1979 The Life of Idle Fish

Chapter 454 Last Wish "White Picture at Night"

"Oh, leave it there." Luo Tao was not in a hurry to look at the account and pointed to the stone table.

I'm not in the mood to care about this matter now. It's too young to look down on. There is also the matter of the company's accounts, which is now under the responsibility of Zhu Lin (only responsible for occasional audits).

Xu Le gently placed the accounts on the stone table and sat down without any formality.

With skillful technique, he poured himself a glass, and now he has become elegant like Luo Tao.

When a cup of nectar enters the mouth, one feels refreshed and refreshed. Doesn’t it depend on what you do on the surface whether you understand it or not?
Xu Le did not hesitate to praise: "This tea is authentic, absolutely celestial dew."

Luo Tao took care of the flowers and plants in the courtyard, put down the watering can on the steps under the eaves, and walked slowly towards the stone table.

"Should your mouth be opened by a master in the temple?"

"No ah."

"Then why are you talking so much like those people? I've been drinking this tea for almost a year, and I still haven't gotten out of it. How can I return the fairy dew? You're really good at it."

Luo Tao drank the fairy dew and scolded him a few times, but he didn't care.

"Brother, you are a fan of the authorities, and you drink it every day, so naturally you can't get the feeling of that fairy dew, unlike me..."

When the words came to this point, Luo Tao knew his little intention, "Go ahead and take this box."

This is what Xu Le was waiting for.

With quick eyesight and quick hands, he picked up the box of tea leaves, and then took some time to thank Luo Tao with a smile.

"Thank you bro."

Luo Tao didn't care much. With his current worth, he had no shortage of famous tea and wine. As long as he could buy it with legitimate money, it was just a matter of words.

Xu Le took the tea from him not to drink it himself, but to please his future father-in-law.

Given the current social environment, some of the tea Luo Tao drank cannot be bought with money.

"By the way, you should be more careful about the matters at Zizihe Elementary School, and there is also the matter of Qizi."

After Qizi got help from Luo Tao last time and turned the situation around, he stopped doing business in the coal mine and started selling clothes again.

Coupled with the support of Luo Tao, I heard that they are doing well. They are taking a low-end route, and their consumer groups are oriented to the vast towns and rural areas.

Adopt a marketing strategy of small profits but quick turnover.

Of course, the clothing materials are all cheap, and the styles are all down-to-earth, such as national defense green.

Luo Tao naturally had selfish motives for helping Qizi like this. He wanted to find a way for Xu Le to make a fortune outside Xichang.

Now Luo Tao has also begun to set up a new game, adhering to the principle of three cunning rabbits, that is, you can't put your eggs in one basket, you will never see the ending of the rich since ancient times.

The tide of the times is becoming more and more turbulent, and no one can predict who will stop under which wave.

"These two things..."

……

Early June comes, and midsummer arrives.

The lush weeping willows on the south bank of Houhai are spreading in the wind.The riverbanks, streets, and passers-by are all smiling, and they are enjoying the benefits that the new era has brought to them.

The difference with them is that everything Luo Tao looks at today is gray and everything he hears is sad.

Luo Tao looked at the bloated bags under his eyes and walked into a courtyard with heavy steps.

"You are here."

Luo Tao did not reply to the visitor's greetings, but nodded as a greeting and went straight in.

The person who opened the door didn't care about this either. She was in the same mood as Luo Tao now.

The small courtyard is still the same small courtyard, but I'm afraid I won't be in a good mood again if I enter the small courtyard after today.

Everything he looked at was a sad scene. Although the flowers in the small courtyard were blooming so richly and beautifully at this time, they were so disgusting in Luo Tao's eyes.

It's so red and so energetic, it shouldn't be.

The ruthlessness of flowers is no joke.

Luo Tao didn't say a word to his fellow travelers all the way from the gate to the living room. At this time, he really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

He was outside the door and before he entered the living room, he saw someone coming out of the back room. Luo Tao didn't recognize him.

He is quite old, so he should be a friend of his husband.

When Luo Tao came in, Mr. Pan was supported by Ms. Zhang and greeted him.

Her face was haggard, her eyes were dull, and her lips were chapped.

It seems that Mr. Pan must have been restless day and night these past few days, working hard and eating very little.

"Sir, I hope you will take good care of yourself." Luo Tao didn't say much to comfort her. He really didn't know how to comfort her.

She just smiled and said, "Go in, he must have a lot to say to you." Mr. Pan held Luo Tao's hand and whispered in a trembling voice.

When the living room was full of people, the Zhang family had a lot of furniture. Some of the other people were known to Luo Tao, and some were unknown to them.

With so many people gathered together, the atmosphere should be lively, but their faces were all so solemn and a little bit sad.

Especially those lesbians, whose cheeks were still stained with tears, their eyes were no longer bright, and their whole bodies were haggard. They were really sad people.

"Hey!" Luo Tao pushed open the wooden door. The interior was as simple and casual as when he came yesterday, and everything revealed the ancient elegance of the owner here.

The pot of gladioli delivered three years ago by the window is now bathing in the sunlight, and thanks to the luck of the sages in this room, it looks particularly radiant and energetic, as if it is about to achieve enlightenment and become an immortal.

Luo Tao entered the house and gently closed the door.

An old and weak voice came, "Sit down." It was so weak that Luo Tao felt like his heart was cut by a knife. He held back tears and moved towards the bed.

The old man was lying on the bed, wrapped in a thick colorless quilt. He was thin and yellow-faced. You could count the veins on his face if you got close, and his speech was weak.

If you don't listen carefully, you can't really hear what he is saying.

Ten days ago, his good friend Mr. Xia, who was known as the "first generation poet", passed away. Everyone thought he would be very sad, but he happily told Luo Tao that he wanted to take a tour of the Summer Palace, which was really hard to see through.

But everyone...

Although the old man on the bed was in poor health at that time, he was definitely not in the condition he is today.

Luo Tao discussed with the Zhang family and got their consent, so he invited eight of his acquaintances, including Wang, Qi, Zhu and Shan.

But he never expected that just because of this trip, it would become a reminder for Mr. Zhang, and he would collapse when he came back.

The summer cicada does not speak of the cold ice, and the wintersweet does not welcome the scorching sun.

He knew his physical condition, so he told everyone to stay at home and not go anywhere.

Everyone knows it, but no one wants to believe it.

At first I tried to comfort him, but he was very free and easy and showed no fear at all. Sometimes he would even comfort everyone in turn.

The old man has been in this state for the past few days. The situation has been like clouds covering the bright moon, and the wind and rain are waiting to shake him.Luo Tao tried his best to control his emotions. When he walked to the bed, his legs knelt down involuntarily. He held the old man's hand and choked up: "Sir, his face looks much better today than yesterday..."

"Everyone happens to be here. In a few days, we will go to the Summer Palace and..."

He squinted his eyes, smiled, slowly raised his hand and waved it, and said weakly: "Heh, I'm afraid... I'm going to miss the date this time."

Only when Luo Tao leaned against him could he hear all of his words.

Luo Tao said anxiously: "No, you will definitely get better."

……

"When a person dies...the lights go out, the flowers bloom and wither. This is the law. I can live to the age of [-] years, and I have received the love...of heaven."

It's our destiny to meet each other in this life. In the past few years... your temperament seems to be gentle, but in fact you are too strong and lack resilience. …

The situation outside is changing...you must think carefully before making a decision. …”

Every word Mr. Zhang said penetrated into Luo Tao's heart. Every time Mr. Zhang spoke, his voice became much softer, but he still held on and spoke until his strength was exhausted.

Luo Tao burst into tears and choked with sobs. Seeing that Mr. Zhang's breathing was uneven when he spoke, he quickly put his hand against his chest to calm him down.

Wiping away tears, "Sir, I have memorized everything you always said..."

Mr. Zhang exhaled turbid air and his heart was calm. Seeing that Luo Tao already knew, he closed his eyes and nodded slightly, "Don't cry, as long as you understand."

The more Mr. Zhang said this, the more Luo couldn't help it. "Oh~~~" His sobbing voice spread throughout the room and outside.

Many people in the living room were in tears when they heard the sound.

After a long while, he first tapped the back of Luo Tao's hand a few times. Luo Tao stopped crying and looked at Mr. Zhang with watery eyes. He said, "There is one more thing I want to ask you for help with." ." When he said this, the strength in his hand obviously increased a lot, and he held Luo Tao's hand.

For Mr. Zhang to speak like this, the matter is definitely not small, but it cannot be a family matter. Mr. Zhang knows so many dignitaries and celebrities, any one of them can help the Zhang family in the future.

In addition, the relationship between the two of them as master and apprentice has been determined. As long as it does not involve any legal issues and if he has the ability, Luo Tao has the responsibility to fulfill the teacher's last wish.

The sage once said: "When something happens, the disciple will do his best."

Then he said: "Is it Han Gan's Zhao Yebai Tu that Sir misses?"

Mr. Zhang seemed to have exhausted all his strength in nodding his head this time.

Han Gan (Han Wei) was a famous painter of the Tang Dynasty. In the painting "Photo of Night White", "Ye Bai" is tied to a horse post, with flowing mane, ears raised, head held high and screaming, looking at each other with four hooves. .

In the upper right corner of the screen, there is an inscription "Han Gan's painting is illuminated at night" written by Li Yu, the later master of the Southern Tang Dynasty.

It has always been in the royal collection. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was transferred to Pu Wei's hands. Later, it experienced wars and the Qing Dynasty collapsed. As a relative of the emperor, his life was not as good as before.

The Anti-Japanese War broke out and the capital fell. At this time, he was worried about the destruction of paintings and the flames of war. Also, this Manchu relic had been dreaming of restoring the Qing court. He was in urgent need of a large amount of money, whether for family or other purposes.

After an English collector named David learned of this, he immediately entrusted an antique dealer named Ye from Shanghai to go to the capital to purchase the "White Picture at Night".

Mr. Zhang, who was in Shanghai at the time, became very anxious when he learned about this incident. He very much hoped to prevent "Zhao Ye Bai Tu" from leaving the country, but it was too late to say anything at this time.

The famous "White Picture at Night" has drifted farther and farther with the whistle of the ship, and has drifted to the other side of the ocean.

In fact, as early as when they were young, before they entered the capital, when Song Zheyuan was still in power, Mr. Zhang proposed to them that the government should pay attention to this painting. Unfortunately, at this time, they were only thinking about the future of the country, so what time did they have to care about it? A broken painting that cannot affect national affairs.

Furthermore, Mr. Zhang at that time no longer had the financial resources to purchase this painting.

Only then was it bought by the English.

Mr. Zhang wrote in his memoirs, “I was in Shanghai and heard about Pu Wei’s collection of Han Qian’s “Zhao Ye Bai Tu”, and bought it for a certain Ye from Shanghai.

At that time, Zheyuan of the Song Dynasty was in charge of the capital, and I wrote an urgent letter stating the importance of this volume of documents, asking him to inquire about it and not to leave the country.After receiving the reply letter, Mr. Ye took it away and resold it to Yingji. "

He has always regretted not being able to purchase this painting and keep it in China.

Mr. Luo Tao has been familiar with this matter in the past few years. Last year, he arranged for people to go to England to investigate this painting. Unfortunately, there is no news yet.

("White Night Picture" was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by the Dillon Foundation in 1977 after several twists and turns)

Even if Mr. Zhang doesn't say anything about this, Luo Tao will do his best.

Mr. Zhang deliberately talked a few words with Luo Tao about the red-top businessman Hu Xueyan. Due to his physical condition, he did not talk about anything else after that.

……

Half an hour later, Luo Tao dragged his tired body out and carried several books such as "Business Classics", "The Classic of Scholarship and Theory", "The Art of Managing a Household and Teaching Children", and "Letters from the Family of Zeng Guofan".

When he saw Mr. Pan, he lowered his head and cried, but didn't do the same thing, "Sir, I'm calling you."

Mr. Pan let his daughter support him, his body was shaking slightly and his hands were shaking. She was suppressing her sadness and nodded.

Leaving aside her daughter who was supporting her, she straightened her clothes and looked back as if to comfort everyone: "I'm fine."

No one present was as heartbroken as this old man, and no one could share her pain for her.

She entered the house and closed the door gently.

Everyone silently retreated to a suitable position.

Luo Tao did not stay in the room anymore. He felt that he would suffocate if he stayed in the room.

Holding the book, under the eyes of others, I stepped out of the threshold and walked to the gate, my feet felt weak.

Several books fell to the ground with a crash, perhaps because of the loud sound, which shocked everyone waiting in the living room.

The young master of the Lou family and Li Xiang, a student studying painting with Mr. Pan, came out.

They saw books scattered all over the floor, and Luo Tao leaned against the corner dejectedly, taking out a cigarette with trembling hands.

"Mr. Luo..." The young master of the Lou family held Luo Tao's trembling hand and shouted twice.

Li Xiang silently picked up the book on the ground.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to come out to smoke a cigarette and my foot slipped."

He held back tears and let go of Luo Tao's hand. Luo Tao then put the cigarette in his mouth and said, "Well, I'll give you some."

"Thank you, do you smoke?" Luo Tao didn't pretend to be pretentious, it was really because his hands were shaking so much.

He was not polite and smoked a cigarette from the trembling cigarette case. Luo Tao gave Li Xiang another chance, but he was not polite either.

The three people are all similar in age and have deep connections with the Zhang family. Faced with this situation.

Maybe cigarettes and fine wine can relieve my worries.

They came out but didn't come back, and Mr. Pan didn't come out either. Ms. Zhang couldn't leave easily, so she asked Pengzhu to come out and take a look.

"You go and see what's going on?"

[Monthly Ticket Recommended Ticket]

　Alas, I can’t write well.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)