Chapter 54

"Mr. Qi, why do you belittle yourself so much?" Xiaoding smiled and said, "Back at the Xuzhai, there were dozens of people present, and who didn't know that your eyes were as sharp as a hawk, able to discern the true from the false at a glance?"

"Uh?" Qi Xiang was taken aback, "That's an exaggeration, right?"

"Not at all," Xiaoding explained, "Mr. Qi, you left early and didn't hear the praises from those masters. They thought your skills were almost on par with theirs."

"Even one master said that they now rely on experience to stay ahead of you. In a few years, once you have more experience, you'll be the one leading them."

Xiaoding said with admiration, "Mr. Qi, listen to this. Even if others doubt you, you can't ignore the evaluations of those masters, can you?"

Qi Xiang's mood became complicated. He fell silent for a moment before sighing, "Those masters are virtuous and talented, and they are helping the younger generation. You shouldn't believe it..."

"Whether to believe it or not, everyone has their own judgment," Xiaoding said with a smile. "Mr. Qi, let me be straightforward. The person who asked for your help is willing to give you 50,000 yuan as a travel fee, and after you've seen the painting, they'll give you a 500,000 yuan red envelope."

"This is the price for a master, and it's very generous," Xiaoding whispered. "Mr. Qi, if you have time, you should go. Why not earn money when it's there for the taking?"

"Hmm..." Qi Xiang pondered for a moment and asked, "Where will I be appraising the painting, here or elsewhere?"

"Elsewhere, but not far," Xiaoding hurriedly said, "In Wuxi!"

Wuxi, also known as Liangxi, is one of the important cities around Taihu Lake, known as the Pearl of Taihu. Historically, Wuxi has been a prosperous and developed city, known for its cloth, money, pottery, silk, and rice markets, and is a national-level cultural and historical city.

With Xiaoding's escort, Qi Xiang arrived in Wuxi. To be precise, they arrived at a vast tea plantation outside Wuxi, surrounded by endless mountains.

Xiaoding whispered, "Ten thousand tea mountains, thousands of tea farmers, from picking to processing to sales, forming a complete industrial chain..."

"The person who asked you to appraise the painting is the largest tea merchant in Wuxi... Young Master Zhu Qiao!"

Xiaoding softly said, "This Young Master Zhu, along with the only son of another wealthy family in Wuxi, Zhu Shen, are known as the Big Zhu and Little Zhu, the two... cough, heroes of Wuxi."

"In short, Young Master Zhu... has a good reputation, but his temper is a bit... hasty. If he offends you, Mr. Qi, please be lenient..."

Xiaoding warned, "Mr. Qi, for the sake of the money, please be understanding."

Xiaoding didn't know why he said all this. After all, Qi Xiang was in the same line of work, and he should be well-versed in human relations, so he didn't need to be repeatedly advised.

Xiaoding felt confused, but when he accidentally glanced at Qi Xiang, he suddenly understood. After some time, he felt that Qi Xiang had changed. Although he was still the same person, his demeanor was completely different.

Xiaoding suddenly felt that Qi Xiang was no longer a smooth and worldly antique dealer, but rather a person of high status and background, like Lord Hai or Mr. Tian Shi, making him feel that he couldn't offend him.

Thinking about this, Xiaoding also found it strange. Could a person's demeanor change so quickly after becoming wealthy?

Xiaoding was puzzled, but at that moment, the two arrived at the entrance of the tea plantation. Seeing the heavily guarded security, he immediately stopped talking and put on a bright smile.

"Hello, gentlemen, we are guests invited by Young Master Zhu. Could you please inform him?"

Xiaoding looked at the large wolf dogs at the gate and felt his legs go weak. If the fierce dogs weren't chained to the iron bars, he probably wouldn't dare to approach at all.

Perhaps they had been instructed, as one of the security guards briefly sized up the two and then opened the gate to let them through.

"You can go in," the guard pointed, "Young Master is on the mountain, waiting for you for a long time."

"Oh..."

Xiaoding, upon hearing this, quickly whispered to Qi Xiang and hurriedly walked up the mountain.

The tea plantation was vast, with a series of buildings spread across four or five hills. The houses, whether simple, elegant, or luxurious, were arranged according to the terrain, forming a large-scale complex.

In this complex, many tea farmers lived. Their residences surrounded a luxurious villa, like stars surrounding the moon, forming a solid and impregnable fortress.

As Qi Xiang walked and observed, he felt that the owner of the tea plantation was extremely clever. The place was fortified like a fortress, making it impossible for anyone with ill intentions to hide, and they would be surrounded by the masses.

After about half an hour, the two finally arrived at the luxurious villa on the mountaintop.

The villa had no walls, only a low fence of vines, and the gate was wide open.

The villa was in a Western style but filled with Chinese elements.

The entrance had five steps, with a pair of fierce stone lions on either side.

The lions were fierce and imposing.

Under the eaves, two large red lanterns hung, and the red-painted gate was embedded with numerous metal nails that shimmered.

The layout was no different from that of a wealthy family in ancient times.

The villa, a blend of Eastern and Western styles, was not vulgar but rather elegant and refined.

At the bottom of the steps, Xiaoding still felt uneasy and couldn't help but say, "Mr. Qi, when you... go in..."

"I know," Qi Xiang said with a wry smile, "I'm here to appraise the painting, not to quarrel with him. Why are you so worried?"

"Cough..." Xiaoding hesitated and finally told the truth, "Mr. Qi, I can't help but worry. I heard that Young Master Zhu has a fickle and unpredictable personality."

"When he's happy, he's generous and rewards handsomely. But if he's upset, he can turn on you in an instant and throw you into Taihu Lake..."

Xiaoding sighed, "He's a typical spoiled rich kid, known for being pampered and hard to please."

"Hmm?" Qi Xiang frowned, "Why didn't you tell me this before we came?"

Xiaoding immediately laughed awkwardly and avoided the topic.

Qi Xiang gave him a look, understanding his thoughts. He didn't want to offend Zhu Qiao and was hoping to earn a commission.

Seeing that Qi Xiang was unhappy, Xiaoding quickly tried to make amends, "Mr. Qi, don't worry too much. Just focus on appraising the painting. I'll handle the rest."

As he spoke, Xiaoding hurriedly climbed the steps and turned back to smile, "Mr. Qi, let's go in. We shouldn't keep Young Master Zhu waiting..."

At this point, Qi Xiang didn't want to argue and followed him into the villa.

Upon entering, a large screen immediately caught his eye.

Qi Xiang focused and saw that the frame of the screen was a dark, original wood color, likely black rosewood. The screen itself was made of white silk.

On each panel of the silk, there were embroidered portraits.

The Twelve Beauties of Jinling, each with a seductive and graceful posture, were intricately embroidered on the screen, leaving a deep impression.

After passing the screen, they entered a spacious living room.

The luxury of the living room was beyond description, truly opulent.

At that moment, a young man with a round face and a bowl-cut hairstyle, somewhat handsome, was sitting in a large armchair, his legs crossed, holding a small, exquisite teapot, looking very relaxed.

In an instant, Xiaoding's face broke into a smile brighter than a flower, and he bowed, "Young Master Zhu, we're here."

"... Why did you take so long?"

This young man was, of course, the young master of the tea plantation, Zhu Qiao. He glanced at Xiaoding and Qi Xiang, not stopping to look, and then picked up the teapot, sipping it lightly.

"Young Master Zhu, it's not our fault, there was traffic on the way..." Xiaoding smiled and explained.

"Enough, no more nonsense, let's get to the painting," Zhu Qiao said with a sneer. "I'm busy and don't have time to chat."

"Yes, yes, yes..." Xiaoding nodded repeatedly, eager to get it over with. Once the painting was appraised and the money was in hand, he could leave.

This attitude was indeed a bit rude...

No wonder Xiaoding had repeatedly warned before they entered.

"Should have known better than to come..." Qi Xiang frowned slightly, then smiled wryly and shook his head. In this world, there aren't many good deals where you can earn money just by standing around.

"Mr. Qi, come and take a look at the painting," Xiaoding beckoned, and the scroll was on the table beside them.

Qi Xiang glanced at it and saw that the scroll was quite long, at least two feet.

The scroll was rolled up, with a rod about two feet long, indicating the width. Generally, based on the proportions, the length of the scroll would be no less than three feet.

Qi Xiang quickly calculated in his mind and became more interested. A painting of this size was indeed rare.

"Ah?"

At the same time, Xiaoding untied the scroll's ribbon and carefully unrolled it, laying it flat on the table. He looked down and suddenly exclaimed, seemingly shocked.

"What's going on?"

Qi Xiang was intrigued and walked over. When he got closer, he was immediately stunned, "What's happening? Why is the painting blank?"

The unrolled scroll was long, at least four feet. From the outside, it was finely mounted, with high-quality silk that was soft and had a silky sheen.

The paper of the painting was very fine, with a dense and white texture, looking like top-quality paper.

"That's not right..."

Qi Xiang reached out and touched it, immediately forming a new conclusion, "This isn't paper, it's fabric, silk fabric!"