If you count your fingers, I haven't been to this area for 30 years. In front of the No. 1 Prison, the "road to rehabilitation" with "three feet of soil without wind and mud on the rainy street" has been paved with asphalt, the "Songbai Nunnery" where the "Liyuan Pantheon" is located has been built, and a school has been set up near Yang Xiaolou's cemetery. To the south, there are "Parrot Mound" and "Kazuka". When he was young, Gan Ziqian often sketched around there, and he can still recite the first few sentences on the tombstone: "Vast sorrow, catastrophe; At the end of the short song, the bright moon lacks ......" Now, he looks at the Taoranting Lake after all the vicissitudes of life, and he is really a little "confused". Where can I find "Painted Han"? Hua'er Han is a person who can be used to engage in the four modernizations, and has been squeezed out of the cultural property for decades. He is not tall, he didn't get him back before he died, and he couldn't close his eyes after death.

Gan Ziqian's holiday with Hua'er Han started with a prank more than 30 years ago. When Gan Ziqian was young, he painted gongbi figures, and sometimes copied one or two ancient paintings. Once I saw an imitation of an ancient painting made by the famous painter Master Zhang, and on a whim, he used half a piece of ancient ink on a piece of Song paper that he had saved to imitate a painting of Zhang Zhiduan, entitled "Cold Food Map". It was originally a playful drawing, but it was seen by a tabloid reporter. This person's name is Na Wu, and he is the least advanced type of person among the children of the Eight Banners. He took the painting to find Feng Wei, who was good at fake paintings, and framed it in antique, added seals such as "Qianlong Yulan", made it old, and showed it to Gan Ziqian, and said: "These two times, you have caught up with Master Zhang." At least not under the painting Han! ”

Painting Han is a running partner who sells calligraphy and paintings, and is good at identifying and appreciating, as well as counterfeiting. He has a good reputation in the antique calligraphy and painting industry, and was recently hired as a deputy manager by "Gongmaodang".

Gan Ziqian looked at his works dressed up in such a mottled and ancient manner, and was very proud, and said with a smile: "Don't be foolish, how can I be so tall?" ”

"If you want to take my words as flattery, you are scolding me." The five said angrily, "I don't believe it, let's do it." ”

"How?"

The fifth said, take the painting to "Gongmaodang" to be. The painting Han saw through it, it was nothing more than a joke. If you want to cover the painting Handu, it means that Gan Ziqian has arrived at home. I didn't say that, I was divided into half of the price, and I was waiting for a "cheap shop". After saying that, the five wrapped up the painting with a blue furoshi.

To say that the five wanted to defraud from the first time they started, and wronged him. When he got started, he also made fun of gambling to win. When he was really ready to go to the pawnshop with the painting, he started to cheat a sum of money. If you want to bluff people, you have to pretend to be a dragon like a dragon, and a dog like a dog. I heard that the people on the line first looked at the clothes and then the goods, and the five now changed their outfits: spring silk gowns, pipa plackets, pointed black satin shoes, and white silk socks. In his hand, he held a cigarette holder more than two inches long. Attach three batteries, light them, and hold them there. He handed the bag to the counter and said, "Be a full price!" [note 1] turned to the corner and stood. At a glance, he is a child of the Eight Banners family, who stole the treasures of the family to be (these people have always been willing to sell them.) And when it is done, it is not redeemed. At the beginning, the Ministry of Internal Affairs also used this method to get money for Pu Yi, and it was very wealthy to make a few wealthy banks).

Is it the appearance of those five? Did he open his mouth to ask for a full price to scare Han? Is it that Han was careless and looked at it for a while? There is no way to find out. In short, after several bargains, the burden was sent and removed, and finally Hua'er Han sang with a Shanxi accent: "Write!" Broken painting, insects eat rats, go color and mildew, the price of the ocean is 600 ......" [note 2] At that time, the ocean surface of the warship brand was two pieces of four and one bags, and six hundred oceans was a number. As soon as the five came back and told the story, Gan Ziqian laughed happily at first, laughed and thought about it carefully, and then became scared again. Once this matter spread, his character was ruined, and he also offended Hua'er Han. Although he and Hua'er Han have no deep friendship, they are also friends. Both of them love to listen to Peking Opera; In Peking opera, I listen to old students; The old students are the most popular in Shengshiyuan. Sheng Shiyuan occupies Sanqing, and the two of them meet in Sanqing almost every day. Both of them love to shout loudly, and the styles of shouting are different, and over time, even the singers have developed a conditioned reflex, if they don't hear these two people shouting good after a play, the next drama will not be riveting! One night, Sheng Shiyuan sang "Lost Space Chop", and Han didn't have something to do. Kong Ming sat in the tent for a while, so that after passing through the cavity, he didn't hear two applause, only one. Sheng Shiyuan sang more and more slack, and later even hung up the wrong mustache, which was good. When Hua'er Han heard about this, he specially invited a guest to wash his shame for Sheng Shiyuan, and the two worshiped their brothers.

Seeing that Gan Ziqian's face darkened, the five persuaded him, "Do you have anything else to worry about?" Hua'er Han himself started by making fake paintings, which is called the Modern World Newspaper. If you have a bad reputation, you just don't do it in the future. This time, let's not say who knows? And this time it's also to try your craft, not just to make money. But when the money is delivered, there is no fool who twists his face, do you still use the money to redeem this butt paper? ”

"I don't have the money to ransom it!"

"I can't redeem it if I want to, the ticket is mine!"

Gan Ziqian has no way to accept the views of the five. He kept the promise and gave the five or three hundred dollars. But when he was invited to eat ducks, the five did not make Gan Ziqian ruined. The five said: "I got this pawn ticket from Dongdan to ride the river building, and I will bet it on the small betting shop opened by the Japanese, and I can still get 3200 from the small Japan, and I will wait for the duck money." ”

Gan Ziqian said: "You are really scheming! ”

The five said, "Don't you approve? Pit the money of the Japanese is also patriotic! ”

Soon after that, Gan Ziqian went to the store to sell paintings to collect money, and heard a discussion that Han had played with eagles all his life, and called the eagle to look at it. A few days later, he received an invitation. On August 16, Han Zuoshou was painted and invited Gan Ziqian to the banquet.

Hua'er Han rented an abandoned garden near the back sea of Prince Gong's Mansion and arranged a longevity hall in the "Listening to Lotus Xuan" near the water. In front of the house, there is a corrugated iron pergola, just spread out more than a dozen tables. Gan Ziqian thought that when he encountered this incident, Han's face was a little embarrassed, but who knew that he hadn't seen him for a few days, and he was even more energetic. After three rounds of drinking, Hua'er Han borrowed wine to cover his face, and made a circle and said:

"If it were my brother's birthday today, I wouldn't dare to alarm you. Please come, I want to confess my thoughts, brother, I have fallen! ”

Everyone hurriedly asked, "What went wrong?" ”

"I don't say that everyone has heard of it, I took a fake painting. I also made a fake when I was down, and now I still fall on the fake word. One return and one report.,There's nothing to complain about.,But I think there's a lot of people in the same person after all.。 In order not to let everyone suffer my loss again, I brought the painting and asked everyone to take a look at it. Remember my lesson, don't fall like this in the future. Come on, hang the picture! ”

With a shout, one of the two apprentices held the painting, and the other held a bamboo pole with iron claws on its head, picked up the painting, and hung it on the copper hook under the iron beam to be used to hang the lantern. Everyone gathered to draw a picture, let out a tsk, and said: "Fake can be so messy, it's an eye-opener." Hua'er Han said: "Don't let it scare you, let's find fault first, so that we can learn some Taoism from here." He glanced at Gan Ziqian and said with a smile: "Ziqian's eyesight is extraordinary, you pick flaws first, let everyone open up!" ”

Gan Ziqian's face was already red, but fortunately it was covered with wine, and it didn't attract attention. He walked up to his painting, looked at the lower left corner, and found a faint thumb fingerprint, confirming that it was his work. I looked at the whole painting again, and even admired myself. It's really a good drawing, and to be honest, I really can't tell where the flaws are; If he knew where, he would have made up for it. He admits that the pen is not as good as the real thing after all, and says: "It's still soft and a little cheesy; The paper is Song paper, and the ink is Song ink, no wonder even Mr. Han has been blinded! Hua'er Han laughed heartily twice and said: "I am the big head this time, but not because he has high means, but because he is too confident and reckless." What I want to advise you today is that people must not be bold and forget the word prudence. This painting looks subtle, but in fact, as long as you look closely, the flaws are quite obvious. For example, the title of the painting "Cold Food Picture" is naturally the Qingming season. Zhang Zeduan has lived in Bianliang for a long time, and Qingming in Zhongzhou should be wearing a jacket climate, but look at this child, he still wears a hood covering his ears! Can Zhang Zeduan make this joke! Look closely, this child seems to have seen it somewhere. Where is it? "Ruixue Map"! The scene of the New Year's pass painted in "Rui Xue Tu" naturally has to wear a hood. So just looking at the child, it was painted by Zhang Zeduan. Looking at the background alone, it was also painted by Zhang Zeduan. These two are put together, but they are not painted by Zhang Zeduan! Look at this woman again: Qingming goes to the grave, and the young widow is naturally crying for her husband! The word husband is a closed accent in Zhongzhou rhyme, but this woman has an open mouth! This mouth shape can only make a sound! Can a woman in the Song Dynasty scream like Zhang Fei of the Three Kingdoms? Everyone knows "Judging the Head Thorn Soup"! Even Tang Qin knew that Zhang Zeduan would not make such a mistake, so it can be seen that this is not a ...... painted by Zhang Zeduan."

Everyone listened in amazement. Gan Ziqian also secretly admired it in his heart, he toasted a glass of wine to Hua'er Han and asked him for advice: "How many times have I listened to "Judging the Head Thorn Soup". Lei Xifu's, Ma Lianliang's, and Qilintong's have all listened to it, why don't you know Tang Qin's allusions to painting? Hua'er Han said: "The day after tomorrow, you come to the pawnshop, I will tell you in detail, today is not the time, Sheng Shiyuan came to congratulate me on my birthday, and the play will start immediately." ”

After that, the painting Han poured a glass of wine on the painting, drew a fire, and set the painting on fire. The painting suddenly snapped and burned into a pillar of fire. Hua'er Han laughed and said: "Burn it, save it from staying in the world and harming people!" Let's have another drink and listen to the play! ”

The painting burned, Gan Zi was determined, sat down and listened to the play. Sheng Shiyuan did his best to come out of the church with the righteousness of his friends, and he worked extra hard. Hua'er Han said that he was a bosom friend and shouted loudly. Gan Ziqian couldn't help but shout good. After singing the play, Hua'er Han went backstage to say that he was hard, and Sheng Shiyuan said: "The one who always accompanies you to shout hello has not been to the restaurant for some days." Which master is it, can you please come and see it? "Painting Han accepted the fake painting, and he was tired of it, and he didn't go to Sanqing for some days, and he didn't know that Gan Ziqian didn't go either. When Sheng Shiyuan mentioned it, he sighed in his heart. He knew that the people who made fake paintings to trap him were allowed to be in the same industry, so he only posted a net today, but he didn't think about Gan Ziqian. As soon as he heard this, he hurriedly went to the front desk to find Gan Ziqian, and the apprentice said that Mr. Gan had just been found.

At this time, Gan Ziqian was being pulled out of the side door of the garden by the five, and Gan Ziqian said with a little dissatisfaction: "Fifth master, why did you come here to manifest your spirit." The five said, "I'm in a hurry to discuss something with you." I took that pawn ticket to bet, and the Japanese wanted to do it [note 3], do you think this is risky or not? If the Japanese earn him, he will naturally be happy; If he is asked to recognize the fake, the Japanese devil is not as good as Han, so he will inevitably send us to the Red Riding Hood Yamen and pour cold water on it......"

Gan Ziqian said with a little disgust: "Don't have Longwangshu!" Let me tell you, Hua'er Han has cremated our masterpiece and ascended to heaven. Then he explained the situation in detail. The five were stunned for a moment, and then clapped their thighs.

"This time, it's time to paint Han Luo! No wonder I looked for Lian Kuoru to look at the face, he said I want to hand over the nose luck! ”

Gan Ziqian said, "What kind of evil do you want to create? It's okay to get a few hundred people, don't rush to kill them all, not to mention hitting your head and face, and I'm all friends. ”

"Friends? There are no fathers and sons in the business! Seeing that wealth is not made is a bad thing. Wait, I invite you to eat river crabs in Zhengyanglou! ”

After the five left, the more Gan Ziqian thought about it, the more uneasy he became, and he felt that according to his character, Hua'er Han was much taller than the five. Don't say that this matter has something to do with you, it just has nothing to do with it, and you can't bear to look at it and call him five again. He decided to go to the pawnshop early tomorrow morning to visit Hua'er Han, and find an opportunity to talk to Hua'er Han, so as not to make those five things big.

On this day, Gan Ziqian came to "Gongmaodang". When Hua'er Han heard that he was coming, he picked up Gao Ying from afar, and let him go to his own room at the back of the tent. After the apprentice served tea, Hua'er Han picked up the hookah, snorted and inhaled a bag, and then started talking: "I went to Sanqing a few days ago, why didn't I see you?" Before Gan Ziqian could speak, the bookkeeper ran in with a small step, his face was full of panic, and he said silently: "Manager, there is an accident ahead." ”

Hua'er Han asked unhurriedly: "What's the matter, what is the fuss?" ”

"Someone has redeemed it."

"Pawnshop, no one redeems it?"

"It's not to redeem something else, it's to redeem ......" Mr. Tent glanced at Gan Ziqian, approached Hua'er Han, and lowered his voice. Hua'er Han said loudly: "If you have something to say, Mr. Gan is not an outsider. Then the tent man resumed and said loudly, "Someone has redeemed the painting." ”

"Which painting?"

"It's the "Cold Food Map" that I burned yesterday!"

Gan Ziqian felt that someone had struck a bell above his head, and his whole body was numb. I never thought that the five poor people would go crazy and come up with this trick.

Hua'er Han said: "You tell him that the painting is fake, and it is enough for him to cheat a few hundred oceans." is still not satisfied, and reasoned with him in front of the official. ”

"Manager, you Shengming, can the trader reply like this? When people take a ticket, even if it is a piece of straw paper, they have to be redeemed! I can't take out this piece of straw paper to double the compensation according to the price, so people are not allowed to approve it. Why do we talk about Shangguan's face? ”

A few words asked, so that Han was speechless. At this time, the noise outside was louder. I only heard the fifth master's thin voice shouting like a shouting in Tsing Yi: "What's the matter, you want to rely on my family heirloom?" And say my painting is fake? Okay, it's fake, my fake is Chen Laolian's imitation, it's more expensive than the real thing, if you don't have anything, you will lose money! ”

Hua'er Han stood up and said, "It's not like that, I'll take a look, Ziqian, I'm asking for leave." ”

When Gan Ziqian heard the fifth master shouting, he was first angry, and then embarrassed. Those five will make him at a loss. He didn't care about the rules and etiquette, and insisted on following Hua'er Han to the front cabinet.

The counter of the pawnshop is usually more than a foot above the customer's head. There are black and red sticks hanging on the facing wall (this is a relic of Qing Dynasty officials and merchants, indicating that half is buying and selling, and half is yamen). At this time, even four or five people from the tent room and his men gathered behind Hua'er Han and looked under the counter. I only heard the five whispers say: "There are paintings to take paintings, but there are no paintings, let's find a place to talk about ......"

Gan Ziqian walked behind Hua'er Han, looked down over the counter, and saw a short black fat man standing behind the five, with gray cloth trousers and cuffs covering his hands, and the buttons of the Thirteenth Taibao were all open, revealing the black-edged white cloth sweat jacket and red belly, and he recognized it as Hei Liang of the Outer Fifth District Detective Team at a glance. Looking at this formation, the five had already made up their minds to strangle Han's big neck. Gan Ziqian glanced at the five envoys, knew that they couldn't do anything, and said, "Who should I be?" Fifth master! Hey, it's all your own people, why are you ......"

"Master Gan, let's talk about business, don't mix things up. I took a mountain handed down from my ancestors. Come to redeem it today, they will say that my painting is fake, and then call me to extend it, do you think this will not make me anxious? ”

Gan Ziqian was trying to find a suitable word to persuade the five to stop, but Hua'er Han squeezed forward, stuck his head out of the counter, rushed down and said, "Are you in a hurry?" I'm more anxious than you! I calculated that you should come as soon as the door opened, and how could you come at this hour. Isn't it to be ransomed? What about money? ”

"Dare you, you're afraid I don't have any money?" The five threw a small bag of white handkerchiefs from underneath, full of colorful Union Bank coupons. Hua'er Han asked the guy to count, and the guy counted, and the interest was exactly more than 800 yuan. Hua'er Han counted out the interest and put it aside, put the six hundred yuan into the cabinet, reached out and took out a blue cloth bag from under the counter, and handed it down:

"Isn't it a redemption painting? Take! ”

Don't talk about Gan Ziqian, even the pawnshop's eyes are straight, and they are silent for a while. The five first stayed there and couldn't open or close their mouths, and then reached out to pick up the burden, but their hands trembled and couldn't catch it. The detective team helped him take the burden and stuffed it into his arms and said, "Look at it, it's the original, isn't it?" ”

When the five opened the baggage, they saw that beads of sweat fell to the ground. grinned at Gan Ziqian on the counter, neither like laughing nor crying, obviously asking himself, but actually saying to Gan Ziqian: "Didn't the painting burn yesterday?" ”

Hua'er Han said: "If you didn't burn it yesterday, can you redeem it today?" ”

The five said to themselves: "So there are two "Cold Food Pictures" in the world? ”

Hua'er Han said: "If you want, I'll make another one for you tonight!" ”

Gan Ziqian couldn't believe the miracle in front of him. Say to those five: "What kind of painting is so lively?" Tell me to open my eyes too. ”

The five paintings were handed over, and Gan Ziqian didn't look at it, and he came out of the bathhouse when he saw that his face was so ashamed! He first cast his gaze on the lower left corner, and the thumb print he had inadvertently left was very light and light, and the end was printed there, exactly like the painting he burned yesterday. He wondered if he would be able to recognize which one was his own, if he placed two paintings side by side at the same time. I heard that an expert can uncover a painting into two, but Han Mo has this stunt?

Hei Liang of the detective team below was impatient and asked the five:

"Doesn't it seem like it's my business? You take the money, it's time for me to go. ”

The five took out the money to send Hei Liang, relieved himself, smiled cynically, arched his hand upwards and said, "Master Han, I opened my eyes." More than 200 yuan of interest has been exchanged for a little knowledge, which is not a vain flower! ”

"Get the interest back!" Hua'er Han sent the interest on the side down, and said with a smile: "You took the painting, and now you take it back, it costs a lot of shoes to run back and forth, you can use this money to buy a pair of shoes to wear, and tell the one who sits in the account!" Speaking of this, Hua'er Han glanced at Gan Ziqian, who was stunned and embarrassed: "Do you also come to me to find flies to eat with this little ability?" If you can deceive the painter himself, this is called fake, let him study for another two years! ”

Gan Ziqian was embarrassed, walked out of "Gongmaodang" with his head down, and since then he has avoided painting Han everywhere and has never met him again. Although Hua'er Han became famous because of this, Caidong did not dare to take any more risks with money, and dismissed the deputy manager in the first month of the following year. Hua'er Han ran for two years, and when Beiping was liberated, all industries were depressed, and he fell to the role of playing small drums for foreign lanterns. Gan Ziqian's reputation for fake paintings spread, and although he lost his personality, he got a job in a calligraphy and painting shop and became a craftsman specializing in repairing paintings. Because the calligraphy and painting are uncovered, it is inevitable that they will be damaged, and someone will fake and repair them.

After the liberation of Beiping, Gan Ziqian relied on his innocent and poor background, active political study, progressive thinking, close to the organization, and became a member of the leading group of the calligraphy and painting industry and the deputy of the trade union when he was a public-private partnership.

After the public-private partnership, the cultural relics, calligraphy and painting industry should be reorganized, and some people proposed to adjust the painting of Han. The government officials didn't know who this person was, so they asked Gan Ziqian about it, and Gan Ziqian said, "I don't know him well, wait for me to find out." When he got home, he was in a state of mind. I didn't mean to deceive him at the beginning, but I couldn't explain it. Many years have passed, and if he doesn't come, no one will think about it again, and it will not hinder him or himself. If he comes, this man will have a mouth. If he tells this matter and says that I Gan Ziqian did it on purpose, will I not be able to shed my skin? I am still trying to join the party, more things are better than less! But he couldn't lie to the organization, and when he met with the government representatives, he said, "I understand the matter of painting Han." This person was born in fake paintings, worked as the deputy manager of a pawnshop, and lived a very wealthy life for a while before liberation, and he was a famous actor Sheng Shiyuan who came to sing in the hall...... "The government representative listened to it, and asked him again: "Some people say that he is quite capable, you see that we use him well and don't need him!" Gan Ziqian said: "It's still decided by the leadership, my level is low, and I can't see the problem." "Drawing Han was finally not called.

According to a certain practice of the cultural relics business, those who have been cleared out of this business can do whatever they want, but they are never allowed to get involved in the cultural relics business again. It is illegal to buy and sell on your own and to identify others. Since then, Han has disappeared from his peers.

For many years, Gan Ziqian has never felt guilty about painting Han. Slowly, even the person who painted Han didn't think much of it.

During the ten years of turmoil, Gan Ziqian suffered a lot of grievances. He thinks that the most aggrieved and unreasonable thing is to "transform him" and not let him do the industry he is familiar with, and ask him to learn pedicure! After defeating "***", whether it is restoring his reputation or returning his deposit, there is nothing more moving than letting him return to the cultural relics store and do the work he loves to do and can do. He put all his energy into his work. But the years were not forgiving, and when he was elected as the people's representative, the doctor's medical certificate was also delivered to him. He was declared to have the kind of disease that had to rest and had no hope of being cured!

Although he said to people: "I am almost seventy years old, and it is not a small death to go to Babao Mountain immediately!" This evening blessing since the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee has also been enjoyed! "But I was a little sad in my heart. He thought that he had gained a lot from the people in his life and repaid too little to repay the people. He silently settled accounts for himself, calculating what bad things he had done to the people and the country in his life. Calculated and calculated, it was counted on the head of Hua'er Han.

The veteran of the property died of death, the disease of the disease. Ten years of catastrophe have not produced talents, and manpower shortage has become a key disease. Nowadays, the price of cultural relics in the international market has risen, whether it is to identify ancient paintings or make imitations, the painter Han has a unique skill, how can he not let him play his talents? At the beginning, as long as he said a word, "This person is useful," Hua'er Han stayed. But he didn't say it, so he squeezed him out for decades for this.

Decades of education in the Communist Party, the repentance of the elderly, and their indifference to personal gains and losses all worked together, and he went to the party committee to report and check the mistakes. The party secretary praised his loyalty and instructed him to invite the painting back to the cultural relics world.

This hands-on search, only to find out that Beijing is a big city, a large population, and a long time of separation! First I heard that Hua'er Han burned the boiler in the "Ploughshare" teahouse on the flyover, and when I got there, the teahouse was already yellow. I also heard that Hua'er Han and another old bachelor shared a house and raised goldfish near the goldfish pond, and when I went there to ask, the house was all demolished. After looking for half a month and walking to eight places, the only thing I gained was that I heard that Hua'er Han was indeed alive, and sometimes he went to the vicinity of Taoran Pavilion to practice meridian exercises. Gan Ziqian thinks of those people who have rectified him on weekdays, and he is always angry in his heart. At this time, I realized that I was also a good person, and the consequences were not slighter than others, and my means were not nobler than others.

He was determined to pay off his debts. Ignoring the doctor's warning, he came to Taoran Pavilion early in the morning with a stick. At this time, it was not yet dawn, and there were runners, shouters, walkers, and fishers in the foggy lake park. Three, three, two, two, shadow, frequent, back and forth before and after, who to ask?

was worried, and a man with five locks of long hair, a Chinese-style trouser jacket, and a cane walked up. This person did not squint, hummed Peking Opera in a low voice while walking, approached, and heard singing "Empty City Strategy": "Why did all the old soldiers talk about ......"

This singing tone made Gan Ziqian stop. The four words "one after another" are different in words and lines. The word "one after another" turns nine times, with ups and downs; The word "discussion" is frank and open, and it has poured for thousands of miles. Gan Ziqian didn't even think about it out of a conditioned reflex, and opened his mouth and shouted, "Okay!" ”

The old man also stopped, and his face was half raised, as if to catch the aftermath of this applause. He looked at the woods by the lake that were not yet bright and said, "I haven't heard this cheer for more than 30 years, didn't I hear it wrong?" ”

Gan Ziqian said: "I haven't heard the words 'discussion' for more than 30 years. Do you dare to be Mr. Sheng? ”

"Ouch, what do you say!" The old man snatched it in a few steps, and instead of shaking hands, he grabbed Gan Ziqian's wrist and shook it up and down: "You are, you are the ...... who often listens to my plays with Hua'er Han."

"My name is Gan Ziqian."

"I've heard that there was a church meeting in the garden of Prince Gong's Mansion that year, and I asked Hua'er Han to invite you to come for a while, but unfortunately you left. Since then, it has been more than 30 years. Have you always been nice? Where do you work? ”

Gan Ziqian said that he worked as a consultant in the cultural relics store, and Sheng Shiyuan said: "I am also a consultant!" Alas, what consultants? It's just that the government attaches great importance to us people, and even if you still have a little ability, you will be allowed to use it. Socialism means not burying talents. Those who do our business, do not support the old or the young, I collapsed in the year of the surrender of Japan, and I had to ask for food in the old society. As soon as I was liberated, I was invited to go to a drama school as a teacher. It's the time of '***' to suffer a little crime, but it is not us who suffers, even the country, the general and the marshal have suffered, what else do we say? I met Shihai yesterday, can he still be on stage......"

Gan Ziqian wanted to wait for Mr. Sheng to speak at a station and ask about the news of Hua'er Han. But the more the old gentleman spoke, the more energetic he became, so he had to squeeze in and say, "Mr. Sheng, you mentioned Hua'er Han just now, do you know where he is now?" ”

"Where did it fall? He's always been at my house! ”

Gan Ziqian sighed, staring at Sheng Shiyuan for a long time. How could there be such a cheap thing in the world, and it would hit the right one at once (he forgot that he had pounced eight times first)? Then he asked, "Are you telling the truth?" ”

"Hey, you ask Tao Ranting, these boxers, who doesn't know that Hua'er Han is my companion?" 'The Chinese teahouse is yellow, and Hua'er Han has no place to eat, so he is so anxious to grind by the lake, and said to me: 'Fourth brother, I have retreated step by step over the years, and the antique shop is not allowed to dry, I will pull three wheels; The three wheels are not allowed to be pulled, and I set up a stall to sell a big bowl of tea; The big bowl of tea was not allowed to be sold, and I burned the boiler for the teahouse; Now that even the teahouse has been smashed, where am I going to retreat? I've been a temporary worker since liberation, I'm over 70 years old, who wants me? I persuaded him: 'Is there a river under heaven that cannot be crossed?' You move to my house. Since my wife died and my son was transferred to another place, I was left alone. During the day, I was criticized in the drama school, and I was always afraid that my family would ask someone to pry the door and raid the house, so you would show me the house. As long as my salary is not cancelled, you will have something to eat. He lived in my house for ten years from that time. ”

Gan Ziqian said impatiently: "In this case, can I go with you to see if he is okay?" I've got something to do with him. ”

"Nope."

"How?"

"Cerebral thrombosis, I was admitted to the hospital the day before yesterday."

"Hey......" Gan Ziqian spread out his hands and sighed again and again.

"You are in a hurry, there is no danger to your life right now, you are not allowed to visit."

Gan Ziqian breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Why did you suddenly get a cerebral thrombosis?" ”

"Tired. Last year, he was diagnosed with cerebral arteriosclerosis, and the doctor told him to rest more, but he got busy. He said that his family's ancestors had been making calligraphy and painting for generations, and he had a knack for identifying ancient paintings, and he wanted to write them down while he could move, so as not to lose them from him. ”

Gan Ziqian said: "It's good to start early." ”

Sheng Shiyuan said: "A few years ago, he opened his mouth and scolded, saying that the leaders of the cultural relics store were all mallets, and he didn't recognize him for this piece of gold and jade. He would rather take it to the coffin than leave it to them. In the past two years, the government has implemented policies for me step by step. With more income, our lives have improved. He felt that the policy of the Party Central Committee was good, and even though it was raining on me, it also wet his field. At present, he is engaged in the four modernizations, and his ability is useful to the country, and he should no longer hide it. This is a good thing for the country and the people, can I stop it? I bought him paper, ink, good tea, and large-leaf tobacco, but I forgot to tell him to pay attention to his body. ”

Gan Ziqian said with tears in her eyes: "You are really interesting. Make friends and make this part, you can pat your chest. ”

"It's still the new policy of the Party Central Committee, if I am swept into the trash as the four olds, can I still take care of him?"

Gan Ziqian was in a heavy mood, and walked side by side with Sheng Shiyuan silently for a while, and suddenly asked, "Can he still speak?" ”

"Yes, yes, my tongue is a little hard, and it takes a lot of effort to turn around."

"Then there is salvation!" Gan Ziqian was overjoyed. He thought it should be suggested that someone should be sent to bring a tape recorder to record; A proposal should be put forward on *** to rescue the stunts preserved on the old people; Should......

Sheng Shiyuan said goodbye to Gan Ziqian and said, "As soon as the doctor lifts the ban one day, I will take you there." ”

"Yes, yes. Do you see any difficulties? ”

"There are difficulties, I'm afraid you won't be able to help. Hua'er Han has been a temporary worker for half his life, and he has not been mixed with publicly-funded medical treatment, so I implemented the policy to make up some money, and this time he was hospitalized. But this emergency does not help the poor. This illness is not cured in three or two days, my salary is rich for two people, and it is far from being hospitalized for one person. Can you find a place to pay for his medicine? ”

"Okay!" Gan Ziqian said categorically: "It's wrapped up in me!" ”

On the way back, Gan Ziqian was refreshed and relaxed than when he came. He plans to move his savings to the name of Hua'er Han. He thought of Sheng Shiyuan's last request almost with gratitude. He felt that life had finally given him a chance to say goodbye to the world with a clear conscience.

[Note 1] The full price, i.e., the maximum limit of the current price, was about $1,000 at the time.

[note 2] This is a pawnshop habit, and good things are also said to be broken.

[Note 3] To take out the pawn and look at it is to pay one month's interest.