In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

This painting may be small, but the key is that it's a collaboration between two people! It's rare! It's just that the timing was too coincidental. It was just hung up on the second floor in the afternoon, and Zhu'er discovered it that evening. Otherwise, it would have been safer to hang it up for a few weeks until the ink and seal dried a bit.

Teacher Chen went outside and made two phone calls. The other party didn't believe it at all when they heard that a painting suspected to be Tang Bohu's original work, "The Divine Bird and Phoenix".

The Hong Kong movie "Flirting Scholar" has been showing for decades; who among the older generation doesn't know it? The "Divine Bird Phoenix Picture" was originally a fictional creation in the movie!

However, the person opposite him was Chen Tanqiu, an expert from the Jinling Museum, an old friend whom everyone knew. Old Chen couldn't possibly be talking nonsense.

In the end, during both phone calls, the other party, who had initially said "absolutely impossible," hesitated for only 3 seconds before deciding to go!

If it's a fake, consider it a waste of time to see an old friend; but if it's genuine, you'll regret missing it.

It takes just over two hours to fly from Beijing to Nanjing, and another two hours to drive from Suzhou.

"Is everyone in such a hurry? It's so late, don't teachers have to work tomorrow?"

"Hehe, you little rascal, you don't know how lucky you are. If this news gets out, the director of our Jinling Museum will have to come here in person overnight."

"Then why didn't you inform the dean immediately? Aren't you afraid the dean will make things difficult for you?"

Pearl reminded her teacher at the right time, after all, this teacher was intelligent but lacked emotional intelligence, otherwise she would have been promoted to director of the restoration center long ago.

"The key is that it's not fully confirmed yet. What if it's not genuine, and we've made a blunder, causing the dean to make a wasted trip? Wouldn't that draw even more criticism?"

"Teacher, I don't think so. How can such a grand event be held without the Dean's participation? He'll resent you for the rest of his life."

"What Pearl says makes sense. There are still more than two hours left. We're going to be waiting anyway, so why not inform the director and let him decide whether to come or not?"

Chen Tanqiu nodded: "Okay, let's do it this way!"

......

"What! Where? Wait here!"

......

The direction of the painting's authentication and sale has deviated significantly from Song Xiaoyi's expectations.

The biggest flaw is that the ink and inkpad are too fresh. But strangely, the paper looks quite old.

Sigh, might as well go all the way and take a gamble.

"Teacher Chen, since we're just killing time anyway, there are two more 'Divine Bird and Phoenix' paintings over there. Could you take a look at them?"

"What?! There are two more?" Chen Tanqiu was so angry he wanted to curse. I made the call, and you're telling me there are two more? The probability of this being a fake is too high!

"I didn't say it was just this one, did I?" Seeing that Teacher Chen's expression was a bit bad, Song Xiaoyi didn't dare to say more. He stepped forward, moved No. 1 away, and took down No. 2 and No. 3 hanging on the wall, laying them side by side flat, indicating to Teacher Chen to take a look.

Chen Tanqiu glanced at them and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they didn't seem to be fakes. The three paintings had a unified style and seemed to be part of a series, but the hen and the five chicks in the third painting were slightly out of sync and looked rather strange.

"Teacher Chen, how are you?"

"It doesn't seem like a fake; it looks like part of a series! If it really is part of a series, its research and collection value will increase significantly!"

......

"Teacher, it's so late, how about we book a few rooms for you at the guesthouse up ahead?"

"No need, no need, two hours is enough. They'll be here soon. Once they arrive and confirm the painting's authenticity, they'll definitely take it back overnight."

Well, there's nothing Song Xiaoyi can do. Things have come to this point, and they probably won't give up until they get a result. Even Song Xiaoyi is unwilling to accept this.

Seeing that Song Xiaoyi was trembling with excitement, Zhu'er stepped forward and teased him, "Brother Xiaoyi, don't be nervous or excited."

Am I nervous? Am I excited? Or am I scared?!

But actually, Pearl herself was also very excited. She was the first to discover it; she was the first person to discover Tang Bohu's authentic work.

"Of course I'm nervous. After all this trouble all night, if it turns out to be a false alarm, wouldn't I be furious?"

"What if it's true?"

"If it's true, then I'll have the money to marry you."

Flicking the beads can help ease your tension and fear.

"Brother Xiao Yi~"

"Haha, good job, young man. Your teacher supports you. Zhu'er is a good girl, don't miss out."

"Don't worry, Teacher Chen. Zhu'er is my childhood sweetheart, and Xiao Yi won't let her go."

This was tantamount to a confession. This time, Zhu'er happily grabbed Song Xiaoyi's arm, saying, "Hmph, you said it yourself, I've got you!"

"Your change of heart is a bit too fast. I haven't completely decided yet!"

"..."

"Teacher, there are still more than two hours left. We're just waiting here anyway. Why don't we go to Zhu'er's house to rest for a while? When they arrive, they'll definitely be at that parking lot, so we can pick them up together and then come over."

"Yes, that works too."

It wasn't too late yet, and there were still a few tourists at Taoye Ferry. Zhu Zhuer took Teacher Chen out to stroll around Taoye Ferry, and Song Xiaoyi finally had a chance to find an excuse to leave the group and rush up to the attic, where he found a hairdryer.

I carefully went downstairs, opened the frame, took out the Xuan paper, and blew on it! Blow it dry! Even if I can't make it look like it's from the Western Zhou Dynasty, making it look like it's from last week would be better than today's, right?

After blowing for about fifteen minutes, seeing that the ink on the Xuan paper had dried, I took out Zhu Zhishan's cursive manuscript "Ghostly Strokes" and continued blowing. This one looked like it was from last week, but I managed to blow it into the one from the week before last.

This seemingly unintentional act of blowing the Xuan paper with a hairdryer actually damaged the artwork. However, by a twist of fate, this damage became a natural protective layer against weathering.

Having finished drawing the draft, Song Xiaoyi went up to the attic storage room, casually placed the cursive "ghostly scribbles" frame among a pile of miscellaneous items, went downstairs to lock the door, and went out to find Zhu'er and Teacher Chen.

Song Xiaoyi felt like he was walking on cotton all the way, and he couldn't help but be excited. Even if the "Divine Bird and Phoenix Painting" sold for a few million, he would have enough money to open a shop and get married!

The ups and downs of my life feel like a dream, and it feels so unreal.

Song Xiaoyi took out his phone and repeatedly compared the pictures of Tang Bohu and Zhu Zhishan's seals with the pictures on the painting. They were indeed exactly the same, and he confirmed it once again.

However, Song Xiaoyi was absolutely certain of one thing: there was no historical record of the "Divine Bird Phoenix Picture". It was just a sudden idea that came to him on a whim. He never thought that those two gluttons would actually create a "Divine Bird Phoenix Picture" and then go around wholesaling it.

"If we really make money from this, I'll cover all your instant noodles and alcohol from now on, plus ham sausages and eggs. I'll even give you two eggs each time!"

Song Xiaoyi pondered and let his mind wander, but after searching around without finding anyone, he finally returned to Zhu'er's small supermarket.

"Auntie, you're still awake?"

"Xiao Yi, Zhu'er went to help you clean the restaurant. What are you two up to now? Why are you being so secretive? You even invited Professor Chen?"

"Sigh, it's that signboard of our house. Grandpa used to always say it was written by a great ancient writer, but we didn't believe it. Zhu'er asked her teacher to take a look."

"Oh, that old signboard of your Song family!" Auntie exclaimed in surprise. "I heard your grandfather mention it years ago, that it was the work of some famous artist. You can keep working on it as you please."

"Brother Xiao Yi, where have you been? It took you so long to get here."

"I looked up information about Tang Bohu, Zhu Zhishan, and Wen Zhengming on the computer, but I couldn't find you."

……