Zhuang Rui replied, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Sigh, I'm only a little free during the Chinese New Year. I don't have time to go to internet cafes. Do you think money is so easy to earn? By the way, Wood, what do you need to go online for?"
When Liu Chuan heard that he couldn't get online, he was immediately discouraged and then remembered to ask Zhuang Rui why he needed to go online.
"There are some poems in this manuscript, but I don't know who wrote them. I'd like to search online to see who the author is..."
Zhuang Rui had actually wanted to call Uncle De earlier, but he held back. He had never cared about these things before, but now he was asking Uncle De for advice one after another, which would inevitably arouse Uncle De's suspicion. So he thought it would be easier to find out the author of the manuscript first and then inquire about the price of the author's works. Although he could no longer absorb spiritual energy from the manuscript, he had still spent 20,000 yuan to buy it, and Zhuang Rui was really feeling the pinch.
Liu Chuan had even less interest in poetry and the like. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Ask my mom. She taught history before she retired, so she should know. Let's skip the sauna tonight and come to my house for dinner."
There was nothing else to do in the shop, so the two tidied up, pulled down the roller shutter, and got into Liu Chuan's car. However, Zhuang Rui took the pack of cigarettes he had brought for Liu Chuan back, saying that it was for his grandfather and that Liu Chuan shouldn't even think about taking it.
Liu Chuan's family lives in a dormitory building built by the Public Security Bureau in the early years. Now it has all been bought out and turned into private houses. The house has three bedrooms and two living rooms, with an area of more than 100 square meters, much larger than Zhuang Rui's house. Liu Chuan's father has not yet retired. He is the deputy director of a branch of the Public Security Bureau and is busy all day long. He is not at home at the moment.
Like Zhuang's mother, Liu Chuan's mother took early retirement in her fifties and usually lived alone at home. When her godson Zhuang Rui came to visit, she was overjoyed and busied herself preparing dinner.
After dinner was ready, Liu's father returned. He already knew about Zhuang Rui's trip to Shanghai from Zhuang's mother. He praised Zhuang Rui to the skies and took the opportunity to teach his idle son a lesson. Liu Chuan, who was standing by, was so angry that he immediately started complaining and revealed that Zhuang Rui had spent 20,000 yuan on a worthless book.
When Liu's parents heard about this, they were only slightly surprised. They took the book, looked at it, asked a few questions, and then didn't say much more. They knew that Zhuang Rui had always been very opinionated and generally wouldn't spend money recklessly. Liu's mother even went to the study to look up information for Zhuang Rui. Liu Chuan, who was watching from the side, was dumbfounded, and then burst into tears. He remembered that when he had only spent a little over 10,000 yuan to buy a computer, his mother had lectured him for a whole day.
After dinner, Zhuang Rui was happily escorted home by a resentful Liu Chuan. It wasn't just that he got a free meal; more importantly, his godmother had found a book called "Biographies of Qing Dynasty Figures" which contained the poems. Now, Zhuang Rui had the book in his hands, ready to read it carefully at home.
After taking out 20,000 yuan and throwing it to Liu Chuan, Zhuang Rui kicked the guy who was complaining to his mother out of the house. He then told his mother that he had bought the manuscript that day. Zhuang's mother knew that her son worked in a pawn shop and often came into contact with antiques and calligraphy, so she didn't say anything. She just told Zhuang Rui to be careful in the future and not to be cheated by others.
After dealing with his mother, Zhuang Rui retreated to his room and carefully placed the manuscript and the couplet left by his grandfather into a wooden box. The wooden box left by his grandfather was made of camphor wood, which was used in ancient times to preserve calligraphy, paintings and rare books. If this manuscript had always been kept in a camphor wood box, it would never have become so worn out.
After tidying up, Zhuang Rui crawled into bed and opened the "Biographies of Qing Dynasty Figures" he had gotten from his godmother.
Chapter 15 Incense Ancestor's Notes (Part 2)
Four of the poems in Zhuang Rui's manuscript are recorded in the book "Biographies of Qing Dynasty Figures" and were written by the same person. After carefully memorizing the person's life story, Zhuang Rui put down the book.
The author of these poems is Wang Shizhen, who lived in the early Qing Dynasty. Wang Shizhen's original name was Shizhen, his courtesy name was Zizhen, and his pen names were Ruan Ting and Yuyang Shanren. Therefore, some people also call him Wang Yuyang. As a Han Chinese, he was posthumously honored as Wenjian by Emperor Kangxi after his death, which can be described as a great imperial favor. He was from Xincheng (now Huantai County, Shandong Province) and was the most outstanding poet in the early Qing Dynasty.
Wang Shizhen was born into a family of officials for generations. His grandfather, Wang Xiangjin, was the Provincial Governor of Henan Province during the Ming Dynasty. Wang Shizhen began studying at home at the age of five, and by the age of six or seven, he was reading the Book of Poetry. In the seventh year of the Shunzhi reign, he took the imperial examination for children and won first place in the county, prefecture, and circuit examinations, which was equivalent to the top scorer in the national college entrance examination today. In the fifteenth year of the Shunzhi reign, he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, and his literary reputation gradually spread.
At the age of 23, Wang Shizhen traveled to Jinan and invited famous literary figures in Jinan to gather at a pavilion on the surface of Daming Lake. He composed four poems on the autumn willows on the spot. The poems spread and became famous throughout the country. Many people wrote poems in response, and the literary world called it the "Autumn Willow Poetry Society". It became famous all over the world. Later generations named a small alley on the northeast bank of Daming Lake "Autumn Willow Garden", which refers to the place where Wang Shizhen composed the poem "Autumn Willow".
Zhuang Rui took the manuscript out of the box and compared it with the book. To his delight, the manuscript contained several of Wang Shizhen's famous poems, as well as some miscellaneous poems and short lyrics from the Qinhuai River. Moreover, the manuscripts with poems all bore the seal of Wang Shizhen. Although he didn't know much about calligraphy and painting, Zhuang Rui knew that works with inscriptions were much more expensive than those without. However, to Zhuang Rui's embarrassment, he still couldn't recognize the names written on these seals, who left them, or whether they were Wang Shizhen's private seals.
Wang Shizhen's achievements did not stop there. In the fourth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, he was promoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and went to the capital to serve as an official. At that time, the capital was full of talented people, which provided a stage for Wang Shizhen to display his talents. He proposed the theory of "spiritual charm" in his poetry, which opened up a new style of poetry. Many of his famous works have been passed down to posterity. His poems and prose describing scenery are especially praised. The line "Green willows and city walls are Yangzhou" in his short poem was used as the subject of many famous painters at the time. The Kangxi Emperor praised him as "excellent in both poetry and prose" and "learned and good at poetry and prose". In the seventeenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Wang Shizhen was summoned by the emperor. "His poem pleased the emperor, and he was appointed as a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, then promoted to reader, and entered the Southern Study". He became the first Han Chinese official in the Qing Dynasty to be appointed as a literary official from a ministry position.
Zhuang Rui often read historical biographies. He knew that the Southern Study was where the Qing emperor's literary attendants were on duty. Qing scholars regarded it as an important place, and it was an honor to be able to enter. Sometimes, they would even draft imperial edicts and decrees on behalf of the emperor. Emperor Kangxi even issued an edict ordering Wang Shizhen to present his poetry manuscripts, which was an extremely rare honor at the time. Wang Shizhen was at the height of his influence in the court.
Wang Shizhen was erudite and fond of antiquities. He was able to identify books, paintings, and bronze vessels, and was skilled in seal carving. He was a master of poetry and was often mentioned alongside Zhu Yizun. His calligraphy was elegant and refined, resembling that of the Jin Dynasty, and was highly praised by later generations. Wang Shizhen's early poems were clear and simple, while his later poems became more vigorous and powerful. He was proficient in all styles, especially the seven-character quatrain.
Moreover, this person was very fond of talent. During the Kangxi era, after Wang Shizhen succeeded Qian Qianyi as the leader of the poetry world, he became the recognized leader of the literary world in the early Qing Dynasty. For a time, new poets and junior writers would go to the capital to seek guidance from famous teachers for their works, and they would often visit Wang Shizhen first. If they could get a word or two of praise from him, they would become famous.
Zhuang Rui also read a very interesting anecdote in the book. Pu Songling was a down-on-his-luck scholar who was full of knowledge but was not appreciated. After writing his famous "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio", he could not be recognized by the world. In desperation, Pu Songling went to Wang Shizhen.
After reading the first draft, Wang Shizhen greatly praised Pu Songling's "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio". He wrote many comments and returned the first draft to Pu Songling. He also gave Pu Songling a poem: "Let's just say it and listen to it. The rain is like silk on the bean trellis and melon vines. I guess he is tired of speaking human language and loves to hear ghosts singing poems in the autumn graves."
This demonstrates Wang Shizhen's support and affection for Pu Songling.
In order to get "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" published, Wang Shizhen wrote "Wang Ruan Ting's Appraisal" on the manuscript, which made various bookstores vie for the manuscript and consider it an honor to publish "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio". The celebrities of the time praised this matter: "The country's literary achievements will last for thousands of years, and the elegant style will be promoted. Great men will emerge one after another, and the most orthodox one of the generation must be Wang Shizhen of Xincheng."
Wang Shizhen's works have been published and preserved, spanning from the Kangxi era to the Republic of China. The book in Zhuang Rui's hand is actually a handwritten copy of "Xiangzu Notes" with a brush, and there is a high probability that it is Wang Shizhen's original manuscript. If it is Wang Shizhen's handwriting, then it is truly worth a thousand pieces of gold per word.
It is worth noting that although Wang Shizhen's poems are widely known to later generations, very few of his calligraphic works have survived. A domestic auction house once sold Wang Shizhen's "Handbook of Life Mirror and Manuscripts," which consisted of only a few pages of manuscript, for a staggering 1.57 million RMB.
Of course, Zhuang Rui was still completely unaware of all this at the time, but through this information, he felt a little more confident. Just based on Wang Shizhen's status as the literary leader during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the manuscripts he left behind would be worth more than 20,000 yuan. Even if they were handwritten by Wang Shizhen's descendants, they would still be considered rare and valuable ancient books.
Zhuang Rui had already made up his mind that he would take the manuscript with him when he returned to Shanghai and have Uncle De appraise it. If it was genuine, he would entrust Uncle De to auction it off. For Zhuang Rui, he had already explored the greatest use of the manuscript, so of course he would make use of its economic benefits. After all, the 20,000 yuan for buying the manuscript accounted for one-third of Zhuang Rui's current net worth.
After carefully placing the manuscript back in the camphor wood box after getting out of the warm quilt, Zhuang Rui lay back down on the bed. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head: if he could absorb the spiritual energy from these calligraphic works, could he also absorb the spiritual energy from other antiques? After all, both of these items came about quite by chance. The couplet was his grandfather's heirloom, and obtaining the manuscript was entirely due to his own luck. If that old lady had taken the manuscript out of another shop, he probably wouldn't have had a chance to buy it. Zhuang Rui didn't believe that those who specialized in the antique business would think of it as just a tattered book, like Liu Chuan did.
"With this ability, could I do something? Become a calligraphy and painting appraiser? I don't even know seal script. Using X-ray vision to look at instant lottery tickets? If I get caught on the spot, I'll definitely be sent for autopsy. Is this superpower only good for peeping at women's bodies?"
Zhuang Rui's mind was in a state of confusion, and he started to have all sorts of wild thoughts. The events of today had a huge impact on him. Not to mention that his spiritual energy had been upgraded, spending a huge sum of 20,000 yuan at once was a first for Zhuang Rui, who usually only carried a few hundred yuan in his pocket.
"By the way, there are many people like Grandma Zeng who don't recognize a treasure. I can buy low and sell high to profit from it..."
Zhuang Rui had a sudden inspiration and decided to position himself as a middleman. Little did he know that with the rising living standards, the antique trade was booming, and all sorts of fakes, imitations, and shoddy goods were flooding the market. Even the experts and professors in Beijing's Forbidden City dared not say that they had never been fooled.
As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss, and Zhuang Rui drifted off to sleep with the blissful feeling of having found a purpose in life.
Chapter 016 An Encounter
In the following days, Zhuang Rui went to the antique market several more times, hoping to try his luck and see if he could find another item that could absorb spiritual energy. However, with the Lunar New Year approaching and more than a week of heavy snow, many shops in the antique market closed down and prepared to reopen after the New Year. Even the people who usually set up stalls were nowhere to be seen.
Zhuang Rui did come across a shop that was open, and the shopkeeper was very enthusiastic. However, after looking at the few books that the shopkeeper claimed were genuine works of Zhang Xu's cursive script, Zhuang Rui was simply dumbfounded. Even without using his spiritual energy, he could tell they were fake. If they were real, wouldn't the shopkeeper have already gone to Yunlong Mountain Villa to buy a villa? Why would he be hanging around here in the freezing cold? Did he look that stupid?
In a fit of anger, Zhuang Rui simply stopped going out and went to Xinhua Bookstore to buy many books on antique appreciation. He spent his days either reading or familiarizing himself with the spiritual energy in his eyes at home.
After several experiments over the past few days, Zhuang Rui discovered that the spiritual energy he could see could currently reach a distance of two meters from his body and penetrate glass and wood that were about one centimeter thick. However, it had no effect on iron, metal, stone, or mineral objects. Zhuang Rui believed that as the spiritual energy increased, the number of objects his eyes could see through would gradually increase.
A few days ago, Liu Chuan would bother Zhuang Rui every day, but recently it seems that his family introduced him to a girl, so he has been coming less often in the last five or six days. Seeing that other families are busy preparing for the New Year, Zhuang Rui seems to be getting more and more relaxed.
"Xiao Rui, don't stay cooped up at home all day. Go out for a walk. Oh, and go to the supermarket and buy some couplets and 'Fu' characters. The day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so we should put them up."
When Mrs. Zhuang arrived at her son's room, she sighed inwardly. Although her son was a steady person and rarely went to nightclubs or bars, he used to be very cheerful when he came home and would go out to play with his classmates every day. However, after this injury, he became much more silent and spent his days burying himself in books at home, which caused Mrs. Zhuang a lot of unnecessary worry.
"Okay, Mom, I'll go right now. Or should we hang up the couplet my grandpa left behind?"
Zhuang Rui joked with a smile that he had already told his mother about the origin and value of the couplet. His mother didn't say anything, only that he should keep it safe. In his mother's heart, the actual value of the couplet was far less than the longing she felt for her husband and the elderly man.
Zhuang Rui put on his coat and hat, and was about to leave when he ran into Zhuang Min taking her daughter back to her parents' home. Needless to say, upon hearing that her uncle was going to the mall, the little girl clung tightly to him. Zhuang Rui had no choice but to carry his niece along. ...
Since large supermarkets entered Pengcheng, many traditional stores have been forced to change their business model and start their own supermarkets. However, this has made things much more convenient for ordinary people. Not only are things cheaper, but almost every neighborhood has a supermarket right at its doorstep. There is also a supermarket not far from Zhuang Rui's home, and it is a large-scale branch of a large chain supermarket in Shenzhen. It does very well, and even on snowy days, the outside is crowded with people coming and going.
Holding the little girl, Zhuang Rui slowly walked into the supermarket with the crowded throng. In this noisy environment, he felt incredibly peaceful and warm. Perhaps this is life, the mundane things like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
"Uncle, uncle, I saw that hooligan uncle..."
The little girl clung to Zhuang Rui's shoulder, waving her tiny hands frantically and repeatedly calling out, "Rogue Uncle, Rogue Uncle."
This attracted the attention of the crowd, who all turned to look in this direction.
"Daughter, call him 'hooligan uncle' at home, but don't call him that outside..."
Zhuang Rui broke out in a cold sweat. Following the direction of Nannan's little hand, he saw a murderous gaze fixed intently on him.
"You rascal, what are you doing here? Weren't you busy with blind dates these past few days? What, buying gifts to visit your future mother-in-law?"
Zhuang Rui squeezed his way toward Liu Chuan while holding his niece, unaware that Liu Chuan was winking at him.
When Zhuang Rui got to Liu Chuan's side, he noticed that there were two young women standing next to him. To Zhuang Rui's embarrassment, the little girl in his arms saw an acquaintance and excitedly shouted, "Hello, rogue uncle!"
Without a doubt, the two people next to them knew that Zhuang Rui taught them to call her "Nannan."
"Ahem, well, Lei Lei, I already told you Zhuang Rui definitely wouldn't recognize you, right? Let me introduce you, this is our little princess Nannan, Zhuang Rui's daughter."
Liu Chuan put on a stern face, pretending not to hear what Xiao Nannan said, and introduced her to the girl next to him in a serious manner, not forgetting to tease Zhuang Rui a few times.
"Hello, don't listen to Liu Chuan's nonsense, this is my sister's child..."
Zhuang Rui interrupted Liu Chuan with a smile, looked at the woman named Lei Lei, and couldn't help but admire her in his heart.
Although this woman's appearance was only above average, her wheat-colored face was full of sunny, healthy beauty. She was 1.7 meters tall and stood no less imposing next to the tall and strong Liu Chuan. Even though she was wearing a lot of clothes in winter, you could still see that she had a great figure, which meant she must pay a lot of attention to exercise.
Judging from Liu Chuan's words, he should know Lei Lei, but Zhuang Rui really didn't have any impression of this woman.
"Lei Lei? Lei Lei, oh, you're not the girl with glasses, are you?"
Zhuang Rui remembered the name of a female classmate from junior high school and exclaimed in surprise.
The girl with glasses that Zhuang Rui mentioned was indeed their classmate from junior high school. Back then, she wore a ponytail and thick glasses, and was quite inconspicuous in the class. Later, she transferred to another school for some reason, so he didn't remember her well. Zhuang Rui had a good memory and recalled her name, but he really couldn't connect the beautiful and youthful girl in front of him with the ugly duckling from back then.
Zhuang Rui still remembered the name because Liu Chuan had just watched Stephen Chow's movie Fight Back to School. Overwhelmed by a sense of justice, he taught a lesson to several male classmates who kept calling Lei Lei "Four-Eyes" in class. Because of this, Liu Chuan had to squat in a horse stance for several days during class, because his father tested the hardness of the shoe soles on Liu Chuan's buttocks.
"You two were so arrogant back then, you would never have noticed a girl like me. Zhuang Rui, you used to seem so honest, but it turns out you're quite the chatterbox..."
Lei Lei didn't know that Zhuang Rui was a sly and mischievous guy when he was in junior high school. He was the one who came up with the ideas, and Liu Chuan was the one who took the lead.
Who is this?
Zhuang Rui looked at Lei Lei's companion and was stunned. If the changes in his old classmate Lei Lei surprised Zhuang Rui, then Lei Lei's companion surprised him. Working in Zhonghai, the fashion capital, Zhuang Rui, who was used to seeing all kinds of white-collar beauties, couldn't help but be stunned for a few seconds.
Unlike Lei Lei's healthy and energetic image, this woman was stunningly beautiful. She had fair skin, delicate eyebrows, a slightly upturned nose, and long, jet-black hair piled high on her head, making her slender neck appear even longer and adding to her noble and aloof air. She was slightly taller than Lei Lei, and her fitted leather jumpsuit accentuated her curvaceous figure. If this woman were wearing an evening gown, Zhuang Rui would definitely think that this noisy supermarket was hosting a lavish party.
It cannot be denied that Zhuang Rui did have the idea of using his spiritual energy to explore the secluded path during those few seconds. However, Zhuang Rui noticed that there was a hint of coldness in the other person's beautiful eyes, and it seemed to be somewhat disdainful.
Zhuang Rui's father passed away when he was young, and he has always been somewhat sensitive to other people's gazes. At this moment, he subconsciously felt that this woman was not easy to get along with, so he did not show excessive enthusiasm. He simply smiled and nodded at her, forcibly suppressing the feeling of amazement in his heart.
Qin Xuanbing looked at the man in front of her, whose appearance and clothing were rather ordinary, and felt very bad. She had been bothered by a bunch of flies in Hong Kong so much that she hadn't told her family and had secretly come to the mainland with her good friend Lei Lei for the New Year, hoping to escape the entanglement of those self-important rich kids. However, the look in the man's eyes reminded her of those annoying rich kids, so when Qin Xuanbing looked back at Zhuang Rui, her expression was very cold.
"Wood, this is Miss Qin, from Hong Kong, a friend of Lei Lei, visiting the mainland..."
Liu Chuan introduced the woman to Zhuang Rui, saying that he was actually quite annoyed with her. Although she was very pretty, she was as cold as ice. What he found most unbearable was that his father had introduced him to a girlfriend, who was also a classmate from junior high school. He was quite satisfied with Lei Lei, but these past few days, every time they went on a date, Lei Lei had an ice block and a third wheel by her side.
"Alright, Lei Lei, it's too crowded here, let's go."
Qin Xuanbing frowned as she looked at the crowded people. She used to shop in Hong Kong at boutiques with personal staff, so she was not used to this kind of scene. She wished she had stayed at Lei Lei's house.
"It's Chinese New Year, the more people, the better the atmosphere. You'll get used to it. After we finish shopping, let's go to Zhuang Rui's house for dinner. Woody, are you happy to go?"
Liu Chuan's real intention in bringing the two of them here to shop today was to prepare for lunch at Zhuang Rui's house. He also had another idea in mind: wood and ice, and he could get rid of a third wheel—killing two birds with one stone.
"Welcome, old classmates! It's just that the place is small, I don't know if you would do me the honor of joining us."
Zhuang Rui naturally wouldn't refuse Liu Chuan's request. He merely glanced at Qin Xuanbing while speaking, sensing her coldness, and offered only a polite invitation.
"Okay, okay, pretty auntie, come to our house for dinner! Grandma's cooking is so delicious..."
The little girl loves lively atmospheres and clapped her hands happily.
Lei Lei looked at Qin Xuanbing with some difficulty. Qin Xuanbing had a straightforward personality and was quite happy to see Zhuang Rui. According to the customs in Pengcheng, if someone invites you to their home for dinner, you are definitely treated as a distinguished guest. However, Qin Xuanbing had a rather aloof personality, and Lei Lei was afraid that she might say something unpleasant.
"I'm fine with anything."
Unexpectedly, Qin Xuanbing did not refuse. She said calmly that she did not want to visit a stranger's home, but she had already caused Lei Lei a lot of trouble during her trip to Pengcheng. If she did not go, Lei Lei would probably refuse her.
"Alright, let's hurry up and leave after we've bought our things, it's too crowded here."
Liu Chuan first called Zhuang's mother to tell her that some friends would be coming to their house for dinner later, and then the group headed towards the shopping area.
Although Qin Xuanbing seemed aloof to Zhuang Rui, she clearly adored Xiao Nannan. In no time, her shopping cart was overflowing with clothes, food, toys, and a Barbie doll for Xiao Nannan, totaling over two thousand yuan. Zhuang Rui didn't have that much money on him and tried to take out the things he bought for Nannan several times, but Lei Lei stopped him each time.
"You're having an affair, aren't you? How did things develop so quickly? Come on, tell me the truth."