There are all kinds of love in the world. Because I bought an inkstone thousands of miles away, I formed an inexplicable and wonderful relationship with the girl who sold the inkstone.
Going back more than ten years ago, probably in the mid-autumn season, my friend and I traveled to Wuyuan. By chance, we met a little Huang girl who sold inkstones. I am a collector. Boss Liu, who was traveling with me, is a senior collector, and he frequents antique shops most. He has done a lot of research on antiques, has been collecting for a long time, has rich experience, and has a unique vision. His eyes always shine with wisdom when he sees antiques. He can not only tell a story, but also often has unique insights. Accompanying him is a process of gaining knowledge. Listening to his explanations is as pleasant as bathing in the spring breeze and as enjoyable as drinking fine wine. When he came across antiques or handicrafts that he liked, he paid generously to buy them. Influenced by Boss Liu, I became more and more interested in collecting. I thought to myself that I usually like to practice calligraphy, so it would be great if I could come across an ancient inkstone I like during this trip. It can be used and collected at the same time. It is really a good thing to have the best of both worlds. After making up my mind, when I went to the antique store, my attention gradually focused on viewing various inkstones. When I saw the inkstone, I looked at it carefully, looked at the product and material, and took the trouble to ask the seller about this and that, to understand the relevant knowledge of the inkstone. If I liked the one I liked, I broke the casserole and asked about it, and consciously explored its ins and outs.
Wuyuan is a tourist attraction. There are many antique shops selling inkstones. Every time you go to a store, you can see many inkstones. After walking around a lot and seeing a lot, I gradually felt that I was getting started with inkstones.
The inkstone is one of the four treasures of the study. Historical records record that Duan Inkstone, She Inkstone and Tao Inkstone are the three famous inkstones. A few years ago, a friend gave me a clay inkstone. The lid was decorated with a dragon flying in the clouds. It was black and shiny, and it was really beautiful. One day I poured ink into the inkstone, but it started to seep out in a short time. In order to prevent it from bleeding, I wanted to feed it full at once, so I poured it full of ink. However, after a few days, I saw that the bottom of the inkstone was soaked. It was a pity that I broke a perfectly good inkstone. But after thinking about it, I found that this inkstone looks gorgeous, but its texture is not good. It is not a very good thing. It might as well be broken.
More than twenty years have passed since this incident, and I have never mentioned it. When I was buying the inkstone, I suddenly remembered the long-lost past. The mistakes of the past are the lessons of the future. This time, when I was thousands of miles away, I decided to buy an ancient inkstone instead of an inkstone. Don’t worry about it. Put aside how much money you spent. Buying a fake one would be embarrassing and hard to explain to anyone. Because of this problem, I visited many antique stores and looked at many inkstones, but I didn't dare to buy it.
When the tour group was about to gather, we walked to a large antique shop. When we looked up, we saw that the plaque on the door was engraved with the words "Sanfan Antiques" Big letters. There was a dignified and beautiful woman sitting in the hall. When she saw us walking in, she stood up quickly and introduced us politely. When she knew that we were looking for an old inkstone, she enthusiastically recommended the inkstone in the showcase. After looking at them for a while, we said, these inkstones in the showcase are not impressive, is there anything better? She said, if you want something good, please go upstairs. Go up to the second floor and go directly to the display case where the inkstones are placed. It can be seen at a glance that what is displayed upstairs and what is displayed downstairs are obviously not of the same grade. The inkstone upstairs is eye-catching in terms of shape, appearance, and texture. Looking at my favorite inkstone and listening to the introduction with a bell-like sound, I was immersed in the extensive and profound inkstone culture.
Among the many inkstones, I found one that was of good quality and reasonably priced. I held it in my hand, stroked it gently, and stared at it affectionately. I felt like I had gone through iron shoes to find it, and it took no effort to get it. The inkstone is made of stone, copper-colored, black with red, and red with black. It looks simple and elegant, warm, and very comfortable. He tapped it gently with his fingers, and there was a loud bang, a sound like a hard wooden board. The inkstone is shaped like a square brick, half as thick as a square brick, and slightly shorter in length. The front of the inkstone is like a dustpan, and three-quarters of the surrounding area is engraved with zigzag patterns. There is an ink trough at one end of the inkstone, and there is a symmetrical and exquisite carving at the end of the adjacent ink trough.
I have long wanted to give this fate a name. After much thought, I felt that there is no more appropriate name than "Yan Yuan".