The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 287 This time the harvest is huge!
In the depths of winter, the twilight in the mountains easily evokes memories of the past.

Just past four in the afternoon, the sky, a mix of orange-red and dark blue, pressed down heavily, and the azure sky that had lasted all day began to dissipate.

The days are short in the mountains!
It was Chen Shoujiang's first time driving a long distance, and Qian Jin didn't want him to drive at night, so he told Zhou Tiezhen to hurry up and load the truck.

The sparse treetops on the back hill of Xiping were blurred into a silhouette, and Zhou Tiezhen's greeting rang out from inside.

The loud roar of the chainsaw stopped, and Qian Jin went over to check the situation.

At this moment, the air above the logging site was still filled with the strong and fresh scent of pine resin emitted from the torn pine logs.

The odor, mixed with lingering diesel exhaust, pressed heavily on the cold air.

The logging site was a complete mess.

Larch and oak trees, as thick as an adult's thigh, were felled and lay scattered on the snow, revealing stark white streaks.

Messy branches, broken bark, and golden sawdust from chainsaws scattered across the snow, creating a chaotic yet primal landscape.

"Keep up the work and load them all onto the truck as quickly as possible!" Zhou Tiezhen was still wearing that old cotton-padded jacket with the cotton batting showing.

At this moment, a layer of golden wood dust covered his head and body. The howling mountain wind swept over him, but it couldn't sweep away the wood dust.

Logging is easy, but lifting logs is difficult.

It only took forty or fifty workers to cut down the trees, but it took twice as many workers to lift the logs from the foot of the mountain onto the truck bed.

A full hundred strong men, including Biaozi, Zhuzi, and Erniu, were working in pairs or six teams, using all their strength to lift the log.

The team leader was rhythmically calling out commands from the sidelines:
"Hey-yo! Get up!"

"Hold on! Move!"

"Those in the back, slow down! Those in the front, move forward!"

Strong laborers carried thick hardwood poles on their shoulders, with sturdy hemp ropes hanging down from the middle of the poles, the knots deeply embedded in the ends of the felled wood.

The heavy logs were lifted off the cold snow. The men's necks were bulging with veins, their backs were taut like fully drawn bows, and their bronze faces were flushed red from the extreme effort.

The team leader had to lead the way while shouting commands.

The group trudged forward, one step at a time, and had to be very careful. The foot of the mountain was covered with snow, tree roots, and loose rocks, and one wrong step could cause them to fall.

It's one thing to stumble normally, but now a team of people is carrying a log weighing over a thousand kilograms. If it falls to the ground and crushes someone, it could very well be a fatality!
Soon, the men were sweating, and the hot sweat condensed into puffs of white mist in the cold air.

They were like a group of phoenixes rising from the ashes, trudging laboriously toward the truck.

With each step, the heavy poles creaked and groaned under their thick shoulders, and the snow beneath their feet was trampled into a mess, with mud and snowmelt mixed together.

This makes it even harder for the rest of the group to move forward.

Upon seeing this, the women's director gave a few instructions, and soon a group of women and old men removed the wooden door from the house.

They laid wooden planks on the ground, and after making sure they were secure, they let the men step on them, so that they could walk more steadily.

Finally, the heavy breathing, the crunching of snow underfoot, and the shouts of carrying logs intertwined in the mountains and fields, creating a rough yet powerful symphony of mountain labor.

Qian Jin was deeply moved as he gazed at this scene.

He touched the small gold box around his neck and silently went to the truck's cab.

Before anyone came to the truck, he hurriedly took out his large gold box and bought a batch of work boots.

He had just noticed that the laborers' shoes revealed their cotton boots and even their patched cotton socks.

They need a good pair of shoes.

After buying the shoes, he put them in a urea bag, intending to stuff them under the driver's seat, but with so many people and shoes, he couldn't fit them in at all.

Especially since there was already a briefcase inside, and that briefcase was extremely valuable!
So he thought about it and decided to throw the cotton shoes into the truck bed and cover them with the tarpaulin that came with the truck.

After covering it up for a moment, he turned around and went to the logging site, where he and two other members worked together to drag a slightly thinner oak log down the mountain.

The Zhou family values ​​personal relationships very much.

Timber may not be worth much in the mountains, but it becomes much more valuable once it's transported to the city, because it's extremely difficult to move timber in the freezing cold of the twelfth lunar month!

Soon, Qian Jin's fingers went numb from the cold wood.

Despite wearing work gloves, the rough tree bark still chafed his hands.

The heavy oak made every step extremely difficult for him, and his chest throbbed like a bellows.

Within two minutes, my underwear was soaked with sweat. The mountain wind was unpredictable, always trying to undress me and slipping into my arms and back. The scalding sweat quickly turned icy cold, making me shiver all over.

At that moment, he truly felt the weight contained in each piece of wood.

Transporting timber from the mountains to the city is incredibly difficult.

At the foot of the mountain, the Jiefang brand truck stood there quietly, like a silent steel behemoth.

As the first log arrived, Chen Shoujiang, who was also involved in moving the logs, ran over and began directing the loading onto the truck.

The side panels of the truck bed had already been lowered, and Qian Jin quickly went over and threw the urea bags from the tarpaulin onto the ground.

Nobody knows what it is; the laborers are all focused on loading the truck.

The men in the first team put down the wood and drank a couple of mouthfuls of hot water brought to them by the women to gather their strength.

At the captain's command, "That's enough, comrades," the men shouted, "Charge!"

High morale.

After resting, the strong laborers unleashed even greater strength:
"One—two—three! Go—!"

The log was carefully adjusted at an angle, its front end was slowly lifted, and finally it slammed heavily against the iron plate on the edge of the truck bed.

With a loud crash, everyone worked together, pushing and pulling, tossing and dragging the heavy log inch by inch onto the truck bed.

The steel plates of the truck bed groaned under the heavy pressure.

One stick, two sticks, three sticks...

More and more logs were stuffed into the truck bed, stacked on top of each other, gradually building up a taller pile.

The dull thuds of wood colliding, heavy breathing, and short, forceful shouts echoed along the road at the foot of the mountain.

The sky darkened rapidly, dusk settled, and the outlines of the mountains and fields became blurred under the leaden sky.

Qian Jin sighed.

Miscalculated.

I'm destined to walk alone at night tonight!
As the sun lost its heat, the biting wind grew increasingly piercing, cutting like a knife against my sweaty face.

The truck's headlights snapped on, and two dim beams of light, like the single eye of a giant beast, pierced through the thick twilight, illuminating the foot of the mountain.

Within the beam of light, snow dust and the white breath exhaled by people danced wildly.

The logs were finally all loaded onto the truck.

Chen Shoujiang quickly pulled over a large, thick, green waterproof tarpaulin. Several commune members immediately climbed onto the roof of the vehicle and worked together to unfold the tarpaulin, covering the stack of timber piled high on the vehicle.

The hemp rope passed through the iron rings pre-installed on the edge of the truck bed, was quickly tightened and knotted, and made a laborious "creaking" sound.

The canvas was stretched taut, fluttering in the cold wind.

Seeing this, Chen Shoujiang wiped the sweat and sawdust from his face and shouted at Qian Jin:

"All set! Four brothers, everything's fine!"

Just then, several teenagers came tumbling down the mountain path, carrying bulging burlap sacks together, shouting:
"Director Qian, don't rush off!"

"Director Qian, take a look at this..."

Qian Jin still had to go with Zhou Tiezhen to retrieve the old items, so he wasn't in a hurry to leave. He said, "Don't run, don't run, young men, be careful, the mountain road is covered in snow."

The boys, their faces flushed with excitement, didn't care at all: "Captain, Director Qian, don't forget the good stuff we got earlier!"

The leader of the team was Tie Dan, who had once led money into the mountains to catch cicadas and into the water to catch fish.

He placed the bag on his shoulder on the ground in front of Qian Jin, and immediately a few panicked "squeaks" came from inside.

Erniu immediately reached in, her movements extremely careful, and pulled out several simple little cages woven from thin rattan and dry grass!

Each cage contained a fluffy little creature!

Some of the little creatures were all gray and black, with bushy tails and big, dark eyes that darted around in fear—they were squirrels!

There were also a few smaller ones, with yellowish-brown feathers, flapping their wings in panic in the cage and making weak chirps—they were a few unidentified little tits!

"And these things too." The boy, Stone, also untied the bag he was carrying; the contents inside were even more substantial:
Two pheasants, their feet bound by thin hemp rope, their feathers dusty and their long tail feathers drooping, were already on the verge of death from the cold.

There was also a rather large gray hare, whose limbs were also bound, but it was still hopping around in vain.

"They were all caught by my second grandfather, Lao Huai. These squirrels are fast, and we almost let them get away."

"The pheasants were caught by Old Huai's second grandfather in a trap. I guess they fell into the trap yesterday and are almost frozen to death."

The boys, barely out of school, proudly showed off their "spoils," their faces beaming with the joy of their harvest.
"And these rabbits, Brother Zhu said they were found in a rabbit burrow under the tree when they were cutting it down. Look, a whole burrow..."

They peeled the bag off and showed it to Qian.

There were also several small fluffy balls, each about the size of a child's fist, which turned out to be little rabbits.

Zhou Tiezhen looked at the creatures and laughed heartily, waving his hand: "Director Qian, you have to take these wild animals from the mountains back with you. You have many brothers and sisters and many children at home."

"Let's give these things to the kids to play with. Clean up these pheasants and rabbits and add some wild game to the house."

"Even though it's frozen solid now, it'll still be incredibly delicious when used in soups and stews. You can't find this kind of flavor in the city!"

Qian Jin looked at the shivering squirrels and tits in the cage, as well as the frozen pheasants and rabbits, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

This simple gift carries the spirit of the mountains and the sincerity of the villagers.

He unceremoniously carried it into the driver's seat, then went to the ground next to the front of the truck and pulled up the urea bags one by one.

"Here, I've prepared some small gifts for the comrades. They're just a token of my appreciation."

He opened the bag and poured out the contents, which were all the same style of work boots. They were warm, durable, and a pair could last for three years.

These cotton shoes are all genuine Liberation Shoes, with a fleece-lined, thickened, high-top design and a rubber outsole made using new technology, making them very durable.

The upper has two layers: an outer layer of military-grade fabric and an inner layer of suede cowhide. The sole has a steel plate for overall support, so even if the rubber layer wears out, it can be repaired by melting the rubber.

Where in the mountains can you find such a good thing?
There isn't one in the mountains, or even in the city.

Zhou Tiezhen was surprised to see such shoes. After trying them on, he asked in astonishment, "Why are they so heavy?"

The young people immediately gathered around, arms around each other, curiously examining the shoes scattered on the ground.

Qian Jin picked up a pair to show them: "These high-top, thick-soled shoes are definitely heavy, but you can wear them without worry. They're warm and sturdy, and they'll last for years."

Zhou Tiezhen didn't stand on ceremony with him and called out to the laborers, "What the hell are you all standing there for? Quickly thank Director Qian, then the team leader will check the shoe size and come up to collect the shoes."

Qian Jin said, "I didn't know how many laborers the team had at the time, so I brought 150 pairs of shoes with me."

Zhou Tiezhen laughed and said, "It's enough, it's enough. There are a total of 106 laborers here today..."

“We should also give a pair to these young men and women.” Qian Jin patted the heads of Tie Dan, Shi Tou, and the others.

Compared to the last summer when they brought money into the mountains, these people have all grown significantly.

Zhou Tiezhen gestured and said, "These shoes are too big. Never mind, their older brother and father are here anyway, so they can do the work for free."

Tie Dan was very sensible and said loudly, "Director Qian, we only found these things for you out of respect. You don't need to give us anything, but please give Second Grandpa a pair of shoes. When Second Grandpa runs in the mountains, he has to tie the soles of his shoes with straw ropes."

“Your second grandfather’s is for slip prevention.” A young man blushed.

Old Huai is his father.

Qian Jin said, "I gave Uncle Huai a pair of shoes, and we even had some cured meat from his house for lunch."

"Also, give a pair to each of the uncles who took their dogs to catch wild boars."

"We have plenty of these things. We were in a rush this time and didn't prepare enough. Next time, everyone in our team, regardless of age or gender, will get a new pair of shoes and a new set of clothes."

"Give me a number of these children, and I'll buy them schoolbags in the city, one schoolbag and one pencil case for each of them!"

The boys, barely out of school, were shouting with joy.

The laborers began distributing the shoes, and some put them on immediately after receiving them, saying, "They're so comfortable and warm! These shoes are great; we've never worn shoes like these, not even during the New Year."

Among the laborers, there were fathers and sons working together. The father went up to his son and slapped him on the back of the head: "Nonsense! Take it off! Go back and wash your feet before you put it on. You've got stinky feet in there..."

Some were discussing, "When can we wear these when we go to the city? Look at these shoes, aren't they military boots?"

The Chinese New Year is almost here.

The laborers were overjoyed to receive the shoes: "How many years has it been since we bought new shoes for the New Year? Great, this year we're lucky to have new shoes thanks to Director Qian..." Zhou Tiezhen also received a pair of extra-large shoes.

He reached into the shoe and touched the thick fleece, a smile involuntarily spreading across his face: "This stuff is really good, it must be so warm to wear! My chilblains this winter will be cured."

Chen Shoujiang came over and urged Qian Jin: "Fourth brother, let's go? It's getting dark too early."

Qian Jin winked at Zhou Tiezhen: "An old item?"

"This was prepared long ago, you can take it with you!" Zhou Tiezhen immediately understood what he meant.

With reform and opening up, the economic environment has improved, and policies have been relaxed, so there's less need to be overly cautious about some private transactions.

Zhou Tiezhen turned his head and winked at the old custodian who had been busy working beside him.

The old man understood, beckoned a few young men to follow him, and then jogged away.

Soon, two young men carried over a heavy, flat wooden box covered with tattered burlap sacks.

Zhou Tiezhen stepped forward personally and ripped off the tattered sack covering the sack.

The wooden box was made of rough pine planks, revealing the grain of the raw wood and the smell of pine resin.

Four more boxes were delivered in succession.

There were two seemingly old, faded camphor wood chests with badly worn edges.

The other two boxes are antiques themselves. They are quite exquisite, seemingly made of some kind of hardwood. Although they are also covered in dust and small holes from insects, there is a ring of carvings around the opening of the boxes, and the padlock clasp is made of copper with cloud patterns on it.

The five boxes were tied together haphazardly with thick hemp rope, packed so full they looked like they were about to burst.

“Here they are.” Zhou Tiezhen patted the lid of the first pine box that had been delivered.

Qian Jin smiled and said, "Not bad, it's well preserved this time."

Zhou Tiezhen said, "Now that we know they are valuable, we must preserve them carefully."

That's what he said, but he still didn't hold back when he hit.

He slapped the box with his rough, large hands, making the lid shake violently, and making Qian Jin's little heart pound wildly:
"As you told us last time, it's all old stuff, all broken and dilapidated. We've gathered up everything we had in our brigade. We probably won't have any more in the future, but there's quite a lot this time."

Qian Jin strode forward and, using the dim light of the truck's headlights, carefully examined the five heavy wooden crates.

Open any one of them, and a complex smell of old dust, moldy paper, and insect-eaten wood chips hits you.

The contents inside were a jumbled mess.

The first thing that catches the eye is a small, faded blue cloth bag containing several silver coins, which are casually tossed on top.

The pocket wasn't tied tightly, and several silver coins of varying quality and size rolled out, mingling with the miscellaneous items at the bottom of the box.

Qian Jin quickly picked it up and looked at it.

Yuan Shikai silver dollar, sailboat, eagle dollar...

nice one!
Under the dim headlights, the oxidized, darkened silver coins, still retaining a metallic luster, instantly caught his eye.

Chen Shoujiang stood to the side watching, and couldn't help but hiss as he gasped when he saw these things.

Qian Jin's heart started beating even faster.

There were quite a few good things in the box, based on his experience.

So, disregarding the silver dollars, he reached out and pushed aside the cloth bags, revealing an even more chaotic and disorderly collection of items, each bearing the marks of time:
A heavy bundle of copper coins strung together with hemp thread, covered in green rust, is estimated to contain over a hundred coins. Judging from the degree of corrosion, it spans a considerable period of time.

Several scrolls, the scrolls and the silk used for mounting have long lost their original colors and are now gray and tattered. In some places, they have even been eaten by insects, leaving irregular holes that expose the yellowed edges of the Xuan paper inside.

There were also three or four porcelain and earthenware jars of different sizes and shapes, which were haphazardly stuffed into a corner.

Some have a warm and lustrous glaze, with a deep and stable blue-and-white color; others are rough and simple, carrying the atmosphere of rural kilns.

Qian Jin took them out one by one to look at them, and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

It's a bit of a shame.

The ceramic jars were in poor condition; some had chipped or broken rims, others had long cracks, and one small blue-and-white bowl was even broken into several pieces, which were huddled together in a pitiful state.

Ordinary people don't treat this as a treasure; it lacks protection in daily life.

You can tell from the putty on it; one of the earthenware jars was greasy, indicating it had been cleaned before being handed over.

However, the homeowner didn't have any detergent or other tools that could effectively remove years of grease, so it couldn't be cleaned properly.

However, it's fortunate that they don't have this at home, otherwise it would have caused serious damage to the old items.

In addition, he opened the second box and saw some bamboo-carved pen holders, armrests, and a small seal box that was clearly made of ivory.

Similarly, the surface of the old bamboo carvings is covered with fine wormholes, while the seal box is yellowed and dark in color, full of traces of the erosion of time.

He flipped through the pages and found several thread-bound books buried at the very bottom.

This could be a baby.

He didn't have time to examine it closely; he first took it out and wrapped it in kraft paper to protect it from moisture and light.

The thread-bound books were all old books, the pages were yellowed and brittle, the covers were badly damaged, the corners were curled like the bark of an old tree, and there seemed to be some yellowed letters and scattered pieces of paper mixed in between the pages.

Just as Qian Jin was about to pack up the box, his hand trembled, and beneath a pile of messy copper coins and a few small silver ingots in the corner of the box, several unusually dazzling golden lights flashed!

He was all too familiar with that luster.

Gold!
He held his breath and carefully rummaged through the pile of metal and pulled out a few coin-sized objects—three gleaming ancient coins!
The ancient coins have a simple and unrefined design, definitely not from modern production. They are heavy and have a good weight to them. Although the inscriptions on them are faint and unclear, their weight and golden color are enough to prove their authenticity.

Qian Jin held it between his fingertips, and the cool, hard touch combined with the relatively soft material gave him a huge shock!

Pity!
What a pity!
As far as he knew, all ancient coins made of gold were extremely rare and naturally extremely valuable.

Unfortunately, for some reason, the inscriptions on these three gold coins were scraped off.

Qian Jin guessed that during a special period, to avoid trouble, the owner was unaware of their gold value and simply picked them up as ordinary ancient coins.

Because many of the ancient bronze coins he collected from the Xiping Production Brigade last time had been polished.

"There are many good things inside," Qian Jin remarked.

Zhou Tiezhen asked innocently, "What are they? I don't understand anything, I don't recognize anything."

Qian Jin did not deceive him.

He first categorized and preserved the old items in the five boxes, and then introduced them to those he recognized.

He parted a pile of copper coins and picked up a square-holed coin with a large diameter, regular edges, and excellent copper quality.

Under the light, the four characters "Wanli Tongbao" are clearly and neatly written in regular script, and the character "mine" is prominently displayed on the reverse side.

Qian Jin said, "This should be an extremely rare Wanli mining silver coin, with a value far exceeding that of ordinary copper coins."

As for its specific value, he couldn't say.

But a few onlookers were curious, so he casually remarked, "It's worth at least a Capital brand watch."

"Ah!" A gasp of surprise rang out.

Copper coins are extremely abundant, but most of them are worthless.

Qian Jin quickly and roughly selected a few Shunzhi and Kangxi Tongbao coins in good condition. These coins all had clear markings such as "Dong" and "Yuan" on the reverse, making them rare finds.

The most valuable items were the three gold coins.

Unfortunately, the coin was badly worn. He had to hold it up to the headlights to examine it closely before he could barely recognize that it was a "Xianfeng Yuanbao" with "Baoquan Dang Shi" on the reverse.

These gold coins have both Manchu and Chinese characters on them, and if they are in good condition, Qian Jin estimates they are priceless.

There were also some miscellaneous silver coins and small silver ingots, more than the last time we collected.

The main focus should still be on calligraphy and painting. He acquired an authentic work by Tang Bohu last time and sold it for a high price in the online store.

This time, the Zhou family got him a lot of calligraphy and paintings. He carefully untied a scroll that was tied with straw rope.

On the yellowed but sturdy silk, a cluster of bamboo is depicted with vigorous brushstrokes, its branches and leaves intertwined in a lively manner. Although the signature is blurred, the scholarly atmosphere that is palpable is definitely not that of an ordinary hand.

He carefully re-rolled up the bindings and then opened another badly worn scroll.

This thing is riddled with wormholes, but there is a few intact lines of running script with a graceful signature. If you look closely, you can see that it is the work of Xiangguang Jushi!

Good guy.

Dong Qichang was a minister, calligrapher, and painter in the late Ming Dynasty.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Qian Jinqiang opened the few tattered thread-bound books again.

He dared not flip through the pages too hard; the paper was already yellowed and brittle, and some of the spines even had live bookworms inside.

Most of the titles are illegible, but one is still legible, with the title "Plum Blossom Joyful Spirit Manual" still recognizable.

He had never heard of this book, but upon looking at the author—Song Boren!

Qian Jin took a breath of cold air.

In his spare time over the past few years, he has read a lot of popular science materials on antiques and history books. The name Song Boren is not exactly a household name, but it is mentioned in some materials.

This was a famous figure from the Southern Song Dynasty, and Qian Jin remembered him as soon as he saw the name.

Song Boren was indeed skilled at painting plum blossoms, so what he had in his possession was likely a rare and unique painting manual.

If it is indeed a unique copy written by Song Boren himself, then even if it is severely damaged, its cultural value is immeasurable!
The medical books, genealogies, and letters next to it, though not top-tier, include a well-preserved first edition of the Qing Dynasty's finely engraved "Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting," which is quite a valuable item.

Porcelain and pottery require special preservation.

The mountain road was too bumpy, so leaving it in the box like this wouldn't work. Otherwise, by the time we got to Haibin City, these ceramics would be shattered into pieces, and even super glue wouldn't be able to hold them together.

He asked Zhou Tiezhen, "Do you have any tattered clothes? I need to wrap these things."

Zhou Tiezhen said, "These are hard to find. Every household treasures every scrap of cloth, so how could they possibly have any tattered clothes?"

Qian Jin simply said, "Then find me some warm clothes, and I'll have someone return them to you later..."

Zhou Gu, puffing on his pipe, asked, "Director Qian, are you worried that these bottles and jars might get damaged on the way?"

“Yes.” Qian Jin nodded.

Zhou Gu laughed: "Then we don't need any clothes or scraps of cloth. Go, Tie Dan and Shi Tou, quickly go find some wheat chaff and fill the boxes with it."

At a shout of "Yes, sir!", the boys immediately ran off.

Qian Jin placed all the ceramic jars on the ground and arranged them in a row.

One small blue-and-white porcelain jar caught his attention. It had a flared mouth, a bulging belly, a lustrous glaze, and a deep blue color. It was decorated with simple lotus scroll patterns.

He carefully picked it up to examine it. The weight was just right, and the exposed clay at the bottom was pure white and delicate, with a natural flint red color.

This is very likely a fine piece from a folk kiln in the mid-Ming Dynasty.

It is very well preserved and is a rare example of ceramics without any damage.

There is another blue and white porcelain vase that looks more valuable, but unfortunately there is a noticeable crack on the rim, which greatly reduces its value.

Of course, he felt it was still a rare find among old items.

After putting the blue and white porcelain jar down, he picked up a small famille rose bowl that he had noticed earlier.

It has a painting on it, the painting is a bit rough, but the four characters "Made in the Qianlong period" are clear, and the aging marks at the junction of the body and glaze are natural, so it can still sell for a lot of money.

Among the complete vessels were several coarse pottery jars and black-glazed bowls fired in an earthen kiln. In his opinion, they shouldn't be very valuable; they might be old enough, but they had no historical or cultural value.

The boys, who were of age, worked quickly and soon arrived carrying baskets full of wheat chaff.

Pour the money into the box, then put the ceramics in; there will be a protective cushioning layer.

He packaged up the stationery and miscellaneous items:

A bamboo pen holder, carved with simple and ancient techniques, is inscribed with the poem "Asking a Boy Under a Pine Tree," conveying a profound and evocative meaning. Unfortunately, it is unsigned, so it is probably not the work of a famous artist.

He remembered the small ivory seal box he had just seen, and quickly found it and wiped the ash off the lid with his clothes.

After wiping it clean, the lid revealed a shallow relief of a dragon pattern. The carving was exquisite, and the patina was thick and warm. Although there were small cracks, it was still a fine piece. He judged that it should be from the mid-Qing Dynasty.

The inkstones, ink sticks, and broken brushes are mostly ordinary practical utensils, but one of the inkstones has a warm and smooth stone texture with a faint golden sheen and an ancient and simple shape, which is very likely to be the legendary She inkstone.

If it is indeed a She inkstone, then it is one of the four famous inkstones of ancient China, and must be very valuable.

Most of the other small jade items are made of Xiuyan jade or local jade, and their value is not high. There is a bronze Buddha statue with a unique design, as well as wooden carvings, old embroidery, and so on...

In any case, this time, both the quantity and variety of items exceeded Qian Jin's previous harvest.

(End of this chapter)