antique masters in modern times

There was just a heavy rain last night, and the air was full of earthy smell.The residual rain dripped slowly along the tile eaves, and knocked on the steps full of potholes, making this dilapidated small courtyard even more shabby.

A broken brick that has been loose for many days cannot withstand the rain and is already crumbling.Seeing more and more drops of water, suddenly another stream of rainwater slid down, like the last straw that crushed the camel's back. It completely washed the bricks into several petals, rolled and scattered, making several abnormal noises.

There was a lot of movement in front of the court, but the young people in the room did not raise their heads, still focused on the case, carefully handling the jade fragments on the table.

After a while, the young man suddenly tossed the brush in his hand and muttered to himself: "No, something is wrong. Looking at the pattern, this piece of jade mural is only a small part, not the whole. It should be at least four feet long. The above, and it was carved out of a whole piece of good jade, not pieced together. In the whole world, who has such a big financial resources?"

Although the last sentence of the soliloquy is a question, Yan You, who has read a lot of books since he was a child and knows the origins of various antiques like the back of his hand, already has a definite answer in his heart.

During the period of the Republic of China, the current situation was turbulent and the war continued.Many capable and wealthy families moved abroad to escape the war.However, there are also many foreign businessmen who saw the opportunity and flooded into China to reap the fortunes of other countries.Among them, there are many antique dealers.

The so-called antiques in prosperous times, gold in troubled times.Coupled with the unstable political situation, the president changed like a lantern, and countless dignitaries became civilians or even prisoners overnight. These people had no choice but to sell their original collection of antiques and jewels in order to reduce their sentences or wrap their stomachs.

Also, after the overthrow of the imperial system, foreign armies and various warlords entered and exited the imperial palace several times, and even robbed the imperial tomb.

Prices are soaring, the common people can't even eat enough to eat, let alone buy antiques, and the newly powerful dignitaries can't buy all these rare treasures.

But foreign businessmen are different.Before that, the Eight-Power Allied Forces burned and looted Yuanning Garden, and countless Chinese antiques were scattered overseas.There are exquisite jade and porcelain, ingenious treasure hairpins and beads, calligraphy, painting and ink treasures that have been passed down for thousands of years... These treasures have caused a huge sensation in various countries, allowing foreigners to see the millennium essence of this ancient and mysterious oriental country, and attracting many foreign businessmen. Like a fly chasing smells, it swoops down on the war-torn China, trying to make a fortune in this troubled world.

Sijiu City is the capital of several dynasties, where the world's rare treasures gathered in the past, and most of these businessmen gathered here.They first bought antiques that had been lost to the people, and after a year or two, they felt that it was difficult to find rare treasures in the world, and they were not satisfied with those "mediocre objects", so they turned their ideas to other places.Bribing warlords to open imperial mausoleums, bribing people who are greedy for money to steal treasures in famous places...there are countless acts of robbery.

In China, some antique merchants have no conscience and made a fortune by running errands for these people; some merchants see it in their eyes and feel pain in their hearts, but because they have no ability to stop them, they can only do not go with them.

Yanyou is a descendant of a declining official family, and his family has been richer in the past few decades.But since the great-grandfather, one generation has been worse than the next generation, and when he was born, he was in troubled times, and his family had no food for overnight, and his life was very embarrassing.

However, there are still three catties of nails in the broken ship.Although his family is poor, the knowledge and eyesight of the older generation has not been broken.The ancestor of Yanyou was fond of antiques and became obsessed. He was a famous collector and had seen many treasures in his life.Yan You read this book since he was a child, not only has unique insights into antique appraisal, but also thoroughly figured out those extremely obscure restored books in the ancestor's collection.

In his year, a large number of antiques collected by the royal family were scattered among the people, forming a wave of collection craze.He earned some food and clothing by helping people hold eyes and repairing antiques.After ten years, she has become a minor celebrity in Forty-Nine City.

There is no priority in learning, and those who have mastered are teachers. Who doesn't respect those who have real talents and real learning.No matter where he went, he was always respected as Lord Yan.

But anyone who has a little understanding of this industry knows that Master Yan has a sharp eye, good craftsmanship, and a kind person.I also know that he only works for domestic buyers, and never works for foreigners or antique dealers who run errands for foreign businessmen.

He said that his own power is too small, and he has no ability to turn things around. All he can do is to try his best to prevent at least half of the treasures from flowing abroad from his hands.

Everyone respects his words. In the past ten years, no one has come to lie to him.

But today, it seems to be an exception.While noticing that the size of this jade mural was not small, he also remembered the news he read recently from the newspaper: The former Empress Dowager West was stolen from the summer palace in Rehe, and it was originally installed in the bedroom. The whereabouts of a jade carving of Magu's birthday present in Jianfang is unknown.A few days before the incident, a few foreigners went there to take pictures under the pretext of visiting.

The so-called birthday offering is naturally a birthday peach.Looking at the lifelike pattern of peach stalks and peach leaves on the fragments on the table, Yanyou was furious: some foreigners must have bribed the locals, chipped the murals and smuggled them out, but they couldn't restore them.For his own reputation, he hired Zhong Mazi, an antique dealer in the city, and falsely claimed that it was a family jade carving broken by an old man while avoiding the flames of war, and asked him to restore it.

Do you think you can hide it from yourself?They must have underestimated their own eyesight too much!

Thinking of a friend who was a reporter in a newspaper office, Yan You hastily changed into a long gown for meeting customers, and prepared to call the friend to take a photo to expose the crime of theft.He has been with antiques for the rest of his life, he doesn't like fame and wealth, he only loves antiques, this is the worst thing to see!

But he didn't want to, before he went out, someone knocked on the door first: "Is Master Yan at home?"

Hearing that it was Zhong Mazi who had given the mural to him, Yanyou was even more angry, and was about to drag him to the newspaper office immediately.

When he opened the door, Zhong Mazi didn't notice Yan You's ugly face, and asked with a smile, "Master Yan, can you fix the thing that was delivered yesterday? My regular customer is still waiting for an answer."

"Old customers?" Yan You sneered, "Zhong Simian, you have always been doing business with upstarts, when did you hook up with foreigners?"

Hearing this, Zhong Mazi's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile and said, "Master Yan, where did you say that? You heard it wrong, right?"

"The news about the Rehe Palace is spreading all over the city, do you think I'm deaf?" Yan You grabbed his hand: "The newspaper is still tracking this news, you came just in time, come with me, we Yuanyuan explained the matter clearly, who hired you to do this job."

When the country is in crisis, everyone hates traitors.Although the reputation of those antique dealers who eat foreign food is not as bad as that of the traitors among the common people, they are quite coldly regarded in the antique shops.It would be fine if you just collect some items and sell them to foreigners, but if you dare to steal and sell them, once they are found out, everyone will call and beat them, and no one will do business with them again.

Zhong Mazi knew that this pair of longevity jade carvings had been stolen, but he still helped foreign customers to deceive Yanyou and tried to restore it. Once the publicity spread, he would not be able to gain a foothold in the antique shops in Sijiu City!

Zhong Mazi naturally knew about these important relationships.He also knew Yan You's temper, but Yan You's workmanship was the best in the whole city, and the others couldn't repair it perfectly.After thinking about it, he took a little chance and made up a set of lies to give the things to Yanyou.Unexpectedly, Yan You saw through it in just one day!

Thinking of the embarrassment after the incident was exposed, Zhong Mazi panicked, couldn't hold back his laughter, and said in a low voice: "Master Yan, I was also confused for a while. If you return the things to me, let's pretend that this didn't happen. I'll do it another day." The first-class bird's nest table apologizes to you, huh?"

Yan You was in a fit of rage, and he didn't accept this at all: "No, unless you hand over the things to the government."

"Pay it to the superior?" Zhong Mazi was nervous, and unconsciously slipped his mouth: "I signed a contract with Master Michael, and he only paid me [-]% of the money. If I hand it over, I will lose money?"

His words aroused Yan You's anger again.Now, no matter what he said, Yan You didn't listen anymore, and just dragged him out.

The two of them pulled each other to earn money. Just as they walked to the door, a blond, blue-eyed, tall foreigner suddenly blocked Yan You's way, speaking fluent Chinese: "Sir, you Chinese people have a saying that business can't be done without benevolence and righteousness." , don't be so tough."

Zhong Mazi said with a bitter face: "Master Michael, didn't you tell you to wait outside, why did you come in?"

After questioning and answering, Yan You immediately knew the identity of this person.He said coldly: "This is not a business, it's a theft case. It's not up to me whether I'm strong or not. The government can decide."

"You are a businessman, and only by being kind can you make money."

Although he spoke soft words, Michael had heard Zhong Mazi talk about the principles of this handsome young man.Seeing the disgust in his firm eyes, he knew that this matter could not be done well.As early as when he heard the two arguing outside the wall, he was already murderous.

"Mr. Yan, why don't we go back to the room and talk again, if you still insist on your own opinion—"

While speaking slowly, Michael pushed Yanyou back a few steps, and closed the door with his backhand.When he said the last sentence, he suddenly grabbed Yan You's hair, covered his mouth with the other hand, and slammed Yan You's head on the stone table in the courtyard!

Michael suddenly launched an attack. Not only did the defenseless Yanyou have no power to resist, but Zhong Mazi was also frightened.When he came back to his senses, he saw that Yanyou's skull was sunken, blood was gurgling out, he was exhaling more air than inhaling, seeing that it was hopeless.

"You—you—" Zhong Mazi trembled a few times, and managed to utter a few words: "How can you kill someone!"

After confirming that Yan You had passed away, Michael let go of his hand, took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood splattered on his face, and said nonchalantly, "I heard what you said. He wants to tell the newspaper office about it. How can it be. I told you, I want to dedicate this treasure to the Queen of the Empire on which the Sun Never Sets, so no scandals can arise."

Noticing the fearful look in Zhong Mazi's eyes, he said again: "Now Sijiu City is very chaotic. We pretend to be thieves and come to rob and kill people. No one will see the flaw."

He is cruel by nature, and he has already had several lives on his hands since he came to Huaxia.

"No, no!" Zhong Mazi said incoherently, "I won't be an accomplice."

Hearing this, Michael sneered and said: "It's up to you. Are you going to report me? But you helped me deceive this person first, and you didn't stop me just now. He is already my helper. How will the judge judge? Go out, what will your peers think of you? Besides, I killed him just to help you keep it a secret. As long as you keep it a secret for me, I will pay you half more."

After some hard and soft words, Zhong Mazi suddenly lost his mind.After struggling for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, now that the matter has come to an end, I will help you! But I will double the reward!"

"No problem!" Michael laughed loudly, "How did Hua Xia say that, people who know current affairs are the most handsome. Except for you and me, no one else knows about today's matter."

The conceited and cruel Michael thinks that Yanyou is dead, as long as Zhong Mazi's mouth is blocked, no one will notice.But he didn't know that in the dark, a pair of eyes full of anger and hatred were staring at him fiercely.