One thing came after another, and it took Ji Shenyu a long while to recover. He had originally thought that the Hundred Longevity Vase and the Celadon Vase were of comparable value, but he never expected it to sell for the high price of one hundred thousand yuan.

What shocked him the most was that despite its high value, it was a replica.

The grades of replicas were complex. The lowest level was the fake goods on the market, mass-produced, which even a layman could spot at a glance. The next level up was not enough to just look at; one had to touch it. Higher levels could be further subdivided, all depending on the exquisite degree of the forgery skill.

Ji Shenyu couldn't help but wonder, 'Does Liang Hecheng know that the vase is a fake? Could he have treasured it for a long time, always believing it was real?' He let go of the window frame and turned around in alarm, completely forgetting that Ding Hanbai was still outside the window, preoccupied with his own unease.

Lifting his eyes, he glanced at the Celadon Vase on the desk and a new doubt arose. Ding Hanbai couldn't even recognize the one he made himself with absolute certainty, so how could he so confidently declare the Hundred Longevity Vase to be fake?

Ji Shenyu voiced his thoughts, but Ding Hanbai didn't answer, only beckoning for him to follow.

Leaping out of the corridor in one step, Ding Hanbai casually tossed his backpack onto a stone table and, empty-handed, led Ji Shenyu to the Front Courtyard. The Front Courtyard was the most spacious. The bedroom door of Ding Yanshou and Jiang Shuliu was closed, and a stray cat was lying at the entrance.

With his usual bandit-like manner, Ding Hanbai opened the door with a fierce momentum, scaring the stray cat into scampering up a tree. He led Ji Shenyu into the room and went straight to a low cabinet, squatting down. Only then did he realize he didn't have the key for the small lock.

Ji Shenyu squatted to one side. “A rosewood relief carving?”

Just moments ago, he had been scared out of his wits, but now he was happy again seeing the cabinet. Ding Hanbai ignored him and rummaged through the bedside table, pulling out a ring of keys. Each key had a small tag, and following the labels, he finally managed to open the lock.

He took a vase out of the cabinet. “Take a look at this.”

Ji Shenyu unwrapped the cotton cover and was greatly surprised. “The Hundred Longevity Vase!”

The familiar mark, the cool and smooth touch... Ji Shenyu's mind was already a muddled mess, and now another strange thing had happened. Ding Hanbai got up, went to sit by the bed, and said, “I might not be able to tell if your Hundred Longevity Vase is real or fake, but I am certain that this one is real, so that one must be fake.”

Ji Shenyu asked, “Where did this one come from?”

Ding Hanbai laughed out loud. “Your dad gave it to my dad along with that picture album. That’s why it’s locked in the cabinet, unwilling to let it sit out and gather dust.”

The twists and turns were all due to the wonders of fate. Ji Shenyu hugged the vase, dazed. After a while, he broke into a wide grin, chuckling as he looked at Ding Hanbai. Just then, the stray cat in the courtyard began to meow wildly, as if someone had arrived.

They hadn't had time to clean up the crime scene. Ding Yanshou opened the door and appeared. After seeing the two of them, he stared for several seconds before shouting with a very slow reaction, “What are you doing in here in broad daylight?!”

Ding Hanbai pulled Ji Shenyu up and said, “I told him that Master Ji had given you a Hundred Longevity Vase. He was curious, so I let him have a look.”

Ding Yanshou didn't buy it, retorting, “Is your snuff bottle carved yet?”

Having loitered in the Antiques Market for several days, he had long forgotten all about his homework. Ding Hanbai prevaricated evasively, “I was helping the team leader move things at work the other day and hurt my hand. It hurts so much I can't exert any force...”

“Bullshit!” Ding Yanshou was so angry he kicked the door. “You've been skipping work again, you think I don't know?!”

Ding Hanbai couldn't bluff his way through. He dodged around the round table and rushed outside, unfortunately getting kicked in the process. Seeing this, Ji Shenyu put down the vase, shouted, “Master, calm your anger,” and also fled quickly. The two of them were a disheveled and comical sight. After returning to the small courtyard and catching their breath, Ji Shenyu went into the study to continue his homework. Ding Hanbai grabbed the white jade and went in too, intending to carve the snuff bottle.

Their chairs were next to each other. Ji Shenyu stared blankly at a half-finished math problem, his train of thought broken.

Ding Hanbai leaned over. “I’m good at math. Let me explain it to you.”

His self-recommending tone was so confident that Ji Shenyu had no choice but to obediently hand over the paper. He had originally thought Ding Hanbai was the type who didn't like to study, but after the problem was explained, his opinion changed slightly.

Ding Hanbai said, “I've been good at math since I was a kid, so I'm suited for business. My English is also decent, which means I'm suited for big business, connecting with the international world.”

Ji Shenyu was won over by this logic and asked, “Then what is being good at language suitable for?”

“Good at language?” Ding Hanbai paused. “Being good at language makes you eloquent, but that's not enough. You have to be good at sports too. Because eloquence can easily lead to verbal disputes, and in serious cases, get you beaten up. If you're good at sports, you can run fast and make a clean getaway.”

Ji Shenyu burst out laughing, bending over his test paper in stitches, unsure if Ding Hanbai was teasing him or being serious. Gradually, only his laughter filled the study, sounding abrupt, so he stopped and fell silent.

Ding Hanbai warmed the white jade in his grip and finally calmed his mind to pick up the carving knife.

The crisp sound of a page turning filled the air. Ji Shenyu didn't encounter any more unsolvable problems, but solving them so smoothly inevitably made him slacken and feel a bit sleepy. He hadn't slept well these past two days, and the drowsiness came on like a flash flood, making him lower his body, unable to get up again.

The movement beside him had stopped for a long time. Ding Hanbai, who had been focused on carving the jade, curiously turned his head. 'This guy...' He saw Ji Shenyu fast asleep on his paper, his cheek pressed down, a pen still held between his fingers.

It wasn't until he finished carving and his chair bumped something as he stood up that Ji Shenyu slowly opened his eyes.

“Are you going to finish your homework or not?” Ding Hanbai asked. “If not, go back to your room and sleep. Save your paper from being drooled on.”

Ji Shenyu remained lying on his stomach. “You’re done carving already?”

Ding Hanbai nodded and handed over the White Jade Snuff Bottle. The bottle had a short neck and full shoulders, its shape squarish with rounded edges. The main point was that it had no carving marks at all, looking just like a block of jade tofu. Ji Shenyu sat up straight. “Just the outline, plain and unadorned. Are you slacking off?”

Seeing that Ding Hanbai didn't answer, his thoughts shifted and he suddenly understood. “This material...”

“Top-grade Hetian Jade Seed Material. Thank you for being so good at picking it.” Ding Hanbai was extremely satisfied, so satisfied that he was afraid even one extra cut would let the carving outshine the material. Once hollowed and polished, the flawless White Jade Snuff Bottle was simply perfect.

Ji Shenyu held it and played with it. “Senior Brother, the processing fees for items from Jade Pavilion are very high. So how do you charge for a plain one like this?”

Ding Hanbai replied, “This plain jade snuff bottle was popular during the Qianlong period. It’s called ‘a fine talent needs no carving.’ A pair of the same type was recorded in a book, worth over one hundred thousand yuan, so a single one like this would be about thirty to forty thousand.”

Ji Shenyu couldn't put it down. “Can I take half the credit? When it’s sold, I’ll ask Master for praise.”

His palm suddenly empty, the snuff bottle was snatched back by Ding Hanbai. “In your dreams.” Ding Hanbai cupped it in his large hand, hiding it from view. “I’m not selling it. I’ll use it myself when I’m fifty.”

Ji Shenyu said in amazement, “That’s still thirty years away, and you’ve already planned for when you’re fifty?”

Ding Hanbai said, “Of course. At fifty, my fate will be sealed, I’ll have earned enough money, and I’ll pass my skills and abilities to my son. I’ll just have fun every day.” He spoke so matter-of-factly. Ji Shenyu asked what if he had a daughter. He replied, “I have my principles. I pass it down to sons, not daughters.”

'A joke. Carving is so arduous, it makes one's hands as tough as leather. How could he bear to let a daughter do it? A girl should study, do things she’s interested in, just like Jiang Caiwei would be best.' Ding Hanbai thought.

Ji Shenyu deliberately challenged him, “Then if you don’t have a son, won’t your skills be lost?”

Ding Hanbai glanced at him sideways. “Can’t I take an apprentice? But my apprentice must be highly talented, otherwise I’d rather not take one at all. Besides, so what if it's lost? It’s not one of the Four Great Inventions. Is being lost not allowed?”

Ji Shenyu couldn't win the argument. He felt that Ding Hanbai must have ranked first in language, as he always had a comeback. In his silence, he thought of Ji Fangxu. So what if one had a son? Even burning paper money in tribute was separated by a vast distance, only able to be chided in a dream with a single line, 'That doesn't necessarily mean you miss me.'

His gaze fell on the Celadon Vase, his regret deepening. Ji Fangxu had taught him this skill, but it would probably be left to waste in the future.

Ding Hanbai, not understanding the situation, followed Ji Shenyu's line of sight and said generously, “Didn’t you want to trade? Here, you can have it.”

After all that, the Celadon Vase was back in Ji Shenyu's hands. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After carrying it back to his room, he leaned against the door in a daze. Liang Hecheng had said that everything is predestined and depends only on fate, but a fate worth a hundred thousand yuan was too extravagant, and obtaining it from a terminally ill old man might shorten his own life.

Three days later, Ding Hanbai went to work in a downpour. When he reached the entrance of the Cultural Relics Bureau, his way was blocked by a dilapidated flatbed cart. He rolled down his car window to shout for someone from the guardhouse, but the guard pushed out an old man instead.

“What’s going on?” Ding Hanbai asked.

The guard said, “He collects scrap from the Museum and wants to take on the Bureau's business too. We can't get him to leave.”

The old man was wearing an old-fashioned straw hat, and his cloth shoes and trouser legs were soaked. Ding Hanbai couldn't bear the sight and said, “Let him come in to shelter from the rain. I'll submit an application and see if we can contract the job to him.”

He parked his car and entered the building, encountering the old man sheltering from the rain at the entrance. In the instant he paused, the old man took off his straw hat, revealing his face. Who else could it be but Zhang Sinian?!

Zhang Sinian wiped away the raindrops. “Are you still submitting that application?”

Ding Hanbai thought the old man was a real piece of work. He smiled from a meter and a half away. “Of course, I am. Come by often in the future. I’ll show you all the good stuff I have. A hundred thousand a piece, clearance sale.”

After saying this, he entered the building to work. Once in his office, he hand-wrote an application for Zhang Yin. If one office approved it, the other departments wouldn't bother looking for someone else; it was a simple matter. Zhang Yin dawdled, wiping the ink bottle, twisting the fountain pen barrel, and wiping it clean after filling it. Finally, he was willing to sign his not-so-illustrious name.

Ding Hanbai sniffed and, following a whiff of sandalwood, looked down and saw a small incense burner on the desk. No wonder he was dawdling; he was waiting for him to discover this little treasure. There was a sachet inside the burner. It must have been very precious, as he was unwilling to let real incense smoke stain the inner walls.

He leaned over to admire it, spouting a stream of lies, “From the Song Dynasty, Ge Ware. It’s beautiful.”

Zhang Yin finally finished signing. “A replica from the Qianlong period. It’s just ordinary Ge Ware Glaze.”

“Then my eyes deceived me.” Ding Hanbai put the other man on a pedestal, figuring his luck for the week would be smooth sailing. After leaving, he was busy for a while. When the rain lightened, he gathered two boxes of scrap. Zhang Sinian was still at the building entrance and consciously took them when he came out.

“Add a little more when you write the slip. Are you trying to get a bigger reimbursement?”

Ding Hanbai felt insulted. “I wouldn’t even blink at ten thousand yuan. Do I care about pocketing the difference from selling scrap?”

Zhang Sinian was just joking and said cheerfully, “By the way, didn’t you say you worked at the Museum?”

Ding Hanbai also laughed. “You’re allowed to sell fakes, but I’m not allowed to give false personal information?” He decided to be direct. “When you said that vase was from Fujian, that was a pretty good bluff.”

Since Zhang Sinian had the contract for the Museum's scrap, he must have wandered around it a lot and thus seen that batch of salvaged fragments. Zhang Sinian nodded with great interest. “A bluff, you say. So it didn’t fool you?”

Ding Hanbai felt insulted again. Who in this business authenticates things based on words? The most damn unreliable thing was someone's mouth. He chatted to kill time, “That Celadon Vase was made using a splicing method. The reason it looked so real was that the materials were authentic, and of course, the technique wasn’t bad either.”

Rainwater got into Zhang Sinian’s blind eye, making it reddish. “Are there any other tricks to the trade?”

“There's also adhesion, burial, faking a part, or faking the entire piece,” Ding Hanbai said. He had long ago memorized and thoroughly studied the contents of Like Mountains, Like Seas—forgery methods one, two, three, and appraisal methods four, five, six—and knew them by heart.

Zhang Sinian asked, “Then why did you buy it if you could see it was a fake?”

At the time, Ding Hanbai had just wanted it for research, plus he didn't think thirty thousand yuan was a big deal. Since they were on the topic, his mischievous streak swelled. He looked at the other man with a smile. Zhang Sinian felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and as his blind eye opened and closed, he suddenly understood.

“You little brat!” the old man cursed. “The Hundred Longevity Vase is a fake!”

Ding Hanbai placated him, “Even as a fake, it's a high-quality piece. I dare say, if you take it out and show it around, no one will be able to tell. You could resell it for another high price.”

Zhang Sinian was furious, angry that he himself had misjudged, seemingly for no other reason. After failing to calm down for a good while, he said in a sarcastic tone, “The people from the Cultural Relics Bureau are truly impressive. Unlike those who just trade antiques, you really know how to hit the mark.”

Ding Hanbai said, “Just praise me personally, don’t bring my organization into it.” He pointed back at the building. “Our director got himself a fake Ge Ware Small Incense Burner and is blissfully happy with it. I feel embarrassed for him.”

“How do you know it’s fake?”

“The body of that small incense burner is covered in a ‘golden thread and iron wire’ crackle pattern, which is extremely difficult to replicate. Luckily, I have a good memory. For things like this, I always pick a few spots to commit to memory. I can tell just from a slight difference in the distance between the lines.”

After slacking off for a long time while selling scrap, the rain had stopped. Zhang Sinian prepared to leave, smiling and humming a Beijing Opera tune, not at all like he was angry moments before. Instead, he looked like someone who had come upon a happy occasion. He walked down the steps, turned back, and shouted at Ding Hanbai, “Do you want to see a real Ge Ware Small Incense Burner?”

Ding Hanbai was in a daze and didn't respond, captivated by the old codger's gaze.

“57 Chongshui Road. Don't come empty-handed, bring two liang of white wine.” Zhang Sinian retracted the sharp glint in his eyes, put on his straw hat, and recited as he walked away, “This child is teachable.”

Meanwhile, Ji Shenyu had already arrived at No. 25 Miao'an. A low roll of thunder passed over, hinting that something was about to happen.