As soon as Bai Lianqi woke up in the morning, he felt that something was wrong, he lay in the quilt and pondered for a long time, only to remember that there was no food today, no wonder he felt uncomfortable when he woke up, this is really a big deal. He still had five cents in his pocket last night, and after listening to the play, he invited a friend to have a meal to spend the night, yes, there is no big boy left, what can I do today?

Going back more than ten years, Bai Lianqi is not as miserable as it is now. According to the genealogy, his ancestor was a first-class guard of the emperor in the Kangxi period, and the history of the Bai family's ancestors serving the emperor was recorded from the Nurhachi era to the Tongzhi period. Why only in the Tongzhi period? Did the ancestors of the Guangxu Dynasty and the Xuantong Dynasty go? Which ancestor was careless when he served the emperor, and the emperor was unhappy? Or did you commit something else? The genealogy doesn't say it. Anyway, he only knows that he is a white flag, his ancestors have always been military generals, since he is the emperor's imperial guard, it must be skilled in arches and horses, and his martial arts are very good, to put it bluntly, the imperial guard is the emperor's personal bodyguard, it is not a joke. Bai Lianqi has to be stunned for a while every time he finishes the family tree, is this genealogy real? He didn't believe that the ancestors of the Bai family could be so strong, and Yuan said that Bai Lianqi's father was a weak and soft master, and once he was stunned to let a rooster raised by the family hit a big fight. When Bai Lianqi's grandfather died, he was already seven or eight years old, and he still has some impressions. His grandfather doesn't look like a descendant of a military general, he doesn't have the power to tie the chicken, he loves to cry, and he can see tears and communicate with tears in a Nalan poem.

Bai Lianqi believes that the person who compiles the family tree is purely nonsense, and the family style of the Bai family is by no means martial, but fun. His grandfather Bai Yunfeng has never worked in a regular business in his life, and he spent the silver left by his ancestors, but he also enjoyed a lifetime of happiness. The old man likes to play, and he is also good at playing, and it is rare that he can play tricks with anything. The old man likes to raise insects, since he was sensible with Bai Lianqi, the pillars of the house, the trees in the yard, and even the old man's bed, there are gourds for raising insects everywhere. The children of the Eight Banners in the capital are fashionable to raise autumn insects in winter, and the autumn insects are mainly grasshoppers, crickets, oil hyacinths, golden bells, and smacking lips. The owner of the insect breeder not only listens to the call of the worm, but also likes its shape, and the layman can't understand it, what is so beautiful about this autumn worm? Isn't it just a bug? But in the eyes of insect keepers, it's different, let's put it this way, Xi Shi is a beauty, but in the eyes of Bai Lianqi's grandfather, he is not as beautiful as a grasshopper. Insect breeders have their own aesthetic standards, taking the grasshopper as an example, the high-grade ones are beautiful with bean green beard and long wings; The oil hyacinth is beautiful with oily black wings; Crickets are superior to six or seven centimeters in length; Jin Zhong'er must be male and female, male and female, male and wide, female small and body is ideal, both male and female should have long beards, and even the color of the beard is exquisite.

The gourd for raising insects should not be ambiguous. The gourd type of the gnats must be long and round, and the mouth must be covered with copper wires to prevent poking the whiskers, because the gourds must preserve the mustaches, and if there is a slight damage, it is the next product. The gourd type of the oil gourd is slightly shorter and the lower part is slightly wider, and the bottom of the cover must be smashed into a slope shape with triple soil, just like a wild hole. These gourds are also quite labor-intensive to make, first pick the gourd to dry for a year, wait for its quality to be firm, measure the material and make, first cut off the gourd to make it flat, fry it in oil, wait for its color to turn yellowish, take out and dry, and then rub it with silk, make it smooth, use mahogany or firewood to make the lid on the cut-off, pay more attention to ivory and other materials, and also carve auspicious words such as "five bats holding longevity" and "fish leaping dragon gate" on the cover. It is said that Prince Gong in the Xianfeng period had a cricket gourd, which was worth 100,000 taels of silver. Bai Lianqi's grandfather is of course not as good as Prince Gong, but he also has a lot of fine collections.

Bai Yunfeng is not a woman, he likes men, and he only married the wife of the main house in this life, and did not take a concubine. The purpose of his wife is nothing more than to pass on the ancestry, "there are three unfilial pieties, and no queen is great" is the ancient motto, Bai Yunfeng does not want to be an unfilial person, if it is not for this, he is not even too lazy to marry a wife. He has many hobbies, raising insects, raising goldfish, playing with birds, cockfighting, and likes to go to the Xianggong Court to fight. When listening to the play, he will never hold the horn, he is not interested in beautiful women, but when he sees the little student with red lips and white teeth, his eyes are straight, and he dares to throw any silver in his pocket on the stage. But anyone who has this kind of hobby, the family must not be prosperous, the old man only left Bai Lianqi's father Bai Zhengde, a son, is definitely a single pass, and the wife wants to strike while the iron is hot and give birth to a few more of him, it's not that he doesn't have this ability, but Bai Yunfeng doesn't have sex with her at all.

In Bai Lianqi's memory, there were still three houses at home in his childhood, two three-entry houses in Xisi Chochai Hutong, and one in Dongcheng Qianliang Hutong. When his father Bai Zhengde was in charge, the Bai family was left with only one house in Chophai Hutong, who knows when those two properties were confiscated by the old man.

Bai Lianqi's father, Bai Zhengde, is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and the old man's hobbies have been fully inherited by him, and he has carried them forward, adding a lot of problems. For example, although the old man is good at raising birds, he has never played with eagles, because eagles are not so fun, and "boil eagles"[1]

It's a chore, ordinary people can't stand it, it must be the master's own work, and it is easy not to change people, otherwise the eagle will not listen to you in the future. Bai Zhengde once "boiled the eagle" and stayed up for seven days and seven nights without closing his eyes, until the eagle was boiled to the top of the feathers, the tail feathers drooped, the eyes were blurred, and the anger was completely gone, Bai Zhengde fell to the ground, unconscious for three days and three nights. This kind of play is not something that ordinary people can bear, and it definitely needs to be supported by fiery passion.

Bai Zhengde is a person who loves life, and has an impatient desire for all the pleasures that act on the senses. The old man is not good at women all his life, he loves male style, and when he comes to Bai Zhengde, he is both land and water, and he has the habit of splitting peaches and broken sleeves, and he is good at stealing incense and stealing jade, but his body is not very strong, and the strong genes of his ancestors have long been gone in his life. According to the kiln sisters in Bada Hutong, Bai Ye is the best servant among the prostitutes, he always finishes things within two minutes, and then sleeps until dawn, and then puts on his pants and pays for it and leaves. If the prostitutes all visit the kiln like this, then the business of the kiln sisters will be much easier.

Bai Zhengde also has a hobby of holding Kunjiaoer, but anyone who has this hobby can't have a mountain of gold at home, even if the family wealth is not enough to toss for a few years. In the thirteenth year of the Republic of China, Xue Yanqin, who was ranked first among the "Four Great Kundan", was red and purple, and Bai Zhengde praised her field, sending off the head, sending the table around, sending the curtain tent, inviting guests to listen to the play, and buying tickets to support the scene...... The silver was spent like flowing water, and seeing that Xue Yanqin had just had a little smile, who knew that a Pu Yu was killed halfway, this person was born in a royal family, and he was the famous owner of the Red Bean Pavilion Pu Dong [2]

——The brother of the "Fifth Master of Dong". Uncle Yu fell in love with Xue Yanqin at a glance, so he rushed up desperately and started a fierce competition with Bai Zhengde. Uncle Yu was rich and powerful, and Bai Zhengde was quickly defeated. When Pu Yu and Xue Yanqin got married, Bai Zhengde, who was in pain, almost jumped the moat.

Bai Zhengde is not only fun but also delicious, God knows how long his stomach is, he is eclectic about all food, full of creativity in choosing food, often before he finishes this meal, he has already figured out where to eat the next meal, what to eat, usually the recipe within three days has already been known, everything is according to plan, and he eats calmly. Needless to say, the time-honored brands like the "Eight Buildings" in the capital are more rare to have a unique appreciation for the snacks in the streets and alleys, and those who eat minced meat and pea yellow are not "imitation meals", and those who eat fried gnocchi must be "Mujiazhai" in Hufang Bridge, and the white water sheep's head should be made by the two horses in the front door porch, and the "Ruiming Building" in Dong'an Market is specially recognized by the fire in the blanket and burned. Bai Zhengde has played happily in this life, eating darkly, speaking of this life, it is not in vain, fortunately he died in his fifties, otherwise it would be difficult to say in his later years.

When Bai Zhengde died, Bai Lianqi was not yet thirty years old, and the last house handed down by his ancestors had already been sold by his father. Bai Lianqi is worthy of being the queen of the Bai family, and like his grandfather and father, he hates earning money to make a living, and he doesn't have any ability to make a living, but he is also proficient in everything when he plays. Unlike the two ancestors, he no longer had any property to build. In a few years, there is only one of the three north rooms left, and even the wife has remarried with the children, fortunately, the wife woke up early, otherwise maybe he will be tight one day, and he will sell his wife and children with his teeth.

Bai Lianqi has been relying on Dezi in recent months. Dezi is his minion, which is also ancestral, Dezi's grandfather and father are also slaves of the Bai family, and they have served the Bai family all their lives. There are many rules for the flag people, and the relationship between the master and the servant is very particular. The master is the master, and the slave will always be the slave, even if the master is reduced to a flower child, and the slave has become the master with a lot of money, and each other's identities cannot be reversed. No matter where the slave sees the master, he has to salute and say goodbye, and he has to support the master if he doesn't make trouble. Once the master is not angry, he can give the slave a big ear scraper at any time, and the slave who has been beaten and scolded cannot show the slightest dissatisfaction, otherwise the spittle of the crowd can drown him, which is the ancestral teaching of the Manchurians. The Bai family has long been unable to raise slaves, Dezi has always made a living by selling sugar gourds, and the capital required to make sugar gourds is not much. Bai Lianqi said that he saw that Dezi was busy working alone and couldn't bear it, so he offered to "help". When Dezi boiled sugar, Bai Lianqi used bamboo skewers to string hawthorn fruits on the side. Generally speaking, four-fifths of the hawthorn fruit is strung on a bamboo skewer, and one-fifth of the hawthorn fruit goes into Bai Lianqi's belly. Dezi doesn't dare to eat, he has to feed two mouths at a time, which is still tight. Dezi thinks that it is natural for the master to eat a few bunches of hawthorn fruits, who is the master? Earlier, he was also a young master who carried a cage bird, and he was not born to work, so he didn't think Dezi was cold and came to help him, which was really a face for Dezi.

The problem is that Dezi's speed of making money is not as fast as Bai Lianqi's speed of spending money, Dezi just gave his master five cents at noon yesterday, and before he could spend the night, the money was gone, and Bai Lianqi was really embarrassed to speak again.

Bai Lianqi was worried in the bed, but he heard the roof lively again, and the roof of the old newspaper paste was buzzing, mixed with squeaky screams...... Needless to say, this is the rats having a party again. These bastard things, there is no day of Ansheng, Bai Lianqi was annoyed, so he picked up a shoe and threw it to the ceiling. This is an old cloth shoe, worn for two or three years, when the sole is about to be worn out, I asked the shoemaker to put on a wear-resistant rubber sole, and a leather patch was sewn at the toe of the toe, it happened that last night when Bai Lianqi came home and stepped into a puddle carelessly, the whole shoe was soaked, it is conceivable that this shoe is enough, not to mention that Bai Lianqi is annoying, and the momentum is not small, so the shoes pierce the roof of the old newspaper paste like a cannonball, leaving a big hole in the roof, A fat rat in search of pleasure suddenly fell out of the hole...... Then, a miracle happened, and a long wooden box also fell out of the hole, almost hitting Bai Lianqi's head......

Bai Lianqi instinctively felt that today's meal was probably over. This house was purchased by his father, Bai Zhengde, when he sold his last house, for his own residence. Bai Lianqi clearly remembered that his father seemed to have his own hands when he pasted the roof, so this thing was hidden by his father.

The box is made of nanmu, and there is a slightly broken painting inside, which is painted with orchid bamboo, and the inscription is not very clear, as if it is surnamed Ma, and the author's seal is even more incomprehensible. Bai Lianqi has never had a good impression of seal characters, and good words have to be made like spiders crawling. Although he has been in private school for a few years, and has memorized articles such as "Analects" and "The Mean", he is a layman in calligraphy and painting, in his impression, grandpa Bai Yunfeng still has some elegant piano, chess, poetry and painting, and when he came to his father's life, there was only a hobby of flowers, birds, insects and fish, and almost nothing to do with culture. However, I remember that when my grandfather was alive, there were still a lot of calligraphy and paintings at home, and it seems that this painting is the only remaining collection of paintings in the Bai family. Although Bai Lianqi doesn't know calligraphy and painting, he understands that this thing is valuable, this painting paper is old, slightly damaged, and there are a few Tibetan seals printed in the blank space.

Bai Lianqi jumped out of bed energetically, his face like a spring breeze......

As soon as the "Treasure Pavilion" of Liulichang opened, the shopkeeper Chen ushered in two guests. The two men were dressed shabby, their robes were shabby, and there were patches on their shoes. The man who walked in front had a long wooden box in his armpit, and the shopkeeper Chen's long-experienced eyes could see at a glance that this box was made of nanmu. The shopkeeper Chen hurriedly beckoned the guys to tea, and the "Treasure Pavilion" tea is exquisite, all by the gestures of the shopkeeper, and the shopkeeper's palm is facing outward when he raises his hand, and the flower tea of the next year. If the shopkeeper's palm is facing inward, it indicates that the distinguished guest is coming, and he must go to the "Longjing" new tea before the Qingming Dynasty.

When the guy served the tea, he was still muttering in his heart, these two guests are not much better dressed than Hanako, why should they serve them good tea?

Shopkeeper Chen was secretly happy in his heart at this time, and there was a good deal on the door. He was seventeen or eighteen years old in the glass factory, who hasn't seen him? Look at the man in the wooden box, don't look shabby, but the posture of drinking tea is not something that ordinary people can learn. He stilted Erlang's legs, pinched the bowl lid with three fingers, first skimmed the tea foam with the bowl lid, and then covered the bowl lid, leaving only a slit, picked up the bowl and took a small sip, the tea in the mouth like a gargle turned a few times before swallowing calmly, this is called tea tasting, this person has seen the world. Shopkeeper Chen is too familiar with this kind of person, and he doesn't need to ask to know that this is a broken Eight Banners disciple, and the one next to him is a minion.

Shopkeeper Chen likes this kind of dilapidated Eight Banners children, if they always eat and drink, then half of the Liuli Factory has to be closed, it is because of this group that the Liuli Factory is becoming more and more prosperous. Let's just say that the person in front of him, maybe he sent him money, and the things in the Nanmu box can't be wrong.

Bai Lianqi was silent and just drank tea, supported by the Nanmu box, and he was strong at this moment. The strong man doesn't need to talk much, and besides, he hasn't drunk such a good tea for a few years, so it's a good time to enjoy it. Of course, the shopkeeper Chen is not in a hurry, his heart is like a mirror, this master is a master who waits for rice to be cooked, he is more anxious than you, at this time you must calm down, it is not a business to rush. He just quietly instructed the man to refill the guest's teacup.

Bai Lianqi's tea was connected with water twice in a row, and the guy wanted to refill the water, but he made a gesture to refuse. According to his meaning, the taste of Longjing tea is not enough when the water is brewed for the first time, and the water is just right for the second time, and the water is just a little aftertaste, which has the effect of aftertaste, and the tea should be changed to the tea when it is drunk on this, because the tea that continues to be water four times is tantamount to brushing the pot water, and it is also very impolite. Because Bai Lianqi doesn't know calligraphy and painting, he decided to talk less, and if he says too much, he will lose, and if he doesn't make a good scene, he can't sell it at a good price, so it's best to make a price from the other party and bargain by himself.

Bai Lianqi glanced at Dezi, and Dezi opened the box and sent it to the shopkeeper Chen: "Boss, my master, please take a look." ”

Shopkeeper Chen quietly unfolded the scroll, he simply glanced at the picture, this is a picture of orchid bamboo, his eyes can't wait to fall on the inscription and the inscription, Ma Xianglan? His heart moved...... Chen shopkeeper has heard of this female painter, this woman is one of the "Qinhuai Bayan" in the late Ming Dynasty, once a courtesan in Nanjing Qinhuai, color and art, can poetry, good at painting orchid bamboo, her works are not much, Chen shopkeeper has been in the industry for decades, only heard his name, did not see his painting. Alongside Ma Xianglan's inscription is a inscription called Wang Zhideng, which is obviously a collaboration between the two. Who is Wang Zhideng? I'm afraid I still have to check the book, and the knowledge of literature and history of Shopkeeper Chen is not enough at this time. Leave it alone, he must have asked for this painting, judging from the style, technique and antiquity of the paper, this painting is undoubtedly genuine. After so many years in the industry, he still has this eyesight. There are a lot of fakes in the ancient painting line of Liulichang, most of them are imitation of master-level masterpieces, taking Ming Dynasty painters as an example, such as Wen Zhengming, Dong Qichang, Tang Yin, Qiu Ying and other people's works are mostly fakes, in contrast, Ma Xianglan is just a Qinhuai courtesan, at least not a master-level master, and the imitation author does not seem to be guilty of forgery for Ma Xianglan.

Shopkeeper Chen calmly asked, "What price is Mr. going to offer?" ”

Dezi hurriedly replied: "You are a connoisseur, is it a good product, you can understand at a glance, our master doesn't want to talk more, he regrets it in his heart, you think, if you are not in a hurry to use the money, who will send the ancestral heirloom to you?" I won't be able to see my ancestors in the future, so I have to think about it, right? Shopkeeper, you can tell me the price, our master said, he doesn't want to make a fortune with the things of his ancestors, it's almost enough, isn't this catching up? ”

Shopkeeper Chen said with a pleasant face: "Yo, I'm really sorry, the two masters can make me embarrassed, Chen is clumsy, and I can't see whose painting this is after looking at it for a long time." Who is this Ma Xianglan? Why haven't I heard of it? Which dynasty and which generation? The second master asked me to make a price, how dare I? This painting can't even make the author and the dynasty clear, how dare I make a bid? Second master, Chen has delayed your work a little, can you introduce it to us? ”

Bai Lianqi and Dezi were dumbfounded, how did they know who Ma Xianglan was, Bai Lianqi only saw the word "horse" on the inscription of the painting, and the word "Xianglan" was still said by the shopkeeper Chen. Bai Lianqi was a little panicked, he said in his heart that this may not be an ancient painting, it is not good to make this Ma Xianglan Xing which aunt and wife of the ancestor, and she is uncomfortable at home and paints a few strokes casually, so that she can treat herself as a famous painting, if so, the joke will be big. However, Bai Lianqi's brain was not slow, he replied in an offensive and defensive manner: "Shopkeeper, this is indeed my family's ancestral heirloom, even if Ma Xianglan is no longer famous, but the years are here, you look at the paper products of this painting, there are no hundreds of years to reach this, the antiquities are worth on this 'ancient', to put it mildly, the night pot is not worth much, right?" But if it's really a night pot in the Tang Dynasty, then it's a treasure, why? It's because it's been here. ”

Shopkeeper Chen said with a smile: "This master, this is a bad word. If you just look at the paper products, this is easy to do, turn back you give me a piece of rice paper, I went out for a walk, but also out of the glaze factory, there is an hour or two of work, I can give you back a piece of paper from the Northern Song Dynasty, if you catch up with the eyes of the almost master, to the paper of the five generations may not be. Let me tell you this, there are more people who eat by making old in Liuli Factory, you want to make the old into a new one, he doesn't have the ability, but if you want to make the new one old, it's a good thing. ”

Dezi was a little annoyed, he was not used to this kind of fighting work, going around and around to make people confused, he said bluntly: "Shopkeeper, you hurry up, do you want you to say a word, if you want to make a price, don't ...... Do you have a thatched house? I'm having a stomach upset, so I'm going to wipe my ass with this painting. ”

Rao is the shopkeeper Chen is scheming, and he was also choked by Dezi's words. The purpose of his wandering around was to lower the price, because he recognized these two as "mallets"[3]

, if you can give less, you can give less, this is the rule of doing business. Who knows that Dezi is still a "second pole", you have to pay attention to this "two pole", this kind of person is simple-minded, poor patience, and dares to set his house on fire when his head is hot, let alone wipe his ass with this painting. The shopkeeper Chen didn't go around, he simply opened the bid code: "That's it, I'll pay fifty yuan, just as a gamble, if this is really an ancient painting, I will catch it, if it is fake, I will admit compensation, if the two masters are willing, we will make a deal now." ”

"A fixed price, a hundred oceans, I won't sell one less." Bai Lianqi was making a final effort, but his tone was no longer very resolute. To be honest, with his current situation, let alone fifty oceans, even ten oceans are tempting enough.

Shopkeeper Chen didn't want to get used to his problem: "Two masters, since the price can't be negotiated, forget it, I also have a match, and the transaction is not benevolent, let's just let it pass if it doesn't happen, two of you drink tea, do you want the guy to take you around the shop?" ”

If you talk about the heart, Bai Lianqi is the opponent of the shopkeeper Chen, he was defeated with only one move, he stood up and arched his hand to the shopkeeper Chen and said: "Shopkeeper, you are amazing, I can see it, even if we talk for two more hours, I Bai Lianqi also wants to ask you for a little cheap, okay, just make a deal at the price you said......"

In the 30s of the 20th century, the business of the telephone bureau was very bleak, the huge city of Beiping, the telephone users were only 2,000, let's say the glaze factory, there were hundreds of shops engaged in antique calligraphy and painting, and there were only dozens of telephones that could be installed. However, this does not prevent the spread of information, in the sense that the human mouth travels faster than the telephone. In the morning, "Treasure Pavilion" acquired an ancient painting, less than the afternoon, the news spread throughout the glaze factory, and there were several versions in the process of dissemination, some people said: "Treasure Pavilion" acquired an ancient painting is the Tang Dynasty Wu Daozi's "Sending the Son of the Heavenly King". Some people immediately refuted: No, it is the Northern Song Dynasty Mi Fu's "Rain Map When the Sky Falls"...... Mr. Chan did not give any explanation for this.

Wen San'er didn't suffer in vain this beating, at least in exchange for an unusual identity. Even Shopkeeper Chen was a little stupid after listening to Lao Hou's report, he had already decided to send Wen San'er back to the car dealership, but he actually changed his mind at this time. Unexpectedly, this usually inconspicuous Wen San'er is actually the brother of "Nancheng Biaoye", which is really unseemly. Shopkeeper Chen is a well-behaved businessman who has nothing to do with the underworld, but the famous "Triad Gang" has long been like thunder, and the gang leader Biao Ye is even more of a figure that cannot be provoked. Don't talk about it far away, let's just talk about the eight alleys in the south city, which owner dares to open a kiln in the eight alleys is the master who is easy to mess with? If it weren't for the fact that both black and white dishes could be eaten, people would have smashed the deal, but if Biao Ye showed up in Bada Hutong, no boss would dare to take his money, Biao Ye visited his kiln to give him face, or it would be troublesome not to go shopping, and his business would have to be smashed in three days. I heard that Biao Ye's tobacco and soil sales are very large, and the big smokers in Beiping know that the best cloud soil comes from the purchase channels controlled by the "Sanhe Gang", but those who have the ability to control the sales of tobacco and soil are really not able to do it without a little way.

When Shopkeeper Chen heard that Wen San'er had a relationship with Biao Ye, his heart was mixed with joy. The good thing is that Wen San'er is here, and if there is anything difficult to settle on the ground in Nancheng in the future, Wen San'er can use Biao Ye's face to settle it; What I'm worried about is what to do with Wen San'er now. Of course, the matter of letting him go can't be mentioned anymore, the question is whether it is appropriate to let Wen San'er pull the car again, will it offend Biao Ye because of this? Then again, what can Wen San'er do if he doesn't pull the car? You can't let him go to the "Treasure Pavilion" to be the manager, right? This kid poked his eyebrows into the store, and didn't ruin the nearly century-old brand of "Treasure Pavilion"? Shopkeeper Chen thought about it and decided to take the method of doing nothing, and when he saw Wen San'er and didn't mention anything, he treated it as if nothing had happened. When he saw Wen San'er, he just said with a pleasant face: "Wen San'er, go out and say hello to me in the future, now let's go to Professor Luo's house, let's go, it's a little late......"

On the way to Professor Luo's house, Shopkeeper Chen was still thinking that in the future, he would no longer be able to count Luowen San'er like Xun Sun Tzu, and counting him would be counting Luo's master, wouldn't it be uncomfortable to find it? In the future, he will pull the car if he wants to, and if he doesn't want to pull it, he will go with him, anyway, the money will be paid.

Professor Luo Yunxuan's monthly salary is 250 yuan, such a high income is enough for him to go to the Liuguo Hotel every day to eat Western dishes, but in fact, Professor Luo's life has been stretched, and he often borrows money from colleagues at the end of each month, otherwise the family will not be able to open the pot. Colleagues know that this old master is purely his own toss, he is a fan of cultural relics, like antique calligraphy and painting, gold and jade, Zhong Ding Yi Zun...... Let's put it this way, as long as it's a cultural relic, there's nothing he doesn't like. Others appreciate antiques with some emphasis, or porcelain or calligraphy and painting, or bronze or gold and stone, but Professor Luo does not pay attention to it, he treats all cultural relics equally, sees one and loves the other, and everything he likes will be bankrupt.

Obsessed with artifacts to such an extent that it is easy to wonder if his nerves are normal.

Shopkeeper Chen and Professor Luo are old acquaintances, Professor Luo goes to the "Treasure Pavilion" every three or five minutes, drinks a cup of tea, chats with Shopkeeper Chen about the anecdotes in the antique shop, and by the way, appreciates the ancient tablet rubbings collected by Shopkeeper Chen, Hetian Huangshi and Bloodstone. Every time the shopkeeper Chen receives a piece of cultural relics, he has to ask Professor Luo to be the first to appreciate it, and he has always admired Professor Luo's knowledge of literature and history.

This time, the "Treasure Pavilion" was included in Ma Xianglan's "Orchid Bamboo Map", and Professor Luo must be invited to take a look at it first.

Professor Luo is a frequent mover, last year he lived in a magnificent courtyard house in Dongcheng Shijia Hutong, and earlier this year he moved to an ordinary courtyard in West Sierjo, which is very shabby compared to the previous house. Shopkeeper Chen has known Professor Luo for 20 years, and knows the old master well, he has never lived in a new house for more than two years, and he always buys a house and sells it without hesitation, the reason for which is only to occasionally look at a certain antique.

Wen San'er stepped forward and knocked on the courtyard door, and it was Professor Luo's daughter Luo Mengyun who opened the door, Luo Mengyun bowed to the shopkeeper Chen very politely and said, "Mr. Chen, please come in, my father is waiting for you in the living room." ”

Shopkeeper Chen instructed Wen San'er: "You wait for me at the door." Then he walked into the yard.

Wen San'er promised to retreat outside the courtyard gate, but was stopped by Luo Mengyun: "This big brother, you can also come in and have a cup of tea." ”

Wen San'er said politely: "No need, Miss Luo, I'll just wait outside the hospital." ”

Luo Mengyun insisted: "It's too hot, it's very cool under the grape trellis in the yard, you better go into the courtyard and wait." ”

Wen San'er was no longer polite, and he walked into the courtyard with Luo Mengyun.

Luo Mengyun brought Wen San'er a cup of herbal tea, then picked up the pruning shears and asked while pruning the vines, "What is your surname?" ”

Wen San'er hurriedly stood up: "Ouch, you are too polite, you are not expensive, your surname is Wen." ”

"Then I'll call you Brother Wen in the future."

"Miss Luo, don't call me that, we are a rough person, Miss is a golden branch and jade leaf, you can call me Wen San'er."

"Brother Wen, don't say that, I'm a student, you're a rickshaw driver, although our identities are different, our personalities are equal, you must not look down on yourself, but all human beings must have the dignity of being a human being, don't you say?"

Wen San'er was clumsy, he couldn't say anything else for a while, but his heart was hot, after all, he was a child of a scholar's family, that is, he knew etiquette, unlike Chen's shopkeeper's family, from adults to children, Wen San'er was treated like a dog, even the housekeeper Lao Hou was not a thing, he was originally a dog, but when he saw the same kind, he bared his teeth, something!

Wen San'er asked without a word: "Miss Luo, where do you go to school?" ”

"I'm in my first year at Yenching University, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do it soon. The Japanese are already approaching North China, and if we don't resist again, we will really become slaves of the country. The students all said that North China is so big, but they can't put down a desk. Luo Mengyun's demeanor looked very melancholy.

Wen San'er said disappreciatively: "Hey! What happened to the Japanese? He came to his, let's go over us, you should read and study, I should pull the cart and pull the cart, and take care of them. ”

Luo Mengyun sighed and said: "How can it be so simple, if the country is gone, can we still live with peace of mind?" Brother Wen, I really envy you for being a man, once the war breaks out, you can still pick up a gun to defend the country, and we women will be useless when we arrive. ”

Wen San'er said with a smile: "Miss Luo, please spare me, I can't manage national affairs as soon as I stink, so I know that it is better to eat and not be hungry." ”

Luo Mengyun was a little annoyed: "Okay, okay, Brother Wen, you better drink tea steadily, I won't tell you...... Alas, this is my compatriot......"

Luo Mengyun has just passed her eighteenth birthday, which is the age full of romance and fantasy, she is wearing a light blue muslin cheongsam, with a fashionable short ear-length hair for female students, her handsome face is full of youthful charm, she has a natural charm, and her gestures have a calm and unhurried demeanor. Of course, Wen San'er can't understand this, but he is a man and has an innate appreciation for beautiful women, he only thinks that Miss Luo is like a beauty in a painting, but he can't move it. This kind of beauty is like precious porcelain, it will break when you touch it, even if any man marries Luo Mengyun, he can only get a Buddhist shrine to offer, and no man in this world can enjoy Luo Mengyun.

Wen San'er drank herbal tea and secretly looked at Luo Mengyun, although he knew that he had no drama in his life, he couldn't help but take a few more looks. Wen San'er thinks that beautiful girls are similar to Erguotou, they are both things that refresh men, the difference is that Erguotou has to drink it to feel it, and a look at beautiful girls will make men compete.

In the living room, Professor Luo and Shopkeeper Chen did not exchange too many pleasantries, Professor Luo motioned to Shopkeeper Chen to unfold the painting, and Shopkeeper Chen complied. Professor Luo studied it carefully with a magnifying glass without saying a word, then took off his glasses and closed his eyes in contemplation. Shopkeeper Chen sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for him to speak.

Professor Luo pondered for a long time, and finally spoke: "Mr. Chen, this "Orchid Bamboo Picture" can be regarded as a pie falling from the sky, I don't ask you how much money you bought it, this is your trade secret." What I want to say is that even if it is purchased for 1,000 yuan, it can be regarded as a bargain, and this "Orchid Bamboo Picture" is indeed very rare, Mr. Chen, I congratulate you. Professor Luo lit a cigar.

The shopkeeper Chen said happily: "Mr. Luo is a master in the industry, and he naturally speaks in a word, so I can rest assured, Chen is shallow in his studies, lonely and unheard, compared with Mr., I am only a layman." Please give me advice, as far as I know, at that time, the famous masters in Jiangnan were like clouds, which one of Tang Yin, Mi Wanzhong, Lan Ying, and Wen Zhengming was not like thunder? Last year, a painting of Lan Ying's "Stone Lotus Picture" in Liulichang's 'Cuiyunxuan' was only sold for 2,000 yuan, and Ma Xianglan was just a courtesan, even if she was listed as one of the 'Qin Huai Bayan', she couldn't compare with those master painters. In addition, who is Wang Zhideng, the collaborator of this "Orchid Bamboo Picture"? I haven't had time to look it up yet. ”

Professor Luo obviously couldn't put down the "Orchid Bamboo Picture", he put the cigar aside, picked up a magnifying glass and studied the inscription on the painting, and he replied while admiring it: "You have the point." If Ms. Song Meiling hadn't married Chairman Jiang, I'm afraid she would have been an ordinary woman all her life, do you think which famous woman in Chinese history is not famous by men? Even Wu Zetian is no exception. Ma Xianglan's real name is Ma Shouzhen, the word Xuan'er, because of her ancestral home in southern Hunan and her love for orchids, she is often inscribed 'Xianglanzi' in the painting, and the two volumes of poetry she wrote are also named "Xianglan Collection", so people call her Ma Xianglan, and her real name is forgotten. Ma Xianglan's lover is Wang Zhideng, according to legend, Wang Zhideng can be right at the age of four, good at writing big characters at the age of six, and can recite poems at the age of ten, and he is even more talented when he grows up. In the last years of Jiajing, he traveled to Beijing and became a guest of Yuan Wei, a scholar of Kyoto University, and later Zhao Zhigao, a scholar of Kyoto University, also recommended Wang Zhideng to participate in the compilation of national history. This person is a famous person in the south of the Yangtze River, and a relationship with Ma Xianglan was rumored to be a good story in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Which dynasty of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing did not produce beautiful women? I'm afraid there are not a few women who are more attractive than 'Qin Huai Bayan', why is 'Qin Huai Bayan' the only one who is famous in history? I think it's because of men, Chen Yuanyuan first got along with Tian Wan, and then followed Wu Sangui, and Wu Sangui 'became angry at the crown', which made even the trend of Chinese history change. Liu Ru first fell in love with Chen Zilong and then Qian Qianyi, Li Xiangjun was a blood-spattered peach blossom fan for Hou Fangyu, Dong Xiaowan was a lover who ventured into Xinjiang, and the remaining ladies fell in love with celebrities, Bian Yujing and Wu Meicun, Kou Baimen and Zhu Guobi, Gu Meisheng and Gong Dingshan. You see, Qian Qianyi is one of the leaders of the Donglin Party, the leader of the literary circle in the late Ming Dynasty, and created a generation of Qing poetry; Mao Bijiang and Hou Fangyu were listed as the 'Four Sons of the Fushe', and Wu Meicun's "Round Song" was famous all over the world...... Which of these men was not a well-known figure at the time? Without them, where would there be 'Qin Huai Bayan'? ”

Shopkeeper Chen nodded yes when he heard this.

Speaking of Ma Xianglan, although she is not a famous poet and painter, her orchid pictures and orchid poems are a must, and she is a pet that literati and scholars compete to collect at that time. The reason why Ma Xianglan can depict orchids so vividly and vividly is because of her love for orchids and Zhilan. She planted all kinds of orchids in the courtyard, and diligently cultivated them every day, relying on her own orchid heart, she could deeply understand the charm of orchids, so she could show the quality of orchids on painting and poetry. It is very rare for a fireworks woman to have such talent, although she is a courtesan, her painting talent is among the most remarkable in the history of Chinese painting. ”

Professor Luo talked about it very well, and also chanted Ma Xianglan's "Butterfly Love Flower":

Bursts of remnant flowers and red rain, people are in high-rise buildings, green water and twilight, the new Yanying nest guides the old base, the Hunan smoke cuts the road, and the intestines are broken Xiao Lang on paper! March warbler flowers, flirtatious and undisturbed, who speaks silently about this feeling? The dark fragrance wafted to Luo's skirt!

Professor Luo is talking about it, but the shopkeeper Chen is too lazy to listen to it anymore, he doesn't care much about the stories of these talented and beautiful people, he cares about the value of this painting, since "Cuiyunxuan" sold Lan Ying's "Stone Lotus Picture" is 2,000 yuan in the ocean, then this "Orchid Bamboo Picture" can not be less than 1,500 yuan. Ma Xianglan and Lan Ying are contemporaries of the painters, although Ma Xianglan is not as famous as Lan Ying in the history of Chinese painting, but Ma Xianglan's special identity is a big selling point, for some collectors with special hobbies, ten Wen Zhengming is not as good as a Qinhuai courtesan. Shopkeeper Chen pondered, his goal today has been achieved, and now it is this Professor Luo who needs to be guarded against, he knows this Professor Luo too well, this person is very impulsive, and what he likes is to get it at the expense of bankruptcy. The problem is that in the eyes of Shopkeeper Chen, Professor Luo is not far from bankruptcy, and a person who has to borrow money to eat at the end of every month should not have other extravagant hopes no matter what. Professor Luo earns 250 yuan a month, and ordinary people can be shocked when they hear it, but how can outsiders know that Professor Luo spent 200 yuan to buy a piece of Huangshi last month, and such a method, let alone 250 yuan a month, even 2,500 yuan is not left. Besides, the shopkeeper Chen usually asks Professor Luo for help in the identification of cultural relics, and they have a face with each other, and it is the most embarrassing to talk about business between acquaintances.

Shopkeeper Chen was right, and after Professor Luo commented on Ma Xianglan, he began to mention the issue of the sale of this painting: "Boss Chen, I like this "Orchid Bamboo Picture" very much, can you let it be given to me?" The price is negotiable. ”

Shopkeeper Chen made a heartfelt expression: "Mr. Luo, I won't tell you, I really like this painting, as soon as the seller opens his mouth, it will be 1,500 oceans, and he will not sell it if he has one less." In recent years, the calligraphy and painting business was not good, the small shop had not opened for a month, and there was not much liquidity on the counter, so I thought about it again and again and gritted my teeth and bought it, and I borrowed some from a friend because I didn't have enough money. Mr. Luo, it's not me who refutes your face, I don't want to sell this painting for the time being, you see if that's the case, let's talk about the sale in a few days. ”

Professor Luo was a little surprised: "The purchase is 1,500 oceans? It's expensive, it's too expensive, and Dong Qichang's works are just ......"

"That's right, I also think it's expensive, but who makes me like it, didn't you Mr. Luo sell the house for a piece of Shi Tao's "Plum Bamboo Picture" back then?"

"It's true, art is priceless, and the seller says as much as he wants, but ...... Boss Chen, with your friendship with me, if one day in the future you want to transfer this "Orchid Bamboo Picture", please be the first to inform me. ”

"This is natural, don't worry, my Professor Luo......" Shopkeeper Chen responded busily.

[1]

After the wild eagle is captured, in order to tame it, the owner will harass the eagle for several days and nights, so that the eagle can not sleep, which is called "boiling the eagle". After about a week of taming, the wild eagle is tamed, and can take off to catch hares and other prey according to the owner's instructions, and hand the prey back to the owner.

[2]

Aixin Jueluo Pu Dong (1877-1950), the name Hou Zhai, the name of the West Garden, the owner of the Red Bean Pavilion, the father Zaizhi, is the great-grandson of Prince Yongying, the eleventh son of Qianlong, succeeded to the eldest son of Daoguang, Yinzhi County King as the heir, hereditary general of Zhenguo, auxiliary prince, and prime minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Since childhood, he has studied piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, collected gold and stones, tablets, and is good at governing seals, and loves drama, especially Kunqu opera and Peking opera. Aixin Jueluo Pu Dong was a celebrity during the Republic of China, and the world respected the "Five Masters of Dong".

[3]

"Bang mallet" is a northern dialect, which means a person who is easily deceived, or "wronged head".