Reborn As Super Heiress

Although Zhu Qingming spoke only a few words, they were penetrating and his analysis was spot on. After listening, Huo Sining felt enlightened, as if suddenly made clear, and couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

Beside them, Liu Pengcheng was still a bit puzzled: ”Elder Zhu, according to what you said, this painting is a forgery. Then why does it bear Shen Zhou’s private seal? This doesn’t make sense.”

Zhu Qingming laughed and said, ”This is inseparable from Shen Zhou’s personality.”

”Shen Zhou’s personality?” Huo Sining and Liu Pengcheng were both very curious.

Zhu Qingming explained: ”Shen Zhou’s family has lived in seclusion for generations in Wumen. His great-grandfather was a good friend of Wang Meng, and his father was a student of Du Qiong. His calligraphy and painting skills are rooted in family tradition. For him, learning calligraphy and painting was as easy as boiling water or cooking for ordinary people.”

”This Shen Zhou was also an extremely interesting person. He recited poems, painted leisurely among forests and springs, pursued spiritual freedom, and despised the corrupt political reality. Hence, he never took the imperial examinations throughout his life and was always engaged in calligraphy and painting. Moreover, he had a wide circle of friends and was well regarded, always amiable and approachable.”

”Such an unpretentious and obliging master of calligraphy and painting was rare even in ancient times, let alone now. So back then, the number of people who sought Shen Zhou to paint was countless. He treated even the common folk equally.”

”What’s more, even when someone made a forgery of his work and asked him to inscribe and stamp it, he agreed, happily stamping it with his private seal.”

”That’s why there’s a lot of Shen Zhou’s counterfeit works in the market. Like your ’Bamboo Mountain Evening Rain Painting’, it’s no wonder the forgery has an authentic signature, although peculiar.”

Upon hearing this, Huo Sining couldn’t help but chuckle. Although Shen Zhou was an ancient person, his free-spirited ways were something not even modern people could match, truly fascinating.

Even Liu Pengcheng couldn’t help but exclaim: ”This person truly lived beyond the mundane, as if he were not of this world.”

Zhu Qingming also laughed: ”You’re indeed right. Even his disciple, one of the four masters of the Ming dynasty, Wen Zhengming, could only describe his teacher Shen Zhou with four words: ’a fairy among men.’”

”He’s really an extraordinary person. If one could meet someone like this in real life, life would certainly never be dull or boring.”

Huo Sining was truly captivated by Shen Zhou, but unfortunately, since he has long passed, she can only indulge in imagination.

However, after Director Zhu’s explanation, the mystery that troubled her for a week was finally solved. She had been searching for days but couldn’t find out the reason behind the forgery with an authentic seal. Unexpectedly, the reason was so simple.

After a bit of reevaluation and light conversation, Zhu Qingming’s mood improved significantly, dispersing the frustration he originally had. He smiled and looked at Huo Sining and asked: ”After talking so much, Huo girl, this old man can’t make a trip in vain. I have a presumptuous request, I wonder if it’s appropriate to say?”

Huo Sining immediately felt anxious and waved her hands: ”Please go ahead, whatever I can do, I surely won’t refuse!”

Zhu Qingming smiled and said: ”It’s nothing big, just that this forgery, although a counterfeit, has gained some interest because of the Zhu stamp. If it were Shen Zhou’s authentic work, I might not be able to afford it, but I can afford this forgery, so I wanted to ask, are you still selling this painting? If you are, I would like to buy it. I have paintings from the four great masters of the Ming, but something this interesting is indeed rare, I really like it.”

Upon hearing this, Huo Sining immediately laughed: ”What are you saying? This isn’t a presumptuous request at all. Since I could sell this painting to that Boss Kong, I can certainly sell it to you. Seeing that Boss Kong has already left, I presume he has already given up on this transaction. In that case, you can take this painting. I got this from Baofu Zhai for ten thousand yuan. If you like it, you can have it for ten thousand as well.”

Zhu Qingming sternly said: ”That’s too much, although this old man may not have much money, I can still afford the price of a forgery. Since you bought it for ten thousand yuan, it’s hardly appropriate for me to take advantage of this young girl. Otherwise, if this news spreads, where would I put my face? Next time, if I meet your master, wouldn’t he ridicule me to death?”

”I think this is appropriate: twenty thousand yuan, and I’ll take this painting. You, young girl, need not argue further. Running such a big shop, the costs for utilities and staff are no small matter. A painting like this, if I bought it at another shop, would likely cost more than twenty thousand yuan!”

Since Director Zhu had said as much, Huo Sining couldn’t very well refuse, so she consented with a nod.

The conversation here was indeed joyful, but things weren’t so good for Master Kong the Swindler, who rushed out in a flurry. Meanwhile, leaning back in his chair, Liang Ruicheng held the swapped guarantee letter, trembling with anger, unable to utter a single word.

As it turned out, after Master Kong was driven out of the store by Huo Sining, he hadn’t gone far when he bumped into Liang Ruicheng, who had come over with his people.

Liang Ruicheng had just invited a few bosses from Antique Street for tea and was about to accompany them to Jubao Pavilion. They were waiting for Master Kong to signal, then besiege the doors of Jubao Pavilion and together denounce it for selling fake goods and deceiving customers. Who knew before they even reached the place, they would see Master Kong the Swindler slinking out?

”What’s going on?! Why are you out so quickly? We agreed on a signal!”

When Liang Ruicheng saw the swindler running out, his face instantly darkened, and he grabbed the swindler’s clothes and coldly questioned.

The swindler, knowing he messed up, didn’t hide it and recounted the entire process, also handing the guarantee letter he brought out to Liang Ruicheng.

Seeing the additional words ”Zhu seal” on the guarantee letter, Liang Ruicheng exploded with anger, glaring coldly in the direction of Jubao Pavilion, crushing the guarantee letter in his palm, his gaze icy cold.

After dealing with those bosses, Liang Ruicheng planned to leave, but as he turned, he was grabbed by the sleeve by that swindler named Kong.

”Mr. Liang...” The swindler called, a bit guilty yet unwilling.

Liang Ruicheng was already fuming, and this swindler just couldn’t avoid charging right into the line of fire. Furious, Liang Ruicheng erupted: ”Such an obvious loophole, how the hell did you not see it when you signed? Is your brain caught in a door?!”

The swindler felt somewhat aggrieved: ”How could I have known that woman named Huo was so devious, to pull such a move? Moreover, she had long noticed the problem with the painting. Even if I was extra cautious, your strategy wouldn’t have worked on her. She was prepared from the start!”