Chapter 93: Seeking a Master and Asking for Guidance (1)
Thanks to the good start on the first day, Ruilin Jewelry's booth gradually became popular, and it was rumored that a master appraiser from inland China was stationed here, and many people brought their own jewelry for Qu Wen to identify.
"So young, is he really a master of appreciation?" This was the view of many people when they first met Qu Wen.
However, after hearing about Qu Wen's miraculous event yesterday, they all dismissed this idea.
"You must not have come yesterday, Master Qu casually selected three pieces of jade rough stones and raised the price three times. He didn't even need to look at them, just touched them with his hand and knew if there was jade inside. This skill is not a master's, what else could it be?"
Although it's a bit exaggerated, people tend to believe rumors and hearsay, and after hearing them many times, they'll take them as true. Regardless of whether you actually have the skills or not, people will always assume you're an expert first.
Of course, Qu Wen is not a god stick in society, and he really has some skills. No matter what it is, he can tell whether it's true or false, and even say the approximate year of the object.
One told ten, ten told a hundred, and more and more people came to ask Qu Wen to appraise their jewelry, even antiques.
Appreciation master, should naturally know everything.
By the time the exhibition ended in the afternoon, there was still a long queue at Rui Lin Jewelry's booth, and the organizer had to ask security guards to "invite" everyone out.
It was already six o'clock in the evening when Qu Junliang returned home, and after a busy day, Qu Wen felt particularly tired, he hadn't been so exhausted for a long time.
"Ah Wen, you're back. Let me introduce you to this gentleman, Tao Yuanming, the chairman of Taihe Real Estate, and this is his daughter, Tao Jingying." Qu Wen heard Xia Junliang's introduction as soon as they walked into the hall.
Tao Jingying, the name sounds so familiar, and upon taking another look at her appearance, she has a cute face like Barbie doll and a stunning figure that can hook men's eyeballs, but with an expression that keeps people at bay.
"What a small world..." Qu Wen muttered to himself, a friendly smile on his face as he pretended not to recognize Tao Jingying and politely asked, "Mr. Tao, Miss Tao, how are you?" He then sat down beside Xia Junliang.
"Who is this?" Tao Yuanming asked curiously, everyone knew that Xia Junliang was a straightforward and irritable person, and there were less than ten people in all of Hong Kong who could make him speak with such a warm tone.
"I'm here to learn from Master Xia." Before Xia Junliang could respond, Qu Wen jumped in and said a sentence, still with a friendly smile on his face.
Tao Yuanming had been in the business for many years and knew that Qu Wen was perfunctory, but he didn't expose him on the spot. His purpose today was to help his daughter ask for a teacher, and if he offended someone next to Xia Junliang, it would be troublesome, so he also responded perfunctorily.
"Really? Then you must study hard, Xia is a famous teacher after all."
"It's natural, I rarely meet a famous teacher, and I will definitely learn with an earnest heart."
Xia Junliang didn't know what Qu Wen meant by saying that, and he didn't pay much attention to it for the time being. After the two of them finished chatting, he turned to Tao Yuanming with a serious face: "Director Tao, it's not that I don't want to accept your daughter as my apprentice, but my requirements for apprentices are very high. If she can't learn, I will inevitably scold her, so don't be heartbroken at that time."
Xia Junliang's bad temper is well-known to everyone. When he gets angry, regardless of the occasion or the person's status, he will scold them harshly. This has led him to offend many people. However, he has real skills and is considered second to none in Hong Kong's appraisal industry. After getting to know him for a while, you'll discover that he's just straightforward by nature and actually cares deeply about his friends. If someone is in trouble, he will help if he can. Over time, everyone gradually accepts his bad temper and considers him a close friend.
"It's nothing, kids need to be tempered to become useful, if she can't even handle this, I won't help her ask for a teacher." Tao Yuanming said with a smile, not knowing what was wrong, since Tao Jingying returned from the mainland, she seemed to have been enchanted by antique appraisal, unlike before when it was just talk. This is not necessarily about helping to introduce and ask Xia Junliang to be her teacher.
Hearing Tao Yuanming's words, Qu Wen couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Still a kid!"
Tao Jingying looked like she was under twenty, or at least eighteen. If it weren't for her pretty face, Qu Wen would have suspected that she had entered menopause, otherwise how could she have such a big temper.
From the moment she saw Qu Wen, Tao Jingying was somewhat unhappy, but in front of Xia Junliang, she could only endure and not erupt. However, she did not expect Qu Wen to be so despicable, ridiculing herself in front of everyone, and as a result, she still couldn't bear it and burst out.
"You dead country bumpkin, don't be too arrogant! I came here to pay respects to Master Xia, what business is it of yours? You really think you're superior and didn't need to come here to learn from Master Xia!"
Yao Yuanming was stunned, unable to understand why his daughter suddenly lost her temper, especially in front of Xia Junliang. His face couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, so he awkwardly shouted at her loudly: "Yingying, you must not be rude!"
Xia Junliang looked at the two of them in confusion, listening to Qu Wen and Tao Jingying's tone, they should have met before, not just once. Like Tao Yuanming, he was stunned for a while before slowly saying: "Awen, do you two know each other?"
"I met her in the Southwest, and there was a bit of unpleasantness at the time, but I forgot about it soon after. If I hadn't run into her today, I would have almost forgotten that Miss Tao always has a poker face."
Qu Wen speaks very casually and naturally, making himself appear very generous, but also intentionally or unintentionally belittling Tao Jingying as someone who is not easy to get along with.
But people all have tempers, let alone a girl. Tao Jingying had just thought that Qu Wen still had some good points when she was again angered by his words to the point of wanting to stab him with a knife.
"That's enough, Qiu Wen. If you don't want me to become your apprentice, then so be it. Why must you belittle me? Are you afraid that I'll surpass you after I learn from him, or are you worried that Xia Dashi will take me on as his disciple and no longer be willing to teach you anything?"
Seeing the two people arguing more and more fiercely, Xia Junliang couldn't help but interrupt Tao Jingying's words: "Miss Tao, I think you're mistaken. Ah Wen isn't my apprentice, but rather my junior fellow disciple. To say something a bit arrogant, actually Ah Wen has many places where he is stronger than me."
"What? He is your junior brother..."
Tao Jingying originally thought that Qu Wen was also coming to pay respects and learn from a master, but unexpectedly he turned out to be Xia Junliang's junior fellow disciple. Since the two were in a junior-senior fellow disciple relationship, it was likely that they wouldn't accept her as an apprentice.
Before his father could speak, he bit his teeth and said to Xia Junliang with a hint of grievance: "No wonder you've always been unwilling to accept me as an apprentice. It's because of him, isn't it? Sorry, let's pretend we never came here today. Dad, let's go home." After saying that, he stood up and was about to leave.
But before she could straighten up, Qu Wen said loudly: "Who says my brother is unwilling to accept you as a disciple? Is it that you don't have the confidence to surpass me?" Then he turned to Xia Junliang and said very seriously: "Brother, you must take this disciple!"
