A few months before Hao Di graduated from primary school, he was diagnosed as suffering from malnutrition and anemia.
"We gave him 15 yuan a day for breakfast and lunch. But he saved all the money to buy antiques. I felt so guilty that I held him tightly all the way back home (from the doctor). Finally, we made up," Hao Wenmin says.
Since then, he has been totally supportive of Hao Di. They are usually together when Hao Di does an archaeological excavation.
"He often works in desolate ancient battlefields for days. He doesn't eat much and suffers a lot. He has won wide recognition for his professionalism and dedication. I feel so proud of him and his job," Hao Wenmin says.
Hao Di is sometimes called "Golden Eyes" as he is in demand across the country to evaluate antiques.
On one occasion, a couple of poorly dressed unemployed laborers brought a load of antique heirlooms to him. They needed 100,000 yuan ($14,700) to pay for their children's college tuitions. The highest quotation they had obtained was 50,000 yuan ($7,400).
Hao said one item was worth about 350,000 yuan ($51,500) and then divided the antiques into three piles, saying the other two piles were worth 50,000 yuan each.
He gave the pair phone numbers of three possible buyers, saying: "Just tell them I have seen your stuff."
He didn't charge them for the appraisal. He only charges antique collectors and dealers.
"Your collections will fill up four medium-size museums," a Japanese Sinologist said after a brief tour of Hao Di's immense treasure trove. He reportedly offered 100 million yuan ($14.7 million) for the collections but was declined.
"Much of my collection will not sell well on the market. But if I don't keep these things, our descendants may not have real antiques to appreciate and study," Hao Di says.
He is now writing a book about ancient Chinese coins and seeks to popularize collecting antiques.
By Wang Bing
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