The Painting In The Old Shop

This was just a small interlude. In the past, Li Mo had encountered it a few times in the City God Temple. He was also very vigilant in crowded places.

The old man entered the crowd and quickly disappeared. Not far from him, two men wearing baseball caps quietly followed.

There were not as many customers in that old bakery as he had imagined. Li Mo looked around and said to the shop assistant who came to receive him, "When did the shop renovate? I thought I had entered the Republic of China era when I first came in."

"You must be our old customer, Sir. Our shop was renovated at the end of last year. The boss said that since it's a century-old brand, the style has to match, so he spent a lot of money to redecorate it. Look, the paintings on the wall were all collected by the boss from various places. It's said that every painting was made by a famous artist."

Li Mo smiled and did not reply.

"Sir, what flavor do you want to buy?"

"Osmanthus with mixed nuts, sesame red dates, and caramel chestnuts, 1.5 kilograms each."

"Alright, please wait a moment."

While Li Mo was waiting, his gaze casually landed on the painting hanging on the pillar beside him.

It was a picture of galloping horses.

"Eh!" Li Mo couldn't help but take a step forward to take a closer look. There were a total of two horses in the painting. The horse on the left had a robust figure and a smooth body. It raised its head and looked forward. Its four hooves intersected and soared into the air, giving off an indomitable momentum.

The horse's form and charm were very perfect.

On the other hand, the horse on the right had a simple bodyline. Its strokes and ink were light. Its four limbs and tail looked even more casual. It lacked the strength to penetrate the back of the paper.

This style was a little strange.

Li Mo's gaze moved down. There was a line of words: Drawn by Beihong[1.Xu Beihong, also known as Ju Péon, was a Chinese painter. He was primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds and was one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflected a modern China at the beginning of the 20th century. He was also regarded as one of the first to create monumental oil paintings with epic Chinese themes – a show of his high proficiency in an essential Western art technique. He was one of the four pioneers of Chinese modern art who earned the title of "The Four Great Academy Presidents".] in 1943. There was also a red mud seal with a total of four words. The words were in ancient Chinese seal script and had a strong Qin Dynasty style.

The four words were 'a strong man's actions'.

If not for this inscription and seal, Li Mo would have just taken a casual look. However, this line of words reminded him of that special historical era.

Although he did not believe that there was a famous work hidden in this old pastry shop, Li Mo still used his extraordinary eyesight. Two golden lights flashed in his pupils, and the world in his eyes immediately became dazzling.

A milky white halo shot out from the galloping horse painting, forming circles that continuously spread out. After a rough count, there were more than 200 halos, as if they were enhanced by immortal light from a mythical novel.

This was definitely Master Xu Beihong's authentic work!

Li Mo almost jumped up in shock. Unexpected surprises always happen unintentionally.

"Sir, the pastries you want are all packed. It is 560 yuan after discount."

Li Mo retracted his thoughts and took out his cell phone to pay.

"I want to ask, where did your boss buy these paintings? My house has just been renovated and is more Chinese style. I'm thinking of buying some decorative paintings to decorate it."

"We're not sure about that." The shop assistant shook his head apologetically.

"You like the paintings here?"

At this moment, a woman in her thirties walked over. She was wearing a cheongsam and had a voluptuous figure. She wore a pearl necklace around her neck and swayed as she walked.

"Manager Wu, this gentleman wants to know where you bought these paintings?"

Li Mo said calmly to the woman, "I was about to look for a few ink paintings. I heard from your people that these are famous paintings bought from all over the world, so I took the liberty to ask around."

Manager Wu sized up Li Mo. He was young and dressed in ordinary clothes. He should still be a student. She smiled and said, "Boss spent a lot of money to buy these paintings. If you like any of them, I can sell them to you as long as the price is right."

"How much is this 'Autumn Withered Forest Painting'?" Li Mo looked excited and pointed casually.

Manager Wu turned around and said, "That one is slightly more expensive. It costs 6,000 yuan."

Li Mo scratched his head awkwardly and said, "It's so expensive. I thought I could buy it for 2,000 to 3,000 yuan. I only have more than 10,000 yuan on me. I originally planned to buy three to four ink paintings. I'm sorry to disturb you."

"Sir, you might not know the value of these famous paintings. There are paintings that just cost hundreds all over the street, but they look very low-class hanging on the wall of your house. This painting is a little expensive, but it's worth it. How about this? If you like it, I can lower it by 1,000 yuan."

Li Mo was moved. He walked closer to the painting and looked at it for a minute before turning to look at the other paintings. In the end, he made up his mind and said, "Manager Wu, the price I can accept is 4,000 yuan. If you're willing, I'll choose three paintings here and bring them back."

Manager Wu's eyes were filled with surprise, but she hesitated for a moment before saying, "I guess Boss will only earn a little money. Alright, you can choose whatever you want."

It took Li Mo more than 10 minutes to choose three paintings. One of them was the real Xu Beihong.

After transferring 12,000 yuan, Li Mo carried the pastries and three packed paintings out of this century-old pastry shop.

"Manager Wu, these paintings are actually so valuable. As expected of famous paintings."

"I don't know if they're famous paintings, but the boss instructed me to buy them from the antique market. The average price is 500 to 600 yuan apiece. I met a stupid person today, but he is a willing buyer. It's impossible for him to go back on his word."

Manager Wu smiled mockingly. She could get at least 4,000 yuan from this bonus. Her top priority was to go to the antique market to get a few more replacements.

Li Mo was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he strolled leisurely on the old street. After wandering for nearly an hour, he found a quiet corner to lean against the wall and scanned the crowd.

After a while, he locked onto a petite woman with a baseball cap. At this moment, the woman also looked over. Li Mo waved at her in a friendly manner.

The woman was very young. She had short hair and was not much older than Li Mo. Her face was exquisite and good-looking, especially her big eyes, which made her look valiant.

"From the moment I walked out of that old bakery, I felt that someone was following me. I spent an hour but couldn't shake you off. We don't know each other, right? Why are you following me?"

Li Mo was puzzled.

"Your anti-tracking ability is not bad." The woman's pretty face was cold as she stared at him warily. "Do you know Nine Fingers?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about?" Li Mo was even more puzzled.

"You've interacted with him before. What did he tell you?"

Li Mo thought for a moment and his expression changed slightly. "You mean the old man who stole my wallet? I'm sorry, I just want my own things back. I don't know anything else. I have a bad temper and I don't want to be involved in this thievery. If you follow me again, believe me, I'll attack you without hesitation."

It was impossible to attack a woman. Li Mo was not shameless to that extent. He could roughly guess this woman's identity. As for why she followed him secretly, there was probably another inside story.

It was not until they entered the subway that Li Mo confirmed that the woman did not follow him.

Guyun Pavilion was as free as ever. Liu Chuanqing lay in his seat and drank tea while humming a yellow plum opera tune.

"Old Liu, contact Little Mo and ask him to come for lunch."

"That kid's nose is even more sensitive than a dog's. It's not time yet. I think that kid will smell the fragrance and come over in 10 minutes."

"I think you know Little Mo better than your biological daughter. However, to be honest, I like Little Mo more and more. He's smart, upright, and has good martial arts skills. Seeing that the two children have already grown up, I hope they can become a couple."

"Don't randomly matchmake them. I think the two children are really close, but they should only have a brotherly relationship." Liu Chuanqing put down his teacup. "If Little Mo's health is fine, I plan to set off for the capital tomorrow afternoon. From Professor Zhu's tone, Little Mo shouldn't be the only one interviewed this time."

"What do you mean?"

"In the past decade or so, there has been a serious gap in the talents in archeology. This is a vast and rigorous specialization. Apart from the passing on of knowledge, it's more about talent. Professor Zhu has also personally nurtured a few people in the past few years, but in the end, those students gave up. Currently, archeology talents are already at the point of deficiency. Hence, they might as well relax the policy this year and expand the matter to recruit some talents."

"Little Mo can definitely do it."

"I have faith in him too."