newbobooks Chapter 155: Grand Tutor Zhou is criticized
Chapter 155: Grand Tutor Zhou is criticized
An incense stick of time passed quietly. Yan Wanwan's eyes flickered as she looked at the gloomy Grand Tutor Zhou. With a hint of urgency in her tone, she urged, "Grand Tutor Zhou, you've been looking at these for so long. Can you tell whether these objects are real or fake?"
Grand Tutor Zhou slowly raised his head, his chest rising and falling slightly. He took a deep breath, his face filled with guilt. He shook his head helplessly and sighed, "These things are so badly broken and damaged that it's difficult to tell. I'm not very knowledgeable and can't tell whether they're real or fake."
"Can't you see it, or are you unwilling to confirm it?" Yan Wanwan cast a pair of sharp eyes on him and spoke sharply and harshly.
Grand Tutor Zhou immediately said with a stern face, "As a Grand Tutor, how could I possibly tell such a lie? If you don't believe me, then please seek help from someone else."
Yan Wanwan didn't respond. Instead, she picked up a broken piece of porcelain in front of him and said, "Grand Master Zhou, your words are untenable. I've heard that you're quite accomplished in appraising treasures, and have been able to determine the age and origin of an artifact based on a single fragment. Now, faced with these broken but distinctive objects, you suddenly claim to be unskilled. It's hard to believe."
The corners of Grand Tutor Zhou's mouth twitched slightly, and he feigned composure as he retorted, "Don't exaggerate, County Lady. The previous treasure appraisals were merely coincidental. Moreover, the circumstances of this item are special and very different from the past."
Yan Wanwan scoffed softly, her eyes filled with disdain. "Coincidence? I don't think so. Don't rush to deny it, let me explain it slowly. I've consulted a large number of ancient books and materials, which record the unique craftsmanship of this kind of artifacts."
She pulled a yellowed ancient book from her bosom, flipped to a page, and showed it to Grand Tutor Zhou. "Look, it describes in detail the special marks left by this type of artifact during the firing process. Even if broken, these marks will not completely disappear. I have carefully examined the fragments of these objects and found no similar marks. Instead, they look like they were fired recently."
Grand Tutor Zhou glanced at the ancient book, his expression changing slightly, but he remained calm and said, "Even the records in ancient books may not be accurate. Perhaps the production process has changed?"
Yan Wanwan was undeterred by his words and continued, "Even if the production process has changed, the core characteristics of this artifact will definitely not change easily. Take the body of this porcelain, for example. A genuine antique has a fine and compact body. The older it is, the more obvious the texture of time has become. But look at these fragments. The body is rough and grainy, completely lacking the charm of antiques. How can this be explained by changes in production technology?"
As she spoke, she raised the fragments in her hand in front of Grand Tutor Zhou, her eyes full of scrutiny.
Grand Tutor Zhou feigned composure and said, "County Lady, this is just one side of the story. Objects in this world are ever-changing. Who can guarantee that the criteria you rely on are accurate? Perhaps you are mistaken."
"Okay, since you said that's not it, let's take a look at this item." Yan Wanwan picked up a piece of gold jewelry and said, "This is real gold and silver, and it's the easiest to identify. But look at what's inside?"
Yan Wanwan just gently broke it open, and the silver inside was immediately revealed.
Grand Tutor Zhou narrowed his eyes slightly and secretly glared at those people.
Yan Wanwan noticed their little movements, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.
Her gaze was like a sharp blade, piercing directly at Grand Tutor Zhou. She said fearlessly, "Grand Tutor Zhou, this gold jewelry may appear to be made of pure gold, but it's actually mixed with other metals. Are you still going to turn a blind eye to such a crude counterfeit?"
Fine beads of sweat oozed from Grand Tutor Zhou's forehead. He feigned composure, his hands clasped behind his back, trying to maintain his dignity. He snorted coldly, "County Lady, this gold jewelry has a complicated origin. Perhaps it was tampered with during the chaos. How can you say with such certainty that it's just something the shop keeps?"
Unexpectedly, Yan Wanwan raised an eyebrow and looked at him, mocking him, "From Master Zhou's tone, it seems that you are very familiar with these shops! Do you know them? Are they acquaintances?"
Grand Tutor Zhou smiled calmly, "My Lady, you must be joking. How did I get to know the shopkeeper in Nanping Prefecture?"
Yan Wanwan sighed regretfully, "Oh! I thought Grand Tutor Zhou knew them and could give them a discount on the rent in the future. Since he doesn't know them, forget it. We must earn the money we deserve."
Grand Tutor Zhou: “…”
"Alright, these two items alone are enough to prove that these shops are selling inferior goods as genuine goods. I will hold them accountable on behalf of Nanping Prefecture, and I would like to ask Grand Tutor Zhou to be a witness."
Grand Tutor Zhou's expression instantly turned extremely ugly. He didn't expect Yan Wanwan to be so difficult to deal with and insist on holding on to this matter.
"County Lady, this is quite strange. I've seen their shop in Jingzhao before, but the goods there were always genuine and well-priced. Why is it that things have changed in Nanping Prefecture?"
Yan Wanwan nodded and replied, "Yes! I didn't expect that these old brands would treat people differently."
Before the end of the world, she was also an online shopping girl. There were many online stores that sold both real and fake goods, not to mention those in ancient times. They probably thought that the people in Nanping Prefecture were poor and had never seen the world, so even if they sold all the fake goods, they would not be discovered, so they were fearless!
Grand Tutor Zhou felt heartbroken after being criticized. He quietly winked at those people, warning them to stop while they were ahead and not to delay any further.
Seeing this, the others immediately said, "Since you, the county lady, say it's fake, then it must be fake! We have nothing to say."
Persuaded?
No, they are retreating to advance, and their weak and forced appearance can easily be misunderstood.
Yan Wanwan has seen a lot of this. In modern times, there is a general term for such people, that is, green tea bitches.
"No! You are so innocent! But innocence is not just a lip service. This county lady has found evidence that you are selling counterfeit goods. You must produce evidence to prove your innocence!"
Those people were speechless. They lowered their heads, clenched their teeth, and no one could say a word.
Grand Tutor Zhou growled in frustration, "Great! Did you really do something so dishonest? I'm very disappointed in you."
After saying this, he looked at Yan Wanwan with a look of regret, "County Lady, these are all trivial matters. The earth dragon just turned over, let's count the conditions of the injured. There is really no need to make such a fuss for a small shop."
What he meant was that Yan Wanwan should be gentle with the matter and not delve into it too deeply, as it was meaningless.
Yan Wanwan nodded slightly, a confident smile on her lips. "Grand Tutor Zhou is absolutely right. If that's the case, I won't waste any more time and will directly punish these illegal businesses according to the laws of Nanping Prefecture."
"punish?"