GTB Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Reciprocity

“Rise, please! How old are you this year?” Jiang Jiuchu looked at Mu Qing in front of her, who was not one for smiling. Her name suited her; she seemed a bit aloof, maybe only two or three years older than her.

“This servant is seventeen.” It was the first time Mu Qing had heard such a delicate and pleasing voice. She developed a good impression subconsciously, feeling that she certainly wasn’t the arrogant type.

“Seventeen.” Jiang Jiuchu sized up Mu Qing. She had thick eyebrows and large eyes. Although she didn’t have the delicate appearance nurtured by Green Luo and Green Willow, she was still quite pretty.

She asked curiously, “You both have ‘Mu’ in your names. Are you from the same school? Is your martial arts skill higher than Mu Feng’s?”

“Yes, we are from the same school.” Mu Qing replied truthfully, “This servant’s martial arts is slightly inferior to Brother Mu’s.”

Jiang Jiuchu looked at Mu Qing, who seemed a bit ashamed, and smiled. “Only slightly inferior is already very good. You can follow my maid and settle down first!”

After she spoke, she turned and went back into the room, very satisfied with this highly skilled maid.

………

Mo Feng Pavilion, Shí Yan had just finished discussing matters with someone and came out of the private room when he heard Mu Feng say, “Master, I just saw the Eighth Prince.”

Shí Yan looked at Mu Feng, “Oh? Who was he with?”

“He followed Song Fuge into the private room in front. He seemed to be holding a scroll of painting in his hand. Could it be….”

Mu Feng was puzzled. Logically, Mu Huo should have stopped the Eighth Prince. The Eighth Prince entering the private room with the owner of Mo Feng Pavilion, carrying a scroll of painting, must be stealing his master’s painting again.

Inside the private room, Song Fuge looked at the painting handed over by Shí Yuanchen and smiled gently, “Eighth Prince, you really have great skills, actually getting another painting by Yun You Gong Zi.”

“However…”

“However, what?” Shí Yuanchen was just feeling smug when Song Fuge said, “However.”

Song Fuge placed the painting back on the table, “However, the reason why Yun You Gong Zi’s paintings are worth a thousand gold is not only because the paintings are good and sought after by scholars and students, but also because very few of his paintings circulate.”

“Therefore, the price of this one cannot be the same as the previous one.”

Song Fuge had been in business for many years and naturally knew the origin of its value. Although he spoke plausibly, there were still very few of Yun You Gong Zi’s paintings on the market, and it would not depreciate just because there was one more. But that’s what he said.

After all, today is different from the past. If he buys his paintings, he doesn’t want to pay a high price again. It seemed that he would feel better if he could strip away a bit of the value of this painting in his heart.

Shí Yuanchen felt that what Song Fuge said made sense, so he asked directly, “Then what price does the Pavilion Master think is acceptable?”

“Five thousand taels.” Although Song Fuge gave a low price, his attitude was very respectful.

“Five thousand taels? That’s directly cutting it in half!” Shí Yuanchen didn’t expect it to be so much less, and then said:

“I know that Mo Feng Pavilion auctioned one off earlier this year and sold it for twenty thousand taels.”

“If you don’t give me ten thousand, you have to give me eight thousand!”

Song Fuge patiently explained: “This is one thing at one time. Eighth Prince also said that this was the auction at the beginning of the year, and the starting price was only ten thousand taels. If we didn’t meet someone who really loved it, we wouldn’t be able to auction it for twenty thousand taels.”

Shí Yuanchen was speechless when he heard this. Although he felt that the price was low, he wanted to quickly cash out, so he could only sell it to him.

After all, there are indeed many people who like his Seventh Brother’s paintings, but very few can afford them. After all, few of those scholars who love them can really afford to buy them.

“Okay…” Just as Shí Yuanchen was about to agree, the door was pushed open.

Shí Yan glanced at Song Fuge, and then said coldly to Shí Yuanchen, “Eighth Brother, are you taking my painting to exchange for silver again?”

The moment Shí Yuanchen saw Shí Yan, he was directly stunned. He didn’t expect to meet his Seventh Brother here.

He subconsciously wanted to put the painting away, but after hearing Shí Yan’s words, he retracted his hand, “Seventh Brother, I… I just, I spent all my monthly allowance this month, I really have no choice, Seventh Brother can’t just watch me starve to death!”

Shí Yan didn’t want to listen to his sob story, he stared at him and said softly, “Shí Yuanchen, I said, if you dare to enter my study to steal paintings again without permission, don’t even think about entering my Seventh Prince’s Mansion in the future.”

Seeing that his Seventh Brother’s words were casual and indifferent, but he didn’t want to lie at all, he said urgently, “I… I didn’t enter your study, Seventh Sister-in-law helped me get it.”

He knew that compared to him taking Seventh Brother’s painting to sell, Seventh Brother disliked him entering his study without permission even more. This matter could be big or small, so he had to sell out Jiang Jiuchu.

After all, Seventh Brother would definitely not be angry if Seventh Sister-in-law went in, so he would not be angry with him.

His words made Shí Yan’s eyes paused for a moment, and he could already imagine Jiang Jiuchu’s expression when she saw his painting.

Looking at Shí Yuanchen, his eyes seemed even colder, “You really have great skills, I will settle the score with you later.”

After he finished speaking, he looked at Song Fuge, then rolled up his painting and said, “Since the price is not as good as before, then I won’t sell it.”

“Hey, when you’re talking about business? Naturally, you use various excuses to haggle, you can negotiate the price if you are not satisfied.”

Song Fuge looked at the painting being put away and thought to himself, if he had known that this painting was given to the Eighth Prince by Jiuchu, he wouldn’t have bargained, after all, this painting had passed through Jiuchu’s hands, and it was naturally different.

“Do I look like I’m short of money? As for him…” Shí Yan said, glanced at Shí Yuanchen, “If he brings my painting to sell again in the future, Pavilion Master Song can just refuse him.”

As soon as Shí Yan finished speaking, his eyes suddenly scanned the purse on Song Fuge’s waist. The round sun on the purse was particularly conspicuous, and the jealousy in his heart instantly surged.

He changed his tone and sat down next to Shí Yuanchen, looking at Song Fuge on the opposite side and said: “However, since this painting has been brought here, we can’t let Pavilion Master Song make an extra trip, it would make my Eighth Brother extremely impolite.”

Shí Yuanchen pouted when he heard this. How was he impolite? He didn’t say he wouldn’t sell it, it was Seventh Brother who said he wouldn’t, okay?

Shí Yan said and leaned back in his chair, raising his legs, “Actually, Pavilion Master Song is right, the more this painting circulates, the more it depreciates, and the price is naturally difficult to estimate. By the time of next year’s auction, I don’t know what the value will be?”

“I naturally can’t take a painting that I just painted casually and sell it for so much silver, and I am not short of silver.”

“So, let’s give this painting to Pavilion Master Song for free!”

Shí Yuanchen on the side was shocked and heartbroken. That was five thousand taels of silver! Just give it away like that?

And his Seventh Brother would rather give it to unrelated people than let him sell it? It hurt his heart too much.

Song Fuge didn’t understand why Shí Yan suddenly said this? So he declined, “Seventh Prince, you’re too kind, I can’t accept such a reward, Song can’t accept it.”

“It’s okay, this is not the first time we have dealt with each other, just consider it making friends.”

As Shí Yan spoke, he looked at Song Fuge’s waist, “However, making friends! Naturally, there must be reciprocity, but I see that your purse is very special, why don’t Pavilion Master Song take it as a return gift!”