Chapter 28: Tang Yin's Painting

"Of course it's unbelievable, a woman as beautiful as Sister Wang actually doesn't have a boyfriend!" Liu Dong couldn't help but blurt out, but he immediately regretted it after saying it.

"What, are you surprised that I don't have a boyfriend?"

Seeing the beautiful yet fierce expression on the woman's face, Liu Dong couldn't help but touch his nose and smiled awkwardly, "Not surprised, not surprised! But, if Uncle and Aunt misunderstand our relationship, what will you do then?"

To be honest, when he suddenly heard that Wang Qiang didn't have a boyfriend, a strong sense of joy surged in Liu Dong's heart. After all, a beauty like Wang Qiang, any normal man would like her, and Liu Dong was no exception.

In the past, he had kept his affection buried deep in his heart, mostly due to his own lack of ability. As a Shandong man, earning less than a woman, how could he have the face to pursue her? However, now things were different. With the appraisal ability of the treasure in the Jiezi Space, Liu Dong didn't know how great his achievements would be, but a life of wealth and honor was certain.

Therefore, Liu Dong, who had always been 'emotional but restrained' towards Wang Qiang, couldn't help but feel a stirring in his heart, and his words and actions gradually became bolder.

After hearing his words, a blush appeared on Wang Qiang's face, and she lightly tapped Liu Dong's forehead with her long, fair index finger, "What are you daydreaming about, you guy? This time, only you and I are going to the banquet. My parents won't be there. And this time, I'm not letting you go for fun, but to be my bodyguard, to get rid of those annoying flies, understand?"

"Understood! Understood!" After saying that, Liu Dong couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "In novels, they usually meet the parents, but why am I just a bodyguard here!"

"What did you say?" Wang Qiang's beautiful big eyes glanced at him, suddenly asking.

"Nothing, Sister Wang! Don't worry, I'll take care of it. And being able to pretend to be the boyfriend of a top beauty like Sister Wang is an honor for me!" Liu Dong hurriedly flattered her.

"Didn't know you were such a smooth talker, Liu Dong!" Wang Qiang's watery big eyes scanned Liu Dong up and down, then said teasingly.

"Hehe, thank you, Sister Wang. If you have nothing else, I'll go back now!" Liu Dong stood up and said.

"Okay! But remember to come back early tomorrow afternoon, we'll go out to buy you some decent clothes! Otherwise, you might not even be able to get in the door!" Wang Qiang said.

Hearing this, Liu Dong nodded. He knew that his clothes were mostly cheap stuff from street vendors, and the colors and styles were a bit old-fashioned. At home, it wasn't a problem, but next to the dazzling Wang Qiang, he really couldn't go out in them. Besides, now that he had money, it was necessary to get some decent outfits.

"I know, Sister Wang! I'll come back early tomorrow!" Liu Dong said, then got up and returned to his room.

Looking at the closed door, Wang Qiang's beautiful face suddenly showed a bright smile. Then, she stood up and stretched, her well-proportioned and alluring figure was clearly visible, but unfortunately, Liu Dong, who had already returned to his room, couldn't see this enticing scene.

Closing the door, Liu Dong reached out and turned on the light switch on the left wall, and the room instantly became bright under the bright light. The room, which had been cleaned in the afternoon, no longer had the stench that had accumulated over the past ten days.

Additionally, from the air in the room, Liu Dong could smell a faint fragrance, which he knew must have been the perfume Wang Qiang had sprayed in his room after he left in the afternoon.

Looking at the tidy room, Liu Dong's mood became cheerful. As the saying goes, 'joy brings vigor'! This was probably his current state.

Closing the door, Liu Dong walked to the bed. Since the only place to spread out the paintings, the writing desk, was now full of his frequently used carving tools, he placed the items he had just taken out of the Jiezi Space on his bed.

To add a bit of suspense and to broaden his knowledge and discernment, Liu Dong didn't immediately use his ability.

Additionally, for valuable items, Liu Dong naturally wanted to see them first, so he picked up the painting that was placed to one side.

However, Liu Dong didn't rush to open it but examined it carefully in his hands. From the intact scroll heads and rods, and the paper that, though slightly yellowed, showed no signs of damage or insect bites, it was clear that the painting was in good condition. It was also evident that its original owner had taken great care to preserve it.

Untying the ribbon, he gently held one side of the scroll with his left hand and slowly unrolled it with his right. Soon, a vivid, approximately eight feet long and two feet wide scroll appeared before Liu Dong's eyes.

From the distant mountains, the meandering stream, and the peach blossoms blooming on both sides of the stream, it was clear that this was a landscape painting. In the center of the painting, a thatched cottage and three figures of different postures drinking and reciting poetry outside suggested that the artist was expressing a transcendent and detached attitude towards the world.

After all, 'picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, leisurely seeing the southern mountains' has always been a realm that Chinese literati have pursued.

Additionally, the ink tones were well-balanced, the layers of distance were distinct, and the figures were clearly depicted, showing the artist's remarkable skill.

In the upper right corner of the painting, there was a poem. As a carver, studying text was a necessary skill, so recognizing the elegant running script of the poem was not difficult.

"Among the peach blossoms in Peach Blossom Village, there is a peach blossom temple, and in the peach blossom temple, there is a peach blossom immortal. This is Tang Yin's poem!" Liu Dong thought to himself after reading the first line. He was too familiar with this almost most famous poem by Tang Yin. After all, the reputation of the 'talented scholar' Tang Bohu had spread through countless movies and TV shows, sometimes even surpassing the fame of the 'painting saint' Wu Daozi and the 'poetry immortal' Li Bai.

The seals 'Tang Bohu's Seal' and 'Master of Peach Blossom Temple' seemed to confirm that this painting was indeed a genuine work by Tang Yin. Additionally, there were small poems and inscriptions by Tang Yin's good friend, also one of the 'Four Masters of Wu School,' Zhu Zhishan and Wen Zhengming, as well as over twenty appraisal seals, including 'Yuan Fuchen's Seal,' 'Jiale Hall,' 'Shihuchuan,' 'Jiaqing Imperial Seal,' and 'Tongzhi Imperial Seal,' which clearly indicated that this was a well-preserved masterpiece by Tang Bohu, titled 'Spring Mountain Companions.'

However, apart from the seals of Tang Bohu, Zhu Zhishan, and Wen Zhengming, and the obvious seals of Emperors Jiaqing and Tongzhi, Liu Dong didn't recognize the owners of the other seals.

Looking at the exquisite painting spread out before him, Liu Dong couldn't help but sigh, "Truly, one regrets not having read enough when it's time to use it!"

At the same time, this made him even more eager to read the notes he had just received from Old Li.

After admiring the painting, it was time to verify his appraisal. Soon, with a slight twitch at his brow, Liu Dong clearly felt as if an invisible window was slowly opening before his eyes.

As a dense, five-foot-tall white light emerged from the painting, the yellow gem in the Jiezi Space emitted a yellow glow, and the words 'Ming Dynasty, Tang Bohu's 'Spring Mountain Companions' scroll' appeared.