After nearly an hour, Wu Zhuang stopped, at a loss. He had exhausted all means but still couldn't find any flaw in the painting, which only made the onlookers more excited. He had boasted that he was known as "Zhuang Yishou" (One-Handed Zhuang) on the Nanxing road, proving he had some reputation. Now, being stumped by someone challenging him to a verbal duel, he must have felt terrible.
"How about it? Zhuang Yishou, still playing the part?" The fatty was the type of person who, once he had the upper hand, wouldn't let go. When given an opportunity, he would always retort.
"Forgive my poor eyesight…" Wu Zhuang said with a look of embarrassment.
"So, you admit defeat?" I asked.
"I am merely a shopkeeper. Naturally, I cannot represent this entire establishment. May I make a phone call?"
"Oh, calling for backup?" the fatty scoffed. "Fine, then hurry up and make that call. My legs are getting sore standing here."
Wu Zhuang wiped the sweat from his brow, put on a polite smile, and asked someone to bring two chairs for us. I had to admit, Wu Zhuang was quite adept at handling people. Even at a time like this, he treated us with courtesy.
After he left, the crowd not only didn't disperse but grew even larger. One person even came over to strike up a conversation with me and the fatty, trying to probe our backgrounds. I left this to the fatty, who could spin a yarn without batting an eye. He claimed to be the proprietor of a certain shop in Panjiayuan and that I was the most skilled treasure appraiser in Guangling. He wasn't afraid of his lies being exposed, talking with great enthusiasm. As for me, I sat aside, drinking tea, anticipating meeting Mao Jieming.
After dealing with the surrounding people, the fatty was holding a pile of business cards. These were handed to him by the onlookers who wanted to invite us for a meal.
"Xiang Ye, you're amazing! If you have this ability, why bother opening an antique shop? You could make a fortune just by making fakes." The fatty leaned in and whispered to me.
I glared at him, "Is that the same thing? Don't you know that making and selling fakes is taboo in the antique world?"
"In this day and age, who cares about taboos? Once you've got the money, everyone will call you 'Ye' (Sir/Master)."
"So, you call me 'Ye' because I have money?" I asked.
The fatty got flustered, "How can you generalize like that? I call you 'Ye' because I admire and respect you… Besides, we're friends, isn't that different?"
"Alright, just say less. The main man hasn't arrived yet, and the final outcome is still uncertain." I said.
About an hour later, Wu Zhuang entered with a man. This man appeared to be in his forties, wearing a Zhongshan suit, his hair streaked with grey but neatly combed. As he entered, many people began to whisper amongst themselves. It seemed he was Mao Jieming!
"The two of you, allow me to introduce our shop's owner, Mr. Mao." Wu Zhuang said, then whispered something into Mao Jieming's ear.
Soon, Mao Jieming was appraising me and the fatty.
"Now that Owner Mao is here, let's continue." I said.
Mao Jieming didn't speak, but his gaze fell upon the "Lady Painting" on the table nearby. I must say, Mao Jieming's treasure appraisal skills were much stronger than Wu Zhuang's. He first examined the cracks on the painting, then the brushstrokes. Generally, only experienced appraisers would start from these two aspects. Examining brushstrokes is simple; if you frequently look at ancient paintings, you can easily grasp someone's style. It's like looking at manga; the more you look, the more you'll know whose style it is. However, cracks are not so easy to discern; there are many nuances. Honestly, as he stared at the cracks, I felt a bit nervous, fearing he might discover something.
"Where did you get this painting?" Mao Jieming asked, looking at me.
Just as the fatty was about to speak, I quickly pulled him back. "Does it matter where it came from? Since the owner and shopkeeper have already seen it, regarding this verbal duel…"
"We concede." Mao Jieming said directly.
A clamor erupted around us. Before coming, I had considered how to deal with them if they tried to renege. I hadn't expected Mao Jieming to be so straightforward.
"Alright, since Owner Mao is so forthright, shall we find a quieter place to talk?" I asked.
Mao Jieming nodded and gave Wu Zhuang a look. "Let's go to the inner hall," Wu Zhuang said.
Soon, our group arrived at the inner hall. Wu Zhuang personally brewed us tea, and the leaves this time were clearly different from what we had outside.
"Owner Mao wants to know the origin of my painting?" I asked first.
Mao Jieming replied, "I'm merely curious."
"My friend gave me that painting," I said.
At this point, Mao Jieming didn't press further, but nodded. "Shopkeeper Wu mentioned that you are looking for someone. May I ask who it is?"
I put down my teacup and said, "Mao Guizhi."
"What do you need her for?" Mao Jieming asked, frowning.
"There are some matters I need to discuss with her." I replied.
Mao Jieming hesitated. After a while, he said, "It's a pity she's not in Shangdu right now…"
"Where did she go?" I asked. This time, he didn't answer but fell silent.
"Owner Mao, you're not going to go back on your word, are you?" I reminded him. Usually, if one lost a verbal duel and refused to honor the agreement, their reputation would be ruined. After all, winning or losing wasn't as important as integrity.
"As long as Owner Mao can tell me your sister's whereabouts, this verbal duel will be considered a draw." I said.
Mao Jieming took a deep breath. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I don't know her exact location… I can only tell you that she went to Qianzhong."
"Qianzhong?"
"Yes. As for what she's doing there, she didn't tell me. That's just how she is…" Mao Jieming sighed.
"Thank you, Owner Mao," I said with a smile.
Mao Jieming glanced at me and the fatty, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "May I ask for your esteemed names?"
The fatty and I introduced ourselves. Mao Jieming was surprised. "You are Xiang Fei?"
"You know me?" This surprised me.
He chuckled, "I heard about you from an old friend. I didn't expect you to visit me. Seeing you today, you truly are a hero among the youth."
"Old friend?"
"Bai Zhujing of Guangling, you should know him, right?"
Hearing him mention Bai Zhujing, it was my turn to be astonished. It turned out Mao Jieming and Bai Zhujing were old friends of many years, and their relationship was very good. It was truly a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. I had to say, the antique circle, while not small, wasn't entirely vast either…