Chapter 172 A Second's Gaze, A Shocking Antique Dating Analysis

Lin Mo walked slowly back to the stone table, stepping on the fallen, withered locust leaves along the edge of the water trough.

The dry leaves on the bluestone slab made a slight cracking sound as he stepped on them.

Every step he took felt like stepping on Jiang Ruoyun's taut nerves.

This young lady, who is usually decisive and ruthless at the negotiating table in business battles, was now like a primary school student who had made a mistake.

If Lin Mo really couldn't understand it, or accidentally smashed the already brittle jade into powder.

She simply took all the blame upon herself, saying that if things went wrong, she would elope with Lin Mo and leave this run-down wealthy family behind.

Lin Mo walked up to the stone table and stopped.

There wasn't the tense atmosphere I had imagined, like being on high alert.

Unlike the old scholars in the industry, he didn't carefully pull out a pair of spotless white gloves from his pocket and put them on.

Unlike the Chinese painting master Zhou Yang, who just took out a high-powered magnifying glass with a strong light bulb, he didn't do that.

He didn't even lean forward much.

He just stood there casually, his posture as relaxed as if he were looking at an ordinary landscape stone in his own backyard.

With his head slightly lowered, his gaze calmly swept over the three broken pieces of jade in the sandalwood box.

This scene caused Wang Cuncun, who was standing next to him, to furrow his brows in an instant.

This leading figure in Tsinghua University's Department of Ancient Architecture couldn't help but snort inwardly.

What kind of posture is this for appraising objects?

From such a distance, without shining a strong flashlight through the surface of the jade, how could one possibly see the direction of the patina inside?

Without gloves or tweezers, this guy is clearly a complete novice who doesn't even know which way the door to the antique trade is open!

Zhou Yang also pouted somewhat unhappily.

He had initially held a sliver of hope for this young man who could repair the courtyard house.

But now it seems that this kid is probably just making things up.

True antique appraisal cannot be done by simply glancing at it with the naked eye.

Song Wan sat gracefully on the stone bench, maintaining the elegance and nobility befitting a matriarch of a wealthy family.

She picked up a cup of tea from the table and took a small sip.

Although she remained outwardly calm, her gaze remained sharply fixed on Lin Mo's eyes.

She was trying to catch even the slightest hint of panic or hesitation in the young man's eyes.

As soon as Lin Mo showed any weakness, she would immediately use the most dignified words to completely shatter his pitiful self-esteem.

Time passed second by second in the cool air of the courtyard.

one second.

The autumn wind whipped up fallen leaves and brushed against the moss at the base of the wall.

Lin Mo's gaze slowly swept over the broken mark on the left side of the jade.

His eyes were so calm, as calm as a still, ancient well.

two seconds.

three seconds.

The courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; you could even hear Zhou Yang's slightly rapid breathing.

Four seconds.

Jiang Ruoyun was so nervous that her palms were covered in cold sweat, and she didn't even dare to breathe.

She stole a glance at her mother and noticed that Song Wan's eyes were getting colder and colder, and her heart skipped a beat.

Five seconds.

Six seconds.

Lin Mo's gaze moved to the most complex and intricate area of ​​patina in the center of the jade.

There was no confusion or struggle in his eyes.

It's like looking at a book you already know by heart, just doing a final check.

Seven seconds.

Eight seconds.

Wang Cunzhu was getting impatient; he felt the farce should end.

He was about to urge him when Zhou Yang gently nudged him with his elbow, signaling him to wait a little longer.

Nine seconds.

ten seconds.

Just ten seconds later, Lin Mo turned his gaze away without any hesitation.

He didn't even lift his hand, let alone touch the piece of jade that had been declared dead.

Lin Mo raised his head and met Song Wan's scrutinizing and oppressive gaze.

A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

That nonchalant yet confident demeanor made Song Wan's fingers, holding the teacup, pause slightly.

Has this kid finished reading?

"Young man."

Wang Cun finally couldn't hold back any longer. He took a small step forward, his tone carrying a hint of an elder's impatience and instruction.

"Did you figure out what was going on?"

He pointed to the sandalwood box, shook his head repeatedly, and shut the matter down.

"Don't blame Professor Song for making things difficult for you with this; the internal stress of this broken jade has already completely collapsed."

"This thing is beyond repair, isn't it?"

Wang Cun said this because he was actually somewhat fond of talent.

Although Lin Mo's posture when examining jade was very unprofessional, his previous skills in repairing the courtyard were indeed masterful.

He deliberately threw out the excuse that "it can't be repaired" first, hoping that Lin Mo would back down gracefully and not lose too much face in front of Song Wan.

Zhou Yang nodded in agreement and sighed.

"Yes, it's a pity that such a top-quality ripe chestnut has lost all its spiritual energy and is beyond saving."

As the two titans reaffirmed their views, Jiang Ruoyun's eyes reddened.

She bit her lower lip, ready to rush forward at any moment to shield Lin Mo from her mother's wrath.

however.

Lin Mo stood still, but did not follow the steps Wang Cunzun had given him.

He didn't even offer a polite refusal.

Lin Mo casually put his hands into the pockets of his white shirt trousers and spoke in a light tone.

The sound wasn't loud, and there was no deliberate attempt to increase the volume, yet it resonated deeply in the quiet courtyard.

"Made by the Imperial Court of the Northern Song Dynasty".

Just six words, like a thunderclap, exploded from nowhere.

Zhou Yang's hand trembled suddenly as he picked up the teacup, and he almost spilled the tea on the back of his hand.

He stared wide-eyed at Lin Mo.

Can it be dated at a glance?

Moreover, it is so precise that it even refers to imperial productions during the Northern Song Dynasty.

It should be noted that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were many antique-style objects made of this type of ripe chestnut yellow jade, and it is extremely difficult to distinguish them by looking at the jade quality alone.

Lin Mo ignored Zhou Yang's shock, his gaze still fixed on the broken jade, his tone as calm as if he were reciting a recipe.

"Top-grade Hetian yellow jade."

"The carving depicts a dragon amidst flowers."

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the courtyard seemed to freeze instantly.

Wang Cunzhuan and Zhou Yang looked at each other, their shock beyond words.

Because that piece of jade shattered into three pieces!

Moreover, the break happened to pass through the area where the carvings were most dense, and the surface patterns had long been ruined beyond recognition by the complex stains and cracks.

The two of them had been lying on it for a long time, but they could only barely make out the edges of some cloud patterns.

This kid was standing so far away, he didn't even need a magnifying glass, and he dared to conclude that it was "Chilong Chuanhua" with just one glance?

"How...how did you figure that out?"

Zhou Yang's voice changed tone, and his reading glasses almost slipped off his nose.

Lin Mo glanced at him casually, his tone carrying an air of suffocating self-righteousness.

"The edge of the fragment on the left has one-third of a dragon claw print."

"Below the crack on the right, the dark pattern covered by red stains is the vein of a peony leaf."

"The technique of these two patterns intersecting is a typical carving technique used by the jade workshop of the Imperial Workshop during the Xuanhe period of the Northern Song Dynasty."

Lin Mo paused, then turned his cool eyes to Wang Cunzhu, whose face was blank.

"However, Professor Wang."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow slightly, a micro-expression that conveyed extreme confidence and even a sense of overwhelming superiority.

"You misjudged it a little."

"This crack was not caused by a fall, nor by any blunt force impact."

Wang Cunzun was stunned and subconsciously retorted.

"Impossible! If the jade wasn't subjected to external pressure, how could its internal structure become so brittle, like it's been hollowed out by termites?"

As the absolute authority on the restoration of ancient buildings, he has absolute confidence in the stress analysis of the structure of objects.

Lin Mo did not answer immediately.

He slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets and rested them on the cool edge of the stone table.

Lean forward slightly.

In that instant, the lazy, carefree air about him vanished.

Instead, there is a profound and majestic aura, as if it has transcended a thousand years.

Lin Mo's gaze passed over the wooden box and stared directly at Song Wan, who was sitting opposite him.

"This piece of jade has been subjected to extremely high temperatures."

In that instant, Song Wan's pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints.

Her previously steady breathing suddenly became erratic.

Lin Mo's voice echoed in the courtyard, carrying an undeniable penetrating power.

"Those fine, powdery internal cracks that you see."

"In the trade, it's called 'hairline cracking'."

"This is not physical damage, but extreme damage caused by thermal expansion and contraction."

Lin Mo gently tapped the edge of the sandalwood box with his long, slender fingers.

"Yes."

"This piece of jade was once in a sea of ​​fire with temperatures exceeding a thousand degrees."

"Then, when the overall temperature of the jade reached the boiling point, the surface temperature was instantly extinguished by some kind of cold liquid."

"The instantaneous alternation between extreme heat and extreme cold causes the molecular structure inside the jade to collapse directly, which forms this strangely brittle fracture."

Lin Mo looked at Song Wan's exquisite face, which was gradually losing its color, and uttered his final conclusion.

"in short."

"It was rescued from a devastating fire."

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

The wind stopped, and the leaves fell silent.

Wang Cunzhuan and Zhou Yang stood there, mouths agape, frozen in place like two clay or wooden sculptures.

High-temperature fire? Sudden drop in cold water?

This extreme case of jade destruction, which only exists in ancient books and legends, was seen through by this young man at a glance?

Jiang Ruoyun was completely dumbfounded.

Although she couldn't understand the complicated technical terms, she could sense the atmosphere.

She could understand the look of utter disbelief on the faces of the two titans.

It makes it easier to see the mother, who is usually unfazed even when Mount Tai collapses before her, now experiencing such violent heaving of her chest.

What earth-shattering thing did my man do in those ten seconds?

Song Wan's hand, holding the blue-and-white porcelain teacup, trembled imperceptibly.

The once calm tea in the cup was instantly rippled with chaotic waves.

A few drops of warm tea splashed onto her expensive coat, but she was completely unaware.

At that moment, a raging storm was raging in her mind.

Because of every word Lin Mo just said, even his deductions about the fire.

They are exactly the same as the history recorded in the Song family's secret family scroll that is never circulated to outsiders!

When the Song family was ravaged by war, their ancestors tried to preserve this family heirloom.

During a fire, they managed to wrap the jade in a cotton quilt soaked in well water and rescue it from the flames.

The jade was saved, but due to the sudden change in temperature, it shattered into three pieces on the spot, becoming a source of anxiety for successive heads of the Song family for hundreds of years.

This secret was unknown even to Wang Cunzhen and Zhou Yang, who had been friends for decades.

How could this young man, who runs a restaurant in a hutong, possibly know that?!

Song Wan took a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs, barely managing to suppress the shock in her heart.

She put down her teacup, trying her best to maintain the last shred of dignity.

But when he spoke again, his once clear and noble voice now carried an undeniable hoarseness.

"Since Kobayashi... recognized its origin at a glance."

Song Wan stared intently at Lin Mo's calm face and asked, word by word.

"Can this jade be repaired?"