Chapter 11 — Cracks Under Light

Uncle Phuong looked at the box, lowered his voice: "Have you thought about it carefully?" I held the wooden box up: "I've thought about it carefully." Tham Nhuoc Ninh stared at the box, her hand on her side tightening her skirt. Chu Nghien Tu saw it. This time he didn't hide it for her. The exhibition was held at Nam Thanh ancient assembly hall. This place is quieter than last night's exhibition but also more orderly. There weren't many people who could come in, everyone was surrounded by people offering tea. When I walked in holding the wooden box, Tham Nhuoc Ninh was standing next to a gray-haired man. That person is Hua Kien Thanh, a famous person in the Nam Thanh community. He was wearing a Chinese-style shirt, holding a string of beads in his hand. Seeing me, he immediately asked: "Are you Lam Van?" I said: "Yes." He glanced at the wooden box: "Put things down." Uncle Phuong blocked in front of me: "Hua Kien Thanh, what are you showing off?" Hua Kien Thanh smiled: "Mr. Phuong, I'm just afraid that young people don't understand the rules. Antiques of unknown origin cannot be brought into the hall arbitrarily." Ms. Luong immediately said: "Master Hua, you can't come to a conclusion so early as that." so." Tham Nhuoc Ninh stood next to Hua Kien Thanh, his voice full of resentment: "Teacher, I'm just worried that Ms. Lam was tricked by someone else. That jade button is really similar to the accessory on the rumored lost rattan vase." Hua Kien Thanh nodded: "Nhuoc Ninh is honest, I don't have the heart to directly expose you." I asked: "So how do you want to expose it?" Chu's mother sat on the chair next to her, her tone sour: "Of course to expose you." Everyone watch together, avoid someone taking a vase of unknown origin and pretending to be profound." Chu Nghien Tu stood next to it. There was no longer the panic on his face from last night, as if he had made up his mind. I looked at him: "Do you think so too?" He said: "Hand over the thing. If it's clean, of course it's still clean." I asked: "What if it's not clean?" He looked at me: "Apologize to Nhuoc Ninh and return the jade button to her." Uncle Phuong was angry: "The jade button originally belonged to this vase." Hua Kien Thanh slowly said: "Mr. Phuong, don't rush. Whether it's true or not, you have to look at the evidence." I put the wooden box up. table. Before opening the box, Ms. Luong's assistant placed a camera next to it. Chu's mother frowned: "What are you filming?" Ms. Luong said: "Isn't the lesson of losing your notebook last night enough? Today, everything you say must be saved." Tham Nhuoc Ninh's face changed slightly. Hua Kien Thanh still remained calm: "Spin then spin." I opened the wooden box. The quiet rattan vase lies on the soft fabric. The vase's body is blue and white, and there is a defect on the neck, just or missing a jade button. Someone exclaimed in a low voice: "Good stuff." The necklace in Hua Kien Thanh's hand stopped. Tham Nhuoc Ninh's eyes flashed with greed, but she quickly bowed her head. I took out the vase and placed it in the middle of the table. Hua Kien Thanh walked around to observe and then suddenly sighed: "What a pity." I asked: "What a pity?" "Unfortunately, your grandmother didn't tell you that this vase was smuggled out from the Co family in Bac Thanh. The Co family once lost an identical cloud vase." Uncle Phuong smiled coldly: "If the Co family lost something, would all the vase in the world have the Co family name?" Hua Kien Thanh looked at everyone: "Mr. Phuong, don't you dare." The ancient book of the Co family clearly states that there is a jade button hanging on the neck, with half an orchid leaf engraved on the button." Tham Nhuoc Ninh immediately took out the jade button from his pocket: "Teacher, is this one?" I looked at her. Today she dared to bring it out, proving that she had prepared it in advance. The jade button is placed next to the hole on the neck of the vase, the size is just right. Chu's mother immediately said: "Isn't it already a match? Lam Van, you still don't admit it?" I said: "Admit it."

What?” Tham Nhuoc Ninh said softly: “Miss Lam, maybe your grandmother just accidentally bought it by mistake in the past. As long as you hand over the vase, my teacher will tell you for you." I laughed: "Tell me?" Chu Nghien Tu frowned: "Lam Van, don't be stubborn. Master Hua won't harm you." I asked: "Last night the page was in her pocket, you also said she wouldn't lie." His face darkened: "It doesn't matter." Hua Kien Thanh placed the rosary on the table: "If you don't accept, invite someone from the Co family to come and receive it." Outside the door, someone replied: "No need to invite, I'm here." A middle-aged woman wearing a black Chinese-style coat walked in. Her hair was neatly tied up without any tangles. There was a commotion, two assistants followed. Many people in the hall stood up to say hello. "Director Co." "Director Co, why did you come here personally?" Hearing that address, my hand next to the wooden box stopped. Co Minh Nghi, a descendant of the Co family in Bac Thanh, and also the director of the provincial museum, came forward to greet him: "Director Co, you came at the right time. We discovered a cloud vase suspected to be a lost item of the Co family." Co Minh Nghi did not look at him, her eyes fell on my face. She walked in front of me and asked: "Your name is Lam Van?" I nodded. Her voice softened: