Chapter 99 - 98: Masterpiece

Chapter 99: Chapter 98: Masterpiece ... Boss Hu couldn’t possibly imagine that to Yan Xiaobao, a man who wouldn’t even blink at a five-hundred-million-yuan deal, transactions measured in tens of thousands were absolutely not worth his breath. When Tang Wenjun saw Yan Xiaobao enter, he was overjoyed and immediately asked, "Brother Bao, does this painting have any value?" "A bit." Yan Xiaobao gestured to Boss Hu, "Bring the painting here. I’ll buy it." "Sir, you haven’t even asked the price..." Boss Hu was momentarily stunned. "I don’t care what the price is," Yan Xiaobao said, pointing directly at Tang Wenjun. "Ask him for it." "Uh..." Boss Hu had initially planned to quote an exorbitant price but found it hard to begin. Earlier, when he acquired the painting, Tang Wenjun had watched the entire process and knew that Boss Hu had only paid a low price of 3,900 yuan for it. If Boss Hu named an excessively high price, he’d surely face resistance. However, in the antique trade, boldness and determination are key to making big money. Boss Hu steeled himself and brazenly marked up the price tenfold, "39,000 yuan!" Tang Wenjun chuckled upon hearing this: "Boss, you bought this painting for 3,900 yuan, and now you’re flipping it to me at ten times the price? Treating me as a gullible sucker so blatantly isn’t really fair, is it?" Tang Wenjun didn’t care much about spending 39,000 yuan, but the feeling of being swindled like a fool was genuinely unpleasant. Boss Hu laughed heartily, "Brother, that’s just how the antique business works—it’s all about insight and luck. Many times, one step too slow or too fast can lead to significant losses... I’m not lying to you; 39,000 yuan is absolutely a fair price. If you don’t believe me, go outside and ask around..." "Hey! If I tell you to buy it, just buy it! Why are you talking so much?" Yan Xiaobao impatiently cut him off. Tang Wenjun smiled wryly and shook his head. Since Yan Xiaobao had spoken, he had no choice but to play the role of the sucker. He immediately signed a check for 39,000 yuan and handed it to Boss Hu, asking him to bring down the painting. Boss Hu, delighted, carefully inspected the check, tucked it into his wallet, and then turned to retrieve the painting. At that moment, a refined-looking middle-aged man entered the shop and called out to Boss Hu, "Hold on, let me take a look at that painting." Tang Wenjun turned to see who it was and smiled, greeting, "Oh, it’s Master Cheng Fengxian." Cheng Fengxian, who had been engrossed in examining the painting, now noticed Tang Wenjun and Dong Yuqing beside him. He joked jovially, "Well, if it isn’t Young Master Tang and Mr. Dong! Are you here at Antique Street treasure hunting, or... is your purpose elsewhere today?" "Master Cheng, please don’t make jokes like that." Tang Wenjun waved his hands repeatedly and introduced Cheng Fengxian to Yan Xiaobao. Cheng Fengxian was an illustrious name in Jiangnan’s antique collecting circles. He had even appeared on CCTV’s treasure appraisal program and was considered an authority on antique authentication, especially for calligraphy and paintings. Yan Xiaobao, however, wasn’t particularly impressed by Cheng Fengxian’s "renowned reputation." On the other hand, when Cheng Fengxian learned that this young man was a feng shui master unrivaled even by Daoist Xuanzhen, his opinion of Yan Xiaobao changed immediately. "Master Cheng, this painting has already been bought by Young Master Tang. I only charged him 39,000 yuan. Do you think the price is fair?" Having run an antique business for more than ten years, Boss Hu naturally recognized Cheng Fengxian. Hearing him refer to the young man he’d just swindled as "Young Master Tang," Boss Hu began to panic and quickly tried to enlist Cheng Fengxian to vouch for him. Cheng Fengxian stepped up to the painting and examined it closely. Then, with an unhurried demeanor, he began to elaborate: "In the earlier periods, paintings featuring fish were rare. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty that flower-and-bird paintings gained prominence and matured as an independent genre. During Emperor Song Huizong’s time, the Xuanhe Painting Manual categorized paintings into ten themes, with fish and dragons included. This indicates the Song Dynasty royal family’s fondness for fish motifs. As such, the Song Dynasty produced many renowned works of fish paintings." "Liu Cai was one of the prominent figures of the Song Dynasty famous for painting fish. His work, School of Fish Playing with Water Plants, depicts the lively pursuit among fish amidst aquatic plants for flower petals that fell upon the water’s surface. This painting employs no outline techniques but rather uses fully blended ink washes, creating an even greater sense of organic dynamism. It’s an absolute masterpiece..." "Wait... This isn’t Liu Cai’s original, is it?" Boss Hu’s eyes widened in panic as he asked with a tense expression. If this School of Fish Playing with Water Plants turned out to be Liu Cai’s original, he might as well go bang his head against a wall... "Liu Cai’s original works are presently housed at the Taiwan Palace Museum." Hearing Cheng Fengxian say this, Boss Hu patted his chest in relief, letting out a sigh. "When painting fish, the key emphasis is capturing their liveliness. If the fish painted don’t exude a leisurely grace in water, they’re no different from ingredients lying on a chopping board," Cheng Fengxian continued, shifting his tone: "Although this School of Fish Playing with Water Plants isn’t Liu Cai’s original, its depiction of fish—whether serenely drifting, frantically darting, forming neat queues, scattering in alarm, competing for food, or spurting water—is truly lifelike and emotionally evocative. It reflects the carefree joys of the worldly society. From the floating aquatic grass to the interplay of movement, this painting radiates vitality. The depiction of scales, tails, and the very nature of swimming, diving, and gliding is masterful. In my opinion, this is undoubtedly made by a renowned artist." "What?!" Boss Hu froze again in astonishment. A counterfeit painting from a noted artist? Its value would far surpass a mere few tens of thousands... "Upon careful examination of this School of Fish Playing with Water Plants, the fish play leisurely among water plants. The outlines are lightly defined using dilute ink, while color and ink layers alternate to produce a vibrant watercolor-like texture. The dynamic portrayal of the fish’s whiskers demonstrates exquisite skill. The artistic style, brushwork, and the atmosphere created..." Cheng Fengxian’s eyes lit up: "It bears a striking similarity to Yun Nantian’s School of Fish and Water Plants. My deduction is that this must be an imitative work by Yun Nantian from the Qing Dynasty." "What! Yun... Yun Nantian..." Boss Hu shouted, his eyes practically bulging out. Anyone who dabbles in calligraphy and painting collections would be familiar with the legendary Yun Nantian. Yun Nantian, whose given name was Ge and styled Shouping—later adopting the sobriquet Zhengshu and the pen name Nantian—was a renowned painter and calligrapher in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. As the founder of the Changzhou school of painting, he was later listed as one of the "Six Masters of the Qing Dynasty." In the art market, Yun Nantian’s calligraphy works are highly coveted. Especially after the new millennium, as prices for paintings and calligraphy skyrocketed, Yun Shouping’s works attracted collectors both domestically and internationally. Three years ago, during Kuangshi Auction in Beijing, Yun Nantian’s Autumn Beauty painting saw fierce bidding among buyers. After dozens of intense rounds of competition, it was finally acquired by a bidder for 16.1 million yuan. Since then, the prices of Yun Nantian’s works have consistently climbed. Last year in the Poly Spring Auction in Beijing, Yun Shouping’s Imitative Ancient Landscape Album attracted numerous bidders and ultimately sold for 81.65 million yuan, setting a record high for his works. The current School of Fish Playing with Water Plants, even if it’s Yun Nantian’s early imitative work, could easily fetch several million yuan at auction! ... [Please add to favorites, recommend, send tips, and show your support!] ...