fake?”

Li Hang’s expression suddenly froze, his gaze lingering on the three items for a while before uncertainly saying: ”Is it possible that the brush is fake?”

He was sure that the bronze incense burner should be genuine because he had seen a similar bronze incense burner at the Liuli Museum with almost identical shape and patina;

The other inkstone, due to its damage, naturally wasn’t of high value. The giver likely knew that the eldest uncle liked calligraphy and painting, which was why they sent an ancient inkstone; even if it was damaged, as a Ming Dynasty She inkstone, it still had some collectible value;

The only uncertain item was the brush. As a purple bamboo product, it inherently had little collectible value, and such items were prone to forgery, making it the most likely candidate for being a fake, so Li Hang immediately focused on the brush.

However, as soon as he questioned it, Huo Sining’s smile grew stronger as she lightly shook her head:

”See, I told you. Your basic steps in authenticating these three items are already chaotic and illogical, ignoring the most fundamental points. You didn’t truly authenticate the items’ genuineness, so when I slightly questioned you, you immediately doubted your conclusion, changing your mind like a fickle person.”

”This is the most forbidden thing for an appraiser of antiques. Regardless of authenticity, an appraiser must insist on their own viewpoint. If a casual remark can easily change your judgment, then what’s the point of having an appraiser?”

Li Hang’s expression changed drastically, yelling angrily: ”Did you trick me?”

Huo Sining neither confirmed nor denied it, only countering with a question: ”Why did you get exposed as soon as I tricked you? Isn’t it because you were never sure of your answer?”

Li Hang trembled with fury, itching to charge at Huo Sining at any moment, his reddened eyes filled with resentment as he stared at her.

Huo Sining walked forward, picked up the brush that Li Hang questioned, and said softly:

”You said this brush is from the early Song Dynasty and priced it between thirty to fifty thousand. But do you know its origin?”

Li Hang remained silent, and Huo Sining wasn’t genuinely expecting an answer from him. After a slight pause, she continued:

”Brushes fall under a niche category in antique collecting, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any outstanding pieces.”

”In today’s brush market, the most famous are the Huzhou brushes, so most people only know Huzhou brushes, but are unaware of another type, the Zhuge brush.”