Chapter 5 chapter Five

The next day, I went out to Ueno in the morning to find Mencang, turned into a small road, and walked up to the second floor of the thrift store. There was a six-seat room with two writing desks on the straw mattress. It was Kadokura's "Touhou Art Club" office. Takazo Kadokura was looking at something with a female clerk, and their heads were almost touching. When he saw me, he was taken aback with a "Oh!"Obviously very surprised by my visit.The female clerk was in her early thirties, and she was strong and fat.Seeing the guests coming in, she hurriedly left the gate and went downstairs.

"Last night was too intrusive." Kadokura said, and let me sit in a chair specially prepared for guests near the window. It was an armchair in form, but it didn’t even have a spring, and the white cloth cover was a little dirty. I looked on the table, and there was a copy of "Minor Book of Japanese Artists", which was printed together with the wrestling program.It seemed that this was the book he was reading with the female clerk just now. "Is it the new show this time?" When I held it in my hand and said this, Kadokura smiled "uh uh uh uh". On it were printed the Yokozuna and Ozeki of both Japan and the East, and at the same time listed the names of many painters according to the general judgment. But at the back, it's a mess, it's all painters whose names I haven't even heard.The door warehouse pays more money.The artist puts it in the front and prints this "famous book" in order. When he goes to the mainland, he sells it to the self-proclaimed romantic. This is also a sideline of his business appraisal.

"There is a way to make money!" Hearing me say that, Kadokura shook his head and replied. "These things. There won't be any great income." The female clerk came back from the upstairs and served us tea. She has a broad forehead, small eyes, and a smile. She seems to be very good at understanding men's minds.Mencang watched her put down the teacup, looked at her face and told her where to call, Mencang's instructions.It seems to be somewhat artificial. "It's such a pity to see the painting of Zhutian last night. It's really well painted."

I said that while sipping my yellow tea. ①The highest rank in the Japanese sport sumo. "I still want to talk to you about this, how about a cup of coffee?" Kamakura's eyes sparkled.In this moment. He seemed to have guessed my intentions in his mind, but it seemed he was wrong.The female clerk narrowed her eyes and sent me out with a smile on her face. "what do you mean?" When we came to the coffee shop, Kadokura hurriedly asked me this question again. "I just want to know, where is the artist who made this fake?" Hearing what I said, Kadokura stared at my face for a while, then lowered his voice and asked:

"Sir, what are your plans?" Looking at his appearance, he seemed to think that I was just thinking about the painting yesterday. "I want to help him exercise, because this man's wrist is really not bad." Kadokura blinked, but the pair of eyes immediately became brighter.His expression seemed to say, "Ah, I know!" Then he moved closer to me. "That's a very good idea. If there is a gentleman who you can teach him, his skills will be amazing. You know, I almost believed that painting of the bamboo field." These few words of Men Cang are true.In fact, he does seem to have brought the painting back thinking it was genuine, and he may have told the owner that it was a fake when he bought it, but that sort of thing was just an attempt to trick him into selling it.The reason why he used it for me to appraise it was because he wanted me to make a final confirmation.

In this profession, Mencang is also a very capable person, so he has already understood the true meaning of the few simple words I just said, and his face seems to be very surprised. "And do you know where the man who painted this thing lived?" "I know, I know. If that's the case, I'll just go for it. I'm familiar with whatever I do. Just follow the route and inquire, and I'm sure I'll find it." Kadokura's voice sounded very excited. "However, it will take a long time to cultivate. Moreover, whether there is hope or not is unpredictable. "Hearing me say that, he seemed to feel "Of course"

As if, catered to my tone excitedly agreed and said: "However, that person does have some abilities, so there must be hope." "It will cost a lot of money, too." I took a sip of coffee and said that again, and Kadokura nodded as if he fully understood this point. "It will take a year or two to bring this man to Tokyo and find him a house. I don't know yet. In short, during this period of life, you have to take care of him. If he has family members , then you have to pay a considerable amount of living expenses. But one thing must be stated in advance, you can't deal with one of his paintings without my consent."

Kamakura's expression turned serious.He seemed a little taken aback, not expecting me to take this matter so seriously. "Okay, okay. As for the money, I will raise it." He answered with the tone of preparing to take a gamble. "No, that's not what it means. It's not just about money," I said. "If this person seems to be promising, you must find an antique dealer with a relatively wide range of contacts to participate in this matter. That is to say, you must also consider the issue of sales. If you throw it out, they will not I believe it, so all the expenses of this painter can also be shared by this antique dealer."

Kadokura remained silent, half of the bet was shared.His silence shows that he is making all kinds of calculations in his heart.He seemed to have understood that what I was planning could indeed yield unimaginably great benefits. "Okay, I agree." Kadokura replied seriously. "But, who is that antique dealer looking for?" "It's fine if you see it." "Is it Caigutang?" He stared at my face again and said, "Isn't there some grudge between you and him?" "Yes. However, this matter must use Ashian. He was more comfortable with customers and, if necessary, willing to take risks.Anyway, if he makes money, he can naturally get a share, so it doesn't matter what I do with him. "Monkura smiled silently. Sweat dripped from his face, sticking to his skin like transparent sand.

"I'll take the morning express train to Kyushu tomorrow, and I'll send you a telegram as soon as the matter becomes clear." He said so. After walking out of the cafe, Kadokura and I parted ways.A sense of satisfaction seemed to expand more and more in my heart. The scorching sun hung in the sky.People walking on the road looked lazy. I took the tram to Minko's apartment.This is imperceptibly decided ad hoc.See people walking so lazily.It reminded me of the turbid and cramped atmosphere in Minzi's room.The languid air that floats in that room must calm my exuberant mood.This is a temptation for me.

I just want to let this body lie for a while in that habitual languid atmosphere. Minzi was taking an afternoon nap wearing only his shirt. When he saw me coming, he got up and put on his bathrobe.Puffy eyes revealed a dull smile. As soon as I entered the room, she drew the curtains. "What's the matter with you? Oh, thank you very much last night." She was thanking me for the money I gave her. Mats were spread on the straw mattress, and the place where she had slept was covered with sweat. I just lay down on it. "It's so hot, why don't you take it off?" Minzi said so with a sticky expression. "It doesn't matter." I said.The dust swirls in the sunlight that leaks in through the cracks in the curtains. "I thought you wouldn't come." As Minzi said this, he picked up his fan and fanned it for me.Her tone seemed to really know that I would not come again. Also, the way she spoke had a smell of heat and a sense of sluggishness. Yes—I thought to myself, my life is one with this smell and feeling.It seems that the same color has been completely matched.Like some kind of animal, I like to huddle lazily in this hot atmosphere with my eyes closed. Or maybe it was my laziness, but I myself transmitted the heat to the woman and to the room.However, this atmosphere has the quality of making my mood more and more restless. The woman flicked her fan slowly, and I let my vest stick to the mat and did nothing.Kadokura probably left for Kyushu tomorrow morning.A person like him will definitely find that fake writer. The plan for the future flashed through my mind like a movie, but looking at it now, it is just something floating in the air.I deliberately pushed aside these thoughts.I fell into the usual state of inaction. Although it is said to do nothing, it is of course impossible to do nothing. I turned my face to see if there were any old magazines or something like that, but I found a pocket that looked like a business card was left there under the coffee table where the small Buddhist altar was placed, which was something I had never seen before. Just as he was about to reach out for the thing, Minzi quickly snatched it away. "It's something from a customer," she said. "They forgot it in our store, so I picked it up in my arms and brought it home." I didn't say anything.She got drunk the night before and said she was brought back by a friend in the shop.In fact, there are still men here, and now it seems that there is no problem.Minzi put the little pocket ① where the ancestral tablets are kept in Japanese families. In the arms, peeking at my face. Normally, this would be the time to get angry, but I looked at the ceiling with a calm expression, and what floated in front of my eyes was the face of Ashimi Sai Fudo or something like that.Minko stood up, ready to untie the bandages of the bathrobe with a miraculous smile. Seeing this, I stood up. The shirt was stuck to the back with sweat, and the pattern of the mat might be printed on it. "Ah, are you going back?" Minzi stopped his hands and looked at my face.After waiting for a while, he said: "You, today is not right!" She was still watching me observantly. "What's wrong?" "It's not right. Judging by your face, you are so nervous, there must be something wrong?" I only answered one sentence: What's the matter! Then, I walked slowly through the concrete hallway, ready to go out.Minzi was still the same as usual, only escorting me to the door in front of other tenants.I was thinking in my heart, I'm afraid it's unreliable whether this woman is still here when I come back in the future.I could not help but feel a little reluctant that the lazy and hot atmosphere of the room, due to the fermentation of my body odor and this woman's body odor, would now disappear. When I came outside, the dizzying light and heat shone on me without any cover, but my skin didn't feel hot right away.