In the afternoon of the same day, Chen Qingdong prepared to go to Longwan with Zheng Hongtao to find Zhao Changbin. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

However, this time, in order to let Zhao Changbin help, Chen Qingdong was also going to bring a gift to Zhao Changbin.

Although Zhao Changbin was short of money, he probably didn't care if Chen Qingdong brought him a gift or not, he should have helped if he could help, but in order to show politeness and respect, Chen Qingdong still carefully prepared a gift for him.

Chen Qingdong knows very well that businessmen like Zhao Changbin are not bad for money, and they are not simply intersecting with interests, but some sympathy for each other, and regard each other as friends, so it is obviously inappropriate to send money directly to Zhao Changbin, but the relationship between him and Zhao Changbin is not exactly the kind of relationship between "gentlemen's friendship is as light as water", so the gift to Zhao Changbin cannot, of course, be the kind of gift that is very cheap in itself and only relies on meaning.

The last time Chen Qingdong came to Longwan, when he had dinner with Zhao Changbin, they talked about the topic of antiques, and from Zhao Changbin's words, Chen Qingdong learned that Zhao Changbin was very interested in stone toys, and his family also collected a lot of stone toys.

Therefore, Chen Qingdong was ready to give Zhao Changbin a precious stone, which would not only make Zhao Changbin like it, but also show that he was attentive.

And it just so happened that Zheng Hongtao was very familiar with a person who was doing antique business near the Confucian Temple in Liulin County, this person was called Hu Laoqi, and everyone in the industry called him "Seventh Master", this person was very famous in Liulin County, and even more famous in the antique circle.

It is said that his ancestors have been engaged in the antique business for several generations, especially his great-grandfather in the late Qing Dynasty was the master of the Beijing Liuli Factory, and was often invited by some dignitaries to appraise treasures. According to him, even Zeng Guofan, a loyal minister of the late Qing Dynasty, asked his grandfather to help with the treasure.

Later, when the Eight-Nation Coalition invaded Beijing, the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor fled to Xi'an in a hurry, and a group of dignitaries and nobles in Beijing, and even many ordinary people fled from Beijing, and his grandfather fled from Beijing at this time, and settled in Huaihai Province.

Of course, most of these mysterious legends of Hu Laoqi were said by Hu Laoqi himself, although there are many people who believe in his words, and there are also many people who have passed on them by word of mouth, but Chen Qingdong does not believe it very much.

Hu Laoqi said that his grandfather escaped from Beijing and came to Huaihai Province when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, and said that Zeng Guofan, a heavy minister in the late Qing Dynasty, also asked his grandfather to help him identify treasures.

As we all know, the Eight-Nation Coalition invaded Beijing, the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor disguised themselves, blended into the exiles, and escaped from the Forbidden City in a hurry, which was in 1990, but the time of Zeng Guofan's death was in 1872, if Hu Laoqi's grandfather not only gave Zeng Guofan a treasure, but also fled to Beijing in 1990, considering that Hu Laoqi is now in his forties, so his grandfather does not conform to common sense in terms of age.

Moreover, Chen Qingdong is also very familiar with Zeng Guofan's life, knowing that Zeng Guofan in 1853, relying on complex interpersonal relationships such as master and apprentice, relatives, and friends to establish a group training in his hometown, that is, the prototype of the Hunan army, he has been working hard for the rest of his life to pacify the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and has hardly returned to Beijing.

In addition, in the life of Zeng Guofan, he has never been introduced to love antiques, from the handed down "Zeng Guofan's Family Letter", it can also be understood that Zeng Guofan specifically told future generations to maintain inner peace and physical strength, and not to lose their minds.

Judging from this information, Hu Laoqi's description of his family background has some boasting in it.

In fact, Chen Qingdong knows that Hu Laoqi's "boasting" is not for any special purpose, but because Hu Laoqi is a "Kanye" who loves to talk and laugh, and is very capable of talking about the mountains.

Therefore, even if they don't buy antiques, many people like to go to his small shop to sit and listen to him. Especially in the summer, because electricity is still a luxury, so in the evening, everyone likes to go out to cool off, get together to chat, and spend summer time.

In such a season, after it gets dark, Hu Laoqi will always put a reclining chair at the door of his small shop, lie comfortably on it, hold a pu fan in his left hand, and a large purple clay pot in his right hand.

When Chen Qingdong was in junior high school, he also liked to come to Hu Laoqi's small shop with a few friends on a boring summer night and listen to him.

Hu Laoqi also talked about a wide range of topics, from ancient myths, to folklore, and even Qing palace secrets and folk ghosts!

Chen Qingdong was young at the time, his worldview was not mature, and after listening to a lot of ghost and god stories told by Hu Laoqi, he once really believed that there were ghosts and gods in the world, and until now, he is still not a godless argument.

It wasn't until he went to high school later that Chen Qingdong rarely listened to Hu Laoqi's shenkan anymore.

With the progress and development of the times, household electricity and household appliances are becoming more and more popular, almost every household has fans and TVs, and even many families have air conditioners. Billiards room and other entertainment places are attracted, or they are busy falling in love, few people are interested in Hu Laoqi's Shenkan anymore, I don't know when it started, Hu Laoqi no longer puts a reclining chair at the door of the small shop on a summer night, a pu fan in his left hand, and a large purple clay pot in his right hand.

This "one scene", which was once very famous in Liulin County, has disappeared in the rolling of the giant wheel of time.

And Chen Qingdong listened to Zheng Hongtao say that the acquaintance of Zheng Hongtao and Hu Laoqi is also a coincidence.

That was still more than three years of money, and at that time, Chen Hongbing and Zheng Hongtao were still running a small restaurant on the outskirts of the county. Once Zheng Hongtao had something to do to go to Longwan, and when he was eating at an open-air food stall at night, suddenly there was a commotion next to him, and several young men copied the bench or something to beat a man lying on the ground.

Zheng Hongtao didn't want to care about this kind of nossy business, but when he saw clearly that the person who was beaten turned out to be Hu Laoqi, Zheng Hongtao couldn't stand by and watch.

Although Zheng Hongtao and Hu Laoqi are not familiar with each other, they are just nodding friends who have met a few times, but when they meet in Longwan, Zheng Hongtao must not watch his fellow villagers being beaten.

After seeing clearly that it was indeed Hu Laoqi, Zheng Hongtao almost didn't hesitate, so he picked up a beer bottle and rushed in, and put several young people who beat Hu Laoqi to the ground, and then pulled Hu Laoqi up and ran, the group of young men were stunned for a while before they started chasing, but in the end they didn't catch up with them and gave up.

Hu Laoqi did not tell Zheng Hongtao the reason why he was beaten, and Zheng Hongtao did not ask, but from this day on, Hu Laoqi and Zheng Hongtao became good friends.

After going to Shuangshan Town with Chen Hongbing to set up a farm, Zheng Hongtao often went back to the city to drink wine and chat with Hu Laoqi's shop.

This time, after Chen Qingdong told Zheng Hongtao that he wanted to prepare a stone play for Zhao Changbin as a gift, Zheng Hongtao took Chen Qingdong to Hu Laoqi's cultural relics shop called "Qixingzhai".

When Wang let go of the car and took them to Qixingzhai, he was not tall, thin and thin, wearing a black cardigan Tang suit, a pair of frameless round retro glasses on the bridge of his nose, and a wisp of goatee on his chin.

Chen Qingdong felt that this young man was still a little familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it.

When Hu Laoqi saw Zheng Hongtao and them walking in, he raised his hand to say hello, and said to the hesitant young man in front of him: "Brother, the price I gave you is absolutely fair, I have already explained everything to you thoroughly, if you are still not at ease, then take it to another place to see, but I think that in our entire Liulin County, except for me, no one will give you such a high price." Moreover, it is not certain whether others dare to accept it. We've worked together so many times, when have I ever cheated you? I've got friends coming, and I have something important to talk to them about, or you can take your things back and think about it. ”

The young man glanced at Zheng Hongtao and the others, and said helplessly: "Okay, so be it." ”

Hu Laoqi smiled slightly, pointed out a stack of money and handed it to the young man, then patted the young man on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Brother, when there will be good goods coming to us, I will definitely not lose you!"

The young man roughly counted the money and said, "All right! Let's go, Seventh Master!"

Hu Laoqi said with a smile on his face: "Okay! Brother go slowly!"

After the young man walked out of the shop, Hu Laoqi walked over from behind the counter and said with a smile: "Hong Tao, come here." ”

"Good afternoon, Seventh Master. Zheng Hongtao smiled, "Let me introduce you, this is my brother and the younger brother of the Red Soldier, Qingdong." This is Wang Fang. ”

Chen Qingdong greeted with a smile: "Hello, Seventh Master, long time no see." ”

Hu Laoqi said suspiciously: "Brother, have we met before?"

"The Seventh Master is really a noble man who forgets things!" Chen Qingdong said with a smile, "In the past summer evenings, you often put a reclining chair at the door of this place to set up a dragon gate array, but I often come to listen to your stories and benefit a lot!"

"Haha, it turns out that there is still this layer of origin! No wonder I think you are so familiar!" Hu Laoqi laughed and said, "Hearing you say this, I really miss the days of the past! Alas, time is really fast, in a blink of an eye, ten years have passed!"

"No, I was in junior high school at the time, and now I've been graduating from college for several years. Chen Qingdong smiled, then changed the subject, and asked again, "Seventh Master, who was that young man just now?

"Do you know that kid?" asked Hu Laoqi.

"I don't know, I just feel a little familiar. Chen Qingdong said.

Zheng Hongtao interjected: "Seventh Master, I just saw that you were doing business with that kid, right? That kid is so young, he has already started playing antiques?"

"Cut! He knows what a fart antique!" Hu Laoqi scoffed, and said, "But his father likes to pick up some old things, and this kid just steals some of his father's worthless things and comes to me to exchange them for some pocket money." ”

The more Chen Qingdong thought about it, the more he felt that this kid was familiar, so he couldn't help but ask, "Seventh Master, what is this kid's father doing?"

Hu Laoqi glanced at Chen Qingdong and said, "It's okay to tell you, this kid's father is also a figure in our county, Wei Qinghe, director of the Transportation Bureau." ”

Chen Qingdong was surprised: "It turns out that he is Wei Qinghe's son!"

"Yes! Wei Qinghe's only son is called Wei Bo. Hu Laoqi said, "This kid is not a good thing, don't look at him young, in fact, this kid has already eaten, drunk, prostituted, gambled, smoked, and had all kinds of poisons! He often stole his father's cigarettes and wine, or some of the antiques that were not very valuable and took them out for money." ”

Zheng Hongtao joked: "Seventh Master, you dare to accept this kind of second-generation official thing!"

Hu Laoqi said with a smile: "The more things are the second generation of officials, the more risky it is to put them away! Those of them who are officials don't know how much they are afraid that their family property will be found out from unknown sources! I have heard that some officials do not dare to call the police if their families lose money. Do you think they dare to come to me for trouble, and if I shout about it, they will be out of luck!"

Chen Qingdong said with a smile: "Seventh Master, you really have a thorough understanding of being an official. ”