What does it matter what she lost?
Even if it’s just a pillowcase, if someone famous paints on it and it becomes valuable, isn’t that valid?
When Song Xiyun heard this news, she went pale and fainted.
She originally wanted to retrieve the pillowcase to use, but it had become stained with mud from a flowerpot, and besides, she had already received two thousand yuan, so she simply threw the pillowcase away.
Chiang Baoguo, accompanied by Chiang Caijiao, went to the place she mentioned to search for it, and after a long time, they brought back a pillowcase that had been soaked in sewage, emitting bursts of foul stench.
Chiang Xiao’s face turned black.
"Go to jail," she said, dropping these three words.
The security authorities, taking the matter to heart, checked her background and discovered not only was she part of the Painters Association and had sold her paintings to Old Master Bai, but she also had interactions with people like Chairman Zheng from the provincial city, which left them inwardly astonished.
They now couldn’t dare to underestimate this young girl any longer.
"Xiao Chiang, don’t worry, we will handle this matter properly. As for the pillowcase, seeing Song Xiyun’s economic condition, she cannot afford to compensate. What do you think about this situation?" a comrade from the security office asked in private.
Chiang Xiao said helplessly, "I can only consider myself unlucky in this case, but I do hope you can help me find the flower."
That pillowcase, after all, if she hadn’t sold it for money, its entire value lay in the care her grandmother had put into sewing it herself.
As for the Nourishing Talisman on it, she could consider it as having been drawn for nothing—it wasn’t really a loss.
"Okay, we know the old gentleman who bought the flower, there won’t be any problems with this matter."
Chiang Xiao nodded and glanced at Chiang Caijiao, who was cowering pitifully in a corner of the security office, before she turned and walked out.
Her heart had become very tough now.
The security office was quite fast.
By the morning of the third day, they had returned the flowerpot to Chiang Xiao’s hands.
Accompanying them was an energetic old man and Liu Guoying.
It was only then that Chiang Xiao realized, the person who had bought the Orchid from Song Xiyun was the same old friend Liu Guoying had mentioned before—the one who liked cultivating orchids, who had seen her painting and said he had never seen such an orchid before.
The old man’s surname was Han, known as Uncle Han.
"Xiao Chiang, actually, after I bought this orchid, I felt it looked very similar to the one in your painting, so I asked Guoying to check it out. I never expected the flower was actually stolen from you," Uncle Han said with a head shake and a wry smile, "This orchid seems to be a mutated variety; I thought I got a bargain paying two thousand yuan for it when the woman herself set the price at five hundred yuan. I added fifteen hundred more because I thought she was at a loss, but now it seems I was the foolish one."
He felt very uncomfortable realizing he had bought a flower from a thief, and no matter what, he wanted to come and apologize to Chiang Xiao in person today.
"You’re not to blame for this, Uncle Han is a good man."
Song Xiyun had low horizons, estimating her price at five hundred would have already excited her beyond measure, not expecting Uncle Han to voluntarily raise the price to two thousand.
He really was too honorable a person.
"This Orchid..." Liu Guoying had been looking at the Orchid all this time, and finally, he couldn’t help but say to Chiang Xiao, "Could you lend it to me for a couple of days?"
Seeing this Orchid, he was itching to paint.
Chiang Xiao knew his fondness for painting orchids, plums, and pines, and naturally, she had no objection to his request.
"Of course, I’m giving this orchid to you," she said craftily, looking at Liu Guoying, and then added, "But will you take me on as your student?"
Liu Guoying paused, unable to help but glare at her.