Chapter 240: Chasing the Murderer

"Zhuangzhuang!" Lin Weimin shouted during dinner.

Han Zhuangzhuang, who was busy eating, raised his head and asked, "What's wrong, uncle?"

Lin Weimin looked kind and asked, "How far have you progressed with the foreign girl?"

When Lin Weimin suddenly brought up this topic, Han Zhuangzhuang's face immediately became awkward, and even the rice in the bowl lost its fragrance.

"Uncle, it's not what you think. My relationship with Ge Li is purely friendship."

Lin Weimin nodded and said, "I understand, I understand. My uncle is just concerned about you. You are not young anymore, you should consider having a girlfriend."

He said casually, "It's not convenient for you to meet friends if you always live in my small courtyard. You young people should have your own space. The house next to the Forbidden City is vacant. You can move in there."

Han Zhuangzhuang was secretly delighted because the house in the Forbidden City was much bigger than the one he lived in now in Shichahai. He was about to agree when suddenly he seemed to remember something and his face changed.

"Uncle, are you...anything wrong with your body?"

Lin Weimin had three black lines on his forehead and tried hard to hold back the swear words that were about to come out of his mouth.

"Don't worry, uncle is in good health. I just think that you are already a grown-up and it's time for you to have your own space." Lin Weimin said earnestly.

Han Zhuangzhuang was moved and hugged Lin Weimin regardless of the rice grains on his mouth.

"Uncle, I know you treat me the best!"

You bastard, don't you know how to be gentle?

Lin Weimin pushed Han Zhuangzhuang away and continued to remind him: "The house is for you to live in, but you have to maintain the things inside and don't break them."

Han Zhuangzhuang patted his chest and said, "No problem, I will definitely clean up the yard for you, uncle."

Lin Weimin smiled and nodded, expressing his full trust in his eldest nephew.

The next day, Han Zhuangzhuang carried his bedding roll to the second courtyard next to the Forbidden City and excitedly pushed open the door of the main room.

"What is this?"

Lin Weimin walked in slowly from the back and said, "Oh, that's the painting I bought."

"Uncle, you are really a cultured person. You even bought paintings." Han Zhuangzhuang said with a smile.

Turning around again, another lacquered leather box came into view. "What is this?"

“This is the painting I bought.”

"Uncle, you bought a lot of paintings?"

"Yeah, it's cheap."

Han Zhuangzhuang fell silent until he saw the fourth box.

“Isn’t this also a painting?”

"My nephew is really smart."

Han Zhuangzhuang pushed open the doors of the other two main rooms, each of which was filled with several boxes. There was no doubt that they were the paintings bought by his uncle.

A rare trace of melancholy appeared on Han Zhuangzhuang's innocent young face.

At this time, a hand patted his shoulder, "Nephew, you have to take good care of these things for your uncle."

Han Zhuangzhuang turned to look at Lin Weimin and said with difficulty: "Uncle, I am your nephew."

Lin Weimin pressed his shoulders, his face full of sincerity, "It is because you are my nephew that my uncle entrusted you with such an important task. Do you know how much I spent on these paintings?"

"How much?"

"One hundred thousand?" Round it off and there's nothing wrong with it.

"How much?" Han Zhuangzhuang widened his eyes.

At this moment, he was extremely heartbroken.

My uncle, you are such a spendthrift. You spent 100,000 yuan to buy such lousy paintings.

"Zhuangzhuang, you won't let your uncle down, right?" Lin Weimin looked at Han Zhuangzhuang with kind eyes.

The eldest nephew also looked at his uncle and struggled for a long time in his mind, "Uncle, I am your nephew..."

This kid's eloquence is a little poor. He kept repeating the same sentence over and over again. Lin Weimin was about to speak, but he heard Han Zhuangzhuang squeeze out a sentence from between his teeth: "You have to pay!"

Lin Weimin was furious: "You are an unfilial person!"

He raised the painting tube and was about to hit him, but then he remembered that the paintings inside were worth several hundred yuan, so he put it down, pointed the painting tube at Han Zhuangzhuang and cursed: "I'm so good to you, your uncle!"

Han Zhuangzhuang had already run to the door by now, holding onto the door frame and shouting, "Brothers should settle accounts clearly. I am just keeping watch for you. Landlords have to pay their hired laborers!"

"I am your dear uncle!"

"I'm still your nephew!"

The uncle and nephew confronted each other for a long time, and it was Lin Weimin who compromised first. He said helplessly: "Okay, okay, what are your conditions?"

"Give me a color TV!"

Lin Weimin said angrily, "You're so lucky! How much would it cost to hire a night watchman?"

"Then go find a night watchman." Han Zhuangzhuang was fearless because he knew that Lin Weimin didn't trust others, otherwise he wouldn't have asked him to live with him.

"You idiot!" Lin Weimin cursed, "It's just a black and white one, take it or leave it!"

"Okay, you pay the electricity bill." Han Zhuangzhuang knows very well the principle of knowing when to quit.

"good."

Lin Weimin agreed to Han Zhuangzhuang's conditions while cursing, and then he went back into the house and was kicked by Lin Weimin.

Han Zhuangzhuang chuckled. It was good to live alone, but it was hard to sleep at night when he had nothing to do. It would be much better if he had a TV.

When the uncle and nephew went to buy daily necessities, they bought a 12-inch Yanjing brand black-and-white TV at the department store. Han Zhuangzhuang happily brought the TV back and tinkered with the antenna.

Looking at the TV which is a whole circle smaller than the one in Shichahai and is in black and white, the experience is definitely worse, but at least I don’t have to share a TV with my uncle anymore, how free!

When packing up, Han Zhuangzhuang set aside a main room for himself and the other two rooms for storing paintings.

The two men carried all the Yangjiang lacquer leather boxes on a bench. When the salesperson from the painting shop helped carry the boxes into the house, he specially sprinkled white ash and mothballs in the house.

Han Zhuangzhuang patted the suitcase and asked, "Uncle, is this thing resistant to snakes, insects, rats and ants?"

Yangjiang lacquered leather boxes are made of fir wood and are mostly wrapped with buffalo or sheepskin inside and outside. In the early years, they were often used as dowries for girls. Later, because of their unique workmanship and good light-proof, moisture-proof and sealing properties, they became containers for many collectors to preserve objects.

"It's moisture-proof and moth-proof, but it can't keep out mice. You have to come and check it from time to time. It's best to get a cat back."

When leaving the Heping Painting Shop after buying the painting, Manager Qi specifically explained to Lin Weimin the characteristics of this Yangjiang lacquered leather box.

"good."

"I'll see if I can get some safes to put these paintings in."

After cleaning up, I locked the door.

"Okay, I'll leave one key with you and I'll keep one for myself."

"good."

After explaining everything, Lin Weimin waved goodbye and prepared to leave the courtyard.

"Uncle!" Han Zhuangzhuang called him.

"What's wrong?" Lin Weimin turned his head and asked.

"Can I still go back to Shichahai?" Han Zhuangzhuang asked, with a hint of uneasiness on his face.

Lin Weimin said impatiently: "If you want to go back, go back. No one will cook for you!"

Han Zhuangzhuang grinned, "I know, it's okay, I won't go back."

"Don't bring anyone home randomly, unless it's your girlfriend," Lin Weimin warned.

"good."

It took two days to finally finish the painting.

Lin Weimin did some calculations and found that he spent 86,475.2 yuan on buying paintings. The lacquered leather suitcase was given to him for free by the art shop. He also bought a TV for his eldest nephew, which cost him 400 yuan, plus 30 yuan in foreign exchange coupons, which he used to buy the TV and plane tickets.

The total savings he had in the bank was just over 90,000 yuan, and after all the spending, only a small amount was left.

Fortunately, there are still 110,000 foreign exchange coupons that have not been moved, which is the big part.

After a while, when we have time, I will take Comrade Xiao Ma to raid those cultural relics shops and trust shops. Then the foreign exchange coupons will come in handy.

Lin Weimin sighed, after calculating, the little money he had was really too much to spend!

Besides, the 352 paintings purchased are basically works by well-known modern and contemporary domestic painters, including 3 paintings by Qi Baishi, 1 painting by Zhang Daqian, and 1 painting by Xu Beihong. The rest are paintings by painters such as Huang Binhong, Huang Yongyu, Li Keran, and Wang Xuetao, with each of them having dozens of paintings.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to expect these 300-plus paintings to appreciate in value by 10,000 or 20,000 times in 30 years, right?

Of course, Mr. Lin is a scholar, and buying paintings is not just for money.

The key point is that he is elegant!

The painting shopping is finally done and I have some free time.

Lin Weimin was writing a novel in his study room at night. He wanted to drink some tea, but the cup was empty. Lin Weimin subconsciously called out "Zhuangzhuang".

It took him a while to realize that his eldest nephew had been sacrificed by him.

It’s a bit hard to adapt to the sudden absence of someone at home.

When can we have a new baby imported?

After making himself a cup of tea, Lin Weimin continued his creation.

He was writing the avant-garde novel that he had promised to Ma Dudu, and he named it "Chasing the Murderer."

In this novel, Lin Weimin borrowed heavily from the narrative techniques and storylines of Christopher Nolan's later famous work "Memento" and the domestic film "The Chaser".

With these two excellent films as sources, the process of Lin Weimin creating "Chasing the Murderer" was not difficult. At least he did not need to waste so much time and energy on looking for information.

Including the time spent in the early stages, Lin Weimin spent nearly twenty days to finish writing this 110,000-word novel.

The efficiency has slightly decreased compared to its peak moment that year.

But he still deserves the nickname "Quick Gunman".

"Youth Literature" is affiliated with China Youth Publishing House, and at that time it was still crowded in the office of the literature editorial department.

The office is located in the dormitory building at No. 21, Dongsi 2nd Street, in the largest room in a small three-bedroom apartment on the sixth floor.

Lin Weimin pushed the door open and walked in. This small office looked very simple.

"Teacher Lin, why are you here?" Ma Dudu's face was full of surprise and unexpectedness when he saw Lin Weimin.

Lin Weimin smiled and waved the manuscript in his hand, "I'm here to give you this!"

Several editors who were working hard in the editorial department raised their heads and looked at Lin Weimin. They got some information from the few words of the conversation just now.

Thinking about the topic that Ma Dudu had mentioned in the office before, several people's faces became excited.

"Lin Weimin?" A young man sitting in the aisle at the door exclaimed in surprise.

Then he realized his impoliteness and nodded apologetically to Lin Weimin, "Teacher Lin!"

Lin Weimin smiled and waved at him, "It's okay. We should be about the same age, so it's appropriate to call each other by our first names."

Ma Dudu quickly introduced his colleagues to Lin Weimin. The young man who had just exclaimed Lin Weimin's name was Huang Bintang, who was assigned to the editorial department of "Youth Literature" last year.

Just as Ma Dudu was introducing, colleagues in other rooms on the sixth floor heard the noise and some of them came over. When they heard that Lin Weimin had arrived, there were exclamations in the office from time to time.

Lin Weimin's arrival at Youth Literature caused a sensation in the editorial department.

The third update will be at noon.

(End of this chapter)