Chapter 2110: The Fake Encountered the Real Thing

Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Only then did Lin Wanrong remember that there were still two people beside her. She quickly turned around and said with a little embarrassment. "I’m sorry, Mr. Ye. I can’t believe I forgot about you as soon as I saw the book."

She looked at the plastic bag in Ye Feng’s hand, then at the exquisite wooden box in her daughter’s hand, her expression was a little awkward.

"Mr. Ye, your book... Is it also ’Wang Wengong’s Collected Works?’" She asked.

"Yes." Ye Feng nodded.

"Uh..." Lin Wanrong looked at Ye Feng and then at her daughter, not knowing what to say for a moment.

The probability of two "Wang Wengong’s Collected Works" appearing at the same time was too small. Moreover, one of them was beautifully packaged and had the endorsement of a professional appraiser, while the other was casually wrapped in a plastic bag and found in a trash dump...

Anyone would be more inclined to the former.

"Mom, what’s so strange about that?" Lin Xiaosi pursed her lips. "It’s not like there’s only one copy of ’Wang Wengong’s Collected Works.’ It’s normal for there to be several versions. However..."

She sized up Ye Feng, her tone filled with disdain. "This book of yours, could it be that you got it from a street vendor? It’s too careless to be put in a plastic bag."

"Xiaosi!" Lin Wanrong berated. "What are you talking about?"

"That’s what it is." Lin Xiaosi was not convinced. "Mr. Zhou said that the Song version of ’Wang Wengong’s Collected Works’ is extremely rare. Every one of them has a clear record of its circulation. It suddenly appeared out of nowhere so randomly..."

She didn’t finish, but her meaning was obvious.

Zhou Wenbo also looked at Ye Feng. He adjusted his glasses, and his tone was gentle but had a professional distance.

"Sir, can I take a look at your book? I have done some research on ’Wang Wengong’s Collected Works.’ Perhaps I can help you appraise it."

Ye Feng looked at the man, but he did not say anything. He just passed the plastic bag to him.

Zhou Wenbo took it and opened the plastic bag, revealing the tattered book inside.

The cover was worn, the edges were damaged, the paper was yellowed unevenly, and there were large amounts of water stains and insect damage.

Compared to Lin Xiaosi’s exquisite book, it was like heaven and earth.

Zhou Wenbo only took a glance and frowned.

He flipped open the book and looked at a few pages carefully. He smelled the paper and shook his head before returning the book to Ye Feng.

"Sir, this book of yours..." He paused, as if he was considering his words. "The condition is too bad. Moreover, from the paper, ink color, and handwriting, it does not look like a Song edition. I suggest that you find a more professional organization to appraise it."

The words were very euphemistic, but the meaning was very clear. Yours is fake, or at least not the Song version.

Lin Xiaosi immediately revealed an expression that said, "As expected."

Lin Wanrong also looked at Ye Feng, her eyes were filled with sympathy and a trace of apology.

Xu Jingxin stood beside Ye Feng, pulling his sleeve lightly, saying in a low voice, "Ye Feng, why don’t we..."

"Professor Lin." Ye Feng interrupted her and looked at Lin Wanrong. His voice was very calm, "You also like Wang Anshi and have studied ancient books. Why don’t you take a look at these two books yourself? Which one is more real?"

Lin Wanrong was stunned.

She looked at the book in her daughter’s hands, then at the book in Ye Feng’s hands, she hesitated for a moment before taking Ye Feng’s book.

Her expression changed as soon as she held the book.

This feeling...

She gently rubbed the cover and flipped open the inside page to read a few lines of words carefully.

Then, she slowly frowned.

"Mom, what are you looking at?" Lin Xiaosi was a little anxious. "Mr. Zhou already said that it’s fake. What’s so good about this kind of lousy book?"

"Shut up." Lin Wanrong didn’t even raise her head, and her voice was stern.

Lin Xiaosi was shocked and did not dare to speak.

Zhou Wenbo’s expression changed slightly.

Seeing Lin Wanrong holding Ye Feng’s "Wang Wengong’s Collected Works" and reading it for a long time, Lin Xiaosi stared at the book in her mother’s hands and then at Ye Feng. A trace of panic flashed in her eyes.

She went to Zhou Wenbo’s side and lowered her voice. She asked in a volume that only the two of them could hear, "Mr. Zhou, his book... Did you see it clearly?"

Zhou Wenbo pushed his glasses up, his expression solemn.

He had only glanced at it a few times and felt that Ye Feng’s book was too pathetic, and it was not worth mentioning. But looking at Lin Wanrong’s reaction now...

"I’ll check it again." He said in a low voice, his gaze once again falling on the tattered book.

This time, he looked much more carefully.

The texture of the paper, the shade of the ink, the style of the font, the stitching... The more he looked, the faster his heart beat.