Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 439: Chapter 435: Tang Bohu’s Painting

Huo Sining followed Ouyang Jun out of the car, with Ouyang Jun leading the way in front. Seeing Huo Sining looking around, Ouyang deliberately slowed his pace and introduced as they walked:

”This is a private estate, which Xu Zihui, Huizi, Qin Tian, and I bought together a few years ago. The estate includes a dedicated organic vegetable plantation, as well as a fruit orchard, a fishpond, and poultry farm. It’s sort of a small ecological cycle.”

Huo Sining couldn’t help but be astounded upon hearing Ouyang Jun’s introduction. According to what Ouyang Jun said, an ecological cycle system would require at least a hundred acres of land. Isn’t this just what a wealthy landlord would do?

Ouyang Jun, hearing the jest in Huo Sining’s tone, couldn’t help but spread his hands and laugh, ”If we were really hit with the ’landlord’ label, Xu Zi’s assets would be even more than mine; you, as the landlord’s wife, probably can’t escape the association either.”

While joking, they continued walking into the estate. After walking on a gravel path for a good six or seven minutes and passing through the dense woodland of the estate, they finally arrived in front of a quadrangle dwelling.

Before Huo Sining had time to marvel, the doors to the quadrangle were pulled open from the inside. Seeing Ouyang Jun and Huo Sining, Qin Tian was stunned, ”How come you two arrived together? Where’s Xu Zi?”

Huo Sining glanced at Ouyang Jun with a smirk, while Ouyang Jun was unfazed, ”I was on the way, so I brought her along. Xu Zi is behind us; he should be arriving soon, too.”

Qin Tian nodded, ”Anyway, it’s just past four, still early. No rush.”

After the three of them entered the courtyard and walked through a corridor, they could hear what sounded like an argument from a nearby room. Ouyang turned his head to inquire of Qin Tian, ”Who’s over there?”

Qin Tian smiled and said, ”The old master invited a few people over. It seems they found an ancient painting, and the old master has called a few people to study whether the piece is genuine or fake.”

The old master? Huo Sining was surprised as she glanced at Qin Tian, not understanding whom he was referring to.

Ouyang, on the other hand, nodded as if this was not unexpected, and asked Qin Tian, ”What kind of painting is it?”

Qin Tian shook his head, ”I wouldn’t know, but I heard it’s an authentic Tang Bohu. Though I have my doubts.”

Ouyang Jun, upon hearing the name Tang Bohu, immediately showed a look of surprise and paused in his steps, then decisively turned and walked towards the room where the noise was coming from.

Ouyang Jun didn’t explain, and Huo Sining didn’t feel it was her place to ask more, so she followed him in.

Upon entering the room, they saw several people gathered around a table. Huo Sining looked at each person in turn. A white-bearded and white-haired elder was particularly eye-catching, about seventy years old, wearing a dark cyan Tang suit, which made him look sagelike and particularly spirited.

Standing beside the elder was another older man with similarly silver-white hair. However, his eyes were dim, his brows deeply furrowed and carrying a look of worry that one could immediately tell made it apparent that this old man had not been having an easy time lately.

The other four individuals, who were probably in their forties or fifties, would be considered quite young in the antique dealing business.

One of them wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and a sharp suit, giving him the look of a refined scholar.

However, Huo Sining had no particular fondness for this kind of scholar, likely due to the many so-called experts dressed up in scholastic attire in China who, despite their appearance, didn’t have much to show for it.

Not caring to scrutinize the individuals further, Huo Sining’s gaze was drawn to the ancient painting on the table.

In the center of the large round table, a piece of glass weighed down a long scroll of painting.

The scroll’s paper was brown, and although it was not well-preserved, with some dampness and wear, it looked like it should be an ancient painting.

The people in the room were discussing this ancient painting, and Huo Sining leaned in to take a closer look without anyone minding.

Only by looking at such a close distance did Huo Sining realize that the painting laid out on the table was actually one by Tang Bohu.

During this period, after her master’s intensive training, she had delved into ancient paintings, particularly recognizing the styles and features of the works by great painters almost by heart.

Therefore, as soon as she glanced at it, she immediately caught the content and signature on the painting and determined that this was a work by Tang Bohu—”Li Duanduan’s Registration Picture”.

Speaking of Li Duanduan, perhaps no one would recognize her name, but mention Qiuxiang, and surely nobody would be unaware.

The romantic and classic love story of Tang Bohu pursuing Qiuxiang has been portrayed in numerous films and television dramas, making the name Qiuxiang familiar to all as an ancient historical figure.

But nobody knew that actually, Qiuxiang was a fabricated name; her true prototype was Li Duanduan.

Tang Bohu loved to paint beauties, and his reputation as a romantic scholar was well-established; his depiction of Li Duanduan was that of a quintessential beauty from the Tang Dynasty.

It was rumored that before the fall of the Qing Dynasty, ”Li Duanduan’s Registration Picture” had always been treasured in the Forbidden City and was later taken to Manchuria by the last Emperor Puyi. Afterwards, it was said to have been smuggled out of Manchuria and into exile overseas, eventually disappearing without a trace.

There were also claims that ”Li Duanduan’s Registration Picture” was actually stolen by a palace maid and that the painting Puyi took to Manchuria was not the genuine article.

These rumors could not be verified, but it is known that many ”Li Duanduan” paintings later appeared in the country, with even the Nanjing Museum keeping one, which finally was also confirmed to be a forgery.

So Huo Sining was quite surprised; she had not expected that these old men were actually looking at this legendary and controversial ”Li Duanduan’s Registration Picture”.

”Old Master Wu, there is a problem with this painting!”

At this moment, the middle-aged man, who looked like a refined scholar, suddenly spoke up.

As soon as he said this, everyone turned to look at the middle-aged man.

The old man with a worried expression on his face turned even paler upon hearing this, and swiftly lifted his head to glare angrily at the middle-aged man:

”What do you mean something’s wrong? Where is it wrong? I procured this painting from the Ghost Market more than twenty years ago; in all these years, I haven’t found anything wrong with it, so how come you have spotted a problem now? Speak up, then—what exactly is wrong with my painting?”

The others also nodded their heads, as at least they hadn’t discerned any issues with the painting, whether it be the craftsmanship or its age, nothing seemed like a replica.

”If I dare to say so, naturally I have proof! Although the fine brushwork of the painting is forceful and the paper also looks genuinely old, isn’t that a characteristic of all aged forgeries?”

As it appeared the rest had not identified the painting’s flaw, the middle-aged man’s lips slightly curled upwards, a disdainful glint flashing beneath his gold-rimmed glasses. He pointed to the red seal in the bottom right corner of the ancient painting and said:

”But look here at this seal, can you not see anything amiss?”