Chapter 83: Carrying on the Legacy
Chapter 83: Carrying on the Legacy
Lu Jiaxin thought that one feverish episode was the limit, but she had overestimated her body's endurance. That night, the fever returned. For three consecutive days, she was fine during the day but would start burning up in the evening.
After three days of fever, Lu Jiaxin felt weak and listless. "I promised my eldest brother that I would give him a call every three days to let him know I'm safe. I need to call him today, or he'll start worrying."
"I'll make the call for you!"
Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "No, if you call, my brother will definitely think something bad happened to me. It's better if I call and tell him myself that I'm sick."
Guwenfeng had no objections. Even if he made the call, he would honestly convey Lu Jiaxin's condition. Among the Lu family, only Lu Jiaguang truly cared about this girl.
Lu Jiaguang answered the phone, and hearing her hoarse voice, he became concerned. "Are you sick?"
"Yes," Lu Jiaxin admitted. "The temperature difference between Guduo and Pengcheng is quite significant, and I caught a cold. But I've already gotten medicine from the hospital, and I'll be fine soon."
Lu Jiaguang said, "You're staying at a guest house over there, and there's no one to take care of you when you're sick. It's not even convenient to cook a meal. Jiaxin, I'll have someone buy you a ticket, and you can come back tomorrow."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "Brother, I had the painting I bought in Guduo, 'The Birthday Tribute,' appraised by an expert, and it turns out to be an authentic work by Wang Zhenpeng, a renowned painter from the Yuan Dynasty. Brother, once I recover from my illness, I still need to find a buyer for it."
"What? The painting you bought is actually a genuine masterpiece?" Lu Jiaguang asked in disbelief. Although he had said those words in front of Lu Hongjun, he had thought that she had been swindled. He never expected that a painting she casually picked up in the market would turn out to be the real deal.
Lu Jiaxin mentioned Professor Zhang's name. "Brother, it should be accurate."
Lu Jiaguang paused for a moment before saying, "Jiaxin, I haven't dealt with antiques before, but I've heard from friends that the antique market is getting more and more vibrant, and the prices of items in antique shops are rising. Now that you don't lack money, why don't you keep it and sell it when you need the funds? By then, the price will definitely be much higher than it is now."
...
Not hearing a response from Lu Jiaxin, Lu Jiaguang knew that she disagreed. "If you insist on selling it, I won't stop you. But there are many scammers out there, so you need to find a good buyer. It would be a shame to sell it for a low price."
Valuable items like famous paintings are best kept in the family and passed down to future generations. However, since the item didn't belong to him, he could only make suggestions. If Lu Jiaxin didn't want to listen, there was nothing he could do.
Lu Jiaxin shared her plans. The problem now was that she lacked connections and didn't have access to wealthy individuals. Once she recovered, she would have to go out and gather information.
Lu Jiaguang thought she was quick-witted and agreed with her idea. "There are many rich people in Harbor City. Even if they don't collect antiques themselves, buying and reselling it there could still turn a profit."
Lu Jiaxin wanted to sell the paintings to a wealthy collector with a deep appreciation for art. Such a person would likely keep the antiques for their personal collection. Out of the five paintings, her favorites were the Beauties, the Ink Painting, and Zhao Ji's Two Skylarks. These three paintings were not for sale. As for the Hunting Picture and The Birthday Tribute, they were just average in her opinion, but she had promised that she would buy the paintings back in the future to prevent them from ending up overseas. Therefore, the Hunting Picture was also off the market.
Lu Jiaguang thought for a moment and said, "I don't know anyone there, but your uncle is from Pengcheng and now works in Yangcheng. He knows a lot of people."
Lu Jiaxin replied diplomatically, "Brother, I'm in no hurry to go back. I believe I can find a satisfactory buyer."
Six years ago, something happened between Lu's mother and Lu's aunt, causing them to fall out. Later, Lu's mother fell ill for half a year trying to save Xie Yichen. During that time, Lu's aunt didn't even bother to call, let alone visit. When Lu's mother passed away, neither she nor anyone from the Duan family attended the funeral. What truly angered the original owner of this body was that Lu Hongjun and Ding Jing's wedding was attended by Lu's aunt and her younger daughter.
The original owner was furious and didn't even want to acknowledge them at the wedding. However, Lu's aunt took the opportunity to criticize her, saying that she had been spoiled and needed to be taught a lesson by Ding Jing. Filled with resentment, the original owner lost her temper, and the guests at the wedding commented that her behavior was indeed inappropriate.
Lu Jiaguang tried to persuade her. "Jiaxin, let the past be the past. We need to look forward."
Lu Jiaxin asked directly, "Brother, although I don't know what happened between her and my mother back then, given my mother's personality, she wouldn't have cut ties so decisively unless her bottom line was crossed."
If Lu's second uncle and his wife, who were so greedy, could get along harmoniously with Lu's mother, then whatever Lu's aunt had done to cause this rift must have been unforgivable. As for what exactly happened, Lu's mother never mentioned it, and Lu Jiaxin couldn't guess. However, she had no intention of maintaining a relationship with such relatives.
"Jiaxin, she's still our aunt," Lu Jiaguang said.
Lu Jiaxin scoffed. "She didn't come to visit when my mother was sick, nor did she attend her funeral. If she doesn't acknowledge my mother, why should I acknowledge her as my aunt? Brother, let's not bring this up again."
After Lu Hongjun and Ding Jing's wedding, whenever anyone mentioned Lu's aunt, the original owner would refuse to engage in the conversation. Since the original owner didn't want to acknowledge this relative, Lu Jiaxin was determined to carry on that sentiment and would never associate with Lu's aunt's family for the rest of her life.
Lu Jiaguang didn't try to persuade her further, as he didn't know the details of what had happened back then. "I'll ask my friends to see if any of them know someone there."
"No need," Lu Jiaxin replied. "Good things will always find buyers. All we need to do is spread the word, and interested parties will come looking for us."
Seeing her resolute attitude, Lu Jiaguang changed the subject and brought up the fact that Lu Jiajie's family of four had temporarily moved into her house. "Jiajie will only stay for a few days until they find a new place."
Lu Jiaxin was surprised. "What did Fifth Aunt's sister do now to make Fifth Brother move out in the middle of the night?"
Lu Jiaguang briefly explained the situation. "I've been telling them to move out, but they just won't listen."
Lu Jiaxin didn't offer an opinion, only saying, "It's good that they moved out. Qiangqiang and Xiaofeng used to be so lively, but they've become much more timid in the past six months. Brother, tell Fifth Brother to take his time finding a new house. There's no rush since they can stay in my place for now."
If anyone else had asked to stay at her place, she would have refused, but Lu Jiaguang and Lu Jiajie were exceptions. In the four years after her mother's death, these two had been her pillars of support. Ding Jing didn't dare to mistreat her openly but would cause trouble behind the scenes. It was worth mentioning that Lu Jiajie despised Ding Jing, yet he still visited every week.
Lu Jiaguang expected this response. "I'll let her know. Jiaxin, if you can't get a good price there, come back. Siyoucheng is also home to many wealthy antique enthusiasts."
The siblings chatted a while longer before ending the call, with Lu Jiaguang repeatedly reminding her to take care of herself.
Back in the hospital room, Lu Jiaxin reflected on her conversation with Lu Jiaguang and had a new idea. Relying solely on their own inquiries might not be effective and could easily attract unwanted attention. The best approach would be to find a middleman.
(End of Chapter)
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