Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

He Yuzhu came to Pian'erye's stall and said, "Pian'erye, are you busy? If not, I'll invite you to the tavern for a drink."

"I remember you seemed to be Cai Quanwu's nephew. Why did you suddenly think of treating me to a drink?" Pianerye asked curiously.

"I feel that Pianerye's words are very interesting, and I just want to chat with him. Would you please give me a chance?" He Yuzhu said sincerely.

"Let's go." Pianerye packed up his stall and walked towards the tavern with He Yuzhu.

"Uncle, first give me 4 taels of the more expensive Erguotou, and one portion each of pickles, peanuts, pork tripe, garlic sausage, and salted duck eggs." He Yuzhu walked to the counter and said to Cai Quanwu at the counter.

"Hey, it looks like I'm in for a treat today." Pianerye said with a smile when he saw He Yuzhu's expression.

"Pian'er, from what you said, I always felt that we got along well. It just so happened that today was the right time for me to talk to you." He Yuzhu brought the wine and food to the table where Pian'er was sitting, and then returned the tray to Cai Quanwu.

"Mr. Pianer, let me offer you a toast first. I heard from my cousin that the tavern was opened with your guidance." He Yuzhu picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

"It's just a few words. It can't be considered as advice. Your name is He Yuzhu, right?" Pianerye picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and picked up a peanut.

"Well, everyone around me calls me Zhuzi. Pian'erye, you are so anxious to sip the wine one mouthful at a time. Today, just let go and I will treat you to drink as much as you want."

"Zhu Zi, I see you don't usually drink."

"You are amazing, Mr. Pian. I am afraid that drinking alcohol will affect my taste buds, so I rarely drink alcohol or tea."

"If you are a frequent drinker, just by looking at the way you drink, I can tell that you don't usually drink. Just based on your habit of not drinking alcohol or tea, you should be a famous chef in the city. People who come to the tavern to drink are here to have a casual drink. The so-called casual drink is to have a leisurely and comfortable mood. Drinking like you is not beautiful. Drinking is for that kind of feeling of being tipsy. If you drink a lot and make yourself drunk, that kind of person will be disliked."

"Thank you for your advice, Pian Ye. Let's drink slowly. Speaking of which, Pian Ye, we are really destined to meet. Do you still remember that I mistook you for someone else when we first met? By the way, Pian Ye, everyone calls you Pian Ye, so what's your last name?"

"My neighbors called me 'Uncle' just to give me face. Your surname is Qiu, Qiu Guangpu. How come you didn't remember calling me 'Uncle' when you came up to me? I was confused. I was thinking that my grandfather only had one son, my father, and in my generation, there are only me and my sister. Where did this relative come from?"

"I apologize to Pian Ye. You look a lot like the old man who manages the compound where I live. He's a teacher at a nearby elementary school. He's not as clear-headed and open-minded as you, Pian Ye. I just made a mistake when I saw your profile. If I had dealt with Pian Ye before, I would have been able to tell the two of you apart at a glance."

"I can only say it's fate. Come on, one goes." Pianerye raised the wine cup, and He Yuzhu also quickly raised his wine cup and gently clinked it with Pianerye's.

He Yuzhu took a sip just like Pian'erye, then put down the wine cup, took a bite of the food and asked.

"Pian'erye, you have lived in Zhengyangmen for decades. Zhengyangmen was considered the root of the imperial city in the Qing Dynasty. The ancestors who lived here in the Qing Dynasty must have been very glorious, right?"

When Pian'erye heard He Yuzhu's question, and after drinking a little bit of wine, he started to talk nonstop.

"Speaking of the affairs of Zhengyang Gate, my master Pianer said that he is second, and no one dares to claim to be first."

"That's right, otherwise why would I call you Pianerye?"

"You know Uncle Niu who often drinks in your cousin's tavern. Even though he has nothing to do but carries a bird cage every day and has no proper job, he lives a much more carefree life than my uncle. His ancestors were real bannermen, and the people with pigtails were iron-clad farmers. A skinny camel is bigger than a horse. He relies on what his ancestors passed down."

"So that's how it is. I wonder what kind of job he does, why does he live such a leisurely life every day?"

"But he is still far behind the other one."

"Is there anyone more powerful than Master Niu near Zhengyang Gate?" He Yuzhu said at the right time.

"Compared to that guy, Master Niu is just a younger brother. That guy's ancestor was a Nine Gates Admiral of the Qing Dynasty. People nearby call him the Nine Gates Admiral. Master Niu has to sell some good things when he has nothing to do, but this guy doesn't have to sell anything at all. He doesn't even care about this kind of tavern. He usually drinks Fenjiu."

"What does he do for a living? He is so arrogant."

"He doesn't do anything except helping others look at things when he's free. People in the antique circle have heard of him, and many people will ask him to take a look at things they're unsure about. The starting price for him to take a look is at least 10 yuan, and if it's higher, there's no limit."

"Is he so powerful that he can determine whether something is real or fake just by looking at it?" He Yuzhu asked curiously.

"His ancestors produced a Nine Gates Admiral, who was a high-ranking official in the Qing Dynasty. Can you imagine how many good things they passed down? We ordinary people can't tell good things from good things because we have never seen what good things look like. For example, take furniture made of huanghuali wood. Ordinary people don't even know what huanghuali wood is. How can you tell the difference between huanghuali furniture? He has been playing with good things since he was a child. He knows a lot when he sees them every day. It's like you are a chef. After working for a long time, you can know how the dish is cooked after taking a bite."

"You are right, Pian'erye. That is the truth. Where does he live? I will see the man you are talking about if I have a chance."

"As for him, I remember he lived in Courtyard 87, Daqianmen. But he had a strange temper. He was willing to talk to people who liked him, but he wouldn't say a word to people who didn't like him."

Before he knew it, He Yuzhu and Pianerye had drunk 4 liang of wine, and He Yuzhu himself had drunk 2 liang. Pianerye felt that he had drunk enough, so he stood up and said to He Yuzhu, "Zhuzi, thank you for treating me to a drink. I have almost finished drinking. If I drink any more, I will be drunk. I will go home first."

"Okay, we'll get together some other time. I'll see you out." He Yuzhu escorted Pianerye out of the tavern and then returned to the tavern.

"Uncle, do you have any hot water? If you do, give me a glass. I just drank a little wine and I'm a little thirsty."

"Wait a moment, I'll go to the backyard and pour it for you." Cai Quanwu said, then lifted the door curtain and walked towards the backyard.

After a while, Cai Quanwu came in with a pot of tea. He Yuzhu took the teapot and poured himself a cup and drank it. He Yuzhu drank three cups in a row before he felt less thirsty. He Yuzhu handed the teapot to Cai Quanwu.

"Uncle, Pian'erye just said that the man named Guan lives in Courtyard 87, Daqianmen. I plan to go find him after taking a rest for a while."

"Wait a moment. I'll go to the backyard and get you some tea leaves. Chew them. Otherwise, when you talk, your mouth will smell like alcohol, which is impolite."

"Thank you for your help, uncle."

After He Yuzhu chewed some tea leaves for a while, he felt that the taste of alcohol in his mouth was not so strong. He Yuzhu said to Cai Quanwu: "Then I will go to find the Guan, you go ahead."

After He Yuzhu greeted Cai Quanwu, he rode his bicycle out of the tavern and headed for Daqianmen Street, asking questions along the way. He Yuzhu finally arrived in front of the residence of Guan Daye, the governor of Jiumen. He Yuzhu parked his bicycle next to the gate and walked to the people playing chess under the shade of the tree at the gate. He Yuzhu squatted down and asked the two people who were playing chess.

"My two lords, may I ask if this is Master Guan's house?"

"The owner of this house is surnamed Guan, but I don't know if he is the person you are looking for." One of them looked up at He Yuzhu and said.

"I want to find Uncle Guan, the descendant of the Nine Gates Admiral?" He Yuzhu replied.

"What do you want from him?" the person who responded to He Yuzhu asked.

"I heard that Uncle Guan is knowledgeable and very proficient in antiques. I want to learn about antiques from him." He Yuzhu answered the man's question.

"What's the purpose of you learning about antiques? You can't make a lot of money in the antique industry these days." The man continued to ask.

"I went to him to learn about antiques, not to make money, but because I simply like antiques."

"You're an ambitious young man. I'm the Mr. Guan you're looking for." After hearing what He Yuzhu said, the man looked up at He Yuzhu.

"Hello, Uncle Guan, my name is He Yuzhu." He Yuzhu didn't expect that he could find the real person by just asking around, and he immediately introduced himself enthusiastically.

"Old Tian, ​​let's stop playing chess today. I have something to do." Grandpa Guan said to his chess friend. "Come on, young man, come with me into the house and tell me your ideas."

Uncle Guan stood up and left the chessboard. He Yuzhu immediately pushed his bicycle and followed Uncle Guan into the yard. After Uncle Guan entered the yard, he sat on a stone bench in the yard and said to He Yuzhu, "What are you doing, young man?"

He Yuzhu put his bicycle aside and said, "I'm a cook."

"You're a cook, how did you come up with the idea of ​​learning about antiques?"

"I think antiques are very interesting. I feel that every antique is a treasure of our national culture. Through antiques, we can understand the thoughts of the people who made them at that time. Although those dynasties have long disappeared in the long river of history, the antiques that record the social customs and habits of the time have been preserved, giving us the opportunity to understand the style of that era through antiques, so I would like to learn about antiques from you."

"How old are you this year? Do your family members support you in your studies?" Uncle Guan continued to ask.

"I'm 16 years old. My family consists of me and my sister. My father went to Baoding with a widow. I have the final say in my own affairs."

"Learning about antiques requires a lot of energy and a lot of reading. Are you mentally prepared? Go back and think about it carefully, and come back to me at this time in three days."

"Okay, Uncle Guan, I'll take my leave then." He Yuzhu said goodbye to Uncle Guan, pushed his bicycle and walked out. After He Yuzhu returned to his home in Qudeng Hutong, he entered Fudi Dongtian and looked at the Huanghuali furniture he had collected before. He Yuzhu gently stroked the furniture with his hand and said with emotion: "Such good things should be well preserved. I should collect more to prevent the treasures from being covered in dust. After all, many precious things were destroyed in the ten-year movement. Since I have the ability, I should collect more and preserve as much as possible."

So He Yuzhu made up his mind to use 90% of the money earned from the output of Fudi Dongtian to collect ancient books. Anyway, he was not short of money, so instead of leaving so much money in Fudi Dongtian to gather dust, he might as well buy some good things and put them in Fudi Dongtian.

Three days passed in a blink of an eye. He Yuzhu came to Uncle Guan's house again as agreed. This time, without waiting for Uncle Guan to ask, He Yuzhu spoke directly: "Uncle Guan, I have figured it out after going back. Every year, antiques are good things left to us by the ancients. Since they are good things, they should be well protected. I want to learn about antiques from you, and then let those treasures that have been covered in dust in ordinary people's homes have a chance to see the light of day again and shine with the light they should have."

Uncle Guan looked at He Yuzhu's sincere face and remembered that he had asked people to inquire about He Yuzhu in the past three days. From others, Uncle Guan knew that although He Yuzhu was not very old, he was very talented in cooking and martial arts, and he could become a master at a young age. After He Yuzhu's biological father He Daqing ran away with a widow, he took good care of his sister alone. In national affairs, He Yuzhu actively donated to the most lovely people, and donated all the money he earned from wedding banquets for others to the most lovely people. When he met relatives who had lost contact for many years, he helped generously without hesitation. In summary, He Yuzhu is a man with principles and feelings. Uncle Guan originally wanted He Yuzhu to be his apprentice.

"Since you have figured it out, I will accept you as my apprentice, but I have to tell you in advance that if I find out that you dare to use the things I taught you to cheat, I will not let you go."

"Don't worry, Master. I will never do such a thing." He Yuzhu immediately changed his words and called him Master.

"Don't change your words in a hurry. Although it's a new society now and the ancient ways are no longer popular, if you really want to take me as your master, you should kneel down and kowtow to me three times." Uncle Guan said to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times respectfully. "Master, please accept my disciple's greetings."

"Okay, you can get up now." Uncle Guan sat on the chair and accepted He Yuzhu's kneeling salute.

"Master, if I go to someone's place to collect their things and don't tell them the truth, does that count as fraud?" He Yuzhu asked curiously, expressing the doubts in his heart.

"As the saying goes, Buddha saves those who are destined to be together. If the other party doesn't know the details of the item, but you recognize its value, it means you are destined to be with it. As for how much money you can spend to buy the item, it depends on your ability. But there is one thing you must remember. If the other party is just not sure whether the item is real or fake, you must never say that the real thing is fake and take the opportunity to lower the price to buy the item." Uncle Guan said to He Yuzhu with a serious face.

"I understand. What you mean is that I can pick up bargains based on my eyesight, but I can't rely on my ability to say that other people's things are fake and then set up a trap to take the things."

"Well, remember two sentences. The first is that a gentleman loves money but gets it in a proper way. The second is that a gentleman does not take away what others love. Especially in our antique business, if you rely on your own skills to cheat people, it will be a lack of virtue and will bring retribution. As a human being, you must have a sense of awe and not hurt others because of your own greed." Uncle Guan said to He Yuzhu earnestly.

"What if I make fake things to fool foreigners?" He Yuzhu asked a question that had been buried in his heart for a long time.

"As long as you can deceive the foreign devils, then you are capable. If it is the Japanese devils, then you will deceive them to death." Uncle Guan answered directly and domineeringly.

"I understand. If I get the chance in the future, I will definitely give the Japanese a hard time. I will donate all the money I earn to the country, as a way to collect some interest from the Japanese invasion of us." He Yuzhu said in a joking tone.

What He Yuzhu and Uncle Guan did not expect was that what He Yuzhu said today, seemingly as a joke, came true thirty years later. Under He Yuzhu's guidance, Zhang Hu and his men began to manufacture antique porcelain and bronze wares in large quantities in the 80s, and then secretly exported them abroad, taking the opportunity to earn a large amount of foreign exchange, making a significant contribution to the country's early reforms.