Chapter 28 I'll Go with You
Tong Zhongyuan's gaze fell on her upturned face and he asked, "Then why did you agree to help him identify it?"
Qin Tian was speechless.
"Are you sympathizing with him?" Tong Zhongyuan asked. "You should know that it's almost impossible for folk cultural relics to exist from the Tang Dynasty anymore. Did you agree to the appraisal so you could tell him that his heirloom was a replica?"
Qin Tian was stunned. Tong Zhongyuan was a man of few words, and he didn't like to argue. He hadn't expected that when he did speak, his ideas would be so seamless and cohesive, making it impossible to refute them.
Tong Zhongyuan continued, "Although this Buddha statue isn't a genuine Tang Dynasty piece, the carving is intricate and smooth, making it a fine piece from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period. It's also very well preserved. Buddha statues of this quality are also sold at auction houses, and with luck, they can even fetch a good price. Since he's waiting for the money, he might as well give it a try."
After hearing what he said, Qin Tian actually felt that what he said was absolutely right, and what he did was also right. This was the first time she was with him, and he listened to what he said.
"Wait until the thermoluminescence results come out and tell me." Tong Zhongyuan felt his throat itchy again. He wanted to leave here quickly and find a mask to wear.
Qin Tian was even more puzzled. Had Tong Zhongyuan been poisoned? Not only was he helping the strange old man with the appraisal, but he was also concerned about Zhou Qiang's donation. Could it be that he had become ingrained in the Shanghai Museum during his two weeks there? Once a Shanghai Museum member, always a Shanghai Museum member. That made no sense. Wasn't he planning to finish his work and leave last week? She was still lost in her thoughts when Tong Zhongyuan nodded and left.
Tang Zhixu, holding a cappuccino, leaned against the railing of the second-floor atrium, looking at Qin Tian in the first-floor lobby from afar. After Tong Zhongyuan left, she seemed to be still in shock. She stood there for a while before going to the office with a puzzled look on her face.
After Qin Yunjie returned from the hospital, he began to pack his things. He was still lucid, and precisely because he was lucid, he wanted to use this time to make plans for the future. His father had also developed Alzheimer's disease in his later years, which was then called senile dementia. He had witnessed how the disease tormented his mother and family. At that time, he thought that perhaps when he was old, this day would come too, and Wenying would have passed away. He didn't want Yi Zhang to follow his old path.
Over the years, he and Yi Zhang had grown to a point where they had nothing to say to each other. In her eyes, he wasn't a qualified father, and he certainly wasn't. What right did he have to ask Yi Zhang to sacrifice her youth to care for an irresponsible father with dementia? The only thing he could do for her now was to free her and let her have her own life.
The next day, he asked some old neighbors and classmates about nursing homes and called one. The home was quite welcoming, inviting him to check it out and even sending a car to pick him up. He took a look around and found the environment pleasant, and crucially, the price was reasonable, well within his pension. But there was just one problem. He told the receptionist he might have Alzheimer's. The middle-aged woman was stunned and said he could stay, but he needed his children's consent. He said he had no children. The receptionist asked him to wait, then came back to tell him he could stay, but the price would be higher because he would need dedicated care.
He calculated that even with the rent, the money would be enough. If he moved into a nursing home, it would be pointless to leave his house empty. He asked when he could sign the agreement, and the woman asked if he had his ID with him.
It was getting late. He put away the agreement and washed the dishes in the sink. He opened a hidden drawer in the wardrobe and took out a small wooden box. Inside lay a bronze coin.
In the end, he still couldn't find it. He would never have the chance to search again. This coin was all that remained of Wenying's lost childhood. He had once ambitiously told her, "No one but me can ever find that treasure in your family." But Wenying smiled at him and softly said, "You'll never find it." He laughed and said, "How dare you look down on me? Do you know that I found half of the cultural relics in the Shanghai Museum?" She smiled without saying anything, only shaking her head playfully at him. Her smile was so beautiful. Fortunately, Yi Zhang looked like his mother.
On Thursday afternoon, Qin Tian received two reports. One was a thermoluminescence dating report from Yuan Junruo. The ten porcelain samples were all last fired within the past 50 years. The other was Qin Yunjie's MRI report on his phone. Her father had been diagnosed with mid-stage Alzheimer's.
She turned off her phone, picked up the thermoluminescence measurement report, and handed it to Ming Yuanxing's office. Ming Yuanxing glanced at the report and said, "Thank you for your hard work. I'll take care of it."
She returned to the office, picked up her bag and left work early, but saw Tang Zhixu standing at the door of her office. He saw her holding her bag and asked: "Where are you going to skip work?"
"My dad's place."
Tang Zhixu turned his head and walked side by side with her: "Then I'm off work too, I'll take you there."
Qin Tian stopped and said, "Why did you leave work so early? Isn't Director Wang waiting for your catalog?"
"Let him wait." Tang Zhixu said, "If he has the ability, he can make it up himself."
Qin Tian was speechless. Everyone feared Wang Qiqing, but Tang Zhixu didn't buy his reputation. Wang Qiqing was in charge of calligraphy, painting, and sculpture, Tang Zhixu's immediate superior. Strangely enough, Wang Qiqing hadn't done anything to him. He had, however, asked for a few paintings. Was this a sign that some people were just entitled to be arrogant?
"Why are you looking at me? It's not like we've known each other for a long time." Tang Zhixu said, "By the way, didn't you tell me last time that Director Ming hopes you will collect treasures from ethnic minorities next? What are your plans?"
"Now that ethnic minorities are so civilized, it's not easy to find good things. This is something that needs to be done, and it may take some time. I need to stay in the local area for a month or two to get a deeper understanding."
"Do you have a destination?"
"I'd like to start in Hunan. I've recently been reading a lot about Nüshu. Since ancient times, women have enjoyed a deep level of communication and emotional resonance that men cannot comprehend. Nüshu is a form of writing that exists only for women, and within it, there must be many secrets. I want to explore these secrets and uncover the culture and artifacts behind them."
"When are you going?"
Qin Tian's pace slowed down. If it weren't for Qin Yunjie's incident, she would have planned to leave soon. But now, she didn't know what to do. This report was actually within her expectations. Her deceased grandfather also had this disease, and Qin Yunjie couldn't get away until he passed away. When she was a child, Qin Yunjie's life focused on work, then on taking care of her mother, and then on taking care of her grandfather. She knew he was having a hard time, but she would always be the last one in his heart. It was as if she had popped out from a crack in the stone, and could grow up on her own with the sun and rain.
"I haven't made up my mind yet. Let's see."
"."Tang Zhixu said.
"Where are you going? To my dad's place?" She didn't respond.
"Hunan," Tang Zhixu said. "Nüshu also has calligraphy, and it has a long history. I'm also very interested in it."
"You're a man, and no one will teach you. Don't cause trouble for me. What if someone sees you here and thinks you're in the same group, they might reject me too."
"Aren't we all in the same group?"
The two chatted as they walked out of the Upper Asia Museum.
Tang Zhixu dropped her off at Shannan Community and drove away. On the way into the community, she was still thinking about how to tell Qin Yunjie later. He should have guessed the result in his heart. What they wanted to discuss was what to do next? Move in together? Even if they lived together, she couldn't stop working and going on business trips. She still had to hire someone to take care of her on a daily basis. She hardly lived with him after she entered college and moved out as soon as she graduated. Now she felt very uncomfortable thinking about living together again. She still preferred that he rent out the house and rent a house close to her in the same community, and then hire someone to take care of her. She didn't know if he was willing to do that. The relatives already thought that she was an unfilial daughter, and now they were going to poke her in the back even more.
She had been distracted the entire way, but when she opened the door, she was stunned. The room had changed. Aside from the furniture, everything else was packed and tied up. Qin Yunjie was still sorting the kitchen utensils in the cupboard. Seeing her, he patted his knees and stood up to greet her.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
"I'm here. I have something to tell you. I visited the nursing home the day before yesterday and the agreement has been signed. I will move in once I have cleaned up here." Qin Yunjie said calmly.
Qin Tian put down his bag, not even changing his shoes, and walked to the sofa, where he had a large box of commemorative coins. She grabbed the coins and threw them back into the tin box. She put her hands over her head, then put them down again. Finally, she couldn't help but get mad.
"What are you doing! You didn't even discuss it with me before you went to the nursing home to sign the agreement! The report was just released this afternoon, and you told me you signed the agreement the day before yesterday! Do you think I'm your daughter?"
Qin Yunjie said nothing, silently watching her lose her temper. They were silent for a long time, and then he said, "Yi Zhang, I'm an old man, but I'm also an adult. I don't treat you less as my daughter, I just want to decide what to do."
"Do whatever you want. You've always been like this." Qin Tian leaned back on the sofa tiredly.
Qin Yunjie looked at her for a while and went back to tidy up the kitchen cabinets.
"You came without telling me, and I haven't prepared dinner yet. Let's go out to eat later."
"No, I'll go back and eat by myself."
She thought she came here to discuss things with him, but he had already arranged everything. What was the point of her staying here?
"It's a good thing you came today. I just happened to have something to ask you. I've almost sorted out my things. I'll have someone take away the useless ones soon, and leave the useful ones for you. It's not a lot, but it's quite heavy. You, a little girl, can't move it. If you're free tomorrow, drive over and I'll help you move it down."
"I don't want your things." She knew that this would embarrass Qin Yunjie, but that's what she wanted to say at this moment.
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