Lin Xiao took a clean towel and meticulously wiped every bar and detail of the freshly cleaned birdcage.
After thoroughly polishing it, he admired the exquisite and luxurious birdcage with a satisfied smile.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
A waiter opened the door, and Xu Rushan, Qian He, and Chen Wanli walked in together.
"Mr. Lin, hope we didn't keep you waiting?" Xu Rushan greeted him warmly.
Lin Xiao stood up and greeted them individually.
None of the three men enjoyed idle talk. Chen Wanli immediately asked, "Lin, where's the birdcage?"
"Over here."
Lin Xiao guided them to the lounge area, pointing at the cage, "I took the time to clean the cage while waiting for you. This is the cage's true appearance."
Upon seeing the birdcage, all three of them had their eyes widen in amazement.
They had never seen such an intricately beautiful birdcage before!
Xu Rushan had plenty of clients and had previously found antiques himself. Many people had sought his expertise before, just like Lin Xiao was doing now.
He had always thought his skills, though perhaps not as sharp as Qian He or Teacher Lu, were certainly commendable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have his current standing.
But ever since meeting Lin Xiao, he realized how limited his experience truly was!
Yesterday, the newspaper—something he'd never even heard of and seemed ordinary—turned out to be worth nearly a hundred thousand yuan!
Today, this birdcage was exactly the same.
He had never encountered this type of antique before.
Looking at it now, all he felt was astonishment, but if asked to appraise it, he would feel utterly lost.
Chen Wanli walked closer, circled around the coffee table, and inspected it carefully, growing increasingly fond of it: "My father would definitely love this cage. Mr. Qian, please take a look—what do you think?"
At this point, Chen Wanli didn't care whether it was actually from the Qing Dynasty or modern. He liked it regardless.
Qian He nodded, sat down beside the table, took out a pair of gloves from his pocket, and gently lifted the cage with one hand holding the base and the other at the top.
While inspecting it, he quickly absorbed details about the cage, coming to a swift conclusion.
Two minutes later, he put the cage down and declared, "Judging from the symmetrical dragon motifs carved on the top and bottom of the circular bars, as well as the cloisonné diamond-shaped supports, this birdcage is definitely from the Qing Dynasty."
"This cage is designed after traditional bamboo cages. It boasts pure enamels, flowing cloisonné craftsmanship, and splendid gilding, representing the pinnacle of Qing Dynasty cloisonné art. If I'm correct, this birdcage dates back to the Qianlong period."
After speaking, he turned to Lin Xiao, "Mr. Lin, am I right?"
He knew this young man had an expert eye and professional knowledge comparable to his own.
Lin Xiao had likely already identified the birdcage's authenticity when purchasing it and had merely invited him for an official confirmation.
Lin Xiao nodded approvingly, "Mr. Qian indeed lives up to his reputation—very sharp!"
"So it really is from the Qing Dynasty?" Xu Rushan exclaimed.
"From the Qianlong era," Qian He affirmed, "and it was custom-made. Such birdcages couldn't be mass-produced, and each was unique. Cloisonné itself was extremely luxurious and unaffordable for common people. To use it simply for decorating a birdcage was luxury upon luxury!"
"In the Qing Dynasty, translating to today's currency, this cage alone would have cost at least hundreds of thousands."
"That expensive?" Xu Rushan was stunned.
Viewers were equally stunned.
They had assumed it was just an ordinary cage, perhaps a minor antique from the Qing Dynasty, but certainly not this valuable!
It had been worth hundreds of thousands in Qing times?
"Is this seriously still just a birdcage?"
"I've lived more than twenty years only to find out that a bird lives better than me!"
"I seem to have underestimated this birdcage."
"I suddenly have a bad feeling about this…"
Chen Wanli was equally surprised. How could this cage be so expensive?
He asked, "Mr. Qian, what would this birdcage be worth today?"
Qian He shook his head, "You'll need an expert appraiser for an accurate valuation. My job is just identification. But there's no doubt this cage is from the Qianlong period. Considering that during that time even keeping a bird required such extravagance, the original owner must have either been extremely wealthy or closely related to the imperial family."
Lin Xiao added, "When I bought it, I heard its original owner was a descendant of a Qing Dynasty prince, though I'm unsure exactly which one."
"A Qing prince?" Qian He nodded thoughtfully, "That makes sense."