Siheyuan's Journey Through the Ages

Chapter 53 The unfolding plot

Ma Qing continued, "Most of the fake antiques are not beautiful at all, and they even have many flaws. People who can make beautiful things don't need to make fakes. They can be recognized by society and gain social status. Why bother to make fakes? I can see the fakes made by a group of losers. Even if I can't see it, I will treat the ones I think are beautiful as real ones and buy them."

"Absolute beauty, there really is such a thing." Uncle Niu seemed a little shocked. He had been dealing with antiques all his life, learning this and that, but a doll told him that antiques can be identified simply by their beauty. However, it didn't sound like there was anything wrong with it.

Ma Qing was secretly happy in his heart. He was not going to fool you two old bastards to death. "Name a price. If it's suitable, I'll take it away."

"Four pieces for 500 yuan, take them." Uncle Niu returned to his true colors.

"200 yuan, please don't ask for such an unrealistic price. It's late autumn now, and the price of grain has dropped. In the past three years, everyone has had a hard time, and the money in their hands has been spent. In short, money has become more valuable."

Pianerye said anxiously, "This is Huang Tingjian's calligraphy, and this is a Northern Song Dynasty Ru kiln celadon basin, they are both top-notch masterpieces."

"Okay then, I don't want this Northern Song Dynasty Ru Kiln celadon basin anymore. It's 180 yuan. Can you sell it to me? If not, I'll leave. I only have about 200 yuan on me, and I don't have any more." Ma Qing said shamelessly.

The two looked at each other and felt that there was no point in saying more, so they sold all four items to Ma Qing for 200 yuan, proving once again that this Northern Song Dynasty Ru Kiln celadon basin was a fake. However, Ma Qing did not feel like he was at a loss. This was Huang Tingjian's calligraphy, which could even out the accounts. Why not get a beautiful fake for free?

Ma Qing hummed a tune and rode his bicycle back home. On the way, he threw the antiques he bought into the space and asked his housekeeper to arrange them.

As soon as Ma Qing entered the front yard, he heard the commotion in the middle yard. The third uncle also appeared in front of Ma Qing at the right time.

"Uncle San, what happened? Why is the Central Court so busy?"

"Oh, Qin Huairu has been discharged from the hospital. He Yuzhu found a cart to bring her back. Everyone is helping. This time, Qin Huairu gave birth to another girl, named Huaihua."

"It's already autumn, and it's called Sophora japonica?"

"This is the name Jia Dongxu took before he died. Isn't Beijing full of locust flowers in May? Alas, the Jia family has had a hard time. Jia Dongxu fell ill after the New Year. Who would have thought that he would die in just three months? I didn't expect acute leukemia to be so severe and life-threatening."

"Third Uncle, is there any pension for this death due to illness? If there is a pension, like mine, each child can get 20% of the salary, and the Jia family can still live a decent life."

"He died of illness, not work-related injury, so where would the pension come from? If it was a work-related injury, the three children would each get 20% and his mother would get 30%, which would basically have no impact. But he died of illness, so there is only death allowance and union consolation money, but no pension. But fortunately, the uncle helped Qin Huairu take Jia Dongxu's place and become a formal employee of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. This is the Red Star Factory. If she learns skills from the uncle, gets promoted and her salary increases, the Jia family will be able to recover in a few years."

Ma Qing sighed in his heart, there is still room for salary increase after the grade evaluation. After 62, the country locked the salary for 17 years. Qin Huairu's yuan will probably be used up during the reform and opening up. The plot of the Siheyuan should officially begin.

"It seems that our courtyard is in bad luck this year. I heard that Brother Jie Cheng is going to get married, which is a happy event and can bring good luck to our courtyard." Ma Qing didn't know whether Yan Jie Cheng had a girlfriend or not, but according to the plot, it should be soon. "

"Who told you that? How come I don't know? Jie Cheng just found a job, not a regular employee yet, how can he get married?" The third uncle was very surprised and asked. "Oh, you don't know? Maybe I saw it wrong. I saw Jie Cheng and a woman walking on the street, talking and laughing. I said too much, third uncle, don't you think I didn't say anything?" Ma Qing was sweating, thinking that Yu Li hadn't appeared yet, and he ran away quickly.

Ma Qing returned home, took 8 eggs, prepared 5 yuan, and went to Jia's house.

The Jia family's residence was quite lively at that time. The first uncle, the first aunt, the second aunt, the third aunt, He Yuzhu and other neighbors in the compound were all there, as well as some people Ma Qing did not know, probably Qin Huairu's family members or friends. Ma Qing took the things and money and handed them to the aunt of the Jia family. This woman who lost her husband in middle age and her son in old age still had her hair combed meticulously, but the bitter expression on her face could not be concealed. Ma Qing did not know how to comfort this neighbor. He came here just to fulfill his obligations as a neighbor.

"Aunt Jia, this is just a small token of my congratulations on the birth of your baby."

"Thank you, Ma Qing. You are a thoughtful child. I thank you on behalf of Dongxu."

"Don't say that. I grew up in this yard, thanks to the care of my neighbors. Brother Dongxu also took good care of me in the past." What else could Ma Qing say.

Ma Qing quickly ended this interpersonal conversation, which he was not good at, and went to greet Qin Huairu, who was lying in bed for confinement. Maybe it was because of what happened in the past year, or maybe it was because she had just given birth and consumed a lot of energy, Qin Huairu really had a more pitiful and charming charm.

Unfortunately, the room was filled with the stuffy smell of sweat and milk, and Ma Qing could not feel any feminine charm at all. He held his breath, praised the beautiful Xiao Huaihua lying next to Qin Huairu, and hurriedly ended this hypocritical visit after telling Qin Huairu to take care of herself.

Ma Qing left the Jia family and found that several men in the courtyard were sitting in a circle under the eaves of the Jia family, smoking and chatting. As a descendant of the Chinese melon-eating nation, Ma Qing had 8424 watermelon juice flowing in his veins. He walked over involuntarily and joined the chatting group.

"Silly Zhu, now is your chance. You see the Jia family is now an orphan and a widow, and you can't find a wife anyway, so why don't you two just get along? You help the Jia family raise the child, and you get a wife for free, isn't that a great thing?"

Of course, the person who said this was the ruffian Xu Damao. It's strange to say, Xu Damao is quite normal when facing other people, but as long as it has something to do with He Yuzhu, his brain will be overloaded and hot.

"Go to hell with you. I, He Yuzhu, must marry a beautiful virgin girl. And you say that I can't find a wife. What about you? Where is your wife? You are only two years younger than me, and you are so proud of yourself." He Yuzhu fought back.

"Fuck you, I will find my wife this year and show her to you. You and I are different. Bro, I am much more popular with women than you." What the First Blood Master Xu Damao said was true.

"Everyone can brag. If you marry the village woman you hooked up with during the movie screening, then I'll have nothing to say. You win." He Yuzhu used his ultimate move.

"Bullshit, when did I hook up with a village woman? Did you see it, you old man? Look at what Shazhu said, isn't he trying to harm me?" Xu Damao was scared. If he had this reputation on his head, he would never be able to marry a wife.

"Zhu Zi, stop talking nonsense. You can't just talk nonsense about this. If you hurt each other like this, you won't want to get married."

(End of this chapter)