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墨書 Inktalez
Back at the villa, I asked Aunt Wang to take out the antique Calligraphy that I had treasured for many years and place it on the redwood table in the living room.
"Jiaojiao, come take a look at this painting, 'Landscape with Figures' by Tang Bohu. What do you think?" I said, pointing to one of the paintings with a smile.
Lin Jiaojiao pretended to examine it seriously for a while before hesitantly speaking up, "This painting... has an exquisite composition and skilled brushwork; it must undoubtedly be an authentic piece by Tang Bohu."
I suppressed a laugh and pointed to a small detail in the painting, asking, "Can you tell me about the origin of this seal?"
Lin Jiaojiao's expression stiffened, her eyes flickering as she stammered without being able to provide an answer.
"Hehe, Jiaojiao, this seal is commonly used by Tang Bohu, known as 'Liu Ru Jushi.' If you don't even know this, it seems your research on antiques isn't deep enough," I said meaningfully, my gaze sharp on Lin Jiaojiao.
Lin Jiaojiao's face turned red and pale in turns. She opened her mouth to explain but found herself unable to argue.
I set down my teacup and casually asked, "Jiaojiao, is there anything you particularly like?"
Lin Jiaojiao's gaze shifted slightly. She put down her teacup and lightly ran her fingertips along the rim, her tone somewhat unnatural: "I don't know much about antiques; I just occasionally accompany friends to browse antique markets."
I smiled and didn't press further. Instead, I changed the subject and said, "I also have some antiques in my study that were collected by A-Cheng's father during his lifetime. If you're interested, you can come up and take a look another day."
Lin Jiaojiao's eyes brightened for a moment before returning to calmness. After hesitating for a bit, she said, "Wouldn't that be too much of an inconvenience for you?"
I held her hand and said enthusiastically, "How could that be? You don't need to be so polite with me. It's settled then; tomorrow morning, I'll have Aunt Wang prepare some snacks, and you can come over to have tea with me."
Lin Jiaojiao couldn't refuse and had to nod in agreement.
The next morning, Lin Jiaojiao arrived as promised. I had Aunt Wang take her to the study, which was filled with various antiques, a dazzling array of treasures worth a fortune.
"Jiaojiao, what do you think of this Jade Buddha?" I asked, pointing to a white Jade Buddha on the desk.
Lin Jiaojiao stepped forward, examined it carefully, and nodded, saying, "This Jade Buddha is exquisitely carved, and the material is smooth; it must be high-quality Hetian Jade. It should be an item from the Qing Dynasty."
I nodded appreciatively and said, "Not bad; you have a good eye. This Jade Buddha is an Imperial Court Creation from the Qianlong period and is quite valuable."
Then I took Lin Jiaojiao to admire several other antiques. She responded fluently, seeming to have quite a bit of knowledge about them. I sneered inwardly; Lin Jiaojiao really knew how to put on an act. If I hadn't done my homework beforehand, I might have been deceived by her.
"Jiaojiao, come take a look at this painting. What do you think?" I asked, pointing to a landscape painting on the wall.
This painting was a copy of Tang Yin's work. Although the brushwork was exquisite, it still had some differences compared to the original. I knew Lin Jiaojiao was clueless about antiques, so I deliberately set this trap and waited for her to fall into it.
Lin Jiaojiao walked up to the painting and admired it carefully before nodding and saying, "The composition of this painting is ingenious, and the brushwork is skilled; it must undoubtedly be an authentic piece by Tang Bohu."
I sneered inwardly but maintained a calm expression as I asked, "Oh? How can you tell this is an authentic piece by Tang Bohu?"
Lin Jiaojiao pointed to a detail in the painting and said, "Look at the way the plum blossoms are painted; they are elegant and free-spirited, which is exactly Tang Bohu's personal style."
I shook my head and pointed at the seal in the painting, saying, "Take another look at this seal. Is it the seal of 'Liu Ru Jushi'?"
Lin Jiaojiao's face instantly turned pale, and she stammered, unable to speak. I continued, "Tang Bohu commonly used the seal with the characters 'Tang Yin,' not 'Liu Ru Jushi.' Although this painting is a copy, it is still of high quality, so you don't need to worry too much about it."
Lin Jiaojiao's face felt hot; she lowered her head, not daring to look at me. I walked up to her and said sternly, "Jiaojiao, I know you want to fit into our family, but that doesn't mean you have to disguise yourself. You should show your true self instead of trying to win affection through deception."
Lin Jiaojiao bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Madam, I..." Lin Jiaojiao's eyes were slightly red, as if she had suffered a great injustice, her voice choked with emotion.
However, I didn't want to give her too many chances to defend herself. With a tone tinged with disappointment, I said, "Jiaojiao, I know you come from an ordinary family and want to work hard to integrate into our Jiang family's life. But that doesn't mean you need to disguise yourself or deliberately cater to us."
I patted the back of her hand and said earnestly, "Both A-Cheng and I hope you can live happily and just be your true self."
Lin Jiaojiao kept her head down, making it hard to see her expression, but she gently nodded.
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