There are many legendary stories in the world of antiques, and tales of getting rich overnight are not uncommon. It is precisely because of such stories that the antique world holds such great allure, drawing so many people to it.

“Really? Grandpa Brooks, this morning I bought an old book from a street stall. I don’t know if it’s genuine or not, but regardless, it’s a small token of my appreciation. Please don’t refuse it.” David Carter didn’t pay much attention; how could he have imagined that the big news Henry Brooks was talking about was actually about him? David Carter took out the old manuscript of Nanyue from his bag and respectfully handed it to Henry Brooks.

“Nanyue Old Manuscript?!!! Little David, is this the book you bought this morning for fifty yuan?” Henry Brooks took it casually, but when he saw the title, his face was filled with shock as he looked at David Carter in disbelief.

Last night, David Carter spent seventy yuan on a late Qing Dynasty figurine of a child bathing a cow, and he already thought that was a rare find. But today, he spent only fifty yuan and bought a Song Dynasty woodblock-printed book—such luck is truly extraordinary. He had dealt with antiques all his life, but he had never seen anyone as lucky as David Carter.

“I still don’t know if it’s real or not.” David Carter gave a simple, honest smile. Although he had a good feeling about it, he didn’t have the expertise to authenticate it. And even if it was truly valuable, he wouldn’t be able to explain why.

“Let me take a look. But Little David, whether this book is genuine or not, I can’t accept it.” Henry Brooks calmed his excitement and spoke slowly. Then, like performing a magic trick, he took out a pair of white gloves, put them on, and only then carefully picked up the Nanyue Old Manuscript from the table. David Carter didn’t understand antiques and didn’t know the rules—how could such a valuable item be casually placed on the dining table?

“Grandpa Brooks, I bought this book just to give it to you.” David Carter said hurriedly. To him, no matter how valuable the book was, it only cost fifty yuan.

“Little David, one shouldn’t be too calculating in life. I help you only because you have no relatives in Tanzhou, and I also appreciate your ability and character. It’s not because I want you to give me things. Besides, can I accept something so valuable? Dare I accept it?” Henry Brooks showed a hint of displeasure on his face.

After saying this, Henry Brooks ignored David Carter and took out a small, exquisite magnifying glass to examine the book carefully. Seeing how focused he was, David Carter didn’t dare to disturb him. After a long while, Henry Brooks finally put down the magnifying glass.

“Little David, at first I didn’t quite believe it—how could a Song Dynasty woodblock-printed book appear in Tanzhou? But now, it seems it really is so.” Henry Brooks sighed. Regardless of the economic value of a Song edition, its cultural value alone is enough to fascinate people.

Thread-bound books only appeared in the Song Dynasty, but at the same time, Song woodblock-printed books were the finest. During the Song Dynasty, the carving was done with utmost care, truly meticulous, and the proofreading was extremely thorough, so there would never be any typos or missing text. Moreover, the writing in Song woodblock-printed books was always done by famous calligraphers, not ordinary craftsmen.

Books from the Song Dynasty had paper that was even and clean, ink that was bright and moist, and the printing effect was naturally crisp and clear. The use of ink was also just right—even if the book got wet and then dried, there would be no obvious marks, and when you opened the book, there would naturally be a pleasant scent of paper and ink.

Furthermore, in Song Dynasty books, whenever the emperor’s name appeared, it would be avoided—typically, a stroke would be omitted from the character. For example, in the character “匡,” in a genuine Song woodblock-printed book, the horizontal stroke at the bottom of the “王” component would be missing, making it look like the character “干.” Similarly, in the character “光,” the vertical stroke in the middle at the top would be missing. In the character “恒,” the horizontal stroke at the bottom right would also be missing. In the character “祯,” the dot in the “贝” component would not appear.

The layout design of Song editions was exquisitely refined. The distribution of text was very particular, and the height and width of the frames, as well as the number of lines per page, were determined in advance according to the required font size and the number of characters per line. Large-character editions had seven or eight lines per half-page, with about fifteen or sixteen characters per line; small-character editions had thirteen or fourteen lines per half-page, with more than twenty-three or twenty-four characters per line. The most commonly seen today are medium-character editions, with nine to twelve lines per half-leaf and eighteen to twenty-two characters per line. Many scholars use original Song woodblock editions to correct errors in ancient books printed since the Ming and Qing dynasties, restoring the true appearance of ancient texts.

During the Song Dynasty, the government attached great importance to proofreading, with the emperor even personally overseeing the process and hiring experts to ensure quality. To guarantee the quality of printed books, the authorities also implemented several measures. For example, before carving the woodblocks, three rounds of proofreading were required: after the proofreader finished, the book would be sent to a re-checker, and then to the chief official for a third check—only then could the carving proceed. After the woodblocks were completed, the sample would be proofread again. In addition, the names of those responsible for proofreading would be published at the end of the volume to indicate accountability.

“Grandpa, it’s not that easy to buy a Song woodblock-printed book. Don’t get fooled.” Grace Brooks was also staring at the Nanyue Old Manuscript, but her gaze kept drifting to David Carter. Seeing how calm he was, she was secretly amazed. Although she didn’t know the exact value of a Song woodblock-printed book, judging by her grandfather’s excitement, it was clearly worth a lot. And David Carter didn’t look like a wealthy person at all—being so composed in the face of such a valuable item was truly rare.