He unexpectedly becomes a father at the start of his life, and the mother of his child is a national

Lin Sinian waved his hand and smiled amicably:

"Manager He, no rush. I'll just browse around and see if anything catches my eye. There are a lot of things on the market lately, but very few that are truly appealing."

"Then take your time looking at it, I'll keep you company."

He Muqing nodded and followed half a step behind Lin Sinian, so as not to disturb him but to answer his questions at any time.

Lin Sinian began to stroll slowly through the gallery.

The artworks hanging on the wall are dazzling, including freehand landscapes, meticulous flower and bird paintings, modern abstract paintings, and oil landscape paintings.

He looked very carefully, pausing occasionally in front of a painting to shake his head before continuing on his way.

"This landscape painting by Teacher Li has a decent overall feel, but the brushwork is a bit too hasty and lacks refinement."

"This meticulous peony painting by Mr. Wang has too bright colors, too much of a craftsman's touch, and lacks liveliness."

"Oh? This imitation of Shi Tao... only resembles it in form, but completely lacks its spirit."

As he watched, he made quiet comments, while He Muqing listened with a smile, occasionally nodding in agreement.

She knew that this Mr. Lin had extremely high standards; many works that would be considered good by ordinary collectors would not pass his test.

After touring most of the exhibition hall, a hint of disappointment gradually appeared on Lin Sinian's face.

Looks like I'm going to go home empty-handed again today.

As he was about to say goodbye to He Muqing, his gaze inadvertently swept over a relatively quiet booth in the corner of the exhibition hall, which was also slightly darker.

There hung there all alone a landscape painting, four feet long.

Lin Sinian stopped in his tracks.

His gaze, which had been casually sweeping across the room, was now fixed on the painting as if drawn by a magnet.

He unconsciously took a few steps forward, came to the painting, raised his head, and examined it carefully.

With just one glance, his heart skipped a beat!

"Autumn Wind in Ten Thousand Valleys"

The scene depicts towering mountains with majestic peaks, exuding a vast and desolate autumnal atmosphere.

The distant mountains are shrouded in mist and clouds, creating a profound artistic conception; the mid-ground mountains have a distinct structure, with the texturing and shading done just right, resulting in a strong sense of texture; the pines and rocks in the foreground are uniquely shaped and have a vivid posture.

The most wonderful thing is the seemingly ethereal "wind" in the painting. A few strokes of light ink sweep across the canvas, making the whole painting flow with energy. It's as if you can hear the sound of pines in the valleys and feel the desolation and intensity of the autumn wind.

This composition!

This weather!

This ink!

Lin Sinian couldn't help but hold his breath.

What shocked him even more were the poem and signature on the painting.

In the upper right corner of the image, a seven-character quatrain is inscribed in vigorous and unrestrained running script:

"The roar of a thousand valleys has not ceased, while a thousand mountains stand solemnly as autumn leaves fall; the long wind seems to sweep away the colors of the clouds, and a ridge of frost-red presses down on the traveler's boat."

Well written!

Not only does it perfectly capture the essence of the painting, elevating the "autumn wind in ten thousand valleys" to a higher level with words, but it also boasts perfect parallelism and a desolate yet magnificent style, far surpassing ordinary doggerel.

Look at those words again!

Lin Ssu-nien himself was knowledgeable in calligraphy and could tell at a glance that the inscription was of extraordinary skill!

The brushstrokes are fluent and natural, penetrating the paper, with a well-balanced structure that combines rules with personal style.

Without decades of dedicated practice, one could never write characters like these!

This painting combines poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving, and the three elements complement each other perfectly, forming a harmonious whole!

His gaze eagerly shifted to the signature and seal in the lower left corner.

"Haolin".

The seal also bears the two characters "Haolin".

Haolin?

Lin Sinian frowned deeply as he rapidly searched his memory.

In the domestic calligraphy and painting circles, among the older generation, the middle-aged and young generations, and even some emerging talents... he had never heard of a person named "Haolin"!

Are they reclusive masters who never leave the world?

Or is it a new pen name used by some famous person?

Or perhaps... a hidden genius?

Judging from the artistic conception, brushwork, and calligraphy of this painting, one could never reach such a level without decades of immersion and profound scholarship.

Lin Ssu-nien is more inclined to believe that this is the work of a highly cultivated but indifferent and unknown reclusive master.

He was completely absorbed in watching, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. He turned to look at He Muqing beside him, his tone filled with obvious excitement and a hint of confusion:

"Manager He, this painting... this 'Autumn Wind in Ten Thousand Valleys'! It's so well painted!"

The poetry, calligraphy, and painting are all excellent! The artistic conception is lofty, and the brushwork is masterful! This...this is absolutely a rare masterpiece!

Why...why is it placed in such an inconspicuous corner?

He Muqing followed his gaze, understood, and felt a pang of emotion.

She smiled wryly and said, "Mr. Lin, you have a discerning eye."

When this painting was first delivered, I also felt it was extraordinary, so it was initially placed in the most prominent main display area of ​​the exhibition hall.

It certainly attracted many knowledgeable collectors who stopped to watch, and their reviews were very high.

"Then why..." Lin Sinian was even more puzzled.

"The problem lies with the author and the pricing," He Muqing explained.

Everyone who came to see the signature "Haolin" shook their heads, saying they had never heard of it.

In the world of art collecting, the author's reputation is often more important than the work itself.

People are willing to pay high prices for works by famous artists because it means that the works will retain or increase in value.

Even if an artist is an unknown artist and their work is exceptionally good, collectors will hesitate, fearing difficulties in reselling or limited potential for appreciation.

She paused, then continued, "Moreover, the consignor of this painting set a very high price and refused to lower it."

When people heard the price and then saw that the author was unknown, most of them backed down.

After hanging there for a while with no one paying attention, and since we've acquired new works and need more space, we've had to move it here temporarily.

"How much is it priced?" Lin Sinian asked curiously.

"One million," He Muqing said.

Lin Sinian listened and nodded slightly:

"If it were a work by a master like Zhang Daqian or Fu Baoshi, with this size and this level of quality, one million wouldn't even be a fraction of the value."

But as a completely unknown artist, Haolin's price would certainly deter most collectors.

It can only be said that consignors either have absolute confidence in their work, or... they simply don't understand the market.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"Manager He, could you tell me who the consignor of this painting is? Perhaps... an elderly gentleman?"

He Muqing looked troubled.

"Mr. Lin, I'm sorry, but according to our gallery's regulations, in order to protect our clients' privacy, I cannot disclose the consignor's specific identity information."

Lin Ssu-nien nodded in understanding, but he couldn't suppress his curiosity and speculation, and tentatively said:

"The artistic conception of this painting is so lofty, the brushwork so skillful, and the calligraphy of the accompanying poem is also of profound skill..."

The author must be a highly accomplished and well-established painter of considerable age, perhaps using a new pen name?