The original copy of Lanting Preface is a priceless treasure and cannot be compared to a few bags of grain.
But what the old man needs most now is food. These antique calligraphy and paintings are useless if he keeps them in his hands. It is better to exchange them for food to keep himself alive.
The old man smiled and said, "If someone can understand the value of this calligraphy, then I won't feel I've lost out.
I don't know where these things will end up in my hands.
Now that someone can treasure it better, I feel like I have fulfilled one of my wishes."
After saying that, he looked at Yan Yuqi again and said, "Young man, please help me move these grains into the kitchen."
Yan Yuqi moved the food to the kitchen.
Yan Ning followed the old man into the main hall. "Old sir, I'd like to know where you obtained this authentic copy of the Lanting Preface."
The old man sat down on the chair and motioned Yan Ning to sit on the stool next to him. "My last name is Wei. When I was young, I was a private school teacher. You can just call me Mr. Wei."
After saying this, Mr. Wei continued, “This authentic copy of Lanting Preface was handed down from my great-grandfather’s generation.
Later, when it came to my generation, my father passed it on to me. According to my father,
My great-grandfather bought it from a group of tomb robbers for one thousand taels of silver.
Those tomb robbers were illiterate, so my great-grandfather got the upper hand."
Yan Ning asked, "Did those tomb robbers rob the Zhaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong of Tang?"
Mr. Wei nodded, "It is indeed Zhaoling. The tomb robbers said that there were 20 of them who entered the tomb.
In the end, only ten people came out alive. They divided the few burial objects in Zhaoling equally.
Later, those people dispersed to various places to sell these antiques and cultural relics.
The few remaining antiques from the man who sold the Lanting Preface to my great-grandfather were also bought by my great-grandfather."
Yan Ning looked at Mr. Wei, without hiding his intention, and spoke directly:
"Mr. Wei, to be honest, I came here with my elder brother today.
I want to buy some of your antiques. If you are willing to part with them, please name your price.
Whether it's money or food, we can exchange it for you."
Mr. Wei looked at Yan Ning curiously. "At such a young age, you already like collecting these antiques?"
Yan Ning smiled and said, "In prosperous times, antiques are worth gold in troubled times. People today still don't understand the value of these antiques.
These things will be priceless treasures in the future.”
It is a priceless treasure for those literati and collectors.
For Yan Ning, it is a priceless treasure. If something is kept in your hands, it will die, so it is better to maximize its value.
Yes, she is so materialistic.
Mr. Wei sighed and said, "You are right, these things are priceless treasures!
Unfortunately, I couldn't protect them. Both of my sons were sent to the farm for reform.
The people from the Ideological Committee were concerned about this courtyard and would come to cause trouble every now and then.
If they continue searching, they will soon find the secret room where I hid these things.
It would be better to exchange them with you now, at least I can protect these things from being ruined by those beasts."
Yan Ning: "Then what about the food we sent? Will those people find out and take it away?"
Mr. Wei waved his hand and said, "It's okay. I have a place to store the food you brought here today.
What those people can't find are the antiques you are going to exchange for later.
I want half food and half cash. Please don't send me the food for the time being.
After my wife and I finish eating these, we can come back to you to get them in batches, okay?"
Yan Ning was a little confused. Since those people couldn't find that place, why didn't they hide these antiques there?
But she didn't ask, instead she turned her head and looked at Yan Yuqi, "Brother, what do you say?"
Yan Yuqi thought for a moment and said, "Okay, Mr. Wei, if you want to find me in the future, just go to the black market you went to before.
If I'm not here, you can find a man named Monkey there.
If he can contact me, I will come here to find you."
Mr. Wei nodded and stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you to see those things."
The two followed Mr. Wei out of the main hall and into the room to the right of the main house.
Mr. Wei walked to a bookshelf and reached out to move a vase.
Suddenly, the bookshelf split in two and moved to the sides, revealing a stone staircase leading underground.
The stone steps were not long, about two meters, and the dark room was pitch black.
Mr. Wei took out two flashlights and handed one to Yan Ning. He turned on the flashlight and went down the stone steps first.
Yan Yuqi followed behind him, and Yan Ning walked at the end with a flashlight.
I entered the dark room, which was about twenty square meters in size.
Yan Ning used a flashlight to illuminate the dark room.
There was a row of boxes stacked against the wall on the left.
Mr. Wei looked at Yan Yuqi and said, "Young man, open your boxes!"
Yan Yuqi walked forward and opened the boxes one by one. Some of the items among them were the antiques that Mr. Wei had taken out for him to see when he came here before.
Mr. Wei said to Yan Ning, "Go and have a look! See if there's anything you like."
Yan Ning walked to the first box and looked at them in order.
The more I watch, the more frightened I become, and the more excited I become.
No matter what, she likes it.
Finally, Yan Ning chose a Tang Sancai horse, a small white porcelain bowl, a secret color porcelain bowl, a green glaze bowl with linked beads, a fish roe green glaze chrysanthemum petal teapot, a blue and white wine pot with peony pattern, and a Xuande furnace.
Yan Ning stood up and said, "Mr. Wei, that's all I need!"
Mr. Wei nodded, cleared out an empty box, and asked Yan Ning to pack these things into the box.
The box was carried up by Yan Yuqi.
The three of them returned to the main room.
Yan Ning spoke first: "Mr. Wei, how would you like to exchange these antiques?"
Mr. Wei thought for a moment and said, "How about exchanging three hundred yuan for one hundred kilograms of rice, one hundred kilograms of flour, and fifty kilograms of pork?"
Yan Ning calculated that the total was only about nine hundred.
"Okay, let's do as you say!"
Yan Ning took out thirty big unity notes from his bag and handed them to him.
"Mr. Wei, I'll give you the money first. You can go to my eldest brother to get the remaining food in batches later."
Mr. Wei took the money and thanked him: "Luckily I met you, otherwise my wife and I would have starved to death."
The work was done and the two planned to leave.
Yan Yuqi carried the box out of the yard, and Yan Ning pushed the bicycle out.
Yan Yuqi tied the box to the back seat of the bicycle tightly.
The porcelain in the box was padded with straw and some rags to prevent them from being bumped and damaged.
The two rode their bicycles back to the rented yard.
Yan Yuqi unloaded the box and asked, "Sister, are you planning to take these things home?"
Yan Ning: "Don't take it back. I have other places to store it. Let's go back to the courtyard of Qingshi Lane in Tong City first.
Leave these things there for now, and I'll find someone to take them away tomorrow."
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