Chapter 783 Antiques Inside the Well Lu Qingyang stood up, patted the dust off his hands, and showed a look of confusion and curiosity on his face: "I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just feel that this well... is built a bit too solidly, and the bottom seems to be deliberately narrowed, unlike a normal drinking well."

He stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming. "Let me think about it... Here's what we'll do: the masters can rest today, the payment will still be settled, and we'll start again tomorrow."

After everyone had left, only Lu Qingyang, Liu Dong, and Gou Dan, who had come over after hearing the news, remained in the courtyard.

Lu Qingyang somehow obtained a high-powered flashlight and a long rope, tied the rope hastily around his waist, and said to Liu Dong:

"I'll go down and take a look. You guys keep an eye on things for me up here."

"Qingyang, is this okay? We don't know what the situation is down there." Liu Dong was a little worried.

"It's alright, I know what I'm doing." Lu Qingyang grinned, deftly grabbing the edge of the well and sliding down the long rope, his movements as nimble as a cat.

Inoue, Liu Dong, and Gou Dan held their breath, only hearing rustling sounds from below, and Lu Qingyang's occasional mutterings.

"Wow, the well wall construction is really impressive..."

"Huh? There's a hidden world down there..."

After a while, Lu Qingyang's voice, muffled yet clearly excited, came from below: "Pull me up! We've found something!"

When he pulled Lu Qingyang up, he saw that Lu Qingyang was holding a long, thin object that was wrapped tightly in several layers of oil and covered in mud. It looked very heavy.

After quickly rinsing away the mud next to the water tank in the courtyard, they peeled back the somewhat brittle oily container, revealing something inside that made everyone's eyes widen.

It was a slender blue-and-white porcelain tube, with a warm and lustrous glaze, and exquisitely painted landscapes and figures.

Lu Qingyang carefully opened one end of the painting tube and slowly pulled out a scroll from inside.

The paper was slightly yellowed, but it was well preserved. When unfolded, it was a painting with a profound artistic conception, "Visiting Friends in Autumn Mountains". The brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful. Although the signature and seal were unfamiliar, the overall style of the painting indicated that it was not the work of an ordinary craftsman.

"Good heavens, I was wondering why this well was built so strangely. It turns out it was a treasure trove. Judging from how it was hidden and the oil, it was probably secretly stuffed in by some young lady or elder during the chaotic years of war. It must have been there for quite a while."

Dog Egg stared wide-eyed, exclaiming in a low voice, "How much...how much is this worth?"

Lu Qingyang carefully rolled up the painting, put it back into the painting tube, and said with a smile, "Let's not talk about how much it's worth now. I'll find a knowledgeable friend to take a look at it secretly tomorrow."

He patted Liu Dong on the shoulder, who was still a little dazed: "Don't make a fuss about this yet. Once we've determined its origin and value, you can decide for yourselves whether to donate or keep it."

...

The next day, Lu Qingyang went to find the old expert, a thin old man wearing round glasses.

He speaks slowly and deliberately, but his eyes are incredibly sharp.

He held a magnifying glass under the lamp and examined the painting and the painting tube for the time it takes to burn an incense stick before slowly opening it.

"This thing... the brushwork is fairly neat, and the artistic conception is somewhat captured. It's a pity that it's a copy made by a later person, not the original. The signature and seal are exquisitely made, which can fool laymen, but not us old folks."

He shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of indifference and regret.

Then, he pointed to the blue and white porcelain tube and softened his tone: "This tube is an old item. Judging from the blue and white color and the body, it should be a folk kiln piece from the mid-Qing Dynasty. It's not the most precious, but it's still a decent item. It's rare to find it so well preserved."

Having made up his mind, Lu Qingyang asked, "In your opinion, what is the current value of this painting tube?"

The old expert held up a few fingers to indicate a price, then added, "Right now, everyone's focused on construction and making ends meet. Not many people have the time or inclination to appreciate these old things. That's how the market is, neither high nor low. You have to wait. The price will only go up when everyone is more prosperous, has more money in their pockets, and has more leisure time."

Lu Qingyang thanked the old expert and returned to Liu Dong's house with his things in his pocket.

He recounted the old expert's words verbatim.

Liu Dong rubbed his hands together and decisively pushed the painting tube in front of Lu Qingyang:

"Qingyang, you're the one who found this thing. If it weren't for your sharp eyes and keen eye, I'd still be eating mud at the bottom of a well. Anyway, it's not worth much now. Just keep it as a trinket. If you leave it with us, we won't know anything about it. Maybe it'll get damaged or broken someday, which would be a waste."

Ma Hongxia nodded in agreement: "That's right, you've helped our family so much, it's your job."

Looking at the honest and straightforward couple, Lu Qingyang didn't refuse any further, knowing that being too polite would only create distance.

He picked up the painting tube, weighed it in his hand, and laughed:

"Alright, Brother Dong, Sister-in-law, then I won't stand on ceremony with you. I'll keep this for now, but let's make it clear, this isn't a gift to me, it's just me keeping it safe for your family. If this thing really becomes worth a lot of money someday, then we'll talk about it again."

He paused, then said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Who knows? When Gou Dan gets married, the money from exchanging this bamboo tube will be enough for him to host several banquets."

Dog Egg, who was listening nearby, blushed and muttered, "I'm still young..."

They weren't art connoisseurs and couldn't appreciate the artistic conception of brush and ink. Plus, they came from that old well with its own stories, so they felt a bit uneasy, worried that their ordinary family couldn't handle these old objects.

After discussing it, the two decided to give the painting to Lu Qingyang as well: "Qingyang, this painting is just gathering dust for us. You have a lot of experience, so you should take care of it as well."

Lu Qingyang carried the painting back home, pondering whether to put it away or find an opportunity to dispose of it, when Fang Zhongwen happened to see it.

After hearing his son recount the origin of the painting, and considering the Liu family's minor taboo, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, what's this about being able to suppress or not! We soldiers are upright and righteous, what are we afraid of?"

Fang Zhongwen took the scroll, unfolded it, looked at it, and nodded. "Hmm, this landscape looks quite bright and open. Hanging it in the study will add a touch of scholarly atmosphere. So what if it's a painting? It's still a painting. As long as it's pleasing to the eye, that's fine!"

Looking at his father's enthusiastic expression, Lu Qingyang felt a little amused and exasperated.

He initially thought it wasn't appropriate to hang the painting in the house, but then he thought, since the master likes it, and it dispels that unnecessary taboo, why not?

So he fitted the forgery with a simple and elegant frame and solemnly hung it on the wall opposite Fang Zhongwen's desk.

You know what, hanging that antique-style landscape painting on the white wall, with its misty ink, actually added a touch of elegance to this otherwise masculine study.

Fang Zhongwen was very satisfied. Occasionally, when he got tired of writing, he would look up at the distant mountains and clouds in the painting and comment: "This painting is quite elegant and spirited."