Liu Shusheng briefly introduced Mr. Leng's situation to me, and then led me to his residence.
I followed behind him, constantly pondering the truth of the matter.
All the news I have now comes from Liu Shusheng.
According to him, Song Laosan was not kidnapped, but was arrested for faking it, which means it is unlikely that this was directed at me, and it was probably just an accident.
In addition, considering the phone call I had with Song Laosan not long ago, I was already 70% convinced of the truth.
Thinking about this, I had already cursed his ancestors for eighteen generations in my heart.
The first time I met him, he was locked in a cold storage and almost froze to death because of selling counterfeit goods. I never expected that after returning to China, he would pull off this stunt.
That bastard, why does he eat eight hundred beans without finding them fishy?
Liu Shusheng led us across the street, and after about a minute we turned into an alley and stood in front of a courtyard house facing south.
From the outside, this courtyard house is a typical traditional Chinese building, with the outer wall made of old-fashioned bricks and tiles.
Unlike the surrounding gray bricks and blue tiles, Mr. Leng's mansion features red walls and yellow tiles, which adds a strong historical atmosphere and a touch of nobility.
Looking at the surrounding street scene and the faintly visible walls of the Forbidden City, the monkey couldn't help but marvel: "When I heard the term 'the foot of the imperial city' before, I always thought it applied to the entire capital! But after seeing this house that's separated from the Forbidden City by only a wall, I truly understand the meaning of this term. I bet this courtyard house is worth hundreds of millions!"
"This place is just a house that Mr. Leng occasionally stays in. If it were his permanent residence, he would never have told me."
Liu Shusheng rang the doorbell and explained to us, "The houses here are priceless. For those who can afford to live here, what they want is a sense of nobility and luxury; money is secondary."
Upon hearing this explanation, I nodded in deep agreement, but at the same time, I felt a slight sense of unease.
Judging from Mr. Leng's property, one million is just a drop in the ocean for him.
No wonder Mr. Leng was furious when Song Laosan sold him a fake and Liu Shusheng offered a refund.
Looking at the vermilion gate in front of me, I had already mentally cursed Song Laosan's entire family.
That bastard, of all people to mess with, he had to pick on such a jinx.
Less than thirty seconds after the doorbell rang, the small door next to the gatehouse of the courtyard house slowly opened.
I frowned slightly when I saw the open side door.
The fact that the gate was not open shows that Mr. Leng does not value us.
Liu Shusheng saw a middle-aged man of about fifty years old inside the door and went over to greet him with bows and scrapes: "Uncle Mao, long time no see! Let me introduce you, these are my friends, we have an appointment with Mr. Leng..."
"Come in."
Uncle Mao didn't even look at us properly, nor did he let Liu Shusheng finish speaking, before turning and walking into the yard.
Seeing this man's arrogant attitude, I asked Liu Shusheng, "Who is he?"
Liu Shusheng asked in a low voice, "The person next to Mr. Leng should be a butler or something similar. He used to be the one who picked up goods from my place for Mr. Leng. I've been doing business with Mr. Leng for six years, and I've only met him once."
The monkey wrinkled its nose at Uncle Mao's retreating figure: "What kind of butler is he? He's just a gofer, yet he acts all high and mighty."
Liu Shusheng looked at the monkey in fear: "Ancestor, please speak softly. As the saying goes, even a low-ranking official is respected in front of the prime minister's gate!"
The monkey muttered disdainfully, "Everyone has one head and only lives once. Why should we be so subservient to others? It's been so many years since liberation, and you're still slaughtering elephants? Why don't you just slaughter pigs? The rich are so powerful now because of people like you with your servile mentality!"
I nudged the monkey with my elbow: "We need your help, so don't say anything careless."
Mr. Leng's courtyard house is very elaborate, a standard three-section courtyard.
Upon entering, you are directly opposite the screen wall. Turning left, you enter the first courtyard, which consists of a covered walkway and a rear-facing room, blocking the view into the second courtyard.
Four men in black stood in front of the gate leading to the back of the courtyard. Judging from their build, they should all have been soldiers.
This gate is called the Hanging Flower Gate. The "second gate" in the ancient saying "one does not go out of the main gate, nor step out of the second gate" refers to this Hanging Flower Gate.
After passing through the hanging flower gate, the courtyard was complete with pavilions and terraces. The monkey exclaimed in amazement, saying that the courtyard was unassuming on the outside, but inside it was a hidden paradise, truly worthy of old Beijing.
My attention, however, was drawn to something else: all the buildings in this courtyard had gable roofs, a style common to official residences during the Qing Dynasty.
According to Liu Shusheng, Mr. Leng is a big player and would not be ignorant of these feng shui principles. Could it be that his family or ancestors produced high-ranking officials?
With this question in mind, I was soon led into the main room by Uncle Mao.
The room was brightly lit and furnished with a full set of Phoebe zhennan wood furniture. There was a waterway in the room with koi swimming in it, and you had to cross a small bridge to get to the central area.
The overall layout is reasonable and the furnishings are simple. It exudes a noble air at first glance, but it is not gaudy.
After Uncle Mao entered, he nodded slightly to the middle-aged man sitting in the main seat: "Sir, the guest has arrived."
I glanced at Mr. Leng; he was much younger than I had imagined, looking to be under forty.
His ears were as white as his face, his forehead was high, and a red mole stood between his eyebrows.
According to physiognomy, Mr. Leng's features are described as "a pearl hidden in the eyebrows."
According to physiognomy, those with hidden pearls in their eyebrows are destined for great ambition.
I have always believed that physiognomy is based on probability and statistics. Physiognomists throughout history have made statistics based on a person's facial features and their experiences, summarizing the common experiences of such people as the basis for physiognomy. The longer it has been passed down, the more accurate the judgment will be.
As for why people with similar facial features also have similar fates, it may be a coincidence, or it may really be metaphysics.
In short, people with Mr. Leng's appearance are destined for wealth and high status, and their birth chart is extremely strong. If Zhou Zhicheng from India had a similar destiny, he might be able to suppress the four tribulations and two calamities.
Since we entered, Mr. Leng has remained seated without saying a word.
I know that Mr. Leng is testing me.
In the world of antiques, it's not just about having a keen eye, but also about cunning. Whoever speaks first will lose the battle of wits.
I've come to ask for a favor today, and Mr. Leng's aura is far too powerful. After all, I'm just a greenhorn. We were at an impasse for six or seven seconds before I finally lost my temper: "Mr. Leng, there's something I need to explain..."
When Mr. Leng saw me speak, he said slowly and deliberately, "You're just a small pawnshop owner. What makes you think you have the ability to come here and demand someone from me?"
I was summoned by Song Laosan, so I wasn't surprised that Mr. Leng had found out my background. I clasped my hands in a respectful bow and said, "Mr. Leng is an expert. Song Laosan shouldn't have fabricated this to deceive you! I apologize on his behalf! I just beg you to be lenient and let him off the hook!"
"An object has witnessed the rise and fall of countless dynasties. In silence, it holds within it countless historical events."
Mr. Leng raised an eyebrow and stared at me, asking, "I collect antiques for the sake of elegance and state of mind. But Song Laosan tried to fool me with a fake and fabricated history. I'm teaching him a lesson; that's the rule!"
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