When Ye Chen returned to Tangchen Yijin, Xiao Changkun was tussling with Ma Lan.
He had just entered the door with the cylinder holding Meng Changsheng’s portrait when he heard Xiao Changkun complaining, “You don’t do anything all day long, you don’t even cook breakfast, if you don’t cook then you don’t cook, you can order an extra portion of food, you ordered it yourself and ate and drank it all, you didn’t even give me any leftovers, I’m still in a hurry to go to the association, you can’t let me go hungry! ”
Ma Lan said with a strong voice: “Haven’t you heard that it’s better to do it yourself and have enough to eat? Why don’t you just get up early and cook for me? And ask me to cook for you? Besides, it doesn’t cost anything to order food, does it? If you give me a hundred thousand or eighty thousand a month, I’ll arrange for you to have three meals a day!”
Xiao Changkun said in exasperation, “You’ve really fallen into the eyes of money!”
After saying that, he took a step and walked out.
As he was leaving the living room, he saw Ye Chen enter and hurriedly asked, “Good son-in-law, why are you back so early?”
Ye Chen smiled and said, “I’m almost done with the client’s business, so I rushed back.”
Saying that, Ye Chen took the initiative to ask him, “Right dad, how is the calligraphy and painting exhibition of your calligraphy and painting association going?”
Xiao Changkun sighed and said somewhat depressedly, “The calligraphy and painting exhibition is still in preparation, our cultural department in Jinling is also very supportive and has provided a lot of help, the members of the association have also found some excellent paintings, and the number of exhibits that have been finalized now is already more than three hundred pieces.”
Ye Chen laughed, “That’s good, why do you look so sad?”
Xiao Changkun said glumly, “I’m sad because other people can find good works, but I can’t. …… They’ve been in the business for a long time, so they know some collectors, so they can borrow some works for the exhibition with some good words, but I don’t know who to borrow from even if I’m in the dark! I went to Zhang Ermao before, but that Zhang Ermao is no longer dealing in calligraphy and paintings, he is concentrating on the business of ripping people off, selling a piece of broken wood for several million dollars, he is even richer than your mother, other than him, I don’t know any other way ……”
The most annoying thing is the members of the association, even if I can’t find any works, every time they find a pair of works, they all agree to bring it to me for critique, many of them are the works of the late Ming and early Qing dynasty Jinling school of painters, but the Jinling school is not famous, I don’t even know who their representative figures are yet. I didn’t even know who they represented yet, so I inevitably showed my fear when I started to critique them, and I made a lot of jokes one after another in the past few days.”
Ma Lan came out of the restaurant and said sarcastically, “Xiao Changkun, I’d say you don’t have any self-awareness! What do you know about antiques and paintings, and you dare to enter the Painting and Calligraphy Association with a straight face? In the past, when we all played together, you didn’t show up, but now that you’re the one who’s a waterboy, it’s strange if you don’t slip through the cracks!”
Xiao Changkun was poked by Ma Lan and gave her a blank look, saying in exasperation, “Ma Lan! I’m talking to my son-in-law, what business is it of yours, have you had enough?”
Ma Lan brushed her lips, “Yes, I’ve had enough, I’ve just finished eating, what’s wrong with you?”
Xiao Changkun waved his hand impatiently, “Go and stay where you are, I don’t care about you.”
Ma Lan sneered disdainfully, “It doesn’t matter if I’m lazy or not, but I’m afraid that you won’t be able to stay in your position as executive vice president for long, why are people looking for you to review? It must be because everyone knows you’re a waterboy and wants to reveal your true form!”