When Ah Sheng saw that both Tang Lao and I were asking him questions, he didn't answer, but instead turned his gaze to Lin Jianghao.
The latter smiled and said, "Old Tang is a close friend of mine despite our age difference. Since he has spoken, let him tell us about it so that everyone can broaden their horizons."
"There were many famous painters in the Southern Song Dynasty, but the most famous painters of children at play were Liu Zongdao and Du Haier."
Asheng stood in front of the painting and talked eloquently: "Among these two, Liu Zongdao was good at painting 'children in a basin,' which simply means children and their reflections in the water. According to records, Liu Zongdao's children in a basin were known for their lively and vivid style. He pointed to the water and the reflections pointed back to each other, making the form and the reflection distinct. Moreover, he was extremely good at painting fan paintings. Every time he conceived a new painting, he would paint hundreds of sets before shipping them to prevent others from imitating it."
The name Du Haier was just a pseudonym. He was born in Kaifeng and became famous for painting infants, hence the name 'Du Haier'. He enjoyed great fame in Bianjing and was said to be worth a thousand gold pieces for a single painting. Officials and nobles from all over the country hired him to paint their children at high prices, which even created a trend.
Based on my assessment, this painting dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty. There were very few painters of that era who could produce works of this caliber, and those whose works have survived are all mismatched in style. This leaves only Liu Zongdao and Du Haier. The brushwork in this painting is meticulous, and the exquisite handling of details is quite rare among ancient paintings.
As I just mentioned, Liu Zongdao had a habit of painting hundreds of pictures at a time. Over time, this inevitably made him adept at painting children at play, and his brushstrokes became more fluid. However, he would never be as meticulous in handling details.
In conclusion, the only master who could paint children at play to such a high level in that era was Du Hai'er, whose works have not survived but whose deeds are recorded in historical texts.
Upon hearing Ah Sheng's analysis, I glanced at Lin Jianghao.
No wonder this guy can always keep Mr. Leng in check; it turns out he has a master like Ah Sheng by his side.
When Professor Li brought out this painting, although I guessed that it might be the work of Liu Zongdao and Du Haier, I actually knew very little about these two people. I only knew that there were two painters in the Southern Song Dynasty who were good at painting children at play.
Ah Sheng only glanced at the painting before confirming that it was indeed Du Hai'er's work, and he even knew the details of Du Hai'er and Liu Zongdao's past like the back of his hand.
That's an amazing skill.
Throughout China's five-thousand-year history, countless painters and poets, such as Liu Zongdao, Du Haier, and Li Song, have left their names in history but have no works that have survived.
In the world of antique collecting, no one bothers to remember their names, because it's pointless.
Ah Sheng's ability to recount the stories of such people so well is not just for show; it reflects his profound cultural knowledge, much like my own, which I have systematically studied since childhood.
"That's interesting."
After listening to Asheng's introduction, Lin Jianghao looked at me with great interest: "I've seen you before. You came with Xiao Liuzi, right?"
I knew Lin Jianghao was no ordinary person, and I had no conflict with him, so I replied politely, "Mr. Lin has a discerning eye. I am indeed Mr. Leng's friend."
"Mr. Leng? Haha! It seems your relationship isn't that great. Little Liu didn't even tell you his real name."
Lin Jianghao gave me a meaningful smile, then changed the subject and said, "Little guy, I've taken a liking to this painting of yours. Could you part with it and let me have it?"
I knew that Mr. Leng had a grudge against Lin Jianghao, so naturally I would not do business with him. I immediately refused, saying, "Mr. Lin, I am really sorry. I came here today to broaden my horizons. As you can see, I only have one painting in this booth. If you take it, my booth will look too ugly."
It was clear that Lin Jianghao particularly liked the painting in front of me, and he replied without hesitation, "That's easy. I have quite a few things on my booth. Give me this painting, and you can take whatever you want from that table over there, as much as you want."
I said awkwardly, "Mr. Lin, this painting is a family heirloom. It's only on display here today."
There's an old saying that goes, "A son sells his father's land without a care in the world." Since you don't want to give up this painting, I won't force you.
I thought Lin Jianghao would be furious because of my attitude, but he just said one thing and didn't make things difficult for me.
That makes sense. After all, Lin Jianghao is a top player in the country and has seen all kinds of treasures. If he can't get them, he'll just feel sorry for them. He wouldn't dare to bully me and openly rob me. After all, I came with Mr. Leng. If he really did that, it would be in line with Mr. Leng's wishes.
The monkey watched Lin Jianghao's departing figure, a hint of disappointment flashing in its eyes: "Young Master Duan, are you really not going to make a deal with Lin Jianghao? When we came over just now, I saw a set of jade Go stones on his booth, exactly the same as the one we saw in Li Fan's tomb! You said that once the set is complete, it's worth a fortune!"
I sat down and lit a cigarette: "I saw that Go set you mentioned when I came in. It's from the late Qing Dynasty. It's made of jadeite, but the quality is nowhere near as good as the set in Li Fan's tomb. It would be enough to exchange for this painting of ours without an inscription, but we didn't gain any advantage."
The monkey winked shrewdly: "We can take more than just that Go set! That Lin guy said that as long as we give him the painting, we can take whatever we want from the table. If we just take everything from him, wouldn't we make a fortune?"
I gave a helpless smile: "If we hadn't come here with Mr. Leng today, I would definitely have taken your advice. But I didn't come here to make money. If we trade with Lin Jianghao in this way, our reputation will be completely ruined. The entire antique circle in Beijing will be filled with the reputation of us being greedy and insatiable. How will we ever be able to survive in the industry again?"
“I understand what you’re saying, but I still feel it’s a real shame. After all, we’re losing real money! If we could just shoot down all of Mr. Lin’s stuff, the money would come in faster than robbing a bank!”
The monkey quickly regained its composure and said with a silly grin, "Young Master Duan, for the past six months or so, I feel like we've been living in a dream. In the past, the value of any one of these things would have made my jaw drop, but now that I've missed out on so many things, I only feel a little bit heartbroken."
"People grow with their understanding. Being a member of the Four Gates did give me a shortcut. We'll be attending these tea parties more often in the future, and we'll encounter more and more good things. When you can remain calm and composed like Mr. Leng and Lin Jianghao, that's when you've truly mastered the art."
As I was chatting with the monkey, a bell suddenly rang out in the hall, and the previously noisy crowd immediately quieted down and went back to their respective positions.
Seeing this, I sat up straight.
The melodious chimes in the hall signaled the start of this year's tea party.
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