Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: Old Li

"Hehe, it seems that the things this young man dug up earlier were not simple at all, to make even you, Old Li, so eager!" Uncle Long said with a teasing look at his companion, then smiled.

"What? Can't I be a little curious? But speaking of which, this young man's discernment is much better than yours, old man!" The old man paused, glanced at Uncle Long, who was clearly fuming after hearing his words, and continued, "What? Not convinced? Should I remind you of your glorious history again?"

Upon hearing this, Uncle Long clearly showed signs of being at a loss, clearly having been fooled many times during his collecting days.

At this moment, Liu Dong, standing beside them, understood the deep friendship between the two from their conversation.

"Xiao Dong, let me introduce you. This old man is the most famous antique appraiser in our Quancheng, and also the owner of Chenxiang Pavilion. You've been here for quite some time, so you should have heard of his name. I won't say more. If you want to appraise antiques, he's the one to go to!"

After hearing Uncle Long's words, Liu Dong was startled and couldn't help but look at the seemingly ordinary old man again. He really didn't expect the famous Li Renfang of Chenxiang Pavilion to look like this. He quickly clasped his hands in a respectful salute and said, "Young Liu Dong greets Old Li!"

People who are polite and respectful are naturally liked, especially when they are the younger generation of an old friend.

"Hmm, young man, you're good too!" The old man paused, "Let's go, my Chenxiang Pavilion is just ahead. We should talk there. It's too crowded and noisy here!"

"Alright, I'll go to your place for a cup of tea. This time, you can't hide your Da Hong Pao!" Uncle Long said with a smile.

"Hmph, I knew you'd be thinking about my Da Hong Pao. But today, for this young man's sake, I'll let you have a taste. Let's go!" Li Renfang said, leading the way and walking ahead.

Chenxiang Pavilion and Taiyi Pavilion are both famous shops in the antique market, one specializing in antiques and the other in wood carvings, but both are top brands in their respective fields, well-known in Quancheng's antique market. Therefore, many people in the antique market recognized the two, and there were plenty of people bowing and greeting them along the way.

Although it only took about ten minutes, Liu Dong truly understood the immense influence the two had in the antique market.

Chenxiang Pavilion and Taiyi Pavilion both have a three-story structure with a small courtyard at the back, and both are located in the center of the antique market, so they are always crowded. To avoid trouble, the three of them didn't enter through the main door but instead opened the side door of the small courtyard and walked in.

Like all northern courtyards, upon entering Old Li's courtyard, the first thing you see is a screen wall with the character for "blessing" in the center. Below the screen wall is a small flower bed, and in the summer, it is filled with colorful flowers, the fragrance of which cleared Liu Dong's mind. His烦躁的心情也变得平静下来。

沿着地面上不足一米宽的青石板路，绕过影壁后，一个大约一百二十平方米左右，古色古香的小院出现在刘东的眼中。

除了现在他们正对面，坐北朝南的位置盖着三间瓦房之外，小院的左侧，在靠近厢房的位置，种着一颗枝繁叶茂的石榴树，看着它挺拔的身姿和粗壮的枝干，想来应该是有些年头了。不过现在时间还早，挂在树上的石榴还显得很青涩。

石榴树前方四米的地方，则栽种着一颗蜿蜒虬结的葡萄树，乌黑有力的树枝顺着搭建的葡萄架，爬满了半个院子，绿色的树叶下，挂满了成串，已经露出成熟的紫色的诱人葡萄，让人心中忍不住升起想要品尝的欲望。

而矗立在小院西南角的高大梧桐，身姿挺拔，犹如一个忠诚的卫士，将下午炙热的阳光全部挡在了外面。除了这些之外，院子的四周也栽种了各种绿植，满眼的绿色让小院更加清幽，走到这里刘东身上的暑气仿佛全都消失了。而街道上的嘈杂也被隔绝在了小院之外。

在闹市中辟出这样一处幽静之所，实在是修身养性和居家结合的好地方。而性喜安静的刘东对这里更是喜爱非常。

不过他自知财力有限，目前在寸土寸金的泉城市区他还是买不到这种地方的。当然，如果再没有获得异能之前，这种地方他更是连想都不敢想。

"来，大家都坐吧！" 老李领着刘东，而龙叔更是像在自家一样，一屁股便坐在了葡萄架下的石质圆凳上。

"爷爷，你回来了？" 听到他们的动静，一个脑后扎着两条小辫，身上穿着一条蓝白相间的连衣裙，脚上穿白色短袜凉鞋，圆脸大眼睛，年纪大概六七岁左右的可爱小姑娘笑着跑了过来。

看着扑到自己怀中的小孙女，老李眼中流露出浓浓的溺爱之色，"哎呦，爷爷的宝贝孙女，今天怎么有空来看爷爷啊？"

小姑娘闻言之后，忍不住嘟了嘟嘴，脸上有些不高兴的说道："是妈妈送我过来的，她和爸爸都出差了！"

听完孙女的话，老人忍不住皱了皱眉头，心里暗自叹了口气，到了他这个年纪，也遇到了现在许多老艺术家和收藏家们都遇上的问题，那就是后继无人。就像他，儿女三个，但是就没有一个是对古玩收藏和鉴定感兴趣的。

而他这小孙女的父母，是泉城山东大学的考古系教授，一年到头有近半年的时间都是在外面进行考古发掘，女儿除了上学之外，大部分时间都是放在他这里。所以，祖孙两人的感情也是格外的亲厚。

"来，囡囡这是刘东叔叔和龙爷爷！" 把小孙女抱到自己的腿上后，老人指着自己的老朋友和刘东，笑着介绍道。

"龙爷爷好，刘东叔叔好！" 小丫头大眼睛眨了眨，乖巧地喊道，不过在看刘东的时候，小丫头眼神中明显流露出了一丝迟疑。很显然经常来这里的龙叔对于小丫头来说，已经一点也不陌生了。

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And so, the three of them sat down. The little girl, with her big eyes, greeted them politely, though she seemed a bit hesitant when looking at Liu Dong. Clearly, Uncle Long, who often visited, was no stranger to her.

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As they walked along the narrow path of bluestone slabs, bypassing the screen wall, a small, ancient courtyard of about 120 square meters came into view.

In addition to the three tiled houses facing south, a lush pomegranate tree stood on the left side of the courtyard, near the side room. Its sturdy branches and robust trunk suggested it had been there for many years. However, it was still early, and the pomegranates hanging from the tree were still green and unripe.

Four meters in front of the pomegranate tree, a gnarled grapevine grew, its dark, strong branches climbing up the trellis and covering half the courtyard. Under the green leaves, clusters of grapes, already showing their mature purple color, hung temptingly, making one's mouth water.

A tall wutong tree stood in the southwest corner of the courtyard, its straight trunk like a loyal guard, blocking the scorching afternoon sun. The courtyard was also surrounded by various green plants, the lush greenery making the place even more serene. As Liu Dong walked in, the heat seemed to dissipate, and the noise from the street was blocked out.

This tranquil haven in the midst of a bustling city was a perfect place for both cultivation and living. Liu Dong, who enjoyed quiet, found it particularly appealing.

However, he knew his financial resources were limited, and he couldn't afford such a place in the expensive Quancheng city center. Of course, before he gained his special ability, he wouldn't have even dared to dream of such a place.

"Come, everyone, sit down!" Old Li led Liu Dong, and Uncle Long, feeling at home, plopped down on a stone bench under the grape trellis.

"Grandpa, you're back?" Hearing their commotion, a cute little girl with two pigtails, wearing a blue and white dress, white socks, and sandals, and with a round face and big eyes, ran over smiling.

Seeing his granddaughter jump into his arms, Old Li's eyes filled with affection. "Oh, my precious granddaughter, how did you find time to visit grandpa today?"

The little girl pouted, looking a bit unhappy. "Mom brought me over. She and Dad are on a business trip!"

Hearing this, the old man frowned and sighed inwardly. At his age, he faced the same problem as many other old artists and collectors: a lack of successors. He had three children, but none of them were interested in antiques or appraising.

The little girl's parents were professors in the archaeology department at Shandong University in Quancheng. They spent nearly half the year on archaeological digs, and his granddaughter spent most of her time with him when she wasn't in school. As a result, their bond was particularly strong.

"Come, Nuan Nuan, this is Uncle Liu Dong and Grandpa Long!" The old man lifted his granddaughter onto his lap and introduced his old friend and Liu Dong with a smile.

"Hello, Grandpa Long, hello, Uncle Liu Dong!" The little girl blinked her big eyes and greeted them politely, though she looked a bit hesitant when she saw Liu Dong. Clearly, Uncle Long, who often visited, was no stranger to her.