Chapter 71: Treasures All
Chapter 71: Treasures All
Gu Wenfeng made several trips to bring up the contents of the first box. There were five scrolls of calligraphy and paintings in total, as well as the expected reams of rice paper, inksticks, ink slabs, and inkstones that Lu Jiaxin had anticipated. Among the assortment of inksticks and inkstones was one particular inkstone carved with a five-clawed golden dragon.
In ancient times, the five-clawed dragon was an emblem reserved solely for the emperor, who was regarded as the "True Dragon Emperor," an earthly incarnation of the heavenly "True Dragon." During the feudal era, it was decreed that only the dragon motifs on imperial possessions could bear five claws, while other royalty and ministers were restricted to using dragons with four or three claws, symbolizing the absolute and unchallenged authority of the emperor.
Lu Jiaxin mused that this particular inkstone was likely intended as a tribute to the emperor. Some ultra-wealthy collectors relished such symbolically significant items, and with the right buyer, it could fetch an astronomical price.
Xue Mao, observing these stones with furrowed brows, voiced his skepticism: "Sis, can these really sell for a high price?"
He couldn't quite wrap his head around the value of these items. He wouldn't even bother to pick them up if he saw them lying on the road, and he'd consider it a nuisance if someone gave them to him as a gift because of how much space they took up.
Inhaling the subtle fragrance emanating from the inkstone, Lu Jiaxin smiled as she explained, "They might not fetch a high price now, but in the future, even money won't be enough to buy them."
Antiques hadn't yet gained widespread popularity, and the antique dealers from the mainland were notorious for driving hard bargains. If she wanted to sell these items at a premium, she'd have to go to Pengcheng. However, she intended to sell only one painting to generate some startup capital, keeping the rest as part of her collection. For now, she didn't plan to have these items appraised, as doing so would risk exposing their existence.
"Miss Lu, why don't you stay up here and keep watch while Xue Mao and I bring up the remaining boxes," suggested Gu Wenfeng.
Lu Jiaxin had been eager to open and examine the five scrolls of calligraphy and paintings, aware that one of them was a painting of court ladies, but unsure of the subjects of the other four.
Setting down the items in her hands, Lu Jiaxin agreed with a smile.
With Lu Jiaxin's instructions in mind, the two men proceeded to carry the box containing ceramics with utmost care. They carefully transported each item from the box to the entrance, marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship of the ceramics, which they believed must be worth a small fortune.
By the time they had brought up all the items, it was already evening. Gu Wenfeng wanted to start building the kang, a traditional heated brick bed, that very night, but Lu Jiaxin advised against rushing it.
"When we were bringing up the items earlier, we were careful to move quietly, and the noise outside masked any sounds we made," Lu Jiaxin explained. "However, building a kang involves a lot of noise, and the people in the second courtyard will definitely hear it. Even if they feel the kang needs to be rebuilt, they won't choose to do it at night, as it would arouse suspicion."
Impressed by her prudence, Gu Wenfeng smiled and agreed, "Alright, then we'll build the kang tomorrow morning. And not just this one—we'll rebuild the other two as well."
After covering the entrance with wooden boards and stacking a few bricks on top, Gu Wenfeng and Xue Mao left for the night.
Alone at last, Lu Jiaxin eagerly unfurled the five scrolls. Her eyes lit up at the familiar painting of court ladies, and she found herself reaching out to touch it, only to withdraw her hand at the last moment. Her hands were sweaty, and she knew that touching the painting could cause irreversible damage.
In addition to the painting of court ladies, there were four other scrolls: a monochrome ink painting, a long life celebration painting, a hunting scene, and a painting of flowers and birds. The two songbirds in the flower and bird painting were so vividly depicted that they seemed ready to take flight from the scroll.
When Lu Jiaxin saw the signature on the flower and bird painting, she was stunned. The author of this painting turned out to be the famed calligraphy and painting dual talent among the emperors of the Song Dynasty. Despite his eventual fate as a deposed monarch, his artistic prowess was undeniable. Consequently, his paintings were highly sought after by later generations, each one commanding astronomical prices. Of course, this was assuming the paintings were authentic, as replicas wouldn't garner the same level of interest.
Lu Jiaxin carefully examined the signatures on the other three paintings but was disappointed to find that she didn't recognize any of the names.
This wasn't to say that the paintings were fake, but rather that Lu Jiaxin lacked extensive knowledge about ancient paintings. The reason she recognized the painting of the songbirds as the work of the deposed emperor was that she had once heard a tour guide mention it in a museum. As for the signatures on the other paintings, they could have been the artists' own names or pseudonyms; she wasn't an expert or particularly knowledgeable in this area.
After finishing with this box, Lu Jiaxin opened the one containing ceramics. There were twelve pieces in total: a blue and white porcelain vase with a plum blossom design, a double-eared porcelain vase, a three-legged incense burner, as well as colored bowls, clear glaze teacups, and other exquisite pieces.
Aside from having some knowledge about blue and white porcelain, she was unfamiliar with the rest. However, since she intended to keep them in her collection and not sell them, she decided to wait until she had the means to protect them before seeking an expert appraisal.
Lu Jiaxin happily and carefully packed the items away, deciding not to look through the eight boxes of ancient books anymore. Having already decided to donate them, she didn't want to change her mind and regret it later.
Gu Wenfeng returned after taking a shower. Sitting down, he asked, "How do you plan to transport all these things back?"
Lu Jiaxin replied, "Gu Dafu, these books should have research value. I want to donate them to the museum in Sijiu City. As for the five paintings, I'll keep them all. We can divide the rest of the items among the three of us."
Gu Wenfeng was stunned. He never expected Lu Jiaxin to distribute the items this way.
Xue Mao immediately waved his hands and said, "Sis, I don't want anything. You've already given me the house. If I take these things as well, what would people think of me?"
Coming back to his senses, Gu Wenfeng said, "Miss Lu, we can't accept these. The house is yours, so naturally, everything here belongs to you."
With a playful tone, Lu Jiaxin said, "These things will become very valuable in the future. If you don't want them now, don't regret it later!"
Xue Mao quickly assured her that he would never regret it.
Rarely showing his smile, Gu Wenfeng said, "Miss Lu, these were originally your things. I have no reason to regret it."
It wasn't right to take things that didn't belong to him. Nonetheless, he was pleased that Lu Jiaxin had such a considerate thought.
"Are you sure you don't want anything?"
Both men shook their heads together, indicating they didn't want anything.
After taking out the inkstone carved with the five-clawed dragon and the plum blossom porcelain vase, Lu Jiaxin said, "Since you don't want them, I'll keep these few items. The rest will be donated."
Gu Wenfeng had no objections, but Xue Mao disagreed, "No, we can't donate them."
He didn't mind donating the books since they probably weren't worth much. However, the ceramics and inkstones looked precious, and he couldn't bear to part with them.
Due to Xue Mao's strong opposition, they only donated the eight boxes of ancient books and the reams of paper. The rest would be kept.
Gu Wenfeng said, "If you want to donate these books to the Sijiu City Museum, I'll arrange for a vehicle tomorrow. Once that's done, we can send these books to Sijiu City. Miss Lu, your things can be sent back as well."
Lu Jiaxin replied, "Gu Dafu, I don't want people to know that I donated these books."
Gu Wenfeng understood her decision. There were many greedy people in this world, and if word got out that she had donated so many ancient books, people would assume she had even more valuable possessions. Even with the Xie family's protection, there was always a risk of attracting unwanted attention and potential thieves.
"Miss Lu, I can't guarantee that. If you want to ensure absolute secrecy, you'll have to ask the leaders to arrange it."
Without hesitation, Lu Jiaxin agreed. These were just a few trivial items; Xie Kaixiao wouldn't care about them. If he did, then his perspective would be too narrow-minded.
(End of Chapter)
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