Chapter 3 Chapter 3 There was Shenyang Road in Tianjin first, and then there was Panjiayuan in Beijing

Kido Kana's family is a well-known Chinese family in Japan. The most famous person in the family is Kido Takayoshi, one of the three masters of the Meiji Restoration in Japan.Kana Kido belongs to the branch of Kido and has not been involved in politics.Her grandfather Yuzo Kido was a professor of archeology at Waseda University, specializing in the study of Northeast Asian history, proficient in Sinology, and well-known in the academic circle. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, China's door opened wide.The West began to collect plundering antiques in China, and several major antique cases broke out in succession. The Chinese warlords fought in a melee, and they were too busy to take care of themselves, and it was impossible to trace them.Japan has always had a fanatical interest in Chinese culture, so some elders in the academic circle suggested that China is no longer qualified to inherit the ancient Chinese civilization, and only Japan has the responsibility to save it all.

So the Ministry of Education came forward, and the Black Dragon Association funded it. Together with Japanese academic elites, they established an organization called "China Fengtuhui", which is responsible for taking advantage of China's chaotic political situation to obtain various precious cultural relics and transport them back to Japan.In order to achieve this goal, Fengtuhui compiled a document called "China Antique Book", which records the appearance, origin, holder, collection location and other information of many national treasures in China.Many Japanese scholars went to China under the banner of research. On the one hand, they tried to collect national treasures and smuggled them back to China, and on the other hand, they investigated information and filled in the gaps in the "China Antique Account".

When Kido Kana said this, he suddenly noticed the three of us were bewildered, and asked, "Do you know who Li Ji is?" We nodded. Anyone who studies archeology knows that this Li Ji was an extraordinary figure in the Republic of China.He was employed by Tsinghua University at the age of 29, and he was called the "Five Mentors" together with four famous scholars Wang Guowei, Liang Qichao, Zhao Yuanren and Chen Yinke.He has always advocated field investigations and was the first scholar in China to conduct modern archaeological excavations—unfortunately, in 1949 he followed Chiang Kai-shek and escorted a large number of cultural relics to Taiwan, so the people who know him here are limited to a few academic schools. circle.

In 1928, the Archaeological Group of the Institute of History and Language, Academia Sinica was established, and Li Ji, who served as the group leader, began to organize archaeological teams to carry out field archaeological operations in Henan, Shaanxi and other places.Kido Yusan used the funds of the "China Customs Association" to quickly gain Li Ji's trust and join the investigation team. In 1930, the Nanjing National Government promulgated the "Law on the Preservation of Antiquities".In order to find out the current status of cultural relics, the Central Antiquities Preservation Committee prepared a grand plan to conduct a nationwide survey of historical relics, and Li Ji was appointed as the executor.

For this plan, Li Ji recruited troops everywhere, including foreign experts and domestic private experts.Kido Yusan also participated as Li Ji's friend, and got acquainted with a man named Xu Yicheng.This Xu Yicheng is the head of Wumai, representing the most mysterious force in the Chinese antique world, especially because he also has some magical skills of ancient appraisal in his hands, which makes Kido Yuzo very interested.The two got very close, and at one point even bowed to each other according to Chinese customs. Xu Yicheng and Kido Yusan did not follow the main force. They were entrusted by Li Ji to perform a secret mission.What exactly this mission is, no one knows.They set off in mid-July, 1931, and did not reappear until the end of August. They disappeared for a month and a half, but they did not submit any report or record.

Later, Li Ji's investigation ended without a problem due to changes in the current situation, and Xu Yicheng returned to Peiping.Kido Yuzo also returned to Japan and published an article claiming to have found the Jade Buddha Head of Zetianmeitang in China, and praised Xu Yicheng for playing a great role in it. All of a sudden, domestic public opinion was in an uproar, and both Li Ji and Wumai were under great pressure.Soon Xu Yicheng was arrested and shot, and Wumai's vitality was seriously injured because of this, and Li Ji was also reprimanded for this incident.In a rage, Li Ji started a lawsuit with the Japanese side. Later, when the Anti-Japanese War broke out, Li Ji escorted the cultural relics to the south, let alone taking care of this matter.

This jade Buddha head fell into the hands of the "China Society of Fengdi" after being exiled in Japan.But Kido Yusan made a request, hoping that this cultural relic will not be displayed publicly.So it was collected in the exclusive museum of the society, and only a limited number of people could see it.Since then, Kido Yuzo has been seriously ill and has been bedridden for recuperation. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, various right-leaning organizations in Japan, including the Black Dragon Society, were banned by the US military.Li Ji once traveled east to Japan on behalf of the victorious country China to investigate and recover the looted cultural relics. As a result, the Northeast Asian Institute prevaricated that the Jade Buddha head had been destroyed in the bombing, and Li Ji returned without success.

Kido Yuzo passed away in the 1940s, and his granddaughter Kido Kana grew up to inherit her grandfather's footsteps and study archaeology.She discovered the whereabouts of the Jade Buddha's head during an accidental investigation, and only then did she know the origin of the Buddha's head and China.Out of her love for Chinese culture, Kana Kido believed that her grandfather had done something wrong, and hoped that the Buddha head could be returned to China to make up for the sins of the year—of course, the last sentence was her argument. Listening to this story, I leaned on the sofa and didn't answer.I'm thinking about something.The story of Kido Kana can be compared with Huang Kewu's story, and many details can be matched.Through these two stories, Xu Yicheng's experience can almost be clarified.

But both stories are missing the most crucial link. None of them could answer. Where did Kido Yusan and Xu Yicheng go in the one and a half months when the two disappeared in 1931?What have you done? And my intuition tells me that this experience is crucial to the mystery of the Buddha's head. Among the three parties involved, Xu Yicheng has been shot, Kido died in the Tokyo bombing, and Li Ji died within a few years in Taiwan.The only hope is whether they will leave some written records as clues. I stared at Kido Kana, and asked, "Didn't Kido Yuzo publish a paper on the head of the Jade Buddha in a journal back then? Do you have the original text of the paper?" Kido Kana seemed to have expected it, She turned around and took out a document bag from the back room, which contained a copy of a journal clipping, and a Chinese translation was thoughtfully attached beside it.

I was a little disappointed after reading it.The report was actually quite short, more like a press release than a paper.Kido omits the details intentionally or unintentionally, and just vaguely says that "it was found in the mainland with the assistance of Chinese friend Xu Yicheng", etc., without any useful information.Most of the paragraphs in the full text are bragging about the great cultural achievements of the Great Japanese Empire, which is very similar to the "Cultural Revolution" posters, and they are all empty words. Kido has three to be favored by Li Ji, and his academic level must not be low.He wrote the paper like this, it seems that he deliberately erased the experience of 1931.

Two photos are attached at the end of the report.The first photo shows two people, one tall and one short, the short one is wearing a khaki expedition suit, round glasses, a Schweitzer-style expedition cap, and a telescope around his neck; the tall one is wearing a short suit Chinese-style cotton-padded clothes, with two mustaches and a melon cap on his head. The background is the gate of Peking University. Everything related to Xu Yicheng in my family was handled by my father, so I never saw what my grandfather looked like.Speaking of which, this is the first time I saw him: Silkworm eyebrows, thick lips, and a square face, very similar to my father's eyebrows and eyes, there is a kind of blood tremor at first glance.Looking at my grandfather's face, I suddenly had the urge to cry. The second photo is of Kido Yusan alone. He is still in the same attire, standing on a hill, with a half-collapsed ancient city wall in the background.There is a faint gap in the middle of the wall, and the light and shadow on both sides of the gap are quite unnatural.Unfortunately, the resolution is too low to see the details clearly. The note next to the photo said that it was Kido Yuzo, taken during the survey, but did not mention the specific location. I stared at the photo of grandpa for a long time, took a deep breath, barely held back the tears, and returned the clipping to Kana Kido.Kido Kana noticed my emotions, took another look, and said nothing. "So, the head of the Jade Buddha is in your hand?" Huang Yanyan asked.I noticed that she has consciously or unconsciously regarded herself as the leader. "To be precise, it is collected in my family. The right to dispose of it is in the hands of the Northeast Asian Institute. Even I have no right to make decisions alone. All I can get are these few It's just a photo." Yao couldn't help but said angrily: "Then why are you talking nonsense here! Let me tell you, the feelings of the Chinese people have been seriously hurt, you can't bear it and walk around!" Kido Kana quickly explained: "I will definitely return the Jade Buddha head to your country, but the related coordination work is still going on, and now we are only a little short of success. As long as you can help me, I am sure that I can convince the Northeast Those old men from the Asia Research Institute." She spoke in a soft voice, but in our ears, it had a different taste. See the poor dagger in the picture. This woman is indeed not as weak as she appears on the surface. Huang Yanyan and Yao Ou were all angry when they heard Kido Kana's words.Otherwise, the drug took the blame: "Fuck, you still think it's the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, don't deceive people too much!" Kido Kana seemed to be very frightened, and bowed again and again: "I hope that the national treasure can be returned to China, and I will reflect on my grandfather. Past mistakes, promoting Sino-Japanese friendship, and nothing else." She brought up this national righteousness, and Huang Yanyan and Yao were at a loss for words, not knowing what to say. I secretly admire Liu Ju's wisdom.It seems that he had anticipated this situation long ago, so he did not allow the government to intervene, or even let Wumai take action directly, and took a lot of trouble to push me, an unknown pawn, into the foreground. Now it seems that it is too right. "What do you want us to do for you?" I asked.Since this woman opened her mouth to raise conditions, she might as well listen first.Anyway, I'm not from the country, so it's a big deal. Kido Kana was unaware of the anger of the other two people. She brushed her hair and said slowly, "I hope you can find someone for me." I frowned.The three of us can be regarded as experts in appraising ancient relics and searching for relics, but we should talk to the Public Security Bureau about finding people. Kido Kana suddenly smiled: "Xu Sang, in fact, this person is also very important to you. Our purpose is the same." "Oh?" I raised my eyebrows. Kido Kana pointed to the cowhide notebook in my arms: "Didn't I just say that my grandfather had a similar notebook. The text in that notebook was encrypted and could not be deciphered. I have always suspected that my grandfather I wrote down the experience of discovering the head of the Jade Buddha in that notebook. Only by deciphering this notebook can I convince the people of the Northeast Asian Research Institute; and Xu Sang, you can also find out the truth about your family, can't you?" I secretly admire in my heart, this woman is so powerful, she has seen through my intentions, and knows that I also have a strong interest in the "blank" from July to September 1931, so it is impossible to refuse her request.This golden hook she borrowed, I had to bite. Don't look at our side who has been aggressive, in fact, from the moment we entered the room, she was in charge of the overall situation, and every step was carefully planned by her.We knew there was a problem, but we had to bite the bullet. I sighed resignedly, and asked, "What does Kido Yusan's notes have to do with the person you are looking for?" Kido Kana said: "The last page of that book was scratched with a pencil. After the scratches were restored, there are three Chinese characters called Fuguifu. This is the only clue left in grandfather's notebook. To decipher the code , I think this is the only breakthrough." Then she took out the pen and wrote these three words on the paper. I noticed that when Huang Yanyan heard this name, her pupils shrank suddenly. Yao Oro secretly said to me: "I said, don't you know the password for the notebook in your hand? These two are obviously a set. If you can unlock the Kido notebook, it will save a lot of trouble." I" Mmm," he said, but he didn't rush to nod his head. This is my bargaining chip, and I can't reveal it easily. I said: "Miss Kido, do you have a way for us to see the contents of Kido's notes? It doesn't matter if it is not decrypted. Maybe it has some connection with the note in my hand, which will be very beneficial to the next work —Even if it’s just a few words.” Kido Kana pondered for a moment, took out a Japanese magazine from the room, and opened one of the pages: "This is a topic I made for my grandfather a few years ago, and there is a photo of Kido's notes in it. According to Xu Sang's wishes." I took the magazine, ignored the dense Japanese, and looked at the photos.The Kido notes in the photo are placed in a glass window, evenly spread in the middle, and the camera angle is taken from above.It may be that the photographer's level is not good, and the reflection of the glass is very strong. Only an outline can be seen in the notes, but the text inside is difficult to see.The description of the picture probably means: This is the note used by Mr. Kido Yuzo during his investigation in China. Now it has become a cultural relic of the Kido family and is properly kept in the private museum of Hagi City, etc. I borrowed a magnifying glass from Kido Kana, and squinted my eyes for a long time before I could barely distinguish a line of text from this terrible photographer.Judging from the arrangement of this line of text, the encryption method of Kido Notes and "Su Ding Lu" is basically the same, using displacement ciphers.But after a brief mental calculation, I found the password I knew, and I couldn't unlock the note. This is the end of the first meeting about the head of the Jade Buddha.I reached a preliminary agreement with Kana Kido, she will contact Japan as soon as possible to send the notebook over, and I will help her find the person "Fu Guifu" and decipher Kido's notes——As for the head of the Jade Buddha, Mu Hukana promised to continue to mediate with the people in the research institute, and the effect will depend on our work. After leaving the restaurant, Yao Oro secretly asked me: "You said that the notebook in the Kido family, could it be another "Su Ding Lu"? Can it be deciphered?" I shook my head and said, how can there be such a good thing, and then explained to him what this kind of displacement code is all about. In fact, it is very simple to put it bluntly. The displacement cipher uses Chinese telegram encoding.This code was created in 1873 by the Frenchman Wei Jijie based on the "Kangxi Dictionary", using four Arabic numerals to represent a Chinese character without repetition.For example, 6113 stands for Yuan, 0213 stands for Shi, and 0618 stands for Kai. Just send 611302130618 at the telegraph office, and the recipient can translate it into Yuan Shikai. When encryption is required, the encryptor will set a key. The key can be anything, but the expression must be the addition and subtraction of numbers.For example, -200, subtracting this number with the code that needs to encrypt Chinese characters, will get a series of new numbers.Yuan (6113), Shi (0213) and Kai (0618) will become 5913/0013/0418.These three groups of numbers also have corresponding Chinese characters, namely Jie, Zhuo, and E.If you show these three characters to others, it is a heavenly book, but if you know the key, you can know that it is Yuan Shikai after a simple calculation. Although "Su Ding Lu" and Kido Notes use the same set of encryption system, they do not use a set of keys.The password I know cannot unlock this notebook.It seems that we still have to find this person named "Fu Guifan" from the clue provided by Kido Kana. Yao Oran scratched his head and muttered: "You did a good job this time, the Buddha's head is missing, and someone borrowed a hook to fish instead." "Borrowing a hook to fish" is an antique term. It means that a scammer will borrow an antique that does not belong to him, hook an interested buyer, and force him to keep investing money. Finally, the scammer suddenly throws the hook and leaves, leaving the buyer with both money and goods. null.Kido Kana first said that she would return the national treasure, and when she got the appetite of the Chinese side, she said that the Jade Buddha head was not in her hands, and made an additional request.At this time, the Chinese side was riding a tiger and had to help her—this is a standard "fishing with a hook" opening. We were talking when Huang Yanyan came from behind.I chased after her and asked her, "Miss Huang, when Kido Kana mentioned that name just now, I think you seem to know something. Do you know who this Fu Guifu is?" Huang Yanyan turned her head and spit out two words: "I know." What kind of temperament she was originally had nothing to do with me.But now the three of us are on the same boat, she knows the clues but doesn't say anything, it's a bit too much.I was a little annoyed: "The Jade Buddha head is not my business alone, what do you know, can you tell me?" Huang Yanyan ignored me and walked down on her own.I went up to grab her arm, but when she flipped her wrist, a surge of force came and almost threw me off. I saw that her attitude was really bad, so I had to take out the bronze cattail pattern bronze ring that Huang Kewu gave me yesterday, and waved it in front of her: "Your old man Huang asked you to follow me, not me to follow you." Huang Yanyan watched me show the bronze ring, the corners of her mouth twitched a few times, and her towering chest heaved a few times, obviously out of anger.She gritted her teeth tightly, and finally said, "The detective who arrested Xu Yicheng back then was named Fu Gui." "Huh? Then who is Fu Guifu?" I haven't turned my head around yet.Huang Yanyan smiled contemptuously: "Confiscation is the imprint of confiscating evidence." It dawned on me.After Xu Yicheng is arrested, those notes will also be used as evidence, and it needs to be written on it who confiscated them.This is the same reason that when the police station now hand over the evidence, they have to sign to say who is keeping it and handing it over.It's so simple, I didn't expect it. "Where is this man now?" I asked. Huang Yanyan shook her head, walked straight away with her long legs, unwilling to stay a second longer.Yao Or silently followed me from behind, patted my shoulder and said, "Dude, it's too late." "What's wrong?" "That bronze ring has a history." Yao Otherwise changed his usual playful smile, "It is said that she could not breathe when she was born, and she was about to suffocate to death. Her grandfather just took a bronze ring from outside and hung it for her. On the neck. Strange to say, as soon as she put it on, she immediately breathed normally. Since then, she has been wearing it close to her body as if it were her life. Now you have taken it away for nothing, and you are showing it off. Whose girl is it? will be angry." I was taken aback: "It's not what I insisted on... Isn't it sobering discord when Mr. Huang gave me this thing?" Yao Oran laughed: "How could it be sowing dissension? This was prepared by Mr. Huang for his grandson-in-law. Now you understand why she is so angry?" When I heard this, I gave a wry smile and said nothing. Put it aside and start thinking about Fu Gui. This notebook of Kido Yousan was confiscated by Fu Gui as evidence against Xu Yicheng, and he also made a mark on the back, and then returned to Kido Yousan at some point.The strange twists and turns in this are worth exploring.Kido Kana was right to start with Fugui's line, which is the only clue so far. But what I worry about is that since Fu Gui is the inspector, he must be between 30 and 40 when he arrested Xu Yicheng in 1931. The probability of surviving to this day is not very high—after all, he has gone through so many wars since then. Disputes, even if he escaped the War of Resistance and the War of Liberation, various movements after the founding of the People's Republic of China are enough to kill him.It seems that it is not easy to find this person. In any case, this is the only clue, and no matter whether it works or not, there is only one way to go to the dark. Just as I was thinking, my whole body started to tremble suddenly, and I could hardly stand upright, as if I had been electrocuted.Yao was shocked and said: "You, what happened to you? That Japanese poisoned you?" "No, it's not..." I gritted my teeth and at the same time touched my waist with a trembling right hand, "Big...Big brother made a loud noise." "Fuck! Are you scaring people?" This big brother is full of power, and when it sounds, it shakes my whole body like chaff.I hastily pressed the call button and put it to my ear.The call was from Director Liu. As soon as I told the story of the meeting, Director Liu immediately made a judgment: "She is fishing with a hook." "I know." I replied steadily, then smiled slyly, "Me too." Bureau Liu: "Huh? Xiao Xu, what do you mean?" I replied lightly: "Although I haven't seen the real thing, according to my judgment, that Jade Buddha head is probably a fake." Otherwise, Yao was taken aback for a while listening, he didn't notice that I showed the slightest tone before.Director Liu on the phone was also unexpectedly silent for a moment, and then asked, "Do you have any evidence?" I looked left and right: "We'll talk about it when I get in the car." This is the gate of the Beijing Hotel, there are so many people, it is really inappropriate to say these things.Fang Zhen had already driven the car, and I got in with my big brother and a cat waist, otherwise Yao would follow in and pull up the curtains.I waited until the car started, and then I recounted the conversation with Kido Kana today to Director Liu.Director Liu said, "Xiao Xu, do you think the Jade Buddha head is a fake, based entirely on the photos?" "First of all, I didn't say it's a fake, I just said that it's more likely to be a fake." I said on the phone, "It's impossible to observe its details or determine its texture only with photos, so we can only learn from Buddha statues." Make a preliminary judgment in terms of shape, and there are some doubts in it.” I speak with extreme caution.In the field of appreciating ancient times, it is actually a very complicated knowledge to distinguish the true from the false.Sometimes there is a flaw in an ancient relic, no matter how you look at it, it looks fake, but after a few years with new research results, it is discovered that it is not a flaw, but that the person who identified it is not skilled enough. In the past, someone paid a high price for half of the Wei stele, but an expert appraised it and said that your stele must be fake. Why?Because a simplified character was added to the inscription, the word "ran" in "disorderly" was written as a simplified "ran".The man was so angry that he smashed the stele, and used the broken pieces to build chicken coops.As a result, a few years later, a new Wei stele was unearthed, and there was also a word "chaotic" on it. At this time, everyone knew that this word had existed in ancient times, and it was omitted by craftsmen when they carved it. It is also called a vulgar character. People will regret it after knowing it, but it is too late. So I didn't rush to draw conclusions, I just said there were doubts.Director Liu heard my thoughts, smiled heartily, and said you should tell me first. In fact, this identification is straightforward, and there is nothing particularly magical about it.A particularly critical factor in identifying a Buddha statue is its carving style.There have been Buddha statues in all dynasties in China, but their carving techniques have their own characteristics, and their development and evolution have a clear context to follow.What kind of decorations will appear in what era, this is unmistakable. I said: "I just looked at it several times, and felt that the face of this Buddha's head was somewhat familiar. Later, I remembered it. The expression of this Jade Buddha is very similar to that of the Dalushena Buddha statue in Longmen Grottoes." There is a big Lushena Buddha in the Longmen Grottoes. The Buddha is 17.14 meters high, the head is 4 meters high, and the ears are 1.90 meters long. The carvings are extremely exquisite and it is the treasure of the town.According to historical records, this giant Buddha was built by Wu Zetian donating her own powder money, and its appearance was completely carved according to Wu Zetian's own appearance.The head of the Jade Buddha in the photo is very similar to that of the Dalushena Buddha. Both of them have a majestic air between their beautiful eyebrows, just like a queen. "It's not surprising." Director Liu said on the phone, "This Jade Buddha is enshrined in Zetianming Hall, and there is a high probability that it was carved according to her face." I immediately said: "It is precisely because these two Buddha statues are carved according to Wu Zetian's appearance that there is a problem. There are two strange things I found. "The first point. The hairstyle of the head of the Great Lushana Buddha is a water wave style, which belongs to the Gandhara school style; while the hairstyle of this Jade Buddha's head is a snail hair bun, which is a work of the Mathura school. The two schools of Buddha statues originated in ancient India and were popular in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, but they are distinct and rarely mixed with each other—the Great Lushana Buddha and this Jade Buddha head are also depicting the image of Wu Zetian, and the style should be unified, but the two are not. Different decoration routes have been taken, and the weirdness among them can be interesting. "The second point is even more bizarre. I can still see a circle of slightly fan-shaped raised folds on the meat bun on the Jade Buddha's head, stacked like flags. This decorative style is called 'top strict', and the Jade Buddha's head The style of "Ding Yan" is very different from ordinary ones. It bends at a large angle, like layers of onion skins half-peeled, hanging down to the Buddha's forehead, slanting across both sides, like two curtains slowly opened It has the characteristics of early Tibetan Buddha statues. This is very interesting. In the era of Wu Zetian, Buddhism had just been introduced to Tibet, and it was still several decades before Master Padmasambhava founded Tantra. In Wu Zetian's Mingtang, it was enshrined for decades The style of Tibetan Buddhism that appeared later is also a puzzling thing. The Buddha statues in Tibet in the early and middle Tang dynasties were all imported from Han, India, Nepal, and the Western Regions, with mixed styles. All of them were destroyed when the Buddha was destroyed. Therefore, what kind of Buddha statues were in that era can only be guessed, and there are very few real ones. I also heard about it from a living Buddha, so I knew there was such a thing. "I have to reiterate that these are just doubtful points, and it is not easy to draw conclusions about whether they are true or false." After listening to my report, Director Liu was silent for a while, and instructed, "Did you tell Kana Kido about these questions?" "It's not yet time. She also has many things to hide from us. Since she has thrown the golden hook over, we will plan and see who is caught." To put it bluntly, this is a battle of wits. Kido Kana is not benevolent first, so don't blame me for being unrighteous.She wanted to fool her with the photo, but I held onto the Buddha's head card. It's not certain who will have the last laugh. Director Liu issued instructions: "Only relying on these details is not enough to make the following conclusions. Since Kido Kana asked you to help find Fugui, then you should go find him as soon as possible. I will ask Fang Zhen to provide you with some help from the public security system—— But please remember, everything you are doing now is a non-government act, and the country does not know about it. Give Fang Zhen the phone number." I handed the phone to Fang Zhen in the front row, Fang Zhen took it and hummed a few times, then sent it back blankly.As soon as my ear was on the microphone, Director Liu had already changed his tone more relaxed: "I heard that you ran away in a fit of anger?" "Miss Huang has a temper herself, and I can't help it." "You are so smart, why can't you coax the girl? You give her a little bit. If this matter is done well, it means that the five branches are united. What did Premier Zhou say at the Bandung Conference? Seek common ground while reserving differences." I saw Director Liu began to speak in an official tone, and after a few perfunctory words, he hung up the phone.This Director Liu is very tired every time he talks to him, and he always has to guess what he is thinking about.I put down the phone and saw Yao was staring at me, I asked him what's wrong?Did you remember any new clues?Yao Otherwise hesitated for a moment, and said with a smile on his face, "Are we two good buddies now?" "That's right." "Between buddies, we share difficulties and share blessings, right?" I was overjoyed, and casually threw the big brother to him: "Anyway, this is a gift from your grandfather, you can play with it." Yao was quite surprised: "How do you know that I want to borrow the phone?" I replied: "You have been looking at my waist since just now, and you keep checking the time. There must be some date. I guess, the date is a Girl, do you want to show off with your phone?" Otherwise, Yao was not shy at all, and patted my shoulder with a playful smile: "Your eyes are too poisonous, boy." After Yaooran and I returned to Sihuizhai, we found that the young man sent by the Shen family had kept the shop in order.I praised him a few words and let him go back.After taking stock, their business methods are much better than mine, and they shipped three items in one morning, which is equivalent to my turnover in a week. I made myself a cup of tea and drank it slowly, otherwise I took my brother and talked on the phone.After all, he is also a descendant of the five bloodlines. When he first came to Sihuizhai to provoke him, he still had a bit of character. Now when he picks up the phone, he completely becomes a young man who clings to the girl with a faceless face. After all, he resentfully let it go. The two of us chatted casually, and it was only then that I realized that the Yao family has two brothers in this generation, and Yao is not the same as his elder brother.My eldest brother is a government-sponsored student studying for a Ph.D. in the United States, majoring in medicine, so medicine would be the focus of training at home.Yao family masters the porcelain in the five veins, which is a large category, and involves all kinds of knowledge. Although he is a top student at Peking University, he still has a lot to learn. Between the words, I feel that Yao is not particularly concerned about this business. According to his own words, he seems to fulfill the responsibility for his brother.Maybe there is something else going on between the two brothers, but I didn't ask in detail. After talking for a while, I was a little sleepy, so I went back to the room and squinted for a while, and threw the medicine in the front room to help me look at the counter.When I woke up, I found that this kid was chatting with Fang Zhen.Seeing that I got up, Fang Zhen took out a document from his pocket and handed it to me.Seeing the medicine or not has a resentful look, probably because he wanted to see it in advance but was rejected.With Fang Zhen's style of doing things, he would definitely not let him watch first. As far as the efficiency of the public security system is concerned, it is quite high.Otherwise, Yao and I had only been back to Sihuizhai for three or four hours before Fang Zhen got the materials. It turned out that Fu Gui was a detective of the Beijing Police Department before liberation. In addition to personally arresting Xu Yicheng, he also arrested several underground parties.But he has a lot of eyes, so he didn't do anything cruel.So after Beijing was peacefully liberated, although he was arrested, it was not considered a serious crime. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison and has been staying in prison.When he was released after serving his sentence, it was just in time for the "Cultural Revolution".Fu Gui didn't want to stay in Beijing any longer, so he ran to Tianjin to live in seclusion.In the past two years, the antique business has boomed, so he works as a fiber puller in the antique market on Shenyang Road in Tianjin, helping people negotiate business deals. It's quite interesting that a pre-liberation inspector actually mixed into the antique business after retiring.Pulling fiber is not so easy to do, you have to be able to speak well, and you have to be good at observing words and demeanor, which is quite suitable for an old policeman.However, in this business, you have to have the vision of learning from the past. You can neither be deceived by the seller nor deceive the buyer. This requires a real test of skill. Now that I found his trace, without delay, I immediately asked Fang Zhen to book two train tickets and rush to Tianjin overnight.Yao otherwise had a frowning face, he managed to ask his girlfriend out, and it seemed that he was going to miss the appointment again. After entering the train station, Huang Yanyan was also standing on the platform.Don't ask, Liu Ju or Fang Zhen must have notified her.Seeing me approaching, she just glanced coldly and didn't say much, but the corners of her eyes seemed a little red, maybe she had cried.I took out the bronze ring and said, "I make a vow to be a principled person and never force others to do what they want. When this matter is resolved, the original will be returned." After I finished speaking, I turned my face away, otherwise I would continue to talk to Yao.As for Huang Yanyan's reaction, I don't know. The train from Beijing to Tianjin is very fast, and it takes just over two hours.The three of us got out of the car and headed straight for Shenyang Road while it was still dark.
The antique market on Shenyang Road in Tianjin is a veteran. As the saying goes: "First there is Shenyang Road in Tianjin, and then there is Panjiayuan in Beijing." Although this place looks shabby and dilapidated, it has produced many good things, such as the dragon pattern of Qianlong Ruyi Ear gourd bottles, Chenghua Jiuqiu bottles and the like are all found here.Today is the weekend, and there are more people here, and the excitement is not inferior to that of Panjiayuan, and all the ears are full of either Beijing movies or Weizuizi.People from Beijing Jiangujie will come here for a while if they have nothing to do. I have been here a few times before, and I know a lot of acquaintances. But obviously I don't need to do anything this time, no matter if it's the Huang family or the Yao family, their reputations are much louder than mine.Huang Yanyan and Yao Ori led me through the bustling crowd and went straight to a rather large antique shop.In this antique shop, there are several jade braves, copper coins, golden toads and carps, as well as birthday statues carved in jujube wood, and half-authentic pictures of cranes and birthdays. It is not so much selling antiques as it is selling handicrafts. It is prepared for those Guangdong bosses with fresh pictures, and has little to do with antiques. The shop owner is an old man with gray hair. When he saw the three of us coming in, he stood up to greet us.Yao Buan grinned and said, "Uncle Zhang, I haven't seen you for a long time." He used to speak Beijing movies, but here he changed to serious Mandarin, serious and not used to listening.The owner of the store was taken aback, looked again, and said loudly in Tianjin dialect: "It turns out that you are the second child of the Yao family, what gust of wind brought you here?" Yao Otherwise said: "I am bringing some friends here for a stroll Take a circle." The shopkeeper looked over here, his eyes skipped over me, and fell on Huang Yanyan: "Miss Huang, you are here too." Huang Yanyan raised her chin slightly as a return. It seems that they have known each other for a long time, maybe this is an outer door of Wumai. The owner of the shop surnamed Zhang exchanged pleasantries with Yao or else, who pretended to be casual and asked, "Uncle Zhang, you have a stretcher here called Fu Gui, have you heard of it?" Shopkeeper Zhang was overjoyed when he heard it, and quickly swung the index finger and middle finger of his right hand twice on the counter: "Why are you also here to watch the fun?" Yao or I looked at each other suspiciously, listening to what he meant, there was something in his words. .His gesture is an old-fashioned one in the ancient art world, swinging his fingers, as if walking on two legs. The old Jingjin meant to see the decapitation in the street.看热闹——尤其是看别人倒大霉的热闹。 难道说，这个付贵最近出事了？ 药不然连忙让他给说说。张店主看看我，药不然说这是我兄弟，没事，还拍了拍我肩膀。张店主这才开口，把付贵的事告诉我们。 其实就一句话的事：付贵这回在窜货场里折了。 什么叫窜货场？玩古董的人分新旧，那些老玩家老主顾，自然不愿意跟一群棒槌混在一起争抢东西。所以有势力的大铺子，都有自己的内部交易会，若是得了什么正经的好玩意儿，秘而不宣，偷偷告诉一些老主顾，让他们暗地里出价，正所谓是“货卖与识家”。这种交易会，就叫窜货场。 而这个付贵折的事，还真是有点大。 大约在一个多月前，付贵在沈阳道开始放风，说他联络到一位卖家，打算出手一盏钧瓷瓜形笔洗。钧瓷那是何等珍贵，俗话说“纵有家财万贯，不如钧瓷一片”，如今忽然有一个完整的钧瓷笔洗出现，少不得引起了不少人注意。在付贵穿针引线之下，几个大铺子联合起来，搞了一个窜货场，召集一些老客户当场竞价，价高者得。 买东西，总得先过过眼。付贵收了一大笔订金，却一直推脱说卖家还没准备好。他在市场里声誉一向不错，铺子老板们也就没想太多。一直到拍卖当天，他还是没出现。几个铺子老板沉不住气，联合起来上他家去找他，结果大门紧锁，主人却失踪了。他一贯独居，也没结婚也没孩子，这一走，真不知道能走去哪里。 老板们没奈何，正要回头，迎头撞见一个老太太。老太太说她们家本来祖传了一个碟子，无意中被付贵看见，说是值钱东西，拍着胸脯说能帮她卖个好价钱。老太太信以为真，就把碟子交给他。这一直到现在都没动静，老太太等得着急，所以想过来问问。 两边仔细一对，铺子老板们全明白了。老太太嘴里的碟子，正是那个钧瓷笔洗。敢情付贵是两头吃，这头支应着窜货场，骗了一笔订金，那头还把老太太的东西给骗走了。他自己前后穿针引线，空手套了白狼，回头换个地方把笔洗一出手，又是好大一笔进账。 这下子可把人给得罪惨了。古董行当是个极重信誉的地方，尤其是拉纤的人，更是把信誉视若性命，这个付贵倒好，逮着机会狠狠黑了一回，固然是白白赚了一件钧瓷，可信誉也都完蛋了。不少人已经说了，一旦看见这个老头子，要狠狠地收拾他一顿。天津的小流氓们那几天满街乱溜达，因为有人放话，谁要是发现付贵的藏身之处，奖励一台双卡录音机。 我们三个听完，都是一阵无语。这类利欲熏心的故事我们都见过不少，但吃相像付贵这么难看的，还真不多。 药不然问：“也就是说，您也不知道付贵现在在哪里？” 张店主笑道：“我要知道在哪儿，早就告诉街坊了。现在付贵是整个市场的公敌，谁敢留他。” 我还想再问，药不然却偷偷使了个眼色，示意我别说了。他跟张店主又扯了几句闲话，然后扯着我和黄烟烟退出店铺。我问他到底什么情况，药不然摇摇头说：“天津这地方，古董行当也自成一圈，跟北京那个圈子虽有交通，可骨子里彼此都看不上眼，有点像京津两地的相声界关系。付贵说到底也是天津圈子自己的事，家丑不外扬，咱们再问下去，人家肯定不乐意。” 我皱起眉头，这就麻烦了。付贵这祸惹得比天都大，他肯定早就不知跑哪里去了，绝不会轻易露头。不找到付贵，就解不开木户有三笔记之谜；不解开那个谜，就换不回东北亚研究所那群老头子的支持；没他们的支持，玉佛头就回不来，这几件事环环相扣。 黄烟烟开口道：“我去打听。”我摇摇头：“不妥，刚才我仔细观察那个老头子，他若有若无地怀着戒备的心态，可见对我们已经起了疑心。这事，咱们得谨慎点。” 这时候，药不然插嘴道：“甭问，问了也白问。这窜货场比外头摊子高级，讲究和忌讳也特别多。就连出价，都是伸到袖子里拉手，不让旁人看出来。出了事他们不乐意家丑外扬，也是可以理解的。” “问不能问，查不能查，这可有些棘手……”我眼神闪动，在脑子里拼命思考。 药不然哈哈一笑，拍胸脯道：“大许你不用犯愁。天塌下来，有哥们儿这一米八二的顶着呢。那个付贵贪墨的是件瓷器，那是我家的本行。这件事，就交给我好了。” 无论是我还是黄烟烟，都面露疑惑，显然对这个轻佻的家伙没什么信心。药不然一拍胸脯，拉了一句京剧唱腔儿：“山人——自有妙计。” 说完他做了个手势，往市场里走去，我和黄烟烟将信将疑地跟在后头。只见药不然背着手，迈着方步，在沈阳道一家一家地逛着古董铺子。每到一处，他大摇大摆踏进去，也不盘货，也不问底，专跟老板扯家常，有意无意泄露自己的来历。店主们知道五脉的，对他都恭敬有加；不知道五脉的，也听过鉴古学会的大名，自然不会怠慢。 连续两天，药不然几乎把沈阳道和周边几个小古董交易市场转了个遍，每家铺子都待了一阵。但我们光听他跟铺子里的人扯瓷器经了，正经的关于付贵的消息，一句没问。也不知道他葫芦里卖的什么药。 到了第三天早上，黄烟烟实在忍不住了，质问药不然到底打的什么主意。药不然笑道：“说出来就不灵了，哥们儿这锦囊妙计，还没到抖出来的时候呢。”卖完关子，他靠在沙发上，一口一个吃起鸡蛋煎饼来。天津的煎饼卷的是油条，比北京的薄脆饼好吃。 黄烟烟不甘心地又追问了一句：“你，有把握？” 药不然大手一挥：“我有把握找到付贵，但能不能逮到他，还得借烟烟你的本钱一用。”说完打量了一下她凹凸有致的身材。黄烟烟眼神里闪过一道寒芒，药不然赶紧补充一句：“我说的是你的功夫，看你想哪里去了！”黄烟烟冷哼了一声，拿起一个煮鸡蛋，离开餐桌。 我把报纸看完，问药不然：“咱们今天继续逛？” “不用了。咱们今天就稳坐钓鱼台，等人上门来咬就成。哥们儿是张良再世、诸葛复生，罗斯福在中国的投胎转世，稳住就成。”药不然懒洋洋地伸了个懒腰。 我看他满嘴跑火车，便“哦”了一声，随手拿起一本《故事会》翻，翻了几页，总觉得心浮气躁，把书放下想出去透透气。我溜达到旅馆内院，忽然看到一个人影一闪而过，还传来喝叱声。我赶紧走过去，以为出了什么事。一探头，却看到黄烟烟在院子里晨练。 她换了一身粉红色的运动服，头发扎成马尾，一板一眼地按照套路打拳。这姑娘打得特别认真，口中随着拳势发出叱咤声，一会儿脸上就红扑扑的，鼻尖还有一滴晶莹汗水。说实话，她这副样子可比平时的冷若冰霜生动多了，跟穆桂英似的。 “谁！”黄烟烟忽然收住招式，朝这边瞪过来。我只好走出来，尴尬地没话找话：“打拳呐？”黄烟烟见是我，没什么好表情，但好歹把拳头放下来。我见她没说话，只好厚着脸皮又说：“打的什么拳呐？” “形意。” “形意好，形意好。我自从看了《少林寺》，一直也想找个机会学学，可惜人家少林寺的形意拳传儿不传女，呵呵。” 我故意说了个笑话，黄烟烟没笑，而是比了个手势，让我过去。这个反应有些出乎意料，我不好拒绝，迟疑走进场地。她拽出我的右臂，左手抚住了我的肩膀，整个上半身靠了过来，传来一阵馨香。黄烟烟见我有些陶醉，妩媚一笑，双手突然发力，脚下一扫，我顿时觉得天旋地转，噗通一下摔倒在地。 黄烟烟拍了拍手，得意洋洋地离开院子。我躺在地上，疼得呲牙咧嘴，也不知该不该生气。 我还没爬起来呢，药不然的脑袋忽然从走廊探了过来：“我说，别玩了，赶紧过来，有人上钩了！” 来拜访药不然的是五个人，都在四十到六十岁之间，我看着有些眼熟，应该都是沈阳道的几家大铺子掌柜，前两天药不然都去转悠过。他们五个人手里都提着点东西，不是人参就是洋酒，再就是些不算值钱但还算稀罕的小玩意儿。 药不然坐在沙发上没起来，态度跟前两天大不一样，举止矜持，看见他们拎着东西过来，下巴一抬：“搁那儿吧。”五个人把东西放到桌子上，互相看了看，其中一个人搓着手笑道：“药老爷子可有日子没来溜达了。” “我爷爷身体不大好，所以我这做孙子的替他多跑跑。几位的心意领了，东西还是拿回去吧。” 为首之人见药不然把话噎回去了，有些局促，便往我这瞥了一眼。药不然看出他的意思，说这兄弟也是我们药家的，不是外人，他们将信将疑，也不好质疑，场面顿时就冷了下来。这时我忽然想起来了，黄烟烟呢？Where did she go?这种场合，按道理她也应该出席才对。 为首的掌柜姓孙，孙掌柜对药不然说：“我们听说，药家这儿招了马眼子？跟您讨教几合。”我听得清楚，马眼子是旧社会的江湖黑话，原来指的是擅长相马的马贩子，后来引申到古董界，特指鉴定古董的手段。孙掌柜说药家招了马眼子，就是在问是不是发明了新的鉴定手段。 以前鉴定全靠摸、看、尝，现在一个检测仪器全搞定了，所以精明的古董玩家，无不密切关注技术进展，随时跟进。药家是瓷器鉴定的权威，又有大学资源，他们的新成果，绝对是各方都觊觎的关注点。 药不然听了孙掌柜的话，笑道：“瓷器这玩意博大精深，哪个马眼子能保证万无一失。” 孙掌柜见药不然没否认他的问话，心中大喜，赶紧捧了几句：“科学昌明啊。到底是北大的高材生。”药不然假意谦虚道：“唉，这可不是一家的功劳，几个大专院校的研究所也出了不少力。” 五个人赶紧点头附和。孙掌柜又夸奖了几句，觉得火候到了，脖子往前探道：“我们这些经营小买卖的，最怕赝品。打了一次眼，半个棺材本儿就赔进去了。小药你们家是这行当的泰山北斗，可不能不顾我们死活啊。” 我在旁边听着，大概猜出药不然的打算了。前两天他故意东拉西扯，就是为了在沈阳道放出烟幕弹，说药家又有新的鉴定手段问世。玩瓷器的掌柜们听了这消息，肯定坐不住，巴巴地赶过来讨好他。可我有一点不明白，这件事跟付贵有什么关系。 药不然面露为难：“孙掌柜您言重了。鉴古学会有了好东西绝不藏私。只不过这件事干系重大，说出来就是一场地震，影响深远。爷爷不点头，我也不敢乱说。”孙掌柜一听这话门没关死，赶紧补了一句：“您给我们漏个底儿就成，我们绝计不说出去。”说完他一扯药不然衣袖，伸出三个指头。 这就所谓“袖底乾坤”了，只要药不然透句话出来，孙掌柜他们愿意付三千块钱。药不然有些为难地叹了口气，压低声音道：“你们可千万别说是我传的啊。”五个掌柜忙不迭地点头，纷纷拿玉皇大帝、观音菩萨和自家祖宗起誓。药不然这才眯起眼睛，慢慢道：“你们知道蚯蚓走泥纹吧？” 蚯蚓走泥纹是指宋代钧瓷特有的表面釉纹，开片如蚯蚓走过草地的痕迹，是鉴别钧瓷的重要手段，也是基本常识。这一群掌柜们跟小学生似的点点头，谁也不敢面露不屑。 药不然徐徐道：“那你们是否知道，如今这个已经不保准了？” 孙掌柜他们一听，面色无不大震。蚯蚓走泥纹是鉴定宋钧瓷的绝对特征，历来人们都认为，只要有这个纹路，就一定是宋钧无疑，根本不可能伪造。可如今药不然突然来了这么一句，无异于告诉数学家一加一不再等于二了一样。如果这个蚯蚓走泥纹能被仿制，那么市场可是要大乱一阵。 孙掌柜声音都开始发颤了：“您详细说说。”药不然道：“具体详情我也不知，但药家数月之前已然发现，禹州窑厂已能仿烧出这类纹路。虽然未臻完美，但以现在的技术手段，改进不难。” 掌柜们一阵哗然。药不然连忙宽慰道：“好在经过分析，目前这类仿烧只在一些小器件上实现，大件儿暂时还烧不出来。所以我爷爷打算趁这类赝品还没大量入市，未雨绸缪，找出新的鉴定手段。” 孙掌柜急道：“那他老人家一定找到喽？”药不然摇头道：“哪那么容易，现在技术小组还在攻关呢，只不过初有眉目而已。” 五个掌柜只盼着药不然能多说点。药不然却不肯说了：“我知道的也就这么多，具体的，还得等技术小组的论文出来。我就这么一说，你们就这么一听，别太往心里去啊，万一我记错了误导你们，得折损多少功德。” 最后一句直接被五个掌柜给忽略了。他们见药不然再也不肯说了，只得纷纷告退。等到他们一个一个离开，药不然把脸转向我：“你眼睛毒，看出什么没有？” 我隐隐约约摸到了眉目，淡淡道：“钓金鳌。” “哈哈哈哈，真是什么都瞒不住你这对大贼眼珠子啊。” 药不然笑完，又冷笑了一声：“我看那个付贵根本没打算贪货，而是这五个掌柜的其中一个故意放出烟幕弹，自己揣了货，故意栽赃给付贵。” 我问他：“你是怎么判断出来的？” “那个故事破绽忒多了，跟网兜儿都多。那个老太太真是不识货，付贵大可以把它低价收回来，然后光明正大卖出去，何必搞窜货场这么曲折？他吞货的手法太傻逼了，事有反常必为妖。这圈子里要想黑人，手段可龌龊得紧，他们一撅屁股，哥们儿就知道拉什么屎。” 我点点头，虽然我不懂瓷器，可人心都是一样的。 药不然更是得意，继续说道：“北宋的钧瓷太珍贵了，这么多年来很少有人能搜集到完整的。无论是谁拿到一件钧瓷，心里除了高兴，肯定还特别忐忑，特别没底，总惦记着到底是不是真的。所以我先是故意散布药家有新马眼子的消息，把他钓来这里，再故意用蚯蚓走泥纹的话题，勾起他的疑心，就是为了试探，到底是谁私藏了货。” 我想起来了，药不然刚才说了一句“仿烧只在一些小器件上实现，大件儿暂时还烧不出来”，现在看来，这句话其实就是在暗示，那个钧瓷小笔洗，说不定就是近期面市的赝品之一。真正的藏货者一听，肯定坐不住，想急着回去看看。想不到这家伙也有这等细密心思。 “嘿嘿，我说出那句话的时候，其中有一人面色一变，跟火撩兔子似的，转身就走，心里有鬼。” 我环顾左右，笑道：“这么说来，黄烟烟没出现，也是你安排的，她现在正偷偷跟在那位掌柜身后吧？” 药不然点点头：“敢匿下钧瓷、栽赃付贵的，一定是大店的掌柜。而这沈阳道上玩瓷器的大店，听了咱药家名号，没人敢不过来问候。” 这就是五脉的底气了。我对这小子另眼相看。五脉出身的人，果然不一样。虽然有点借重家族势力，但这一手用鉴古的法子玩弄人心，颇有大家底蕴，实在佩服。 药不然端起杯茶，稳稳道：“咱们接下来，就等吧。” 过了一个多小时，我搁在茶几上的大哥大响了，震得玻璃几乎都要碎掉。我赶紧把它接起来，里面传来黄烟烟的声音：“目标锁定了，速来。”然后她报了一个地址。 我和药不然连忙离开旅馆，直奔黄烟烟给的那个地址而去。那儿不在天津城区，而是靠近塘沽，一路上已经有些荒凉。我们很快来到一处城乡结合部的小胡同外，黄烟烟在村口小卖部的公用电话旁已经等候多时了。 “确定了？”药不然问道。黄烟烟点点头，伸手一指：“就在村口第三家。” 我们三个像日本鬼子一样偷偷摸进了村，来到第三家门口。这家的房子明显比其他邻居要好，门面是大理石装饰，一左一右搁了两个石狮子，屋顶还支着一个天线锅。 黄烟烟过去一撬，也不知用的什么手法，门应声而开。 既然已如此暴力地破门而入了，索性就贯彻到底吧。我们仨飞快地冲进院子，隔着玻璃看到屋里的情形。屋里那人正是刚才五个掌柜中为首的孙掌柜。孙掌柜正拿着放大镜，聚精会神地对着一个精致的瓜形笔洗琢磨，甚至连我们进了院子都不知道。 药不然推门进屋，孙掌柜听到声音，这才抬起头来，一看是我们，吓得赶紧要把笔洗藏起来，手一颤，差点没摔到地上。药不然道：“哟呵，北宋的钧瓷，孙掌柜，发达了啊。”孙掌柜顾不得质疑我们为何闯门，起身连声解释道：“祖传的，祖传的。” 药不然学着我的口气道：“我看不见得吧！哥们儿来天津时，听说沈阳道上出了一件宝贝，是北宋钧瓷瓜形笔洗，想必就是这一件？”孙掌柜面色大变，可藏已经来不及了，只得赔笑道：“您肯定看错了，那件儿不是被人匿了嘛。” 药不然似笑非笑：“是啊，我也听说了，是被人匿了，听说整个天津都满世界在找呢。” 孙掌柜急道：“你们私闯民宅，我要去报警！”他是豁出去了，药不然既然语出威胁，他也只能铤而走险。药不然一屁股坐到对面沙发上，悠然自得地说：“您莫着恼。你们沈阳道上的事，哪怕闹翻了天，哥们儿我也不管。我们路过宝地，是想请你捧个人场。” “您说您说……”孙掌柜借着这个问话的机会，把那个笔洗偷偷藏到身后。 “开门见山吧，我们想找付贵。孙掌柜能不能给我们指条明路？” “你们找他干嘛？”孙掌柜反问。 我一听，和药不然对视一眼，心知有门。 药不然道：“这您就别管了。”孙掌柜还想挣扎，药不然脸色一沉：“我说老孙，出来混，义气最重要。你不讲义气，哥们儿可就也不讲了。” 孙掌柜一听，颓然坐在沙发上，半晌才喃喃说道：“其实……我根本就不想，这主意都是付贵出的。” 原来在一个多月之前，付贵带着这个北宋钧瓷瓜形笔洗找到孙掌柜，说自己准备金盆洗手，想弄一笔钱就出国隐居。孙掌柜见到这宝物大为震惊，想盘下来。可付贵不肯让，说这东西拿出去肯定轰动，会惹祸上身，所以想用别的办法弄钱。于是孙掌柜和付贵商量出一个计策，付贵出面，散布消息说有人要出手一个钧瓷笔洗，以他的人脉，很快整个沈阳道的人都知道了。孙掌柜借机策动几个大掌柜的，说这东西既然谁都想要，为策公平，不如开个窜货场，几个掌柜都同意了。 窜货场的规矩，参加的人得交订金。订金虽不多，但参与的人很多，合在一起也不是笔小数目。按照事先约定的，付贵拿了订金，又从孙掌柜那里拿了一大笔钱，跑了。而孙掌柜拿到了笔洗，偷偷藏起来，等风头一过，再悄悄出手。 这计策听起来两边都不吃亏，而且最大的风险还是付贵背着，所以孙掌柜心里一直踏实。可自从药不然说了那几句关于蚯蚓走泥纹的话以后，孙掌柜开始担心这会不会是赝品，一从旅馆出来，就直奔回家研究，结果被抓了一个正着。 “所以你们问我付贵在哪儿，我是真不知道。他把笔洗给了我，拿着钱就跑了。” 线索到这里，似乎断了。药不然用指头敲着沙发，陷入沉思。这时候，我忽然开口：“照你这么说，那个笔洗的原主人——就是那个被付贵欺骗的老太太——也是假的喽？” 孙掌柜道：“对，那是付贵找来的托儿。” 古董市场买卖，讲究源流。一件东西，是孙家、臧家还是童家，来历必须分明。付贵找个寡居的老太太当原主，大概就是出于这个目的，好让那些掌柜放心。