Life 1984

What surprised Li Yunhai even more was that Gong Li was not looking for him and might not know he was here.

Gong Li went straight up to the second floor.

Li Yunhai wondered, is Gong Li filming here?
Had dinner with Xiao Taohong.

Xiao Taohong called the waiter to pay the bill, but the waiter replied: "Your table has already paid."

Li Yunhai smiled and said, "My bodyguards paid for it. They are used to paying for me."

Xiao Taohong said, "Mr. Li, we agreed that I would treat you. How come you are treating me now?"

Li Yunhai said: "It's just a meal, anyone can treat anyone."

Xiao Taohong thought for a moment and said, "Let's go shopping. I'll give you a gift!"

Li Yunhai laughed and said, "It's really not necessary. I don't lack anything."

Xiao Taohong said: "I know you are rich and have everything you need. But there is one thing you definitely don't have."

Li Yunhai said: "Oh? What is it that I don't have?"

Xiao Taohong smiled sweetly and said, "It's a gift from me! Do you have it?"

Li Yunhai laughed dumbly.

He knew that if he didn't let Xiao Taohong give him a gift, she would probably keep thinking about it, so he said, "Okay, then you can give me a gift."

Xiao Taohong said, "Now is the time to eat Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs. Do you like them?"

Li Yunhai said: "I like it, but if you give it to me, I have no place to cook it. I live in a hotel."

Xiao Taohong said, "My hometown is by the Yangcheng Lake. My father will come to the city tomorrow and bring me some hairy crabs. I will cook them at home tomorrow. Would you like to come over and eat them?"

"Okay! This is fine!" Li Yunhai said, "This is better than the gifts you buy on the street."

The two strolled along Guanqian Street.

When Li Yunhai arrived in front of Xuanmiao Temple, he stopped and looked at it, saying, "This must be the Xuandu Temple of the Tang Dynasty, right? There are thousands of peach trees in Xuandu Temple, all of which were planted after Liu Lang left."

Xiao Taohong said: "Yes! So this street is called Guanqian Street, because it is located in front of Xuanmiao Temple!"

"Oh! So that's how it came about!" Li Yunhai laughed, "Are there a lot of peach trees in the temple?"

Xiao Taohong said, "There are so many! If you come in spring, you can see the whole temple is full of red peach blossoms and green willows!"

Li Yunhai said: "Since ancient times, it has been said that Gusu is famous for its beauties. Do you know which famous beauties there are in your history?"

Xiao Taohong smiled and said, "Mr. Li, are you testing me? Of course I know! In history, there are three famous beauties in Suzhou, namely Concubine Mei, Xi Shi and Chen Yuanyuan. They are all unique and graceful."

Apricot blossoms in the spring rain, swallows flying among the willows, flowing water under a small bridge, pink walls and black tiles, secluded gardens and woods, and the soft Wu dialect.

These are the impressions that Gusu has left on literati of all generations, and they are also engraved in the bones of literati.

Li Yunhai said, "In addition to the three beauties of Gusu you mentioned, there are actually many more beauties. Miss Meng is also from Gusu, and even Qin Shihuang fell in love with her. Yu Ji, the one in Farewell My Concubine, is also a Gusu woman. The Zhao Feiyan sisters of the Western Han Dynasty, Su Xiaoxiao and Hong Funu of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Qiuxiang of the Ming Dynasty, and another beauty in the Qing Dynasty, Dong Xiaowan, and there was a Sai Jinhua in the late Qing Dynasty. These beauties are all from Gusu."

Xiao Taohong exclaimed: "Mr. Li, you know so much, even more than I do!"

Li Yunhai asked: "Do you feel ashamed to be from Gusu?"

Xiao Taohong twisted her hair, turned her head away, and said with a smile: "There is another beautiful girl in Gusu, you forgot to tell me!"

"Oh? Modern?"

"Yes! It's me! Little Pink!"

"Hahaha!"

Li Yunhai laughed heartily.

Stroll into Xuanmiao Temple.

The tall and majestic Sanqing Hall in Xuanmiao Temple demonstrates the sacredness and solemnity of Taoism.

The towering trees cast a lush green shadow on the terrace and guardrails, filtering and calming the noisy atmosphere around them.

The Sanqing Hall is in the center, with the God of Wealth Hall and Tai Sui Hall; the Sanxing Hall, Cihang Hall and Wenchang Hall are on the left and right.

Xiao Taohong took Li Yunhai on a tour and said, "Mr. Li, you must take this crossing bridge."

Li Yunhai asked: "Crossing the bridge? What's the meaning?"

Xiao Taohong said: "After walking through the bridge, all the difficulties in life are over. From now on, life will be smooth sailing."

Li Yunhai said: "Then I have to go for a walk! I have a lot of difficulties to overcome recently!"

Xiao Taohong asked, "Mr. Li, you are so rich now, why are you still going through hard times?"

Li Yunhai said: "Where do you think I made my money? Didn't I make it by overcoming difficulties one after another?"

The Guoguan Bridge is actually a wooden arch.

Li Yunhai stepped over and said with a smile: "Have I passed the test now?"

Xiao Taohong said: "That's right, Mr. Li, you will definitely have a smooth road ahead in the future!"

Li Yunhai said: "I'll borrow your good words!"

There is a calligraphy in Xuanmiao Temple, which reads: "Mysterious and mysterious, the door to all wonders."

This sentence comes from "Laozi" and is also the origin of the name of Xuanmiao Temple.

After visiting the temple, there is a large calligraphy and painting market next to it.

Xiao Taohong said, "Mr. Li, this place sells calligraphy and paintings. Xuanmiao Temple used to be a place dedicated to calligraphy and paintings. When the market was open, the corridors of Xuanmiao Temple were full of stalls selling paintings."

"So, is it true that Tang Bohu made a living by selling paintings?"

"Of course! In Gusu, we attach great importance to cultural education and there are many families with a scholarly background."

"Yeah, interesting, let's go check it out."

The calligraphy and paintings sold at street stalls are all by folk masters. They may not be famous, but their skills are impressive.

If a person wants to become famous through calligraphy and painting, it actually depends largely on luck.

There are only so many techniques for painting.

There are also many people who are good at painting among the people.

But not many people can truly become famous and successful.

Li Yunhai looked along and found that many of the paintings were very exquisite, including freehand ink-and-wash landscape paintings and meticulously detailed work figure paintings.

He casually asked a few people selling paintings and found that the prices of these paintings were not high.

Some are priced at 50 yuan per painting, while others are priced at 100 yuan per painting.

Li Yunhai hesitated for a moment and said, "I always thought these artworks would sell for very high prices."

Xiao Taohong blinked her big eyes and said, "A few dozen yuan, a hundred yuan, for a painting, isn't that expensive?"

Li Yunhai was slightly surprised.

He understood immediately.

One hundred yuan for a painting is really nothing to Li Yunhai now.

It can even be said to be very cheap!

However, in this era when the average wage per capita is less than 500 yuan, it is quite expensive to spend a fraction of the wage to buy a decorative painting.

Who would spend so much money to buy a painting to hang in their home? You can’t eat or drink, you can only pretend to be refined!

Li Yunhai asked, "I wonder if their business is good?"

Xiao Taohong said, "They all make a living by selling paintings professionally, so their business must be good."

Li Yunhai asked: "Do you know if there is anyone here who is particularly good at painting?"

Xiao Taohong thought for a moment and said, "Hey, there is one! Right next to our theater, there is a man who paints really beautiful pictures, and many people ask for paintings for him!"

"Really? Can you take me to visit him?"

"Mr. Li, you want to buy a painting? Aren't there a lot of them here?"

"I don't want to buy these commercial paintings that are too artificial. I want to buy paintings with strong personality and collection value."

Li Yunhai knew that when a painter is alive, his paintings are mostly worthless.

Only after a hundred years, if someone hypes it up or appreciates her paintings, will they be worth some money.

As for the calligraphy and paintings on the street stalls, they are most likely produced on an assembly line. It doesn't mean they are produced by machines.

Instead, there are businessmen who specialize in production and wholesale in this area.

They organized a group of talented painters and mass-produced calligraphy and painting works like opening a factory.

Calligraphy and painting may look grand and elegant, but the skills can be acquired through training and learning.

Many ordinary people, who have never attended a professional art school or even a university, can still paint beautiful paintings.

But all these calligraphy and paintings have one common problem, which is that they are too mechanical.

The word "crafty" is a very bad derogatory term for calligraphy and painting works.

This means that the work is not bad, but it lacks spirit.

What is Reiki?
It's talent!

There are so many people who can draw.

But there are few people who can draw with spirit.

The reason why the four great talents became famous is that their works are more spiritual than those of ordinary people.

Li Yunhai wanted to buy some spiritual works to collect at home.

Since ancient times, Suzhou has been an elegant place with a rich culture and numerous schools of thought.

Li Yunhai is rich now, so of course he wants to pretend to be cultured.

Xiao Taohong looked at the time and said, "Mr. Li, are we going over now?"

Li Yunhai asked: "Is the painter you mentioned free now?"

Xiao Taohong said, "I'm free! I'll take you there, we'll be there soon."

They came near the theater.

This is an ancient street.

It can be seen that it has a profound historical heritage and rich folk customs.

The road is dotted with ancient alleys, ancient bridges, and ancient houses, reflecting the hustle and bustle of the city and all kinds of life. Although the former prosperity has faded and it has gradually become less noisy, the layout of the ancient street remains unchanged.

Walking on the bluestone road, listening to the soft Wu dialect coming from both sides is particularly soothing.

Perhaps the water town in dreams should be like this, quiet, leisurely and comfortable.

Time seems to slow down here.

Li Yunhai followed Xiao Taohong to a private house.

This house is quite exquisite.

On the lintel of the door, there were actually two ancient characters written: "Su's Residence."

Xiao Taohong smiled and said, "Mr. Li, this is it. This family used to be a wealthy family in Gusu. They have produced many talented men and beautiful women over the generations, and their ancestor even won the top prize in the imperial examination!"

"The mansion of the number one scholar! Not bad! It is truly a family of scholars!"

"The Su family's house is very big. Unlike our ordinary families, where more than a dozen families are squeezed into one yard, their family occupies a large yard. This is a government concession!"

Li Yunhai knew that at some point in the past, local tyrants and gentry were beaten and their land and houses were divided.

Many of the old buildings were distributed to citizens for living.

The housing area in the city is not enough. One room can accommodate a family, and one yard can accommodate more than a dozen households.

However, some families, because they have made contributions or are prestigious, are allowed to preserve their old houses.

Most of the families that can receive this kind of care have very powerful ancestors!
Li Yunhai couldn't help but straighten his face.

Xiao Taohong knocked on the door lightly.

After a while, a touching female voice came from inside: "I'm here! Who is it?"

"Miss Su, it's me, Xiao Taohong!"

The door creaked open.

Li Yunhai's eyes suddenly lit up!
What a stunning girl!

Her eyes were clear and bright, as pure as the morning dew in summer. She was wearing a white embroidered cheongsam, which made her look particularly dignified and beautiful, like a graceful classical beauty.

She stood at the door gracefully, with a dignified posture, like a blooming lily, quietly exuding a delicate fragrance.

Even though Li Yunhai had seen countless people, he couldn't help but be stunned when he saw her.

Xiao Taohong can be considered a beauty, but when she stands in front of Miss Su, she can't help but be overshadowed.

Miss Su blushed slightly when she saw Li Yunhai, and said to Xiao Taohong: "Taozi, why are you here so late?"

Xiao Taohong smiled and said, "I brought you a distinguished guest! Look, it's him, Mr. Li!"

Miss Su raised her eyelids slightly, and her long eyelashes cast a shadow on her flawless face under the light.

"Hello, Mr. Li. Please come in and talk!" Miss Su stepped aside.

Li Yunhai smiled slightly and walked in. When he passed by her, he smelled a very elegant fragrance. He stood in the yard, looked around, and said:

"Miss Su, may I ask if Mr. Su is here? I came here specifically to ask for some calligraphy and paintings."

Miss Su asked, "Are you asking about my grandfather? My grandfather passed away a long time ago. You want his calligraphy or paintings?"

Xiao Taohong suddenly giggled and said, "Mr. Li, the painter I'm talking about is none other than Miss Su herself!"

Li Yunhai exclaimed, "Excuse me! Xiao Taohong only said that there was a famous painter here, so I naturally thought he was an old man. I didn't expect it to be such a young and beautiful lady."

Miss Su smiled and said, "You want my calligraphy and paintings? My calligraphy and paintings are not good and not valuable."

Li Yunhai said, "I'm going to say something that you may not like to hear. What I want to collect are the works of painters who are somewhat famous but not valuable. I hope they will appreciate in value in the future."

Miss Su pursed her lips and said, "I know, you mean, after I die, my paintings might be valuable, right? Then you are wrong, my paintings will not be valuable in the future. I think you have come here in vain! Mr. Li, please go back!"

Li Yunhai frowned slightly. He didn't expect that the other party would chase him away without even seeing his work?

He looked at Xiao Taohong for help.

Before Xiao Taohong could speak, Miss Su said, "Taozi, it's late, I need to rest, let's talk tomorrow if there's anything!"

Li Yunhai wondered, are all these artists freaks?

You just invited us in, and now you're saying it's too late?
Li Yunhai said: "Miss Su, it's only eight o'clock in the evening. Do you want to go to bed so early? Or do you have any prejudice against us?"

Miss Su said, "Mr. Li, you are a businessman, and I don't deal with art dealers. I've said that my paintings are not worth much! I don't sell paintings."

Li Yunhai said: "You misunderstood. I am a businessman, but I am not an art dealer. I have no intention of reselling your paintings."

Miss Su was very persistent and said, "Mr. Li, please go back!"

Li Yunhai had no choice but to withdraw.

He looked at the time and said to Xiao Taohong, "Okay, you go home! I have to go too!"

Xiao Taohong waved at him and asked, "Will you come to the theater tomorrow?"

Li Yunhai said: "Come when you are free!"

Xiao Taohong said: "Then leave me your phone number."

Li Yunhai said yes.

Xiao Taohong said: "Mr. Li, I'm sorry, I didn't expect Miss Su to be so rude."

Li Yunhai said indifferently: "It's okay! We are the ones who came too presumptuous!"

He looked up at the old house and turned to leave.

For some reason, Miss Su's charming figure was like a masterpiece by a famous artist. After just one look at it, he could not forget it.

The charm revealed by Miss Su's every move, every frown and smile is particularly heart-warming!

Li Yunhai returned to the hotel.

Chen Meilin and the others haven’t come back yet.

Li Yunhai took a shower and lay on the bed to read a book.

But he couldn't concentrate on the words in the book. All that flashed before his eyes was the shadow of Miss Su. (End of this chapter)