Chapter 586: The Half-Baked

Liu Jinyou looked around everywhere. Of course, he wasn't very knowledgeable about the goods, but because Su Meng was accompanying him, she still told him a lot about the various materials.

This was something Su Meng had specifically studied. Sometimes when friends came to visit at home, she would introduce a thing or two in response to their questions. She really liked the "cool factor" Wang Yan had when he was showing off; he would always say astonishing things in such a light and breezy way. This practiced, effortless style of showing off was something she yearned for...

But in reality, Wang Yan really wasn't showing off. No matter how you looked at it, he had already passed the age where he liked to show off and be flashy. Having seen much, experienced much, and understood much, it was all truly very ordinary. It was just that in the eyes of the average person, it did indeed have the suspicion of showing off; let's call it the most lethal form of "invisible showing off." Of course, that was built on the foundation of the average person knowing Wang Yan's status and position. If they didn't know, then there was no need to say it—he was definitely a show-off, and they wouldn't even believe the good things were real.

As they wandered, Liu Jinyou finally stopped on the east side of the first floor of the main room, which was Wang Yan's large study. There was a massive bookcase made of yellow rosewood that stretched all the way to the ceiling, along with a huge, long desk. On one side was a computer, and on the other were brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, with a few books scattered about. There was also a sandalwood table with a full set of tea utensils on it. In the corner between the bookshelf and the south-facing floor-to-ceiling window, there was a blue-and-white porcelain scroll jar, densely packed with many rolled-up calligraphy and paintings.

Amidst Su Meng's laughter and tears, Liu Jinyou leaned against the table and observed carefully with his "four eyes" (glasses), picked up the tea set and writing implements to play with and examine, and then leaned over the scroll jar to look. Finally, he pulled out a scroll, spread it out on the large desk, and viewed it from beginning to end with a magnifying glass from the table.

Su Meng shook her head in amusement: "I say, Uncle, is it really necessary for you? Isn't it just a wooden table, a ceramic jar, and some calligraphy and paintings? What's the big deal? If you like them, I'll make the call—take whatever you fancy. Wang Yan has quite a few; he's always bringing these things home when he has nothing to do."

"What do you know? If I'm not mistaken, this is an authentic rubbing by Wang Xizhi. Look at these seals; those are all famous people." He only realized something was wrong after he finished speaking, and he looked up at Su Meng: "You said Wang Yan has quite a few?"

"Yeah, quite a lot. He has a group of friends who get together to drink and talk about how these are old objects and antiques. They always talk about Liulichang, Panjiayuan, and all that history. I've listened a couple of times; the stories about those historical figures are actually quite interesting. Just say what you like and take it."

"Good girl, Uncle didn't dote on you for nothing." Liu Jinyou nodded repeatedly and asked with a smile: "Do you know how much this piece of calligraphy is worth now?"

"I don't know, but it shouldn't be that expensive, right? From what I heard them say, it's not worth much money; they just treat it as a pastime."

"You really are a silly girl. You have to think about what Wang Yan's status and position are. He's such a great scientist, knowledgeable and experienced—can the 'small change' in his mouth really be small change? Not to mention anything else, just look at the big house you're living in now. I remember your mother wrote to me saying it cost over 500,000. Isn't that money also 'small change' in Wang Yan's mouth?"

Su Meng had never suffered since she was a child, and she had spent ten years with Wang Yan. She had never worried about money, had whatever she wanted, and bought whatever she liked. Over time, she naturally lost the feeling for money. Although she didn't earn even 100 a month working at the Education Bureau, it didn't stop her from viewing money as dirt.

However, she wasn't stupid. She reacted now, blinked her big eyes, and asked hesitantly: "Uncle, do you mean this calligraphy is very valuable?"

"What do you think? I can't say exactly how much it's worth; it depends on how much the buyer likes it. But by my estimate, if this piece of calligraphy were taken to Hong Kong for auction, it could at least be traded for the big house you're living in now. Anything more is hard to say; millions are possible. It's too rare."

"What? Worth that much money?" Su Meng exclaimed. She froze for a moment, then mechanically turned her neck to look at the dozens of scrolls densely packed in the large jar: "Then how much are all these things worth?"

"It's not certain; it depends on whether the author is a master and who has collected them. The value ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands or millions. If all the calligraphy and paintings in this jar were auctioned off, it would be at least over ten million. Truly amazing..."

Ignoring her uncle's sigh, Su Meng turned and left, heading straight for the kitchen in the west wing, where Wang Yan was helping prepare the meal.

Su Meng walked over and asked directly: "Is that jar of calligraphy and paintings worth over ten million?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the kitchen went quiet. Old Mrs. Su, Mrs. Su, and the nanny helping out all looked at Wang Yan. "Over ten million" was too sudden.

"More than that. There are also works by masters like Zhao Mengfu, Dong Qichang, and others inside. Conservatively estimated, it's at least thirty million. They say gold in troubled times and antiques in prosperous times. The market isn't good right now, but in a few years, it will be one or two hundred million. In another twenty years, that jar of calligraphy and paintings will easily be worth eight hundred million or a billion."

Wang Yan looked with a smile at Mr. Su and Liu Jinyou, who were following closely behind and panting slightly: "Does Uncle also have research into these things?"

Liu Jinyou probably understood some, but to say how capable he was, that was certainly impossible. It was likely that he had heard about transactions in this area while in Hong Kong and had some understanding. Moreover, this old guy was Mrs. Su's own brother and not an uncultured brute, so it was understandable that he knew a little.

As for the fact that these people could tell the authenticity of ordinary antiques in the show, it wasn't impossible. As long as one had the corresponding professional knowledge and had handled a large number of physical objects, carefully pondering and memorizing them, it was fine even without a deep cultural foundation. After all, antiques were just there; there were only so many forms, characteristics, and crafts. With enough experience, one could always gain something. But it was only a "half-baked" level, not very profound; otherwise, they wouldn't have been cheated by Cheng Army Supervisor later to the point of near bankruptcy.

"I wouldn't dare call it research, just some understanding. I've attended a few auctions before and seen the auction of calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain. To tell you the truth, I was planning to wander around and collect some antiques this time I came back. People who went over from our side told me that good things in Beijing are so abundant they're rotting in the streets."

Wang Yan shook his head and smiled: "It hasn't reached that extent. There were indeed more things in the first few years, but most were from the Qing Dynasty. If you want to buy antiques now, besides going to the countryside to hunt, you have to go to places like Panjiayuan and Liulichang to set up stalls. There are many people selling antiques there, but there are also many fakes now. If you're not careful, you'll get cheated. There are individuals, and there are groups with shills. The water is very deep."

"Oh my, let's talk about those things later." Su Meng waved her hand and asked: "Wang Yan, I'm asking you, where did you get all those things? And where did you get so much money?"

"Since we're on the subject, Grandma, Mom, Dad, Uncle, and Su Meng, let me confess the truth to you. When I was dating Su Meng back then, I didn't tell you the truth. I said I wasn't trading tickets anymore, but in fact, I had been doing it all along, and only stopped in '79 when Liu Dahai went south to open a factory. Before that, it was their brothers trading tickets and helping me look for these things everywhere. Counting it up, it's been fifteen or sixteen years now."

Old Mrs. Su, who was picking celery, laughed and slapped Wang Yan on the back: "We had already guessed it. When Su Meng was pregnant and giving birth, you could buy so many hard-to-get things. Although you always said it was friends helping, it works once or twice, but who could keep doing things for you for so long? We aren't stupid; how could we not have guessed about these things? But seeing that you weren't running around everywhere, we didn't say anything."

"Didn't expect it, right? We already knew."

Having received a concrete answer, the insecurity that had just risen in Su Meng instantly disappeared. She said with a grin: "Then you've been collecting antiques for so many years, is that all we have at home?"

"That's already quite a lot. Besides, these are all good things; it's hard for ordinary people to get even one. Are you still not satisfied?"

"Oh, Uncle, you don't know. He's always been someone who does big things quietly. If I don't ask, he doesn't say; if I ask, he says everything. Just take this house—this old gentleman renovated it for two years, and I only found out when it was livable. You say he's been collecting for over ten years; how could there only be that little bit? There must be more. Look at those four wine cups on the windowsill; he's been using them for over ten years. Those are good things too, right?"

Under everyone's gaze, Liu Jinyou went to the window and picked up the wine cups, staring with his four eyes, looking inside and out. After a long while, facing everyone's inquisitive gazes, he smiled somewhat awkwardly and looked at Wang Yan: "My knowledge of these things is limited to understanding. If you ask me to look at them specifically, I really can't tell. Wang Yan, why don't you say?"

"It's Chenghua Doucai. These four are a set, relatively precious. Let's not count the money; that's meaningless." Wang Yan said with a smile: "Su Meng understands me quite well. That's right, I have indeed collected quite a few things. In addition, I bought three other houses, all just sitting there. When we moved over before, didn't Chunming and I talk about it? We thought courtyards would appreciate in value, so we bought a few to keep. In the future, we won't have to worry about food and drink for a lifetime just by relying on the houses.

But I have to explain, I definitely didn't mean to hide it from you, but because the situation was relatively tense before, I was afraid you would be worried and scared. Besides, you weren't interested in those things, so I never said anything."

Su Meng was very understanding: "Indeed, I wasn't interested. If I had known you were messing around with these things for nothing back then, we definitely would have said you were neglecting your proper work for play and not living a good life."

Look, ten years haven't been wasted; the progress is obvious, and there's quite a bit of empathy. But in fact, it definitely wasn't as she expressed. Su Meng was still a bit unhappy because she felt Wang Yan didn't trust her. And Old Mrs. Su and the others would also be a bit dissatisfied, feeling that they weren't treated as family. But none of them would say it, and none of them would show it...

"Uncle, heard that? Wang Yan has quite a lot. Let's eat first today. Tomorrow, let's go see those three houses together. You can take whatever you like. Wang Yan, what do you say?"

"Of course, no problem."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile. He didn't care about those things at all. The reason he had been collecting them was mainly because the "Living Dad" (System) had configured a lot for him at the beginning, and he had so much money with nowhere to spend it, so he just kept collecting until now. If Su Meng was happy, then giving them to this old guy was fine.

But some things had to be said. He looked at Liu Jinyou and continued: "However, Uncle, I'll say this first: if you like those things and want to keep them for yourself to play with, then just pick a few pieces to take. In the future, I plan to find a place to build a building specifically to store these antiques. By then, you can live there if you want, play with whatever you want, and play however you want. But if you want to keep them and sell them for money when they appreciate in the future, then I think it's not worth it.

Not to mention anything else, just the reputation of being money-grubbing and causing the outflow of national cultural heritage is not something I can bear. You have to consider it for me too. You are Su Meng's uncle, which means you are my uncle, but my status is relatively sensitive. If this matter spreads, I won't have an easy time.

If you really want to make money, I can introduce you to business. They are all big money-makers, much more profitable than messing around with these things. I won't guarantee too much, but a net worth of hundreds of millions is easy. Although there's a suspicion of nepotism, as long as you do the work well and do it professionally to shut other people's mouths, then there's no problem."

Liu Jinyou was a bit embarrassed. After all, he did have the intention of sitting and waiting for appreciation. But this nephew-in-law was truly a bit awesome, and what he said was indeed right. As one of the few hundred people alive selected from a population of over a billion, was that a joke? He really could make him take off directly and become a giant tycoon.

But before Liu Jinyou could speak, Su Meng spoke first: "What are you saying? My uncle has been struggling in Hong Kong for so many years; is he that shallow? You're allowed to like them, but my uncle isn't? I was just finding an excuse for you hiding this from us; this is giving you a chance to perform, you know?"

Seeing his own sister winking at him from the side, Liu Jinyou nodded repeatedly: "Yes, Su Meng is right. I really like them; I just want to look at them and be happy. As for the business you mentioned, forget it. I have no children, so even if I make money, it will all be left to Binbin in the future. You don't lack money either, and I'm not young anymore. You can't bring it with you when you're born, and you can't take it with you when you die, so I don't need that much money. I'll just use this little money of mine to do some small business, try not to add trouble to you and Su Meng, and it'll be fine as long as I can support myself comfortably."

Wang Yan nodded and gave a thumbs up: "Uncle sees clearly and lives transparently. Tomorrow, let's go wander around those three houses. If there's anything you like, just take it. However, you really can't make a decision for a while. I have over 80,000 antiques in those three houses; that's enough for you to look at for a while."

Hiss... Liu Jinyou gasped: "So many things, how big of a building do you have to build to fit them? Can they approve such a large piece of land for you?"

"Of course, it's impossible to collect everything. In a few years, when I have time, I'll go through them one by one. I'll keep the ones I like for my collection, and donate the ones I don't like to the Antique Museum. Anyway, I don't lack money, and so many things can't just gather dust in my hands. I'll just treat it as protecting cultural relics, making a contribution to the country's archaeological cause, leaving behind a good name, and passing down a good story. Why not?"

Mr. Su nodded: "Hmm, this idea is good. I support it."

Su Meng laughed and nodded: "The whole family supports it."

Just at this moment, the sound of small footsteps came, and at the same time, a child's shout rang out: "Great-Grandma, is there anything to eat? I'm hungry..."

The penetrating power of a child's voice was still very strong. He definitely hadn't even entered the second gate before he started shouting.

"Oh, Binbin is back." Liu Jinyou gave a start, then ran out nimbly. At the moment he turned, one could clearly see that the fat on his face didn't keep up due to inertia, pulling into an ugly shape.

"Mom, who is this old... comrade?"

Without saying "old man," "old grandpa," "old geezer," or "old fat guy," Wang Bin changed his words in time, but he still couldn't avoid a slap on the back of his head.

Su Meng withdrew her palm, pulled her son who was baring his teeth and grimacing, and brought him in front of Liu Jinyou: "This is the Great-Uncle who gives you red envelopes every birthday, writes letters wishing you to study hard and be safe, your Grandma's own brother, your mother's own uncle. Hurry up and greet him."

Wang Bin bowed and greeted him simply: "Hello, Great-Uncle."

"Hey, good child."

Liu Jinyou was so happy his small eyes couldn't be seen. He bent down and rubbed Wang Bin's cheeks with his small, chubby hands: "Great-Uncle has missed you the most all these years. Today, I've finally seen you."

Wang Bin just stood there, grinning, because he was at a loss for what to do with such intimacy from a stranger. He didn't know what to do, so he just smiled. This was something he learned from his own father; his father always had a smile on the corners of his mouth, giving people a gentle and approachable feeling.

It didn't matter that he couldn't speak. Liu Jinyou enthusiastically pulled Wang Bin to the room in the east wing that had been tidied up for him, opened his luggage, and took out many toys, as well as electronic watches, clothes, and some vacuum-packed Hong Kong snacks.

Wang Bin wasn't inexperienced, but when it came to toys, he really wasn't lacking in fresh things, but he was indeed a bit lacking in terms of toys. Although he had all kinds of things made by his father, compared to the things brought back from Hong Kong, he was clearly still lacking in freshness.

So the toy offensive was very effective. After only a little while, the old fat boy was playing happily with Wang Bin, feeling especially close. And Liu Jinyou indeed showed full patience. Just as he said, he had no children, and his relatives were all in this courtyard. Relying on Su Meng and Wang Yan for his old age and funeral arrangements was inevitable, so this relationship had to be good.

The so-called "dumplings upon arrival, noodles upon departure"—so in addition to the sumptuous dishes like chicken, duck, fish, and meat, the staple food was a bowl of old Beijing Zha Jiang Mian. After eating some more food and drinking some Maotai for a while, Liu Jinyou shed tears.

That was the unspeakable feeling of a wanderer returning home, the soul-stirring longing for the old soil of his hometown, and a bitter tear for the hardships of the past.

At the dinner table, he rambled on about the thrilling journey to Hong Kong, and talked about the threats and harassment from Hong Kong police and gangster groups when he was doing business. He was there during the era of the Four Great Sergeants; of course he was bullied... ===== CHAPTER 587 =====