Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

With the help of many villagers, He Yuzhu actually reaped a rich harvest! The dazzling array of treasures was dazzling, and the number was staggering. There were thousands of porcelains used by the courts of the Ming and Qing dynasties alone, and each one was a masterpiece of the best! The most rare and precious ones were the hand-pressed cups from the Yongle period, the exquisite cloisonné, and the famille rose porcelain from the Yongzheng period.

In addition, he also collected dozens of sets of furniture made of small-leaf red sandalwood and huanghuali. However, among all these treasures, He Yuzhu's favorite is still the Yongle hand-pressing cups. It was a coincidence that he got them. At first, He Yuzhu did not have high expectations for them, and even suspected that these cups might be fakes. After all, as far as he knew, this kind of hand-pressing cup is extremely rare in the world, and only three and a half pieces are known, all of which are treasured in the Palace Museum.

But when the villager took out twelve hand-pressing cups without hesitation, He Yuzhu was stunned! What he saw was too shocking, but he did not hesitate at all and decisively took out 300,000 yuan to buy them all.

Since there were so many of them this time, He Yuzhu had a hard time distinguishing whether they were real or fake. He had no choice but to pick out three of them and ask his master, Grandpa Guan. Grandpa Guan took the cup and took a look at it before saying, "What did Gu Yingtai say in the "Essentials of Museum"?"

He Yuzhu answered without hesitation: "The hand-pressing cup made during the Yongle reign has a flat mouth, a curved waist, a sandy foot, and a smooth bottom. In the center is a painting of two lions rolling a ball, and inside the ball are inscribed six or four characters, 'Made in the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty', as fine as a grain of rice. This is the best quality. The one with a mandarin duck center is the best, and the one with a flower center is the second best. The outside of the cup is deep green with blue and white, and the style is well-preserved. It can be handed down for a long time, and the price is also very high."

"Zhuzi! Do you think this hand-pressing cup is different from the one recorded in the "Bowu Yaolan"? "Grandpa Guan looked at the clever young man in front of him, and his heart was filled with joy. He knew that He Yuzhu not only had a strong interest in antiques, but also could integrate the knowledge in the book.

"Master, after careful observation and research, I found that the shape, quality and decoration of this hand-pressing cup are completely consistent with the characteristics described in the "Essentials of Natural History"! It is exactly the same!" He Yuzhu could not hide his excitement when he spoke, and his voice trembled a little. He knew that this hand-pressing cup was of great significance. If its authenticity could be confirmed, it would become a rare treasure passed down to the world.

Uncle Guan nodded in agreement. He thought to himself, this kid really didn't disappoint me. His appreciation of antiques has surpassed that of his peers. Then, he smiled and said, "Well, that's right! You make a lot of sense. If they are exactly the same, then it must be real. You remember it so clearly, so why are you still unsure?"

"Master, you also know that this Yongle Hand-pressing Cup is a rare treasure! It is said that there are extremely limited numbers of them in the world, and it is a very rare thing to collect one. But you see, I received three at once this time! To be honest, facing such a situation, I really can't believe it, and I am unsure in my heart. After all, treasures of this level are too rare, I really dare not easily conclude that they must be authentic..."

"Zhu Zi, you have to know that the most important thing to see whether an object is old is to compare it with the characteristics recorded in the books. As long as they match, you can safely assert that it is an old treasure! Don't be afraid and hesitate because of the large number. Just like the legendary Yongle hand-pressing cup, although there are very few left in the world, it does not mean that they do not exist in the world. Back then, these cups were mass-produced! It's just that due to various reasons, there are very few that have survived the vicissitudes of time and have been preserved intact to this day. However, we cannot assert that all such items have disappeared from the world. Maybe under some coincidences, there will be some caring people who collect them properly and let them be passed down to future generations." Uncle Guan taught He Yuzhu earnestly and meaningfully.

"Okay, Master, I'll remember that." He Yuzhu looked at his master seriously, nodded heavily, and then said firmly. His eyes revealed a kind of determination and perseverance, as if he promised his master that he would integrate the knowledge he learned and apply it to real life, and strive to preserve more historical treasures.

"That's right! As long as you keep working hard and accumulate experience, you will achieve greater success in the future!" Uncle Guan patted the young man's shoulder earnestly, his eyes full of love and encouragement.

"In fact, countless rare treasures are scattered in every corner of the folk, but ordinary people know nothing about their true value and often destroy them easily." Uncle Guan seemed to remember some past events, with a trace of regret and sigh on his face, and slowly said: "These precious items should have been properly protected and passed on, but now they are destroyed because of people's ignorance. It's really sad!"

"Master, don't worry. The country is just beginning to stabilize, and the people have only lived in peace for a few years. But as time goes by, people will pay more and more attention to traditional culture and skills in the future." He Yuzhu looked at his master, Uncle Guan, who looked a little lonely, and comforted him softly.

"The government is now focusing on national development. When the country becomes prosperous, I think the government will definitely promote the protection of cultural heritage."

Uncle Guan nodded slightly, indicating that he agreed with He Yuzhu's point of view. Although he was still a little worried, his apprentice's words made him feel a little relieved.

The breath of autumn is getting stronger and stronger. From time to time, you can see people setting up stalls selling persimmons in the streets and alleys. On this day, He Yuzhu was going home from get off work as usual. When he passed a small alley, he caught a glimpse of a middle-aged man pulling a cart full of persimmons and parked at the entrance of the alley.

The persimmons were large in size and bright red like flames, as if showing people their freshness and sweetness. He Yuzhu was attracted by the tempting persimmons in front of him, and he couldn't help but feel the urge to buy some.

He approached the uncle who was selling persimmons and asked, "Uncle, how much are you selling these persimmons for?"

"These are authentic Mopan persimmons. Each one is very sweet. One pound is only 500 yuan." When the uncle selling persimmons saw someone asking about the price, he immediately greeted He Yuzhu enthusiastically.

He Yuzhu reached out and picked up a millstone persimmon, placed it in the palm of his hand to examine it carefully, and gently weighed it with his hand: "Uncle, I think this persimmon is growing really well! I wonder if you grow these at home, or if you specially went to the countryside to buy them?" As he asked, he showed an interested expression, as if he was particularly concerned about this issue.

"These are all grown by my family. I'm from Mentougou. Now that the persimmons are ripe, I want to sell them in the city to make some money." The uncle selling persimmons said sincerely.

"Mentougou is not close to Sijiucheng. Can you go back at night after driving the cart here?" He Yuzhu asked curiously after hearing what the uncle selling persimmons said.

"I drove my cart out before dawn in the morning and arrived back home almost at noon. I would go back after all the persimmons were sold." The uncle selling persimmons patiently explained to He Yuzhu.

"Then where do you stay at night? The nights now are different from summer, it's very cold at night." He Yuzhu asked.

"I brought a quilt with me when I went out. I can just find a gatehouse to stay overnight at night." The uncle selling persimmons pointed to the quilt under the cart and showed He Yuzhui.

After listening to the uncle's words, He Yuzhu looked at the persimmons on the cart. These persimmons not only looked beautiful, but also felt heavy, and were obviously ripe and high-quality. Looking at the uncle selling persimmons in front of him, his weather-beaten face made people feel pity. He Yuzhu secretly wondered how he could buy more persimmons to satisfy his own appetite and help this uncle who had a hard life.

As he was thinking hard, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind - brewing vinegar with persimmons! This idea came from a video he saw on a certain audio platform in his previous life. At that time, a blogger shared how to brew delicious vinegar with persimmons. Thinking of this, He Yuzhu couldn't help but get excited: "Yes! Why don't I try it? These persimmons grow so well. If I buy them home and brew persimmon vinegar, it will definitely taste great!" The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, so he decided to do it.

"Uncle, how many millstone persimmons are there in this cart of yours?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Young man, what's the matter? Do you want to buy all the persimmons in my cart? There are about 600 to 700 kilograms of millstone persimmons in this cart. My persimmons are almost ripe. It's okay to keep them for a few days, but they will go bad if you keep them for too long. You don't have to buy more just because I feel sorry for you. It will be wasted if you can't finish them. Young man, I appreciate your kindness. If you really want to take care of my business, just buy a few and try them." The uncle advised.

He Yuzhu listened to what the uncle selling persimmons said and couldn't help but sigh: This is the simplicity of the times. He was afraid that he would buy too much and not be able to eat it all, so he took the initiative to persuade himself to buy less. Thinking of this, He Yuzhu said: "I bought so many persimmons, I'm sure I won't eat them. I'm going to use them to make other things."

"Make something, what do you want to make? Young man, let me tell you that these persimmons are millstone persimmons and cannot be made into persimmon cakes." The uncle selling persimmons saw that He Yuzhu was not giving up and continued to persuade him patiently.

"Uncle, I'm not buying these to make persimmon cakes. I'm going to use them to make persimmon vinegar. You can rest assured that I won't waste them." He Yuzhu realized that the uncle would not sell him persimmons if he didn't tell him his true purpose, so he had to tell the uncle his true thoughts.

"Can persimmons be used to make vinegar? Young man, you can't lie to me." The uncle said half-doubtingly after hearing what He Yuzhu said.

"Uncle, it's confirmed. Grapes can be made into wine, so why can't persimmons be made into vinegar? Now you can rest assured, uncle."

"I've heard from others that grapes can be used to make wine, but this is the first time I've heard of persimmons making vinegar. But since you are so sure about it, I believe you. How much do you plan to take?" The uncle selling persimmons finally believed what He Yuzhu said.

"Uncle, how many persimmons are there in this cart? I'll buy them all for you." He Yuzhu said domineeringly.

"Uncle, did you hear me wrong? Young man, you are not kidding. Do you really want to buy all the persimmons in my truck?" The uncle selling persimmons looked at He Yuzhu in disbelief.

"Yes, uncle, you heard me right, and I wasn't joking. I want all the persimmons in your cart." He Yuzhu said seriously.

"This truckload of persimmons I have is at least 600 kilograms. If you really want to buy this truckload of persimmons from me, I won't weigh them by the kilogram. You give me 20 yuan, and I will deliver this truckload of persimmons to your home." The uncle selling persimmons looked at He Yuzhu with a serious expression, which didn't seem like he was joking, so he decisively told him the bottom price in his mind.

"Then let's put it this way. Come with me, uncle. I don't have that much money on me. Please help me deliver the persimmons to my house, and I'll pay you when I get home." He Yuzhu said to the uncle selling persimmons.

"Okay, you ride your bike in front and I'll follow you." The uncle selling persimmons said quickly.

"My home is very close to here, just a few steps away, you just need to follow me." He Yuzhu pushed his bicycle and walked with the uncle selling persimmons.

“Young man, can persimmons really be made into vinegar? I remember that vinegar is made from millet, right?” The uncle selling persimmons expressed his doubts again.

"Uncle, the vinegar you are talking about is used for cooking. Most of that vinegar is indeed made from millet, especially the Shanxi aged vinegar which is very famous. The vinegar made from persimmons is fruit vinegar, which is used for drinking, not for cooking. But many people don't know that the western part of Henan Province is also a mountainous area, where many persimmons are planted. They use persimmons to make vinegar. There is a village called Jia Village in Shan County, Henan Province. The persimmon vinegar they make is very famous. In ancient times, it was tribute vinegar offered to the royal family."