"There are five," said the woman, her eyes dancing as she immediately started to hike up the price. "Do you really want to buy them? Ten dollars a painting, are you buying or not?"
Five paintings, totaling fifty dollars.
Chiang Xiao felt a sourness in her heart. How could her teacher’s paintings only be worth fifty dollars?
"Alright then, fifty it is, I just happen to round up the number," Chiang Xiao glanced at her, "Try to raise the price again and see if I change my mind."
She could clearly see that the woman regretted agreeing to the price and wanted to raise it again after she had accepted it.
Sure enough, after hearing Chiang Xiao’s words, the woman immediately swallowed back her attempt to raise the price once more.
Liu Guoying was just a nobody!
Of course, his family was quite wealthy when he was young, and he even received training in painting, but what use was that? He had no fame, and during those turbulent years, because of a few somewhat improper paintings he made, he even brought disaster upon his family.
Now, although it’s a new society, they still harbor some unease about keeping his paintings. Those few paintings were, first, not valuable, and second, it was uncertain whether they would cause trouble. If they could sell them for fifty dollars, that really would be a great bargain!
Not selling would be foolish!
"Wait here, I’ll go get the paintings right now!" The woman didn’t even glance at her husband; she turned and ran toward her house.
Liu Guoying watched Chiang Xiao with a very complex mood.
"Chiang Xiao, why must you..."
Chiang Xiao turned around and looked at him seriously. "Teacher, your paintings, they don’t deserve to have them."
Liu Guoying felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
Perhaps now it was only his foolish student who firmly believed his paintings were of great value.
Soon, the woman came running back with five scrolls of paintings.
The two families lived not far from each other.
"Here you go!" she said pushing the five scrolls of paintings over. "Give me the fifty dollars!" Meng Xinian stepped forward and took the paintings.
His appearance stunned the onlookers, and then all eyes were drawn to him.
His tall, imposing figure paired with his handsome looks were indeed rare.
"I’ll carry them for her," Meng Xinian knew this was not the time to advertise his relationship with Chiang Xiao, so he simply said that.
Chiang Xiao nodded, counted out five banknotes of the Great Unity from her bag, and handed them to the woman. Before the woman could take them, Chiang Xiao withdrew her hand, "These five paintings, are they the rent Teacher Liu paid to your family? Do you acknowledge this? If you don’t, these aren’t yours and can only be considered Teacher Liu’s."
"Okay, okay, let’s say this is the rent he paid!" The woman didn’t think too much, as she was currently fixated on the fifty dollars.
"Good, as long as you acknowledge that. Write a note, considering both of your reputations, I’m afraid you’ll deny it later, and continue to say that Teacher Liu freeloaded at your house."
At that moment, Mrs. Fu walked out of the courtyard with paper and pen.
Fu Mingfeng had just gone to the school and wasn’t home. She didn’t know how to handle the situation by herself; luckily, Chiang Xiao arrived.
Ever since Fu Mingfeng had met Chiang Xiao on the train that one time and told her about it upon his return, he’d mentioned Chiang Xiao to her multiple times. Even Chiang Xiao’s letters were read together with her, and Chiang Xiao had visited the Fu Family a few times. Mrs. Fu was quite familiar with her and trusted her handling ability inexplicably.
Seeing Chiang Xiao made her feel much more at ease.
Chiang Xiao took the paper and pen, Meng Xinian watched her, stepping forward and bending down in front of her.