Actually, Li Chu still had some doubts about how those paintings and calligraphy had turned out that way.

He couldn't understand it. It had only been twenty years, and the paintings and calligraphy hadn't been exposed to the sun and rain outside. Even if the house was damp, how could they have ended up like that?

"By the way, sis, where's my brother-in-law?"

"He went to a teahouse near Shichahai. Where else can he go in a day? You've really found a good place for your brother-in-law. Why are you looking for him?"

“I just remembered that my brother-in-law knows someone who sells calligraphy and paintings. Those calligraphy pieces in the teahouse were arranged by him.”

"Oh, you mean Old Chen? What's wrong?"

"I want to see him first to see if there is any possibility of restoring this painting and calligraphy."

"Didn't you just say you were going to contact the museum to retrieve it?" Li Qin asked her younger brother, somewhat puzzled.

"Hehe, sister, it's really upsetting of me to have so many books and paintings sitting there that I can't see or touch."

"I don't care anymore. Didn't you take out two paintings and calligraphy pieces? Since you want to have Old Chen look at them, go ahead and try. Anyway, just speed things up."

"Okay, sis. When my brother-in-law comes back later, I'll have him take me to see Old Chen. Whether it works or not, I'll vacate that house as soon as possible."

Li Qin looked at her younger brother, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Xiao Chu, your family isn't short of money now, but you still need to be careful in everything you do!"

To be honest, Li Qin still felt somewhat averse to antiques and calligraphy.

Although policies have been relaxed in the past two years, the past years have left many indelible impressions on her mind. Who knows when things might suddenly regress and give you a second chance? That would really be the end of you.

In recent years, the family's life has been getting better and better. The elderly couple has retired, and the younger brother's family is in the military. Their situation has improved beyond just good.

Li Qin felt that even if her parents were still alive, things couldn't be any better than they were now. So she cherished her current life very much, fearing that some unforeseen event would disrupt this hard-won state.

Upon hearing his sister's words, Li Chu immediately got up, walked over, plopped down next to her, and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Sister, don't worry, I won't do anything reckless. I don't have any greedy intentions and want to keep all those books and paintings for myself. I just want to see what they are about."

Li Qin patted her younger brother's hand twice and said in a slightly low voice, "You know, when I heard about your situation on the day of the conferment of ranks, I didn't feel happy or excited, but rather fearful."

My brother and I have always enjoyed the benefits of our parents' legacy, and we also received care from Uncle Wang. Later, we even had a marriage alliance with the Shen family. How come our Li family got all the good things in the world?

Xiao Chu, I'm really worried. We both understand the principle of what goes up must come down, and lately, the Reference News I've been following seems to be showing signs of a shift in the political climate.

Li Chu suddenly realized why his sister seemed so down lately; this was the root of the problem.

My sister has experienced too much in her life. She saw a lot when she was in Nanniwan, not to mention after liberation. So she is particularly sensitive to this kind of debate on direction, and it is normal for her to be able to see some clues from the newspapers.

Li Chu knew perfectly well where the road beneath his feet was leading, but there were some things he couldn't say outright. Even if he did, whether his sister would believe him was another matter entirely.

All he could do was keep saying comforting words, as long as those old men were still around, nothing would happen to their family.

Moreover, after so many years of ups and downs, even without those old men, he could still get through it smoothly thanks to the connections he has built up over the years.

He's no longer the small fry he used to be. No matter what he does, he has to rely on the capital left by his parents. As long as people get sick, no one can do anything to him, given that he's a top-ranked doctor nationwide.

After Li Chu's witty banter, Li Qin gradually recovered.

"Didn't you want to ask Old Chen to look at your calligraphy and paintings? He has a small shop next to Xu Damao's old restaurant. You can easily find him there. Just tell him you're Wang Ziwen's brother-in-law, and if he can help, he'll definitely do it."

“Okay, I’ll change my clothes and go take a look.” Li Chu knew his sister was still a little worried, so he readily agreed. He planned to take the two paintings he had brought home earlier to have them checked. If they really couldn’t be repaired, he would contact the museum as soon as possible tomorrow.

The dean had only visited him once before, and hadn't been seen since. I guess someone must have said something to him.

Although he couldn't hand over his own precious porcelain, he was happy to give away the paintings and calligraphy that he couldn't deal with.

He got up and went into the bedroom, took out a Zhongshan suit that Ding Qiunan had made for him from the closet, and then came out again.

"Can't you buy yourself a couple of new clothes? How many years have you been wearing this Zhongshan suit?" Li Qin asked, frowning as she looked at the clothes her younger brother was holding.

"What's wrong?" Li Chu looked at the clothes in his hand with some confusion, then looked at his sister.

"It's fine, the collar is a little faded, but my figure hasn't changed over the years, so it fits perfectly."

"Is this a matter of appropriateness or inappropriateness? I know you like wearing the clothes Qiu Nan makes, but you should at least wear something decent. These are all from many years ago. If you go out like this, what will the neighbors say about Qiu Nan?"

"So you married a shrew? She's such a high-ranking official, always driving around in her fancy car, and she won't even buy you a decent piece of clothing."

Li Qin's words startled Li Chu. He had never thought about it in this way. Every time he wore casual clothes, he would just grab one from the closet and wear it. He never thought about how others would see him.

My sister is right. A woman is a man's face, and vice versa.

If a married man always wears dirty clothes, people will just say that he married a lazy woman who doesn't even wash her husband's clothes.

If a woman doesn't wear any new clothes all year round, doesn't even apply any face cream, and doesn't even bother to go shopping during the New Year, people will just say that her husband is incompetent and can't earn money.

The same thing would happen in Li Chu's family.

The only difference is that no one will say he's incompetent, because the facts speak for themselves.

But since he's wearing clothes that look so old, people will definitely gossip about Ding Qiunan behind his back.

"Okay, sis. There are some new clothes that Qiu Nan made for me inside. I just grabbed one randomly."