Tang Lianfeng raised an eyebrow and glanced at Tang Jingyuan again: "You have good taste, girl. There are many things to pay attention to when it comes to agarwood plaques. If you go to the market now, you can buy them for just a few dozen yuan. Most of them are filled with oil by various means, or even counterfeited with other materials. If it's an old item, a small plaque can be worth a fortune. It's impossible for an ordinary family to come across it."
Lu Anning's heart tightened: "If there were only photos, could you figure out something?"
Tang Lianfeng was a bit embarrassed: "In the photo, you can see some patterns, but to really judge, it's best to see the real thing. So, I have two good ones in my shop, I'll take you to see them first. I wouldn't be willing to give them to ordinary people."
When Tang Lianfeng mentioned this, Lu Anning realized that ordinary people would not make this agarwood pendant.
Agarwood has been known as a medicinal fragrance since ancient times. Wearing it on your body can nourish your body. It is most suitable for people who have been ill for a long time and are weak.
In the past, some elders would prepare longevity locks for their children. Some wealthy families, if they encountered the right opportunity, would also make a piece of agarwood Buddha amulet for their frail children to nourish their bodies. The best agarwood was even more rare and was generally regarded as a symbol of status.
Lu Anning carefully remembered what Tang Lianfeng said, and many more assumptions came to his mind. The fire that had been extinguished gradually showed signs of igniting again.
The man had died in the fire. If she wanted to start with the wooden sign, she could also learn some things from Tang Lianfeng first. Maybe she could find some clues from it.
Tang Lianfeng brought them to a bracelet shop. As soon as they entered, Lu Anning smelled a faint scent of sandalwood in the air. On the wall cabinets, various sandalwood carvings were placed in order. The carvings were exquisite and lifelike.
Tang Lianfeng smiled and said, "Come down later and pick out the ones you like and take them home to play with. The good stuff is upstairs."
In the private room on the second floor, the finest Dahongpao exuded a pleasant fragrance. The store manager came in cautiously holding two brocade boxes, but he didn't dare to take a second look and retreated politely.
In the exquisitely carved hollow brocade box, there are two dark brown and shiny agarwood plaques, one is Guanyin and the other is a big-bellied Buddha.
"This is a pair! The man wears a Guanyin and the woman wears a Buddha. They should be considered very good items in the entire antique street, and even in the whole of Kyoto."
Tang Lianfeng gave it to Lu An Ning like a treasure, and taught her to rub it with her hands to warm it up, then bring it a little closer and smell it. The unique fragrance filled her nose, lingered on her fingertips, and lingered for a long time.
"This is the oil that slowly releases from it. The longer you wear it, the brighter it becomes, nourishing your body bit by bit. Do you like it?"
Lu Anning nodded: "It's really good stuff."
Although she liked it, she still politely put it back. She had smelled it before, and it was similar to the scent of her own wooden sign, except that there was no other inscription on the back of this wooden sign. Moreover, in comparison, her wooden sign seemed to be more fragrant and had a different color.
"Why? If you like it, consider it a gift from your second uncle."
"No need, Second Uncle! Actually, I want you to help me see if this wooden sign of mine has any history."
Lu Anning and Tang Jingyuan exchanged a glance, and only after receiving his approval did Lu Anning tell Tang Lianfeng everything about her wooden plaque. However, she couldn't bring the item with her, so she could only show Tang Lianfeng a photo.
"I can't give you an accurate judgment just by looking at the photos."
Lu An Ning responded and didn't ask any more questions. However, she was always a little absent-minded in the following time. When she went to other places, she no longer had the interest she had when she first came.
Tang Lianfeng originally wanted to take them out for dinner, but Lu Anning was a little tired and politely declined.
The two of them went back early, and Lu An Ning put his thoughts aside. He ate a lot for dinner, and after dinner he accompanied the old man for a walk to help digest the food.
Elder Tang suddenly remembered something and reminded Tang Jingyuan, "The Gu family sent an invitation today. They probably knew you were back, and it just so happened that they found their daughter who had been missing for over 20 years, so they asked you to attend the banquet."
Lu Anning thought of the figure he saw in Antique Street today and did not respond.
Tang Jingyuan frowned. "What kind of banquet is this? It's just to introduce her to the young masters in the Beijing circle and to find a good candidate for marriage. Do you want me to bring An Ning with me to show my face?"
Mr. Tang rolled his eyes: "You kid!"
"You could have just helped me reject this kind of thing. The Gu family is quite well-informed. They couldn't wait to send me the invitation as soon as I got back."
The old man smiled, stopped and explained to Lu Anning, "Our two families have always had some contact. They sent the invitation letter because they didn't know you were married. I rejected it directly, which was a bit embarrassing for them. After all, the Gu family was interested in forming a marriage with us before."
"Didn't you also say at the time that the Tang family didn't need a marriage alliance?"
"So, you took An Ning with you to let others know that the two families had no plans for an alliance, and to avoid delaying the lifelong event of the little princess of the Gu family. An Ning, the marriage we talked about was just a joke between the elders and it was not implemented. I told you this in person because I don't want you to hear gossip from others in the future, which would affect your relationship with Jing Yuan."
Lu Anning was surprised that the old man would go out of his way to explain such a small matter to him.
"Don't worry, Grandpa! That won't be the case."
Regarding the Gu family's banquet, Tang Jingyuan did not give a definite answer in the end. Lu Anning sensed displeasure from his brows. It seemed that he really did not like to attend these social events.
After returning to the courtyard, Tang Jingyuan casually threw the invitation letter into the trash can, and Lu Anning didn't even have time to stop him.
"Didn't Grandpa say that we had to go there?"
"You'll just feel tired if you go. If you have the time, why not take you to see the night view of Kyoto and visit the night market."
Lu Anning's eyes lit up. When did this man know her preferences so well? She glanced back at the trash can and ignored it. If she didn't want to go, then she didn't!
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