There were people in every shop. These people selling antiques were definitely not the same group from Ming Street. No one knew how they managed to transport so many things here.
During the day, food was still being sold on Ming Street, but now it is filled with rows and rows of antiques.
Liu Liang then entered a store. In addition to selling large items, there were also some small items, and of course some calligraphy and paintings.
Liu Xian picked up a scroll of calligraphy. The scroll was very old. It was a portrait, signed by Gu Kaizhi.
Liu Liang couldn't help but think of how this person was described in history books.
He excelled in poetry and prose, and was particularly skilled in painting. He specialized in portraits, historical figures, Taoism and Buddhism, animals, and landscapes. His paintings emphasized capturing the spirit of a figure and focusing on the key points, believing that "the essence of a portrait lies in the eyes."
He pays close attention to depicting physiological details and expressing the characters' expressions. For example, in his portrait of Pei Kai, he added three hairs to his cheeks, which instantly makes him look radiant. He also skillfully uses environmental depictions to convey the characters' interests and demeanor. He places Xie Kun's portrait amidst a ravine, highlighting his character and interests. He uses the high-class, flowing silk technique to depict the folds in the characters' clothing, creating tight, continuous lines that resemble a spring silkworm spinning silk, spring clouds floating in the sky, or flowing water on the ground, all flowing naturally and smoothly.
This figure painting is indeed very legendary. The style is delicate and grand. However, this painting has big problems in the eyes of others.
The scroll is old, but the painting is very new, and the colors of the brush and ink are not right. Some of them are too new and lack some natural fading, so this is fake. Moreover, Gu Kaizhi's paintings, such as "The Goddess of Luo River", are national treasures, with sky-high prices, and are priceless.
It is undoubtedly a pipe dream to think that you can buy his paintings here.
Regardless of whether one is experienced or not, no one seems to pay attention to this painting. Inexperienced people will think it is fake, and experienced people will also say that it has at least ten reasons to be fake. As for those who just want to collect it, they will definitely not collect it, no matter how good or correct the imitation is, no one will pay for it, because things from the dark streets are never cheap.
Liu Liang took the painting and walked up to the shop owner.
"This hasn't been sold for ten years. Do you want it?"
The boss was about to forget about this painting. No one was interested in it in the past ten years, and he didn't plan to sell it anymore.
"Yes, I want it."
Liu Liang rolled up the scroll and she had an urge to take the painting away immediately, as if someone would snatch it away from her if she didn't take it away.
"One hundred and fifty thousand."
The boss mentioned a price, "You are our first customer. The original price was 170,000, but now it's 20,000 off for you."
Fifteen thousand?
Liu Liang held the painting in her hand and finally understood why it couldn't be sold. A clearly fake painting could be sold for 150,000 yuan, but only a fool would buy it.
No, Liu Liang herself is a fool now.
"I don't have any money with me." Liu Jing felt a little regretful. She wondered why she didn't bring a suitcase with her. Fifteen thousand was a lot of money. She didn't expect that things here would be so expensive. The inn charged in thousands.
However, a fake painting is measured in 100,000.
She had a small bag on her back. If she had equipment worth 10,000 or 20,000, it wouldn't matter. But how could she take out 150,000 yuan from such a small bag?
"You can pay the deposit first."
The boss was easy to talk to. He pointed at the white magnolia key on Liu Jing's wrist and said, "If you need it, we can deliver it to the inn."
Liu Liang only now realized that this key had such a benefit.
"How much is the deposit?"
Liu Liang took out her bag. This bag could hold about 100,000 yuan. It all depended on how much he wanted.
The boss held up two fingers.
"Twenty thousand."
Liu Liang readily took out 20,000 yuan.
"If you can't come up with the remaining balance after you buy it, there's no refund."
The boss did not take Liu Liang's money, but said this to her again.
Of course, it can be said to be a warning, or a kind reminder.
The things here are not afraid of you paying a deposit, but they are afraid that you dare not buy them.
As for buying and selling, you also have to rely on your own abilities. Don't give away the deposit for nothing, as it cannot be refunded. This has been a written rule in the dark street for thousands of years, and everyone who buys and sells in the dark street knows this.
"Okay, I understand." Liu Jing nodded again. Of course she could come up with 100,000 yuan. When she came out this time, Zeng Xubai gave her 5 million yuan, and Fang Yuan also gave her 5 million yuan.
This was all her pocket money, so she could certainly afford the painting, no matter whether it was real or fake.
Just as she was about to go out, her steps paused slightly, and then she went to another store.
But she didn't know that shortly after she left, a young man and woman walked in and walked around inside from time to time.
The man walked to the place where calligraphy and paintings were sold, picked up a painting, and opened it.
But he didn't study it for long. After looking at it, he took out another one, and put it down soon after, as if he was looking for something. He turned over all the paintings here, but still couldn't find the one he wanted.
"Brother Shiyang, what are you looking for?"
Xu Jiajia felt that he came here just to look for something.
'Looking for a painting.'
Ling Shiyang picked up another painting, which was the last one, but he felt it was not this one, because the scroll of that painting did not look like this, and of course it was not very new.
"Boss, do you have a painting by Gu Kaizhi?"
Ling Shiyang asked the boss who had been wiping a vase there.
"Gu Kaizhi's?"
The boss thought about it and then nodded.
“There is a painting that has not been sold for ten years.”
"Where?"
When Ling Shiyang heard that the painting was still there, he felt relieved. He came here two years ago and fell in love with the painting. He had a very strange feeling at the time and didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, he went to buy other things. He originally wanted to buy the painting, but he forgot about it. Only after the dark street was over did he remember that he didn't buy the painting.
He left only after the dark street was closed, so it was certain that the painting had not been sold. So he made a special trip here the following year, but he didn't expect that it rained heavily for three consecutive days last year.
The dark streets will be closed when it rains.
So, he failed to buy it. This year, he came again, actually just for that painting. The fortune teller once said that he had a pair of eyes that could detect treasures. Although he didn't understand what it meant, as long as he liked something, most of them were not ordinary things, especially those that he could think about for three years.
The boss raised his eyelids and pointed to a painting on the table.
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