A middle-aged man about the same age as Wei Lifeng walked up to the old lady flatteringly.
"Sister, I brought a whole family here to wish you a birthday."
The scene is big today, and there are many respectable people. The old lady can't quarrel with others, she nodded slightly: "Come and take a seat."
"No rush, I haven't seen you in a few years, I have a lot to say to you. "
Wei Lifeng came over and said, "The banquet is about to start. There are many guests here today. Let's talk about it after dinner."
When the other party heard this, a trace of annoyed embarrassment appeared on his face, and then he calmed down, pretending not to understand, and turned to wink at the person behind him who was carrying the wooden sculpture.
Meng Tang frowned. A medium-sized wood sculpture of almost 40 centimeters required two people to carry it.
Either it is really valuable, or it is deliberately showing off.
As expected, my cousin spoke again: "Sister, my old man collected this at an auction a few years ago. I give it to you today to cheer you up."
"This is an old object. Although it has been partially repaired and engraved, it is also a masterpiece of the late Qing Dynasty with superb craftsmanship."
Meng Tang lowered his head, raised his hand to the tip of his nose, and coughed.
Wei Chuan hugged her and asked, "What's wrong? Your throat doesn't feel good?
Meng Tang shook his head and whispered to him: "Uncle just told me to sit down, is it a reminder?"
Wei Chuan nodded: "The family is in ruins. If you have something to ask for, if you ask someone to do something, of course you have to take care of the belongings of the family."
"What's grandma's attitude?" Meng Tang asked, "Will you help?"
Wei Chuan shook his head: "No, but on an occasion like today, it's not easy to chase people away, and the gifts they sent were not registered."
Meng Tang understood, she grabbed Wei Chuan's arm and said, "Listen to you Does this mean you can fall out in public? "
Wei Chuan laughed: "Absolutely. When my grandfather passed away, no one came after three funerals. Grandma hated it." Meng Tang stood on tiptoe, obviously having something to say, Wei Chuan cooperated and put his ear to it.
"His suit of cranes and deer in spring must be fake."
"Fake?" Wei Chuan raised an eyebrow, "You could tell at a glance? It's so far away."
Meng Tang whispered: "Because it's really in my house."
Wei Chuan was stunned for a moment: "How much does it cost for an authentic product from the late Qing Dynasty?" Authentic works from different periods were bought by different collectors at the auction. The one in my house was collected by my grandfather in the early years. The quality is not comparable to the ones at the auction. It only costs about a million yuan now. "
It is still one of her dowry items at the bottom of the box.
In the early years, the Meng family had a great business. Even if Meng Huaizhang lost a bet, he could still say that a skinny camel is bigger than a horse.
At the beginning, all the valuable things in the old house were moved away. The old man had the foresight to hide a few treasures and never let them see the light of day for so many years.
However, Wei Chuan's cousin also put in a lot of effort. Her family's Crane and Deer in Spring ornament was indeed partially repaired, so the piece he sent over must be a high imitation.
Wei Chuan knew what was going on, and after laughing, he took two steps forward and gave him a step up: "Uncle, how about we eat first?"
"Why do you, a junior, interrupt when the elders are talking? I haven't seen your grandma in a few years, and I want to catch up with her old lady."
Chu Yin secretly rolled her eyes, pushed Wei Lifeng, and asked him to deal with it quickly.
Wei Lifeng patted Chu Yin: "Your son is out, I'll lean back. It's okay for him to be crazy. At most, he can just say that the child is not sensible. If I had a conflict with him, it would be shameful."
Chu Yin said no more.
"My grandma got up early in the morning and is hungry now." Wei Chuan said and went to help the old lady, "Grandma, shall I take you to eat?"
Wei Chuan pointed to the ornaments on the countertop without letting him introduce, interrupting his rhythm: "Cousin, this is for my grandma? It looks good, where was it taken?"
"When the old man was alive, I got it and kept it at home for a long time. My uncle studied wood carvings when he was still alive..."
As he spoke, my cousin began to cry. He held the old lady's hand and regretted it: "Both families were in trouble for what happened back then. Sister, now I -"
"Meng Tang." Wei Chuan interrupted the mourner who was crying at someone else's birthday banquet, and turned to wave to Meng Tang, "Don't you like wood carvings? Come and have a look. The real thing is rare." , blocked Meng Tang who came over, and said: "You young people don't know anything about wood carving. This kind of collection can only be viewed from a distance."
Chu Yin and Wei Lifeng looked at each other and felt something fishy.
Wei Lifeng gave her a look, and Chu Yin immediately smiled and said: "Yes, Xiaochuan's girlfriend's surname is Meng, and her grandfather is Meng Yuchun, a master of boxwood carving. Just give her a look and treat it as a way for young people to see the world."
The cousin hesitated for a moment, and then his eyes fell on Meng Tang, which was not threatening at all.
You can tell a little girl's secrets from just one film.
My cousin felt disdainful and gave up his position.
Meng Tang smiled softly at Wei Chuan and asked his cousin, "When was this wood carving received?"
His cousin snorted and told the time.
"Four years ago..." Meng Tang pretended to be surprised, "I remember my grandpa told me that regarding the wood carvings with the theme of cranes and deer in spring, there were works from three periods of the Qing Dynasty at the auction. The early ones were indeed sold to collectors for 7 million yuan four years ago, and no one knows who bought them."
"My cousin, this piece looks like a late one. Could it be the auction held by Donghu Mu Yun Millennium in 2021?"
When the people around him heard this, they all gathered around.
One of the middle-aged men wearing iron-gray suits and glasses asked: "Little girl, you really know your stuff."
You can tell so many things at a glance.
Meng Tang raised his eyes subconsciously, and Wei Lifeng raised his hand and introduced her: "Partner of Xutian Culture Company, just follow Xiaochuan and call him Uncle Zhao."
Meng Tang nodded slightly and said hello.
Zhao Xingyan became interested and asked his cousin: "Is it really the auction of Donghu Mu Yun Millennium, as the little girl said?"
“Yes.” My cousin was not guilty at all. After all, he had done his homework.
Zhao Xingyan gave Meng Tang a thumbs up: "You are quite good, you can tell at a glance what period it is authentic?"
Mengtang's heart felt a little weak, she was not that crazy, she just happened to have a genuine one at home.
However, there are indeed authentic wood carvings with the theme of cranes, deer and spring in different periods, and the information about the auction is also real.
The early one was sold for 7 million, and it has already gone up in the past two years. It is impossible for Wei Chuan's cousin to bring such expensive things to celebrate his birthday.
The works from the middle period are still in Singapore, and only this slightly flawed work from the late period remains.
"It doesn't matter whose girlfriend it is." Wei Chuan boasted, "Not only can she look, she can also sculpt, and she can also repair."
Zhao Xingyan was shocked: "You know how to repair? How old are you?" Tongchun, do you have anything to say?" Zhao Xingyan was a little excited, "Oh, I mean to taste it."
Meng Tang pretended to be modest: "I'm afraid I didn't say it well."
Wei Chuan said to the side: "It's just talk, it's nothing."
The cousin snorted in his heart, he didn't believe what a little girl could tell from the film.
Since he comes from a family of woodcarvers, it is normal for him to know some information about auctions.
Zhao Xingyan spread his hands and made a "please" gesture to Meng Tang.
"Okay." Meng Tang looked more respectful than obedient, "Let me take a look."
She said to Wei Chuan, "Go and find me a pair of unused white gloves."
Wei Chuan responded immediately and turned to take off the glass cover for her.
Meng Tang walked around in a circle, and everyone's eyes followed her involuntarily.
If I hadn’t had a real one at home, I wouldn’t have been able to tell it at first glance.
Meng Tang didn't speak for a long time, and the crowd began to whisper:
"What is she doing?"
"At such a young age, are you sure you can say something about things in the late Qing Dynasty?"
"Looking at the appearance, he is not an exaggerated person, wait and see."
"It would be embarrassing if you can't tell."
"It's just a young man's nonsense, let's just watch it as a fun."
"Wei Chuan quite dotes on her girlfriend. It would be really embarrassing if this goes wrong."
"I can't tell, the little girl looks a bit cultured."
There were more and more doubts, and Zhao Xingyan's heart was in his throat. He looked at Wei Lifeng and asked him if he wanted to help.
Wei Lifeng shook his head and signaled him to be calm.
Five minutes later, Meng Tang straightened up and said, "It's weird, it doesn't taste right."
Zhao Xingyan forgot the purpose of letting Meng Tang appreciate it, and subconsciously asked : "What's wrong?"
The cousin's face stiffened and he said, "Don't all boxwoods smell like this?"
Meng Tang shook his head, lowered his head and sniffed:
"If it's the Qing Dynasty, the wood has been oxidized for hundreds of years, and there will be a faint fragrance, a bit like...the smell of old rice paper." Meng Tang paused, "There is also some old smell of lignin, which means it has been left for too long."
"But the smell exuding from this ornament is like turpentine, and it is sealed by a thin layer of stiff wax."
Zhao Xingyan asked hurriedly: "What does this mean?"
Meng Tang pretended to be embarrassed and smiled: "Well... I should be afraid that people will smell the flaw."
Wei Chuan brought the gloves over at this time. After handing them to Meng Tang, he laughed:
"Uncle, you won't be deceived, right?" Man, what did you say?"
Wei Chuan blocked his hand with the back of his hand: "Uncle, isn't it impolite for you to point at this junior like this?"
Meng Tang put on his gloves, blinked innocently, then touched the wood carving and said:
"I'm not lying. If you don't believe me, I'll tell you."