Chapter 133 Old Objects
Zheng Datou was so dizzy from gambling that he had no idea whether he bought the money from a peddler or it was passed down from his ancestors, but as long as he made some money he was satisfied.
Holding the five cents of silver, he happily thought about how to gamble and make the most of the money.
But before he could close his stall, someone was waiting by the side. The peddler reached out and directly asked for the money that Zheng Datou had previously owed him on credit.
Zheng Datou was anxious: "Brother, why did you take them all? Leave some for me!"
The peddler sneered and said, "You've already paid for your next purchase. If I wasn't worried that you'd have nothing to eat, I wouldn't bother with you!"
Zheng Datou: ...
He endured it again and again, but he didn't dare to say anything, for fear that his only remaining friend would turn against him and ignore him.
"Good brother, did I take a celadon porcelain pen washer from you before?" Zheng Datou asked casually.
The peddler said, "Why would I, a peddler, import such things?"
Zheng Datou was slightly stunned when he heard this: "Ah? Could it be that this thing is really passed down from my ancestors?"
After saying this, he slapped his thigh and cried, "I sold the treasure passed down from my ancestors for only five cents? I lost a lot!"
The peddler watched his performance without any change in expression: "Cry louder. It's a little fake now. I'm afraid others won't believe you."
The sadness in Zheng Datou's eyes was genuine, and his voice was shaking as he cried: "Really... this time it's real... not the calligraphy from last time..."
The reason why Zheng Datou's street stall business is able to continue is because of the last calligraphy scam, which said that someone had found an authentic calligraphy work of his ancestors and sold it at a high price, which attracted so many people to come.
The peddler didn't care and said, "Why are you crying? Your ancestors had so many things, and you gambled them away, but I haven't seen you so sad. If anyone should be sad, it should be your ancestors in the underworld who would be sadder to see you as a prodigal son."
Zheng Datou: ...
Compared with the gloomy situation here, the Gu family members who returned home can be said to have returned with a full load.
"Grandma is so amazing. With a little trick, I was able to buy this pen washer with only a small amount of money. At first, I really thought that grandma wouldn't let me buy it!" Niu Niu said loudly.
Old Lady Gu was happy to see her granddaughter holding the brush washer and couldn't let it go. She said, "My dear, these vendors are the most hateful. They charge exorbitant prices and try to rip you off! Next time you encounter this kind of situation, just bargain as hard as you can. If he offers thirty taels, just say five cents."
As Mrs. Gu was talking, she actually regretted it and said, "I already bid too much, five cents. If I met a gambler like this, he would probably sell it for one cent! I should have bid one cent earlier!"
Niuniu looked at Grandma Gu with admiration and said, "Grandma, you are so smart."
The simpler the compliments, the more satisfied Grandma Gu would be. She said happily, "You still have a lot to learn. I, your grandma, have worked hard for decades and it's not in vain!"
Niuniu nodded vigorously and said, "I want to be as good as grandma!"
As soon as she entered the Gu family's house, Niu Niu rushed into the study like a whirlwind and presented the Tianqing brush washer to Gu Mingda like presenting a treasure.
Although today is the Dragon Boat Festival, Gu Mingda did not relax at all and continued to study hard at home. He did not expect that his daughter would bring gifts when she went out.
"I fell in love with this brush washer at first sight. When I saw it, I thought of my dad... Grandma helped me bargain for the price, and I bought it for only a small amount of money..." Niu Niu spoke in a baby voice about the process of buying the brush washer.
Listening to the child's intermittent description, Gu Mingda roughly understood what kind of story this was.
He said very flatteringly: "Grandma is amazing, and Niu Niu is also well-behaved. If Niu Niu hadn't cooperated well, Grandma wouldn't have been able to buy the things so cheaply."
Niuniu raised her little face and asked, "Daddy, do you like this gift?"
"Daddy likes everything as long as it's given by Niu Niu." Gu Mingda said gently.
What he said was absolutely true. He made anything that Niuniu gave him, even if it was a leaf, into a bookmark and carefully kept it between his books.
Gu Mingda casually turned the pen washer over and looked at the red signature at the bottom with a startled expression.
"Blue and white spring rain..." Gu Mingda murmured.
Niuniu came over curiously to take a look, and then pointed at the four small characters "Blue and White Spring Rain" on the red seal and asked, "Dad, why would someone print this kind of seal on a brush washer? Is this the name of the brush washer?"
Gu Mingda took a deep breath and said, "Niuniu, you've found another incredible treasure!"
Niu Niu looked at him puzzledly.
Gu Mingda pointed to the seal and showed it to his daughter, saying, "Blue and White Spring Rain is one of the 108 commonly used seals of Emperor Taizong of the Yan Dynasty."
"Yan Dynasty?" Niu Niu has not started studying history yet and has no idea what dynasty this is.
"The last emperor of the Yan Dynasty lived two hundred years ago. Emperor Taizong of the Yan Dynasty was also a great ruler. If we count his life, we can see that he had eight great achievements..."
Listening to Gu Mingda talking in detail about the past of the emperor of the old dynasty, Niu Niu was fascinated.
"I didn't expect there would be such a powerful person. I heard that the people of the grassland are good at riding and shooting, and they are all brave and good at fighting. I didn't expect that they would be beaten back by us Central Plains people." Niu Niu said with emotion.
Gu Mingda said: "Back then, this emperor had a reputation on the grasslands for being able to stop children from crying at night. It's a pity that such a heroic ruler died of depression after Empress Yuan Yi passed away."
Niuniu couldn't help but sigh: "His wife must want him to live a long life and not want him to suffer like this."
Gu Mingda patted his daughter's head and said, "It is a great pity that people today cannot see the elegance of the ancient sages."
Niuniu asked again: "Since it is something used by such an important person, how come the Zheng family can't recognize it? They just sold it casually like that."
Gu Mingda explained: "Emperor Taizong of Yan had many seals, and there were 108 of them that he used frequently. It is impossible for an ordinary person to remember every one of them clearly, not to mention that Zheng Jiazi was obsessed with gambling and probably couldn't even read a few words, so how could he distinguish them clearly?"
Gu Mingda guessed that this brush washer might have been obtained by accident by Zheng's ancestors. His ancestors might not even know that this item was once used by the emperor.
"Dad is not an ordinary man, so he remembers everything clearly." Niu Niu said with a smile.
Although Gu Mingda liked to hear his daughter's flattery, he was a pragmatic person. He smiled and said, "The historical materials of the previous dynasty are missing, and no one can tell exactly what the 108 seals are. I happened to read a travelogue of the Yan Dynasty and learned about the 'Blue and White Spring Rain' seal. This seal was given by Empress Yuan Yi."
Niuniu tilted her head and said, "Since it was given by the Queen, Emperor Yan must have cherished it very much. This brush washer is so precious."
After hearing what his daughter said, Gu Mingda patiently explained: "These old items are valuable. First, look at the craftsmanship and the completeness of preservation. Second, look at who the old item's previous owner was. The more noble the person who used it, the higher the price will be."
"It's an old item from Emperor Taizong of the Yan Dynasty, and it may be related to Empress Yuanyi. I think many dignitaries would flock to it. It may be worth a fortune. When we get to the capital, I'll find a good buyer for your brush washer."
Niuniu corrected: "Daddy, this is your brush washer."
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