The day it happened happened to be my thirtieth birthday. When I was young, the fortune teller said that my fate was "cut in the middle of the mountain".What does that mean?The first half of my life was like a mountain road, which was very winding and bumpy. When I walked halfway, there was a sudden "click", and the mountain road in front of me was cut off by something, and it was gone.You continue to move forward, there will be a drastic change in luck—whether this drastic change is a blessing or a curse, good or bad, the fortune teller didn’t say, and I didn’t ask.In short, what he meant was to tell me to be careful when I was thirty, something happened.

I never expected that he really hit the spot. Oh, by the way, let me introduce myself first.My name is Wishing, I just turned 30 years old this year, and I am a bug in the cracks of the city wall at the root of the imperial city. My occupation is to dump antiques. The antique business has been silent for more than 30 years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, until after the reform and opening up, the cultural relics and collection market heated up.It turned out that the businessmen who were dormant in the old days were like toads in early spring and March, kicking their legs, scraping away the soil, and began to be active again.Relying on some ancestral handicrafts, I opened a small pocket shop called Sihuizhai in the small place of Liulichang.

Occasionally, guests will point to the plaque and ask which four regrets it is.I told them that it was repentance, repentance, repentance, repentance.These were my father's last words when he committed suicide during the "Cultural Revolution". He and my mother were criticized and fought over issues left over from history. They couldn't think about it for a while, so they followed in the footsteps of Lao She and threw themselves into Taiping Lake. On my 30th birthday, I was probably full of joy, and the business was really good. I gave away a bunch of jade toad pendants and a private seal of ox horns in the late Qing Dynasty. They were all sold to Guangdong customers. The money I earned was enough to pay a month's rent for food, water, electricity, and electricity. Well, that's good news for my struggling little shop.

Seeing that it was getting dark, I reckoned that there would be no guests coming, so I decided to close early and go to Yueshengzhai to have something to eat, at least to reward myself.I closed the shop a little bit, and was about to lock and leave when I suddenly heard a strange sound coming from outside. At first I thought it was the landlord urging for the rent. I had been in arrears for more than three months and hadn't paid it, but soon I realized that the voice was wrong. The sound was low, like the rustling of silkworms eating mulberry leaves, slowly coming from far to near, and drifting over with a tiger crouching.The window glass vibrated lightly, and the Jade Buddhas and Pixiu placed inside trembled slightly as if they had seen their nemesis, and moved away from their original positions one after another, dust danced around.I hurriedly pressed my thumb on the window glass to stop the vibration, lest those jade wares fall on the ground and be damaged, I was a little bit guilty.It is a bit unlucky for Buddha to move his nest.It was dark outside, and I don't know where the sound came from.

After a while, the sound disappeared.I was about to poke my head out to have a look, when the door creaked open and two people walked in. One of them I know is Xiao Jiang, a film policeman in this area.The person standing next to Xiao Jiang was about forty years old, wearing a police uniform, with a thin and dark face, and walked almost silently. When I saw him, my eyes narrowed.Although I dare not say that I have read countless people, I do have at least the ability to observe.A person's temperament is like the patina of an antique. It's hard to tell, but you can feel it at a glance.This person is restrained and impeccable. He is not a policeman like Xiao Jiang whose hair around his mouth is not yet full, nor is he like an old criminal policeman whose eyes are as sharp as knives. Unassailable mystery.

Xiao Jiang said to me, "Da Xu, someone is looking for you." Before I could answer, the man stretched out his hand, "Is this Comrade Xu Wish? My name is Fang Zhen, Xiao Jiang's colleague, hello." I shook hands with him hesitantly, and then smiled: "You have been in the army, at least for more than ten years, and you also fought in the Vietnam War?" "Oh?" Fang Zhen raised his eyebrows slightly. "When you shook hands just now, you had calluses on your hands, and the calluses were located on the belly of your four fingers and the mouth of the tiger. This is not the trace of holding a pistol, but a submachine gun. Also, your steps are the same length. There is no profession that can have such qualities."

Those who play antiques can't miss their eyes, this is the basic quality.My shop has a small capital, and if I miss it once, I will lose it all, so I can only work on this aspect. Fang Zhen seemed to see that I wanted to take the initiative, but he just smiled and said nothing. He walked around the store with his hands behind his back, casually scanning my collection.I took the opportunity to drag Xiao Jiang aside: "Who the hell is this person? Letting a policeman here, won't this hinder my business?" Xiao Jiang scratched his head: "Da Xu, don't ask me. This is the boss The task assigned, my job is to bring him to you, I don't know anything else."

I also want to ask, Fang Zhen has wandered back and said to me: "Can I see your ID card? Oh, I don't suspect you, this is a rule." I took out my ID card, Fang Zhen took it and looked at it carefully, then returned it to me and saluted.I said unceremoniously: "Then, let me see your certificate too—I don't suspect you, but I'm seriously suspicious." Fang Zhen was slightly taken aback, and took out a blue plastic-covered book from his pocket, with three stamped letters on it: "work permit".I opened it and saw that the work unit listed in it was the Eighth Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, but the specific position was not listed.

My heart suddenly shrank.I heard from a son of a veteran cadre that the Ministry of Public Security has two bureaus with particularly mysterious status. One is called the Ninth Bureau, which is under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Security, but it is directly under the General Staff and is responsible for the security of the Standing Committee of the Politburo. It is also called the Central Security Bureau; One Bureau, which is the Eighth Bureau where Fang Zhen is located, is responsible for the security of deputy state-level leaders, high-level foreign guests and some important figures.

Can be as famous as the Central Security Bureau, the background of the Eighth Bureau, one can imagine how big it is.Hundreds of years ago, that would be the fourth-rank imperial guards with knives plus Jin Yiwei! I returned my work card to him and changed into a smiling face: "Comrade Fang, do you want to buy or sell?" Fang Zhen said, "Please come with me tonight, someone wants to see you." I was taken aback: "Who is it? Must it be tonight?" "It must be tonight. This is an order from above. Please come over." Fang Zhen said, his tone was very polite, but very strong.

I frowned, this matter is too strange, I have to pay attention.Although there are really no eye-catching treasures in my small shop, I still have to be careful. "Then you have to tell me, whose order is it from above?" I asked. Fang Zhen pointed to the sky: "It's not low anyway, but I can't say, it's a rule." "What do you want me for?" "can not say." "..." If it wasn't for Xiao Jiang's desperate winking and the certificate of the Eighth Bureau, I really want to ask him, how could he talk like that. Fang Zhen raised his wrist to look at his watch, stood at the door, and made a gesture of invitation.The deterrence of the Eighth Bureau is too great, and ordinary people like me really have no choice but to bite the bullet and go out. "I'll lock the door first, the shop is afraid of thieves." I muttered, took out the key and locked the door, checked all the anti-theft measures, and then went out.As soon as I went out, I saw a black Hongqi CA771 car parked outside the door, which is the reason for the vibration in the store just now.My store is not on the main street of Liulichang, but in a sloping alley inside. The concrete floor is being renovated, and the ground is full of sand.The rustling sound came from the tires rubbing against the sand. I didn't expect Fang Zhen to drive the Hongqi car into the alley in a big way and park it in front of my shop.At that time, although the red flag had been discontinued, it was still a status symbol, and not many people in Beijing had the opportunity to sit on it.I really don't know if he was trying to save me two steps, or he was deliberately creating pressure on me. This Hongqi car is a bit old, but it is spotlessly washed, and it looks like a majestic stone beast in the dark.Fang Zhen opened the rear door and motioned for me to get in the car first.I noticed that Fang Zhen pulled the door open with his right hand, while his left hand blocked the upper end of the door to prevent my head from hitting the frame. This is definitely a veteran of foreign affairs reception work! An old soldier, a foreign affairs reception veteran, and an operative of the Eighth Bureau.His triple identities amazed me.I'm just an ordinary person, I can't afford to be as good as a god, so follow me obediently. The rear row of the Hongqi car is particularly spacious, and the seats are also very soft.After I sat in, I could still stretch my legs.Fang Zhen also got into the car. He courteously closed the purple flannel curtains on the windows on both sides, and then patted the driver on the shoulder. The driver didn't speak, and turned on the ignition skillfully, turned the steering wheel and drove out of the alley.Fang Zhen also raised the wooden partition between the two rows, and then smiled at me: "Sorry, the rules." Well, this time I can't see anything.It suddenly occurred to me that in the comic books I read when I was a child, the bandits led the scouts of the People’s Liberation Army to their lair, and led them blindfolded all the way. Fang Zhen sat upright in the car, with his spine leaning against the backrest, his hands on his knees and his eyes closed. It looked like he had received special training.I wanted to ask where we were going several times, but seeing him like that, I swallowed all my words and simply closed my eyes to rest. After driving for about twenty minutes, the car finally stopped.Fang Zhen, who had kept his eyes closed all the time, opened them with a "swish". "Here we are." "This is the Badachu, right?" I said casually.Fang Zhen was a little surprised, but he quickly restrained himself, gave me a meaningful look, put down the front fender and left and right curtains, and motioned for me to sit in the car, but he got out of the car himself. It was already dark at this time, but the surrounding street lights were very bright.I looked around and found that the place where the car was parked was a deep alley.There are lush poplar trees on both sides of the path, and there are no particularly tall buildings around.At the end of the path is a compound with high walls. There is no sign at the door, but there are two guards with loaded guns standing guard, and the light green gate is closed tightly. After seeing Fang Zhen get off the car, I walked straight towards the guards.The two said a few words, and Fang Zhen raised his hand to signal in this direction.The driver started the car and drove until the door before stopping. The guard lay on the window and looked at me vigilantly. Fang Zhen said something, and Fang Zhen pointed at me and nodded.It's a pity that the car is soundproof, I can't hear what they are saying. I heard that during the period of turmoil, some veteran generals and cadres would be suddenly taken by a car to an unknown place in the middle of the night, where the interrogators were already waiting in full force, and they had to confess their past without any psychological preparation. offense. I closed my eyes and thought about the business I had done before, whether it was one that touched the law of the country, or that I didn't know Taishan, and annoyed the senior leaders who made private visits in microservices.As I was thinking about it, the door opened silently to both sides, and the car drove into the yard at a low speed.I suddenly realized that Fang Zhen didn't return to the car. He stood outside the yellow line at the foot of the guards, put his hands together, lit a cigarette, and watched us go in. It seems that this is a place that even he seems not qualified to enter.My heart was shocked. It seemed that the degree of weirdness of this matter far exceeded my imagination. After driving for another two or three minutes, the car finally stopped.A man who looked like a secretary was waiting outside. He made a follow gesture to me, but didn't say a word.I obediently followed him into a tall, light gray Soviet-style building. The corridors inside were wide and gloomy, with green lamps above the head, and the carpet under my feet was so thick that throwing a cannon on it would not make a sound. Soon we came to a conference room.The secretary knocked on the door and let me in. When I entered the house, the first thing I saw were two yellow gold seals. These two gold seals are palm-sized and mottled in color, and Yinu is a flying bear, which is quite interesting.The strange thing is that the shape of the two of them is exactly the same, at least I glanced over and didn't see any difference, just like putting them in front of a mirror.They were carefully placed in a glass case with a deep red brocade carpet on the bottom.There were about a dozen people standing around the glass cover, most of them were old men with gray hair, they gathered around the golden seal, whispering from time to time. I was in a daze when an old man in a Chinese tunic got up from the sofa and walked towards me, followed by a soldier who followed closely behind. "Are you just making a wish?" The old man's tone was very kind. "yes." The old man looked at me with a smile: "You are very young! How old is this year?" I respectfully replied: "Just turned 30." The leader said: "Just three rounds younger than me, you can call me Jue Liu." Seeing that I was restrained, he patted me on the shoulder: "Don't be nervous, I called you here today, not for anything else, but to ask you for a favor." Such a big leader, how can I, a small person like Shengdou, help me? He didn't wait for me to speak again, he directly dragged me to the table, pointed to the two gold seals on the table: "Can you see what this is?" It turned out that such a grand display was just for me to appraise the antiques.I'm slightly relieved that this is familiar territory.There is a book handed down from my family that talks about gold, stone and jade wares called "Su Ding Lu". The knowledge contained in it is enough for me to eat for a lifetime. I looked at it for a while, and I knew it well, but when I saw the old experts around me, I was a little hesitant.It’s about appraising treasures. Sometimes it’s not treasures that are appraised, but people. The few authorities around you don’t say anything. You jump out and tell the truth. Director Liu saw my hesitation and waved his hand: "It's okay, you speak boldly." "This gold seal, I think it's from Han Dynasty, I don't know if I'm right." I choose my words carefully. "Let me tell you. These two seals are one real and one fake. One of them is the real one, and the other is a fake that appeared on the market recently, but the two are so similar that it is difficult to distinguish them. We suspect that there is a Counterfeit syndicates are active in the market, and if you can identify the authenticity of the two, it will be of great help to the country." Director Liu gave me a meaningful look, took out a pair of rubber gloves for me to put on, and then gave me a brand new magnifying glass. When the people around heard our conversation, they all turned their attention here.When they saw that Director Liu actually asked me to pick up the gold seal, they all showed surprise and puzzled expressions.An old man wearing tortoiseshell glasses said: "I said Bureau Liu, this is a cultural relic. If you call a young man here, don't you think that the state affairs are a trifle?" Liu Ju, however, sat firmly on the Diaoyutai, waved his hands and said, "It's not about being young. You have to be good at listening to opinions from all sides in order to brainstorm. It will also be helpful for the current on-site appraisal." Putting aside these complicated thoughts, I took a deep breath, held up the two golden seals, and observed them carefully first with my eyes and then with a magnifying glass. Counterfeiting and palming eyes, this is the eternal theme in the ancient Tibetan world.I have been in Liulichang for so long, and I deeply feel that Jianbao is like conquering a fortress. The attackers are desperately looking for loopholes, and the defenders are desperately trying to cover up the loopholes. Both sides are fighting wits and courage. Only with your patience, vision and opportunity can you achieve something. These two golden seals are the big city built by an unknown forger.Many veterans have fallen here, and now it's my turn to be the vanguard of the fire-headed army. This flying bear is very delicately made. The bear's body is arched into a bridge shape, each limb climbs out of a corner of the Indian side, and each side of the ribs stretches out a piece of wing, which is close to the body, which can reflect the flying state without affecting the body. The use and carrying of seals.I turned the gold seal over, and the four characters "Feixu Zhiyin" were engraved on this side of the seal. correct. "We have checked the regulations, decorations, chisel marks, materials, and even the soil particles on them, and there are no flaws." An old expert reminded angrily, he did not believe that I could find any new discoveries . Director Liu held up two fingers, and the soldier handed him a special panda cigarette neatly, and lit it for him.Soon the smoke covered his face and became ambiguous: "Make a wish, can you identify it?" My answer was beyond everyone's expectations. "can." Facing the surprised gazes of the people around me, I made a request: "Can you give me two threads? It doesn't need to be too long, just 30 centimeters, and they must be equal in length." Director Liu asked suspiciously: "Are these all right? If you want any precision instruments, I can transfer them." "No, no, cotton thread will suffice." Although Director Liu didn't quite understand, he turned around and ordered, and soon the soldier brought two black cotton threads, which must have been ripped from a blanket somewhere. I tied two cotton threads to the noses of the two golden-sealed flying bears, then lifted them up high, grabbed the thread ends on the other side with my fingers, and let go suddenly.An expert said "Oops" and hurried forward to pick it up.I saw the two gold seals were hung in the air by the cotton thread, turned around a few times, and then stopped still. "Are you crazy? This is a first-class cultural relic!" The expert scolded.Liu Ju also frowned.They probably think that my hand is like juggling, meaningless. "Can everyone see it clearly now?" I grabbed two cotton threads and hung the two gold seals in the air for them to take a closer look. After my reminder, they saw that the inclination angles of the two gold seals hanging in the air were somewhat different.The one in the left hand is tilted forward, but the one in the right is straight.This difference is so subtle that it's easy to miss if you don't look carefully. "The number one seal on the right hand is a fake, and the number two seal on the left hand is genuine." I made a judgment. There was silence in the room, and no one believed what I said.The expert asked me: "What is your basis?" I shrugged: "The Bureau Liu just asked me to make a judgment. You are an expert and should know right from wrong." The experts got angry when they heard this, probably because they thought I was too arrogant.This is what I did on purpose. Craftsmanship is the same as money, so it cannot be revealed easily.I put the gold seal back to its original place and turned around: "Ju Liu, can I go?" Director Liu stood up and waved his hand: "Let's talk in the room next door, Xiao Fan, please greet some experts." The secretary who brought me in quietly opened the door of the conference room and signaled us to leave. I followed Director Liu to a room at the end of the corridor.This is an office, with a thick desk in the middle, and two large bookshelves on both sides occupying two walls, on which there are various party and government books and periodicals, as well as some small antiques.I glanced at it, and there was nothing valuable, either high-end goods or fakes. "It seems that you don't use this office often." I said proactively. Director Liu smiled at me: "You have good eyesight, this is just a temporary place to stay, not much decoration." At this time, I noticed that this time even the military bodyguard who stayed behind him was gone. Just the two of us. The two of us stared at each other for a long time. I tried to see through Liu Ju's intentions, but found that he was impeccable, polite and thoughtful, but elusive.Director Liu looked at me as if he knew everything, which made me feel very uncomfortable. Finally, he said, "Xiao Xu, I heard from Fang Zhen that you guessed where this place is just now, how did you do it?" "It's very simple. I judge the direction and speed of the car based on the swaying of my body. The car goes north from Liulichang, and when it reaches Chang'an Avenue, it starts to go west. Then, it is enough to compare it with the map of Beijing. Stop, I knew it was near Xishan." I tapped my temples, indicating that it was all in my mind. "But how do you know it's in the Eight Great Places?" I smiled slightly: "There are many traffic lights on Chang'an Avenue, but this car has been driving at a constant speed since it got on Chang'an Avenue. It has never slowed down or accelerated, let alone stopped. It must have privileges that I can't imagine. Privileged people are either the army or the government. And near Xishan, there are only eight places that can receive this level of privileged cars." Liu Ju clapped his hands and praised: "It seems that you are very smart and cautious." I replied: "You know, I'm a small business, don't pay attention, let alone business, even people have to be involved." Liu Ju saw my cautious appearance, and laughed: "As soon as you enter the door, first look at people and then talk, and I will know what kind of temperament you are. This is very good. People who are engaged in antiques are not smart enough, and they are not suspicious. No way—by the way, you didn’t want to reveal the origin of the technique of ‘diagnosing the pulse with a silk thread and breaking the gold through the air’ just now, did you have any concerns?” As soon as I heard Liu Ju's words, my cold sweat broke out "shua".The technique I used to weigh the gold seal with silk thread just now is called "diagnosing the pulse by hanging the thread and breaking the gold through the air" in the "Su Ding Lu".But how did Director Liu know these eight characters?You must know that "Su Ding Lu" is not a Xinhua dictionary, and it is sold in every bookstore-it is a handwritten note, and we have one at home. In this mysterious government compound, a high-ranking official with an unknown background suddenly revealed a secret that was unique to my family, and my heart suddenly became uneasy. "Xiao Xu, don't be nervous, I just know those eight characters. But, can you tell me what's going on?" I weighed it for a moment, and said, "Actually, it's nothing special to put it bluntly. The principle of my judgment is very simple, which is the center of gravity." Liu Ju seemed to have realized something, and I immediately explained: "The casting and printing in the Han Dynasty used the casting method. When casting complex shapes with many curved surfaces, this process is easy to mix air, generate air bubbles, and cause hollowness. The more complicated the The shape of the seal is more hollow. The most delicate part of this seal is the flying bear-shaped seal, so the metal inner substance of this part will contain many vacuoles. "The master forger obviously didn't know this detail. When he forged, he solidified the flying bear button without leaving any air bubbles. As a result, the center of gravity of the fake chapter changed compared with the real chapter. This is a junior high school physicist. Common-sense tell. "Just now I took the cotton thread hanging seal to judge the position of the center of gravity of the two. The real Flying Bear New Gold Seal should sink and lighten, and it is easy to reverse. Only fakes can be upright and impartial. There are Antique appraisal was like this back then, it wasn’t so mysterious and fancy, it was just a matter of piercing a layer of window paper.” After hearing this, Director Liu laughed and said, "Looking mysterious, it turns out that it is at the level of junior high school physics." I nodded without denying it. "I've told you a secret, now it's your turn to tell me the truth?" Director Liu laughed loudly: "You really don't want to suffer." He took out a sandalwood tea tray from the drawer, and there were five small white porcelain tea bowls with lotus petals on it.I am not very familiar with porcelain, and it seems to be from Dehua Kiln, but it is probably from the late Qing Dynasty or a high imitation, so it is not a treasure. Liu Ju picked up a bamboo tea clip and arranged five tea bowls in a cross shape, with one bowl in the middle and the other four tea bowls in the four directions of east, west, north and south.Then he turned over the teacup on the west side again and looked up at me. I stared blankly, not knowing what he meant.I know this method, it is obviously a tea formation, I heard people say that in the old society, such as the Cao Gang, the Red Gang and other party sects would use this set of things as a contact code.But as a young man who was born in New China and grew up under the red flag, how can I understand these things. Director Liu and I looked at each other for a long time, indifferent. Director Liu was a little disappointed: "It seems that you don't know anything." "It depends on how much you let me know, Director Liu." I replied with a hidden needle. We two looked at each other for a long time, Liu Ju suddenly asked: "Where did you learn your appraisal skills?" I answered honestly: "Half of it is from reading and learning, and the other half is thinking about it while doing business." "No one taught you?" "No." "Where's your father, Xu Heping?" I suddenly felt that it was the leader of the government, and I even found out my father's name clearly. "My father never let me get into this business. He said it was dirty, and he never touched it himself. It was not until he passed away during the 'Cultural Revolution' that I started to get in touch with gold and stone. After hanging out with people for a long time, I learned something." As I was talking, I secretly made up my mind that if he wanted to ask about the "Su Ding Lu", I would insist on it and refuse to admit it.Everyone is innocent, but pregnant is guilty. I can't cause this trouble. After listening to me, Director Liu showed a thoughtful expression: "No wonder...the name of Sihuizhai really deserves it." "You know my father?" "I don't know, but I have seen your kung fu of 'diagnosing the pulse with a thread' before." My father has always been very cautious, and it seems that he has never had contact with anyone other than his colleagues.Director Liu said that he had seen Xuansi's pulse diagnosis, so it must be from my grandparents.My father never told me that I don't know anything because my eyes are dark - it probably dates back to the Republic of China, and I'm even more confused. Who knows what kind of grievances and entanglements there are, so it's better to say less. Liu Ju tapped the table slowly with his finger: "You don't have a family history, but you can actually 'diagnose the pulse with a thread'. It seems that the family education is not completely abandoned. Very good, I am very relieved. If it weren't for that, you would also enter today. I can't find this office." He pointed to the table: "This tea array, with your observation ability, you might as well try to guess it." I frowned, this really gave me a problem. Liu Ju said indifferently: "If you can see through this tea formation, we can talk further. If you can't see through, it means that the fate between you and me ends here, and you don't need to know about other things. I'll have someone send you back. The reward is not less than one cent, and you continue to do your business." After hearing this, I really wanted to just leave.But Bureau Liu had something in his words. Just now he saw through the eyesight of "Xuansi Diagnosis" and said my father's name out of nowhere. And these things seem to have a lot to do with me. I have a hunch that if I go like this, I'm afraid I'll miss an opportunity.I decided to calm down first and solve this tea formation first. An old man who had been in the beach in the old society once told me that the tea array was used by secret societies such as Hong and Cao Gang to communicate. How deep and exquisite, mostly using homonyms, metaphors and other techniques, with some rough slang formulas.The formation either corresponds to yin and yang and the five elements, or corresponds to the celestial phenomena and stars, and there are certain rules. The arrangement of the tea bowls is obviously arranged in the shape of a cross according to the five directions of east, south, west, north and middle.The five directions correspond to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.Now that the tea bowls in the West are buckled up, and the West belongs to gold, it means that the first meaning of this pair of tea arrays is the lack of gold in the five elements. Thinking of this, I'm stuck. It's hard to think about going any further.Lack of money has a lot of meanings, so it's not like he is such a big leader, planning to borrow money from me, right?Director Liu couldn't help being happy when he saw me scratching my ears and cheeks.He poured some tea into the tea bowl: "I have five tea bowls in one style, and they look the same. One bowl is turned upside down, and four bowls are turned upside down. It's a sign of incompleteness of the five elements. I haven't used it for a long time." He pointed to the tea bowl, He pointed to the wall behind me as an extra reminder. I looked back at the wall behind me, and my heart suddenly moved.The walls of this office are the most common kind of white, which is similar to the tire color of a teacup. By the way, it should have something to do with the color. Yin-yang and five elements cover a wide range of meanings, corresponding to the five directions, five flavors, five tones, etc., and also correspond to the five colors of black, white, red, yellow and blue. The color corresponding to the gold line happens to be white, and white is also called plain color.Could it be... I raised my head in surprise, did he mean that what is missing in this tea array is my "Su Ding Lu"? "What you want is this book?" I purposely made the title vague, taking a little luck. Liu Ju laughed loudly when he heard the words: "You child, you have a lot of eyes. Let me tell you, the Han seal just now is a test of your teacher's inheritance; and this tea array is a test of your knowledge. You say What I want is a book, and the solution is only half correct. But you didn’t know anything at first, and it’s not easy to understand this level with your knowledge—your book contains a plain word, right?" I had no choice but to nod.This Liu Ju speaks very artistically, he controls the situation from the beginning to the end, and the questions he asks all have a presupposed position. With six teeth on the hook, you can rake out all the details of a person with a few words. "It scares you, I won't ask for your book." "It's useless if you ask for it. The book is encrypted, and I alone know the password." I muttered, but Director Liu just smiled. Liu Ju turned over the tea bowl on the west side again, and suddenly sighed: "The power of the five elements lacks gold. In fact, what is lacking is not your book, but the things hidden behind that book." The teacup was re-arranged in the shape of a plum blossom, and then looked at me thoughtfully, which made my hair stand straight. I glanced at the five tea bowls piled up again, and couldn't help but say: "Five-petal plum blossom array?" The bureau intends to combine the something hidden behind "Su Ding Lu" with the other four petals. Liu Ju stood up from the chair, walked to the window sill with his hands behind his back, pulled the curtains in, and his expression became serious: "Xiao Xu, what is the most important thing in the antique business?" "Don't buy fakes." "That's right. The business of antiques has changed a lot, but in the end, it boils down to two characters: a word for 'true' and a word for 'fake'. The business of antiques has been in business for thousands of years. The debate between true and false." After finishing speaking, Liu Ju rubbed the tea tray slowly with his hand: "If someone makes an old one, someone will hold his eyes. Someone has been punched in the eye, and naturally someone will help smash the pulp. These five tea bowls represent the origins of the five treasures. These five The veins have been passed down for a long time, and they hold the eyes of the entire antique business, and they set the heart of the treasure appraisal circle. As long as they pass their hands, the authenticity is determined, and the whole world recognizes it wherever they go. Therefore, the five veins come together, It is also called 'Plum Blossom with Bright Eyes'. People who play with antiques go to appraise treasures, and they are convinced when they hear these four words." "Why haven't I heard of it?" I have been doing business for several years, but I have never heard of the so-called "five veins".The more Liu Ju's words were heard, the more suspenseful they became. "Then have you ever heard of the Chinese Antiquity Research Society?" "I've heard that." I nodded.Those who play antiques have more or less heard the name of this society.Although it is not a national institution, it can be regarded as a non-governmental professional appraisal institution. However, it is relatively low-key and only occasionally appears in some important appraisal meetings or auctions. At my level, I have no access to it. Liu Ju said: "This society is formed by the integration of people from the five veins. If you don't get mixed up to a certain level, you don't know it. It represents a kind of identity, a kind of status. If you don't know it, you just don't know it. No one will tell you. .” "I thought the privileged class would have been destroyed long after liberation..." I muttered. Liu Ju said sternly: "These five veins do not bully the market, nor do they buy or sell. They rely on their ability to discern the truth and judge the false. They have been supporting the whole circle and have never been ambiguous. This is technology and is protected by the state. Yes. Although the "Cultural Revolution" catastrophe suffered a lot of impacts on the five meridians, the meridians are still there, and they took advantage of the time to establish the Chinese Antiquity Research Society. You can see that the antique industry has flourished after the reform and opening up, and there are plum blossoms behind it. Credit. Do you know what it depends on?" "real." I only said one word.Authoritative appraisal agencies all have such a principle: never make fakes.Just imagine, an appraisal agency relies on the reputation of impartiality and neutrality. If it also makes fakes, wouldn't it be tantamount to being a referee for itself?Furthermore, people who appraise antiques must be familiar with counterfeiting techniques. If they develop a counterfeit mind, the harm will be endless. Therefore, a good appraiser would never dare to touch the word "fake" - as long as there is such a crime, the brand can be completely smashed. Director Liu nodded in satisfaction: "It is the principle of the Antiquity Society to eliminate the false and preserve the true." I asked, "Why are you telling me this?" Liu Ju smiled and said, "Don't you understand? Your Xu family is the overturned teacup. Wumai plum blossoms are only lacking in your family." There was a bang in my head, what is this all about? I don't remember my family having even the slightest connection with antiques.My family is the most common kind of family. We live in the school compound, with two bedrooms and one living room. The house is filled with either potted plants or the complete works of Marshmallows. On the wall are a few calligraphy banners, all of which are my father’s Sundays. I wrote it myself, and the people I usually come and go with are ordinary faculty and staff—no matter how I look at it, it has nothing to do with a group of antique dealers in the deep house compound.After they passed away, I sorted out their belongings. Except for the book, there was not a single item from before liberation. But I have to believe Liu Ju's words.My impression of the Xu family is actually only my father's generation. As for what the Xu family was like before liberation, who my grandfather was and what he did, he never told me.If I hadn't accidentally discovered such a copy of "Su Ding Lu" hidden in my house, I might not have embarked on such a road. It now appears that this matter is much more complicated than I originally guessed.Liu Ju just put on a five-plum gathering in the tea array, is this planning to call me back to Liangshan to join the group?Judging from Bureau Liu's tone, Mingyan Plum Blossom is a non-governmental organization hidden deep in the ancient Tibetan world, so why would he, a government official, get involved?还有，刚才鉴定那枚汉印，到底是我适逢其会，还是他们早布置好的考场？ 诸多思绪像灌肠一样稀里呼噜地冲进我的脑仁里，让我一时间都不知道该说什么好。 这时候忽然传来敲门声，秘书走进来说：“刘局，时间差不多了，他们都等您过去呢。” 刘局抬腕看看手表，对我说：“我找你过来，不是叙旧，而是有一件国家大事，需要你的协助——但今天我还有点别的急事。我让小方先送你回去，时候到了，我会派人去找你。” 不知为何，我松了一口气。今天晚上我听到的事情已经太多了，得消化一下才行，不然脑子会爆炸。 我本来还想问问他，这次鉴定能有点辛苦费没有，但看人家那豪迈的气概，没好意思开口。刘局转身离开，我被秘书带出了大楼，果然方震还在门口等着。他看我出来了，递了根烟给我。我说不会，他也不勉强，自己叼起来，拉开了红旗车的车门。 我们按照原路返回，一路上方震都盯着车窗外头，不吭声。我实在忍不住，问他：“刘局到底是什么单位的？”方震回答很简单：“有关部门。” “和什么有关的部门？” 方震摇头：“该说的，领导会亲自告诉你；领导觉得不该说的，我不能说。” 既然人家不肯说，我也不好继续打听，只得闭目养神。可是我根本静不下来心思，脑子都是那五个茶碗在兜兜转转。
接下来的三天里，风平浪静，就好像刘局从来没见过我一样。方震也消失了，但我猜这家伙一定隐藏在琉璃厂附近的什么角落里，面无表情地注视着我这家四悔斋的一举一动。 这三天生意和从前一样，每天来那么四五拨人，问的比买的多，中间房东还来了一次，我苦口婆心给他做思想工作，终于又赚得一个礼拜的时间。尽管有这些俗务缠身，可我的心境和从前大不相同了，一看人进来，先琢磨这人知道不知道“明眼梅花”，听没听过五脉源流，又不敢问出口，整个人都快魔怔了。三天下来，居然一笔买卖都没做成，真有点心疼。 当然，想得最多的，还是我们家的事。我爹肯定是有事瞒着我，不然对从前的事不会一点都不提。我记得小时候也问过爷爷在哪里，一提这个，我爹就生气，抄笤帚疙瘩揍我屁股，所以我也没敢细问——可惜他已经过世了，没法从坟里爬出来告诉我真相。我们家又没什么亲戚，一时间真教我无处去查访。 这一天，我一大早开张，百无聊赖地坐在柜台后，翻着账本，心里盘算着这个月房租该怎么结。从店外头忽然进来两个人，一老一少。老的我认识，是那天参与鉴定汉印的专家，刘局叫他郑教授；小的跟我年纪差不多，戴着一副墨镜，穿着花衬衫，扮相流里流气的。 郑教授一看到我，立刻点了点头：“没错，是他。”我一愣，还没说什么，那小青年走上前来，上下打量了我一番，很不礼貌地问道：“你是许愿？” “您两位有什么事？” 郑教授刚要说话，就被那个小青年给拦住了：“你小子年纪也不大，能耐倒不小，把我老师的面子都驳了。真是自古英雄出少年哈。” 我听着他的语气流里流气的，有些不善，不像是夸奖。小青年从怀里掏出一枚玉佩，轻轻搁在玻璃柜台上，拿无名指点了点：“哥们儿我也是少年，咱们俩少年就不说老话了。我姓药，叫药不然。你这儿不是经营金石玉器么？哥们儿手里有件东西，看你收不收？” 我心里咯噔一声，心想果然来了。他这个举动，在古玩行当里有个说法，叫做“斗口”。斗口这个词本来是旗人玩鸟的术语，意思是斗口不斗手，不玩真的。后来演变到古玩行当，就成了卖主儿不是真的要卖玩意儿，而是要考较收宝之人的眼力。这种试探是明目张胆的，几乎可以算是一种挑衅，一般只有卖主儿跟收宝的有深仇大恨，成心要砸人招牌，才会这么干。 可我跟他能有什么仇呢？估计是这位老教授被削了面子，所以找来自己的学生砸场子了。 药不然看我面露犹豫，冷笑道：“你要是不敢收，哥们儿可就拿回去喂狗了。” 我听他的话里全是刺儿，知道今日肯定不能善了，遂伸出手去，也用无名指点住那枚玉佩，挪到柜台里侧，算是接下来他这个斗口。 药不然见我应下来了，索性双手抄在胸前，站在柜台外直勾勾盯着我。郑教授年纪有点大，就在旁边找了把椅子坐下。 药不然拿来的这块玉佩是童子持莲，有半个巴掌大小，我扫了一眼，直接扔回给他：“您自己收着吧。” “哟呵，挺麻利啊。” 药不然有些愕然。他还以为我会先拿放大镜看，再煮玉出灰，可没想到我这么快就给扔回来了。他下巴一抬，等着我继续说。要知道，斗口斗的不是真假，而是为什么假，得说出门道儿。 我客客气气告诉他：“您这块玉，连新提油都算不上，只能叫个狗打醋。” 提油是古代给玉器沁色的手法，宋代叫老提油，明清叫新提油，近代用来沁色的原料是狗血，狗血稠且黑，所以又叫狗打醋，不值钱。 "Why do you say that?" 我耐心地拿起玉，指着那条鸡血沁线道：“您看，凡是'狗打醋'的玉件，在沁边必有血疙瘩，细看边缘，像一条草绳上系着几个绳结一样，好认得很。” 药不然没想到我没费多大力气就认出来了，连声道：“好，好，果然有两下子。”他倒也爽快，双手把玉取回来，像广东人喝茶一样，食指和中指在柜台上轻轻磕了一下，算是认了。我忽然想起来了。斗口之前，应该定下彩头。我急急忙忙应了场，却忘了讨彩头，有点亏。 药不然从怀里掏出一块玉片，扔给我。这片原玉不大，但却是货真价实的和田籽玉，摸起来手感温润，绵而不软。 “这玩意儿不值钱，哥们儿家里藏着一万多块儿呢，你拿去玩儿吧。”药不然说得轻描淡写，我不知道他是真大方还是假大方，也不客气，直接把玉片揣口袋里。这东西卖出去，够付两个月房租了。 药不然见我急不可待地把玉收走，面露鄙薄，轻佻地吹了声口哨，又把“狗打醋”扔过来：“这块也给你了，碰上冤大头，也能赚一笔。” 我却照样给他扔了回去：“自从我入了古董这一行以后，就给自己立了一个规矩：绝不造假，也绝不贩假。” “行，行，算你正派。敢不敢跟哥们儿再比一次？” 我笑道：“我可是还要做生意呢，不敢和您在这里耗着。”药不然一脸的不服气：“就这针鼻儿大的小店，哥们儿两回买卖做完，能直接给盘下来。”郑教授瞪了他一眼，药不然才悻悻闭上嘴。 郑教授看我有些着恼，连忙劝慰道：“小许啊，小药这人说话有些没遮拦。我这里先赔个不是。”我双手撑在柜台：“我看……不见得吧？你们两位今日来这，恐怕是别有所图。” 他们一进来我就觉得不对劲，郑教授在后，药不然在前。药不然挑衅的时候，郑教授一直没吭声，现在才突然站出来劝说，明显是一红一白唱双簧呢。再说如果他们成心斗口，这赌注未免小了点。 郑教授见我看穿了，也不尴尬：“小许，这件事说来话长。那个小药……身份不太一般，他找你挑战，也是有缘故的。”我却不肯买帐：“郑老师，若是您来买卖或是鉴宝，我一定尽心竭力。不过让我跟一个来历不明的人莫名其妙的赌斗，我可没有兴趣。今天他来斗口，明天您来挑战，我这四悔斋也别做买卖，改成虹口道场算了。” 药不然在旁边冷笑道：“那哥们儿要是说'明眼梅花'呢？”我第二次听到这名字，悚然一惊，瞪着药不然，不知该如何往下接。药不然道：“看你也不傻，咱们就打开天窗说亮话吧。刘局把你们许家的事，跟我们四脉都说了，所以哥们儿跑来看个究竟，看看这失传许久的许家，到底有什么能耐。” 原来这家伙是五脉的子弟，呃……跟我出身岂不是一样？ “刘局知道这事么？”我谨慎地问道。 “他这两天一直在跟中华鉴古研究学会的几位理事开会，还没有个结论呢。这当了国家干部的人，就是喜欢开会说废话！其实有什么好讨论的，五脉从来都是在手艺上见真章儿，较量一番，不就全明白了？”药不然不屑地挥了挥手。 郑教授道：“小许，许家已经沉寂这么多年，突然又重新现身，势必引起许多人的关注。不说别的，就是药不然的背后，都站着不少大人物。你若是退缩，只怕以后这种事情会层出不穷。” 我现在最后悔的，就是鬼迷心窍去破解那个茶阵。早知道惹出今天这个麻烦，不如当初直接说解不开，回来安安生生地过日子。现在可好，捅了一个大马蜂窝。我一向自诩谨慎，可还是没有勘破这名利心。 “好吧，您到底想要我怎样？” 郑教授抬腕看了看时间：“我有个主意。今日是周日，潘家园正热闹。咱们去那里，你和药不然每人限两千元内、半天时间，各自去淘宝，种类不限。谁淘来的东西最赚钱，谁胜出。” “怎么判断两件东西谁比较值钱？” “如果你们信得过我，就让我来估价。”郑教授扶了扶眼镜，“评估这种事，是我的老本行。” 这个较量内容倒是挺有意思。考较的不光是眼力，还有决断力和规划能力。潘家园几百个摊位和店铺，各家收藏均各不同，要在半天时间内判断出哪家藏有好东西，又得以尽量低的价格侃下来，找出价格与价值的平衡点，做出最优决策，压力着实不小。 所以一个光会鉴宝的人，赢不了；一个光会砍价的人，也赢不了——必须得博才兼备才行。这绝不是靠运气捡漏儿，而是对一个人淘宝能力的综合判断。 郑教授出了这么一个主意，看来是有备而来。 “我若赢了如何，输了又如何？”我问。 药不然回答：“赢了，我家的收藏你随便挑一件走；输了，就把那本《素鼎录》交出来给哥们儿看一眼。” 他说得直截了当，我心中不由得一震。果然像刘局说的一样，许家一经曝光，就会有许多人盯上这本书。这两个人上门，根本不是为了寻仇或寻衅，而是冲着这本书来的。 可能对五脉或者文物鉴古学会来说，《素鼎录》十分重要，象征着文化传承或者门派权柄什么的。但其实对我来说，这本书没那么金贵，一本鉴宝实用指南而已嘛。我相信里面记载的很多技巧，早已流传于世；有些东西，随着科技的进步也在逐渐过时，我既然没有开宗立派的野心，藏私也没什么意义。 “怎么样？给个痛快话！”药不然催促道。 我搓动手指，为难道：“我倒是想去，只是这店里就我一个人，我离开了，就得锁门……”我还没说完，郑教授先掏出钱包：“小许你也不用为难，我们押两百块钱在这儿，弥补你的损失。” 我把那两百块钱收好，这才开口道：“若是我赢了，也不要东西，就请您以后不要再来烦我，如何？” “成交。”药不然毫不犹豫地答应了。我看到他的眼神里爆起两团火花。 我把店门锁好，跟着郑教授和药不然上了一辆桑塔纳小轿车。有专门的司机，郑教授坐副驾驶，我和药不然坐到后排。看来除了我们这一脉，另外四脉都混得不错，都有专车了。 车子发动，缓缓驶出了琉璃厂。药不然坐在我旁边，伸出手说道：“重新认识一下，哥们儿是五脉之中玄字门的门人。” “玄字门？”我有些茫然。 “我操，你连这都不知道？”药不然故作惊讶地提高了声调，眼神里闪过几丝得意。对了，就是那种优等生看完差等生考卷的得意眼神，挺讨厌的。 我摇摇头，我对五脉和中华鉴古研究学会的了解，只限于刘局告诉我的那一点点可怜的信息。药不然得意洋洋地伸出五个指头，像是炫耀似地给我一一数过去：“俗话说术业有专攻。现在中华鉴古研究学会分的没那么细了，在以前，咱们五脉分别掌管的是五门术业。青门主木器；红门主书画；黄门主青铜明器，我们玄门，主业是瓷器。” 我想起“素鼎”这个名字，不禁脱口而出：“莫非许家一脉，就是主金石玉器的白门？” 我们许家果然擅长的是金石玉器之术。这也就解释了，为何那本《素鼎录》里，只提及这两个门类的辨伪鉴定之术，却对瓷器什么的绝口不提。 “不错。刚才拿玉器斗口，你是以本门专业，胜我这个外门的，胜之不武，我跟你说，哥们儿不算输啊。” 我看着药不然气哼哼的表情，忽然有点想乐。这人倒也有意思，说话听着冲，其实挺直爽，看来不是什么坏人，最多是个纨绔子弟，有点混不吝的脾气。 “您出身名门，我可没有什么长辈可以依靠。”我把眼神瞟向郑教授，意思是你只是背后有人。 药不然大怒：“呸！哥们儿可不是那种不学无术的高干子弟！北大是我自己考上的！高出录取线十来分呢！” 这人倒真容易套话，我一句没说完呢，他把高考成绩都报出来了，直肠子…… 我望着车窗外不断后退的高楼大厦，心中忽然觉得有些荒谬。这都什么年代了，还有这种好似武侠一样的事情发生。在这个现代化的北京城里，居然还蛰伏着五个古老的家族，怎么想都有些不真实。 说话间，车子已经开到了潘家园前那条树林阴翳的小街，然后就开不动了。街上熙熙攘攘站的全是人。这里是潘家园的外围，多是卖吃卖喝的小贩，还有进不去园子、指望能在外头碰运气的买卖人。我们三个人在这里下了车，推开上来兜售东北貂皮的小贩子，步行进去。 潘家园可是北京城的一块风水宝地，已经兴旺了好几年了。从堪舆的角度来说，京城东南宜流气不宜聚气，但这里偏偏又占了一个兑卦——兑卦属泽，水聚成泽。因此潘家园这个地方，聚水不聚气，正应合了走土之象。走土，那不正好就是文物么？ 还有个现实一点的原因：潘家园靠近陕西与河南驻京办事处，这两处都是古董与明器大省，来往人多聚集在这里，风聚水，财聚人，久而久之，就演变成了一片大生意。 这天是休息日，特别热闹，两侧店铺和市场上几排纵横的地摊都铺排开来，卖旧书的、卖字画的、卖明器古玩的、卖各类杂器的，琳琅满目，不一而足。不少人就在这市场里来回转悠，有老有少，看他们的动作，有老炮儿，也有想捡个便宜的新手，甚至还有几个金发碧眼的大鼻子老外，拿着相机嘁哩喀喳地拍的。放眼望过去，乌泱泱的一大片，热闹得很。 还有许多大老远从陕西、河南等地来的农民，站在墙根屋角，穿着破军装，赤脚踏着解放鞋，举起还沾着墓土的新鲜玩意向过往的行人叫卖——不过这些东西十有八九多是假的。 郑教授站在入门的照壁处，看看时间，说现在是上午十点半，咱们就以三小时为限，到下午一点半，来此集合。届时每人带上自己淘来的东西，他会公平地予以估价。反正大家都是业内人士，估价多少一眼就能看得出来，谁也骗不了谁。 我和药不然对视一眼，不约而同地“哼”了一声，分别朝着左右走去。我没有跑，那样显得自己很急躁，我估计药不然也是一样的心思。于是我们俩都迈着方步，三步一回头，唯恐比对方走得快，失了风度。走出去十几米，我忽然又回来了。 “你怎么了？”郑教授问。 “……身上没那么多现金，您先借我点儿？” 我身上的钱，一般很少超过五十块。这一下两千元的赌注，我还真掏不起……郑教授笑了笑，把钱给我补齐，药不然早不知跑哪里去了。 限时淘宝，这是个体力活，也是个技术活。首先需要想好的，是你想要淘的物品种类，这样才能做到在有限时间内有的放矢，不至于挑花了眼。 我的选择很简单，老本行：金石玉器——定得再细一点，金石。相比起别的东西，金石捡漏儿的概率比较高，像是秦砖、汉瓦当或者北魏残碑什么的，经常混在一堆砖头里给人垫桌脚，不是行家不易分辨。玉器就不行，再眼拙的人看到一尊玉像，就算是假的，也觉得值钱。 所以藏古界有句话，叫做“真石不如假玉”，不是说金石不及玉器值钱，而是说在老百姓眼里，玉器比金石更容易看出价值，更不好收。 定下物品以后，其次要想好的，是搜寻区域。潘家园太大了，几百个摊位一个一个地逛过来，时间绝对不够。必须决定是主走地摊还是古玩商店。地摊上的东西鱼龙混杂，假货概率极高，但偶尔见到好东西，这中间差价就赚大去了。 古玩商店的东西品质有保证，可店主大部分都是行家，给的价格水分太少，不易靠低价搏到好东西。 我权衡了一下，决定还是把重点放在古玩铺子里。 药不然既然自称是玄字门的，那么他的重点肯定放在瓷器上。瓷器与金石相比，价格不太平均，贵的极贵，贱的极贱，中间价格的相对比较少，所以两千块钱的价位对他来说很尴尬：好的买不起，破的能买一大车。 相比之下，金石价格分布均匀，什么朝代的什么价，低、中、高几档都很清楚。郑教授的两千元预算，只要打准了档次，出手肯定差不到哪里去——只要你确保东西是真的就行，这点我可是有绝对的自信。 这天稍微有点热，尘土飞扬。我买了瓶汽水，握在手里在人群里挤来挤去，汗流浃背。穿过几排地摊和棚铺时，吆喝声此起彼伏。我随便扫了几眼，全是假货，连一点驻足蹲下来看看的兴趣都没有。我甚至还亲眼目击了一个中年知识分子模样的人被摊主忽悠，掏出厚厚一沓大团结换回一件宣德炉——那“宣德炉”的炉足黑中带绿，明显是造假时铅搁多了。 不过我没有出言阻止。一是我没时间，二是因为淘宝有自己的规矩，非请莫鉴，如果不是别人请求，即使眼看赝品过手，也不能说，说了就是砸卖家的生意。 每个人都有自己的缘分，希望那位被打眼的兄弟，以后能买到真正的宣德炉吧。 我略微在地摊逛了几圈，一无所获，于是按照原来的计划，直奔古玩店而去。 古玩铺子沿墙开着一溜蓝灰色店铺，都是一窗一门的格局，里面分成里外两间，外间摆货，内间是个雅座，只有大买卖的客人，才会被请进去品茗细谈。家家户户都在上头悬块金匾，有的还挂着个幌子。比起地摊，这里相对高端、正规一些，闲人比较少，来来往往的多是专业收藏家或买卖人。 我整整衣领，信步逛去。那些铺子老板也都是眼贼之人，一看我的样子，再谈上几句话，就知道是同行。同行不起哄，所以他们不像对付棒槌那么热情招呼，而是让我自己随便看。 我不看玉件，也不瞄瓷器，专围着金石转悠