Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 232 Are you trying to extort me?!
Heh, you dare to forget one and try?
Cao Wei Da sneered inwardly.

I can help you achieve great things, and I can also help you achieve bad things!
Moreover, it will become even worse!

He chuckled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Chairman Lou. Alright, now that things are settled, I'll go back and wait for good news."

"Sit a little longer, it's still early. Stay for a simple meal."

"No, no, I'm tied up with official duties and can't afford to be as leisurely as you all. I'll be going now, see you later."

Having accomplished his mission, Cao Wei Da was too lazy to stay and feign affection with them any longer. Wouldn't it be better to go back and embrace his concubine?

Seeing that Cao Weida was determined to leave, Lou Zhenhua hurriedly called out, "Xu Wude, quick, see Master Cao off."

This time, Cao Wei Da did not refuse. He cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Then thank you very much. Please go back."

After getting into the car, he instructed, "Take me to Sesame Alley."

Since there's nothing to do at the police station anyway, I might as well go home and rest.

There's nothing I can do; I have connections to protect me, that's just how I can be so willful.

The car kept stopping and starting, and just as it approached Liulichang, someone suddenly said, "Stop!"

The car screeched to a halt, and Xu Wude turned around in confusion: "Master Cao, what's wrong?"

"I saw someone I know, so I'll get off here. You can go back now." With that, he opened the door and went downstairs. Before leaving, he tossed Xu Wude a pack of cigarettes and handed him two hundred-yuan banknotes.

"No, no, no, Mr. Cao, I can't accept this. It's my duty to give you a ride." Xu Wude dared not accept it. He was just a driver, and driving people around was his job.

However, Cao Weida forced the cigarettes and money into his hands, saying, "Take them. Paying wages is the Lou family's business. You giving me this is a private matter. It's not much, so don't mind."

Xu Wude was a seasoned shrew; as the saying goes, one can offend a gentleman but not a petty person.

He didn't expect Xu Wude to be grateful to him, he only asked that Xu Wude not do anything stupid that might offend him, because he hated trouble the most.

Besides, they did spend time and effort to give it to him; it was just a small favor, which he didn't care about.

Looking at the cigarettes and banknotes in his hand, and then at Cao Weida's back, Xu Wude couldn't help but sigh: "No wonder he's so highly regarded by the Japanese at such a young age. Look at his character and manners, tsk, he's so polite to someone of low status like me. No wonder he's risen to prominence!"

He had been with the Lou family for many years. Although they were usually polite to him, he could tell that it was just a facade.

Inside, the Lou family father and son didn't take them seriously at all.

In their eyes, they were inferior to them, the lowest class!
Comparing Cao Wei and Da, the difference in their abilities is immediately apparent!

On the other side, Cao Weida, after getting off the car, spotted someone and quickly walked over.

"Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother!"

"Ok?"

Master Fan, whose hair was still loose and half-length, turned around at the sound and immediately saw the person coming towards him. A genuine smile immediately appeared on his face:
"Hey, brother-in-law! Are you out shopping?"

In the past, Master Fan lived a miserable life. When it was cold, he would wear an old mandarin jacket every day and didn't even have a change of clothes.

If you feel it's really dirty, wash it and stay indoors for a day until it's dry before wearing it out.

Now that he has received a meal from Cao Wei, his money pouch has instantly become bulging.

Especially after Mohe got married, all the money that Mohe had temporarily saved was given to her brother.

Money gives men courage. With money, he gradually regained his airs, and his clothes were clearly made of good fabric, making him look very impressive.

"Hey, what are you shopping for? Beiping has been in complete chaos these days. I just got back from finishing up." As he said this, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the long strip of black cloth that Fifth Master Fan was tucking under his arm.

Judging from its shape, it seems to be a painting?

"Fifth Brother, have you been keeping some good stuff?"

"Hey, what a piece of junk. It's a piece of junk with the name and seal all rotted away. I just got it from Xiao Liu. But it looks like an old thing. I was just about to ask someone about it."

Xiao Liu was a peddler who frequented the Liulichang area of ​​Beiping, also known as an antique broker.

They specialize in searching for antique calligraphy and paintings in private collections, buying them at low prices and then reselling them at high prices.

"Oh? Can I take a look?" Upon hearing "unnamed and without any markings," Cao Weida immediately recalled the calligraphy and painting from the TV series.

Because of that painting, Lan Yigui was forced into hiding, and later, because of that painting, Master Fan lost his life.

I just don't know if it's this painting.

"Hey, what's with the 'can' or 'can' thing? With our relationship, it's too formal to say that." He glanced to the side and said, "Come on, Fifth Brother, it's my treat. Let's go to the teahouse for a cup of tea."

When Master Fan was broke, his life was miserable. But when he had money, he was incredibly magnanimous and imposing. Every move he made exuded the word "tycoon"!
Cao Wei Da watched with amusement, but did not lecture him.

Everyone has their own way of living, and there's no need to impose your own ideas on others.

You see, the hardest thing in the world is changing someone's personality. To put it bluntly, most people can't even change their own personality, let alone try to change others.

Let people live their lives however they want, as long as they don't harm society or you, that's fine.
The two entered the teahouse, ordered two cups of tea, and then Master Fan pushed the black cloth strip directly over: "Here, see for yourself."

As she spoke, she picked up her teacup, took a sip, and smoothed her hair that was draped over her shoulders, saying:

“I don’t know what’s going on these days, the Japanese are searching and arresting people everywhere like they’ve gone mad. I had already found a descendant of the Eight Banners and was planning to talk to him about his family’s collection, but it all got messed up.”

"Brother-in-law, you work at the police station, do you know what happened?"

"Hey, we're confused too. But as far as we know, anti-Japanese elements hijacked some treasure of the Japanese army, and the Japanese command got desperate, so they launched a massive search. We don't know the specifics."

Although he knew that Master Fan would definitely not tell the Japanese, Cao Weida also had no intention of revealing that the thing was gold.

It's not that I don't trust them, but there's no need, and it's impossible, to say it!
If you are not discreet, you will lose your life!
As he spoke, he slowly unfurled the scroll, revealing a scene of towering peaks, gathering clouds and mist, and fishing villages by streams and bridges.

Cao Wei Da looked at it carefully, but couldn't figure it out, because he didn't understand painting at all, so he couldn't tell whether it was good or bad.

As the scroll unfolds, the edges of the old, tattered paper, damaged from improper preservation, are revealed, especially the last part, which is so badly damaged that it looks like it's been chewed by a dog.

"Fifth Brother, how much did you pay for this?"

Although he wasn't entirely sure if the painting was the same one from the TV series, he figured it should be pretty much the same.

"Not expensive, ten silver dollars." When he said this number, Master Fan was so nonchalant, as if ten silver dollars were a trivial amount of money.

Cao Wei Da: "."

Master Fan, you really are a spendthrift!
You only got this piece of junk for ten yuan?!

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry; wasn't he just a complete sucker?
In the TV series, Xiao Liu said that he only spent 50 cents to buy it, but you went up there and made a 20-fold profit on it!
If the painting were intact, it would be worth more than ten silver dollars, even ten thousand silver dollars would be a huge profit.

But this painting is so badly damaged that it's practically worthless if it weren't for the forgery!

Who knows what Little Liu might be saying behind Fan Wuye's back, calling him a complete victim of injustice?

"Alright, whatever makes you happy." Cao Weida shook his head, both amused and exasperated, and rolled up the painting, asking, "Do you know the origin of this painting?"

"I don't know." Master Fan shook his head. He was only a dabbler when it came to antiques and calligraphy. If you asked him to talk, he could talk for half an hour straight.

But asking him to recognize people from paintings is simply asking the impossible!

He doesn't have that ability!
"." Well, I guess I asked for nothing.

After placing the painting back in the cloth strip, Cao Weida said, "Is there anyone nearby who is an expert in this field, preferably not someone in the antique business?"

"Why do you ask this?"

"Just tell me if you have."

"You know what, there really is one." Although Master Fan's antique appraisal skills are not very good, he has been around Liulichang Street for many years and he knows a little about anyone or anything related to antiques and calligraphy.

Even if you don't know, you can find someone who does and ask them.

"Near Liulichang Street lived a professor from Yenching University. He was a very knowledgeable scholar who had no other hobbies but loved collecting antiques."

“A few antique shop owners who knew him and considered themselves not very good at judging antiques would occasionally go to him for advice.”

"Although Professor Luo is a passionate collector of antiques, he does not engage in the business of buying and selling antiques, which perfectly meets your requirements."

Professor Luo?
Cao Wei Da's heart skipped a beat. "Alright, let's go find him!"

"No, there's no need to be in such a hurry. The tea has just been served, and we haven't even had a proper sip yet."

Have some tea before you leave. The person is right there; they won't get lost.

"That's true, then let's have a cup of tea first."

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, but her thoughts had already wandered to Luo Yunxuan.

If I'm not mistaken, this must be Luo Mengyun's father, right?

In the TV series, Luo Mengyun is one of only two women that Xu Jingge truly admires, and she can be considered a heroine among women.

In particular, she had another identity: a member of the underground Communist Party!
Faced with such a heroine, Cao Weida naturally wanted to see her face.

After finishing his tea, Master Fan let out a comfortable sigh, pulled out a ten-yuan banknote from his pocket, slammed it on the table, and shouted in a very generous manner, "Waiter, the bill is due, keep the change!"

Just as he was about to leave, the waiter stopped him, saying with a wry smile, "Fifth Master, ten yuan isn't enough. Now a pot of tea and a plate of melon seeds will cost fifteen yuan."

"What?!" Master Fan's eyes widened. "Let me tell you, don't try to fool me. Ten days ago, the same thing only cost eight yuan. In just ten days, the price has doubled?!"

"Are you trying to extort me?!"

(End of this chapter)