309: Chapter 309 A Republic-era jujube wood root carving of Lao Tzu riding an ox.

"Name: Republic of China Jujube Wood Root Carving of Laozi Riding an Ox."

"Grade: Fifth Grade."

"Attribute: Auspiciousness +9."

"Skills: Purple Qi Comes from the East, The Tao Follows Nature."

This was brought by a little old lady.

The item was dirty, small in size, and very inconspicuous. The material was mediocre, and it wasn't particularly old, so it wouldn't fetch much of a price in the antique market.

If it were truly a good item, would it have escaped Wang Zhiwei's scavenging?

Who in the antique business doesn't start by scavenging in their own village and their uncle's village first?

People in the village who had similar items preferred to let someone in the village who did this business take a look, thinking that a fellow villager wouldn't cheat them too badly.

Unless that person's character was truly terrible and their reputation was poor.

Wang Zhiwei's character was impeccable, and his reputation was good, so naturally, he was the first choice for these villagers.

Therefore, any item missed by Wang Zhiwei certainly wasn't something valuable.

But not being valuable doesn't mean it isn't a good item.

This root carving of Laozi riding an ox was exactly that kind of item: worthless but very good.

First of all, it was a root carving.

The texture of tree roots is relatively finer and harder, the carving effect is relatively better, and it can be preserved for a longer time.

Secondly, it was the carving craftsmanship.

The carving craftsmanship of this Laozi riding an ox root carving was top-tier. The shape followed the root, not sticking to the traditional styling of this subject matter. The images of the green ox and Laozi had also changed.

The green ox turned its head, seemingly filled with nostalgia, reluctant to leave its homeland where it was raised.

Laozi sat casually on the ox's back, his posture relaxed and free, appearing very unconstrained, forming a sharp contrast with the green ox's reluctance to leave.

Furthermore, Laozi's back was straight, his head slightly raised, his gaze fixed on the distance, his eyes firm and confident.

The image of the ox and the man was vivid and interesting, yet filled with a subtle sense of contradiction. The artist used carving techniques to precisely depict this special emotional point, which was very captivating.

Perhaps the artist was in the same state of mind when carving this piece—preparing to do something, full of confidence and high spirits, yet reluctant to leave the hometown where they had lived for so long, so they expressed their inner feelings through this work.

Of course, it is also possible that the artist intentionally adopted this design concept of using the past to reflect the present, which was relatively grounded.

But regardless of the situation, a work that can incorporate emotions and thoughts is a good work.

In other words, this root carving had already transcended the category of handicrafts and was a true work of art.

In the eyes of an ordinary antique dealer, this was just an item worth a few hundred yuan.

But if it encountered someone who knew its worth, it could really sell for tens of thousands.

Of course, the price now was far more than tens of thousands.

It was worth hundreds of thousands, even millions.

Han Jingyang didn't even intend to sell it at all.

Because the value of this item could not be calculated with money.

The attribute goes without saying.

Auspiciousness +9.

Placing it in the home could genuinely increase auspiciousness; over time, who knows when it might trigger an auspicious event.

The two skills were also awesome.

"Purple Qi Comes from the East" was auspiciousness itself; after activation, it could immediately summon an auspicious event, which was countless times more awesome than the "Bringing Wealth and Treasure" and "Wealth Pouring In" used previously.

"The Tao Follows Nature" had no other function than to enhance the user's comprehension, allowing the user to grasp the true essence of the Tao, similar to the Buddhist concept of sudden enlightenment, but leaning towards the Taoist lineage.

Such a good thing must be kept for personal use.

It wouldn't be sold for any amount of money.

The value of this jujube wood root carving of Laozi riding an ox could not be measured by money.

Everything else was easy to discuss.

But skills like "The Tao Follows Nature" were truly rare.

They were as rare as could be.

If this opportunity was missed, it was unknown when the next chance to obtain such a skill would come.

Perhaps this was the only chance in a lifetime.

After all, this wasn't an ordinary skill, but the "The Tao Follows Nature" personally passed down by the Taoist Ancestor.

Han Jingyang calmly put away the root carving and then set his eyes on one of the Old Men.

Saying he was an Old Man, he was actually only about fifty years old, but his face looked as old as someone in their sixties. He was hunched over, missing several teeth, wheezing every three steps he walked, and holding a black plastic bag in his hand.

There seemed to be something in the plastic bag, but not much.

Han Jingyang calmly finished dealing with the other villagers and finally nodded at the gap-toothed Old Man: "Uncle, are you here to sell something too?"

"Yes, take a look and see if you'll buy it," the gap-toothed Old Man tremblingly opened the plastic bag and presented it to Han Jingyang.

Han Jingyang frowned.

A Child-Sending Guanyin porcelain statue.

The style was vulgar, the color scheme was terrible, and the craftsmanship was quite rough. It was the lowest grade of porcelain, on par with the coarse porcelain bowls used by rural people in the sixties and seventies, made with the cheapest materials and the simplest labor to sell to the lowest class of people.

The red dot on the forehead of that Child-Sending Guanyin was even painted off-center.

Such an item, no one would want it even if given for free.

Even the most uneducated and ignorant person would know that this thing was worthless.

However, Han Jingyang instinctively felt that something was not quite right with this item.

He calmly touched it.

"Ding: Identifiable item discovered. Do you wish to identify it?"

"Yes/No."

It could be identified?

If an object that had nothing going for it and wasn't even old could be identified, there was only one possibility: this was a dharma instrument.

Considering the identity of this Old Man, the origin of this Child-Sending Guanyin porcelain statue was even more worth pondering.

What identity?

This person was Li Yuhua, the son of Zhou Jinhua, and a distant uncle of Doudou.

Zhou Jinhua had delivered Doudou's biological mother, which led to her death during childbirth, and Zhou Jinhua passed away a few days later.

Zhou Jinhua's husband's surname was Li, and he had also passed away a few years ago, leaving behind an only son, Li Yuhua. Li Yuhua had married a wife who was not mentally sound, who also passed away early, leaving only a son, and his life was very difficult.

This was what Han Jingyang had just learned from Liu Zhiyuan.

Liu Zhiyuan had briefly described Li Yuhua's appearance, and he had remembered it.

It was very recognizable.

Seeing this Child-Sending Guanyin porcelain statue now, he was even more eager to learn more.

Zhou Jinhua's identity was that of a midwife. In the early years, this identity was very popular in rural areas. Basically, every household needed one, especially a few decades ago when every household had many children—three or four at the least, seven or eight at the most—and midwives often had to attend several births in a day.

And this Child-Sending Guanyin porcelain statue was a dharma instrument.

Midwife.

Child-Sending Guanyin.

These two words were enough to give people very rich associations.

Han Jingyang reached out and held the Child-Sending Guanyin porcelain statue. It was quite light, which indicated that the quality of the clay was poor and not dense enough. The glaze was mottled and unbearable, and it truly had no redeeming qualities.

The question was, how to acquire this thing without arousing suspicion.

Should he just give a symbolic three or five yuan?

Or give a few hundred?

Thinking this, he asked casually: "Uncle, how much do you plan to sell this porcelain for?"

"One million."

"How much?"