Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!

Chapter 263: Chapter 263: A Moment’s Difference_1

Zhulan turned her head to see Chang Zhi light a candle and bring it close to take a look, ”What’s wrong?”

Chang Lian glared at Chang Zhi, ”Hold the candle steady; don’t let the wax drip and ruin the calligraphy and painting.”

Chang Zhi carefully moved away, ”Brother, why do I feel that this piece of calligraphy and painting is fake?”

Chang Lian, ”.....”

He really hadn’t noticed. He knew their father had a knack for identifying authentic pieces, and he had hoped to possess it too. For this, he even visited antique shops, but to him, everything seemed genuine until he finally gave up, admitting he did not have this gift and envying his younger brother. It looked like Chang Zhi had the knack and took after their father!

Zhulan looked at the calligraphy and painting, ”Why do you think it is fake?”

Chang Zhi scratched his head, ”Mother, I have seen Mr. Xi Heng’s authentic works, and I have copied them. When Mr. Xi Heng creates his strokes, he uses a lot of pressure, but upon close inspection, the strokes in this piece don’t carry enough force. Although it imitates very well, it’s not Mr. Xi Heng’s habit, so I guess it’s a fake.”

Chang Lian was stunned. He and Chang Zhi had studied together, learned together; how had he not known this kid had copied the real thing, ”Where did you get these authentic samples?”

Chang Zhi exclaimed, ”Didn’t I tell you?”

Chang Lian felt choked up, ”.... What do you think!”

Chang Zhi laughed dryly, ”Maybe I was too excited and forgot to tell you, cough, that copy was lent to me by brother Chang An, just for two days.”

Meaning, I was too busy copying and studying it before I had to give it back, so it was forgivable that I forgot.

Zhulan wasn’t surprised to hear about Chang An. As the eldest son of the Zheng family and the grandchild of Master Zheng, it wasn’t odd for Chang An to have an authentic piece. But looking at the calligraphy and painting made her feel a bit disappointed; it was fake after all. The Qian family probably didn’t know; had they known, they wouldn’t have given it.

Chang Lian lamented, ”If it’s a fake, then it’s worthless!”

If it were genuine, even though it was only from a calligrapher of a previous dynasty, it would still be worth quite a sum of silver!

Chang Zhi glared, ”How vulgar, always thinking about silver coin.”

”Heh, without silver, what will you use for food and drink? Without silver, can you afford to use good ink and paper?”

Chang Zhi confidently said, ”I have our father and mother.”

Chang Lian, ”......”

Zhulan, ”......”

Heh, Zhulan felt even more sympathy for her future daughter-in-law. Whichever girl she took a liking to truly had bad luck ahead!

When Zhou Shuren returned, he found the three family members silent, with Zhulan wearing an indescribable expression.

Zhou Shuren laughed, ”What’s going on here? Which act are you performing?”

Zhulan, tired at heart, waved her hand, ”Let Chang Lian tell you.”

Chang Lian, choked up by his annoying brother, said, ”Father, better let Chang Zhi repeat it for you; I’ll go back to my room now.”

Chang Zhi, ”.....”

No, he didn’t want to repeat it; he wasn’t stupid. He had always known how fearsome their father could be, and he wasn’t like his big brother who was truly a simpleton!

Zhou Shuren sat down, and Chang Zhi immediately came forward to pour tea, ”Father, have some tea.”

Zhou Shuren, ”....”

Feeling somewhat taken aback, he carefully recalled that since his arrival, this was the first time Chang Zhi had offered him tea; what a rare occasion!

After pouring the tea and seeing that his father’s expression was normal, he thought his father must be in a good mood. He then recounted what had happened, but dared not repeat the last sentence he had thrown at Chang Lian.

Zhulan’s eyes gleamed with amusement; this youngster disliked restraint and acted according to his heart, but if anyone really considered him a fool to be deceived, they would surely be the ones to suffer in the end.

Zhou Shuren knew Chang Zhi hadn’t told the entire story, focusing more on the calligraphy and painting, ”How big is the difference between this painting and the authentic one?”

Chang Zhi, as if his father had asked the right person, pointed at the painting, ”The difference isn’t big; I only noticed after careful examination that the pressure used is different. This has nothing to do with the ink bleeding; it all depends on the pressure. I could find it because I’ve been copying it non-stop and it didn’t look right, then I realized the pressure on the dots was off. Mr. Xi Heng’s writing has a sharpness to it; the pressure is very important.”

Zhou Shuren narrowed his eyes, ”So this piece of calligraphy and painting can easily be mistaken for the real thing?”

Chang Zhi nodded, ”Father, Mr. Xi Heng’s calligraphy isn’t exactly popular with the masses; they find it too flamboyant. There aren’t many who practice it, and it’s even harder for a copy to be the real thing, making the true and false even less discernible. Actually, if you ignore the strength of the brushstrokes, this painting is enough to pass off as the real deal.”

Zhou Shuren laughed, ”Good, good, creating confusion with a fake is great!”

Chang Zhi was a bit confused, ”Father, is Mr. Xi Heng’s work valuable?”

”Why do you ask?”

”If it isn’t valuable, why do you say good? Weren’t you planning to sell it as if it were genuine?”

Zhou Shuren rolled up the painting, ”Your father has his uses for it, that’s enough, you should go out too.”

Chang Zhi, ”Oh.”

After Chang Zhi had left, Zhulan asked, ”Are you planning to enter the competition with an antique instead?”

Zhou Shuren nodded, ”I’ve been visiting antique shops these past two days and feel that the Jade Bracelet isn’t particularly reliable. I’ve encountered quite a few experts on ancient jade just today. It was sheer luck that I stumbled upon a bargain last time. This painting arrives just in time. Still, I’m going to have the shopkeeper take a good look at it, and by the way, get an appraisal of its value. Right, where did this painting come from?”

Zhulan replied, ”It’s a reciprocal gift from the Qian family. Coincidentally, the gift Mr. Jiang returned was from the Yun family. As the steward who oversees gifts, he knows about our family’s marital ties with Mr. Jiang, so the return gift was generous.”

Zhou Shuren was moved, ”This is also because you have a kind heart. If you hadn’t brought out some decorations, there wouldn’t have been a painting to return the favor. Luck is indeed a strange thing!”

Zhulan smiled, ”Yes, I find it quite magical too. It shows how a single thought can change many things.”

Having acquired the painting, Zhou Shuren was delighted and carefully put it away. Smelling the aroma, he grew hungry, ”Lady Li’s stewed lamb smells so good. It’s a pity we don’t have any shepherd’s purse at home, otherwise, we could’ve had lamb spine hotpot.”

Zhou Shuren’s words made Zhulan crave it too, ”We may not have shepherd’s purse, but we have radishes, cabbage, and potatoes, which are all good too. I’ll go tell Lady Li right away.”

”Good, and warm up a pot of wine while you’re at it.”

”Understood.”

That evening, the Zhou family had lamb spine hotpot. Unfortunately, they had run out of wood ear mushrooms, which would have added more variety to the side dishes. Although the side dishes were simple, everyone ate heartily, devouring fifteen pounds of lamb, bone and meat, along with a pot of side dishes and noodles before they were barely full.

Lamb is excellent for nourishing the body; everyone’s faces were flushed from the hearty meal.

Elder Brother Zhou exclaimed, ”Even the life of immortals couldn’t be better than this.”

Chang Zhi, ”That’s because Big Brother has seen too little.”

Elder Brother Zhou, ”....It’s a figure of speech. Do you know what a figure of speech is? I was just making a comparison.”

Chang Zhi, ”Oh.”

Elder Brother Zhou, ”.....”

Conversing with a younger brother always leaves one stifled, and you’re bound to lose if you take it seriously. Frustrating, indeed!

Zhou Shuren, now full and done with cleaning up the table, spoke indifferently, seeing too many annoying things, ”You’ve all eaten and drunk your fill, yet you’re not going to your own rooms. What, do you want to chat with me?”

Second Brother Zhou cast a reproachful look at his elder brother, ”Big Brother, if you have something to say, just say it. You’ve made us wait for so long.”

Chang Lian, ”It looks like Big Brother has nothing to say.”

Second Brother Zhou, ”Then let’s go back too!”

Elder Brother Zhou, ”.....”

They’re in cahoots to make a fool of me! Not hearing Chang Zhi’s voice felt somewhat touching, but upon a quick glance around the hall, he noticed that Zhou Changzhi had already left! This is what his younger brothers were like!

Elder Brother Zhou snorted, pushed aside two troublesome brothers, stepped out the door, and as soon as he crossed the threshold, he started to run!

Second Brother Zhou, ”....”

Chang Lian, ”.....”

It turned out they were the real fools!