Chu Yu never expected that the old couple had such a past. In previous years, many people donated their ancestral antiques to the country in order to save their lives. It was not unusual for Grandpa Luo and Great-Grandma Luo to donate antiques.
"What is it that they're so concerned about?"
“It’s my family’s heirloom incense burner and porcelain. I heard they were items from the palace, so people coveted them. My wife and I couldn’t keep these things, so we simply donated them to the National Museum. They were too greedy; they always thought we had some good things and kept them to themselves.”
Grandpa Luo is a capable man. He was a well-known traditional Chinese medicine doctor in his younger years, but he was also criticized and persecuted a few years ago. Now that he is old, he has retired to take care of his son at home. He knows all kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs, is well-versed in history books, and also has a research on antiques. He is a very versatile person.
Aunt Zeng is no ordinary person either. Her ancestors had inspected the imperial tombs in the palace, so they must have some antiques passed down to her.
The elderly couple are both educated people; they speak and act with reason and evidence, making it very easy to communicate with them.
Luo Kangcheng lay in the room, and Shu Hui used a wet towel to wipe his body. Chu Yu looked at him from afar and saw that he was quite energetic and handsome. It was a pity that he had fallen to such a state.
On the living room table were the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) and an unfinished calligraphy piece.
"Your Uncle Luo fainted before he finished writing, but fortunately it's not serious and he can be discharged today."
Chu Yu thought of the rubbings and calligraphy samples of her relative, the buck-toothed man. She didn't know much about calligraphy and just wrote whatever came to mind, but she wanted to show them to Grandpa Luo.
When Chu Yu came over carrying the box, Grandpa Luo had just been discharged from the hospital. He looked to be in good spirits and was all smiles.
Grandpa Luo was quite happy to see her, so Chu Yu took out the rubbings and calligraphy samples.
"This calligraphy copybook looks quite obscure. If you like it, you can take it."
Chu Yu bought the belongings of the buck-toothed relative, simply because she couldn't stand seeing the old man's things being sold as scrap. If she could give them to someone who liked calligraphy, it would be a way to make use of the waste.
To everyone's surprise, Grandpa Luo became more and more astonished as he looked at the rubbings, and after finishing the rubbings, he flipped through several pages of calligraphy.
"Girl, I can't accept this."
Chu Yu pondered that rubbings and calligraphy copybooks weren't very good. That's how it is for people who practice calligraphy; they all have their favorite copybooks by famous calligraphers. Grandpa Luo practices regular script a lot, so he probably wouldn't look down on her running script copybook.
To everyone's surprise, Grandpa Luo just shook his head. He then asked her where the things came from, and after a long while, he just kept shaking his head.
"You're a kind-hearted girl. You couldn't bear to see it being thrown away as scrap, so you bought it back. It must be fate! The old couple's son is busy making a living abroad, unwilling to return home, and doesn't even want his parents' belongings. The scrap you bought for 14 yuan could buy you a house and land in a big city, enough for your descendants to live comfortably, while he spent his whole life abroad and didn't earn as much as this box of scrap. He lost out big time!"
Chu Yu was stunned for a moment. This thing was actually an antique? According to Grandpa Luo, this box of things must be quite expensive.
It's no wonder Chu Yu didn't understand. These things didn't look special at all. The calligraphy and rubbings were yellowed and looked very old. In her memory, cultural relics were displayed in museums with special security measures.
These things are so affordable, they really don't look worth much.
Grandpa Luo chuckled, "Silly girl, the things in museums are all restored and carefully preserved by the museum. Before they went to the museum, they were no different from ordinary things. People who like cultural relics treasure them, while those who don't smash, loot, and throw them away. Didn't the Red Army soldiers smash a lot of things a few years ago? Wasn't it because they thought cultural relics were nothing special?"
Chu Yu wasn't short of money, so she wasn't particularly happy.
"Grandpa Luo, is this thing worth a lot of money?"
"I won't mention rubbings or anything like that. Let's just talk about this calligraphy. It's that person's original work! Logically speaking, it's already extinct. The set exhibited in the museum isn't even as valuable as yours. Do you think it's worth anything? Of course, antiques are only valuable in prosperous times. If you try to sell it now, people will just force you to lower the price. Anyway, you're not short of money, so you might as well keep it for a few years. Like I said, it'll be enough for your descendants to live comfortably."
Chu Yu thought of the cultural relics that would fetch hundreds of millions of yuan at auction in later generations.
Grandpa Luo is right, she doesn't lack money. Since these are all good things, she should keep them.
Grandpa Luo could tell that the calligraphy copybook was unusual. If the deceased elderly couple had the expertise to collect genuine calligraphy copybooks, how could the rubbings they left behind be fake? However, with Grandpa Luo's level of expertise, he couldn't tell the age of the rubbings; he would have to consult ancient books.
"It looks like it's from before the Song Dynasty. Let me check the books and then I'll give you a definite answer."
Chu Yu wasn't in a hurry to know, but she had a slight headache. She hadn't cared before, and once it was placed at home, she felt it was in the way even to glance at it.
Now that this junk has been transformed into a priceless antique, she really doesn't know where to put it.
"Grandpa Luo, how should I preserve these things?"
"There's nothing special about it. Just be careful not to let it get damp, infested with insects, or rained on. Now that you mention it, I'm actually worried you won't be able to preserve it properly."
Grandpa Luo cherished the antiques and, fearing that Chu Yu wouldn't take them seriously, gave her many instructions.
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