Chapter 309 Buying the Vineyard, the Eve of the Gallery Opening
After dinner at Yang Yeming's house, Zhang Junping helped the drunk Wu Xinping back to the Earl's Manor.
In fact, sometimes I envy Wu Xinping. Although he has a poor drinking capacity, he lives a free and easy life.
After drinking a glass of wine, you will be drunk and unconscious. You don't have to worry about other things, and you don't have to worry about things like drunkenness and immorality.
Back at the Earl's Manor, Judy came over and told Zhang Junping that George Fairburn had been here and asked Zhang Junping to come back and call him back.
Zhang Junping picked up the phone and called George Fairburn back.
Even if George Fairburn didn't come to find him, Zhang Junping was going to go find him.
"George, I am Zhang Junping."
"Haha! Dear Zhang! You are so uninteresting. You came to Paris and didn't come to see me."
"George, I just arrived yesterday, and today I took my elders to visit a senior living in Paris.
I was going to visit you tomorrow, but I didn't expect you to come here first." Zhang Junping explained with a smile.
"Dear Zhang, you should have noticed that the promotion of the touring exhibition of Chinese traditional arts and crafts has been launched throughout Europe."
"I see, George, you are a great businessman.
Keep your promises, I like doing business with people like you.
Don't worry, all the imitation oil paintings I promised will be paid in full before the touring exhibition begins." Zhang Junping understood what George Fairburn meant by this.
Therefore, without waiting for George Fairburn to speak, he gave him an answer directly.
"Haha, dear Zhang, I definitely don't care about imitation.
You know, what I care about is "Pastoral Scenery", when can all the 108 oil paintings you promised be painted."
"Don't worry, "Thirty-six Pastoral Styles" will definitely be painted soon before the touring exhibition.
Since I have promised you, I will naturally not leave it to anyone else.
Even if the other party pays more, I will not agree.
This is a matter of integrity." Zhang Junping gave George Fairburn reassurance.
"Haha, I believe you!
By the way, I have already contacted the vineyard I mentioned earlier for you. I am just waiting for you to come back and then we can trade with the other party.
From now on, the vineyard will be yours." George Fairburn said another thing.
Just before, when we were chatting, we came up with the idea of buying the vineyard next door.
Although the quality of the vineyards in Paris is not as good as that in Bordeaux.
But it’s not bad either.
Wines from good vintages are still very popular.
"Great! Dear George, you are simply my lucky star!" Zhang Junping was overjoyed.
He is not short of money and does not care about the income from the vineyard.
What I care about is that this vineyard is a good show-off prop.
In the future, when visiting friends or clients, you can take the red wine produced in your own manor as a gift.
"This is my manor. I brew the red wine myself and it tastes pretty good.
It's just a trivial matter, not respectful."
It’s exciting just thinking about it.
Of course, it would be better if it was a vineyard in Bordeaux.
However, he did not have the time or energy to go to Bordeaux to take care of the vineyards.
There is a vineyard in Paris that is also very nice.
The next day, Zhang Junping, accompanied by George Fairburn, took his lawyer and signed a sales contract with the other party.
After the payment was made, the vineyard officially belonged to him.
Not only the vineyard, but also several vintages of wine stored in the manor’s cellar.
They are wines from last year, the year before, and the year before that.
In other words, they are wines from 1978, 1977 and 1976 respectively.
Zhang Junping recalled the good wine vintages in the past few decades that he had specifically checked.
I instantly understood why the original manor owner was so generous in retaining the wines from these three vintages.
There was a lot of rain in 1976 and 1977, which were very bad years, while 1978 was just average.
The wines from these three years not only had low yields, but also had the lowest scores.
Why is the 1982 Lafite so popular?
Because the 1982 Bordeaux wine scored the highest in recent years.
Not only the wines from Chateau Lafite are good, but the wines from other Bordeaux chateaus are also good.
Zhang Junping bought the vineyard and also the winemaking workshop.
Zhang Junping chatted with the grape planting workers and the winemaker, and felt pretty good about it, so he kept them all.
According to winemakers and grape growers, this year is still not a good year, and it depends on the rain conditions during grape picking.
If there is less rain at that time, the RP score can reach above 85, but it will not exceed 90.
A score above 90 points is considered a good vintage, and a score above 95 points is considered a top vintage.
The years between eighty-five and eighty-nine are considered average years, while those below eighty-five are considered poor years.
In fact, apart from the impact on output, other impacts are not significant.
The winery that Zhang Junping bought is mainly focused on the mid- to low-end market.
Lafite was very good in 1982, but in Europe, 99% of people could not afford it.
Mid- to low-end wines are the main force in the market.
After taking over the vineyard simply and rudely, Zhang Junping returned to the Earl's Manor.
“I just bought the vineyard next door, which contains about the last three vintages of wine.
I decided to give the wines of these three vintages to everyone as a bonus.
Everyone can drink as much as they want, open it, but it cannot be used for bathing." After Zhang Junping returned to the Earl's Manor, he announced good news.
"marvelous!"
"Thank you sir!"
"Long live sir!"
"I want to sleep with wine every day!"
The wine from the vineyard next door is still very popular, and has a good reputation among middle and low-end customers.
In good vintages, mid-to-high-end wines will also be released.
"There is a small problem, that is, the wine can be given to you for free.
But you need to put in a little work."
"What kind of labor does sir need from us?"
"Sir, what do you need us to do?" A beautiful brown-haired clerk winked at Zhang Junping and asked with a smile.
"I need to merge the two manors together..."
Due to transportation considerations, the buildings in the two manors are not far apart. Standing on the third floor of the Earl's Manor Castle, you can see the buildings in the vineyard.
The two manors were separated by an iron fence. After Zhang Junping bought it, he naturally had to remove the iron fence in the middle.
Considering the work efficiency of the French, Zhang Junping does not plan to find locals.
"Zhou Yan, you, along with your comrades from the security department and other male colleagues, are responsible for removing the fence between the two manors.
Judy, please contact me and see if you need those fences.
Sell them, use the money to buy food, and have a party at night."
"yes!"
"Okay sir! I will contact the waste material recycling company."
“In addition, I plan to add some green plants between the two manors and build a stone road.
Girls, it’s up to you to plant green plants and expand the garden.
You can arrange and transform the entire garden according to your own wishes.
Will you feel a sense of accomplishment when you walk and play in the garden in the future?" Zhang Junping smiled and continued to assign tasks.
"Sir, we have left this matter to us. We are very happy to be able to arrange the garden according to our own wishes." Rosa and Lisa readily agreed.
"The paving of the stone road will also be left to you, Zhou Yan.
According to your own preferences, you can discuss it and decide what kind of stone road to lay.
Guys and girls, take action!
I look forward to you creating a miracle." Zhang Junping used extremely inflammatory words to fool everyone.
"Oh! By the way, I just took a look at the main building over the vineyard.
It is also a castle, much larger than the one here.
It is large enough to accommodate a hundred people at the same time.
So, girls, if you want to save money on renting a house, I welcome you to live in the castle.
After the renovation is completed, Chinese girls will also move there." Zhang Junping told everyone another piece of good news.
"Sir, I love you!" A hot-bodied clerk threw himself into Zhang Junping's arms and gave him a passionate kiss.
"Susan, I suspect you are taking advantage of me!" Zhang Junping smiled and pushed Susan away.
"Sir, you are right! She is taking advantage of you!" Rosa said with a smile.
This shows that Zhang Junping has won the respect of the clerks.
Everyone's respect for him is no longer limited to the respect between boss and employee.
"Okay! Forget it this time, I won't do it next time! I am a married man, and my wife will be jealous of your behavior." Zhang Junping said with a smile.
"Sir, can I really stay in the castle for free?"
"Of course, each of you can apply to stay in the castle for free.
However, you cannot bring men back to the castle.
Also, you have to work hard, for example, you need to clean up the interior of the castle yourself.
The garden outside also needs you to clean it up." Zhang Junping said with a smile.
Renting a house abroad is a big expense.
In particular, these shop assistants belong to the high-income group. A large part of their monthly income is used to rent a house, buy cosmetics, and buy clothes.
Saving money on renting a house means they can buy one more set of cosmetics or one more piece of clothing.
Dress yourself up beautifully.
In fact, Zhang Junping did not suffer.
By letting them live in the castle, they can save the cost of hiring someone to take care of the castle.
You know, taking care of a castle is a big expense.
It was such a happy decision that we could live in the castle for free and they would be responsible for taking care of the castle.
A win-win decision.
In the following days, the training continued, garden tidying, and planting of green plants and flowers were carried out at the same time.
Zhou Yan led his men to dismantle the fence and lay a stone road.
The stone road is no longer just a road connecting two manors, it has turned a few corners in the garden and turned into a sightseeing road.
Zhang Junping also complied with everyone's request and installed turf lights on both sides of the stone road.
Zhang Junping spends his days leisurely, going to the store to check on the renovation progress.
Then there is the creation of oil paintings.
He wanted to paint the imitation oil painting he had promised and fulfill his promise.
There is also the creation of the "Pastoral Scenery" series of oil paintings.
This one hasn't been missed either.
Creating the "Pastoral Scenery" series of oil paintings is not just a bad idea.
Zhang Junping is honing his skills, integrating the painting techniques of many painters, and forming his own creative style.
Foreign countries are very tolerant of human body painting, and nude body painting will be regarded as artistic creation.
Nudity paintings by many famous painters are very popular.
However, there is also a degree.
It's acceptable to be naked, it's acceptable to expose your breasts, it's all art.
But you cannot draw female officers, especially female officers.
Once there are pornographic officials, it is vulgar art.
"Pastoral Scenery" created by Zhang Junping grasps this degree very well.
Every action is full of room for imagination, but there is absolutely no problem of exposure.
In fact, it is much more conservative than most nude art paintings.
Zhang Junping hides in the studio on the third floor to create every day.
Occasionally give some advice to Sophie Marceau.
Zhang Junping only told her some painting techniques, such as how to mix colors and how to better highlight the three-dimensional effect. He never restricted her to only paint this way or that.
In the meantime, Zhang Junping also taught Sophie Masouza horse steps and boxing exercises, which are basic lessons that all his apprentices must learn.
This is mandatory for Zhang Junping.
However, there was no need for him to force him to do so. Sophie Marceau's enthusiasm for Chinese Kung Fu was even higher than her enthusiasm for painting.
She took the initiative to practice zhamabu every day and pestered Zhang Junping to teach her boxing.
As for Wu Xinping, he doesn't need to worry. He leaves early every day and comes home late every day, with several people in charge of the company's logistics department, and his life is very comfortable.
During this period, I followed Zhang Junping to a party in the Paris art circle and had an affair.
Of course, between master and disciple, no one should talk about the other.
Days like this lasted until Wu Xinping's visa expired.
The visas of Wu Xinping and the logistics department are tourist visas, which are different from the work visas of Zhang Junping and others.
There's only one week left.
Zhang Junping dug into his pocket and bought everyone a souvenir as a gift, and then sent everyone to the airport.
Back at the Earl's Manor, before I had time to rest, I received another call.
The artwork he commissioned from Ocean Shipping Group arrived at the port of Marseille.
Marseille is the largest port city in France, the second largest city in France, and the capital of Provence.
Since ancient times, Chinese goods have entered Europe through the port of Marseille, which has also resulted in this city being a blend of multiple cultures.
Ocean Shipping Group is only responsible for transporting the goods to Marseille, and Zhang Junping needs to be responsible for the rest of the journey.
Therefore, Zhang Junping could only take Zhou Yan and ten other comrades from the security department and drive to Marseille together.
Paris is more than 700 kilometers away from Marseille. Fortunately, France's highways are relatively developed, and it only takes seven hours to arrive.
Several people took turns driving and arrived in Marseille that evening.
Zhang Junping took Zhou Yan and found a hotel to stay.
The next day, I arrived at the port and found the person in charge of Ocean Shipping Group. With his help, I went through the entry customs procedures.
Zhang Junping originally thought that such a procedure was not simple, but it turned out that he had to wait a full five days to complete the customs declaration.
Zhang Junping really wants to ask, those people who brag about how good and efficient foreign countries are, how efficient are foreign countries?
What’s more, decorating a house, which takes up to half a month in China, took more than two months in Paris.
It's such a simple thing to go through customs, it's a normal procedure, but I had to wait for four days, and the goods were not picked up until the fifth day.
Of course, when dealing with rich people, it is really efficient.
The reason he waited for so long was because someone jumped in line blatantly.
You can't help it, the people who jump in line are all well-known wealthy businessmen in France.
Of course, Zhang Junping is also rich, but without fame, people will not dare to accept your money.
The people below dare to collect money, but they can't get anything done. At most, they won't block you at that stage.
The customs declaration was completed in five days, which shocked the people at Ocean Shipping Group.
In the past, it took at least half a month for them to declare customs.
Zhang Junping actually completed the customs declaration in five days.
In the eyes of the person in charge of the Ocean Shipping Group, this is already extremely fast.
This actually comforted Zhang Junping, who had spent the money.
At least it shows that the money was not wasted.
At the same time, I also regretted not bringing George Fairburn with me. If I had brought him, I might have been able to complete the customs declaration on the same day.
When he came, George Fairburn offered to come with him. Zhang Junping didn't want to owe more favors, so he didn't agree.
If I had known earlier, I would have brought George Fairburn with me.
As for human feelings, they are just a few imitation oil paintings.
What a big deal.
Zhang Junping contacted the local freight company in Marseille, handled the entrusted transportation business, and purchased sufficient insurance.
Insurance is very important abroad and involves every aspect of life.
Buying insurance may make your life difficult, but if you don't buy insurance, you may go bankrupt and lose everything.
Therefore, Zhang Junping wisely followed the freight company's advice and purchased expensive insurance.
Anyway, this money will eventually be added to the selling price of the art, and the consumer will pay for it.
It took more than a day to finally transport all the artworks to the Earl's manor and temporarily store them in a secret room underground.
Although the store has not yet completed the final decoration, with this batch of artwork, the subsequent training has substantial goals.
Zhang Junping took the artworks and gave everyone comparative training. Each artwork has a file with a basic description of the artwork.
However, there is a lack of artistic evaluation. What Zhang Junping has to do is to give an artistic evaluation of each work of art.
This is also what Rosa and the others need to learn.
This is similar to how they used to sell clothes. Clothes are expensive. Why are they expensive? Is it the design, the fabric, or the style.
What Zhang Junping teaches is to use the language of art evaluation to explain the value of these artworks to customers.
This is the focus of sales and communication.
As for value preservation and value appreciation, it only makes customers feel more confident when purchasing.
In the next period of time, Zhang Junping became busy, training store clerks during the day, and working overtime to create works at night.
In the evening, Zhang Junping was concentrating on his creation and did not notice anyone coming into the studio.
It wasn't until he finished painting this piece of work that he stepped back to admire his work when he stepped on something.