bullyxtreme Chapter 2106: Coincidence?
Chapter 2106: Coincidence?
"Speaking of which, are you opening a joint store now?" Lao Xu suddenly lit up a cigarette. After lighting it up, he asked, "Do you mind if I smoke a cigarette?"
In the early 80s, people were not that polite. It was common to smoke on the train. When lighting a cigarette at home, you would also ask guests what they thought. Lao Xu was a polite person.
After receiving Lin Ran's permission, he blew out a smoke ring and then asked: "I think you have figured out that it is a copper coin from the Spring and Autumn Period, but you don't know the specific origin, right?"
"No, I really don't know much about currency. Mr. Xu, you are the expert in this field. I will have to ask you for advice when I have the opportunity in the future." Lin Ran replied humbly.
These words were deeply loved by Lao Xu, and he laughed: "No wonder he is called Lin Xiaojia. He has a humble character, which is very good. It is hard to see it in young people today."
Just when Lin Ran didn't know how to answer, Lao Xu stood up.
"Lin Ran, since you are here, let me show you a few things."
As he spoke, he walked into the next room and tinkered there.
After a while, he walked out holding a bronze vessel.
Lin Ran's eyes lit up when he saw it.
Seen from a distance, it looks like an ashtray.
But the shape is particularly unique. It takes the shape of a bird, with a small bowl on top of the bird's head.
"Look what this is." Lao Xu proudly placed it on the coffee table. It was obviously a collection he was proud of.
"Is it Zun?" Lin Ran was already attracted by the unique shape.
Lao Xu laughed loudly: "Yes, many people thought it was an ashtray when they first saw him."
Lin Ran was not like this, but he had seen similar wine vessels before.
In the museum, there is a rhinoceros statue in the shape of an animal.
Zun is actually a kind of wine vessel. Each country has different guardian animals, which are passed down from the totem culture.
They would make statues of various animals. Of course, such animal statues have been excavated in tombs from the Shang Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period.
But after the Spring and Autumn Period, they were never seen again.
The statue in front of me is about thirty centimeters tall. From the outside, it looks like a monster with four legs lying on the ground but with the head of a bird.
In fact, this is an auspicious beast called a bird-headed beast.
The overall shape is solemn and majestic, giving people a sense of majesty.
The statue is made of bronze, which shows that a little patina has appeared, giving it a more primitive look.
The main part of the statue is cylindrical, with the bottom slightly narrowed and the top slightly open, shaped like an inverted trapezoid. The surface is decorated with exquisite patterns, the most eye-catching of which are bird patterns and auspicious animal patterns.
In the middle of the statue, there is a set of mysterious auspicious animal pattern decorations.
This is a pattern that represents the majesty of auspicious beasts. In ancient times, people's worship and awe of mythical beasts were all displayed on handicrafts.
The body is fat and powerful, the four hooves are spread out, and the posture is majestic, as if it will pounce at any time.
It's just that there is a small bowl on the head of the auspicious beast, which feels a little funny.
"Hey, it's a pity that a lid is missing." Lao Xu sighed.
The sculptures of birds and beasts in front of you are lifelike, showing majesty and power everywhere.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, only the scholar-bureaucrat class could possess such perfect wine vessels, and ordinary people would never even think about it.
Time has passed, and now the bird-headed auspicious animal statue is no longer a wine vessel, but has become a work of art.
"Not bad! Your determination is very professional." Lao Xu gave a thumbs up.
Lin Ran said modestly: "Mr. Xu, what is the origin of this?"
He could only determine the age of the bronze in front of him, and he had no idea of its owner or maker.
"Actually, I don't know much about this. I also collected the bronze statue from Panjiayuan, but the stall owner and I are fellow villagers. He told me that he picked it up from the mountain."
"Picked it back? On the mountain?" Lin Ran was shocked. He felt that everything was too coincidental.
"Yes, as luck would have it, he was going to the mountains to chop firewood. It happened to rain heavily a few days ago. He passed by a muddy field and found something inside, so he used an ax to dig out the things inside. As a result, he was killed I found this bronze statue."
Lao Xu's eyes were full of envy.
Lin Ran felt a little strange and asked, "About when?"
"When?" Lao Xu looked at Lin Ran, then smiled and said, "Don't you want to dig for treasure too? This kind of thing is hard to come by."
"I'm just curious." Lin Ran said, because this bronze statue still has an earthy smell and has not been kept in the collection room.
Lao Xu did not refuse and replied: "It only happened half a month ago."
Lin Ran took a breath of air. Isn't that just the time for Abao and the others to discover the treasure house?
It's in the mountains again, everything is too coincidental.
But Lin Ran knew that he couldn't ask directly now, otherwise it would definitely arouse suspicion.
Then they talked about other topics, and Lao Xu brought a few bronzes from the room to show him.
I have to say that as a museum staff member, Lao Xu has a very unique vision.
The bronzes in the collection can be said to be the top-notch bronzes that can be circulated among the people.
There are also several bronzes among them, which Lin Ran remembers fetching a million dollars at auction. For ordinary people, they are rare treasures.
The two of them chatted more and more, and Lao Xu finally understood why Tang Lanxuan was full of praise for Lin Ran.
He had a comprehensive understanding of antiques, and even for some things that he had not thought of, Lin Ran had already given the answer.
Fortunately, he didn't know enough about currency, otherwise he would really have to worry that this guy would take away his job.
When the pot of tea was almost finished, Lin Ran looked at the time.
"Mr. Xu, I'm really happy chatting with you, but it's getting late and I should go back."
"Stay and have a meal." Lao Xu said politely, but judging from his lack of movement, I knew it was just words.
"No need." Lin Ran smiled, "By the way, Mr. Xu, your accent doesn't sound like a local?"
"Do you have an accent?" This was the first time Lao Xu heard someone say this. "I live in Heshan Village, maybe because I'm coming to Henan soon."
"Heshan Village? Why haven't I heard of this village?"
But then he realized that he had let it slip. In the 80s when information dissemination was quite backward, a place a little further away was a different world to the locals, and it was normal for them not to have heard of it.
Lao Xu didn't notice his slip of the tongue, but smiled and said: "It's just a small village. It's normal if you haven't heard of it. There should be no one living there now."
"But you should have heard of Yamato Mountain. Our village is at the end of the mountain. You can go there for a walk when you have time. The scenery there is pretty good."