Kana Kido? How did she get here?

This girl has too deep a relationship with me. The Buddha's head case started with her. The grievances between the Kido family and my Xu family are also entangled in all sorts of ways. We even almost got married at one point. But after the Buddha's case, she returned to Japan, and we didn't have any contact with each other. It was a surprise to see her appear out of nowhere.

"You...... Uh, Kido-san, why are you here? ”

Kana Kido lifted the black veil and bowed deeply: "I am really saddened to hear the news of Mr. Liu's death. I came from Japan to express my condolences and condolences in front of the spirit. ”

She folded her hands, closed her eyes and prayed, then plucked the white flower from her chest and gently placed it in front of Liu Yiming's portrait.

"I remember coming to China for the first time and receiving a lot of care from Mr. Liu. The Buddha's head was able to return smoothly thanks to Mr. Liu's promotion. It was a shame to hear the news of his death before I had time to express my gratitude. ”

Kana Kido said, looking at the statue, I looked at her face, trying to distinguish which sentence was polite and which was sincere.

After the condolences were over, the two of us walked out of the small building side by side. I didn't know how to open my mouth for a while, so I was awkwardly silent for a full minute, but Kana Kido stroked her hair and smiled, "Can I invite you to have a cup of coffee?" There are some things I want to say to you, Mr. Xu. I originally wanted to pay my condolences to Mr. Liu and then visit Si Regret Zhai, but it was great to be able to meet him. ”

I happened to have nothing else to do, so I agreed.

We found a café nearby and ordered something each. I stirred the spoon slowly, waiting for her to speak. Kana Kido looked at me and suddenly laughed, "Xu Jun is still as shy as before." ”

"Ahem, concede, concede......" I scratched my head and replied incoherently, "How are you doing?" ”

"Thanks to you, I have successfully graduated. I am currently working as a researcher at the Institute of Northeast Asian History, specializing in antique restoration research, so I think I'm working hard in my favorite field. Miss Kido replied that she was more fluent in Chinese than before, and it seemed that she had worked hard in recent years.

"What about Xu Jun?"

"Hey, it's the same old thing, bastard." I said vaguely, hesitated, and felt that I still didn't mention the bad things that had happened recently.

Kana Kido said: "Speaking of which, there are really all kinds of wonderful fates between my family and Xu Jun's family. ”

She was right. If you really want to trace the history of our two families, you have to trace it back from the Tang Dynasty. The reason for the burning of the Ming Hall that year was that Japan sent the Tang envoy Kawachi Sakaliang to covet the Jade Buddha of Zetian, and clashed with the Ming Hall guardian Lian Heng. In the end, the Jade Buddha was divided into two, and the Buddha's head was brought back to Japan by Sakara Kawachi. Lian Heng changed his surname to Xu and instructed his descendants to retrieve the Buddha's head, which led to the birth of the five veins.

I glanced at Kana Kido and thought to myself, what is she going to say to me when she comes to China this time? Kana Kido took an elegant sip of coffee, put the cup down, and rested her hands on her knees, which was the gesture of officially starting the conversation. I quickly pushed the cup and sat upright.

"That's right, there has been a new development in the Japanese archaeological community recently, because it involves our family, so I feel it is necessary to inform Xu Jun."

"Oh? It actually involves the two of us, and the matter of not the head of the Jade Buddha has made waves again, right? "My brow furrowed, I'm already anxious at this time, but don't make any extraneous branches.

Kana Kido says, "There is a private museum in Japan called Shimazu Bunko, which has a large collection of ancient texts and documents, but it is hardly open to the public. A year ago, the museum's management changed, and the policy changed, allowing a certain number of professional scholars to enter the museum. A group of scholars from the Society for Northeast Asian Studies, including myself, were honored to be among the first to be qualified. Inside, a colleague of mine accidentally found a record about the Xu family. ”

"If it's about the Jade Buddha Head and Xu Heng, I should know everything, right?" I asked.

"No, it has nothing to do with the Jade Buddha Head, it has something to do with Xu Xin."

"Huh? Xu Xin? "I was stunned.

According to my grandfather Xu Yicheng's research and the supplement of the old court, Xu Xin was an ancestor of the Xu family during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. He was born in Jinyiwei, and once participated in the Wanli War to Aid Korea and Resist the Japanese, and met Kido Akio, a descendant of the Kawachi clan, on the battlefield. Xu Xin was an unusually brave person, he actually took the opportunity to sneak into Japan, snatched the head of the Jade Buddha from the Kido family, and brought it back to the Ming Dynasty. Kido Akio chased and killed all the way, followed to the Ming Dynasty, and wanted to take back the Buddha's head and body, and finally the two died together in Qishan. After Xu Xin died, he was buried next to the Jade Buddha.

Kido Kana said: "That's right, the information that my colleague found was closely related to this Xu Xin. ”

My interest was immediately raised. Xu Xin's biographical information has long been lost in China, and my grandfather Xu Yicheng has only managed to piece together a rough outline. I can't imagine that the Japanese side can still have the information to keep.

It's ironic, but it's not uncommon in cultural history. Due to the frequent wars in China, a large number of materials have been scattered, but Japan, which has actively absorbed Chinese culture, has preserved many precious classics. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, Chinese scholars often had to go to Japan to copy the last copy. For example, Wei Zheng and Chu Suiliang in the Tang Dynasty once compiled a book of "Qunshu Zhiyao", which was lost in the Song Dynasty, and later scholars found the translation in Japan, which gave them a glimpse of the whole picture.

Kana Kido says, "The Satsuma Domain was an important center of Sino-Japanese trade at the time, and there was a lot of trade, so the Shimazu family, as the lord of the domain, left a large number of archival records. During the Wanli period, the feudal lord Shimazu Yoshihisa had a doctor from the Ming Dynasty named Xu Sanguan. Although he is in Japan, he has never forgotten to care about Daming. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi decided to invade Korea, Xu Sanguan risked his life to send information to the imperial court, which attracted the attention of the Ming court. In the "Sanguan Document" left by Xu Sanguan, it was vaguely mentioned that there was a Jinyi guard who came to visit, and it should be Xu Xin himself. ”

It turned out that Xu Xin broke into Japan, and there was still a response in the local area. At that time, it was not like now, if you rashly entered a strange country alone, without the cooperation of local overseas Chinese, it was impossible.

"Then Xu Sanguan helped him snatch back the Jade Buddha head from the Kido clan?"

Kana Kido shook her head slightly: "This is not mentioned in the "Three Official Documents", but what I want to say is another thing. Xu Sanguan mentioned a key word closely related to Xu Xin, called firewood kiln. Well, that's right...... It should be called a firewood kiln, right? ”

As soon as I heard the name, my ears immediately pricked up. Firewood kiln? It is the most legendary porcelain in China.

The firewood kiln is the official kiln of the Later Zhou Emperor Chai Rong, known as the "crown of all kilns". At that time, the porcelain craftsman asked Chai Rong what color he wanted. Chai Rong issued an edict: "The rain has broken through the sky and the clouds, and this color will be the future." Later, after repeated trials, it was finally made to be known as "blue as the sky, bright as a mirror, thin as paper, sound like chime" firewood porcelain masterpiece. Because the firewood kiln has survived for a short time, it has very few survivals. The ancients called it "the most expensive firewood kiln, the world does not see it", in the Ming Dynasty has been extremely cherished strange weapons, the status of Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun, Ding five kilns. After the Qing Dynasty, firewood almost completely disappeared, and occasional fragments came out, which could be sold for sky-high prices. Even in "Xuanci Chengjian", it is lamented that chai porcelain is difficult to see, and there is almost no chance to get your hands on it.

"What is the relationship between the firewood kiln and Xu Xin, and how was it recorded by the Japanese side?" I asked repeatedly.

Kana Kido said: "According to the document, at that time, there was a close minister in the Toyotomi family who was obsessed with tea utensils, and he promised a large amount of money and offered a reward for the purchase of firewood kiln products. Then a Ming merchant came to apply, saying that he had managed to obtain ten pieces of firewood from the Ming Dynasty and shipped them to Japan. As a result, after the businessman took the deposit, there was no more news. The ministers asked the Shimazu family to inquire about it, and Xu Sanguan also secretly inquired, only to learn that after Xu Xin retrieved the Buddha's head in Japan, he happened to encounter this sea ship called Fu Gong on the way back. Xu Xin found that there were firewood and heavy treasures hidden on the ship, all of which were in the palace, and he was furious and asked the other party to immediately turn back to Daming and turn himself in. After a battle between the two sides, Xu Xin sank the ship, but unfortunately the ten famous firewood kiln artifacts also sank to the bottom of the sea. ”

There were sailors on board who narrowly escaped and returned to Nagasaki. The reason for this matter has a chance to be revealed to the world.

I have always admired the ancestor Xu Xin, but I didn't expect him to be so brave that he retrieved the head of the Jade Buddha, not to mention, but also beat rabbits with grass and intercepted the ship that smuggled the national treasure out of the country. The only pity is that the ten famous firewood kiln artifacts were buried deep in the sea and never saw the light of day.

Ten pieces, that's a super big deal at that time. Do you think, Yan Song's father and son are not powerful, and the two of them have spent a lifetime, and they have only collected a dozen pieces, and the number in the Ming Palace is almost the same. This Chinese businessman is really not small, and he was able to steal so many treasures from the palace, and I don't know how many tragic stories are hidden behind it.

"The Chinese merchant's name is Yu, and his name is Yu Chaofeng." Kana Kido looked me in the eye and spat out the name.

When I heard this, my back couldn't help but feel cold, and I leaned forward. Fish pilgrimage? I remember this person, he and Xu Heng were both guarding the Ming Hall, and after the Jade Buddha was stolen, he framed Xu Heng for self-theft, causing the latter to be forced to go out of Beijing to recover.

But that was more than a thousand years ago, how could he still live to the Ming Dynasty? Isn't that a monster? Later, when I thought about it, this "Yu Chao Feng" is either a nickname or a duplicate name - but the Xu family and the Yu Dynasty met again at sea after a thousand years, which is really a bad fate.

"Uh, thank you for the news, it's really hard work." I thought she was done and owed a debt.

Kana Kido laughed; "Xu Jun, can you be patient? I'm not done yet. I touched my nose a little embarrassed: "No, no." You go on, keep going......"

Kana Kido continued: "If it's just a historical anecdote, I'll just call or fax Xu Jun. But this is just the beginning. I am not the only one who discovered the "Three Official Documents", but also several other historians. They were very interested in the topic of Fugong ship, and successively published several research monographs, which caused a great sensation in the academic circles. So someone asked if there was a way to find the boat and fish out the contents. ”

When I heard this, my heart jumped. Salvaging shipwreck treasure is not unusual. At present, there are hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast of China, and many Song ships that have gone south to trade are sunk in Southeast Asia, and they are all good things, and many companies are gearing up to engage in this development. There are ten pieces of firewood porcelain in this boat! This is not comparable to the trade porcelain in the shipwrecks of the South China Sea. If it is really caught, it will definitely be a super national treasure, and I am afraid that the whole world will be a sensation.

But the sea is vast, with a few vague words, how to find the Fu Gong number? Even with modern search equipment, I am afraid it is tantamount to looking for a needle in a haystack.

I looked at Kana Kido's expression and felt like she hadn't finished speaking.

Sure enough, Kana Kido continued, "Both the academic and business communities were interested in this proposal, and more people were engaged in research, digging deeper into the relevant literature, and they really found a ...... Xu Jun should still remember, right? The predecessor of the Institute of Northeast Asian History and Geography was the East Asian Climate Society. ”

"How could I forget." My face turned cold. It was this terroir that created the "Antique Account of China", intending to plunder Chinese cultural relics in a planned and step-by-step manner. The Jade Buddha head is one of the important links. After the war, this organization was outlawed and renamed the Institute of Northeast Asian History and Geography.

Kana Kido said, "In the archives left by the Terroir Society, scholars have found a feasibility report for the sixth year of the Showa era. In this report, some people have already come into contact with the "Sanguan Documents" and have grasped important clues, suggesting that the government send warships to survey and salvage the Fugong Yunyun. ”

I did the math. In the sixth year of Showa, it was exactly the twentieth year of the Republic of China, which was the same time as the Buddha's head case.

"So what's the clue?"

Kido Kana hesitated for a moment and slowed down his speech: "The report said that they contacted a Beiping businessman named Lou Yinfan, and he had in his hand the location record of the shipwreck of the Fugong left by Xu Xin back then. With the cooperation of Chinese expert Xu Yicheng, there will be gains soon. It is recommended that the Empire take it seriously and send warships to survey Yunyun. ”

Xu Yicheng! Sure enough, my grandfather's name came up again. I was secretly frightened, with the name Xu Yicheng, this thing must have a deep meaning.

The name Lou Yinfan sounds very familiar to me, and if you think about it carefully, isn't it the victim of the Qingfeng Lou incident? Liu Yiming and the others witnessed Xu Yicheng forcing Lou Yinfan to death in front of Qingfeng Lou to curry favor with the Japanese, so they were completely disappointed in him.

At that time, the Jade Buddha Head Incident had already broken out, and it was not long before my grandfather died. Now it seems that before my grandfather died, it seems that he cooperated with the Japanese on a shipwreck of firewood porcelain, and even forced a person to die for this matter. Not to mention that Liu, Huang, and Yao were confused back then, even now I can't help but mutter, what does my grandfather want to do?

Judging from Kana Kido's words, this should not have worked out. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to organize people to salvage again.

Kana Kido confirmed my suspicions: "The research will find only this report. As for the follow-up, it is unknown. There is also no record of any official salvage of the ship dispatched by the government. We speculate that it is likely that the report was not taken seriously at the time, so it was shelved and has been kept in the dust to this day. ”

"Who wrote this report? Does Kido have three professors? ”

"No, he's not in this specialty. The author of the report was a scholar named Kunio Izumita, an expert in the study of porcelain and a well-known collector. However, shortly after the report was issued, he mysteriously disappeared and has not been accounted for since. There was once a rumor that his proposal was received coldly from above, saying that the treasures on the mainland could not be found, so how could he have time to fish for things under the sea. In a fit of rage, Kunio Izumida set off to look for the ship himself, but this is just a rumor after all......"

I touched my chin, and it sounded confusing: "So what do you want me to do?" Or are you just trying to tell me about it? ”

Kana Kido straightened her chest and said in a sincere tone: "The reason why I will return the Jade Buddha Head is because I hope it can return to China. Xu Jun also once told me that he hoped that the things in his country could stay in his country. The sinking location of the Fu Gong must be on the high seas, whichever comes first. I hope that Xu Jun can remind Wumai and relevant government departments to pay attention to it and start preparations as soon as possible. ”

I looked into her eyes, shining and shining, without a hint of falsification.

I suddenly understood why she had come to me. Liu Yiming died, and the pharmacist specializing in porcelain collapsed, and the only person I could reach was me. I said, "You're bothered. No problem, I will definitely convey the matter of Fugong to the relevant departments as soon as possible so that they can pay attention to it. ”

I'm not particularly anxious about the Fu Gong number. Firewood is indeed priceless and of far-reaching significance, but ocean fishing is the same as looking for a needle in a haystack, and it is unlikely that anything will be produced immediately based on a few ancient records. I have to concentrate on dealing with the old courtiers now, so let's go to the relevant departments to register for this matter first. It's a bit of a kindness to Miss Kido to do this, but it's a priority.

Kana Kido also heard the perfunctory tone in my tone, and her long eyelashes flashed in disappointment, still bowing in gratitude. Then she took out a stack of documents and said that it was a photocopy of the "Sanguan Document" and "Quantian Report".

I took it and flipped through it, but it was all Japanese characters that I couldn't understand, and I could only roughly guess the meaning from the Chinese characters. I flipped through a few pages, but I couldn't understand it, so I simply turned to the last page, which was the two photographs attached to the Izumita report, and a series of Japanese notes with a pen next to them.

I glanced at the photo, was stunned, and then my brain exploded. I leaned forward and slammed the table, knocking over the coffee cup and staining most of the tablecloth with the tawny liquid. Miss Kido let out a small exclamation, and her chest was splashed a few points.

But I didn't care about any of this at all, my eyes were fixed on the photo, and my whole attention seemed to be welded to it.

The photo is black and white, with no one on it, just a wooden swing. On the shelves, there are five blue and white figure jars. The composition of the two photographs is exactly the same, but the direction is different, so that you can capture the ornamentation on both sides of the jar.

The photo is old, and the picture is a little blurry, but because it was taken at close range, the overall composition of the blue and white jar is quite clear. I saw "Three Visits to the Thatched House", "Burning Incense and Worshipping the Moon", "Guiguzi" and "Fine Willow Camp", and the fifth one I didn't recognize.

Of these five jars, I have seen three with my own eyes and impersonated one. During this time, I pondered day and night, and this is them; They are the ones who completely messed up me and the old courtiers!

I never expected that they would appear in front of me again, but with another meaning.

No, to be precise, to really show what they mean. Until then, don't look at us fighting around the five cans, in fact, everyone is ignorant and doesn't know why they grabbed it. Liu Chengqian and Ouyang Mumu's group of people robbed because the old court wanted to do so; I robbed it so that the old courtier would not be able to get it. But no one but him knew why the old courtier wanted this thing—maybe the medicine didn't, but he wouldn't say.

I tried not to shake my hands so much, held the two pictures steadily, and looked at the fifth jar.

I have seen three of the first four jars, and although I haven't seen the fourth, I also know that the theme is "The Legend of the West Chamber". Except for the fifth jar, I don't know what exactly it is drawing. Now the mystery is clearly unfolding in front of me.

The pattern on this fifth piece is a group of war portraits. In the center, a man rides a horse with a whip and wings on his head. He was followed by a long-bearded general with a steel whip, followed by a number of small soldiers. In the distance, two generals are chasing after you, one in front, holding a steel fork back to the frame, and the other in the back, waving a spear and stabbing forward.

Among the famous Chinese generals, there are only a few who hold steel whips, I carefully recalled the memory of listening to the commentary when I was a child, and it was easy to get the right number - Wei Chigong! In this scene, it should be that Yu Chigong rode the savior alone: Li Shimin attacked Wang Shichong and was surrounded by Shan Xiongxin. Li Shimin fled into the woods alone, looking to be caught by his pursuers. At this time, Wei Chigong Pegasus arrived, beat Shan Xiongxin in three moves, and rescued Li Shimin back to the camp.

So the theme of this fifth jar should be Yu Chi Gong riding the Savior alone.

I let out a long breath, knowing what the fifth jar looked like. But the turbulent waves in my heart are far from subsided, but are becoming more and more intense.

I was working on the matter of five cans, and then the Japanese side began to start the plan to salvage the Fugong. As if there was providence in the dark, I knew about the existence of the five cans just before they started.

Is this really a coincidence?

I picked up the photo and asked Kana Kido what the note next to it meant. Kana Kido said: "Literally translated, it means 'the key artifact leading to the shipwreck', but this sentence is ambiguous, and there is still a debate in the academic circles, what is the relationship between these five jars and the location of the shipwreck?" ”

I happen to know the answer. There are five sentences hidden in the five jars, and so far I have three sentences. If the "Quantian Report" is correct, then these five sentences are likely to be the geographical information of the sinking of the Fugong!

But those five sentences are too difficult to understand, not like human words at all, I'm afraid it's a password or a code or something!

It dawned on me. Silversmith Yin once said that these jars were once opened once by the means of "Flying Bridge Dengxian", and then they were replenished. Could it be that the opening was in the Qingfeng Building in the 20th year of the Republic of China? But Xu Yicheng didn't understand "Flying Bridge Dengxian", and the only successor at that time was Yao Shenxing. He also happened to have hurried north from Shaoxing in 1931 and never returned.

A vague story came to my mind: my grandfather Xu Yicheng colluded with Quantian Kunio to take away Lou Yinfan's five jars in Qingfeng Building, invited Yao Shenxing to go north to open them, and then used the coordinates to go to sea to hunt for treasure.

There are many contradictions. First of all, it is impossible for my grandfather to collude with the Japanese, he must have ulterior motives; Secondly, since you are going to sea, why bother to make up the jars? Thirdly, what role does medicine play in this? Finally, what exactly is the outcome of the treasure hunt? You know, my grandfather was publicly shot......

I flipped through the photo again and saw three simple words: "Old Chaofeng". The handwriting is exactly the same as the previous note. Then an arrow was drawn to point to a stretch of the East China Sea. What's going on? Why does the old court appear in the "Quantian Report"?

"Xu Jun?"

Miss Kido's call dragged me back to reality from my chaotic contemplation. I smiled apologetically at her, explaining that I was embarrassed and was a little distracted.

Kana Kido called the waiter, changed the tablecloth and cups, and asked curiously, "What is Xu Jun thinking?" ”

I didn't want to hide anything from her, so I honestly told her about the five cans succinctly, and then showed her two of the three sentences, and the third sentence from the "Three Visits to the Thatched House", which I didn't show - not that I doubted her, in the current situation, everything must be cautious.

After listening to the story, Kana Kido didn't expect that there was such a deep secret hidden behind it, and she was amazed. However, she also said that those words were completely incomprehensible.

"In this way, it's fortunate that I came to China to inform Xu Jun of you, otherwise we would both be in a fog and not know it."

"Kido-san, I'll have a question next, it's a bit rude, I hope you don't get angry." I said very seriously, propping my hands on the table. Kana Kido was a little surprised, but she nodded slightly, indicating that she didn't mind.

"There are so many coincidences in this that I feel a little uneasy. You must know that 20 years after the Republic of China, the records of China and Japan about the Fugong and the five cans were completely buried, and no one mentioned them. Now this topic has been turned up by the two countries at the same time. The Japanese side found the "Sanguan Documents" and the "Quantian Report", and the Chinese side of the old court Feng took action against the "Sangu Thatched House" and tried to kidnap Yin Silversmith - these things happened almost at the same time, and it cannot be a simple coincidence. ”

"Xu Jun, what do you mean ......?"

I exhaled slowly and expressed my conjecture: "I suspect that there is collusion between the two sides at all, which is why they act in an amazing lockstep." ”

Something suddenly came to mind. After the Jade Buddha head case ended, Lao Chaofeng made a phone call to me, and he said a strange thing on the phone, asking me if I still remember Yu Chaofeng. At that time, I thought he was implying that he was a descendant of the Yu Dynasty and wanted to seek revenge on the descendants of the Xu family, but now it seems that no, he has something in his words, and he may be referring to the Ming Dynasty Fugong boat.

And the reason why he calls himself Lao Chaofeng is probably a code name with profound meaning, which means that he has mastered the shipwreck site of the Fugong that Yu Chaofeng is riding. At least from the Izumi Field Report, this is the case.

But there is a contradiction here. If the old courtier had known the location of the shipwreck, why did he bother to search for those five jars?

I said this conjecture, and Kana Kido covered her mouth in surprise, a little frightened. She blushed and explained with some eagerness that she didn't know. I quickly explained to her that I didn't suspect her. In fact, if she hadn't come to China to offer her condolences this time, I'm afraid I would still be kept in the dark and unaware.

Kana Kido hung her head in frustration: "I really didn't know that things would turn out like this, I thought it was just an ordinary academic seminar. I'm sorry. I waved my hand, indicating that I couldn't blame her for this. She is a simple Japanese girl, where has she experienced the antique rivers and lakes of deceit. These unbelievable conspiracies and methods are far beyond her imagination.

But my mood was tense because of this. If only the Japanese side is preparing to salvage the Fu Gong Account, the success rate will not be very high, but with the addition of the old court, the situation is completely different. I don't know how many secrets Lao Chaofeng holds in five jars. Japan's salvage technology and the unknown information in the hands of the old Chaofeng really make it possible to fish out the Fugong.

At that time, ten national treasures of firewood kilns will be lost overseas.

This is absolutely unacceptable.

Time suddenly became short.

I moved my gaze to the photo, and Kana Kido immediately understood what I meant, and said with a wry smile: "If I can decipher those few words, maybe there will be some way, but it's too difficult to understand, I'm afraid I'll have to go to some big libraries to look it up." ”

Her words sent a lightning bolt through my mind. I suddenly looked happy and stood up: "Huh? That's right! You're right. Miss Kido, if you don't have any other arrangements, come with me. ”

"Huh? Where to go? ”

"As you said, go find the library."

A library is not a real library, but a person. This guy dumps old books in Nancheng, claiming to hide everything, and he can find out anything you want, as long as the price is right. In the turmoil of "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival", it was all thanks to his help that I was finally able to turn the tide and solve it smoothly.

Speaking of which, Professor Zheng introduced me to the library.

I took Kido Kana straight to Nanjo and came to a castle village not far from Toyodai. It's a black, low-rise bungalow, cut into dozens of intricate blocks by a dozen narrow alleys. The streets are full of sewage and garbage, and a blow of wind can kick up a cloud of dirty dust.

Kana Kido was a little uncomfortable with this environment, so she had to frown slightly, cover her mouth and nose with a small handkerchief, and follow me closely. We plunged headlong into the alley, past smelly public toilets, flies buzzing garbage heaps, and cluttered hair salons, turning around and finally reaching the end of a small alley before she was about to pass out.

Nothing had changed here, two rusty tin gates were closed, with the house numbers written crookedly in chalk, and a poplar tree standing out of the courtyard.

I banged on the door a few times, and an impatient voice came from inside the door: "Don't knock, there's no one at home!" I pulled my neck and shouted, "I make a wish!" The other party was silent for a moment, and then there was the sound of squirming footsteps, and the door opened halfway, and a geometric figure peeked out.

This guy in the library has a very standard face, a round face, triangular eyes, a trapezoidal nose, and two wavy lips.

When he saw me, he didn't have a good face, so he asked, "What did you do with Professor Zheng?" I didn't expect him to ask this in the first sentence, and I didn't know how to answer for a while. The library added: "He owes me hundreds of dollars for books, and now he is missing." I know it must have something to do with you kid. ”

I smiled wryly, how should I explain it to him? When the library saw me with a wry smile on his face, he waved his hand disapplausively: "Sensei complains to me, if you don't pay him today, I can't find any books." ”

The library raised an arm and stood against the door, making a gesture that the door would close at any moment. This guy has never recognized his relatives except for money. I had no choice but to take out my wallet and pay back Professor Zheng's book money first—what do you call it, he has defected to the old court, and I have to pay it back.

Library took the wad of money, spat on his thumb, and counted it. Kana Kido moved behind me for fear of being splashed with his saliva. After counting, he was satisfied with the money, stuffed it into his pocket, and then opened the door and said come in.

I suspect the layout of his small courtyard has never changed. It has always been an overwhelm of old books, three floors inside, three layers outside, flower beds, flatbed trucks, windowsills, and books, and I don't know how he will move into the house if it rains. I've been here a few times, and I'm used to seeing this spectacle. Kana Kido didn't expect that there was a cave in the small courtyard, and there were so many books, so she couldn't help but have her eyes lit up and wanted to lean over to read it.

The library glanced at her: "There is also a fee for reading. Kana Kido was so frightened that she withdrew her hand. I tapped her on the shoulder, signaling that she was as knowledgeable as this guy. The library picked up a stack of books tied with twine and threw them in front of me: "This is the book ordered by Professor Zheng." ”

I was startled: "What are you doing for me, I don't know where he disappeared!" The library glared: "Anyway, if you give the money, the book will have to be given to you." As for how you give it to him, I don't care. I've been sitting here all the time, and I'm going to have to charge a storage fee. ”

"Okay, okay." I reluctantly took the book and asked Kana Kido to take it. After the settlement of the library was clear, he looked at me: "How do you want to take care of my business this time?" ”

"I'm looking for a word."

The library frowned when he heard this: "Originally, you were looking for a few books, but now you are even more interested, looking for words?" How can I find it for you, one by one? I was afraid that he would offer a sky-high price, so I quickly explained that I was looking for a related book based on a sentence. It doesn't have to be strictly that sentence, as long as it feels similar.

The library was puzzled by this request and asked to see what it was to say. I gave him a sentence: "The chicken coop opens the ocean with six watches of nails and needles." The library looked at the ten words and snorted. It seems that this thing has stumped him too, and it is really cold enough.

The library pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked, "You mean, it doesn't have to be the same, it just feels close, right?" "I nodded. The library said that this is not easy to find, and it takes more money to make it. I said didn't I just give you money, and the library said that it was Professor Zheng's book money, which is not the same thing as this. Faced with this guy who drilled into the eyes of money, I could only smile helplessly and say okay.

The library is a reputable person, and after negotiating the agreement, he immediately says that you will wait a while, and then turn around and go into the house. There was the sound of rummaging through the room, but it was really hard.

Kana Kido looked curiously: "Is this all his collection?" Why not keep it well? I shook my head: "He doesn't collect books, he's a second-hand bookseller, and he collects books everywhere to sell." For him, books are commodities. ”

"There are still such people." Kana Kido came from an academic family, and books were so sacred to her that she couldn't imagine such a practice. I exclaimed, "It's not just books, it's antiques as well. Some people love it so much that they go crazy about it; Some people are purely buying and selling, and they are all judged by price. The former is a collector and the latter is an antique dealer. The most ironic thing is that the latter relies on the former to have a way to make money, and the former relies on the latter to make money. ”

Then I told her about what happened to Professor Zheng's family. Zheng Anguo is a typical lover of things, and for the sake of antiques, he didn't even want the lives of his whole family. In contrast, Yaolai is more like a businessman. After hearing this story, Kana Kido was filled with emotion. She said that there is a similar story in Japan: in the Edo period, a painter did not hesitate to burn his beloved daughter to death in order to paint a truly horrific picture of hell.

The painter and Zheng Anguo are both the same kind of people, for the aesthetics and obsession in their hearts, the family affection in the world is not important at all. Whether this kind of extreme love is good or bad can no longer be judged by common sense. Whether it is antiques or paintings, they are like a mirror of honesty, reflecting the most real greed and madness in everyone's heart.

People can appreciate antiquities, and antiquities can also be appreciating people.

"So is Professor Zheng the same as his father?" Kana Kido asked.

If it was, I would immediately say that it was different. But since I saw his mental state in Tangwang Temple, I really can't get a word out of it. The Zheng family's genes that are obsessed with one thing to the extreme, may have been lurking in his body all the time, and when they encounter a specific situation, they will explode. At least when Professor Zheng was in Tangwang Temple, his behavior was almost the same as that of a cultist, and he couldn't even stand the medicine.

So I can only answer with a wry smile that I don't know. Kana Kido lowered her head and focused on the stack of Professor Zheng's books in her hand: "I don't know what kind of books such a person likes to read." ”

Anyway, the library is still tossing, and it's okay to wait. Kana Kido and I leaned over to see what kind of book Professor Zheng was looking for before he went crazy.

This stack is about a dozen books, ranging in thickness and thickness, and most of them are photocopies of ancient classics. There are Mao Yuanyi's "Wubei Zhi", Li Chunfeng's "Yi Si Zhan", Wang Ximing's "Butian Song", Nan Huairen's "Lingtai Yi Xiangzhi", and even a copy of Kang Youwei's "Heavens Talk", which seems to be more related to astronomy.

I really didn't know that Professor Cheng still had such a strong interest in astronomy, and two-thirds of it was a treatise on the ancient astronomical calendar. Kana Kido suddenly pointed to it***: "This book, it looks a little out of place with other books." ”