I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

As soon as Zhou Weiguo and Zhuzi stepped into the house, they saw Natasha and He Yushui sneaking around the window, having been observing them for who knows how long.

Sure enough, women are born to love gossip, and they can't help but join in whenever there's something exciting going on.

Zhou Weiguo looked at Zhu Zi and the other two, and instructed, "Zhu Zi, take them out for breakfast later, and then they can go about their business. I have something to do today, so I won't be going to the factory. By the way, Natasha, if you're not too busy lately, help me research some materials. The quality of alloys in Xia Guo is too poor right now; try to find a way to get the materials I need."

Natasha wanted to tease Zhou Weiguo a little more, but after glancing at the pillar beside her and the rain, she could only obediently nod: "Okay."

A moment later, after everyone had left, Zhou Weiguo got up and went to the east courtyard.

He took out his key, opened the side door, and slowly stepped into the courtyard.

Upon entering the east courtyard, Zhou Weiguo was stunned to find that his house was already fully completed.

It looks beautiful and sophisticated.

Just then, Master Li came out of the room and was surprised to see Zhou Weiguo: "Hey, boss! What brings you here today? Have you eaten?"

Zhou Weiguo replied with a smile, "I've already eaten, Master Li. I wanted to check on the progress of the house construction today. With another person added to the household, there's really not enough room, and I'm getting anxious."

Upon hearing this, Master Li laughed and said, "Hey, I thought the owner wasn't in a hurry! Come, come, let me show you around."

Afterwards, Master Li led Zhou Weiguo on a tour of the courtyard.

Zhou Weiguo was surprised to find that the furniture in the room had been arranged neatly.

He couldn't tell the difference between the types of wood; to him, they all looked pretty much the same.

Master Li seemed to understand his confusion and proactively explained, "Master, the furniture in your house is mostly made of Hainan rosewood, golden nanmu, sandalwood, and rosewood. Rosewood is the most common; large pieces like the desks and bookshelves in the study, the wardrobes in the bedroom, and the hall cabinet in the living room are all made of Dalbergia cochinchinensis. The remaining eight-immortal table, benches, and five-drawer chest are mostly made of golden nanmu and sandalwood. Some of it was leftover wood from the beam installation you provided, which I arranged for the carpenter to make into furniture directly. I didn't have time to tell you, so please forgive me."

Zhou Weiguo waved his hand: "Master Li, you're too kind. I already said before that I'd entrust the entire handling of this house to you; I don't want to worry about it, as long as the materials are genuine."

Master Li quickly nodded: "Don't worry, boss! If I were working for those old fogies, I might have a few tricks up my sleeve, but when I work for you, I'll be completely honest and reliable! If you find any problems, you can deal with them as you see fit!"

Zhou Weiguo nodded in satisfaction, but said aloud, "Master Li, don't overthink it, I was just saying. By the way, when can people move into this house?"

Master Li pondered for a moment: "Boss, I've done everything you suggested for this house, using the best materials. The wall and floor tiles are all from your suggestions. It's perfectly fine to move in now. Oh, and about the door you mentioned on the east wall, I've taken care of that too. I thought you'd be busy, so I went to the neighborhood office myself. Director Wang, because of your connections, got it done very quickly."

After saying that, Master Li looked around, then pulled Zhou Weiguo to the edge of the kitchen, pointed to a small door in the corner, and said in a low voice, "By the way, all the old things you mentioned are in this cellar. Would you like me to take you to see them?"

Zhou Weiguo's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Master Li!"

"Hey, boss, don't be so polite, it's nothing!"

Mr. Li took out his key and opened the wooden door.

The two bent down and entered the cellar. Master Li pulled a switch, and with a "click," the entire cellar was instantly illuminated.

As Zhou Weiguo walked down the stairs, he felt that this cellar was somewhat similar to Sha Zhu's, only deeper.

Descending to the bottom of the cellar, Mr. Li explained, "Master, I've built this cellar quite deep, about 8 meters, with a bottom area of ​​approximately 20 square meters. I've reinforced the entire cellar, using large blue bricks and wooden beams for the walls, so it's absolutely safe. Luckily, your yard is large enough, so I had the house construction and cellar digging done simultaneously, without wasting any time."

Zhou Weiguo couldn't help but exclaim, "So professional!"

At this moment, Mr. Li walked to the corner of the cellar, where six wooden boxes were neatly arranged.

He opened the boxes one by one. Zhou Weiguo looked closely and saw that five of the boxes were filled with all kinds of bottles and jars, with some unknown material at the bottom; the last large box was full of all kinds of scrolls.

Master Li smiled and said, "Boss, would you like to take a look?"

Zhou Weiguo smiled bitterly to himself: Show me? What do I know?!

He said, "Master Li, these things aren't for me. I'm just collecting them for someone else. I'll hand them over, and they'll check them themselves. But let me be clear: they're doing me a favor by asking for my help. If there's nothing wrong with your stuff, we can continue working together; but if there's something wrong, they'll look down on me because of it..."

Master Li looked conflicted and said helplessly, "Boss, I really tried my best! Although I pride myself on my eyesight, I can't guarantee I'll never make a mistake!"

Zhou Weiguo quickly reassured him, "Master Li, please don't misunderstand. What I mean is, just do your best. We won't accept anything we're not sure about. It's normal to make a mistake occasionally, as long as you don't deliberately cheat me and make me lose face in front of my friends."

Master Li finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Master, you don't know this, but I mostly judge people by their character when I collect items. I know quite a few old-timers and their descendants, and I know their situation well. Sometimes I'm even more accurate at judging people than at judging items; I can guess about 70-80% of the situation."

Zhou Weiguo nodded and said, "It's good that you know what's going on. Tell me about it quickly."

Master Li began to explain each item one by one: "Look at this one, it's a Ming Xuande ruby ​​red glazed plate; this one is a Ming Yongle Xuande official Jun glazed plate with rose purple glaze; this one is a Ming Chongzhen blue and white arhat-patterned three-legged brush pot; and this one is a Qing Xianfeng blue and white square vase with gold-painted animal-ear handles..."

They mentioned more than ten bottles, but Zhou Weiguo was completely confused. The names were too long, and he couldn't remember any of them.

Then, Master Li led him to the last box and unfolded the paintings one by one, introducing them: "Master, these three are all works by Qiu Ying, a master painter of the Ming Dynasty. This one is 'Bathing Horses,' this one is 'Blue-Green Landscape,' and my favorite is this one, 'Copy of Auspicious Omens.' And these too, by Bada Shanren, Gao Fenghan..." Zhou Weiguo was completely confused and could only pretend to understand, nodding frequently.

Looking at the boxes scattered on the ground, Zhou Weiguo wondered: I wonder how much these things are worth?

"Master Li, please stop with the introductions and just tell me how much all of this costs. Don't waste time arguing and then I don't have enough money; that would be embarrassing."

Master Li was taken aback, his face full of surprise: "Boss, you want all of these items?"