Chapter 35

"Ten thousand..."

Qi Xiang and Xiao Yu immediately understood the meaning behind Old Guo's words.

"Ming painting?" However, Xiao Yu was somewhat skeptical: "Old Guo, this painting... is an anonymous work. How do you know it's from the Ming Dynasty?"

Old Guo chuckled and explained, "Since it's an anonymous work, we can first determine that the likelihood of it being a fake is low, right?"

"Hmm." Qi Xiang nodded immediately, understanding Old Guo's point.

After all, whether it's a forgery or a copy, the purpose is always for money. However, in the world of calligraphy and painting, only the works of famous artists are valuable. Anonymous works are generally ignored.

The people who make fakes aren't foolish; they wouldn't spend a lot of effort to forge something that isn't worth much.

After all, making a high-quality fake is also very costly. The cost of producing an anonymous work would be more than the money it could fetch, which would be a loss.

Therefore, anonymous works in the market are generally not fake.

Seeing Qi Xiang and Xiao Yu agree with his reasoning, Old Guo continued, "Since it's not a fake and it's impossible to be a copy, it must be a genuine piece."

"As everyone knows, identifying whether something is genuine is a difficult task. But knowing that it's genuine and then deducing the process is relatively simple."

Old Guo smiled and said, "When I received this painting, I consulted an expert. After his research, he determined from the paper quality that it's a type of silk paper popular in the early Ming Dynasty, so it must be from the Ming Dynasty."

Qi Xiang and Xiao Yu suddenly understood and had no more doubts.

After all, each dynasty has its own unique paper-making techniques, so the paper naturally has its own characteristics.

Such characteristics might be confusing to many people, but to true experts, they are very distinct and can be identified at a glance.

Qi Xiang had heard that some skilled experts in calligraphy and painting could identify the era of a work just by touching the silk paper, without even looking at it.

This skill is truly remarkable.

In short, even if it's an anonymous work, a painting from the Ming Dynasty has a history of four or five hundred years. Old Guo asking for ten thousand is a fair price, and even a bit of a loss.

At least Qi Xiang believed that if he bought it and resold it, the price could easily triple or quadruple. Moreover, there seemed to be some other mystery in the painting...

Thinking about this, Qi Xiang had no intention of haggling. He took out ten thousand yuan in cash from his wallet and handed it to Old Guo's son...

Old Guo's son counted the money a few times, confirmed the amount, and casually put it in his pocket. With three million yuan on him, he didn't care about such a small amount.

At the same time, Xiao Yu quickly presented the blue-and-white porcelain plate and said with a smile, "Old Guo, I like this plate. What's your price?"

"Heh, good eye," Old Guo glanced at it and said directly, "Thirty thousand, you take it."

"Alright!" Xiao Yu was even more straightforward and immediately took out the money. He knew that if he took this blue-and-white plate back and resold it to a regular customer who collects blue-and-white porcelain, he could make at least another thirty to fifty thousand.

After the transaction, Xiao Yu drank some tea and tactfully said goodbye.

"Don't leave so soon, stay for lunch?" Old Guo naturally tried to keep them.

"No, no, no, I don't want to bother you..."

Everyone understood that even if Old Guo sincerely invited them, his son wouldn't be happy, so they didn't want to be unwelcome guests.

Under Old Guo's courteous farewell, Qi Xiang and the others left the house. After walking a few steps, Xiao Yu sighed and whispered, "Qi Xiang, I'm sorry, I made you come for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing, we did gain something." Qi Xiang waved the painting in his hand.

"What kind of gain is this?" Xiao Yu shook his head, feeling somewhat frustrated. He had been ready to make a big move, but in the end, it turned out to be a futile effort. Moreover, he had some concerns and couldn't act out, which was very frustrating.

While Xiao Yu was feeling depressed, someone called out from behind, "Hey, wait a moment."

"Hmm?"

The two turned around and saw Young Master Hai following them. He didn't beat around the bush and directly expressed his intention, pointing at the painting in Qi Xiang's hand and smiling, "Brother, your painting seems nice. Can you let it go to me?"

"Uh?" Xiao Yu was stunned and stepped back a few steps. This wasn't his business to meddle in.

At this moment, Qi Xiang frowned, "You want this painting?"

"Yes," Young Master Hai smiled, "I saw the painting just now and liked it. If you're willing, I can give you fifty thousand for it. How about that?"

"Fifty thousand..." Xiao Yu was stunned and couldn't help but envy Qi Xiang's good luck. Buying something for ten thousand and reselling it for fifty thousand was a very good deal.

However, Qi Xiang gently shook his head, "Sorry, I like it too and don't plan to sell it."

"Ah!" Xiao Yu was stunned.

Young Master Hai was also surprised, looking at Qi Xiang with astonishment. He didn't insist and turned to leave. It seemed he was just interested and didn't absolutely need the painting.

Watching Young Master Hai leave, Xiao Yu was puzzled and said, "Qi Xiang, why didn't you sell it when someone wanted it? Even for an anonymous work from the Ming Dynasty, the market price is about the same. Fifty thousand is a lot, and you might not find such a good deal again."

"I don't plan to sell this painting. I want to give it as a gift."

Qi Xiang casually found an excuse and smiled, "Xiao Yu, I have some things to do and plan to stay in Huzhou for a few days to visit relatives and friends. Do you want to stay with me or go back to Nanjing?"

Xiao Yu didn't doubt it. After all, Qi Xiang had mentioned living in Huzhou for a few years, so it made sense to visit acquaintances and friends. He thought for a moment and shook his head, "I won't join you. I have other things to do in Nanjing."

"Then I won't keep you. We'll stay in touch..."

Qi Xiang sent Xiao Yu to the station, and they parted ways without any fuss.

After Xiao Yu left, Qi Xiang immediately checked out of his hotel and wandered through a quiet alley in the city.

Behind every bustling city, there is a less glamorous side. This was an old street, a district from twenty or thirty years ago, with narrow roads and low buildings, giving a gray and cramped impression.

Qi Xiang was very familiar with this place. After circling around for a while, he stopped in front of a shop with a locked door.

He looked around, feeling no one was paying attention, and reached out to feel the door frame, pulling out a red string. At the end of the string was a key.

Qi Xiang used the key to unlock the door and walked in calmly.

It had been a long time since he last came here. The shop was covered in dust, and spider webs had formed in the corners. He spent some time cleaning the shop and took a shower.

The shop wasn't large but wasn't small either, about fifty to sixty square meters, with a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

This was one of Qi Xiang's hideouts, and also an investment. It was said that the area was about to be demolished, and he was waiting for someone to contact him to make a profit.

Every year, when he had free time, he would stay here for a while, so the water, electricity, furniture, and clothes were all well-stocked. After taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, he went out to buy groceries and cooked lunch for himself, everything done calmly and naturally.

When he went out to buy groceries, the neighbors and passersby nodded at him. They might not know his name, but they definitely found him familiar and knew he lived nearby.

Qi Xiang responded politely, always with a smile on his face.

After eating, feeling the food had digested, he naturally opened the painting and carefully examined it.

A painting from the Ming Dynasty is at least four or five hundred years old, and possibly even older. Over time, the surface had turned completely yellow, but the ink was still relatively clear and free of stains.

This was mainly because ancient ink cakes contained pine resin and glue, which made them adhere strongly and resist fading for a thousand years, which was normal.

Qi Xiang examined it closely and found that not only was the ink quality good, but the mounting material also seemed to be of high quality. It was a soft silk fabric, and although the bright colors had faded, the smooth texture remained.

The ink quality was good, the mounting material was excellent, and the painting itself was well-executed.

In summary, it could be reasonably inferred that this painting was created by a wealthy and carefree person, and was a work of self-entertainment.

Don't assume that all officials and wealthy people in ancient times were just wine and food lovers. In fact, many of them had high artistic standards, not only appreciating art but also being skilled in poetry and painting.

However, their lives were too comfortable, which meant they wouldn't achieve great success in poetry and painting.

After all, Chinese poetry and painting emphasize life experience, and one must break through in adversity to write magnificent works. Therefore, some people believe that the development of Chinese culture is essentially a history of officials being demoted.

Officials who were demoted and scholars who fell from grace, in their despair and anger, could then be inspired to write poetry and create works that would be remembered for generations.

In contrast, officials and wealthy people living in comfort and ease lacked such "inspiration." Therefore, in terms of artistic standards, they were inherently disadvantaged and generally not highly regarded.

Qi Xiang examined the painting closely, his sharp gaze penetrating the thin layer of paper and seeing through to the inside. The entire painting was consistent, with no signs of tampering.

To be honest, with his current eye, identifying the authenticity of a painting should be relatively easy. Whether it's aging, adding inscriptions, or other techniques, they wouldn't escape his notice.

"This could be a path to wealth..."

Qi Xiang's thoughts wandered for a moment and then slowly settled.

This painting was indeed extraordinary.

....................

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