Chapter 10 Section IX

The car arrived at the gate of Jiujiutang. Jiujiutang is an antique shop that mainly deals in ancient calligraphy and painting. In front of the shop, there is a showroom unique to antique shops, similar to a tea ceremony tea room.Inside were bordered mats, vases on which were written, and on the painted walls hung handwritten scriptures in gold letters on a black background in a frame, with the date of production and the name of the person who prayed.Since it is the end of the volume, it is extraordinary.A long scroll of landscape painting is placed on the bordered straw mat.Needless to say, this is a replica.

The main entrance of the store is equipped with a large modern glass door, Wenzi took Lian Yang's hand and pushed open the glass door.Shelves are arranged vertically on the front, and Japanese books and Buddhist scriptures are piled high on them. Lian Yang walked in front.There is a big counter inside, and the bald shopkeeper and the young leader are sitting in the counter. When the owner saw Lian Yang, he stood up like a spring, walked out of the counter, rubbed his hands and saluted him repeatedly.Renyang Sugio, the most promising candidate for the next Academy of Art committee, will soon become the number one figure in the ink art world.Changjiutang, which manages ancient calligraphy and painting, undoubtedly regards his arrival as a fairy descending to earth.

"Exactly, sir!" The master squinted his eyes under his thin eyebrows, and kept bending his fat body. "It's an honor to be here! Please!" Lian Yang nodded slightly, but still stood still. "I heard that you have a rare painting post here, so let's take a look." Lian Yang's pronunciation has no ups and downs or ups and downs.These words spit out from his slightly drooping lips, sounding more solemn. "Hey, you came here on purpose, and you are really sincere and sincere. Actually, as long as your disciple calls, I will send it to the house immediately for you to have a look at."

"Where, of course I have to look at that one, but I wonder if there are other things. I haven't been to the ancient bookstore for a long time, and I want to come and have a look." "I really dare not be. Only Mr. Lian Yang has such a sense of elegance. As a master, he is indeed different." "You are good at talking!" "Where, this is the truth. Today's young people don't like learning, but they blindly pursue new things, and they feel..." Chang Jiutang was talking, when he suddenly found Wenzi behind Lian Yang, he quickly stopped talking and replaced it with laughter.

"Hey hey hey, welcome, welcome!" He saluted Wenzi respectfully again. "Please! The things are on the second floor, so I have to curse at you. I'm really sorry! Please go upstairs!" Lian Yang nodded, and walked along the western-style stairs beside him.The owner followed immediately so that he could support the old man from behind when he stumbled. From the time he came to the counter, Wenzi found a customer sitting in the corner.No, the figure of that person came into view as early as entering the store.The customer was looking at the picture post brought out by the young clerk.When seeing his side face, Wenzi couldn't help being startled, and stopped.

The man was in his mid-thirties, with long, unwaxed hair falling loosely over his face.His deep-set eyes and thin face, combined with a high nose, made his features sharp.Perhaps for this reason, the profile of his face appears to be in shadow. The man was wearing a half-worn suit, the trouser line was no longer visible, and the tie was not on. The collar of the grass green shirt was exposed at the neck. Lian Yang has reached the upper half of the stairs.The hem of the kimono skirt dangled between the railing posts. Wenzi glanced in Lianyang's direction, but still didn't follow. Seeing Wenzi's hesitation, the young clerk had a puzzled look on his face.

The man lifted the picture post and looked up at Wenzi inadvertently.His long hair hung over his broad forehead, and his deep-set eyes were bright, but not smiling.He immediately moved his eyes to the picture post casually. Wenzi seemed to have made up his mind quickly, and immediately walked to the chair where the man was sitting. "Shimamura-kun!" Wenzi showed a kind and nostalgic expression on his face, "Long time no see." The man shifted his gaze from the picture post to Wenzi again.It was still the same piercing eyes just now. "It's you! It's been a long time."

There was a mocking, strange smile on his lips. "Have you noticed that I'm here?" "Where, not at all. I only know now." said the youth.After a little thought, he continued: "Oh, that's right, just now I thought it was a beautiful woman in full costume and a great man who looked great. I was strongly attracted by this picture post, so I didn't see it for real." "You can be sarcastic!" Wenzi smiled, "You are still the same." "Nothing has changed." As he spoke, the young man changed the position of his legs, and continued:

"We can't change it. It's still like this now. It's still a reporter from the Academic Department who has no future." "I read your comments on the last solo exhibition. It's still your Shimamura style, and your criticisms are very pertinent." "Don't flatter me, will you? It won't do you any good to tell us that." "Your tone has not changed at all." Wenzi smiled, "A woman like me can only be a vulgar person in your eyes!" "you are too polite." The young man accepted Wenzi's argument. "I also know that, for someone like me, it's unimportant to criticize someone as famous as you. You're not the old Fumiko Hisai. You've become famous and the darling of propaganda circles. Your portraits and paintings are always Featured prominently in newspapers and magazines. Don't you like that too?"

The clerk at the counter seemed to realize the unusual atmosphere between the two of them, so he went to the back with an excuse. Lian Yang and the shop owner, who had already reached the second floor, hadn't come down to call Wenzi yet. "Why do you only speak sarcastic things!" Wenzi said to the youth.He is Riichi Shimamura, a reporter from the Arts Department of L Newspaper. "Maybe the words are a bit harsh, but to be honest, I want to stab you." Reporter Shimamura started a frontal attack, "But, don't get me wrong. It's not because you are with the master of ink painting, Sugio Renyo It is because you are too famous. As journalists, whenever we find a person who is unknown but has real value and promote him to the society, we will be very happy and put the person we discovered by ourselves. Putting it in front of everyone is the fun that the profession of journalists brings us. The future will depend on the person who is discovered. When he is desperate, the reporter can let go. But I can’t put on airs and make a show. He doesn't seem to care about the people he discovers. Journalists are ordinary people after all."

"Say it! Anything will do." "There are many rumors about you in the society." "Shimamura-kun, are you also interested in these vulgar rumors?" "If you say you're not interested, you'd be lying. Before I joined the Department of Arts, I worked in the Social Department. However, I was an incompetent reporter in the Department of Social Affairs, so I was transferred to the Department of Arts, where I worked in painting, photography, and It was my job to go to calligraphy exhibitions. But my journalistic nature has not changed. So, I have a special interest in you who was unknown at the time.” "..." "You don't have to mind the gossip. I hope you will move in the direction you want and follow your own ideas. I will watch you quietly from the sidelines." "Shimamura-kun, the only one who ignores my art is your newspaper." "It's unreasonable! Do you think it's my responsibility? I'm an insignificant person. As long as the editor-in-chief is interested in you, he will handle it on his own regardless of my opinion." "However, in your newspaper office, when it comes to modern ink painting, it's impossible to talk without you!" "Jiujing-kun, please don't look at me like this. You should look at the reporters of other newspapers and magazines with this look, and they will write a lot about you." "Too much. Why do you have such a misunderstanding of me?" "Forgive me if I misunderstand. You don't have to mind what I say. You can ignore my criticism, and the occasional negative comment that may appear in our paper. You must have such courage in the future. Compliments to the reporter, Saying to them, 'Only you are the one who understands me', it is better not to use this type of diplomacy. You have entered the period where you can express your independent opinions." "Gee, I'm not that great." "But others want to make you great. People like me are the ones who say such harsh words. Besides, an ordinary journalist can't have much influence if he doesn't affirm you!" "No, nothing. You have always been the one who can tell the truth to me frankly." "Thank you. Since you said that, I just want to tell you one thing. Because we are old acquaintances. I always feel that Mr. Lian Yang may be impatient waiting, so let's make a long story short, Wenzi!" The reporter suddenly called her name. "Wenzi, no matter what environment you are in, please don't abandon your original intention. Painting is a terrible thing. Once people despise painting, painting will severely retaliate against people. That's all I want to say." Rishi Shimamura turned his face away and sorted out the picture posts he had just seen.He no longer pays attention to Wenzi, as if she no longer exists. At this time, the owner of Jiujiutang walked down the stairs from the second floor, and when he was halfway down, he shouted to Wenzi downstairs: "Mr. Jiujing! Mr. Lian Yang, please come up quickly." "Look, it really is here!" Shimamura looked at Fumiko with a smile on his face after speaking. "Go quickly! The old man is in a hurry!" "Shimamura-kun!" Wenzi yelled.But Shimamura said, "Excuse me," stood up and walked across the bookshelves to the door.His shoulders wobble a little when he walks. An impulse suddenly came to my heart, Fumiko shouted to Shimamura's back: "Shimamura-kun!" When Shimamura turned around, his face was very ugly. "What's the matter?" Wenzi took a few steps quickly and approached Shimamura. "There's a lot to say, how about we meet again soon?" Her tone of voice was a little stiff. "It's no use meeting me!" he replied. "I have something to tell you..." "Oh, it's better not to talk about it!" "I want to clear up your misunderstanding. I also want to listen carefully to what you said about me just now. Also, I want you to understand my situation." "I have understood." The reporter from the Academic Department replied coldly. "Hey, someone called you here... Then, goodbye! May you become more and more great!" As soon as Shimamura stepped out the street lights shone on the broad shoulders of his rough suit.After a while, he disappeared into the flow of people on the street. "Mr. Kui!" Changjiutang, who had been waiting at the side, stepped forward. "Mr. Lian Yang got impatient waiting on the second floor." Wenzi did not answer the master's words, but asked: "Sir, do you come here often?" "Yes, I frequent it. I heard it belongs to a newspaper." The owner of Jiujiutang seems to be aware of the relationship between the two, and speaks cautiously. "Are you still as studious and tireless as before?" "Indeed, he is an enthusiastic person. Even professional ink painters can't match him. But..." "what?" "It's nothing. It might be impolite to say it, but there are not many things to buy, just let us take out the goods we bought and have a look." "This is because the price of the things in your store is too expensive." Wenzi started to climb the stairs. Sugio Renyang was sitting on a cushion on the red carpet on the second floor.Before him stood a table of ebony wood.The second floor is a place dedicated to collecting first-class products, and the owner is proud of it.General guests are not allowed to go upstairs to visit here.The exhibits are also carefully arranged in glass cases like a museum. Lian Yang was flipping through the picture posts on the table.When Wenzi came in, his eyes rolled. "Ah, teacher, where is that treasure?" Wenzi smiled all over his face, and sat down next to Lian Yang. "It took a lot of time! What are you doing?" "I met an acquaintance who works in a newspaper." "If it's a reporter, you're probably looking at me again! Do you have anything to do with that man?" "Teacher, why are you thinking about it right away! It's just a simple exchange of greetings." "I get restless when you talk to the young man! Besides, you spent so much time before you went upstairs. Two or three seconds are enough if you want to chat. So, Wenzi, what did you talk about?" "teacher!" She said in a low voice, and at the same time gently tugged Lian Yang's sleeve. "The master here is laughing!"

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