Grandpa Gu has two sons and three daughters. His eldest son couldn't come today because he had something to do, but all the daughters and the youngest son were there, and the dinner was a happy one. While eating, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but think of his maternal grandfather and his family. He thought that if he were in Yuquan Mountain now, it would probably be the same.
"Xiao Zhuang, come with me for a moment."
After dinner, the old man called out to Zhuang Rui. He went into his study. In this courtyard, there were two places that no one dared to enter without the old man's permission: one was Gu Tianfeng's study, and the other was where he worked, carving jade.
After sitting down in the study, Gu Tianfeng saw Zhuang Rui busy pouring water and making tea. He laughed and got straight to the point, saying, "Alright, stop busying yourself. Tell me, what do you need your uncle to do this time?"
Gu Tianfeng didn't believe that Zhuang Rui had come just to give him the Four Treasures of the Study. Besides, he hadn't told Zhuang Rui about his son's job. Based on his understanding of Zhuang Rui, he must have something to ask of him.
"Hehe, Senior Uncle, you have such sharp eyes, you could even see that..."
"Get out of here! Those fiery eyes are Sun Wukong's! Hurry up and tell me, I still miss your set of writing materials. If you don't tell me soon, I'll forget about it."
The old man chuckled and scolded Zhuang Rui.
"It's like this, Uncle-Master, my mother has found my maternal grandparents in Beijing. In three or four months, it will be my grandfather's 90th birthday. I'm looking for something to celebrate his birthday. Do you think that piece of multicolored jade from last time could be carved into a peach?"
Zhuang Rui remembered the multicolored jade stone he had obtained from Xinjiang last time. The center of the stone was pink and it was about the size of a fist. It should be easy to carve it into a peach. When his mother mentioned the gift, Zhuang Rui immediately thought of this stone. However, the stone had already been given to Gu Tianfeng. Even if Zhuang Rui had this idea, he would need Gu Tianfeng's permission first.
Zhuang Rui then revealed his maternal grandfather's name. He wasn't trying to show off his family background, but there was no need to hide it from his Uncle Gu.
"It's him, then we need to think about this item carefully."
Gu Tianfeng was very familiar with the name of Zhuang Rui's maternal grandfather, because many TV series and movies were adapted from the real-life story of Zhuang Rui's maternal grandfather.
Old Gu closed his eyes and began to think, his right index finger still gesturing on the table. After a good seven or eight minutes, the old man opened his eyes, a sly look flashing in them, and said, "I can make that item for you, but you have to do me a favor."
While the old man was deep in thought, Zhuang Rui didn't even dare to breathe loudly. Now, after hearing the old man's confident words, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Uncle-Master, just tell me what you need. Don't talk about helping or not."
The old man smiled slightly, stood up, took a box about half a meter in size from a bookshelf, placed it on the table, and opened it. Zhuang Rui found that there were more than a dozen jade pendants and ornaments inside, as well as two small decorative items. Zhuang Rui was a little confused and looked up at the old man.
Old Gu pushed the box in front of Zhuang Rui and said, "Some of the jade inside are real and some are fake. Take a look and see if you can pick out the fakes."
"Hehe, Uncle-Master, are you testing me? I've put in a lot of effort to study jade these past few days."
Zhuang Rui said arrogantly, but when he lowered his head, he released the spiritual energy in his eyes. He had been busy non-stop lately and had no time to study jade. However, with these eyes, it was no problem for Zhuang Rui to distinguish between real and fake jade.
Zhuang Rui deliberately picked up each item one by one and examined them with a magnifying glass. After lingering for more than ten minutes, he picked out a pendant, two jade pendants, and a decorative piece, saying, "Uncle-Master, please take a look..."
"Hmm, not bad, you've picked them all out. Can you name the fake materials?"
Old Gu nodded, a look of appreciation in his eyes.
"These two pendants are probably made of resin. This jade pendant is made of nephrite, not jadeite. As for this ornament, it's also nephrite, but with a hint of green. Uncle-Master, am I right?"
After arranging the items for a while, Zhuang Rui shared his insights.
"Alright, now you're qualified to help me."
Gu Tianfeng laughed, took out a large red invitation card from the drawer of the table, handed it to Zhuang Rui, and said, "There is an appraisal program on Beijing TV the day after tomorrow, and they have invited me to be a guest appraiser for jade items. You can go in my place."
Chapter 307 Forcing a Duck onto a Shelf
"You want me to... be a guest judge on TV?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned when he heard this. He even started to stammer. Although he had a good mental fortitude, he had never been on television before. Hearing this news for the first time, he thought he had misheard.
"That's right, it's about being a guest judge on TV..."
The old man repeated Zhuang Rui's words.
"No, no, absolutely not, Uncle Master. I've only been in this line of work for less than a year. If something goes wrong, wouldn't that be a disgrace to you?"
Seeing that Old Master Gu didn't seem to be joking, Zhuang Rui shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly. He always flattered the old man, emphasizing keeping a low profile and focusing on making money. He always avoided the limelight, like when he was injured in Zhonghai and the TV station asked for an interview, which he refused.
The old man smiled and looked at Zhuang Rui, encouraging him, "I said you can do it. You can do it. You're so young, you should have some drive."
"Uncle-Master, aren't you forcing me into this? I have no experience in appraising objects in front of others. What if I mess it up?"
Zhuang Rui still refused. This was too unreliable. He could already imagine the way people would look at him as he sat with a group of old men to appraise antiques.
"If you don't try, you'll never gain experience. What's the big deal if you mess up? I still make mistakes and have to pay my dues all the time. I can afford to lose face, so why can't you?"
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was unmoved by reason, Gu Lao became somewhat angry and raised his voice.
"This old man has his eye on me..."
Zhuang Rui was somewhat helpless, but when his eyes fell on the big red invitation, he looked around and said, "Uncle-Master, this TV station invited you. Wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate for me to go instead?"
Gu Tianfeng looked at Zhuang Rui with a half-smile and said, "Look at that post, my name is written on it?"
Zhuang Rui had been busy making excuses ever since he heard the news and hadn't even looked at the invitation. He picked it up from the table, opened it, and was immediately speechless. The invitation didn't specify who was invited; it was sent to the Jade Association, hoping they could send a jade appraisal expert to fully cooperate with the on-site treasure appraisal event.
Moreover, this on-site treasure appraisal event is not being held in Beijing, but rather jointly organized by Beijing TV and Shandong TV. The appraisal location is in Jinan, Shandong, a historical and cultural city, and the event will take place the day after tomorrow.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's face turn red and then pale, Old Master Gu smiled and said, "It won't take long, just two days to make the round trip. It won't interfere with your business in Beijing. As for your courtyard house, I'll have Xiaoyun keep an eye on it for you..."
Well, the old man had shut down Zhuang Rui's last excuse. Helpless, he could only nod and say, "I'll go, but Uncle-Master, with so many experts in our Jade Association, why are you sending a novice like me?"
Zhuang Rui was indeed somewhat puzzled. If something went wrong at the appraisal event, it would be a disgrace to the Jade Association.
Old Gu glanced at Zhuang Rui and said, "Young Zhuang, I recommended you for this position as a director of the Jade Association. You are also the youngest among them. In many things, results speak louder than words!"
Zhuang Rui didn't really value the position of director of the Jade Association, and said with a bitter face, "Uncle-Master, I'm just a figurehead in the association."
"You brat, why can't you understand what your old man means? How many more years can I work? After this, it'll all be your world, young people's world, won't it? Let me tell you..."
The old man looked at Zhuang Rui with a hint of disappointment. This silly boy usually seemed very clever, so how come he couldn't even understand what he meant? He then explained it to him carefully.
After hearing the old man's words, Zhuang Rui finally understood. It turned out that the old man was helping him build momentum. Although the Jade Association was not an official organization, it was a legitimate and authoritative institution for jade testing in China, and the certificates it issued were recognized by all jewelry companies.
The annual turnover of jade sales in China reaches tens of billions of yuan. To sell at high prices and gain consumer recognition, one needs an appraisal certificate from an appraisal institution under the Jade Association. This is a huge market, and the people qualified to set the rules and share the profits are none other than the thirty or forty directors of the association.
Of course, there are also many people who don't care about anything, like Song Jun and Zhuang Rui. They don't even know which way the Jade Association's main gate faces. The power of the association is basically in the hands of a few directors and the chairman and vice-chairman.
However, as Mr. Gu gets older, he is no longer able to keep up with the activities of some associations. That's why he thought of pushing Zhuang Rui forward as his representative. In a few years, when Zhuang Rui is older, he can naturally accept his current position. It can be considered as helping Zhuang Rui get started and giving him a boost.
Although he understood Gu Lao's meaning, Zhuang Rui felt both grateful and somewhat helpless towards the old man. He could feel Gu Lao's unreserved support for him, but to be honest, Zhuang Rui didn't really value the position of vice chairman of the Jade Association.
Power also means responsibility. If you were to actually sit in that position, there would probably be a lot of things to deal with. In the past six months, Zhuang Rui has become quite lazy. He admits that he wouldn't be able to go back to a nine-to-five lifestyle.
"What's wrong? You look down on this position as a council member of the association? You're not interested in this expert status?"
Gu Tianfeng, a shrewd and experienced man, saw through Zhuang Rui's thoughts at a glance. He knew Zhuang Rui was now quite wealthy. He was sure Zhuang Rui would have similar thoughts; anyone would feel the same way. With hundreds of millions in assets, why bother with so many things? Just live a carefree life!
Furthermore, since Zhuang Rui isn't in the manufacturing industry, he doesn't need to bear any social responsibility. He can simply focus on his own little plot of land, and with the financial support of a jade mine behind him, it seems that Zhuang Rui really doesn't need to do anything else.
Zhuang Rui nodded, readily admitting it. In his mind, experts were all old men with long beards and gray hair, seemingly having nothing to do with him, a pure and innocent young virgin who was not yet married. As for the jade association's piece of the pie, with his wealth, he really couldn't be interested in it.
This time, Gu Lao wasn't angry. Instead, he said earnestly, "Xiao Zhuang, humans are social animals. How much a person can develop in the future depends entirely on how broad their vision is. You've won big in jade gambling several times and are now quite wealthy. But can you guarantee that you'll have good luck for the rest of your life?"
That's definitely impossible, so you need to improve yourself. The Jade Association is a platform for training. If you can achieve success in this industry, you will be able to achieve twice the results with half the effort no matter what you do in the future.
By the way, the Jade Association can provide guidance on market jade prices. Having a voice in this market would benefit the development of jade mines in Xinjiang.
The old man's words made Zhuang Rui fall into deep thought. Although the old man did not directly point out that he was a bit impetuous, Zhuang Rui felt that he had become somewhat arrogant recently. After having money, he did not take many things seriously. But what should he do if the spiritual energy in his eyes disappeared?
Moreover, the identity of an expert is entirely beneficial to him. With this identity as a cover, it won't seem so abrupt when he finds bargains on Taobao or makes money gambling on stones.
Having understood all this, Zhuang Rui was incredibly grateful to Grandpa Gu. He stood up, bowed to the old man, and said, "Uncle-Master, I understand. I'll go to this treasure appraisal event..."
"Hehe, it's good that you understand. People can't be narrow-minded. Gemstones aren't just found in China. You can participate in the association's international exchanges in the future. Emeralds from Brazil, sapphires from Sri Lanka, and diamonds from South Africa are all gemstones and are quite valuable. You still have a lot to learn."
"Senior Uncle, I understand. What was the situation regarding this on-site appraisal? Is there anything you need to tell me?"
Zhuang Rui was filled with anticipation for the gems the old man had mentioned. He knew he would definitely visit their origins someday. Of course, Zhuang Rui was aiming to find some bargains. Although the moon might not be as bright abroad as it is in China, he was sure that money earned overseas would feel much better to spend.
After pondering for a while, the old man said, "You are definitely not a problem with identifying jadeite, but nephrite is your weakness. You should observe more and speak less. If you don't understand something, just say you're not sure. There shouldn't be much knowledge about jade identification. I heard that you also have some knowledge of antique appreciation. You can also exchange ideas with your colleagues."
Old Master Gu's words made Zhuang Rui laugh. The phrase "I'm not sure" is universally applicable. Although it's only three words, its meaning is vast. It can be interpreted as the price being fake, and that he's saying it to save face for you. Or it can be interpreted literally as, "I'm really not sure," just like "King!"
Writing the characters backwards makes no difference; it won't make you look foolish or lose face.
However, after hearing what the old man said, Zhuang Rui became somewhat interested in this treasure appraisal event. Putting aside everything else, meeting some seniors in the antique industry would be a good learning opportunity. Zhuang Rui's interest in antiques has always been greater than that in jade and gemstones.
"What are you doing loitering outside the door? Come in, you sneaky thing."
Grandpa Gu suddenly called out towards the door. As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yun pushed the door open and walked in, saying, "Dad, you have such sharp eyes! How could you spot me like that?"
"In your hearts, I'm like Sun Wukong, aren't I? Alright, stop arguing with me, just tell me what you want to say..."
The old man was both amused and exasperated by his son's words. This kid, just like Zhuang Rui, was praising people like monkeys. So he simply got up and went out to play with his grandson.
Chapter 308 Demolition and Reconstruction
Gu Yun had indeed been wandering around outside for half a day. Although his company was doing well now, there wasn't a daily supply of ancient building work. There were always a few months of the year when they were idle. Right now, both of his construction teams were out of work. Of course, even when people were idle, their wages still had to be paid, which was a considerable expense. For a company like Gu Yun's, it wasn't worthwhile to do small jobs. The little money they earned wasn't even enough to cover the workers' subsidies. However, before dinner, he heard Zhuang Rui say that his courtyard house was over 2,000 square meters, so Gu Yun thought about taking on the job. Such a large-scale ancient building renovation, even without cutting corners on materials, could still allow the company to make a small profit just from the labor costs.
Gu Yun had originally planned to talk to Zhuang Rui after dinner to get more details about the situation, but his father pulled him away and they talked for half a day before Gu Yun finally came to wander around the door.
After understanding Gu Yun's meaning, Zhuang Rui laughed and explained the situation of the courtyard house to him. After listening, Gu Yun frowned.
"What's wrong, Brother Gu? Is something the problem?"
Zhuang Rui asked, somewhat puzzled.
Gu Yun thought for a moment and said, "According to what you said, that courtyard hasn't been inhabited for three or four years and hasn't been repaired for more than ten years. I'm afraid there might be problems with the internal structure of those houses. If that's the case, it'll be a bit troublesome. Don't worry, let's take a look tomorrow and talk about it..."
Zhuang Rui nodded. Even if those houses were no longer habitable, they could simply be demolished and rebuilt. According to Ouyang Jun, the land there was worth at least 50 to 60 million yuan, so he wouldn't lose money.
After giving Gu Yun the address of the courtyard house and arranging a meeting time for the next day, Zhuang Rui bid farewell to the Gu family. He had originally planned to help his mother prepare a birthday gift for his grandfather, but by a twist of fate, he had stumbled upon a courtyard house construction company and even gotten a job from Grandpa Gu. Zhuang Rui felt his luck was exceptionally good. ...
"Hey, Wood, I'm going back to Pengcheng tomorrow, are you coming?"
Halfway there in the car heading towards Yuquan Mountain, the phone rang, and Zhuang Rui suddenly remembered that he had left Liu Chuan at Ouyang Jun's club.
"I can't leave. I'm afraid it will take another 10 days or so. You should go back first."
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Rui turned the car around and drove towards Ouyang Jun's club. He had been extremely busy all day. Bai Shi was still inside the club and hadn't eaten yet. Zhuang Rui knew that Bai Shi would never eat anything from outsiders except for himself, his mother, and his older sister.
Back at the club, Zhuang Rui first got some food for Bai Shi, then chatted with Liu Chuan for a bit before driving Bai Shi toward Yuquan Mountain. He was going to Shandong the day after tomorrow, a two-day round trip, and he couldn't let Bai Shi go hungry for two days.
When Zhuang Rui arrived at the gate of the sanatorium in Yuquan Mountain, he was stopped from entering. He had come with Ouyang Zhenwu a few days ago, but now that he was here on his own, he was stopped by the armed police at the gate. They only recognized people by their credentials, not by their identities. In addition, the huge size of the white lion in the car made them even more reluctant to let Zhuang Rui in.
Finally, it was Ouyang Gang's bodyguard who came to the door and led Zhuang Rui inside.
The old woman had a regular schedule and was already asleep by nine o'clock. Zhuang Rui talked to his mother for a while, told her about his plans to go out in the next few days, and handed the white lion over to his mother.
Ouyang Wan had no ties to Pengcheng, so she planned to stay there permanently. The environment of Yuquan Mountain suited her quiet personality well, and since she hadn't been able to take care of her parents for decades, it was time to do so. Zhuang Min, on the other hand, was restless. She had only been there for a day and was already thinking about returning to Pengcheng. She planned to leave tomorrow and come back with Zhao Guodong in a while, but she would leave Nannan behind to keep the elderly company.
Seeing that his mother was alright, Zhuang Rui felt relieved. Before going to bed, he went to his grandparents' room and secretly used his spiritual energy to cleanse their bodies again before returning to his own room to sleep. ...