Chapter 106: None Can Escape

Dan Wangshu's face was full of joy: "Liu Haisu?"

Lin Sicheng was exceptionally certain: "Liu Haisu!"

If one were to rank modern domestic oil painters, Liu Haisu might not dare claim the top three, but ranking in the top five is quite fair.

But if one speaks of "Western substance, Chinese application" and "borrowing from the West to integrate with the Chinese," then Liu Haisu stands head and shoulders above the rest, and deservedly so.

He transformed the splashed ink of traditional Chinese painting into splashed color, applying it to oil painting creation, and his brushwork drew heavily from a vast array of traditional Chinese painting techniques. His use of the brush was bold and vigorous, surging and undulating, and rich in rhythm, possessing an extremely intense and unique personal creative style.

Lin Sicheng concluded that he absolutely could not be mistaken.

Dan Wangshu pursed her lips: "Last year during the New Year, when I went to Shanghai with your teacher, I bought it at the Nine-Turn Bridge... At the time, I felt it looked a bit like it, but I didn't dare to be sure.

Afterward, we hurried back to Xijing, so I just took two photos and sent them to the teachers at the Calligraphy and Painting gallery to take a look. They also thought it looked like it; who would have thought it really is? Haha, I only spent five thousand two at the time... Your teacher even said back then that I didn't treat money like money..."

There was no shortage of money at home, and she didn't have much of a concept of it. But who doesn't love the surprise and joy of finding a treasure for such a tiny price?

So the more Dan Wangshu spoke, the happier she became, her eyes squinting into two slits.

Lin Sicheng was actually startled: Five thousand two, was it really that impressive?

Liu Haisu's works are not cheap, even his oil paintings.

Like this piece, the size is about four chi square, and it's worth about two million now.

In over a month, he had sold seven or eight items in total, and that was all he had made.

However, this is only limited to the last two years; after a few more years, once the state issues a "limited exhibition order," it will at least triple in value.

But the value is secondary; the point is the eye of the teacher's wife: in the modern and contemporary era, how many painters in the country are skilled in oil painting creation?

Just counting those trained by major colleges and universities, there are eighty or ninety thousand if not a hundred thousand, and with dozens of paintings produced a year, how many must be flowing into the market?

And with no seal or signature, no inscription or colophon, yet she could see Liu Haisu's creative style at a glance—doesn't that show the teacher's wife's foundation in Appraisal?

Lin Sicheng sighed with emotion: "Teacher's wife has a good eye!"

"It's alright... haha... I've studied at the Calligraphy and Painting gallery for so many years..."

Dan Wangshu covered her mouth, laughing non-stop, "Actually, I've misjudged many times too, losing tens of thousands... Your teacher brings it up all the time... Actually, he has lost even more than I have."

Wang Qi Zhi remained silent, slowly putting his legs down; he no longer held his waist straight, nor did he put on airs.

More than just "more"?

Of course, overall he was definitely making money, and quite a lot of it. The problem is, the hundred-plus items on these three shelves combined aren't as expensive as that one piece of his wife's...

Seeing Wang Qi Zhi's somewhat sheepish look, Ye Anning blinked, as if to say: Uncle, you have days like this too?

Wang Qi Zhi let out a "Heh" and gestured with his chin toward Lin Sicheng: Ye Anning, do you still have the face to laugh at me?

What is this? An oil painting, and one from a top-tier master at that. But when your aunt brought it back, what did you say: It looks just okay...

With that kind of eye, you spent five years at the China Academy of Art and grew up immersed in the Forbidden City... did you learn it all for nothing?

The smile froze on her face; Ye Anning moved her lips a few times, then bit her teeth: Who doesn't have a time when they misjudge?

Carefully putting away the oil painting, Dan Wangshu wore a face full of maternal smiles: "Sicheng, you must be exhausted, sit down and drink from the Tea Cup!"

"Oh, it's gone cold... Wang Qi Zhi, don't you know how to brew a new pot?"

Muttering, Dan Wangshu picked up the teapot and went to the kitchen.

Wang Qi Zhi was dumbfounded: I was sitting here properly, I didn't even make a sound, and I still got scolded?

Also, what was Lin Sicheng exhausted from? He just stood there and watched for ten minutes...

He curled his lips and picked up the wine bottle: "Want some more?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Teacher, just a little!"

"Fine, just one cup for you!" Wang Qi Zhi unscrewed the cap and shouted toward the kitchen, "Wangshu, make two cold dishes!"

"Uncle, I'll go!" Ye Anning stood up with a grin, "Aunt is so happy today, she must have a couple of drinks too!"

That's true.

Wang Qi Zhi took another cup.

Drinking and chatting, both host and guest were delighted.

After finishing this bottle, it was just nine o'clock; Lin Sicheng said his goodbyes, and the family stood up to see him off.

Just as they reached the door, Dan Wangshu patted her forehead: "Oh, I almost forgot..."

As she spoke, she turned around, picked up a bag from the dining table, and ran back: "Sicheng, you don't smoke, and you don't drink much alcohol, but you must drink tea. Take this back to have a taste..."

Lin Sicheng declined, but Dan Wangshu shoved it into his hand: "It's not much!"

The bag was very small, with two small cans inside; it was indeed not much.

But the flesh on Wang Qi Zhi's face twitched.

Lin Sicheng looked closely: Haha, Phoenix Dancong with Bamboo Leaf Fragrance?

Let's put it this way: if one of these cans were exchanged for the fruit and Soft Zhonghua he brought today, Lin Sicheng could come at least twenty times.

The key is: you can't buy it even with money; it is rare and hard to come by. If he took it back to his grandfather, once the old man was happy, it would at least trade for a piece of Late Qing Dynasty Famille Rose.

Since it was already in his hand, he couldn't return it; Lin Sicheng nodded with a smile: "Thank you, teacher's wife!"

"You're already calling me teacher's wife, what are you thanking me for? Go slowly on the road..."

"Okay, teacher's wife, goodbye teacher, goodbye sister Anning..."

Watching Lin Sicheng waving at him with a grin, Wang Qi Zhi's mouth twitched again: During the New Year, he had schemed for so long just to steal back four cans, and this shameless person took away half of them in one go?

In a flash, Lin Sicheng went down the stairs; not until the unit door downstairs clicked did the few of them enter the door.

Dan Wangshu let out a light breath of wine, her eyes still carrying a smile: "Chat for a while?"

Wang Qi Zhi nodded: "Chat for a while!"

A trace of unnaturalness flashed across Ye Anning's face: "I'll go wash the dishes!"

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned for a moment: "Heh!"

"Heh your head!"

Dan Wangshu patted him, and the two returned to the living room.

Ye Anning brewed fresh tea again; the amber-colored tea soup poured into the white cup, and the tea fragrance Floating along with the mist.

One cup for the man, one for herself; Dan Wangshu picked up the Tea Cup, took a sip, and blinked toward the kitchen.

Wang Qi Zhi shook his head.

"What are you shaking your head for?" The corners of her pretty eyes lifted slightly, and Dan Wangshu looked displeased: "He's twenty-four, you know?"

She took another breath of tea steam and leaned back lazily: "How suitable is that?"

Lin Sicheng is good-looking and has a good personality: gentle and mild, with a soft laugh, yet he does not lack an edge.

The key is that his ability is superb: barely twenty years old, he can pick up leaks, repair porcelain, and even enter the laboratory.

If Wang Qi Zhi and Ye Anning aren't just bragging, such a talent is truly the cream of the crop; you wouldn't meet one in ten years.

And setting everything else aside, just talking about Appraisal, just talking about earlier: whether it was the porcelain plate, the gourd, or the Lacquer Box, in Lin Sicheng's hands, it took at most three minutes from start to finish for him to give an extremely certain and extremely accurate conclusion.

Especially that oil painting; she had studied art for over ten years and could not be said to be unskilled, but when she first saw it, she was only suspicious. She even believed little and doubted much, only buying it back with the mentality of "just in case."

And Lin Sicheng only looked at it for ten minutes.

Thinking back to last week, Wang Qi Zhi would discuss with Lin Sicheng every day how to build the laboratory and how to unfold the project.

Then, every day after returning home, Wang Qi Zhi would make phone calls to consult and review with the seniors and teachers at the National Museum of China and the Cultural Relics Bureau. Thinking of the amazed praise from those teachers and seniors, and the unconcealable, smug smile on Wang Qi Zhi's face.

He didn't design the report, so what is he smug about?

Of course, he is smug that his own eye for talent is excellent, that he found a Treasure.

Even someone as full of himself and arrogant as Wang Qi Zhi had to reluctantly admit that Lin Sicheng is indeed a little bit better than him.

Is it just a little bit better?

Thinking back to those years: in order to help herself tie Wang Qi Zhi down firmly, her dad, her mom, and her younger siblings almost used 120 percent of their abilities.

Especially Dad and Mom; they treated him better than their own son. Fortunately, she got what she wished for...

Anyway, whenever she thought of it, Dan Wangshu felt happy, and the corners of her mouth couldn't stop curling up.

Thinking she was just happy for no reason, Wang Qi Zhi curled his lips: "I advise you not to be happy too soon!"

What a killjoy!

Dan Wangshu leaned over and pinched him, and Wang Qi Zhi winced.

"See that!" Dan Wangshu gestured toward the kitchen with her chin again, "He actually knows how to be shy? From childhood to now, have you ever seen it?"

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned for a moment.

Hey, come to think of it, that's true?

Just two years ago, when Ye Anning was still in college, the brothers and friends of the brother-in-law, and the leaders and colleagues of the second sister, all started having ideas.

Beautiful, gentle, smart, generous, and capable.

The key is that her mother's family background is good, and her father's family background is even better... it simply couldn't be more perfect.

But unfortunately, it stopped at just having ideas.

In fact, there was no need for the adults to politely decline; often, just three or five polite and courteous remarks from Ye Anning were enough to make the words of the other party's parents well up to the root of their tongues, yet they couldn't spit them out.

No matter what kind of talent you were, or how good your family background was, just three or five remarks were enough to reveal your true colors, and you would retreat in embarrassment.

Only then did these people know that her gentleness was just a facade: beneath the gentleness was a layer of iron shield, and behind the iron shield were rows of arrowheads revealing a cold glint...

And like today, Ye Anning tucking away the sharpness she rarely reveals and just acting obedient is like the sun rising from the west.

No wonder the wife is so proactive?

But thinking about that day in the laboratory...

Wang Qi Zhi sighed: "It's a bit difficult!"

"Difficult how? Afraid the brother-in-law won't agree?"

To tell the truth, the family backgrounds are indeed not quite equal. But with Lin Sicheng's ability, it is more than enough to make up for three such gaps...

Dan Wangshu frowned, "As long as the second sister nods, how would the brother-in-law dare to say he doesn't agree?"

Wang Qi Zhi laughed as soon as he heard this.

Whether inside or out, the second sister is the one in charge of the house, and the brother-in-law really doesn't have much of a say.

As for the sister, of course, she wouldn't follow everything he and Dan Wangshu said, and Ye Anning's opinion would have to be placed even further back. But honestly, someone like Lin Sicheng is truly too hard not to like. The so-called family background can basically be ignored...

So, what Dan Wangshu can think of, he, this uncle, can also think of, and in fact, he thought of it much earlier.

Wang Qi Zhi pinched the bridge of his nose: "Last time, after Anning's company finished their meeting, I mentioned it in the laboratory; do you know what kind of expression Lin Sicheng had?"

Pausing slightly, Wang Qi Zhi gestured: "Stunning, breathtaking!"

"I asked him to evaluate her again, guess what he said: calm, rational, decisive..."

Ye Anning is quite decisive, but it depends on who it is toward.

Dan Wangshu frowned: "So you gave up?"

"Otherwise what?" Wang Qi Zhi nodded, "First impressions are the most important!"

"First impression my foot, what kind of first impression is that? Their first impression was that Dog Basin..."

Dan Wangshu stood up at once, staring with her eyes, slightly threatening: "Wang Qi Zhi, I'm warning you, if you dare to hold us back, I'm not finished with you!"

"Alright, alright, alright... I promise not to hold you back..."

Wang Qi Zhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "But Lin Sicheng is only twenty!"

"Precisely because he is only twenty; if it were two years later, who knows where he would have run off to?"

Why would it need two years?

Wang Qi Zhi couldn't help but think of that student of Shang Yan: upon seeing Lin Sicheng, her eyes were like pools of water...

He sighed again and looked at the kitchen: "Don't be like a one-sided love, only caring about your own enthusiasm; we don't even know what Ye Anning is thinking yet."

"And you call yourself an uncle? Forget it, I wasn't planning on counting on you anyway..."

Dan Wangshu waved her hand, exceptionally domineering: "With me here, not a single one will escape!"