Siheyuan: Pretend to be a Pig and Eat the Tiger

I'm retired now, unlike this old guy who's at his wit's end. There's no need for me to make a mess of things. Who are you going to scheme against?

Li Huaide was secretly delighted; this was exactly the effect he wanted. He didn't actually want to drag Lao Wang into the scheme; he just wanted to get definite information!

Since these people still want to go to Panjiayuan, that's fine. Otherwise, there's really no way to strike up a conversation. On the contrary, as long as we leave the Beijing Hotel, there's a way to get these people involved!

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu was on his way to Fangshan when he was ambushed!

"Mr. He, we've all come here for you. Mr. Cai is good, but we can't do without you!"

One of Huo Shao's main tasks here is to build a good relationship with He Yuzhu. This is a task given to him by his father, and it is also part of his own network of connections in China!

"Young Master Huo, I know nothing about antiques. I won't be of any help to you at Panjiayuan except for carrying your things!"

He Yuzhu was speechless. "I'm not your servant. You arranged someone, but you still insist on going with me. You're so hard to please!"
“Mr. He, your uncle is knowledgeable, but we are not familiar with each other. He has no right to complain, and I still feel uneasy about it!”

"Alright, let's go then!"

He Yuzhu had to postpone his trip to Fangshan. Logically, he should have taken Huo Shao with him, but he didn't want to share the land in Fangshan with anyone else.
If this person goes there, they might become a competitor. It's better to take them to see the surrounding area after the matter is settled!
In the TV series "Under the Zhengyang Gate", land in Fangshan is being sold on a large scale for real estate development. Han Chunming has relatives there, and if he can provide them with some jobs, the pressure during the demolition process will be greatly reduced!

Not long after, the group from Hong Kong Island arrived at Panjiayuan again, where they happened to run into the ragpicker Hou at the entrance. He Yuzhu's eyes lit up!
"Hey, isn't this the Scrappy Lord? It feels like ages since we last met. How about we meet up?"

He Yuzhu seized the opportunity and moved closer to the ragpicker Hou. He wouldn't have come if he hadn't come, but now that he was here, he couldn't be fooled.

Since I brought them to Panjiayuan in person, I can't let them buy fakes. If they find out later, where will I put my face?
"No, you're too lucky, kid. I'm afraid I'll have a heart attack if I'm with you!"

The ragpicker looked at He Yuzhu with disdain. Where did he get so much time to take these people for a stroll? Wouldn't it be better to use that time to go around and collect scrap himself?

“Lord of the Rags, give me some face. These people are of extraordinary status and are highly valued by their superiors. It would be bad if you bought a fake.”
Chunming went to Fangshan. My uncle is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, how about he helps out?

He Yuzhu didn't expect this guy to be so tough, not giving him any face at all. He glanced at Huo Shao and the others, then pulled them aside and muttered to himself!
"Alright, but you'll have to do me a favor, otherwise, don't even think about coming with you guys. You might miss out on something good. What do you say?"

"However, if even one of these people buys a fake today, your reputation as the 'Scrap Lord' will probably be..."

"Alright, for every fake you buy, I, the ragpicker Hou, will give you a genuine one!"

What He Yuzhu didn't know was that Han Chunming didn't open a restaurant, but the ragpicker Hou and Grandpa Guan were thinking about opening one themselves. Of course, they hadn't chosen a manager yet, otherwise they would have started long ago.

Originally, I hadn't expected it, but Guan Xiaoguan came up with an idea: to open four restaurants named Tea Fragrance, Wine Ends, Gathering Friends, and Return to the Building, to commemorate Grandpa Guan's four old brothers in another way.
This statement was immediately supported by Grandpa Guan. In addition, the reason why Broken-Scrap Hou became acquainted with Grandpa Guan was because of this. This guy wanted to invest in his own interests, and he would only consider it done after Grandpa Guan agreed.
However, opening a restaurant isn't something you can do just because you have money. For example, the chef and the manager—in theory, Guan Xiaoguan would be a good fit.
However, Guan Xiaoguan is now having a better career at He's, and she can't just resign from her position as general manager of He's for a restaurant with an uncertain future, can she? After much thought, she can only put it on hold for the time being. But with He Yuzhu's support, opening a restaurant is a different story!

That's why the ragpicker wanted He Yuzhu to owe him a favor. Having more friends makes life easier, and you never know when you might need their help, like the cook... While the group was wandering around, someone suddenly appeared and gave the ragpicker a proper bow, which startled him so much that he looked around to see if he recognized anyone. It was really scary!
He Yuzhu was dumbfounded by this whole thing. Was it still like this even now? He gave the man a meaningful look and quickly moved away. It was truly an eyesore!

It seemed to be saying, "Are you still dreaming of a future restoration? Are you planning to do something like this?" Huo Shao watched the scene with great interest; he had seen this kind of thing in Hong Kong.

I didn't expect to see this in the capital. Didn't this place go through ten years? Or is the Qing Dynasty really that stubborn?
The ragged man understood He Yuzhu's thoughts perfectly well, and couldn't help but roll his eyes, looking at the person who was giving the gift with annoyance!

"What's wrong with you? This is a new era, why are you pulling this stunt?"

The ragpicker wanted nothing more than to slap them. Although the special period was over, who knew if anyone was going to mess with them?
"My lord, propriety must not be disregarded!"

"Stop talking nonsense and tell me what it is!"

The ragpicker just wanted to leave. These people were really speechless. Although they didn't care about these rules anymore, did others really think it looked good?

"My lord, we have a few interesting items. I wonder if you would be interested?"

"Oh? Where is it?"

Upon hearing that there were some good things, the ragpicker immediately changed his tune. These people usually had good stuff in their hands. Of course, there were counterfeit items, but would he dare to give them to them?

This trip wasn't a waste of time; this person's ancestors were quite remarkable. Perhaps there really are some good things here? Who knows?

"My lord, come with me!"

After the man finished speaking, he turned and left. The ragpicker called He Yuzhu and the others to follow. He Yuzhu saw that the ragpicker did not seem to be faking it, so he quickly gave him a look, meaning to act according to the situation.

Huo Shao nodded as if he understood, but he couldn't understand why He Yuzhu was so concerned, just because of the sudden actions and expressions of the ragged Hou.

"My lord, please look, this is Tang Bohu's authentic work, 'Tiger Descending the Mountain'!"

The man proudly unfurled the scroll and displayed it. He Yuzhu cursed inwardly, "Bullshit! If this is the genuine 'Tiger Descending the Mountain' painting, what is that in his hand?"
Among the materials lost from the two warehouses of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, there was a painting depicting a tiger descending a mountain. That painting had already been authenticated by the two masters, Han Chunming and Grandpa Guan!
When the ragged man heard about the picture of the tiger descending the mountain, his eyes narrowed. He looked closely and saw the man confidently handing him a magnifying glass. He was extremely confident!

He wasn't even sure if it was genuine; he only knew that he found the painting in a box under the floor tiles in his house!

A genuine Tang Bohu painting is no small matter; it can now fetch tens or even hundreds of thousands of yuan. In an era where even a household with ten thousand yuan is quite famous, the loss would be enormous if one were to be fooled! (End of Chapter)