Chapter 54: Taking a Disciple
“You’re still missing something with that look of yours.”
Jing Shizhen looked Su Xiaofan up and down and shook his head.
Whenever Su Xiaofan dressed, comfort was always his first priority.
The weather in Yanjing was quite hot at the moment. He was wearing a T-shirt that had cost only a few dozen yuan, a pair of track pants, and a pair of sports shoes whose brand even he himself didn't know. His entire outfit probably didn't cost more than two hundred yuan.
“Old Liu, come over here.”
Jing Shizhen called out to Manager Liu, pointed at Su Xiaofan, and said, “Bring him a set of clothes, something that fits him.”
The work clothes at Jingxin Hall were the traditional type of long, front-buttoned robe, available in all sorts of sizes. Manager Liu quickly brought out a dark blue one.
“Neiliansheng is right next door. Go buy yourself a pair of cloth shoes.” Jing Shizhen pointed outside.
“Huh? Uncle Jing, aren’t you going to cover everything?”
Su Xiaofan put on a shameless grin.
“Sure. In that case, just give me half of your appearance fee later.”
Jing Shizhen's grin was even wider than Su Xiaofan's.
“Fine, I'll buy them myself.”
Su Xiaofan could easily calculate how much a pair of shoes cost.
And sure enough, once he put on the traditional cloth shoes with thick layered soles and the dark blue long robe, Su Xiaofan suddenly looked several years older.
“Hmm. Put on a pair of glasses too, and you’ll look a little like a cultured scholar.”
Jing Shizhen looked at Su Xiaofan and nodded with satisfaction. “This afternoon, you’re coming with me to Yanjing TV.”
“Isn’t it supposed to start tomorrow?”
Su Xiaofan was stunned for a moment. He had actually planned to continue hunting for antiques that afternoon.
After deciding to open an antique shop, Su Xiaofan had to change his previous way of thinking.
Before, he had planned to find seven or eight valuable bargains and slowly sell them off in the future.
But opening an antique shop was different. The more genuine antiques he had, the better.
As long as they weren't stolen goods or cultural relics that were prohibited from being traded, no one could interfere with where his antiques came from. After all, if it were you, would you tell other people where you got your inventory?
“An interview. Understand?”
Jing Shizhen stood up and said, “I’m only recommending you. Whether you get in or not will be decided by the people at Yanjing TV…”
“Oh? So there’s an interview too.”
“How about it? Scared?”
“Heh, Uncle Jing, I may not be good at much, but I’ve got plenty of courage.”
Su Xiaofan rolled up the sleeves of his long robe.
“When I was twelve, I rode my bicycle alone through a graveyard. In this life, there really isn’t much that I’m afraid of.”
“Oh? So you weren’t afraid that a ghost might crawl out of that graveyard?”
Jing Shizhen was momentarily stunned. He really hadn't known about these experiences of Su Xiaofan's.
“If it’s a male ghost, I’ll twist its head off and use it as a ball.”
Su Xiaofan curled his lips.
“If it’s a female ghost, then I’ll have to see what she looks like. If she’s pretty, I’ll bring her home to warm my bed.”
“You brat, you’re just bragging.”
Jing Shizhen clearly didn't believe him. There were plenty of people like Ye Gong who claimed to love dragons. They always talked big, but the moment they actually encountered one, they would become cowards.
“Don’t believe me? Ask Brother Gang. The last time we encountered that ghostly maze, wasn’t I the one who broke it?”
Su Xiaofan was telling the truth. He was simply born courageous—or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had a strong psychological constitution.
His mischievous behavior as a child wasn't even worth mentioning. When he was in middle school, he once got into a fight with a classmate and the teacher called his parents to deal with the matter.
Su Xiaofan simply rode his bicycle to the village entrance, picked up his foolish second uncle, and took him to school.
In the end, the teacher actually had to treat his second uncle to a meal before sending him away, because Su Xiaofan had told his uncle that he was taking him into town to eat at a restaurant.
All his life, Su Xiaofan had never been afraid of anyone.
He respected his elders, but respect had nothing to do with fear.
“Then why did you throw away that Yin Stone?”
Jing Shizhen became angry whenever he thought about that incident.
“I was afraid it would affect my sister.”
Su Xiaofan answered without hesitation. After spending several years in the antique market, he had done little besides sharpening his tongue.
“Enough nonsense. Let’s go. If they agree over there, you’ll also have to take a few promotional photos.”
Jing Shizhen headed outside. He had already arranged a car.
“Xiaofan, when we get to the television station, just say that you’re my disciple.”
Just as they were approaching Beijing TV, Jing Shizhen suddenly spoke.
“Uncle Jing, are you joking, or are you serious?
“Besides, people don’t really take on disciples the old-fashioned way anymore. And I’m not exactly the right age for that…”
When he heard Jing Shizhen's words, the smile disappeared from Su Xiaofan's face.
Su Xiaofan could tell that Jing Shizhen wasn't saying it casually. He was serious.
Moreover, publicly declaring himself to be Su Xiaofan's master was not something that could simply be taken back later. Once they established the master-disciple relationship, the title would be difficult to change.
That was precisely why Su Xiaofan was surprised.
Su Xiaofan could be considered someone from the antique trade, so he understood its rules and traditions.
The antique trade carried on traditional culture, and it placed enormous importance on accepting disciples. It was truly the kind of relationship where, once someone became your master for a day, he would be your father for life.
Of course, in modern times, the process of accepting disciples in the antique trade had been greatly simplified.
But before the founding of the People's Republic of China, if the owner of an antique shop took on an apprentice, the apprentice first had to work for the master for three years without pay.
And those three years weren't limited to working in the shop.
The apprentice had to handle everything in the master's household, including washing clothes, cooking, and even cleaning chamber pots. The apprentice was only provided with food and received no wages.
At this stage, the apprentice was generally called a “son-disciple.”
After completing those three years, the son-disciple would advance to being a formal apprentice. Only then would the master begin teaching him his skills—and even that came with rules.
Normally, a master would not teach an apprentice step by step.
The apprentice had to listen carefully and observe on his own. Only at critical moments would the master offer one or two words of guidance.
After another three, five, seven, or even eight years, depending on the apprentice's skill level, he could finally graduate from his apprenticeship.
But “graduating” here only meant that he had mastered the craft. He still had to continue working under his master.
Usually, he would have to work for another five or ten years without pay before he could finally leave and establish his own business.
Therefore, when Su Xiaofan heard Jing Shizhen ask him to call him “Master,” he immediately asked about it.
Su Xiaofan had never eaten his master's food, nor had Jing Shizhen ever formally taught him any skills. Calling him Master seemed somewhat undeserved.
Of course, Su Xiaofan also understood in his heart.
Calling Jing Shizhen “Master” would obviously bring him enormous benefits.
Su Xiaofan had learned everything through informal means. With the help of the Restoration System, he could distinguish between genuine and fake antiques, but he couldn't actually explain the underlying principles.
With Jing Shizhen, however, he could systematically learn the theoretical knowledge behind antique appraisal.
That would allow him to make up for his greatest weakness.
Furthermore, considering Jing Shizhen's reputation in the antique world, once Su Xiaofan opened his own antique shop and advertised himself as Jing Shizhen's disciple, it would be difficult for his business to fail.
Su Xiaofan wasn't that rigid.
If he became Jing Shizhen's disciple in the future and had access to such a powerful connection, why wouldn't he make use of it?
“Don’t talk about the apprenticeship yet. We’ll discuss it after this antique appraisal program is over.”
Jing Shizhen smiled.
He was in an excellent mood.
Su Xiaofan's hesitation just now had also allowed Jing Shizhen to see his character clearly.
The young man in front of him wasn't the kind of person who would immediately rush forward the moment he saw a benefit. He would think things through.
Some people might think that everyone naturally thinks before acting, and that anyone who didn't think wouldn't be human.
But what Jing Shizhen valued was Su Xiaofan's ability to think carefully when faced with major benefits.
That kind of thinking was one that could put personal gain aside.
With Jing Shizhen's reputation in the antique world, he dared to say that if he offered to take someone as his disciple, anyone younger than him in terms of seniority would accept without hesitation.
Yet Su Xiaofan had actually asked all sorts of questions instead.
While the two of them were talking, they arrived at Beijing TV.
Everyone entering Beijing TV had to have their identification checked. Since Jing Shizhen had contacted them beforehand, a staff member came out to receive them.
Although they called it an interview, it was actually just a discussion with the show's director.
Jing Shizhen didn't say much. He simply stood to the side and quietly observed.
Jing Shizhen discovered that Su Xiaofan was indeed exactly as he had described himself—he really wasn't nervous in front of people.
Whether he was meeting the leaders of Beijing TV or the director who had decision-making authority, Su Xiaofan spoke confidently and freely, displaying a maturity far beyond his age.
What Jing Shizhen didn't know was that Su Xiaofan was treating them as if they were customers at the antique market.
The only thing he was selling had changed from antiques to himself.
When he saw that both the director and the leaders of Beijing TV were satisfied, Jing Shizhen appropriately revealed that Su Xiaofan was his disciple.
The director of the program was also someone familiar with the antique trade, so he naturally knew how much weight Jing Shizhen's name carried in the industry.
Therefore, as soon as he heard about Su Xiaofan's relationship with Jing Shizhen, the program director immediately made the decision and confirmed Su Xiaofan's status as a guest on the show.
Since there was still plenty of time, the director called in some people to take a set of promotional photographs for Su Xiaofan.
Su Xiaofan, who had remained calm and composed just moments earlier, was instead thoroughly tormented by the photo shoot.
By the time he walked out of Beijing TV, Su Xiaofan was already using a tissue soaked with bottled water to vigorously wipe the foundation off his face.
This chapter mainly sets up Su Xiaofan's relationship with Jing Shizhen as master and disciple, while also getting him officially onto the antique appraisal TV program.
(End of Chapter)
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