Exciting 1979!

Chapter 398 "Along the River During the Qingming Festival"! An authentic work?

"So Liu Rulong's wife is Comrade Gong Xue's sister!" Zhang Jianya was still a little surprised, and a little envious.

Gong Xue is so beautiful, her sister must be just as good-looking, while Ah Long is only of average appearance. He's hit the jackpot.

Wei Ming asked with a smile, "So, who do you think is prettier, Gong Xue or Zhang Yu?"

"Of course, it's Gong Xue."

Hmm, looks like you're not in a relationship yet, otherwise you'd probably see beauty in the eye of the beholder.

After speaking, Zhang Jianya suddenly paused, realizing that both of Gong Xue's two representative works were written by Wei Ming. Among them, "The Herdsman" was the one he strongly recommended to Gong Xue, and he firmly rejected Chen Chong and Zhang Yu to director Xie Jin. "Mom, Love Me Again" was his only original screenplay, which could be said to be tailor-made for Gong Xue.

Could it be...?
Zhang Jianya boldly guessed that Wei Ming must be secretly in love with Comrade Gong Xue!
When they arrived at the Peace Hotel, Ah Long was painting. Even though he was outside, the work on "Qin's Moon" had not stopped.

Wei Ming told him to stop and draw a picture of Aying in a wedding dress first, as he wanted to use this picture for a scene transition.

Ah Long had memorized the wedding dress perfectly, and he started drawing it quickly, smiling from the bottom of his heart as he drew.

At this moment, Wei Ming even felt that Ah Long, who only had one girlfriend, was happier than himself, who had two current girlfriends, one ex-girlfriend, and one potential girlfriend.

Following Wei Ming's instructions, after filming, A Long asked, "What about the subsequent editing and processing?"

Wei Ming: "It's easy. I'll write you a detailed script. After you take it back to Hong Kong, you can find Bluebird. I estimate that 'Boat People' will be finished filming soon. When that happens, ask Director Xu Anhua to help you edit it and give him some compensation for his hard work."

Ah Long nodded.

Wei Ming looked at Zhang Jianya: "Should I take that machine back, or should you take it back to the factory and bring it over tomorrow morning?"

Zhang Jianya: "I'll take it back myself. I can't afford to take responsibility if something goes wrong."

Well, this thing is too bulky. Wei Ming agreed to meet him here tomorrow, and then he could go home easily.

However, things weren't easy at home at the time; in fact, the atmosphere was tense because guests had arrived.

Zhu Lin has reconnected with Gong Xue, so she came over to visit after finishing filming today. She also took tomorrow off to attend the wedding and even dyed her white hair back.

Only Wei Hong recognized her and exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Zhu Lin, what brings you here!"

"I was filming in Shanghai when I ran into Gong Xue and found out you were here."

Before Lizhi went to Hong Kong, Gong Xue was already quite famous. Both of her trips to Guangdong coincided with the peak season for Gong Xue's films. She didn't know much about Zhu Lin, but she had heard that the two were equally famous. Upon meeting her today, she was indeed extraordinary and clearly someone with ill intentions.

However, Zhu Lin didn't see her. Although she was great, she didn't attract him as much as another woman.

"Sister Zhu Lin, this is my aunt, Wei Lingling, an American Chinese. How should I address her?" Wei Hong was a little embarrassed.

Wei Lingling simply replied, "I'm twenty-five."

Zhu Lin: "Then I'm a bit older."

Wei Lingling's expression became quite interesting; it was definitely an older man!
Although Wei Lingling didn't know the relationship between this woman and Wei Xiaoming, she had a gut feeling, and the three words "not innocent" immediately popped into her mind.

So when she saw Zhu Lin, who was older than her, she casually called out, "Little Zhu, please sit down."

Wei Hong scratched her head, wondering if "Xiao Zhu" was a good match.

However, Zhu Lin had no objection to this. She could call herself Xiao Zhu, but he could not call her Xiao Wei or Xiao Ling.

Now, Wei Lingling and Zhu Lin are sitting sideways on the sofa chatting with each other, while Wei Hong sits next to Zhu Lin watching "Huo Yuanjia," which has already aired several episodes on TV.

She wanted Lizhi to tell her the backstory, but Lizhi, sitting behind Wei Lingling, stared intently at Zhu Lin.

Wei Ming returned at this time. He was happy to see his good sister, but he couldn't be happy about having so many third wheels around.

Zhu Lin told Wei Ming, "I'm also attending a wedding tomorrow. I heard you're going to be making the wedding video."

"Yes, I've been considering a career in directing."

Zhu Lin: "How about I play the female lead for you in the future?"

Wei Ming: "Let's talk about becoming more famous than Gong Xue first."

If it weren't for the presence of so many people, Zhu Lin would definitely have grabbed Wei Ming's waist and then reached into his waistband to seize the source of evil.

Wei Lingling and Li Zhi watched the two openly flirting, while Wei Hong only had eyes for Chen Zhen, who was beating up the Japanese.

"Well done!" Wei Hong cheered.

Wei Ming squeezed Wei Hong and sat down between her and Zhu Lin. It was Zhu Lin's first time watching this TV series, and she felt that it was indeed much better than the existing TV series in mainland China. However, she only watched it from the middle and didn't understand it very well. She regretted not going back to the old house to live during this period, where there was a TV.

After the TV series ended, Wei Ming said, "Sister Lin, why don't you stay here tonight? It's too late to go back to your place, it's not safe."

Wei Hong: "Yes, yes, Sister Zhu Lin, you can sleep with me."

Zhu Lin readily agreed, and at this moment Wei Lingling suggested, "Xiaoming, there are so many people now, why don't we just dig out the treasure?"

Lizhi looked at her boss with disappointment. How could you tell an outsider like her about something like this?

"Treasure?" Zhu Lin was taken aback; such a niche term.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "Okay, Sister Lin, here's what happened..."

He explained the origin of the treasure, which made Zhu Lin marvel at how far-sighted wealthy families were in planning for their descendants, with foreshadowing everywhere.

When I have children in the future, I will bury something for them in my backyard.

The five of them continued downstairs to dig for treasure chests. After Zhu Lin arrived, she became the second most productive member of the team after Wei Ming, since she was no delicate queen.

Wei Ming shook the box at the bottom of the pit: "It can move now."

Zhu Lin stepped onto the box, leaving space for Wei Ming: "Can you carry it up by yourself?"

Wei Ming shook his head: "It's a bit heavy. This seems to be made of ironwood. The box itself is quite heavy."

Wei Hong: "How about I get a pulley tomorrow?"

Wei Lingling jumped into the pit, forcing Wei Ming into a corner.

"Since we only want what's inside the box, why don't we just open blind boxes in the pit!"

Wei Ming: "Agreed, Xiao Hong, Hammer."

Wei Hong shook her head: "What a pity, this lock is quite pretty."

She's pretty, but useless. Wei Ming took care of her with three blows.

Wei Hong also jumped into the pit; the exciting moment had arrived.

After the box was opened, the first thing you saw was a whole bunch of Yuan Shikai silver dollars.

Wei Hong was greatly disappointed: "Huh? It's not just a box of these, is it? And now these can't be used anymore."

In the past, silver dollars had considerable purchasing power. When Mr. Lu Xun ate hot pot at Donglaishun, it cost about one silver dollar for four people.

Silver has less purchasing power now, but Yuan Shikai silver dollars can still be considered antiques and collectibles.

“No, the Yuan Shikai silver dollar is just the top layer; there’s something else underneath,” Wei Lingling reached inside. “Xiao Li, go find a bag.”

Lizhi turned around and saw Zhu Lin coming down with a backpack: "Use this."

After filling my backpack to the brim with Yuan Shikai silver dollars, I finally saw what was below.

I see now. They put some nice things there, and felt it was a waste of space, so they filled the gaps with Yuan Shikai silver dollars. Below are antiques, collectibles, jewelry, watches, pistols, and bullets.

Damn, this is tricky!
Wei Ming passed the items up from below, including three paintings and calligraphy pieces, four pieces of porcelain, and then various gemstones and jade products. As for the pistol, he decided to leave it in the box.

However, after delivering all these items to the ground, Wei Ming noticed a glimmer of gold through the fallen Yuan Shikai silver dollars.

"ah!"

"What's wrong?" Wei Lingling asked.

Wei Ming: "There's even a layer of small yellow croakers at the bottom!"

After counting all the small yellow croakers, there were three sizes: large, medium, and small. Although there was no scale, they were put in a bag, and Wei Hong lifted it up: "About eight kilograms."

Wei Ming remarked, "No wonder they're in the banking industry, they really have money."

Wei Lingling: "Yes, the fact that eight kilograms can be left here means that the amount taken to the United States must be far more than that."

Lizhi's breathing became rapid. This scene was truly spectacular. How much money must this cost!

Back then, 8000 grams of gold was quite a lot, but now, the official price of one gram of gold is about 45 yuan, so 8000 grams would only be 36 yuan, which is not much money for Wei Ming and Wei Lingling.

Of course, if you were to trade in the US, 8000 grams would be equivalent to 282 ounces, which is currently worth about $400 per ounce, or $11. That would be better than trading in China, but it wouldn't be much different, and there's no need to take that risk.

The other jade and porcelain artifacts were also laid out clearly on the ground, but they weren't particularly interesting; they were simply dated. Wei Ming was more curious about what was inside the three scrolls.

Zhu Lin knew Wei Ming had a taste for this, so he picked one up and opened it directly. It was a traditional Chinese ink painting of flowers and birds.

Wei Ming glanced at the signature: "It's a work by Huang Binhong."

Zhu Lin didn't quite understand: "Is it that amazing?"

Wei Ming: "Extremely impressive, a master of his generation, a painter of the same era and level as Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian and Xu Beihong."

Zhu Lin nodded: "It is indeed well drawn."

Wei Ming: "Fortunately, the box was well sealed, so the damage was not significant."

Then he opened the second scroll, which contained a piece of calligraphy.

However, he was taken aback when he saw the signature: "It's a calligraphy work by Mr. Lu Xun!"

Most intellectuals in the Republic of China era were good at writing. Although Lu Xun was not known as a calligrapher, his running script was powerful and unrestrained, with a feeling of gentleness on the outside and strength on the inside.

Moreover, this calligraphy was based on a poem he wrote, "I look down on a thousand pointing fingers with a cold eye," which is only seven characters long, but Wei Ming liked it very much.

Seeing the light in Wei Ming's eyes, Wei Lingling asked, "So, you've chosen it?"

Wei Ming: "Let me take another look at this last one."

Then Wei Lingling said to Zhu Lin and Li Zhi, "We said before that after we dug out the items, each of us would pick one we liked and then give it to my two brothers. Since you two are also involved, you can each pick one too. But Li Zhi and Zhu Lin, you have to wait until we've finished picking."

Hearing that the boss was so generous, Lizhi felt like she couldn't take it all in. How could she choose? She regretted not studying jewelry. Maybe she should just take the biggest yellow croaker?
"Auntie, what are you choosing?" Wei Hong asked slyly, staring at an object on the ground.

Wei Lingling smiled and pointed to an uncarved jade stone with her toes: "This one will do. I want to make a jade Pixiu to put on my desk. Its shape is very close."

This piece of jade is top-notch in both size and clarity. The Pixiu also symbolizes wealth that only enters and never exits, attracting wealth from all directions. It could easily fetch tens of millions in the future.

Wei Hong breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Brother, what about you?"

At this moment, Wei Ming was in a daze, staring blankly at the scroll that was only partially opened.

"Sister Lin, can you help me pull this up?"

"Oh."

Zhu Lin immediately helped Wei Ming pull the scroll, which was a horizontal painting called "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," about 6.7 meters long.

As the scroll slowly unfurled, Wei Lingling gasped in surprise, "Who copied this?"

There's no need to even consider the issue of authenticity; the original is in the Palace Museum, where even the most serious insect pests probably wouldn't dare to touch it.

Wei Ming: "The signature reads Qiu Ying, Qiu Ying of the Ming Dynasty."

The most famous copyist of Zhang Zeduan's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" is Qiu Ying. It is said that he made many copies, and after him, some people began to sell Qiu Ying's version under his name.

However, the only one that can be definitively identified as an authentic work by Qiu Ying is the one in the Liaoning Provincial Museum, because it was passed down from the Qing Palace and has a clear provenance, which can even be verified during the lifetime of Puyi.

But it's hard to say about Wei Ming's work. There aren't many seals on it. Some people always mock Emperor Qianlong for being a "master of seals," and it's certainly not good for him to scribble on famous paintings. But if it's just a matter of stamping, it can be a way to distinguish the authenticity of calligraphy and paintings.

If it can be determined that Qianlong's seal is genuine, then the probability that the painting is also genuine is very high.

Wei Ming recalled the photocopy at home. This one was longer, more colorful, and some of the architectural styles were different from the original Song Dynasty version. It also reflected the style of the author's own era and region, which meant it had some of the flavor of Suzhou in the Ming Dynasty. All of these were consistent with Qiu Ying's identity as a talented scholar from Suzhou in the Ming Dynasty.

"If this is indeed Qiu Ying's copy of 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival,' then it is priceless!" Wei Ming exclaimed excitedly.

Whether something is genuine or not is not up to him to decide; the authority to authenticate calligraphy and paintings is Rongbaozhai.

Wei Lingling asked, "It seems you'll take this one if nothing unexpected happens."

Wei Ming rolled up the Qingming Scroll, then looked at Lu Xun's "fierce-browed indifference to a thousand pointing fingers" with some reluctance, and finally could only regretfully choose the version of "Qingming Scroll" that seemed to be Qiu Ying's.

Seeing that her brother had also made his choice, Wei Hong immediately picked up an exquisitely designed abacus: "Then I want this one! I want to be a good housekeeper for my brother from now on."

The abacus beads are made of platinum, while the beads below are made of black agate; the contrast of white and black is very beautiful.

Wei Lingling poked her head and laughed, "You still want to manage your brother's family? Aren't you afraid your sister-in-law will have something to say?"

Lizhi wanted to say "no objection", but Zhu Lin spoke up: "Miss Li, you choose first."

Lizhi suddenly found herself in a difficult choice. While small yellow croakers were certainly appealing, their prices were fixed, while pearls and gemstones offered more room for imagination.

She remembered that Chow Tai Fook also sold pearl necklaces, and they weren't cheap, but the pearls there weren't as big or shiny as the one she had chosen, and it also had a gemstone hanging on it.

She picked up a pearl necklace: "Then I'll take this one."

Wei Lingling smiled and said, "Try it on."

Lizhi hummed in agreement, put the gemstone on, and placed it on her chest.

Wei Lingling shook her head.

Lizhi became anxious: "Isn't it pretty?"

Wei Lingling suggested: "It's best to wear this with a low-cut top so that the gemstone is sandwiched in the middle, and that will be perfect."

Lizhi immediately became shy and fidgety, but she took the advice to heart.

Wei Lingling looked at Zhu Lin: "Little Zhu, what do you choose?"

Without hesitation, Zhu Lin decisively picked up Lu Xun's calligraphy: "I want this one, 'I will face a thousand pointing fingers with a cold eye.'"

Clearly, she chose it for Wei Ming.

Lizhi immediately regretted it: "Oh no, I was careless!"

……