Huo Sining and Ji Kun were both in the antique circle and often saw some dealers running to the countryside to collect antiques. These people always targeted the elderly because they held the most authentic treasures and offered the most affordable prices.

As for the origin of the old items in the hands of these elders, they had more or less heard of it. Most of these elders held treasures without knowing it and even treated those valuable items carelessly, which not only let these items be obscured like pearls covered in dust but also was a waste of heavenly resources.

Every time Huo Sining heard those stories, she felt a pang of heartache.

If those damaged old items fell into the hands of someone knowledgeable, they might be treated more meticulously.

It’s just like people; gallant steeds are often found, but not always are there those who can recognize them. Hence, there are always those who die with unacknowledged talent.

However, this time, when she learned from the old man that they had picked up a complete clay pot from the river and used it for pickling vegetables, Huo Sining felt not sadness or heartache, but inexplicable excitement.

If that clay pot was indeed related to the Princess’s Tomb, then this item might be the most direct and powerful proof!

Zhou Shitao and Huo Sining exchanged a glance and immediately decided to visit the old gentleman’s house.

"Sir, could you take us to your home to have a look at those pickle jars your wife uses?"

Zhou Shitao asked eagerly.

Although the old man was elderly, he was still somewhat vigilant. Previously, he enjoyed chatting about chess with Zhou Shitao, but it didn’t mean he was senile. Now hearing Zhou Shitao saying they wanted to visit his home, he immediately felt something was off: "They’re just some worthless jars, why do you want to see them?"

Zhou Shitao didn’t intend to hide and smiled, "Sir, to be honest, we’re from the Cultural Relics Bureau. Recently, we’ve just received news that a batch of Han Dynasty relics was unearthed around Anmin Alley. That’s why we’re visiting to understand the situation. Now, the old clay pot you mentioned might just be the evidence we’re looking for, which is why I want to ask you to let us have a look."

As soon as these words were said, not only the old man but also the other chess friends were all stunned.

"From the Han Dynasty? You mean to say, the jars from the riverbank are really antiques?"

The old man was so shocked that he couldn’t even hold his chess piece, which fell onto the chessboard and rolled into the flower bed.

Zhou Shitao nodded and shook his head, "I haven’t seen the actual item yet, so I dare not answer you hastily. But if that jar is truly from the Han Dynasty, it would certainly be an antique and one of significant research value. If the pickle jar at your home is indeed a Han Dynasty antique, it would be classified as a national first-class cultural relic and would be recovered by the government. But don’t worry, sir, the Cultural Relics Bureau will definitely compensate you financially."

The old man was suddenly stunned, his mouth gaping wide, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. Immediately, he sprang up from the ground and muttered:

"That foolish woman, using an antique as a pickle jar. One of the pot’s rims was even chipped by her! It’s money, money! Come, sir, I’ll take you there now!"

Saying that the old man hurriedly dragged Zhou Shitao and rushed home, with Huo Sining unable to help but twitch her mouth, following behind. The other old men playing chess also instinctively followed, all eager to see what was going on.

Following the old man through twists and turns, they arrived in front of an old house. The old man pushed the wooden door open, leading them in. Once inside the yard, the old man shouted loudly, "Old Granny, old Granny, come out quickly, we have guests!"

The old man’s shouting quickly brought out an old woman wearing a padded jacket from the house. Seeing seven or eight people standing in the yard, the old granny was a bit confused and looked at her partner in bewilderment:

"What’s happening? Why are there so many people here? What’s going on?"

But the old man was full of joy, saying to his partner, "These are experts from the Cultural Relics Bureau. They came to visit after hearing that the pickle jars we use were dug out from the old riverbank and want to take a look. Hurry and bring out those jars for the experts to see."

The old granny was dumbfounded at his words, "They’re just a few pickle jars, doesn’t everyone have them? What’s there to see? Don’t the experts pickle vegetables at home themselves?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Muttering under her breath, the old granny was nonetheless urged by the old man to go to their storage room and bring out the few jars of pickles.

Upon seeing the jars, each about a foot high, Huo Sining and Ji Kun’s eyes lit up, and Zhou Shitao, breathless, immediately called to Gu Xu nearby, "Go fetch me a damp cloth!"

The pickle jars were all inverted on the water-filled lids, occasionally giving off a sour aroma. The rich fragrance indicated the sauerkraut inside was authentic and probably delicious.

But at this moment, everyone’s focus wasn’t on how the sauerkraut tasted but on those jars holding the pickles.

Gu Xu fetched a damp cloth, and Zhou Shitao impatiently took it, approached a jar, wiped the dust off completely, and then carefully examined it with a magnifying glass, lightly tapped it a few times, and rubbed it with his hands before stopping, turning his head to signal Huo Sining nearby, "What do you think?"

These obvious items didn’t need much more scrutiny; Huo Sining had an answer in her heart. However, out of caution, she said, "I need to handle it to give you an answer."

Zhou Shitao nodded, gesturing to Huo Sining to go ahead.

Huo Sining didn’t hold back, walked up, and reached out her hand to feel the pickle jar.

Beneath the Heavenly Eye, the entire internal structure of the jar was laid bare, and even the pickled vegetables inside, along with the pickled radishes and spicy peppers, were clearly visible. Seeing the color of those pickles, Huo Sining quietly swallowed before focusing her gaze on the distinct and intense dark purple spiritual energy surrounding the jar.

The intensity and color of the spiritual energy allowed her to assess the age and value of the antique. This jar originated from the mid-Eastern Han period, which coincidentally matched the analysis she wrote in the paper for Zhou Shitao.