Chapter 52 It's all about reciprocity!
The moment Tian Xiangjuan spoke, Yan Mo had the urge to turn around and leave.
After a moment of stunned silence, Yan Sui came out of the house.
What are you doing here again?
Didn't you get scolded enough just now?
Yan Mo's face stiffened slightly. Not wanting to have come all this way for nothing, she said, "I've come to buy Grandpa Xu's calligraphy."
Yan Sui: "...Why are you asking me if you want to buy his calligraphy?"
"Do you think I wanted to come? He sent me to find you!" Yan Mo glared at her resentfully.
Yan Sui was definitely trying to make things difficult for her on purpose.
"I can pay for it, you name your price."
Although Yan Sui didn't know what was going on, she figured it was probably related to Xu Mocun.
"Not for sale."
If Xu Mocun is willing to sell, there's no need to push the blame onto her.
If she agrees, that old man will be angry.
Yan Mo was furious. "Why won't you sell?"
"If you don't want to sell to me, then don't. Why are you asking for so much 'why'?"
Yan Sui waved her hand, "Don't stand here, you're in my way."
Yan Mo couldn't bring herself to beg her, so she left angrily.
Sister You was waiting for her at the village entrance. When she saw that she had returned empty-handed, she knew that the matter had not been accomplished.
"If it doesn't work the first time, we'll try again next time."
Yan Mo got into the car with a dark expression. "I'm not coming. Go and find out who has Old Master Xu's calligraphy. I'll buy it from him."
Sister You shook her head, disagreeing with her method.
"Counterfeit products are readily available on the market."
"It's not like it's some kind of antique or calligraphy work, how could it be a fake? It's settled then, you help me find out."
With the old man's birthday approaching, it would be a laughing stock if Fu Qingci couldn't come up with a birthday gift.
Yan Mo pinched her brow. What a hassle.
Yan Sui arrived at Xu Mocun's house.
When I knocked on the door, I found it was bolted.
"Grandpa Xu, Grandpa Xu!"
She called out at the door for a long time, but Xu Mocun didn't come out to open it.
Yan Sui squinted her eyes, "Grandpa Xu, I've brought you strawberries!"
And sure enough, it came out right away.
"They're here, they're here."
As soon as the door opened, seeing that Yan Sui's hands were empty, his face immediately fell.
"They've all learned to fool me."
Yan Sui crawled inside and let out a loud groan.
"You're trying to scam me! I only asked you to write a piece of calligraphy, where am I supposed to sell calligraphy to Yan Mo?"
"Who said I only wrote one piece of calligraphy for you?"
Yan Sui followed him into the study and saw several calligraphy scrolls neatly arranged on the desk.
"You're giving all of these to me?"
"Won't your courtyard house be renovated soon? Consider it a housewarming gift from me, but you'll have to frame it yourself."
Yan Sui carefully picked up one of the pieces. She didn't really know how to appreciate calligraphy, but she felt that the characters had a bold and unrestrained style.
Xu Mocun was very particular about his calligraphy; he had to use the best brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
Take this paper for example. It's a top-grade Xuan paper from Red Star from forty years ago. Every sheet used is one less available, making it very rare.
"Thank you, Grandpa Xu. Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll bring it to you later."
Xu Mocun waved his hand, "I'm not the kind of person who's greedy."
Yan Sui was speechless for a moment. If you don't have a sweet tooth, who will?
"It's not that you're greedy, it's that I want to show you respect, okay?"
After leaving Xu Mocun's place, Yan Sui picked a basket of strawberries and green vegetables and delivered them to him.
This old man is a picky eater; he doesn't like the fruits and vegetables sold in the market, but he loves the ones she grows.
After putting down the strawberries, Yan Sui came out carrying several calligraphy scrolls.
On the way back, I happened to run into Fu Yansheng.
Her eyes lit up with surprise, "Mr. Fu is back?"
Fu Yansheng stepped out of the car. He wasn't dressed much, just a black undershirt and a matching trench coat, which made his figure look tall and slender.
The more Yan Sui looked at the man, the more pleasing he seemed to be to the eye.
"I brought some Wagyu beef with me and have already delivered it to your home."
"Wagyu beef? Thank you, Mr. Fu. Would you like to come and have dinner with us tonight?"
Fu Yansheng shook her head, "No."
His gaze fell on what Yan Sui was holding. "Is this Old Master Xu's calligraphy?"
“Oh, Grandpa Xu just gave it to me. I told him I didn’t need so much, but he insisted on writing it down.”
Fu Yansheng: "..." Didn't I say I was going to stop writing?
When I write for him, I'm very meticulous; I spend ages agonizing over even the smallest word.
"Not framed yet?"
"No."
“I do know a professional mounter. If you don’t mind, give me these calligraphy pieces and I’ll send them over later,” Fu Yansheng said gently.
"Oh? Isn't this too much trouble?"
Fu Yansheng paused for a moment, "No trouble at all, it's only fair."
Yan Sui thought about it and agreed, so she handed over the words in her hand.
"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Fu. I'll send you some strawberries later."
Fu Yansheng's expression softened slightly. "No need."
Yan Sui laughed heartily, "Yes, yes, it's only fair to reciprocate."
The man's breath hitched.
To be clear again, the same words sound much harsher when spoken by someone else.
"Mr. Fu, you know a lot of people, I'd like to ask you for a favor."
Fu Yansheng's voice was unusually muffled: "Go on."
"I want to buy some aged Xuan paper. It has to be of good quality, and price is not an issue."
As soon as she said that, Fu Yansheng knew that she was going to give it to Xu Mocun.
That shows they put their heart into it.
"Okay, I'll ask around for you."
"Thank you, Mr. Fu! Let me know what you'd like to eat later, it's only fair to reciprocate!" Yan Sui said generously.
Once the matter was settled, she didn't say anything more and skipped home.
Ever since Fu Yansheng made his point clear last time, Yan Sui has been thinking about it seriously for a long time.
She pondered that perhaps she was too close to him, which made him want to avoid her.
Men are nice, but unfortunately she can't have them, and she doesn't necessarily have to shamelessly cling to them.
It's better to let things take their course and move on to someone you like next time.
Fu Yansheng, who was left standing there, had a gloomy expression on his handsome face.
The phrase "reciprocity" seemed to be a spell, permeating his mind.
After she walked away, Qu Jiang reminded her, "Second Master, if you keep looking, Miss Yan won't turn back."
Fu Yansheng lowered her eyes and handed the items to him.
"The contact person will frame the calligraphy."
Qujiang counted them; there were a total of six pieces of calligraphy.
Are there so many places to hang it?
"We've given him so much tea, but that old man hasn't written us a single extra word," he muttered.
Fu Yansheng ignored it; such matters depended entirely on Xu Mocun's mood, and there was no such thing as an equal exchange.
The old man was in a bad mood, and even if his own son came to visit, he wouldn't lift a finger.
"While you're at it, gather some of the finest inksticks and send them to Elder Xu."
"yes."
After sending Fu Yansheng back to Changqing Village, Qujiang immediately sent Yan Sui's calligraphy to be framed.
We need to get it framed as soon as possible; otherwise, he can't afford to take responsibility if something goes wrong.
Liang Fan was a mounting master he had known for many years, and countless valuable paintings and calligraphy works had been mounted by him.
Experienced and seasoned; though a bit pricey, it's well worth the money.
"The calligraphy you sent last time hasn't even been set up yet, why are you here again? When did Old Xu's calligraphy become so common?"
Qu Jiang glanced at him and said, "These don't belong to Second Master, there's no rush."
Liang Fan unfolded the calligraphy scrolls, his eyes showing appreciation.
"This looks like it was just written."
"Probably, I have to go now, please check the deposit."
Liang Fan waved his hand without even raising his head.
After Qujiang left, his newly accepted apprentice came over.
"Master, someone has offered a high price for Master Xu's calligraphy."
Liang Fan was taken aback. "What price?"
The apprentice made a gesture, "It's urgent."
Liang Fan shook his head. "I don't have any on hand right now."
"Isn't this ready-made?" the apprentice said, gesturing with his chin.
Liang Fan frowned. "Are you crazy? This is the client's stuff."
"Give him a fake one later. Once it's framed, who can tell the difference? Fortune favors the bold, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Hearing his words, Liang Fan's thoughts wavered.
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