Zhuang Rui was a little puzzled. Looking at the word "demolish" painted in white on the wall, he couldn't help but ask Xiao Fang, who was driving. However, the place was too dirty and messy. As soon as Zhuang Rui rolled down the car window, he smelled a strange odor. The ground was covered in sewage. When he saw Xiao Fang stop the car, Zhuang Rui opened the car door and felt a little unsure where to put his feet.
Xiao Fang seemed quite familiar with the area. After getting out of the car, carefully avoiding the dirty water on the ground, he said, "The courtyard houses that are to be preserved were all where officials used to live. The courtyard houses here are where ordinary people live. In ancient times, they were not much different from slums—dirty and chaotic. Now that they're rented out to those migrant workers from Beijing, the security is even worse, and people get killed all the time. So the government is planning to clear them out, demolish them, and rebuild them..."
After hearing Xiao Fang's explanation, Zhuang Rui realized that the city of Sijiu was just like the imperial city of ancient times, attracting people from all over the country to come looking for opportunities. After arriving, they didn't find any opportunities, but they spent all their money. These people were unwilling to leave empty-handed, so they could only find a cheap place to live. Over time, this residential area was formed.
These people come from all over the country and come from all walks of life. There are many romantic freelancers such as poets, painters, and artists. As a result, these people who have no hope of getting ahead will also seek some excitement, such as taking drugs. Over time, these places often become dirty and criminal dens.
This is because several murders occurred in succession, which is why the government decided to make efforts to clean up the area. However, the property rights in these areas are complicated, and there are many holdout households. The demolition has been talked about for half a year, but the houses are still being rented out and the money is still being collected. Few people take it seriously.
The drainage ditch in the alley seemed to be blocked, and sewage was flowing everywhere on the ground. Zhuang Rui and Xiao Fang were like big monkeys, looking for a clean place to step on while also having to give way to people walking out of the alley. Not only the two of them, but everyone walking in the alley was jumping up and down.
"Master Tang, open the door! It's me, Xiao Fang..."
They finally reached the gate of a courtyard house, but the gate was empty. It was unclear who had chopped it up for firewood. The two walked directly into the courtyard, and Xiao Fang knocked on a large, dark door that looked like it could be seen from the window.
Zhuang Rui looked at the environment and couldn't help but shake his head. The poor always suffer. Those officials in ancient times didn't care about this place at all. These buildings are all the alleyways, and the paving is higher than the courtyard. But if you remove the steps, the house is lower than the courtyard. If it rains, it will probably flood.
This house is old enough, but Zhuang Rui really couldn't think of any treasures the owner could still keep. If he really did, why would he wait until now to sell them?
Chapter 417 Old Tang's Story
Xiao Fang knocked on the door. There was no response from inside, but a door next to it opened, and a girl with messy hair, like a bird's nest, peeked out, then slammed the door shut again.
"Xiao Fang, is no one home?"
Stomping his feet outside, Zhuang Rui asked Xiao Fang, "This place has an eerie atmosphere. Standing in front of the door, Zhuang Rui can feel that there are several pairs of eyes in the houses next door staring at the two of them."
"That's impossible. He has a medicine bottle at home, and he's always at home."
Xiao Fang was very familiar with this family. He knew they were long-time residents who had lived here for decades. Their children were not very capable, otherwise they would have moved out long ago. Nowadays, most of the people in this courtyard house who have some ability have moved out and rented out their houses.
"Old Tang, Master Tang, are you there?"
As Xiao Fang spoke, she knocked on the door again.
"Oh, here we are! I'm sorry to have kept you two waiting..."
As the voices spoke, the gaudy red-painted door was pulled open from the inside. However, Zhuang Rui and his companion still couldn't see what was inside because a thick cotton curtain blocked their view.
In the cold north, most homes have a thick cloth curtain inside the door. However, the curtain in Old Tang's house looked like it had been made from a cotton quilt. It was greasy and gave off an unpleasant smell.
The person who opened the door was very polite, reaching out to lift the curtain. Zhuang Rui and Xiao Fang ducked and walked into the room. Looking around, they finally understood why the room was so dark.
There was a thick curtain hanging over the window, through which a faint light streamed into the room. The light bulb inside was one of those pull-cord bulbs, with a long cord running from the wall by the door to the head of the bed. It was convenient; one could reach it without getting out of bed.
In the middle of the main room, there was a stove with a chimney extending out of the window. A kettle was also placed on the stove, making the most of everything. The room was so well-insulated that it wasn't cold at all, but the smell was a bit unpleasant.
"Please sit down, gentlemen. You spendthrift woman, go lie down inside."
Old Master Tang hurriedly offered Zhuang Rui and Xiao Fang seats, then reached out and turned on the light. But there wasn't much difference between turning the light on and off, because the small light bulb emitting a dim yellow glow didn't really do much.
After the lights were turned on, Zhuang Rui realized that there was another person lying on the bed in the main hall. After Old Tang shouted at him, the person had lifted the covers and gone to the inner room.
"Cough, cough..."
As soon as the blanket was lifted, a strange smell filled the entire room. Zhuang Rui couldn't stand it anymore, so he coughed a few times, stood up, walked to the door, lifted the curtain, and took a deep breath, which finally calmed the sour smell in his stomach that almost made him vomit.
The smell wasn't just the stench of feet from inside the blankets; it was a mixture of musty, medicinal, and rotten odors. Not only Zhuang Rui, but even Xiao Fang's face turned bright red as he followed him to the door.
Although Zhuang Rui's family was of average means and not particularly well-off, Ouyang Wan was especially fond of cleanliness. Her home was spotless, but at least it was cleaned every day. In winter, if the weather was nice every three to five days, she would take the quilts out to air them. She had never smelled this kind of fermenting smell, similar to stinky tofu.
"Ahem, Xiao Fang, well... let's come another day..."
Zhuang Rui really didn't want to go back into that room. He wasn't a delicate person. Back when he was working alone in Zhonghai, he also lived in a rented room, but the smell was truly awful, comparable to the poison gas bombs used by the Japanese back then.
"Brother Zhuang, since you're here, take a look. His ancestors were apparently Manchus; maybe they left behind some interesting things."
Although Xiao Fang also couldn't stand the smell in the house, it was his job, and if Zhuang Rui didn't buy anything, his trip would have been in vain.
"Master Tang, could you please prop up this window? The smell inside is too strong; I can't stand it anymore."
Xiao Fang turned around and called out into the house.
"Alright, let it air out a bit. You two, come in and have a seat..."
Master Tang seemed a little unhappy, and it was unclear how long his room hadn't been ventilated. However, after propping up the window and opening the door again, the room became bright. Master Tang then turned off the lights, not so much to comply with the national call for energy conservation, but probably because he was reluctant to spend the extra two yuan on electricity.
Zhuang Rui was still a little afraid of the smell. He casually took out a pack of cigarettes, opened it, and handed one to Xiao Fang and Master Tang.
"Oh, it's Zhonghua cigarettes! Why don't you have those red belts and ornamental columns with your cigarettes?"
Master Tang took the cigarette, glanced at it, and sniffed it hard. He didn't put it in his mouth, but instead hung it behind his ear, as if he wanted to savor it properly.
"Someone gave it to me, and I don't know why it's like this..."
Zhuang Rui smiled. Ouyang Lei had brought him the cigarettes. He had brought over a whole box, dozens of cartons, telling him to keep them and smoke them slowly, and to ask for more when he was done. Although these cigarettes weren't as famous as Panda cigarettes, they were still supplied to the military, and only generals could get their hands on them.
After tilting his head and lighting his eyes over the fire Xiao Fang had lit, Zhuang Rui took a deep drag. Only then did he feel that the smell in the room had faded a bit. He walked back into the room, sat down, and said, "You need to ventilate this room often, otherwise it's not good for your health."
"Hey, I'm this old now, I just take it one day at a time, who cares about my health anymore..."
Master Tang sighed and sat down cross-legged on the edge of the bed.
After opening the doors and windows, the room became much brighter. Zhuang Rui carefully observed Master Tang. He was probably around sixty-five or sixty-six years old. He wasn't very tall, was a bit overweight, and had lost most of his hair, leaving a bald head that shone brightly. When he turned his head, he could also see the fleshy folds on the back of his neck.
Judging from his appearance, if he changed his clothes, he would have the air of a boss, not someone who lives in this place. But when Master Tang smiles, he has a simple and honest look, which is probably why Xiao Fang calls him "Master Mao" behind his back.
"Back in the day, my ancestors were meritorious officials who helped Nurhaci enter the pass. Up until my grandfather's generation, our family had a large courtyard with four courtyards and two gardens. But after liberation, it was all handed over to the government, and they gave us this small courtyard. Later, a few more families moved in, and we couldn't get rid of them no matter what we did..."
Master Tang didn't seem to have many people to talk to. After Zhuang Rui and Xiao Fang sat down, he started muttering to himself. When he got excited, he took the cigarette off his ear, used the tongs to pick up a piece of charcoal from the stove, lit it, and took a satisfying puff.
According to Master Tang, his family was once a large clan. According to him, his grandfather's status was similar to that of Bai Laoqi in the story of the Grand Mansion. With the blessings of his ancestors and his own efforts, he built a considerable fortune. Before the liberation, Master Tang was raised by a maid. When he was seven or eight years old, he couldn't even dress himself.
Back when his grandfather was still alive, he would smoke opium all day long and say to him, "You're lucky, kid. You've never done anything wrong in your life. The inheritance I left you is enough to make you live comfortably for several lifetimes."
Old Tang's father wasn't exactly a saint either. He spent his days wandering between the Eight Great Hutongs and theaters. Although Old Tang was still young back then and couldn't go to the Eight Great Hutongs, he could go to the theaters. According to Old Tang, he had attended performances by famous actors such as Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu, and Xun Huisheng. He even once had a handful of gold beans stuffed into his mouth and thrown onto the stage by his father.
However, in the year Beiping was liberated, the old man in the family passed away. His father, who only knew how to eat, drink, gamble, and whore, was afraid of being dictated to, so he sold all the companies and some houses and put the gold in the house. Moreover, during the population census, he even changed the ancestral surname, which is why he has the name Old Tang now.
But what's meant to happen will happen. In that era of "red and expert" politics, the Tang family's past was exposed. They were subjected to all sorts of criticism and public humiliation. His father, who was good for nothing but eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, simply passed away, leaving Old Tang to suffer. Not only were all the gold in the house confiscated, but he was also subjected to constant beatings and struggle sessions. Luckily, he was young and healthy back then, otherwise he would be lying in some lonely grave by now.
After those ten years ended, the policy was implemented, and Old Tang was given this small courtyard house. Of course, the gold and the like were gone, but he was given a lot of old bottles, jars, and furniture, all of which were left to him by his ancestors. Old Tang couldn't bear to sell them, so he has kept them until now.
However, this place is about to be demolished, and the compensation money is not enough for Lao Tang to buy another house. That's why he thought of selling his ancestors' belongings. According to Lao Tang, his ancestors in the afterlife would not want to see their descendants sleeping on the streets.
As Old Tang spoke, he actually started wiping away tears. He then pulled out an erhu from somewhere and began to play and sing: "Each day away from home feels like a lone goose roosting in a cold forest, the erhu leads the way forward..."
Not only was the singing of Cheng Yanqiu's "Yu Tang Chun" perfectly clear and accurate, but the melody was also profound, winding, tranquil and dignified. The singing style had quite a bit of the master Cheng's style. The erhu playing was even more impressive, showing the skill that one could not play so skillfully without more than ten years of practice. Zhuang Rui was dumbfounded, wondering what he had come here for today.
"Hey, hey, Master Tang, that's enough. Let's not talk about these things today. I've heard it three times already."
Zhuang Rui found the Peking Opera somewhat novel, but Xiao Fang grew impatient and interrupted the erhu music.
Chapter 418 Acting Skills
"Didn't sing well? Xiao Fang. I'm listening to Cheng Yanqiu's original version, you know. These days, there aren't many people who have heard it..."
Old Tang was singing enthusiastically when Xiao Fang interrupted him, and he looked a little annoyed.
"Hey, what are you talking about? Master Tang, we didn't come here today to listen to you reminisce about the past. If you're still going to bring that up, we're heading back..."
Xiao Fang was getting impatient. To people of their age, Peking Opera was similar to operas performed in foreign theaters—it looked exciting, but they couldn't understand a single word.
"So, what brings you two here today?"
Old Tang's words amused Zhuang Rui. It turned out that Xiao Fang's nickname "Old Man Mao" was well-deserved. After sitting down and chatting for a long time, the old man actually thought that the two brothers had come to listen to him ramble on.
Xiao Fang was a little amused and exasperated, but he patiently said, "Master Tang, you told me last time that you wanted to sell some old items, so I brought Brother Zhuang to take a look. Where are your things?"
"Oh dear, you two, look at my memory! How could I have forgotten about that..."
Old Tang patted his bald head with his big hand, looking as if he had just realized something.
"Master Tang, it's freezing cold, hurry up and get anything out of here..."
Zhuang Rui was a little confused. Was Old Tang really confused, or was he just pretending to be scheming? If all of this was arranged, then the set, props, lighting, and the actors' performances were all worthy of an Oscar.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Master Tang chuckled and said, "Hey, you two, isn't the one you're sitting here..."
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then quickly stood up and looked at the chair he had just been sitting in. Sure enough, it was a genuine huanghuali wood chair, and a zhang si yu guan mao shu (official's hat chair).
The term "four protruding ends" refers to a chair where the ends of the top rail and the front ends of the armrests protrude. This is a traditional term used by folk carpenters. From being considered common to being considered elegant, it is now the standard name for this type of chair. There is also a folk term for chairs where the armrests protrude but the top rail does not.
There was a cushion on the chair earlier, so Zhuang Rui didn't notice it. Now he removed the cushion and examined it carefully. This huanghuali wood official's hat chair with four protruding ends has very little decoration. There is a relief carving of a flower on the backrest, which is composed of clouds and two dragons. Another delicate carving is a small cloud carved on the arched apron.
The chair has delicate and curved components. As we know, curved and delicate components must be carved out from thick timber. In other words, this chair could have been made quite large, but instead of keeping the overall size the same, they spared no expense in materials and labor to carve it into a slender and graceful shape.
This chair makes full use of the advantages of huanghuali wood. The wood is hard and smooth, the color is neither too bright nor too dark, and the grain is sometimes hidden and sometimes visible, vivid and varied. This design concept of Ming-style furniture reflects the aesthetic concept of Chinese aesthetics, which emphasizes the balance of movement and stillness, the harmony of strength and gentleness, and the idea that nothing is better than something.
"Not bad, this chair is quite interesting..."
After observing for a while, Zhuang Rui gave his evaluation: the four-cornered official's hat chair is a typical Ming-style chair, which was a symbol of status in those days. However, even among chairs with four corners, there are differences in style and taste, and naturally, the prices also differ. This four-cornered chair can be described as a masterpiece. Even in ancient times, it was not something that ordinary people could afford.
Most antique furniture on the market today is from the Qing Dynasty, though some from the Ming Dynasty are extremely rare. This official's hat chair, however, is indeed from the Ming Dynasty. When Zhuang Rui examined it, he infused a trace of spiritual energy into the chair and discovered that the wood was fine-grained, with clear patterns, and that it was covered with a layer of pale yellow spiritual energy, making it undoubtedly a genuine piece.
After looking at the chair he was sitting in, Zhuang Rui looked at the one Xiao Fang had just been sitting in. The two were actually a pair. In the antique business, it's rare to buy items in pairs, because these old objects have been passed down for hundreds of years and are easily lost. When they come together as a pair, their value skyrockets.
"Master Tang, what are these two chairs of yours...?"
"Hey, Mr. Tang, we've been sitting here for ages, haven't you even offered me a drink of water?"
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to ask about the price, he was unexpectedly interrupted by Xiao Fang. Zhuang Rui looked at Xiao Fang in surprise, and Xiao Fang was winking at him, indicating that he had something to say later.
"Hey, look at my memory, I'll go get some right now, I'll go right now. We have a distinguished guest today, I'll help you find some good tea."
Upon hearing this, Master Tang quickly put his legs down from the bed. He swayed as he walked out of the house, and there was a knock on the door in the yard, probably someone asking the neighbor for tea.
"Xiao Fang, what's wrong? Is something the problem?"
Zhuang Rui lowered his voice and asked, "Old Tang has gone out, but there's still someone lying in the inner room."
"Brother Zhuang, please make sure you look carefully before asking the price. These people all think their stuff is a treasure. Once they start bargaining, that's basically the price. They won't be able to lower it any further. Do you think you should go back and talk to Brother Bai before deciding whether to buy it or not?"
As Xiao Fang spoke, a sly glint appeared in his eyes, but although the windows were open, the room was still a bit dark, and Zhuang Rui couldn't see clearly.
"No need to discuss it anymore. I think this chair is quite nice. The grain is clear, and the patina is natural. It's an authentic piece. I'll ask Old Tang later, and if the price is right, I'll buy it now..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He felt that the trip hadn't been in vain. Although he couldn't stand the smell in the house, there were some really good things. The price of such a four-cornered huanghuali chair has risen rapidly in recent years. If you were to buy it at an auction, the price would probably not be less than 1.5 million RMB.
Actually, the prices of huanghuali and mahogany furniture only started to skyrocket after 2000. In the 1990s, they weren't particularly valuable. Because these old items are quite large, heavy, and take up a lot of space, some old house residents who didn't understand their value simply threw them away when they moved to new homes.