The next day, Liu Meiyun and her husband packed the gifts they were going to take and prepared to go to the hospital to meet up with Lu Wanjun. They would then visit Teacher Shao's home together after she got off work.
"Dad, Mom, I want to go too."
Lu Erbao was tired of watching TV at home. His younger brother went to the Children's Palace to play table tennis, and his older brother spent the whole day fiddling with his pile of broken copper and iron and didn't want to pay any attention to him. Suddenly, he became the most idle person in the family, and he had to be ordered around to run errands whenever he had time.
"What are you going to do? Stay at home by yourself."
They were all impatient when they went out shopping yesterday, and Liu Meiyu was even impatient today and took them out to make trouble.
Erbao hugged Liu Meiyun's arm and whined: "Mom, I can help carry the things, please take me with you, please~"
"You speak better than you sing." Liu Meiyu was unmoved and directly exposed: "You are so incompetent at home, how can you be diligent when you go out?"
"I'm diligent, I promise to be diligent." Lu Erbao quickly and attentively snatched the things in Liu Meiyun's hand, and said confidently: "Mom, just take me with you. When you go out today, I will never go west if you point east. If you ask me to run errands, I will definitely not charge you."
Liu Meiyun: "Don't give me a rhyme. I haven't seen you recite a few ancient poems yet!"
Lu Erbao: "I have memorized it, Mom. If you don't believe me, I will recite it to you slowly on the way. Do you want to listen to Tang poetry or Song poetry?"
"Your mom wants you to shut up!"
When Lu Changzheng came over on his bicycle, he saw his second son holding his mother's arm and acting like a spoiled child. He said in a deep voice, "Give me the things and go back to watch TV. We're not going out to play, so why are you joining in the fun?"
Lu Erbao put the things into his bicycle basket stubbornly, and then he said with a roll of his eyes, "Dad, yesterday a strange uncle approached my mom outside and praised her for being beautiful. I called her mom in time and let her know that she had a son as old as me, so he left. You have to take me with you when you go out, so that others will envy and be jealous of you!"
"Lu Yunhua, that's enough." Liu Meiyu couldn't bear to listen any longer and pinched his ears: "Where did you learn all this?"
Lu Erbao covered his ears and quickly confessed: "Mom, I am innocent. It was my dad who told me to call you mom more often when I was out there! I always listened to him."
"I didn't say that." Lu Changzheng refused to admit it.
So the family of three had a restless journey all the way to Lu Wanjun Hospital.
Liu Meiyun sat on the back of the man's bicycle and slapped him on the back with a loud slap: "Lu Changzheng, you should teach children nonsense in the future."
"What did I teach you?" Lu Changzheng pretended to be dumb, but couldn't help but retort: "Besides, what's wrong with children calling you mom? Didn't they come out of your belly?"
"Don't try to change my mind."
Although the man couldn't see it, Liu Meiyu couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
"Why did I change the subject?" Maybe it was because they were riding a bike, and Liu Meiyu's hands were tightly clasped around his waist, which made him feel satisfied and swollen, Lu Changzheng couldn't help but talk to her:
"My wife is so pretty, so it's okay for me to have a sense of crisis, right? Before, a lot of young boys in your school wrote love letters to you. Do you think I don't exist?"
The love letters are still kept in a big box under their closet, but Lu Changzheng just doesn't like them no matter how he looks at them.
"That was an academic exchange. You read every letter secretly, and you're still talking nonsense to me here."
“Not every letter is an academic exchange.”
“…”
Liu Meiyu was simply convinced. Was this man a jealous person in his previous life?
When she was in college, she organized English corners, published papers, received foreign guests, and ranked first in her grade. She spared no effort to play the role of Huaqing's top student. Many strangers wrote to her dormitory. Most of them were eager and enthusiastic about new knowledge and wanted to exchange learning experiences with her. Few people wrote love letters to her because the fact that she was married and had three children was always open to the public in school.
It just so happened that Lu Changzheng occasionally came across one or two letters from people who expressed their appreciation to her without knowing that she was married, and he could still remember them now.
This is not the end.
The man then said, "And Erbao just said that a man praised you for your beauty yesterday. Why didn't you tell me when you got home?"
Lu Changzheng frowned: "There are all kinds of people out there now. If you encounter this kind of slick-tongued second-rate person, you must tell me, otherwise I will be very worried."
"If the barber who did my hair didn't say it was beautiful, would he still say it was ugly?"
Liu Meiyu was speechless. It seemed that this man treated his son as a surveillance device and would report every little thing to him.
People outside are more open now than before, but no one dares to act like a hooligan on the street.
Realizing that he might have been deceived by his son again, Lu Changzheng coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment and said nonsense, "Why do you have to curl your hair? You are already very beautiful. With this, you look like you are not married. If my son and I are not around when you go out in the future, people will misunderstand you."
In front of him, a male college student showed his attentiveness and admiration for him, and behind him, an enthusiastic old lady wanted to introduce a partner to him even when she went to a hot spring. As his daughter-in-law was too beautiful to be noticed, Lu Changzheng did not dare to let his guard down at all.
He was not worried about his wife, but about others. As the saying goes, you are not afraid of thieves stealing, you are afraid of thieves targeting you.
Especially the young ones!
“…”
If it weren't for those compliments on her beauty, Liu Meiyu would really like to pinch Erbao's ears just like she did just now and let the man have a taste of the feeling.
"Wife, you said that we are only six years apart in age, but with your curly hair, people will probably think I am ten years older than you."
Lu Changzheng was not talking nonsense. As he got older, Liu Meiyun looked younger and prettier the more she dressed up, while he himself was obviously not as handsome as he was in the past. In the past, he dared to take a break for three or five days without shaving, but now he shaves every day. When he goes out, people say he is "an old cow eating young grass". He is only 36! How can he be old?
Lu Changzheng is indeed not old. When he was in his twenties, his facial features were tough and handsome. Now in his thirties, the youthfulness on his face has faded, and he looks more mature and stable, with more resolute features. He is exactly the type that Liu Meiyun likes.
His comrades in the army joked that he was "an old cow eating young grass", but they were just jealous of the fact that he had a beautiful wife and three such grown sons.
A man who is not even forty years old, has a family and a career all on his plate. If you don't take advantage of the only reason you can use, which is age difference, to squeeze him out, what else can you say?
Even though the man was unreasonable and looking for trouble, every sentence he said was about praising her for her beauty. Liu Meiyun was so vain that she couldn't get angry at all.
Instead, she coaxed him in a gentle voice: "Don't listen to nonsense. I don't like young and hot-tempered people. I like men like you who are in their thirties, mature, stable, responsible, and strong. Besides, why do you care about what others do? We just need to live our own lives..."
The man holding the handlebars of the bicycle in front had his mouth curved to the back of his ears. Listening to his wife's straightforward expression of love, he was no longer blushing and at a loss as he was before. Instead, a glimmer of triumphant cunning flashed in his eyes, and he even wanted to whistle on the spot.
But this good atmosphere was immediately ruined by his son's shout.
"Dad! Can you guys ride faster? People are walking faster than you!"
Lu Erbao rode a long way and when he looked back, he saw his father riding the bicycle like his legs were not working properly, swaying back and forth, and he was still lagging behind for a long time.
"Hurry up, my aunt has already gotten off work." Liu Meiyu came to her senses and urged from behind.
She also wants to go and appraise antiques!
Teacher Shao's home was in a courtyard house in a Xicheng alley. Liu Meiyu's family followed Lu Wanjun in and greeted them.
Teacher Shao, who had just returned to the city from the countryside, applied for retirement. Now he leads a quiet and peaceful life at home, practicing calligraphy and writing books every day, and sending manuscripts to newspapers from time to time.
My sons and daughters are busy with work, and the company has allocated housing for them, so they basically only go home once every one or two weeks.
When he saw Lu Wanjun coming to his house, he expressed his welcome, but the reception was very hasty, with only a few glasses of boiled water.
But old friends don't care about these.
Lu Wanjun went straight to the point: "Lao Lin, can you help me take a look at this pen holder? My dad insisted it was an antique."
Shao Linwen took the pen holder, glanced at it briefly, then called everyone to the study and told them to wait while he himself was busy looking for materials with a magnifying glass.
Liu Meiyun was naturally very interested in being able to visit the calligraphy master's study.
Although she was an amateur and could only look at the surface of the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, to her surprise, she actually saw on the wall the calligraphy that she had spent tens of thousands of dollars to buy at a calligraphy exhibition in her previous life.
Seeing his wife staring at a piece of calligraphy on the wall for a long time, Lu Changzheng went over to ask her something, and Liu Meiyu whispered a few words in her ear.
Lu Changzheng also raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The study was a very small space, and the young couple was whispering to each other, but they were caught by Lu Wanjun and Shao Linwen who were standing behind them when they looked up.
While Shao Linwen was busy, he smiled softly at Lu Wanjun and said, "Your nephew and his wife are even more disgusting than other newly married couples."
As soon as he entered the house, he noticed that the young couple had never been more than one meter away from each other, and Lu Changzheng's eyes were always glued to his wife, just like his father back then.
"I'm used to seeing it." Lu Wanjun shrugged.
The couple who have been married for decades are as close as ever. If her elder brother and sister-in-law were still alive, they would definitely get along like this.
"Auntie, how long will it take to get better?"
Lu Erbao walked around the study room. The adults were all talking to themselves and no one paid any attention to him. He had counted all the calligraphy and paintings on the wall. Half an hour later, Uncle Shao was still studying the pen holder. He was alone, bored and lonely. He didn't dare to bother his parents, so he came to Lu Wanjun to act like a scoundrel.
"It's almost done, just play by yourself for a while." Lu Wanjun comforted him.
Shao Linwen put down the magnifying glass in his hand and looked at the handsome child in front of him. He smiled and said, "Didn't you hear about triplets? Why didn't you bring the other two out together?"
"The eldest is reading at home, and the third has been sent to the Children's Palace." Lu Wanjun replied.
"Haha, that's great. In the blink of an eye, we are all grandpas now."
"Of course I am. I plan to retire in two years." Lu Wanjun sighed, "Just like you, I will enjoy life at home, plant some flowers or something."
Lu Wanjun is now at retirement age. When she was young, she could hold the scalpel for days and nights without letting go. Now that the pain has rebounded, her wrist can no longer bear it.
"It's better to retire. You've been tired for most of your life. It's time to live a life of eating and sleeping." Shao Linwen also understood Lu Wanjun and knew that since she could say it, she must have made up her mind.
Seeing that Lu Erbao had been moving non-stop in the study, Shao Linwen changed his tone and said, "I think Erbao seems to be impatient."
"Indeed." Lu Wanjun nodded. "This child is smart, but unstable. When he was little, he would bother me to death when I was eating. Later, when he was doing homework, he would do it from dawn to dusk..."
Lu Wanjun couldn't stop complaining about her nephew.
Shao Linwen laughed and said, "Why not let him learn calligraphy from me during the summer vacation to temper his temper."
Lu Wanjun's eyes lit up: "Okay, I'll talk to Meiyun later."
When Liu Meiyu heard that Teacher Shao was willing to take the trouble to teach Erbao calligraphy, she was so happy that she immediately thanked him.
However, Lu Erbao was not very interested in calligraphy. He hummed a few words and then glared back at Liu Meiyu.
"Don't give me a hum," Liu Meiyu said firmly, "I'll take you here every day from now on. You can learn calligraphy from Grandpa Shao this summer. If you don't obey me, don't ask me for pocket money in the future."
Learning calligraphy is just the right thing to cure Erbao's impatience, and he can learn from Teacher Shao. If Liu Meiyu herself had time, she would have wanted to share in the fun.
“…”
Lu Erbao pouted, looking depressed. If he had known this, he would not have made a fuss about going out!
Seeing Lu Erbao's bitter face, Shao Linwen couldn't help rubbing his head and said with a smile: "Haha, I wouldn't want to teach ordinary people, but you kid, I'm doing this for your aunt's sake."
"Thank you, Master Shao." Lu Erbao thanked him politely, but he did not forget to fight desperately: "But my handwriting is ugly, and I can't even write well with a fountain pen. If you don't believe me, I'll write one for you to see? What if you regret it?"
Shao Linwen just found it funny to see this kid's cunning appearance. He smiled and nodded: "Then write one for me to see how ugly it is."
So, Lu Erbao held the brush in his hand and wrote a few words carefully under the threat of Liu Meiyu's stern eyes.
Looking at the crooked, creepy characters on the desk, Shao Linwen nodded in agreement: "It's really ugly."
Seeing this, Liu Meiyun quickly added: "Teacher Shao, we don't expect Erbao to achieve much in his studies, but we hope that he can be calm. If he doesn't listen to you, please teach him a lesson. Don't be lenient. If he doesn't behave well, just tell me and I will definitely punish him when I get back."
"Yes!" Lu Changzheng followed closely behind his wife and echoed, "Uncle Shao, if you need it, I'll go get some bamboo sticks later. You can prepare them first."
"Dad, Mom, am I your biological child?"
Lu Changzheng: "Only biological children can receive this treatment."
“…”
Seeing that his parents were determined to have him come to Grandpa Shao to learn calligraphy, Lu Erbao, after protesting to no avail, turned to place his last hope with Grandpa Shao.
Shao Linwen couldn't help but smile as he watched the family bickering. He touched Erbao's head and made the final decision: "I feel more fulfilled teaching a child who is unruly and disobedient. Not bad, come over tomorrow!"
“…”
Lu Erbao sighed.
Liu Meiyu and her husband both breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Liu Meiyu didn't relax for long before she was immediately angered by what Teacher Shao said.
"This bamboo pen holder is the work of Gu Jue, a famous Qing Dynasty sculptor. It is a real antique. You are not mistaken."
After careful confirmation, Shao Linwen told Liu Meiyu and his wife the result.
Lu Changzheng didn't think much of it, thinking it was just an antique. But when Liu Meiyun heard the name "Gu Jue, a Qing Dynasty sculptor," her head buzzed. She couldn't believe it and confirmed it again: "Teacher Shao, is this really Gu Jue's work?"
"Why, you know him?"
Liu Meiyun shook her head and said, "I just happened to see it in a book."
"I compared a lot of information. This pen holder has his seal on it. It's in an inconspicuous place. You probably didn't notice it before."
When Shao Linwen returned the bamboo pen holder he had carefully cleaned to Liu Meiyu and the others, the dirt in the gaps had been cleaned away. In addition to the author's name, the landscapes and figures carved on the bamboo holder had also become more lifelike.
The tattered item that Dabao picked up from a scrap yard turned out to be an antique. Liu Meiyu once again felt the same feeling as if she had won the grand prize in a scratch-off lottery ticket.
Taking advantage of this good luck, Liu Meiyu remembered the three jade gourds she bought from Yao Shunliu for ten yuan when she just came here.
When the triplets were a little older, she put red ropes on them and kept them tied close to their skin. Now that they had been taken out, she wanted Teacher Shao to take a look at them.
Shao Linwen looked at it carefully for a while and concluded: "Although it is not an antique, it is top-quality jadeite and is very valuable."
“…”
What luck! If there were still lottery tickets available, Liu Meiyu would have bought a scratch ticket as soon as she went out to try it out.
Liu Meiyu came to Teacher Shao's place to appraise treasures with a nervous mood. When she left, she couldn't calm down at all, and the word "antique" was all on her mind.
Lu Changzheng was even more outrageous. He shamelessly asked Teacher Shao for the calligraphy on the wall. This was the calligraphy that Liu Meiyu told him she spent tens of thousands of dollars to buy as a gift for a client. Now he just asked for it directly from Uncle Shao without spending a penny, without any guilt at all.
The couple was so obsessed with an antique they found by accident that one of them was obsessed with it, while the other was trying to make the most of it. On the way back, they almost sang a song to celebrate.
This forms a sharp contrast with Lu Erbao's listless expression.
After returning home, the old man and his friends were not surprised at all when they found out that the bamboo pen holder was a real antique. They had no hobby of collecting antiques, and even if it was valuable, they had no idea. At most, they kept it carefully as a treasure.
Only Liu Meiyu was particularly restless. She put the pen holder in the cupboard and almost took a look at it before going to bed every day.
Lu Changzheng had never seen Liu Meiyun so concerned about anything before, so he couldn't help but wonder: "Wife, how much is this thing worth?"
Liu Meiyu stretched out a finger and asked him to guess.
"One hundred thousand?" Lu Changzheng estimated the number and felt that even if it was an antique, it was worth the price.
Liu Meiyun shook her head and said with certainty: "More than 10 million."
“…”
When she first saw the pen holder, Liu Meiyu didn't think of anything else. But when Teacher Shao said that it was the work of the Qing Dynasty sculptor Gu Jue, she immediately remembered that at an auction abroad, a work of the sculptor Gu Jue was sold at a high price of more than 10 million yuan, and she heard that this pen holder was almost thrown away as garbage.
At this moment, the largest denomination note was still the ten-yuan note. The value of ten million yuan took Lu Changzheng a long time to process in his mind.
After finally digesting it, Lu Changzheng swallowed his saliva and said in a trembling voice: "Wife, I will go buy another lock tomorrow, otherwise I won't be able to sleep well."
Liu Meiyun: "..."
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