20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 729 Antiques in Troubled Times
Jiang Lianheng walked to the table, and the others followed closely behind.

He had no knowledge of these antiques and collectibles. He just looked around for fun and could not tell the value of them. He just picked things based on his eye for them.

I first looked at some gold, silver and jade carvings, but thought they were nothing new; then I looked at some porcelain bottles and jars, but they seemed too heavy.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally picked up the blue and white porcelain pen holder on the table and looked at it carefully.

Seeing this, Xu Haibo came over and flattered, "Boss Jiang, you have good eyesight. The thing you picked up is really top-notch!"

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "Master Xu, please don't flatter me. I am a layman in these things."

"How dare I, how dare I!" Xu Haibo quickly turned aside and said, "Boss Jiang, there are three experts here, how dare I lie to you?"

Jiang Lianheng ignored him and asked, "Manager Yu, can you help me take a look at this thing? What is it like?"

Shopkeeper Yu respected Jiang Lianheng as his boss and was the Jiang family's supporter. Naturally, he had to put the Jiang family first in everything. He did not dare to say anything ambiguous and told the truth immediately: "Boss, as the old saying goes, antiques are priceless. It all depends on your preference. If you want to ask how much it is worth, I can't estimate it casually, but this pen holder is indeed a rare item and it is hard to get too many."

"Really? Don't make a fool of yourself."

"Impossible. Look at the shape, the body, the materials, and the workmanship. This must be Yuan blue and white porcelain, an old item from hundreds of years ago."

Shopkeeper Yu spoke with conviction, his eyes full of joy, but he did not dare to show the slightest intention of taking it for himself.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng could not help but take another closer look, but he could not tell the shape, material, or workmanship of the pen holder. He only knew that there was a bamboo forest painted on the pen holder. In the bamboo forest were seven figures, who were unrestrained, free and easy. Some were playing and whistling in the bamboo forest, some were drinking and composing poems. They were the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove from the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

"My boy really likes calligraphy." Jiang Lianheng muttered a few words in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Xu Haibo hurriedly suggested, "Why not give this pen holder to Mr. Jiang?"

"Don't worry, I'll take a look again."

Jiang Lianheng was afraid of missing out on something good, so he walked towards another table.

On the table, there were several scrolls of paintings, which were the largest in number because they were easy to carry.

Jiang Lianheng did not mind the trouble and placed them on the table one by one and slowly unfolded them, taking a look at them all regardless of their appearance.

It has to be said that all the collections in the palace are works of great elegance. Although the paintings of ladies are graceful and elegant, they are wearing too many clothes and are far from being as exciting as the erotic paintings.

No matter how others praised the rest of the landscape scrolls, Jiang Lianheng could not appreciate their beauty. Instead, it was the two paintings of animals that made his eyes light up.

The first painting is "Pair of Fish Playing in an Empty Pond" and is stamped with the character "Donkey".

Two cuttlefish are shaped like a Tai Chi pattern, swimming towards each other. There are neither water plants nor ripples on the picture. Although the two fish are agile, they are rolling their eyes, looking half-dead and shameless, which is quite unconventional.

The inscription in the upper right corner of the painting reads: I am neither a fish nor me, so how can I know whether I rise or fall?
The second painting is titled "A Solitary Crow Perching on a Thin Rock", stamped with the seal of "Bada Shanren". From a distance it looks like a sad face, but from close up it resembles a smiling face.

A rockery with thin rocks and strange shapes, with a black-feathered jackdaw sitting on it, looking back and staring at the rockery, with its hair standing on end and its mouth and eyes staring, it has a cynical and absurd expression that is rarely seen in the world.

The inscription in the upper right corner of the painting reads: Falling on the stubborn stone, with nowhere to ask about the universe.

"Excellent work, excellent work, it is really rare to see such a masterpiece!" Chen, the shopkeeper of Chongguzhai, exclaimed sincerely, "Boss, these two paintings are all from the same hand, Bada Shanren is a Ming Dynasty veteran, excellent work, excellent work!"

Jiang Lianheng couldn't tell whether they were good or bad, he just felt that the two paintings were different and had an alternative style, so he liked them from the bottom of his heart.

He was neither obsessed with antiques nor short of money, so when he bought decorations for his home, he only paid attention to the word "rare". He had to have something that no one else had in order to satisfy his vanity and show the Jiang family's class and taste.

Seeing this, Xu Haibo hurriedly suggested, "Boss Jiang, extraordinary things should be matched with extraordinary people. It would be a great honor for you to pick a painting to take back!"

"Why pick one?" Jiang Lianheng returned to his desk, sat down and said, "I want this pen holder and those two paintings!"

Xu Haibo's face froze. Everyone said that Boss Jiang was a corrupt official, but he didn't expect him to be so corrupt. He had originally planned to give the Jiang family only one antique, but Jiang Lianheng asked for three right away. How could he explain this to the world?

As he thought about it, his expression gradually became awkward. He forced a smile and said, "Boss Jiang, these... these things are not all mine. My words carry limited weight. If you want to take one, I can still make the decision, but if you want three... I'm afraid I'll have to send a telegram for permission."

Jiang Lianheng smiled and waved his hands, but said: "Master Xu, you misunderstood. I am a businessman, not a bandit or a bully. Since we are talking about business, how could I forcibly rob you of your things? Am I, Jiang Lianheng, a robber?"

"No, no, I didn't react at the moment. What Boss Jiang meant was..."

"This pen holder is a token of our friendship; those two paintings are my support for your opening. Is that okay?"

Xu Haibo finally breathed a sigh of relief and said hurriedly, "Oh, that's even better. I'm to blame for judging you by my own standards. Please forgive me, Boss Jiang!"

Jiang Lianheng was too lazy to argue, so he just casually responded with a few words and went straight to the point: "Master Xu, name your price!"

When the words were given to Xu Haibo, he was a little troubled.

Those two paintings can indeed be called masterpieces, but they are far from being top-notch. If they are to be sold at a high price, they must be auctioned publicly. The reason why many antiques and calligraphy and paintings can be sold at high prices is that they are artificially raised at auctions, which are always a bit inflated.

But the problem is, with Jiang Lianheng sitting here, who dares to raise the price?
Even if those dignitaries did not give face to the Jiang family and insisted on buying the two paintings, Xu Haibo would probably have no way out for the remaining antiques. At least in Fengtian, no one else would dare to take over.

The worst case scenario is that all the remaining antiques were destroyed in "accidents", and even he himself might disappear inexplicably in Fengtian.

What the Jiang family can't get, no one else can get.

Even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, let alone a businessman who deals in antiques?
Xu Haibo didn't want to make things worse. Seeing that there were three experts in the office, he didn't dare to ask for an exorbitant price. He weighed it for a moment before speaking:

"Boss Jiang, you know that these antiques and calligraphy and paintings are not just my business. There are many people waiting to draw a lottery! How about this, forget about my share of the money. I didn't come to Fengtian for a one-time deal. These two paintings... 380 yuan, I'll give them to you. What do you think?"

Jiang Lianheng subconsciously glanced at Shopkeeper Chen.

The three experts nodded silently. Buying two paintings by Bada Shanren at this price could be said to be a great bargain.

However, this depends on how you say it.

As the saying goes: gold in troubled times, antiques in prosperous times.

It happened that the world was in turmoil. Although antiques, calligraphy and paintings were valuable, they were not that valuable. After all, they were just some bottles and jars, and paintings. They could not be exchanged for food, clothing, shelter and transportation. They were just the pastime of the rich.

Jiang Lianheng was very satisfied, nodded and said, "Master Xu really loves me. Three hundred and eighty yuan for two paintings. I'm at a loss, right?"

Xu Haibo smiled against his conscience and said, "Antiques are priceless, friendship is priceless. In the future, when I go to Fengtian, I'll ask Mr. Jiang to give me some convenience. However, there is one thing I must say first. I don't accept Fengtian notes for this 380 yuan, only cash. Don't be surprised, Mr. Jiang, everyone sells things this way." Although the value of the Fengtian note and cash is the same 380 yuan, it is a world of difference.

Real money is always more reliable than paper money.

However, Jiang Lianheng had anticipated this.

If a person is reduced to the point where he has to rely on pawning his belongings to make a living, he will certainly only have real money in his eyes. How could he believe in the ups and downs of paper money?
Jiang Lianheng was rich and powerful, so he didn't take it seriously at all. He waved his hand and laughed, "Don't worry, Master Xu. I understand this."

After that, he called the secretary Fangyan to come closer and instructed loudly: "Get some money from the counter and go to the official bank of the three northeastern provinces to exchange it for 400 yuan in cash. Go and come back quickly, don't keep Master Xu waiting for too long."

Fangyan nodded, took the receipt from the counter, and was about to leave when he heard the boss shouting behind him:
"Wait a minute!" Jiang Lianheng waved his hand at his adopted son, "During the New Year, go with your uncle Fang and get familiar with the family business!"

Hai Xinnian did not dare to neglect him, and stood up and said, "Godfather, I'll go first."

"Go!" Jiang Lianheng snorted and said no more, just waiting to get the cash.

The door opened and closed, and only Jiang Lianheng, Xu Haibo, and Manager Yu were left in the office.

Normally, Manager Yu and his companions should have finished their work and could have left, but when they saw the room full of treasures coming out of the palace, their eyes widened. They also heard that Xu Haibo had connections and could continue to dig out things from Zhang Garden, so they all hurried to curry favor with him.

"Master Xu, how long do you plan to stay in Fengtian this time?"

"Come, come, Master Xu, this is my name card. My Chongguzhai is in the south of the city. If you have time, come over and we can learn from each other."

"Master Xu, do you just want to sell, or are you willing to exchange?"

The three shop owners vied with each other to invite the buyers and hurriedly asked for the prices, fearing that these collectibles, calligraphy and paintings would end up somewhere else, which would leave them unattainable and cause them lifelong regret.

Xu Haibo came all the way to Fengtian just to sell these antiques, so he was naturally happy to accompany the party and was busy dealing with the matter.

Jiang Lianheng did not stop them. After all, if the three of them left, he and Xu Haibo would be the only ones left in the room. It would be awkward to stare at each other, so he simply let them talk business here and join in the fun...

…………

On the other side, Fangyan paid the money at the counter, and left Xiaoxiguan with Hai Xinnian, called a rickshaw, and hurried to the official silver bank to exchange it for cash.

The Official Bank of the Three Northeastern Provinces is located near the Dibei Market in the commercial port. It is the largest state-run bank in Fengtian and even in the entire area outside the Great Wall. It was established as early as the Guangxu period. It has strong financial resources and can be regarded as a weather vane of Fengtian's financial industry.

This bank had great authority. Not only did it act as an agent for the Fengtian Provincial Treasury, it even had the right to issue Fengtian bills, so it had a large number of depositors.

When Hai Xinnian arrived with Fangyan, the hall was packed with people and there were long queues everywhere.

There is a stone pillar in the center of the hall, and around it is a circle of platforms for standing and writing, which are covered with various information such as the latest exchange rates, conversion prices, interest rates, etc. for customers to check in time.

Like many country people, Hai Xinnian has never had the habit of saving money in the bank. He always feels it is unreliable and afraid of being cheated. He can only feel at ease and access his money in time if he locks it in a cabinet.

Fangyan advised him, "If you want to expand your business, you can't do without banks. Isn't it much more convenient than the money houses and ticket shops in the past?"

"Money shops and ticket offices are even less reliable!" Hai Xinnian curled his lips and said, "Anyway, I don't plan to do business, I just want to work honestly. If you ask me to calculate these things again, I won't be able to figure them out!"

"How can that be possible?" Fang Yan said, "The boss has adopted you as his godson, and he will count on you to contribute to the family in the future. Even if you don't do business, you have to be familiar with these procedures."

Hai Xinnian looked embarrassed: "But, I really don't know how to do these things!"

Fang Yan comforted him, "Take your time. It's not that difficult. Just follow me a few more times and you'll learn everything."

As they were talking, the two of them had already lined up near the counter.

The salesperson was a short-haired woman in a uniform. She looked very arrogant. She didn't look at me straight in the eye. She leaned aside through the iron fence and asked impatiently, "What can I do for you?"

Fangyan was no longer surprised by this, and just smiled and said, "Please help me exchange some foreign currency for cash."

"Can't you just tell me how much you want to exchange? Why do you have to ask me?"

"No, no, I want to exchange it for 400 yuan."

"How much do you want to exchange?" The female clerk turned her head suddenly, her eyes wide open, and asked, "Four hundred dollars in cash?"

"Yes, yes, I'm from Xiaoxiguan Zongheng Insurance Company. Here's the check. Please take a look at it." Fangyan was still polite and handed the check to the counter with a smile.

Normally, when sales staff hear about a large sum of money, their attitude will become much more moderate, and they may even immediately switch to a flattering attitude.

Unexpectedly, this time it was different. The expression on the female employee's face was more of suspicion than surprise.

She picked up the check and examined it carefully for a moment, then raised her head and asked, "Are you an employee of Zongheng Insurance Company?"

"Yes!" Fang Yan said with a smile, "In the past, other people came to deposit and withdraw money. Today, I need it urgently. Please help me to redeem it!"

"What are you going to do with all that cash?"

"What?"

Fangyan scratched his head, feeling a little puzzled, but still patiently explained: "Nothing, I just want to buy something."

"What do you want to buy?" the female clerk asked aggressively.

"Ah? I want to buy... No, no, no, my boss just wants to buy some... small things like household decorations."

Fangyan knew that those collectibles, calligraphy and paintings came from the palace, so he naturally refused to reveal the truth without his employer's permission.

Moreover, the money is Jiang family's money. I have never heard of having to inform the reason for withdrawing the money, and I don't know when the new rule was established.

But the female employee refused to give up and immediately asked, "What exactly do you want to buy that will cost you 400 yuan?"

At this point, even Fangyan, who had a good temper, couldn't help but ask back, "No, does my boss have to tell you what he wants to buy?"

Unexpectedly, the female clerk suddenly frowned, slammed the check on the counter, shook her head and said, "Then go back, I can't cash it."

(End of this chapter)