"Professor Brooks is right. These pieces of evidence are enough to prove that this Nanyue manuscript is one of the earliest printed collections of Liu Kezhuang's works. Its layout, line spacing, and font—such as ten lines with eighteen characters per line, resembling the Ou style—are all typical features of Chen Qi's printed books. Among the surviving editions printed by Chen Qi, there are imprints like 'Printed at the residence of Chen Jieyuan at the entrance of Mupin Lane, North Shed, Lin'an Prefecture' and 'Printed at Chen's Bookstore, Mupin Lane, Lin'an Prefecture,' but unfortunately, this copy has none of those. Of course, it’s possible that the pages with the imprint are missing, or perhaps there were other bookshops in Lin'an during the Southern Song that printed collections of Tang and Song poetry and prose. But this book is definitely a fine Song edition, a rare and excellent Zhejiang print, without a doubt!" Andrew Foster said firmly. When it comes to authenticating Song dynasty artifacts, he is an authority in the field. In fact, the moment he handled it, he felt a special sense of familiarity, and he was convinced in his heart that it must be from the Song dynasty. After verifying, it turned out to be exactly as he thought.

" Dad, how much is this book worth?" Samuel Foster asked. He felt that the most direct way to judge the value and artistry of an antique was by its price.

Chapter Twelve: How to Handle It?

"The purpose of collecting is not to invest and make money, but to pass on culture. Caring only about money is unbearably vulgar." Andrew Foster said angrily. In his eyes, this Song edition is a priceless treasure and cannot be measured by money. Back in the Ming dynasty, there was a saying that a single page of a Song edition book was worth its weight in gold. Nowadays, a single page of a Song edition is worth at least ten thousand yuan, and if it has commentary by a famous person, the price is simply incalculable.

"Dad, that's your opinion. The fun of collecting is in the process, but communication is also important. If David Thompson isn't interested in this book and wants to sell it, we can't let him take a loss." Samuel Foster said.

"Xiao Yu, are you planning to sell this book? This book is extremely valuable." Andrew Foster asked. Although he cherished the book, he knew that with his own wealth, he couldn't even afford half of it.

"You'll have to ask Grandpa Brooks. I've already given this book to Grandpa Brooks." David Carter glanced at Henry Brooks and said calmly. He bought this book specifically for Henry Brooks, and now, no matter how valuable the Nanyue manuscript is, it has nothing to do with him. This is his principle and the bottom line he sticks to. If he were to abandon his integrity for profit, he would look down on himself in the future.

"Professor Brooks!" Andrew Foster looked shocked. This book is worth over a million, and he had just asked about David Carter's situation—he hadn't found a job yet, and his financial difficulties were obvious. But now, he insisted on giving the Nanyue manuscript to Henry Brooks. Such an attitude was something Andrew Foster admitted he could not achieve himself.

"Xiao Yu, didn't I tell you? I can't accept this Nanyue manuscript, nor do I dare to." Henry Brooks was gratified but still stood his ground.

"Grandpa, if you don't want it, you can give it to me." Grace Brooks suddenly said. She couldn't stand seeing David Carter acting humble after getting a bargain, pretending to give it to Grandpa when she knew he didn't want it. This made her feel that David Carter was not as kind and upright as she had thought, but rather deeply calculating. She felt she needed to be on guard against someone like that.

"Kexin, how can you say that? Do you know how much this book is worth?!" Henry Brooks said sternly.

"Grandpa Brooks, Officer Brooks is right. Since you don't want it, you can give it to her." David Carter said. Since he bought it for Henry Brooks, no matter how much it's worth, to him, it was only fifty yuan.

"Xiao Yu, you really need to think this through. Song edition books have always been extremely valuable ancient texts during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Now, as long as it's a genuine Song edition, it's a priceless treasure." Andrew Foster was surprised. He had just reminded David Carter that the book was very valuable, but David Carter hadn't changed his mind.

"I bought this book for fifty yuan. To me, it's worth fifty yuan." David Carter said calmly. He certainly knew the Nanyue manuscript was extremely valuable, and when he heard it was a priceless treasure, he was indeed excited for a moment. But he quickly calmed down. He bought this book in the first place to give to Henry Brooks. If not for that, no matter how good the book was, he wouldn't have bought it. After all, for him right now, fifty yuan was still a significant expense.

"Professor Brooks, if it's inconvenient for you to accept it, how about letting me keep it for a few days?" Andrew Foster looked at the Nanyue manuscript in his hand, his eyes lighting up again. He specialized in Song dynasty history, and having a Song edition in hand would greatly benefit his research.

"Zhiwei, when did you become so materialistic?" Henry Brooks reproached. Although Andrew Foster now worked in a supervisory department and sometimes had to inspect museums, in his eyes, Andrew Foster would always be his student.

"Professor Brooks, I'm just excited by the opportunity! Besides, I'm only helping Xiao Yu keep it for a while. I promise, one month—no, three months... Half a year at most, and I'll definitely return it safe and sound." Andrew Foster stammered. Although he didn't intend to keep the book, being able to look after it for a while was still a good thing.

"Xiao Yu, I think you should just let this book go. It's not the thief you should fear, but the thief's longing." Henry Brooks said coldly. With Andrew Foster's personality, if David Carter didn't let go of the book, how could he withstand Andrew Foster's persistent persuasion?