Shopkeeper Tong replied that although Mr. Daqian's "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" was a copy of Wang Mengxi's "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains," Mr. Daqian's work was mainly in green and blue, with gold paste added for color. The river waves were outlined in gold, creating a shimmering golden light. All the colors in the painting complemented each other, dazzling and intoxicating!
Mr. Daqian's calligraphy was eight pingchi in size and priced at two thousand silver dollars.
This Qing Qianlong imperial inscribed "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" double-eared revolving heart vase was priced at three hundred and fifty silver dollars.
Chen Lan interjected, "A total of two thousand three hundred and fifty silver dollars, plus a ten percent commission. Currently, one gold bar can be exchanged for 300-400 silver dollars. How about I give you eight gold bars?"
Shopkeeper Tong happily replied, "Thank you, thank you!"
"Shopkeeper Tong, please have a cup of tea and wait a moment. I'll be right back!" After speaking, Chen Lan walked out of the living room and headed to her room.
Chen Lan purchased ten tael gold bars in the system, buying eight of them.
After settling the payment and commission with Shopkeeper Tong, he got up to leave. Chen Lan saw him off to the door, closed it, and then skipped back to the living room.
Xiang Xi scornfully glanced at her and said, "Are you stupid? Eight gold bars for a painting and a broken vase. There are plenty of old vases like this in our pawnshop, yet you spent hundreds of silver dollars to buy one. You're truly extravagant! Blah blah blah..." Xiang Xi lectured Chen Lan.
Chen Lan pouted and said, "A sparrow cannot comprehend a swan's ambition. Little Watermelon, you wouldn't understand." As she spoke, she wagged her index finger.
Xiang Xi scoffed, "Little Basket, are you walking further and further down the path of extravagance?"
Chen Lan didn't want to argue with him further and changed the subject. "Little Watermelon, why aren't you going out today?"
Xiang Xi said listlessly, "It's no fun. I've been everywhere I can go, done everything I can do. I'm so bored!"
Chen Lan asked again, "Have the shop's affairs been clearly handed over to the government?"
"It was settled the day before yesterday. The government even gave us a receipt. Oh! The receipt was given to Madam. Xiang Xi, I have something to discuss with you," Chen Lan said seriously, looking at Xiang Xi.
"Speak," Xiang Xi became serious, knowing it was important.
"I want you and Brother Xiang Dong to learn car repair. Do you have any connections?"
"Why do we need to learn car repair?"
"Do you know that our whole family will be going to Jilin Changbai Mountain to farm in a few months?"
"I know. Mother mentioned it. I don't know why you want to farm in such a cold place."
"What? You don't want to go?"
"I don't really want to. But Father and Mother said we are a family. Mother and Madam haven't been separated for decades. Father, older brother, and I have lived in this house since childhood. We are the only relatives left. Our family will never be separated again."
"Then what are you hesitating about?"
"Can I not hesitate? I've never farmed before. I don't know how to farm. Do you know how?"
Chen Lan chuckled and said, "A mountain person has their own stratagem!"
Chen Lan decided to reveal a little to get Xiang Xi on board first.
"Our farming in Jilin won't be like farming in the countryside now, with hoes and shovels."
"If not those, then what?"
Chen Lan chuckled mysteriously again and said, "Machines, all sorts of machines."
Xiang Xi was surprised, "Machines can be used for farming? Are there such machines?"
Chen Lan nodded and replied with certainty, "Yes, there are rice transplanters, seeders, harvesters, threshers, and so on. You can buy any machine if you have money."
Xiang Xi whispered, "Did your father-in-law say that?"
Chen Lan hummed and nodded. "That's why I want you and Brother Xiang Dong to learn car repair. You can drive, but it won't do if you can't repair them."
Xiang Xi thought for a moment and said, "I do have connections, but not very close ones. To learn real skills, it will cost money."
"Are you sure? Does that person have real skills?" Chen Lan asked.
Xiang Dong nodded.
"If it's certain that they have real skills, it's easy. Let Uncle Fu talk to him. We'll pay whatever he asks to teach you two. You two must learn diligently and as quickly as possible. The learning period cannot be too long, at most two months."
"Ah! There's a time limit!" Xiang Xi wailed.
"Of course. After learning to drive and repair cars, you'll also need to learn to install electrical wires and repair circuits. You two have many things to learn!"
"What if we don't learn?" Xiang Xi asked with a sliver of hope.
"If you don't learn, you'll farm with a hoe," Chen Lan said decisively.
A cry was heard in the distance!
"Alright! Get to work! You must finalize the person today, and then ask Uncle Fu to talk to him. You two must learn as quickly as possible."
Seeing Xiang Xi run off like a gust of wind to find someone, Chen Lan also got up and left the living room, entering her room to check if the two little babies were awake. Perhaps it was the new environment, or maybe they had cried a lot that day, but the two babies had been restless since coming back these few days, often startling awake. Therefore, Chen Lan had stayed by their side these past few days, not venturing far, fearing they might be frightened again.
The whole family was preparing for their future lives. The brothers Xiang Dong and Xiang Xi finally found a master who was willing to teach them at a high price.
One day, Uncle Fu returned home from outside, bringing with him a delicate young man of about sixteen or seventeen. As soon as the young man entered, he saw Chen Lan and quickly greeted her, calling her "Miss." Chen Lan responded, "Hello!"
Chen Lan found the young man familiar. It was Xiao Shan, a young apprentice from their fabric shop.
Chen Lan looked at Uncle Fu with confusion. Uncle Fu explained, "Xiao Shan is an orphan. He and his mother depended on each other. His mother worked herself to death doing embroidery to support herself and Xiao Shan, damaging her eyesight. Now Xiao Shan has lost his job and cannot find work quickly. I think we also have some responsibility, and we will need hands to help in Jilin, so I brought him here to see you."
"Uncle Fu, did you tell him about us going to Jilin?" Chen Lan asked.
"I did. He said as long as he could bring his mother, he would go anywhere. Is that right, Xiao Shan?"
Xiao Shan replied, "Yes, Miss. As long as I can bring my mother, I'll go anywhere."
"Good. Based on those words, you can start working tomorrow."
"Uncle Fu, can you go tomorrow to find the master teaching Brother Xiang Dong car repair and ask if you can add another apprentice? Of course, we will pay the money."
"Okay!" Uncle Fu replied cheerfully and was about to leave with Xiao Shan. Xiao Shan excitedly kept saying, "Thank you, Miss! Thank you, Uncle Fu!"
After this day, it was time for the scheduled delivery with Shopkeeper Tong. This time, Shopkeeper Tong brought Zhang Daqian's calligraphy "Ji'ao Tu" and a Ming Xuande imperial gilded bronze statue of Avalokitesvara in a relaxed posture.
Chen Lan took the scroll handed over by Shopkeeper Tong and opened the system to scan it with her mind. The system displayed "Ji'ao Tu," painted by Mr. Zhang Daqian in 1947. The entire painting had a grand atmosphere and orderly layers. It depicted lotuses, symbolizing a perfect match made in heaven. The meticulously drawn gilded vermilion lotuses, set against the dark green ink-washed lotus leaves, exuded no vulgarity. Under the dense shade, mandarin ducks nested in pairs, leisurely and content. It was a representative work of Mr. Zhang Daqian's splashed ink and color painting technique.