Waking up from sleep, only the sound of rain can be heard in the limbs and muscles.Open your eyes, the room is a bit dark.Looking out from the window on the second floor, only the top of the persimmon tree can be seen, and the lush branches and leaves are shining under the rain. The sweat from the vest, even the bedding was wet.I got up and poked my head out of the window to see that the two shirts I had been hanging were drenched and hanging down heavily, and the rain was falling drop by drop from the bamboo pole.The proprietress of the cigarette paper shop downstairs didn't know whether she didn't notice it or did it on purpose, and she didn't collect it for me.

Looking at the clock, three o'clock was already too late, I sat and lit a cigarette in a dazed state.When I went to bed, it was already eight o'clock this morning. I spent the whole night writing an art note for a boring magazine, and finally earned half a month's rent.The money is earned, but the labor is also consumed—in such a dazed state of mind, I finished smoking a cigarette, but the back of my head still feels drowsy. Let's take a shower, I thought, picked up the towel and soap and went down the stairs, glanced at the wet shirt hanging on the bamboo pole, and walked out the door in the rain.Another umbrella bone fell off, and it was shaking in my hand.

In the men's bathroom during the day, there are few customers.Soak in hot water for a while, and the mind is clearer.The light coming in from the window was so weak that the bath was as dark as dusk. I originally wanted to go to Minzi's house, but realized that it was almost four o'clock, and she might have gone to work, so on second thought, I'd better call her later and go to her shop.Going to see a woman I haven't seen for a long time is of course a very good thing, but she asked me to raise 20,000 yuan for her a few days ago, so it seems that I have to bring 5,000 yuan to her tonight.In this way, I only have 4,000 yuan left in my hand, and the 4,000 yuan will not be used for even ten days, and I have to use my brain for future sources.However, judging from the current situation, there is no better way than urging the magazine to pay the manuscript fee for the article submitted this morning.

I crouched in front of the mirror and started shaving my mustache.It was raining outside, the light was very dark, and there was no electric light in the house.The face reflected in the mirror was getting darker and more difficult to see clearly, only the few white hairs were shining artistically in the dull reflection.The naked body seems to be just a black shadow, only the shaggy head, high protruding cheekbones, slender neck, thin body and arms outline a vague rotation of me. Sitting on the bucket, he stared at his body for a while. No matter how you look at him, he seems to be an old man in his late sixties.Especially recently, my body gets tired easily, and it becomes difficult to carry things.Like this, I'm afraid it won't be too long to communicate with Minzi.The symptoms are already showing.But looking at my own body in the mirror, I feel like a candle in the wind.

After returning from the bathhouse, there was a new pair of clogs under the steps of the back door.It is a common thing to have visitors, so I walked in without paying attention. "Hello, Mr. Takuda." The guest greets me first.In my six-mat room, things were piled up in a mess, and he sat in a corner. "Oh, it's you!" I hung the soaked towel on the nail, thinking to myself: It's been a long time since I saw this guy. This person's real name is Kozo Monkura.Called himself the elegant name Le Gengtang. "It's been a long time since I came to visit. Today I came out of the blue and you were not here, so I just came in talking to myself."

Mencang Le Gengtang sat up straight and bowed his head respectfully.The hair can be said to be very beautiful, but there is a big piece of baldness on the top of the head, but there is a circle of long hair curled around the skull.However, the shape of his head, coupled with that fat body, also has a somewhat majestic feeling. Kadokura was no painter at all.He was just an antique appraiser who distributed the business card of "Secretary of the Eastern Art Club" in the interior.There are many old aristocratic families or small rich men in the countryside, and there are all kinds of ancient paintings, Buddha statues, teapots, rice bowls and other famous utensils in their homes.Mencang Le Gengtang placed an advertisement in the local newspaper, and he lived in the local hotel, waiting for people to come to him for appraisal, and the business was not bad.

The name "Dongdu Art Club" seems to be very grand, but the title on his business card does not use "chairman" but only "secretary". This is a trick he played to take advantage of the psychology of customers.Because in this way, not only can it show the scale of this organization, but at the same time, since it is an authoritative organization, of course the chairman will not go to the local area to do such things in person. In the name of a "secretary", people will not Will doubt it. The address and phone number of the institution are clearly printed on the business card.This is not empty.Because customers from all over the world may also write letters or call to contact them later, it is very necessary for continuous business.

However, this address is actually a thrift store near Ueno, Kadakura's "Eastern Art Club" I just rented a room on the second floor of this thrift store, and borrowed the phone downstairs. For the work of these "offices", Mencang also arranged for a female clerk, this person is his wife's sister, this year Thirty years old.She was a divorced woman who came back to live in her natal family, and it was said that she had some ambiguous relationship with Mencang, so there were constant quarrels between his wife and him. The above situation is only heard from the rumors, and I usually have very little contact with Mencang.In Mencang’s heart, he probably sees me as a difficult person to deal with: I have considerable knowledge and experience, have a good eye for appreciation, and can write some essays about ancient art—such a person who has always passed Takuta Isaku, who lives a single life, seems to be a very bizarre figure in his impression.However, in order to ask me to appraise something for him, he seems to come to me once or twice a year as if on a whim.In fact, he himself has been running around outside all the time, rarely living in Tokyo.

"How is the business going?" I sat down opposite him with a cigarette in my mouth, glanced at him, and saw two bundles beside him: one was a square box inside, which seemed to be a simple gift; A long, thin box, apparently a scroll or something. I guessed a little right away, and probably came to ask me to identify something again. "Oh, TOEFL, at least there is still some work to do." Mencang scratched the top of his bald head with his fingers, his fingers were knuckle bent, and the expression on his face was obviously artificial.He parted his thick lips and smiled, revealing a set of yellow teeth that were uneven inside and out.

"Recently, where are you going again?" "I went to Kyushu once." As Kadokura said, as if he had remembered, he untied the four-sided bundle, and brought the local gift to me.It's a box of sea urchin sauce. "Kyushu? There are a lot of people who come to ask for advice." "It's the same everywhere." Kadokura replied. "How's the market for appraisal fees recently?" "It's 1,000 yuan to write the testimonial alone, and the inscription is doubled. It's too cheap, people don't believe it, and it's too expensive, so I don't come to ask for advice. This price is just right."

Mencang laughed haha. Mencang appraises antiques, and he also has some ordinary eyesight, which is enough for me to boast in the countryside.His eyesight had been developed twenty years ago while working in a museum.He was an employee in the museum at the time. While often assisting in the replacement and display of exhibits, it seems that I have naturally developed an interest in ancient art.Although he has no formal education in this area, the vision cultivated under the guidance of the responsible technicians is indeed beyond that of an ordinary antique dealer.Soon after, however, he resigned from the museum.There is also a saying that he was fired.Under the collusion of antique dealers, some small things were stolen or planned to be sold. In short, it was due to some shady reasons, that's for sure. Looking at it this way, there are some dark shadows hidden somewhere in Mencang's fat body. "So, it's a lot of money." I looked at him and said this.He was wearing a thin black kimono, and he looked exactly like a Japanese painter. "Where, there, there's not necessarily much money to be made. You see, traveling costs a lot of money, and advertising in the local newspapers is not easy to afford, and there are a lot of things that go to waste and come back empty-handed." Although he said so in his mouth, there was an expression on his face that was not exactly the same.And there was a look of arrogance in those eyes, which were pretending to be very humble, expressing contempt for my frivolous attire. "Which kind of things are more abundant in Kyushu?" I straightened my thin shoulders and said so. "In terms of paintings, Zhutian has the most, and his works account for the overwhelming majority. After all, this is his hometown." Mencang said while wiping the sweat from his forehead. "In addition to some signed by disciples, there are also some stamped and inscribed by myself. These can be said to be top-grade, and others are not. In addition, there are quite a few works by Daya ② and Tie Zhai ③." "Are these things all to be appraised by you?" "There is no way to eat this business." Kadokura said with a smile. "It's not necessarily just me. In some boxes, there are often two or even three certificates of appraisal. The customer is very cautious and prepared to use it as a basis in case of liquidation and sale." "What a sin." I put the cigarette butt in the ashtray, extinguished it, and hit one. ①Tanomura Takeda (1777-1835) was a famous Japanese painter in the Edo period. ② Chi Daya, a Japanese painter in the Edo period (1723-1776). ③Tetsai, Tomioka Tessai, a modern Japanese painter (1836-i924).owe.Seeing this situation, Mencang seemed to be in a panic, and quickly said: "Sir, as a matter of fact, there is something about Zhutian that I just mentioned, and I would like you to verify it." "Is it this one?" I glanced at the slender bundle. "Yes, here, take a look." Mencang unwrapped the bag, and inside was a paulownia basin, and opened the lid, revealing a very elegantly decorated scroll.He took it out and spread it out gurgling in front of me. This is an old-fashioned painting of peonies in color. In my blurred vision at the time, it did catch my attention a little at first.Kadokura watched me sideways with squinting eyes. "I said, whose property is this?" As I asked, I carefully observed the painting from near to far away. "It was owned by a coal mine owner in Kitakyushu. I asked about the origin of this painting. It is said that it was obtained from a family in Bungo." "Have you bought it now?" "Hey, this, that's it." Mencang's tone was a little vague.Probably he really thought he had unearthed something great and wanted to make a lot of money on it, so he brought it here for my appraisal.He seemed to be holding his saliva and couldn't swallow it, and his expression was very nervous. "How is it, sir?" As he said this, he also brought his head closer.Look at the painting together. "Ask me how I am, can't you see it yourself?" "Oh, really, oh, to be honest, I was really shocked when I got it just now. Speaking of it, it's also because there are so many fakes of Zhutian in the past." "So you mean that this one might be the real thing." "Can't you, sir?" Kadokura asked timidly. "No way!" I say this as I look away.Kadokura muttered as if monologue, "Well, after all, it's..." He moved his face closer to the paper again, examining the painting carefully as if he was about to swallow it.There are a few vellus hairs sparsely growing on the top of the bald head.From that disappointed look, it can be seen that he really had great expectations for this painting.Kadokura has always trusted my discerning eyesight. "It's no wonder you were deceived." I deliberately said with a somewhat embarrassed look. "It's completely different from things in Ueno and Kanda. Moreover, it doesn't look like something from Kyoto.It's a fake of another system entirely.To be able to achieve such a level of realism, this painter indeed has some skills.If it was in the hands of Iwano Yuuyuki, he might really be deceived by him.When Jian Zijun saw it, he probably made a plate for it and explained it in an art magazine. "I said these words to Mencang with a mocking tone. In fact, these last few words, like a small fish bone, have been stabbing my heart.