eighth story

There are eight sufferings in life - birth, old age, sickness, death, meeting with hatred and hatred, parting from love, not getting what you want, and the five aggregates of grasping.

Bakuzhai, which sells bracelets to Hu Wenkai, is said to be on Liaoyang Road, which is known as the "Antique Street" in this city, and it is quite clear as the target location.In the early years, Liaoyang Road was just an ordinary street, with few established shops, and it was not so particular about doing business. I brought a piece of cloth and spread it on the ground, and then put things on it. Most of the shops sold were antique coins. Jade seals, folding fans, hairpins and other things are not particularly valuable. They are bought and sold for fun, and outsiders just look at them for fun.However, this kind of business does not happen every day. It is a convention, so there is a saying that Liaoyang Road "opens" every Thursday.

Later, the collection of antiques gradually heated up, and the government re-planned, bringing Liaoyang Road and its surrounding areas into the scope of the second-hand goods market, and built many antique shops on both sides of the road, and certain renovations were carried out on the original storefronts. degree of renovation.Later, with the move-in of serious merchants, the transactions gradually became more formal, and Liaoyang Road gradually developed to its current scale. Its status in City A is similar to Panjiayuan in old Beijing, but the scale is much smaller, but it is also One of the must-see places for antique lovers in City A.

Xuan Jue drove to the flea market on Liaoyang Road, first parked the car in a nearby parking lot, and then went in with Wu Qinyang.At two o'clock in the afternoon, when the weather is rarely warm in winter, the business in Liaoyang Road is pretty good, and there are voices of bargaining from the surrounding shops from time to time, but for the two brothers who are looking for Bakuzhai, these are completely Noisy background sound too.Because Hu Wenkai had already vaccinated them that "this shop is not easy to find" before they came, the two of them paid more attention to secluded places, and after wandering for more than half an hour, they finally found an inconspicuous place. In the corner, a signboard with the words Bakuzhai was found.

Compared with the crowded Liaoyang Road as a whole, this shop seems a little too deserted.A ferocious stone lion about half a person's height is squatting at the door. The shelves that were originally used to display goods are also covered with dust. Swallowed by the silent time, it is like a rotten tomb.Wu Qinyang felt it with his heart, but he didn't notice the aura similar to that of the red-clothed female ghost behind the gate, so he and Xuan Jue looked at each other, and stretched out his hand to push open the gate of Bakuzhai.

The friction of the door shaft brought a soft "squeak" sound, the room was dim, and a slightly dilapidated Eight Immortals table was placed against the wall facing the door, with a grand master chair on the left and a thin-necked chair on the table. Blue and white porcelain vases, and a pot of narcissus whose leaves have withered and turned yellow are placed on the flower stand not far away, obviously because it has not been exposed to sunlight for a long time.On the right hand side of the entrance, there is a six-leaf wooden carved screen, which should be used as a partition between the inside and outside. On the left hand side, there are various incense burners of different sizes and several large blue and white vases. In the corner between the display rack and the wall.Wu Qinyang looked around and found that no one was there, so he called out again: "Is anyone there?"

Soon after the screen came the sound of yawning when someone just woke up, and after a rustling sound, a thin old man with gray hair came out from behind the screen.The old man was about 60 years old, with a hunchback. He was wearing a yellowed long gown with a part of the collar of the sky blue autumn jacket exposed. He was wearing a pair of dark cotton trousers and a pair of cotton shoes. Putting his hands in a dark brown glove warmer, he first raised his eyelids to look at the two of them, and then said, "I'm sorry, what do you two want to see?"

Wu Qinyang heard that his tone was very perfunctory, so he didn't make a sound, and heard Xuan Jue say: "Just take a look."

The old man didn't say anything, but nodded, indicating that they could also go inside, and then turned around and went back.Wu Qinyang watched his back disappear behind the screen, then bumped Xuan Jue with his elbow, and asked his brother if there was any problem with the shop with his eyes.Although he didn't feel that kind of weird atmosphere here, the boss's reaction was too cold, it didn't look like he was going to open the door for business. Don't be afraid that they will run away after taking the things. If you knew it earlier, you should ask Hu Wenkai what kind of person the shop owner of Ba Ku Zhai is.

Xuan Jue saw the doubts in his heart, and also signaled him to be calm with his eyes. After all, they haven't confirmed that the abnormality of the bracelet must be related to the shop owner, and the attitude problem may not be due to his eccentric personality. Putting aside rash inquiries, it will make people feel uncomfortable. Regardless of this point, if the other party refuses to admit it, it will be troublesome. At this time, we can only wait and see what happens.

Wu Qinyang understood what Xuanjue wanted to say, and was about to say something more, when Xuanjue said, "Go inside and have a look."

The two walked around the wooden screen and walked inside.The space inside is slightly larger than the outside. There are several yellowed calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall facing the screen. Below is a row of glass display cabinets, which are covered with a layer of red velvet and display some jade. There are pendants such as Guanyin Jade Buddha earrings and hairpins. In the middle row are a pair of violet jade bracelets and a string of colorful tourmaline bracelets, but there is a place for a bracelet between the two, which should be bought by Hu Wenkai. the one.

Xuan Jue looked away from the empty seat calmly, and then turned to look at other furnishings in the house.On the left side of the glass showcase is a display shelf with a height of about two meters. On it is a round jade wall with a diameter of about [-] centimeters. The ice cracks were particularly beautifully made, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were ingenious, and they quickly attracted Xuan Jue's attention.In addition, there is a round table and a rattan rocking chair in the room. A gray cashmere blanket is draped on the back of the chair. It is obviously a place where the shopkeeper just used it to rest.

Seeing his brother staring at the ice-cracked plate in a daze, Wu Qinyang couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He found the gap between the bracelet and the bracelet early in the morning, and waited for a suitable opportunity to ask. Unexpectedly Xuan Jue just kept silent.Wu Qinyang was thinking of a way to remind his brother, but the action should not be too big, at this moment Xuan Jue finally said: "Your plate is not bad."

The old man let out an "oh", he didn't seem to show much interest in what he said, and he didn't know if he meant to continue talking.Xuan Jue didn't mind, and continued: "The craftsmanship of ice cracks was lost as early as the Southern Song Dynasty, and it was only restored at the beginning of this century, and it is extremely difficult to fire. There are all kinds of arguments, although there have been more works in the past few years, they are not energy-produced things after all, and yours can already be called a boutique among them."

The old man nodded slightly, and said lightly: "It's okay to follow the scriptures." As he spoke, his eyes suddenly became sharp, "But let me ask one more question, what are you two doing here?"

Wu Qinyang didn't expect his words to change suddenly. He thought that Xuan Jue wanted to praise the old man first, and then ask about the bracelet after coaxing him to be happy. Who knew that the old man would be so straightforward when he opened his mouth. It would be inevitable if he didn't tell himself It was too easy to admit it.Xuan Jue was not as surprised as Wu Qinyang, first there was a just right smile on the corner of his mouth, and then he asked, "Why did the old man say that?"

The old man snorted coldly, raised his hand and pointed at Wu Qinyang, and said, "As far as his pretentious ability is concerned, he will be flattered if he says he is not good enough. It's fine to come in and not look at things. Even looking around is worse than staring at a person." The place is so strong! I’m also surprised that the empty space in the cabinet is so beautiful?” After speaking, he wrote a four-character evaluation, “Thugs! Tell me, what are you guys? What are you here for?"

Wu Qinyang had never been squeezed face-to-face like this before, and he was speechless immediately. Under the aggressive attitude of the old man, he even wanted to use the excuse "I came with my brother" If you don't get up, your preemptive strike will be overwhelmed.It was rare for Xuan Jue to see this little ancestor being so suppressed that he couldn't speak a word, so he couldn't help laughing, and shook Wu Qinyang's fingers reassuringly, and then said to the old man: "I think the old man is also a cheerful person, Then I don’t have to play this riddle.” He motioned Wu Qinyang to take out the bracelet, “I just want to know if this bracelet is from your store.” He took the brocade box and handed it over.

Although the old man had a cold face, he did not refuse the brocade box that Xuan Jue handed over.Xuan Jue saw that he used his fingertips to push the cloth button on the box, but the moment his eyes touched the bracelet, it seemed that he was suddenly on fire, and he quickly avoided it.Of course Xuan Jue didn't miss the flash of astonishment on his face, just as he was about to say something, the old man had already thrown the bracelet and the box back on the table not far away, and put his hand back into the sleeve again. In the middle, he said coldly: "Go away, this is not something from my shop."

Looking at his reaction, Wu Qinyang knew that he must be related to this matter. Seeing that the other party was already seeing off guests behind closed doors, he quickly said: "Wait!"

The old man didn't even look at him, there was already a hint of anger between his brows, and he raised his voice, "No!"

Of course Wu Qinyang didn't want to just leave like this, and still wanted to continue arguing with him, but was stopped by Xuan Jue, so he had no choice but to calm down temporarily, turning his head to look in his brother's direction, but seeing Xuan Jue's expression was calm, as if he didn't agree with him. The old man's harsh words produced no dissatisfaction.Just as Wu Qinyang was about to say that he couldn't just let it go, Xuan Jue said flatly, "In that case, we won't disturb the old man's rest, let's leave." Then he was going to pull Wu Qinyang out.For the first time, Wu Qinyang couldn't figure out what his brother's intentions were, and followed Xuan Jue step by step towards the door. Just when the two were about to walk out of the door, he heard the old man shout again: "Wait!"

Wu Qinyang clearly saw a hint of expected color flashing in his brother's eyes, but he quickly restrained himself.The two turned around, Xuan Jue still said in that unhurried tone, with a slight smile: "I don't know what else the old man has to say?"

The old man frowned and said: "Forget it, I will give you one chance." He pointed at the room casually, and slowly made his own conditions, "I will give you a cup of tea, so you can only stand here and watch. If you can pick out the most valuable thing in this house, I will tell you the history of this bracelet."

Wu Qinyang is almost used to his frequent changes of mind. Knowing that the old man has a weird temper, he still couldn't hold back his doubts: "You opened this store, so we don't know what the price is in your mind. What if we really We picked the most valuable item, and you said it was worthless, so what should we do?" Not to mention that the selection criteria are so harsh, the room is already dark, and the time is short, so you are not allowed to move, can you? It is a problem to see everything as a problem. In this case, you have to find the most valuable item. Calling it an opportunity is actually the same as making things difficult.

The old man said: "Then you go now!"

Wu Qinyang was about to be overwhelmed by him, but it was rare for the old man to let go, so he could only bear it at this stage, but Xuan Jue said with a smile: "I believe that the old man is not a person who does not keep his word. So this starts?"

The old man didn't speak, just made a cup of hot tea and sat down on the rocking chair.Although Wu Qinyang has a confidant, he also knows that the most important thing now is to find the most valuable thing. Unfortunately, he can't even count as a half bottle of water in terms of antiques. He could only pin all his hopes on his brother, and even his palms were already slightly sweating when he was nervous.Xuan Jue was not in a hurry, his calm eyes swept over the furnishings in the room one by one, and after the time for a cup of tea, he obviously had his own answer.

The old man put down the teacup in his hand, and said casually, "It's time, have you chosen yet?"

Xuan Jue said: "I have chosen." After speaking, he raised his hand and pointed in the direction.

Wu Qinyang looked in the direction of his fingers, and was surprised to find that the pot of withered narcissus that his brother chose was the pot. He was really stunned, and he didn't understand why Xuan Jue chose this thing.He had heard Xuan Jue say that the ice-cracked dish was extremely difficult to bake, and praised that the dish was one of the best in a million. He thought that he would agree to this unbelievable bet because he was already winning, but on second thought I am afraid that things will not be so simple, and I am afraid that there is something more valuable in this room. The jade in the six screen cabinets and the calligraphy and paintings on the wall may not be impossible. I would never have thought that his brother would actually choose it. A dirty daffodil.

However, compared to Wu Qinyang's bewilderment, the old man was more surprised by Xuan Jue's choice. He suddenly got up from the rocking chair and didn't even notice that he broke the teacup in his hand.Xuan Jue finally breathed a sigh of relief at this time, and smiled slowly: "Mr., do you think I chose the right one?"

The old man's lips moved slightly, and a complicated expression mixed with pain, hesitation or joy appeared on his face, and his eyes were fixed on Xuan Jue's face without moving, as if he was waiting for him to give a reasonable answer. explain.

Xuanjue said: "Actually, the most valuable thing is not the narcissus, but the flower pot below." Then he said quietly, "There are only more than seventy Ru kiln handed down from generation to generation, and the celadon narcissus pot is even more rare. The narcissus pot you have here is I’m afraid it’s worth more than the entire Liaoyang Road.”

When the old man heard that he really told the origin of the flowerpot, his slightly stooped body shook again, and after a long silence, he finally sighed dejectedly: "Come in."