Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 612: Calligraphy and Paintings Worth a Million Gold

Old Yang drove the carriage and unconsciously sped up the speed when passing by the gate of the Yang Mansion. At this time, Lu Ping's eyes turned and he said to Meng Jun: "Boss, do you want to visit this Mr. Yang?"

Before Meng Jun could say anything, Old Yang laughed and said, "How can you come here with nothing in your hands? Be careful or you might get kicked out."

Meng Jun heard this and asked with a smile, "Father, is there anything special about visiting Master Yang?"

"Particularities? Of course there are, but we can't tell you for nothing. How about this, five taels of silver, and I promise that as long as you listen to my advice, there will be no mistakes in doing business in Songjiang!" Old Yang patted his chest confidently and said to the people behind him.

"no problem"

Old Yang nodded, then asked, "What kind of business do you guys do, and how big is it?"

Meng Jun said casually: "Selling some tea leaves and tea sets, small business."

Old Yang said, "If it's just a small business, then you don't need to visit Mr. Yang. As long as you open the store, ask for help, and pay some tea money every month, there will be no problem."

Old Yang looked at Meng Jun and felt that he was not a small businessman. However, since Meng Jun said so, Old Yang just went along with what Meng Jun said and continued.

Meng Jun laughed and said, "It's not that small. I plan to rent a warehouse at the dock and open a store in Songjiang Prefecture, specializing in maritime trade."

"Young man, the way I see you, I know you must be a big businessman. It seems that the scale of your business should not be small. In this case, you must pay a visit to Mr. Yang, and then we can earn the five taels of silver." Old Yang said with a chuckle.

"No problem. Your words are full of wisdom. I deserve a little reward."

Old Yang knew that this must be a big deal, and the man came from outside the area, just to scout the way. Otherwise, he would be generous, but he knew very little about the local affairs of Songjiang Prefecture.

Old Yang coughed and said slowly, "I, Old Yang, know the details of this Songjiang matter. Since I have received the money, I will definitely tell you clearly. In the west square of Songjiang Prefecture, there is a Ruyi shop that specializes in calligraphy, paintings and cultural relics. That shop is also the property of Mr. Yang."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jun knew there was something fishy. This Yang Lao San must have been trying to get ahead, or he was worried about affecting Yang En or Yang Can's reputation, so he didn't collect the money himself, but had his subordinates transfer it to others instead. Moreover, the cultural relics and paintings were priced at whatever price he said.

Old Yang paused for a moment, then continued, "If you want to see Mr. Yang for the calligraphy and paintings or cultural relics inside, you must first pay at least 10,000 taels as a stepping stone."

At this point, Old Yang couldn't help but say, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, see, I didn't do anything. Whether it succeeds or not is another matter. I'll put 10,000 taels in my pocket first."

Lu Ping asked: "Then, what happens after we pay 10,000 taels?"

"After that? How would I know what happened afterwards? You guys have to discuss it yourselves."

Lu Ping couldn't help but question, "That's all? Five taels of silver for just a few words?"

Hearing this, Old Yang's eyes widened and he said to Lu Ping, "Isn't this enough? I, Old Yang, have shown you the way to such a big business. I charge you five taels of silver. I am only thinking that you young men are pleasing to the eye. Otherwise, you might not be able to get the job done even if you spent fifty taels of silver."

Lu Ping was about to speak, but was stopped by Meng Jun, who said in a deep voice, "Father-in-law, send us to the West Quarter."

"okay"

While driving there, Meng Jun recalled a prime minister during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Jie. The Xu family was also in Songjiang Prefecture at that time, but after he became the prime minister, in a short period of time, the Xu family's wealth grew like a balloon, and they owned more than 200,000 acres of fertile land.

Meng Jun couldn't help but sigh in his heart. No wonder throughout the dynasties, countless poor students regarded the imperial examination as a way to turn their lives around. Even if they failed to become the prime minister, being a seventh-rank county magistrate could raise the living standards of the entire family by more than one level.

Soon, the carriage arrived at Xifang. Old Yang pointed to Meng Jun and his companions, indicating that was their destination. Then he collected the money and drove away slowly.

Shen Congwen, who was standing by, asked in confusion, "Boss, do we really have to spend 10,000 taels of silver to meet that Yang Lao San?"

Meng Jun nodded. It was nothing to be afraid of spending such a small amount of money, as he would have to pay it back later. In fact, whether Meng Jun met Yang Laosan or not would not affect his final outcome. It was just that Meng Jun was curious about this person and wanted to meet him.

Lu Ping was muttering to himself, wondering why it cost money to see that old guy.

Meng Jun ignored them. The three of them strolled to the door of the shop and saw that Ruyi Shop was located in a corner of the street. The storefront was not very wide and looked quite ordinary in the street. If it weren't for Old Yang's guidance, Meng Jun and others would never have guessed that this shop was the place where Yang Lao San received valuable gifts.

The shop's facade is a common wooden structure. Due to the erosion of time, the wooden boards have turned an old dark brown. There is a slightly mottled sign above the door with the words "Ruyi Shop" written on it.

There were no special decorations on either side of the door. When everyone walked in, they found that the space inside the store was not large. There were a few simple wooden shelves against the wall, on which were randomly placed calligraphy and paintings.

The shopkeeper and his assistants were not very enthusiastic when they saw customers coming, which made Lu Ping feel very resentful. With this attitude, all business would fail.

The shopkeeper came over and asked, "Have you guys found anything you like?"

Meng Jun opened it and saw landscapes, flowers and birds, some figure paintings, and some calligraphy works. Meng Jun didn't know much about calligraphy and painting, but Shen Congwen knew a little.

Shen Congwen looked at it carefully and found that some of the papers were yellowed and brittle, as if they were old. They were obviously fakes. Shen Congwen couldn't help but ask, "This...this, isn't there any better one?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper nodded and said, "Yes, of course there is. The guest really knows what he is talking about."

After saying this, the shopkeeper signaled his waiter to take out the treasures.

Shen Congwen thought it was a really good piece of stuff, but when he took it out to look at it, he found that these calligraphy works had crooked handwriting and really lacked any style and charm. He also saw the signature, which was Yang Zhongliang.

Shen Congwen asked in disbelief: "Boss, are these treasures?"

The shopkeeper nodded and said, "Of course it is a treasure. This is what Mr. Yang worked so hard on, and he painted it himself. Each piece of calligraphy is worth twelve thousand taels."

Lu Ping opened his mouth for a while before he said, "Is this worth twelve thousand taels?"

Hearing Lu Ping's tone of disbelief, the shopkeeper said unhappily: "I'm asking you if you understand. If you don't, get out now!"