The next morning, Meng Zitao went to visit Xu Youhao with a gift.

Xu Youhao was very happy with Meng Zitao's visit, and without saying a few words, he took Meng Zitao to his study to discuss calligraphy.

The old and the young chatted happily, and the time was fleeting, and the morning passed in the blink of an eye.

Ren Kexin walked into the study: "I said grandpa, Zitao finally came here, and you just pulled him to study calligraphy!"

Xu Youhao saw that it was almost noon, and couldn't help but sigh that time was passing so fast. At the same time, he said: "Just like you said, Zitao finally came here, of course I have to pull him to discuss calligraphy! To be honest, I want to live in Lingshi, so that I can get close to the water and get the moon first." ”

Meng Zitao smiled: "Then I will definitely welcome it." ”

"That's what you said?" Xu Youhao said with a smile.

Ren Kexin said in surprise: "Grandpa, you don't really want to move to Ling City, do you?"

Xu Youhao said: "It really can't be true, why, you don't agree?"

Ren Kexin persuaded: "If you are still young, I will definitely not object, but you are so old, and your health is not too good, after all, the medical conditions in the capital are still much better." ”

Xu Youhao waved his hand: "Everyone is inevitably dead, and instead of lying on the hospital bed all the time and only relying on a wheelchair to travel, I might as well go to Elysium earlier." ”

Ren Kexin knew that his grandfather had a stubborn temper, so he could only change the direction and persuade again: "Grandpa, don't you want those old friends of yours?"

Xu Youhao said: "In addition to Lao Yang and a few of them, I also have a few close friends? But now Lao Yang and they are also older, my legs and feet are not very good, it is inconvenient to move around, I can't see each other a few times a year, even if I move to Lingshi, there is no difference, and when I arrive in Lingshi, in addition to discussing calligraphy with Zitao, I can also talk to Lao Zheng, which is more comfortable than here." ”

"Uh......" Ren Kexin didn't know what to say, according to his grandfather's statement, in addition to the medical conditions, it is indeed not bad to go to Ling City.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to adapt to the soil. Ren Kexin thought of another reason.

Xu Youhao laughed and said: "Kexin, don't find any other reasons, I am not a whim in this matter, I have been thinking about it for a long time." ”

He Xin no longer persuaded, "Okay, since you have decided, then I won't say more, but whatever, you have to talk to your uncle and aunt." ”

Xu Youhao nodded: "I'll tell them about this." ”

Seeing that the grandfather and grandson were almost done, Meng Zitao opened his mouth and said, "Old Xu, what's the matter with your legs and feet?"

Xu Youhao said: "I used to have an injury to my right leg, and it would hurt when it rained on a cloudy day before, but some time ago, it suddenly became serious, and I did acupuncture for a while, and it got better." ”

"Can you show me?" Meng Zitao asked.

"You know how to treat this. Xu Youhao and Ren Kexin were a little surprised.

"Actually, I have a medical qualification. Seeing their incredible looks, Meng Zitao explained briefly.

Xu Youhao sighed again, then took off his clothes and asked Meng Zitao to check the old wounds.

After a while, Meng Zitao finished the examination and said, "The situation is a little complicated, and it may take many acupuncture sessions to cure. ”

"You mean to say that it can be cured?" Xu Youhao was a little incredulous.

Meng Zitao smiled: "No matter how good I say, it's useless, when the treatment effect comes out, you can understand it." It's just that the number of acupuncture is a bit too much. ”

"As long as it can be cured. Xu Youhao laughed, and then said to Ren Kexin: "So you won't talk about medical conditions anymore." ”

What else could Ren Kexin say besides smiling.

Acupuncture is not easy to be too full and not easy to be hungry, so an hour after the meal, Meng Zitao gave Xu Youhao acupuncture,

Half an hour later, at the end of the acupuncture, Xu Youhao put on his clothes, moved the old wounded parts, and gave Meng Zitao a thumbs up: "Next time, I should call you Doctor Meng." ”

Meng Zitao smiled and waved his hand: "Don't say that, if others listen to it, then my pressure will be great." ”

"What do you hear?" As soon as the words fell, I saw Xu Youhao's cousin Dong Jichang, who walked in with the servant and greeted Meng Zitao warmly.

"Why do you have time to come over today?" asked Xu Youhao after letting Dong Jichang sit down.

"Well, didn't you just get a calligraphy work, and I want to hear your opinion?" Dong Jichang took out a calligraphy work he brought.

Before Xu Youhao could read the content of the work, he began to count Dong Jichang: "You are an oil painting gallery, can you be a little professional, why do you often bring these things over?

Dong Jichang said with a look of grievance: "I can't help it, since some individuals know about our relationship, they always come to me with such things to send me or pay off debts, some crappy goods are almost full of my house, and there are some famous ones left, I can only come to beg you for your palm." ”

"Hmph, can't you tell them not to send it next time?"

"I said it too, but those guys all think their things are treasures, and we can't help it. Dong Jichang pulled his face, looking very distressed.

Xu Youhao waved his hand: "It's about to move, when the time comes, you won't have to be so troublesome." ”

Dong Jichang's eyes glared at the boss: "Where are you moving to?"

"I'm going to move to Lingshi to be a neighbor with Zitao. Xu Youhao said with a smile.

"Lingshi ......" Dong Jichang looked at Meng Zitao in amazement.

Meng Zitao spread his hands, saying that he did not know about this in advance.

Dong Jichang didn't want Xu Youhao to move, so he hurriedly persuaded: "Cousin, didn't I say that Ling City is not good, but food, clothing, housing and transportation should not be as convenient as the capital, right?"

"Okay, don't talk about it, I know it myself. Xu Youhao didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Dong Jichang was a little helpless, and some of them unfolded the calligraphy works he brought.

Meng Zitao looked over, this is a thin gold calligraphy work, the content is Zhao Ji's "Man Tingfang, Huanyu Qingyi".

After Xu Youhao read it, he said to Meng Zitao: "Zitao, take a look." ”

"Good. ”

Meng Zitao touched the silk on the edge of the painting with his hand, and then took out a high-powered magnifying glass from his pocket to observe it carefully, and saw that in the end, he also used his fingers to gently wipe it on the silk paper, but saw that the hoarfrost on the ink had not been wiped off.

Dong Jichang saw that and said: "I still have this bit of common sense. ”

Meng Zitao smiled and said, "What do you say I'm doing?"

Dong Jichang smiled and said: "In the works before the Song Dynasty, a layer of hoarfrost can be found on its ink, but if you look closely, there is none, and it cannot be removed by any peeling. Modern counterfeiters blow it away with incense ash and let it adhere to the painting, and if you wipe it, the ink is black and shiny, which is not the same as the one that is naturally generated. Actually, I've tried this method before, and I didn't find any problems. ”

"Then you mean that this is at least a Song Dynasty calligraphy work?" asked Xu Youhao.

Dong Jichang shook his head very dryly: "I'm not sure about this, so I came to ask you for advice." ”

Xu Youhao looked at Meng Zitao: "Zitao, tell me your opinion." ”

Meng Zitao said: "This calligraphy work uses the ancient silk of the Song Dynasty, the warp is a double filament, the weft is a single filament, very dense, the seal is not wrong, it is the gourd seal of the imperial calligraphy, and the pen power is also very good. ”

However, it also has flaws, one is that there is no monogram signature, Zhao Ji's monogram signature is the best in the world, even if the pen is imitated in place, his monogram signature is not imitated to the point of being fake, so it is better not to stay. ”

In addition, in works before the Song Dynasty, all the ink color has been immersed in the paper or silk, and there is no difference from the engraved silk, that is, its ink or color has completely dyed the fibers of the paper or silk. Although the works of the Yuan and Ming dynasties are inferior to those of the Song Dynasty, they can also penetrate into the texture of paper and silk. ”

"If it is a new work or a forgery, its ink or color is all frivolous and not calm on the surface, bright but not heavy, although the old method is still used, but still shows the traces of the new work, as long as you compare it carefully, the authenticity is immediately distinguished. Therefore, in my judgment, this work is only an old imitation of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, and it is not a genuine work. ”

Dong Jichang raised an objection: "You say that there is a problem with this work, I think it's okay, but in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, who could imitate the thin gold body so vividly?"

To say, this thin gold calligraphy work, in terms of artistry, its knot body is sparse and upright, the tip of the pen is heavy, the line of the pen is thin and strong, skimming out the pen sharp and sharp, horizontal and vertical pen and hook, the overall beauty and thinness, in addition to the momentum is not up to the level of Zhao Ji, the other at least ninety percent of the similarity.

In general, such authors will rarely be obscure.

Meng Zitao smiled and said: "What you said also has a certain amount of truth, but there is one thing you didn't take into account, the thin gold font used in this work! The thin gold font is more difficult to write than 'Ouyan Liu Zhao' and other fonts in shape, such as the need to use the nib for a long time, emphasizing the last mention of the stroke, etc., so those who learn regular script do not come up to learn this." When people learn other bodies almost, they should practice cursive writing in line change, and they will not practice thin gold body. ”

"Therefore, generally only people who have been immersed in calligraphy for many years and have a strong interest in regular script have the 'ability' to practice thin gold. However, they rarely use thin gold to create, because there are too few changes in thin gold bodies, and they are handsome in appearance but lack bearing. Although this is not appropriate, the fact is that writing a work in thin gold font is similar to typing one out on a computer, and there is no room for creativity. ”

"Writing in thin gold font, the ink color is dark, the chapter layout, and the gesture have little room to play, so many people in the industry regard the thin gold font as an 'evil book'. Therefore, a person who is only good at thin gold body can only be regarded as a skilled calligraphy lover at best, and he is far from a calligrapher. Ordinary calligraphers rarely use thin gold to create, but there are many people who can thin gold with one hand, such as Xu Lao and me. ”

Xu Youhao said with a smile: "Zitao is right, it is not uncommon for people to have thin gold bodies, but they are not common in public. ”

Although Dong Jichang was a little depressed, he didn't necessarily feel so sad, and quickly put things away.

"You didn't answer that you should pay off your debts with this thing. Xu Youhao is still very concerned about the younger generation, and asked with concern.

Dong Jichang smiled and waved his hand: "Of course not, otherwise no matter how thick my net worth is, I will go bankrupt." ”

"That's good......"

Next, everyone chatted casually for a while, Xu Youhao looked a little tired after chatting for a while because he didn't take a nap, Meng Zitao said goodbye, and Dong Jichang also left together.

When he went out, Dong Jichang sent an invitation to Meng Zitao: "Why don't you take a look at my collection for many years?"

Ren Kexin pierced him at once: "You want Zitao to help you identify it." ”

Dong Jichang was not embarrassed: "Don't say I'm so utilitarian, don't I have a lot of oil painting collections!"

Ren Kexin said: "It's all a collection of nobodies, Zitao, don't fall for him." ”

Meng Zitao smiled: "If you think about it, Brother Dong shouldn't fool me." ”

Dong Jichang smiled: "That's it, no one will fool you if I fool you, let's go, come with me to see." ”

Meng Zitao was indeed a little interested in Dong Jichang's collection, and after making a few jokes, he set off with Dong Jichang.

Dong Jichang specially built a collection room for his collection, not far from here, is a small villa, and has specially arranged security personnel, and set up the world's most advanced security system.

He led Mencius and the two into the villa, the space of the villa has been redesigned by him, it looks like a small museum layout, the walls are hung with all kinds of paintings, of course, are oil paintings, but the level still looks very good, in addition to abstraction, Mencius Tao is difficult to accept, like Baroque, Lock, classicism, realism works, he can still accept.

It's just a little strange to Meng Zitao that the authors of these works are rarely famous artists, and he also asked Dong Jichang this question.

Dong Jichang didn't answer directly, and said with a smile: "Do you know how the painter who paints oil paintings lived before he became famous?"

Meng Zitao shook his head and said he didn't know.

Dong Jichang said: "Generally speaking, it is divided into several situations, one is to use other professions to raise paintings. For example, first do business to make money, and then stick to painting for more years, and when the money runs out, I finally become famous and sell my paintings. Some are teachers, some set up stalls, and some white-collar workers also insist on painting, and in general, there are very few who can become famous. ”

"The second is to cultivate painting through painting. There are more people who support painting by painting, and there are people who make money by painting, and then they have money to paint originally. But the disadvantage is that the painting destroys the eyes and hands, and it is difficult to break through the style after a long time. In general, I rarely buy the works of such painters, and I say the original works they painted, because I feel that they lack aura. ”

"The third is to stay up. A lot of painters are boiling, and it's also admirable. Those who insist on painting strive to have their own place in art, some are down, some are evicted by landlords, some are mixed up, and some commit suicide. It's also rare to get famous. ”