Chapter 142: Ru Qiulan
Fifth Master Fan squinted at him, “You think it’s expensive already? This is nothing, you haven’t seen the real treasures yet. Those things cost tens of thousands, even over a hundred thousand silver dollars. That’s what you call truly precious.”
“If you think it’s expensive, that’s fine too. I can find you some cheaper ones, but compared to the blue and white porcelain from the imperial kilns of Ming Yongle in Jingdezhen, those will be of a lower caliber.”
“Who do you think you are looking down on? It’s just nine thousand silver dollars, I’ll buy it!”
From what he knew of Fifth Master Fan, he would absolutely not cheat him.
Setting aside friendship, just considering his status, would Fifth Master Fan dare to cheat him?
If he cheated him, wouldn’t he be afraid of retaliation?
His relationship with the little devils could be found out with a simple inquiry.
Since Fifth Master Fan wouldn’t cheat him, this item should definitely be bought. After all, the more expensive it is, the better it must be!
Good things should not be buried, nor should they be allowed to flow overseas!
With the prodigal brats in the Ruizi Mansion, once Old Ru Beile passes away, who knows where the treasures of the Ruizi Mansion will end up?
It’s highly likely that over half of them will end up overseas!
These are all treasures of China, how can they be allowed to flow to foreign lands?!
Before transmigration, he had watched an animated film called 《 Escape from the British Museum 》.
The film tells the story of Chinese cultural relics, which had ended up in the British Museum over a hundred years ago, awakening on the eve of the Spring Festival. Missing their homeland, they escaped from the British Museum and finally returned home for the New Year.
Although this was just an animation, and although those antiques were merely inanimate objects, Cao Weida watched it with tears in his eyes. He could deeply feel the moving sentiment of cultural heritage in the movie.
If he didn’t have the ability, it would be one thing, but now that he did, he naturally wouldn’t stand idly by.
Speaking of 《 Escape from the British Museum 》, a figure surfaced in Cao Weida’s mind—Lord Lu.
Lord Lu was a title of respect for another person; his real name was Lu Dewei Xi, a German antique dealer who had been active in China’s Liulichang for many years.
Lu Dewei Xi was an expert on China and could speak fluent Chinese. He was well-versed in the tricks of the antique trade and could always see through the small ploys of the antique merchants in Liulichang when dealing with them.
Lu Dewei Xi was intent on acquiring precious Chinese cultural relics. In the plot, in order to obtain the 《 Buddhist Procession of Life 》 statue from the Longmen Grottoes, he did not hesitate to use enormous sums of money to tempt Suo Ba and Wang Cai to help him acquire the statue.
This guy was ruthless and black-hearted, having done many bad deeds. He was also incredibly cunning; even without a hint, he was smarter than a monkey.
There were many such foreign antique dealers in China. During the period of war, countless good items were taken abroad by these black-hearted individuals.
“I remember in the original story, Lu Dewei Xi returned to China before the Liberation,” Cao Weida stroked his chin. This scoundrel had taken away many treasures. If he were allowed to escape, it would be a great loss for China.
As he was contemplating, Fifth Master Fan beside him said with a chuckle, “Just hearing you say that is enough. I’m telling you, you won’t lose money buying it; it’ll bring you prestige wherever you put it!”
“If you’re free today, shall we go after we eat? What do you think?”
“Of course. Since you’ve spoken, even if I had something else, I’d have to decline. I’ll listen to you, Fifth Master.”
These words gave Fifth Master Fan a lot of face, making him so happy that his facial wrinkles seemed to multiply.
After they finished eating, Cao Weida voluntarily paid the money, and Fifth Master Fan did not object.
They hailed a rickshaw, and the two headed towards the Beile Mansion, chatting and laughing.
They got out of the rickshaw in front of the Ruizi Mansion, and Cao Weida looked up.
The prestigious Ruizi Mansion of the Beile was naturally very grand, with two stone lions standing guard at the entrance. However, it was a shame that the stone bead in the mouth of the right stone lion had disappeared at some point.
During the Manchu Qing dynasty, the main gate of a Beile Mansion was a symbol of status and etiquette. It was usually kept closed except for major ceremonies like imperial edicts or weddings. People typically entered and exited through side or corner gates to signify hierarchy.
But now it was 1944, 32 years after the fall of the Manchu Qing dynasty. Beiping had gone through upheavals such as warlord conflicts and Japanese occupation, and the circumstances of the remaining nobles were vastly different from before.
Many Beile Mansions, due to depleting their wealth, had either sold off properties or rented out courtyards, damaging the integrity of the residences. Whether the main gate was closed was no longer the primary consideration.
Although the Ruizi Mansion had not reached a state of complete downfall due to Old Ru Beile, its status was no longer what it used to be.
Therefore, the main gate of the Ruizi Mansion was also wide open, with two servants now guarding it.
“Although my Fan Wu family’s residence was not as grand as the Ruizi Mansion in the past, we were once of noble status. But now, we can’t compare,” said Fifth Master Fan with a sigh, glancing at the main gate of the courtyard house. He then stepped forward boldly and said:
“Go, inform Ruizi Ye that Fifth Master is here with a distinguished guest to visit Old Master Rui!”
The guards at the gate clearly recognized Fifth Master Fan, as he had only left not long ago. Politely saying ‘Please wait,’ one of them hurried into the courtyard to deliver the message.
Not long after, a butler arrived and, with respectful deference, personally led the two into the Ruizi Mansion.
Shortly thereafter, a trembling old man, supported by two servants, arrived in the reception hall.
“Greetings, Ruizi Ye!” Fifth Master Fan bowed respectfully.
Cao Weida was more concise, cupping his hands, “Old Master Rui, I’ve come uninvited, apologies for the intrusion.”
“It’s you, young man Fan Wu. Greetings to you too.” Old Master Rui nodded with a smile at Fifth Master Fan, then shifted his gaze to Cao Weida.
“You must be Sergeant Cao, Cao Weida. A pleasure, a pleasure.”
“You are too kind, Old Master Rui.”
As they were speaking, several people entered from outside. Behind them, a woman carrying tea caught Cao Weida’s eye.
The newcomer was exquisitely beautiful, with a pair of bright, lively eyes that seemed to convey a wealth of emotion.
She wore an intricately styled Qipao with fashionable hair ornaments, and a silk Qipao.
She was petite, with a graceful figure, exuding an elegant aura cultivated in a noble family from head to toe, her every movement showing dignity and grace.
This must be Ru Qiulan, he thought.
Her appearance was naturally beyond words; she bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Feng Laizi but was no less beautiful, a stunner of the same caliber.
While beautiful women were considered a scarce resource, with a large enough population, there were still many. However, temperament was something not everyone possessed; it had to be cultivated from childhood.
Clearly, Ru Qiulan, born into a prominent family, had been influenced by her family since childhood, and her unique aura was very eye-catching.
Fortunately, Cao Weida wasn’t the kind of lecher who lost his footing upon seeing a beautiful woman. After appreciating her for a few moments, he took the tea, offered his thanks, smiled politely, and averted his gaze.
His composure was not lost on Old Ru Beile, who nodded with satisfaction. He intended to find a future reliance for his second son’s wife, not a rake.
Of course, his intention to find a reliance for his second son’s wife also had other considerations.
“Sergeant Cao…”
“Ruizi Ye, Master Cao is now a Patrol Officer. I only found out when I was chatting with him just now,” Fifth Master Fan reminded him from the side.
“Oh, you’ve been promoted? Congratulations, congratulations.” Old Ru Beile’s eyes lit up. The higher Cao Weida’s status, the more satisfied he naturally felt.
“Ah, what Patrol Officer and what not. It’s just a job that requires listening. You can call me Cao’er or Cao Weida, either is fine.”
“Hahaha, alright then, I’ll use my seniority and call you Cao’er.” Old Ru Beile laughed heartily and introduced,
“Cao’er, let me introduce you to my eldest son and his wife.”
Upon seeing the eldest daughter-in-law, Cao Weida almost blurted out Jia Zhangshi.
But he immediately stopped himself. If he had called her that, it would have been awkward.
It wasn’t his fault, really. The eldest daughter-in-law bore a resemblance to Jia Zhangshi.
It was fortunate that this was a world of combined fictional universes, where the appearance of characters differed somewhat from that of actors. Otherwise, who knows how many blunders would have occurred.
Cao Weida nodded politely and greeted them. These two were not to be trifled with. As soon as Old Ru Beile died, they had kicked Ru Qiulan out, not even letting her take a needle.
Cao Weida had no intention of having any dealings with people like that.
Hmm?
Wait, could Old Ru Beile be having some intentions?
He secretly pondered, looking at Old Ru Beile, but he couldn’t discern anything.
The eldest son and his wife quickly returned the greeting. They had heard Fifth Master Fan’s words. To have become a Patrol Officer at such a young age, it would be a ghost if there wasn’t some connection behind it.
In the past, their family was noble, and they naturally knew that people with power and influence could absolutely not be offended. Although they appeared prosperous now, if they offended the powerful, they might end up in a miserable predicament.
It’s just that, with the eldest daughter-in-law’s rather plump physique, and her Manchu-style etiquette, the way she flicked her handkerchief was rather an eyesore.
“The one who poured tea for you is my second daughter-in-law, who has been a widow for many years. She came to the mansion at the age of eleven and has been here for ten years now. Poor girl.”
Cao Weida thought, as expected, it was Ru Qiulan. “Greetings, Second Madam Rui.”
Ru Qiulan curtsied lightly. Compared to the unsightly bow of the eldest daughter-in-law, who was like a fat pig, Second Madam Ru Qiulan’s gesture was much more pleasing to the eye.
He couldn’t help but look at her again. This was a noble figure he hadn’t even been qualified to look at before.
Ru Qiulan blushed slightly at being stared at and instinctively shifted her body. Unbeknownst to her, her movement allowed Cao Weida to admire her curvaceous figure completely.
Old Ru Beile’s gaze flickered, and he waved his hand, “Alright, you’ve all paid your respects. You may all leave now.”
“Yes~~”
Seeing Ru Qiulan leave, Cao Weida felt a pang of reluctance. He had married two concubines, but none of them possessed that noble aura.
As men, who wouldn’t appreciate that?
This era pursued concepts like progressive women and independent women, which were good, but ultimately, something was lacking in their temperament.
After they all left, Fifth Master Fan, who was focused on making money, broke the silence and said, “Ruizi Ye, I’ve brought Master Cao here today to admire your treasures. If you’re able now, would you take them out and broaden our horizons?”
