1970s: Hot wife accompanies the army, cold-faced rough man is not easy to tease

Chapter 286 Departure (Updated)

"There should be no problem. Preliminary identification indicates that this is one of 200 copies of the 1820 Declaration of Independence."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunqing couldn't hold back any longer and stared straight at the appraiser: "Are you sure?"

"I personally think there's no problem," the appraiser said carefully.

Now everyone's attention returned to Lu Youyou. Song Yunqing asked, "Sister Lu, what do you think?"

“Mr. Kant, I would like to entrust this to Sotheby’s, is that alright?” Lu Youyou asked with a smile.

"of course can!"

The appraiser was very pleased; the quality of this job was definitely high.

The original version of the Declaration of Independence is in the archives, and this is the earliest version that has survived to this day. There are fewer than ten copies that are publicly available.

He dared to say that as long as this treasure was listed in the auction catalog, it would definitely be sought after by the market.

The rest was simple: with a lawyer present, Lu Youyou and Sotheby's signed the power of attorney.

The appraiser suggested the auction in May, but Lu Youyou couldn't wait that long and finally decided to make it at the "American Collections" auction next month.

After the two guests left, Song Yunqing gave Lu Youyou a good look.

"I've only ever heard of people finding treasures at flea markets, but the person who turns lead into gold is right next to me!"

She grabbed Lu Youyou's hand, reluctant to let go: "These are magical little hands, I have to touch them properly!"

After handing over the Declaration of Independence to Sotheby's, Lu Youyou put the matter out of her mind. Her primary task was always studying; she still hadn't read half of the books on the professor's reading list.

The owner didn't care, but Song Yunqing would ask about it every now and then, which made Song Heting curious.

Grandpa Song also heard that his granddaughter's Chinese roommate had made a great deal, and he also became quite interested in Lu Youyou.

Once, Song Yunqing was on the phone with her family, and her grandfather asked her to invite her roommates over to play. Song Yunqing readily agreed, as she had already made plans with Lu Youyou to go over during the holidays.

As expected, Sotheby's Americas sale at the end of the month made headlines.

Without revealing the seller's name, Sotheby's recreated the treasure hunt process, adding a touch of mystery to the item.

The final sale price was US$27.9, slightly higher than Sotheby's estimate.

Although the price will increase tenfold in another ten years, time is of the essence, and Lu Youyou is already very satisfied with getting more than 200,000 US dollars.

One weekend in March, Lu Youyou set off for Reading City, this time with Song Yunqing driving.

Lu Youyou didn't say what she was looking for, only that she had her eye on something in the photo, and Song Yunqing volunteered to be her driver.

The young lady sees money as dirt; she mainly enjoys the process of treasure hunting.

In her eyes, Lu Youyou was already a goddess who combined beauty, intelligence, and luck. Regardless of whether this trip would be fruitful or not, she would just go with her.

Lu Youyou wasn't worried. This wasn't the future; the market value of the animal heads hadn't been fully explored yet.

Moreover, Song Yunqing has an excellent family upbringing, and she grew up immersed in traditional Chinese culture. Lu Youyou is not afraid to reveal that she wants to bring the national treasure back to China.

It's only a three or four-hour drive from Stanford to Reading. Song Yunqing drove her beloved red Chevrolet pickup truck at breakneck speed toward her destination.

Few rich girls would like such a muscular pickup truck, but considering Song Yunqing's dyed red hair and her strong sense of style, Lu Youyou felt that it was to be expected.

"I haven't been to Reading yet. I looked it up before I left, and there's a volcano park there. If you don't find what you're looking for, you can stop by and visit it."

Lu Youyou nodded in agreement. She didn't know if her good luck would continue, but she hoped the garden and the three animal heads were still there. Reading was a small city with a population of less than 10. The city was quite quiet, and the two of them found the garden in the photo and the fishing tackle shop that Jack had mentioned across the street in no time.

Song Yunqing looked at the map and photos several times: "This should be the place, right?"

Lu Youyou got out of the car and walked a few steps toward the garden gate.

This is a private residence with a three-story building in the yard. The house is smaller than the garden on the first floor, which is just as beautiful as Jack described.

The flowers, shrubs, and trees have all been carefully designed and pruned. It's springtime, and the various flowers in the garden are already vying for attention.

Lu Youyou felt relieved.

If someone is taking care of it, it means someone lives here. She's afraid of seeing a deserted garden where she won't know who to ask for things.

"Can you see it? Is what you're looking for still there?"

Song Yunqing tiptoed to look into the courtyard, but unfortunately the vegetation at the bottom was too dense, and she couldn't see anything through the fence.

Lu Youyou looked down at the photo. It was taken from the direction of the house gate. The gate was on the side, facing the roadside, and their view was almost completely blocked from where they were standing.

"If I can't see it, I'll just knock on the door."

The doorbell and mailbox were right next to each other by the gate. Lu Youyou pressed the doorbell twice, waited for more than ten seconds without anyone answering, and then pressed it twice more.

This time, after waiting for a minute, no one answered.

"Is nobody home?" Song Yunqing muttered, peeking out.

Just then, a deep, resonant voice came from across the street.

"Young lady, Ms. Fonda has gone out. Are you here to see her? You may have to wait a while."

An old man with a pipe was sitting in a rocking chair in front of the fishing tackle shop, basking in the sun. He was the one who had just spoken.

Song Yunqing ran over with a smile and greeted the old man in a very familiar manner.

"Hello sir, how long do you expect Ms. Fonda to be back?"

"Half an hour? She went to the market to buy things. If you're not in a hurry, you can sit in the coffee shop next door. She should be back soon."

The old man casually helped his neighbor find two new customers.

Next door was an Italian casual dining restaurant that served coffee, pasta, and pizza. Before Lu Youyou and her companion even entered, the owner had already heard them and came out to greet them.

This was a plump middle-aged woman who spoke with a strong Italian accent. She warmly invited the two of them to sit down.

"Our espresso and cappuccino are both delicious, as are our Roman-style spicy tomato pork cheek pasta. Our pizza is also quite good. Would you like to try some?"

Song Yunqing is an Italian food enthusiast. Besides Chinese food, she loves Italian cuisine the most. That pig's face pasta sounds delicious!

She swallowed hard, looking at Lu Youyou with expectant eyes. She was just accompanying a guest; business was more important. She could put off her cravings for now.

"Eat whatever you want, this will solve lunch." Lu Youyou chuckled. "Boss, two coffees, one Margherita pizza and one pig's face pasta."

"Okay, just a moment, it will be ready soon."

At this moment, the old man next door spoke up again.

"Adelina's cooking is excellent, buon appetito!"

He even managed to say a few words in Italian, but it was far worse than the landlady's English, and Song Yunqing almost burst out laughing.