Chapter 286 Departure (Updated)
"There should be no problem. Preliminary identification shows that this is one of the 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence from 1820."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunqing couldn't help but stared at the appraiser: "Are you sure?"
"I personally think there is no problem." The appraiser said carefully.
Now everyone's eyes returned to Lu Youyou. Song Yunqing asked, "Sister Lu, what do you think?"
"Mr. Kant, I want to entrust it to Sotheby's, is that okay?" Lu Youyou said with a smile.
"sure!"
The appraiser was very happy and the quality of the business was definitely high enough.
The original version of the Declaration of Independence is in the archives. This is the earliest version preserved in the world. So far, less than ten copies are in public circulation.
He dared to say that as long as this treasure was included in the auction list, it would be sought after by the market.
The next thing was very simple. Lu Youyou and Sotheby's signed the power of attorney document under the witness of a lawyer.
The appraiser suggested the spring auction in May, but Lu Youyou couldn’t wait that long and finally decided to present it at the “American Collection” auction next month.
After the two guests left, Song Yunqing took a good look at Lu Youyou.
“I’ve only heard of people finding treasures at flea markets, but it turns out the person who turned stones into gold is right next to me!”
She took Lu Youyou's hand and was reluctant to let go: "This is a magical little hand, I have to touch it carefully!"
After handing over the Declaration of Independence to Sotheby's, Lu Youyou put the matter behind her. Her top priority has always been studying, and she has not yet read half of the books on the professor's list.
The owner didn't take it seriously, but Song Yunqing asked about it every now and then, which made Song Heting curious.
Old Master Song also heard that his granddaughter's Chinese roommate had made a big profit at one stroke, and he became quite interested in Lu Youyou.
One time, Song Yunqing talked to her family on the phone, and the old man asked her to invite her roommates to come over to play. Song Yunqing readily agreed. She had already made an appointment with Lu Youyou to go during the holidays.
As expected, Sotheby's Americas sale at the end of the month made headlines in the newspapers.
Without revealing the seller's name, Sotheby's restored the treasure hunt process, adding a bit of mystery to the item.
The final transaction price was US$279,000, slightly higher than Sotheby's estimate.
Although the price will increase tenfold if you wait another ten years, time is tight and Lu Youyou is already very satisfied to get more than 200,000 US dollars.
On a weekend in March, Lu Youyou set off for Reading, and this time Song Yunqing was driving.
Lu Youyou didn't say what she was looking for, she just said that she saw something she liked in the photo, so Song Yunqing volunteered to be the driver.
The eldest lady regards money as dirt, she mainly enjoys the process of treasure hunting.
In her eyes, Lu Youyou is already a deity who combines beauty, brainpower and luck. No matter whether she can gain anything from this trip, she will just follow him.
Lu Youyou was not worried. This was not the future, and the market value of the animal heads had not yet been fully explored.
Moreover, Song Yunqing has excellent family education, and she grew up influenced by traditional Chinese culture. Lu Youyou is not afraid to reveal that she wants to bring the national treasure back to China.
It was only a three or four hour drive from Stanford to Reading. Song Yunqing drove her beloved red Chevrolet pickup truck at lightning speed to her destination.
Few rich girls would like such a muscular pickup truck, but thinking about Song Yunqing's dyed red hair and colorful aesthetic, Lu Youyou felt that it should be so.
"I haven't been to Redding yet. I looked it up before I left. There's a volcano park there. If you don't find what you want, you can stop by and have a look."
Lu Youyou nodded in agreement. She didn’t know whether her good luck could continue. She hoped that the garden and the three animal heads would still be there.
Reading is a small town with a population of less than 100,000. The city is quite quiet, and it didn't take the two of them long to find the garden in the photo and the fishing tackle store across the street that Jack mentioned.
Song Yunqing looked at the map and photos several times: "This should be it, right?"
Lu Youyou got out of the car and walked a few steps towards the garden gate.
This is a private residence with a three-story building in the yard. The area of the house is not as big as the garden on the first floor, and the garden is as beautiful as Jack described.
The flowers, plants and trees have been carefully designed and trimmed. Now that it is spring, the various flowers in the garden have begun to compete for beauty.
Lu Youyou felt relieved.
The fact that someone is taking care of it proves that there are people living here. She is afraid of seeing a deserted garden and not knowing who to find when buying things.
"Can you see it? Is what you're looking for still there?"
Song Yunqing stood on tiptoe to look into the yard, but unfortunately the vegetation on the bottom floor was too dense and she could not see anything through the railings.
Lu Youyou looked down at the photo. This angle should have been taken from the direction of the house door. The gate was on the side, facing the roadside. Their view was almost completely blocked when they stood here.
"I can't see it. I'll just knock on the door."
The doorbell and the mailbox were next to each other next to the courtyard gate. Lu Youyou pressed it twice, waited for more than ten seconds and no one answered, so she pressed it twice again.
After waiting for a minute, no one answered.
"Is no one home?" Song Yunqing muttered and looked out.
At this moment, a deep voice came from across the street.
"Little girl, Ms. Fonda is out. Are you here to see her? You may have to wait a while."
An old man with a pipe in his mouth was sitting in a rocking chair in front of the fishing tackle shop, basking in the sun. It was him who spoke just now.
Song Yunqing ran over with a smile and greeted the old man in a very familiar manner.
"Hello sir, how long will it take Ms. Fonda to return?"
"Half an hour? She's gone to the market to buy some. If you're not in a hurry, you can sit in the coffee shop next door. She should be back soon."
The old man casually helped his neighbor to attract two new customers.
Next door was an Italian fast food restaurant that served coffee, pasta, and pizza. Before Lu Youyou and the other person entered the door, the owner had heard them and came out to greet them.
This was a fat middle-aged lady who spoke with a thick Italian accent. She warmly invited the two to sit down.
"Our espresso and cappuccino are both delicious. We also have the Roman specialty spicy tomato pig face pasta. The pizza is also good. Would you like to try it?"
Song Yunqing is an Italian food lover. Besides Chinese food, she likes Italian food the most. That pig face pasta sounds delicious!
She swallowed and looked at Lu Youyou with expectant eyes. She was just a guest and business was more important. She could hold back her cravings for the time being.
"Eat if you want. It's just the right time to finish your lunch." Lu Youyou chuckled. "Boss, two cups of coffee, a Margherita pizza, and a pig face pasta."
"Okay, wait a minute, it will be ready soon."
At this time, the old man next door spoke again.
"Adelina's cooking is great, buon appetito!"
He even spoke something in Italian which was much worse than the boss's English. Song Yunqing almost laughed out loud.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
