Chapter 066 The Sixty-Sixth Melon

No matter how Liu Suxiang thought about it, she felt that something was not right.

Her uncle and aunt had been extremely mean to her and her daughter in the past. One time, when Liu Suxiang had a fever, her mother had just paid the rent and had no money to send the child to the hospital, so she went to the Liu family for help, hoping to borrow at least 10 or 20 yuan.

Liu Weiwen and his wife could feed the dog beef that cost more than ten yuan per pound while saying that the family had no money and that they should mind their own business after the family split up.

Such an immoral and heartless couple would suddenly change their temper today and buy their house for 50% higher than the market price.

No matter how she thought about it, Liu Suxiang felt that this matter was strange.

"What are you thinking about, so dark-mouthed and somber so early in the morning?"

The female colleague bumped into Liu Suxiang while changing clothes and asked.

Liu Suxiang finally came to her senses and put her changed clothes in the locker. "Nothing, just something happened at home and I can't figure it out. Can you help me think about whether I am overthinking it?"

She told her female colleague about what happened at home.

The female colleague was stunned for a moment, put on her uniform, and said, "Of course you are right to think so. 50% is a big deal. Although your apartment is small, it is worth two million at least. Half of it is one million. For no reason, someone suddenly gave your family one million, and they are bad relatives who have not been in contact for many years. Oh my, I think it is simply a show of kindness without any reason - it is either a traitor or a thief!"

Liu Suxiang breathed a sigh of relief, "You think so too, which proves that I'm not overthinking!"

"You have to think this through carefully. You've already said that they are evil relatives. Maybe they knew that your house was going to be demolished and came to buy it in advance."

The female colleague kindly reminded me: "My aunt's house was demolished and they bought two houses. The total amount of money in and out was more than one million."

"That's impossible. Our unit was built only a few years ago. There's no reason for it to be demolished here."

Liu Suxiang shook her head and said.

The female colleague was about to say something when a colleague next to her came over. Apparently, he had also been listening for a while. Hearing what she said, he said, "It's not that, so why don't you just ask the master who helped us find someone before to help you calculate it?"

"Ms. Gu?" Liu Suxiang was stunned for a moment and thought of Gu Xicao.

The colleague said, "Yes, that's her. I think she is really capable. And I heard that her fee is not expensive, only 188. For peace of mind, it would be a good idea to ask her to help calculate it."

The price of 188 is really not expensive. The wages in Hong Kong are high. For example, the staff at the amusement park can earn 7,000 to 8,000 yuan a month.

Liu Suxiang can afford this money.

She had not thought of this approach before, but after her colleague reminded her of it, she actually thought it was a good idea.

The next day was a holiday, and Liu's mother invited Liu Weiwen and his wife to look at a house at home.

Jin Liu walked around the room, and Liu's mother looked around with him, saying with a smile, "Well, our room is a little small, but it has a balcony, and it's well ventilated. The clothes are dried in the morning after being hung out to dry. The feng shui is very good, you see."

"Okay, okay, use it as a dog house for me, I hate it..."

As soon as Jin Liu finished speaking, Liu Weiwen bumped her arm and winked at her, signaling her to pay attention to what she said.

Jin Liu curled her lips and crossed her arms, "It's okay, it looks like it's still habitable."

"Then you see..." Liu's mother rubbed her hands and smiled: "Why don't we settle it today? I have prepared the bank card and ID card. If you are willing, you can do it today..."

Before Liu's mother finished speaking, the sound of a lock being unlocked was heard at the door.

Liu Suxiang opened the door and was stunned when she saw that there was someone at home. She turned her head to look at Gu Xicao, then turned back and said, "Mom, didn't I tell you not to worry about this? Why did you bring these two people here?!"

Liu's mother hurriedly waved her hands at Liu Suxiang and winked at her: Silly girl, don't be so stingy with money, be careful with your words.

Liu Weiwen and Jin Liu looked at Liu's mother: "Sister-in-law, what's going on? Didn't you and your daughter discuss this matter? We don't have to buy your house. With 50% more, we can buy a house anywhere!"

Mother Liu smiled naturally, "Second Uncle, the little girl is ignorant. Why are you arguing with her? She just doesn't want to move."

Liu Suxiang was helpless. She had clearly told her mother earlier that there was no need to rush to sell the house. She didn't expect that her mother agreed verbally but actually acted without her permission behind her back.

He was probably afraid that she would get angry, so he would rather suffer a loss than sell it to his second uncle and others.

Fortunately, Master Gu asked her to come back quickly, otherwise if the deal was done, it would be useless for her to regret it.

"You are reluctant to move? That's easy. There are other houses in this building. You can rent someone else's house." Liu Weiwen said considerately: "But, except for your clothes, you are not allowed to take anything else in this house. We will give you two extra months' rent to rent a house."

Liu Weiwen's generosity surprised his mother.

Liu Suxiang simply said, "Second Uncle, you don't have to say anything. We are not selling this house!"

"Don't want to sell? Aren't you kidding us? We've come here from thousands of miles away and made several trips here. Why didn't you tell me earlier that you didn't want to sell it?!" Jin Liu was furious and looked at Liu Suxiang with anger in his eyes.

Liu Suxiang ignored her and looked at Gu Xicao: "Master, you said there is something in our family that is priceless. What is it?"

Priceless?!

Liu Weiwen and his wife's faces suddenly changed.

Mother Liu was also stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "A Xiang, what nonsense are you talking about? We don't have such a thing in our house!"

Liu Suxiang didn't really believe it at first, so she asked for leave today to go to Gu Xicao for fortune-telling. After Gu Xicao learned her purpose, he told her that there was a treasure hidden in her house. Liu Suxiang thought it was ridiculous at the time.

What kind of treasure could there be in that room of theirs?

When she and her daughter were driven out of the Liu family, they were penniless and could not take any jewelry with them. They only took some of her father's belongings.

But now that Gu Xicao mentioned that her mother would bring her second uncle and others here, maybe the matter about the baby is true.

"Whether there is one or not, let the master take a look and we will know." Liu Suxiang pulled Liu's mother over and whispered, "Mom, think about it carefully. They came to our house for no reason and gave us so much extra money. Don't you think it's strange?"

Of course, Liu's mother knew something was fishy.

But wasn't she willing to do so because she thought that there was nothing worth others' concern about her and her daughter?

Seeing her mother hesitate, Liu Suxiang looked at Gu Xicao and said, "Master, please tell me which one is the treasure."

Gu Xicao said: "The treasure is one of the paintings left by your father."

A painting?

Mother Liu frowned and said, "Her father has a lot of paintings, at least 20 or 30."

"Yes, those paintings were drawn by my eldest brother himself. How can they be called treasures? It's really hilarious!"

Liu Weiwen was panic-stricken and afraid that the duck in his mouth would fly away, so he sneered.

He tugged at his wife's sleeve, and Jin Liu reacted and quickly agreed: "That's right, a painting is nothing compared to a treasure, it's not like we haven't seen any good things before!"

Gu Xicao looked at Liu's mother and asked, "When your husband was in the mainland, did he have many friends?"

Mother Liu hesitated and said, "That's true, but how do you know? My husband has been dead for many years."

"Mom, he's a fortune teller, there's nothing he can't predict."

Liu Suxiang said, "I'll tell you the truth. We came back suddenly this time because the master figured out that you were going to sell the house to your second uncle and his family. We rushed back here. You see, they are really capable and not just talking nonsense. Maybe there really is a valuable painting among my father's relics."

"Fortune teller?" Liu's mother was surprised.

Gu Xicao said, "One of those paintings depicts withered lotus and listening to the rain. You should have an impression of it, right?"

Liu's mother nodded mechanically, her eyes full of surprise: "This painting is my husband's favorite. He admired it every day when he was alive and didn't allow us to touch it. I asked him, and he said it was given to him by a good friend."

"That painting is by Zhang Daqian."

Gu Xicao said: "Mr. Zhang Daqian has passed away for several years, but the value of his works is getting higher and higher every year. I think this painting is worth at least more than one million."

Zhang Daqian's paintings?!

Everyone's mind buzzed.

Especially Liu's mother and daughter, they never thought that there was such a valuable painting hidden in their home.

"You are kidding me, Zhang Daqian's paintings are very valuable, how can my elder brother have such a painting?"

Liu Weiwen's face was almost as black as the bottom of a pot, but he was still stubborn and pointed his finger at Gu Xicao: "Don't talk nonsense, sister-in-law, I advise you not to believe what others say. That painting may not be Zhang Daqian's. You'd better take the money and sell the house to us."

Although Liu's mother is greedy, it is precisely because of her greed that she is not stupid.

She was dizzy with the pie in the sky of Zhang Daqian's painting. Seeing that her second uncle and second aunt still insisted on buying a house, she suddenly had an idea, "How about this? We will still sell the house to you, but we will take away all of Ah Xiang's old man's belongings. What do you think? Is this okay?"

Liu Weiwen and his wife looked as if they had eaten a fly.

Especially Jin Liu, who laughed out of anger, put one hand on her waist, pointed at Liu's mother and said, "Sister-in-law, you are dreaming. You have taken advantage of the good thing and you want to sell the house to us. Don't you even take a look at this shabby house of yours? Is it worth three million?"

"Oh, so you mean you really came here for my father's paintings?"

Liu Suxiang reacted immediately, seized the loophole in Jin Liu's words, and asked back.

Jin Liu was speechless and stammered when asked.

"Mom, that's enough. We won't sell this house!" Liu Suxiang rolled her eyes at her uncle and the others, then turned to Jin Liu and said, "We have that painting, we are already rich, why would we want this million!"

"A Xiang, don't speak too soon. Who knows whether the painting is real or fake?"

Liu Weiwen was indeed the man who had driven his niece and sister-in-law out of the house. Even after his and his wife's little calculations were discovered, he said confidently: "Yes, we knew that there was a painting by Zhang Daqian among Big Brother's relics, but we were also thinking about you. Who knows whether the painting is real or fake? After all, there were many fake antiques and paintings that Big Brother bought before. We can afford the loss. Can you afford it?"

Upon hearing this, Liu's mother smiled and puffed out her chest, "Don't worry, we will take it to someone for identification to see if it's real. You don't have to worry about it."

"There is Su Shibei Auction House in Hong Kong," Gu Xicao kindly reminded, "If necessary, you can take the painting there for appraisal now. If you want to cash it out, the other party will be willing to offer a suitable price."

???

Liu Weiwen and his wife obviously did not expect this reaction from Liu's mother.

What I didn't expect was that Gu Xicao, the fortune teller, would actually provide this service.

"Sister-in-law, you have to think carefully. The painting may not be real. If it is fake, we will not buy this house. You will suffer a great loss." Liu Weiwen panicked and quickly spoke up to stop them.

But Liu's mother said decisively: "Don't worry about it, we will take care of it ourselves. Now, let's go to the auction house for appraisal!"

Liu Suxiang was a little surprised at this moment. She pulled her mother's hand aside and said, "Mom, why are you so anxious to identify it?"

"It's only a matter of time. Wouldn't it be better to confirm it sooner rather than later?"

Mother Liu whispered, "And if it's real, it's better to sell it sooner rather than leaving it at home and attracting thieves."

She pointed at Liu Weiwen and his wife.

Liu Suxiang understood now and immediately said, "Then let's go now."

Liu Weiwen and his wife looked at each other, both of them looked unhappy.

Jin Liu quickly put on a smile and said, "Sister-in-law, don't be so impulsive. The auction house of Su Shibi is so high-end. How can they pay attention to you if you go there? And if they switch the property with you, you won't even have a place to cry."

"That's not the case."

Gu Xicao took out Gu Yue'e's business card from her bag and said, "It just so happens that I know a friend whose family has a wide network of contacts. Maybe she knows someone from Su Shibi's side. I'll do my best to ask for you guys."

Liu Suxiang was so overjoyed that she quickly said, "That's really unforgettable. Master, there's a phone call over here!"

Liu Weiwen and his wife were so angry when they saw Gu Xicao going over to make a phone call.

Jin Liu squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth: "Who is that master? Why is he so domineering?!"

"Who knows? Maybe he is just pretending to be a jerk. If he really knows some rich people, would he need to tell fortunes for poor people like Ah Xiang and her mother and daughter?!" Liu Weiwen was annoyed and worried.

Gu Yue'e agreed readily and said, "There is a manager at Su Shibi who is responsible for connecting with us. So, I will call them. You want to authenticate Zhang Daqian's paintings, right?"

"Yes, if possible, the owner also plans to send it for auction."

Gu Xicao said.

Gu Yue'e smiled and said, "That's great. There are very few paintings by Zhang Daqian on the market now, and collectors are reluctant to sell them. Your painting might cause a sensation. I'll contact someone here, and you can just take a car over there."

Gu Xicao thanked him and hung up the phone.

Mother Liu and Liu Suxiang looked at Gu Xicao nervously: "What's going on?"

Gu Xicao said: "My friend is already helping us contact people, we just need to take the things over here."

"Stop bragging. We are Su Shi Bi. Do you think it is a convenience store? Go there right away and we will have it."

Liu Weiwen sneered and felt completely relieved.

He was worried just now that Gu Xicao might really know some important person, but now after hearing what Gu Xicao said, he felt relieved.

Based on his previous experiences at Susby, it took several days to contact people and have the other party arrange employees to come for the appraisal.

Even a rich man like him still needs to go through so much trouble.

Gu Xicao is just a little girl, how could she know any important person?

Unless she knows someone from the four major families.

"Whether you believe it or not is none of my business," Gu Xicao looked at Liu Weiwen in confusion, sneered, and turned to Liu's mother and said, "Aunt, take your things with you, and we'll leave now."

"well!"

Liu's mother was well aware of the principle of trusting people when employing them, and not employing them if you don't trust them. Without saying a word, she went back to the room, took out the painting, and followed Liu Suxiang and the others out.

"Hey, sister-in-law, you really want to leave?!"

Seeing that everyone in the group had gotten into a taxi, Liu Weiwen hurriedly chased after them, "Think it over carefully, don't let others cheat you when you turn around, don't you know it?"

"Uncle, I'm not going to be cheated by you, that's all." Liu Suxiang rolled up the window and said to the driver, "Driver, we can go now."

The driver remained silent, stepped on the accelerator, leaving a cloud of black smoke.

Liu Weiwen and his wife stared at the taillights of the receding car in amazement.

Jin Liu covered her mouth with a handkerchief, coughed a few times, and said anxiously, "Husband, what should we do now? They said they want two million to buy that painting!"

"What should I do? How would I know? The most important thing now is to catch up with him!"

Liu Weiwen didn't have time to think too much, and hurriedly took the car keys and drove to catch up with Gu Xicao and the others' car.

In order to catch up with the taxi, Liu Weiwen ran red lights all the way and finally arrived at the door of the auction house. Liu Weiwen and his wife chased after the taxi and held Liu's mother's hand.

Mother Liu staggered and nearly fell. She turned around and saw that it was Liu Weiwen and the others. She immediately shook off Liu Weiwen's hand in annoyance: "Second Uncle, what are you doing? What does this have to do with you now? We have already said that no matter whether it is true or not, it has nothing to do with you!"

"Sister-in-law, you can't say that."

Liu Weiwen put on a polite smile, "We are all relatives after all. My eldest brother died so many years ago. It's our fault for not taking good care of you and your daughter. But this is such a big deal. You have to think carefully. I don't know where Ah Xiang found this woman. She's so naughty. She might be a liar. If your painting falls into her hands, what if it's replaced?"

"You strawberry, apple, orange, don't act wild here. You didn't say these things before, but now that people have kindly arranged it for us, you come out to make trouble. Do you really think your sister-in-law is a fool who can be fooled easily?"

Mother Liu was annoyed and pointed at Liu Weiwen's nose and cursed, "I'm warning you, don't come with me again, or I won't be polite to you."

Liu Weiwen never thought that the cowardly and easily bullied sister-in-law in his impression would actually become such a shrew. People around him looked over here.

Liu Weiwen and his wife were very proud and their faces turned red.

Jin Liu hooked her husband's hand and said indignantly, "Okay, sister-in-law, we are kind-hearted but you think we are nothing. Then let's see what your master can do. This place is Su Shibei Auction House. People who come in and out are either rich or noble. What kind of people are you to be qualified to be entertained immediately? Are you the Queen of England?"

"Excuse me, are you the guests introduced by Miss Gu?"

Just as Jin Liu finished speaking, several men in suits walked out of the auction house's door and headed towards this side.

The leading man was in his early thirties, with a lean build and gold-rimmed glasses. When he saw Gu Xicao and her group, he was stunned for a moment but remained friendly, "Which one is Miss Gu?"

"That's me."

Gu Xicao raised her hand and said, "But they are the ones who need to authenticate the calligraphy and paintings."

"Oh, it's okay. The wind is a bit strong today. Why don't we go inside first?" the man said, and Gu Xicao and others followed.

When Liu Weiwen and his wife saw the man, they were stunned.

Jin Liu hesitated and whispered, "Honey, isn't that Manager Sun from the auction house?"

"Maybe he looks similar, but it's not necessarily him. Besides, who is Manager Sun? How can he have the time to greet these ordinary people?"

Liu Weiwen's face turned pale and blue. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. He hurried over to see what was going on.

But two security guards at the door stopped the man.

"What are you doing? We are regular customers here, let us in!"

Liu Weiwen's face turned red with anger, and he pushed the security guard's hand away in panic.

The two security guards were firm: "Excuse me, do you have an appointment?"

"Make an appointment?!" Liu Weiwen knew that he had to make an appointment to go in, but now the Liu mother and daughter, whom he and his wife looked down upon, were respectfully invited in, but they were stopped at the door. How could such a thing happen in the world? "Do I still need to make an appointment? The people who just went in were my sister-in-law and niece. They were able to go in, so why can't we go in?"

"Then wait a moment, we'll go in and confirm."

The two security guards looked at each other, and one of them turned and went in. Liu Weiwen and his wife wanted to take this opportunity to go in, but the security guard next to them calmly showed the gun at his waist.

The couple immediately became obedient.

After a while, the security guard who had gone in came back and looked at Liu Weiwen and his wife with a strange expression. "It has been confirmed. The person the guest said is indeed a relative, but we are not familiar with him. You two should wait outside."

"What?!"

Liu Weiwen and his wife were so angry that they almost died.

Jin Liu stamped her feet in anger: "It must be your niece. I've said long ago that niece is cunning and holds grudges. No matter what we say, she's always talking about her elders. Such a big thing, how can it be possible without us watching."

"This painting is indeed the work of Mr. Zhang Daqian."

The appraiser put down the magnifying glass, took off his gloves, and was pleasantly surprised: "Moreover, the finished product was made in 1977. It is a rare masterpiece."

Zhang's mother's heart was beating fast, and she asked stutteringly, "Does that mean this painting is more valuable?"

"It's valuable, of course. This painting is splashed with colors, so it has a higher market value. It can be sold for at least 2.3 million."

The appraiser estimated.

Two million three hundred thousand?!

Liu's mother and daughter were overjoyed!

Mother Liu gritted her teeth and said, "No wonder your second uncle suddenly became so kind, it turns out he knows how valuable this painting is!"

"Yes, Mom, luckily we met Master Gu to help us." Liu Suxiang was also frightened. Fortunately, she was overthinking and asked the master for help. Otherwise, if more than two million was exchanged for one million, they would be furious to death if they knew the truth.