Chapter 169: Lying Again?

The lights were brilliant, the seaweed swayed slightly, and colorful tropical fish swam back and forth.

A king crab the size of a washbasin waved its claws, and a lobster brandished its pincers, bumping against the fish tank with a "thud-thud" sound.

It was an aquarium-style seafood restaurant, decorated quite elegantly.

Ye Anning was in high spirits; she found a nearby table and ordered three glasses of fruit juice.

After ordering the food, she smiled again, "Are you hungry? Do you want to order some snacks?"

Jing Suxin and Qin Ruozhi shook their heads in unison: before coming to the hotel, the three of them had just gone to Hui People Street and stuffed themselves with all kinds of snacks.

What they were curious about was, it was almost seven o'clock, just how important could this student of Ye Anning's uncle be?

And, the changes in Ye Anning.

Although extremely subtle, they were women, so they could still perceive it.

Therefore, they were quite curious: how had the iron-hearted Princess Ye been warmed up?

Thinking secretly, the two would glance at the elevator entrance from time to time, wishing Lin Sicheng would appear immediately so they could properly admire him.

Until a "ding" sound.

The two girls perked up: finally here?

Immediately, five or six people came out of the elevator, men and women, with the one in the middle having slightly white hair at the temples.

Someone was leading the way, addressing the old man as "Director Li."

The others were also middle-aged and looked quite imposing, appearing to be from some government agency.

This was not strange; the provincial and municipal governments, as well as many units, held their main receptions at the Xi'an Restaurant.

What was strange was, there was actually an acquaintance?

Right in the middle, the one on the left, Qin Ruozhi had seen him at her father's workplace.

But that was in Beijing, at the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission...

Seeing her staring, Jing Suxin leaned over: "Who is that?"

"It seems to be the Vice President of China State Construction."

"Why did he come to Xijing?" Jing Suxin raised her chin, "What about that old man, the one in the middle?"

Qin Ruozhi shook her head: "Don't know!"

But he looked quite impressive.

China State Construction was centrally managed, and the Vice President was a centrally managed department-level official with the status of a vice-minister. It just felt like they were very respectful toward that person.

They were just curious for a moment, then the three sat back down to drink their juice.

After drinking about half a glass, there was another "ding" sound.

Lin Sicheng walked in hurriedly, and Ye Anning waved: "Over here!"

Lin Sicheng stopped and smiled again: "Sister Anning!"

Ye Anning introduced him, saying he was a classmate who came to Xijing to visit her.

Lin Sicheng greeted them with a smile and looked left and right: "Where are the teacher and his wife?"

"In the private room!"

"Didn't Youjian come?"

Ye Anning curled her lips: "Didn't want to come, he's at home tinkering with his pile of junk (toys)."

Lin Sicheng smiled again: "I'll go in first to pay my respects..."

"We're going in too!"

Ye Anning called the waiter to notify the kitchen to serve the food, and then the four of them entered the private room together.

Jing Suxin and Qin Ruozhi followed behind: they had finally seen the person.

He looked quite good, tall and handsome, fair and clean.

But his form of address, and his gaze... it just felt like the relationship between the two was quite normal.

Looking at Ye Anning again, it felt very abnormal... so what was this?

While suspicious, the four entered the private room; Lin Sicheng apologized busily, and Wang Qi Zhi waved his hand dismissively.

Using a phrase like "tired as a dog" to describe Lin Sicheng during this period would probably be an understatement. Therefore, when Dan Wangshu asked him to call Lin Sicheng out for a meal, Wang Qi Zhi made excuses that Lin Sicheng had no time and asked to delay it for two more days.

But he had been lying for over a month, and he no longer had any credibility. Dan Wangshu and Ye Anning didn't believe him at all.

That was how this meal came about.

So, no one cared at all whether Lin Sicheng would be late; rather, Dan Wangshu and Ye Anning at least needed to know if Lin Sicheng was still in one piece.

Now that they had seen him alive, they could finally rest easy, right?

Wang Qi Zhi curled his lips and waved his hand again: "Come, look at this!"

As he spoke, he picked up the seal and handed it forward.

Lin Sicheng took it and narrowed his eyes.

The material was very ordinary, just common Shoushan stone. It hadn't been used yet, so it was a new seal (never touched ink or stamped).

The carving style was very unique: single-knife carving, with great ups and downs. Cutting horizontally and diagonally, fierce and wild.

The characters were even more unique: "Knowing People and Knowing Instruments"... have you ever seen a seal in the style of Mao?

The origin was also not ordinary: in '49, the Great Man sent a letter inviting Qi Baishi to attend the CPPCC meeting; to express his gratitude, Qi Baishi carved two Shoushan stone name seals.

One was the Great Man's name, and one was the Great Man's courtesy name, wrapped in a discarded draft of an "Old Cow Painting."

The following year, which was '50, the Great Man hosted a banquet for Qi Baishi and brought out the mounted "Old Cow Painting" to ask Qi Baishi to stamp and inscribe it. At the same time, he invited Qi Baishi to serve as a member of the CPPCC Museum of Literature and History and honorary chairman of the National Fine Arts Association.

As a return gift, and also as encouragement, the Great Man inscribed a piece of calligraphy: "Knowing People and Knowing Instruments."

Returning home, Qi Baishi followed the calligraphy and carved a seal.

But now, this seal had ended up in Professor Wang's hands?

He raised his head: "Bought?"

"Traded!"

Wang Qi Zhi spoke unhurriedly, "In the nineties, Youjian's grandfather worked at the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau, and Mr. Chi Liang (the fourth son of Qi Baishi) served as the deputy Museum Curator at the municipal Research Institute of Culture and History; the two were colleagues... Later, my father-in-law took a fan painting by Zhang Daqian and traded it for this seal..."

Lin Sicheng pondered for a moment: It was quite an equal trade, but Professor Wang definitely swiped it.

How could this item end up in his hands, and would he really pay his father-in-law for it?

Of course, it was definitely authentic.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng reached out to hand it over, but Wang Qi Zhi waved his hand: "Keep it, your teacher's wife is giving it to you!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: What on earth?

Not to mention the origin of the four characters "Knowing People and Knowing Implements," just the fact that it was a seal carving by Qi Baishi made its value ridiculously high.

For something like this, for no reason at all, Teacher Dan just gives it away?

Dan Wangshu knew that if she didn't explain it clearly, Lin Sicheng definitely wouldn't accept it. After thinking for a moment, her tone was nonchalant:

"When I went home for the eleventh, Youjian's grandfather was moving his study and said it was useless just sitting there, so I just brought it back. Your teacher doesn't care for this either, and this seal has a nice meaning, so I just felt it suited you..."

Lin Sicheng didn't speak, looking at Wang Qi Zhi: Professor Wang doesn't care for this?

Wang Qi Zhi was just about to speak, but Dan Wangshu shot him a glance, and Wang Qi Zhi hurriedly nodded: "Right, right, right!"

Dan Wangshu smiled again: "Sicheng, you keep it!"

Her tone was very gentle, yet indescribably firm.

It was definitely not a whim, and it had even less to do with Ye Anning.

It was even less of a case of pilfering; rather, it was specifically given by Wang Youjian's grandfather: just when she went home for the eleventh, Dan Wangshu brought up Lin Sicheng, saying that her beloved son-in-law had taken in an incredible student.

She also mentioned that Wang Qi Zhi had been busy with his student on some World Heritage Application during this time, and was also planning some ironware project.

The father-in-law asked about it in general terms, and then gave this seal to Dan Wangshu.

Wang Qi Zhi was lackadaisical, or perhaps just not very sensitive, and seemed not to have taken it to heart. But the father-in-law could not afford not to take it to heart, and he knew even better the significance of these two matters to Wang Qi Zhi...

Lin Sicheng could also basically figure it out; after thinking for a moment, he put it into the box: "Thank you, Teacher's wife!"

Dan Wangshu pursed her lips and smiled.

While they were talking, the dishes were brought up.

The few of them ate and chatted, and Ye Anning asked Lin Sicheng again what he had been busy with during this time.

Then, Lin Sicheng described it so vividly and so immersively.

Wang Qi Zhi couldn't say that he had already confessed half of it, so he had to bury his head and eat the food.

But the more Dan Wangshu and Ye Anning listened, the stranger it felt, and the more they listened, the stranger it got: it felt as if Lin Sicheng had truly gone to the Forbidden City and studied for nearly two months.

Could it be that Wang Qi Zhi (the uncle) had lied again?

The two of them subconsciously turned their heads, and Wang Qi Zhi was taken aback, not knowing what would be good to say.