After leaving Hou Su'e's house, Li Jie took out the cigarette rod and took a closer look. It was obviously made of pure brass, and the rust stains on it witnessed the accumulation of history, which were traces of time.
As for whether this tobacco stem belonged to Elgin, Li Jie was not sure for a while. The objects from more than a hundred years ago were not within the scope of the original owner.
The original owner was better at appreciating antiquities from the Song and Ming Dynasties. The year 1860 was too recent.
Although Li Jie couldn't be sure whether the tobacco stem was genuine, one thing he was sure of was that the tobacco stem was definitely an old item. Even if it was not the Elgin one, the transaction would not be a loss.
Just ask Master Jiumen Admiral to know whether it is true or false.
Admiral Jiumen is a descendant of Zhenghuang Banner, and he is Menqing when it comes to Qing Dynasty objects. There is probably no more authoritative Qing Dynasty cultural relic appraisal expert than him in the entire Four-Nine City.
Before coming to the door, Li Jie went to the store and bought two bottles of Erguotou for RMB 1.00. The old man had three major hobbies in his life: antiques, wine, and chess.
The original owner's antiquities appreciation knowledge was half handed over by the nine admirals and half studied by himself. This time he came to seek help, so it was not an exaggeration to bring two bottles of 'good wine' with him.
If money is not too tight, even buying a bottle of Moutai for eight yuan is not an exaggeration. After all, knowledge is priceless.
In the past, antique shops emphasized "teaching and mentoring". You would study with the master for three years, help the master with odd jobs for three years, and then teach the master for another three years. You cannot get started by reading a few books. No matter how much knowledge you have, you will not be able to develop your eyesight.
There are two completely different concepts between being led by a master and not being led by a master. Without the nine-door admiral to introduce the original owner and provide his collection for the original owner to view, the original owner would not be able to enter the industry so quickly.
The old man's house was not far from the Han family, only about ten minutes away. Li Jie arrived at the old man's house after a while carrying the wine he bought.
After entering the door, Li Jie suddenly remembered something. The old man in the original drama was extremely talented. His nose was several times more sensitive to the aroma of wine than ordinary people. Even if he was three or four meters away, he could just open the bottle cap and blow lightly. The old man could tell what kind of wine was in the bottle.
This scene is simply magical. This world is just an ordinary modern copy without any supernatural power. Li Jie is also curious whether this matter is really so suspenseful.
Therefore, after walking into the courtyard gate, Li Jie deliberately slowed down his steps and walked inside with his waist down, secretly observing the situation in the courtyard as he walked.
The old man was sitting on a deck chair in the yard, closing the door and meditating. He held a cattail leaf fan in his hand and fanned slowly and rhythmically.
good chance!
Li Jie hid behind the moon cave door, slowly opened the cap of the wine bottle, put it to his mouth and blew gently into the courtyard.
The aroma of wine floated into the courtyard on the breeze. The old man's nose twitched slightly. He could tell who had brought the wine with his eyes closed. His son was far away in the Lighthouse Country and didn't know what filial piety was.
My granddaughter is in China, but she is at the age where she loves to play. She comes back once or twice a month at most, and even if she comes back, she won't bring wine.
Except for that guy 'Han Chunming', almost no one would bring drinks to see him.
"Grandson! You came just in time, I know your grandpa is out of wine!"
The old man calling him 'grandson' was not a curse. He was old enough to be the grandfather of the original owner. This sentence was more like a 'punishment' for teasing him.
"Old man, guess what kind of wine this is?"
"You don't have to guess? Erguotou costs one yuan a piece, good wine!" The old man raised his eyelids, his tone full of contempt.
Li Jie stretched out his hand and gave a thumbs up. Now he really believed it. This old man was definitely gifted. He could smell the wine even from such a distance.
"I admire your nose, it's absolutely right!"
Although the original owner occasionally brought wine to see the old man in the past, either loose wine or Erguotou for a piece, but this time he brought two bottles at once. As expected, there must be something going on.
"Grandson, tell me, what's the matter with this visit?" The old man closed his eyes and didn't raise his head, looking calm and calm.
"Old man, you are really the reincarnation of Zhuge Kongming, you are capable of calculating things!"
Li Jie laughed and flattered the original owner according to the way he had gotten along with the old man before, and then directly explained his purpose.
"I came here this time to ask you to give me your palm and take a look at this object."
"oh?"
Wine, chess, and cultural entertainment were the old man's three major hobbies in his life. As soon as he heard the palm palm eye, the old man immediately became energetic.
"Take it out and show me!"
Li Jie took out the copper rod from his arms and handed it over. The old man let out a light sigh, took the cigarette rod, put it in his hand and rubbed it gently.
"Where did you get this thing?" The old man glanced at Li Jie in surprise.
Li Jie smiled and scratched his head, wondering: "Haha, I got it from a woman, old man, is this Elgin's tobacco rod?"
"Yes, it's genuine." The old man nodded lightly and hummed softly.
This answer was a bit beyond Li Jie's expectation, and he said dumbly: "Well, how did this thing appear in Sijiu City? What's the origin?"
"There is an allusion to this incident. In fact, the tobacco pole was not made by Elgin himself, but was given to Elgin by the Ninth Prince when he signed the Sino-British BJ Treaty."
"But who is Elgin? There are so many national treasures in the Old Summer Palace that he can take whatever he wants. Such a thing will never be able to catch the eyes of the other party."
"Later, I heard that this guy rewarded the cigarette stick to a person who served tea and water in front of the Ninth Prince."
"Although the Ninth Prince was angry, the imperial court was weak at the time and could not stand upright in front of foreigners and did not dare to pursue the matter."
"Although the Ninth Prince did not pursue the case, the people under his command were dissatisfied. After signing the treaty, I heard that someone was looking for trouble for the lucky man."
"Later, the tobacco pole disappeared. I didn't expect, I didn't expect that this thing would actually see the light of day again."
The old man spoke eloquently, with a recalling expression on his face.
The reason why cultural relics are precious is not only because of their own value, but also because they carry traces of history and are witnesses of the times.
The material of this copper tobacco stem itself is not precious. The real value lies in the meaning given to it by history. It is a witness to history.
It witnessed the signing of the Sino-British BJ Treaty and the most humiliating history of Wanqing. In a sense, it was also one of the evidence of the invasion of the British and French forces.
Seeing that the old man looked like he was lost in memories, and he knew the allusion behind it very well, I was afraid there might be some stories in it, so Li Jie made a decision and spoke.
"Old man, I give this to you as a tribute from me."
