Chapter 607: I would rather drink broth than eat bran
Old Man Tian went straight to the main house.
The big copper lock on the main room's door was covered with dust.
It can be seen that it has not been opened for a long time.
Old Man Tian took out a key from his arms.
"Dad, what are you doing?" A young man walked out of the room next door.
The man looked at the key in Old Man Tian's hand with a puzzled look on his face.
Old Man Tian sighed and said with a complicated expression: "Mu Tou, come and take a look too."
After saying that, he opened the door that had been closed for many years with trembling hands.
"squeak--"
The wooden door made a harsh sound because it had not been opened for many years.
Old man Tian walked into the room with a somewhat unsteady step.
All I could see was dust all over the ground.
And beneath the dust are years that have been buried.
Each piece of wood carving is covered with dust, showing the vicissitudes of life.
Just like Old Man Tian’s heart.
Old Man Tian wiped the dust off the front piece of wood carving with shaking hands, revealing an exquisitely carved screen of rich peony flowers underneath.
Seeing this, Mu Tou said, "Dad, I'll go get a rag."
"Go and get my navy blue gown," said Old Man Tian.
Mu Tou paused.
"... Dad, that's your best dress, made of muslin."
"Take that one! How can those coarse cloth rags be worthy of these items? Don't disgrace the craftsmanship left by our ancestors!" Old Man Tian said without hesitation: "Even the slightest scratch will ruin such a fine item!"
"I understand, Dad, I'll just..."
"No need." Su Laosan interrupted Mu and said, "Use my clothes."
After saying this, he wanted to take off his outer robe.
His outer robe was also made of fine cotton.
It is still cold now, and Su Laosan is wearing a blue jacket underneath.
Even if I take off my outer robe, it won't be a problem.
When Old Man Tian saw this, he quickly stopped them.
"That won't do! Young man, your clothes are new, but mine are patched!" Old Man Tian said, "They are just clothes from home, made of coarse cloth, so I wanted to use that old one..."
As Old Man Tian spoke, he gestured to Mu Tou to go quickly.
Mu Tou seemed to have remembered something and said, "Dad, I just remembered that I have some undergarments from earlier years, made of fine cotton. They are no longer wearable. I'll go get them."
"Okay, go quickly..."
Mu Tou ran out quickly.
Xiao Tangbao looked at Mu Tou's back and couldn't help but feel doubtful.
Is this the person who owes foreign debts, so that Mr. Tian had to sell the red wine to pay off the debts?
It seems that this person doesn't look like the kind of delinquent young man who cheats his father...
Mu Tou quickly brought back a few sets of washed, bleached inner clothes.
Old Man Su and Old Third Su, father and son, each took a sleeve and helped to wipe it.
Gradually, each piece of exquisite handicraft saw the light of day again.
Small bridges and flowing water, pavilions and towers, galloping horses, flying goddesses, tigers roaring in the mountains...
Little Tangbao looked at them one by one and couldn't help but marvel at them.
"Uncle, you are amazing! Your cooking skills are simply superb!"
Xiao Tangbao said this, pointing to the root carving of a tiger roaring in the mountains.
"Look at this tiger, it's so lifelike! At first glance, it's so scary you'd think it was real!"
Little Tangbao patted his chest seriously.
He looked as if he had just been frightened.
Old Man Su said quickly, "Girl, are you scared? Don't be afraid, it's fake. Just stroke the fur and it won't scare you."
As Old Man Su spoke, he reached out and touched Xiao Tangbao's hair.
The corners of Xiao Tangbao's mouth twitched.
Dad, you didn't wash your hands...
Well, she went home and washed her hair.
When Old Man Tian saw this, all kinds of emotions surged into his mind.
He was naturally happy when these things were praised.
However, when I think about the reason why I retired, I feel sad and regretful.
"If you like these things, feel free to take them away," said Old Man Tian. "When you bought Dahong, you saved her life, my son's life, and mine too..."
Otherwise, he would not have been able to open the big copper lock on the door.
After Old Man Tian said this, Xiao Tangbao felt a little embarrassed.
I feel like I'm repaying a favor.
"Uncle, I want to buy these things, but..." Little Tangbao's face showed a hint of uneasiness. "If you have any questions, we won't force you. Just pretend we haven't been here."
Old Man Tian gave a bitter smile and said, "My dear benefactor, your words are too kind."
After saying that, he looked at a root carving of a pine and crane symbolizing longevity.
His gaze was somewhat distant as he continued, "What's the secret? When I retired, besides regretting indulging in carving and feeling guilty towards the child's mother, it was also because these things simply couldn't be sold, and I didn't want to waste my time in vain."
"How could it not be sold?" Xiao Tangbao said in surprise.
These ornaments may not be as valuable as gold, jade and other items.
But in her opinion, these are all authentic works of art!
So-called works of art are often priceless!
Old Man Su and Old Third Su also showed puzzled expressions.
In their view, even if these things don't sell for much money, they can still be sold.
Even if it's just for the sake of novelty, there will definitely be people who buy it.
For example, those people in the town who sell lanterns, clay figurines, and windmills...
Of course, these things are not worth much.
The Su family members all looked at Old Man Tian with confusion on their faces.
Old Man Tian's face was filled with bitterness. He pointed at the root carving of the pine and crane and said, "This thing took me half a month to make. I wanted to sell it for five taels of silver, but people laughed at me and said I was dreaming..."
Little Sugar Baby, "..."
Even in a good year, farmers could not save more than five taels of silver in the whole year.
If five taels of silver were sold to an ordinary family, no one would buy it.
Xiao Tangbao suddenly understood the embarrassing situation of root carving and wood carving.
It is not popular among wealthy families to display such root carvings and wood carvings.
Small families are reluctant to buy it.
So, we can only sell it at a low price.
"Then why not lower the price?" Su Lao San said, "If it's cheaper, it will definitely sell."
Old Man Tian shook his head and said, "If I sell it any cheaper, I'll be doing a disservice to this craft passed down from our ancestors! In that case, it's better not to sell it!"
The Su family father and son looked at each other.
I see!
"Uncle, you have such a unique personality!" Little Tangbao exclaimed.
He is indeed an artist!
Have character!
It is better to die with honor than to live in disgrace!
I would rather eat coarse food than drink meat soup occasionally.
Alas! I don’t have such a strong backbone!
If it were me, and no one bought five taels of silver, then the price would definitely drop to four taels and nine cents, four taels and eight cents... and so on.
In short, I would rather drink broth than eat bran.
However, this way, the following things will be easier to handle.
We can now do business with Mr. Hetian openly.
Little Tangbao's eyes fell on the root carving of pine and crane longevity.
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