Wang Gang made a bet with Cheng Jianjun, but he didn't take it too seriously. He continued to assemble the bicycle as if no one else was around.
Some of the parts of the two scrapped cars he bought back were still usable. Wang Gang went to the scrap collection station to find some parts and pieced together a 50% new bicycle.
After putting the bicycle together, he specially rode around in the yard. He was seen by Cheng Jianjun and Su Meng, both of whom had different expressions.
Su Meng didn't expect that Wang Gang could actually use two scrapped cars to build a rideable bicycle, and a glimmer of excitement flashed in her eyes.
Cheng Jianjun was a little panicked, but he felt relieved when he remembered that the bet he made with Wang Gang was a new car.
Wang Gang rode a 50% new bicycle and went directly to the bicycle repair shop.
"Boss, look at how much this bicycle can be sold for."
The owner of the repair shop checked the condition of the car and then said to Wang Gang: "This car is too old. The most I can offer is thirty yuan."
Wang Gang thought for a moment. He found two scrapped cars for free and only spent three yuan on the parts. He pieced them together and resold them for free, earning twenty-seven yuan, which was more than what he earned from working in a factory in a month.
"Okay." Wang Gang pushed the bicycle to the boss.
"Isn't your car stolen?" the boss said hesitantly.
"There must be no problem with the origin, and I will definitely not get you into trouble." Wang Gang said.
The boss smiled and paid for the car.
Wang Gang thought for a while and asked, "If I bring two 70% new cars, can I get a new one?"
The boss thought about it and said, "Two 80% new ones will do."
Wang Gang nodded, then took the money and walked to the black market.
He planned to use the money from selling the car as capital to buy newer bicycles, and then earn a new car through patchwork.
Wang Gang didn't care about the bet, he just wanted to pass the boring time.
There are too few entertainment activities in this era. Wang Gang came home from get off work and had nothing to do. He didn't even watch TV. It was boring if he didn't find something to do.
Wang Gang walked into an alley and went directly to find an acquaintance.
"Popohou, are you at home?"
The person Wang Gang was looking for was none other than Hou Dianchen, one of the two great men of the Zhengyang Sect.
A month ago, Wang Gang saw a ragged Taoist Hou on the road. Just like in the TV series, he felt kindhearted.
Bashahou gave Wang Gang some solitary books as a return favor, and Wang Gang later went to him to buy some bicycle parts.
After going back and forth, the two of them developed some friendship.
"You kid won't come to me if you have nothing to do. Tell me! What else do you want?" Bashahou came out of the house and called.
"Help me find two more bicycles, 30% to 40% new, as long as they can be ridden." Wang Gang handed the 30 yuan he just earned to Bashahou.
Baolanhou is not pretentious. He usually walks through the streets and alleys to collect rags. He has more ways than Wang Gang in this regard.
"I brought two things over here for you to take a look at." Wang Gang said again.
Mr. Poshahou and Mr. Guan are both well-known connoisseurs of cultural relics in the capital.
He usually walks the streets collecting rags, and his main purpose is to pick up leaks. Even though he is dressed in rags, he has a house full of treasures at home.
This also resulted in him spending most of his money on purchasing cultural relics, and even eating was a problem.
Poshahou and Mr. Guan are the same kind of people. They don't collect cultural relics to make money, they just don't want the good things passed down by their ancestors to be ruined by ignorant people.
Gold in troubled times and antiques in prosperous times. Now the price of antiques has dropped sharply. Many people even chop up Huanghuali furniture and use it as firewood.
Wang Gang sometimes spends money to collect some antiques. On the one hand, he can exercise his eyesight, but on the other hand, he feels sorry for the good things gathering dust.
This time, the things he brought to Popohou Hou were two pieces of porcelain that he had just collected. They looked like they were from the Song Dynasty. When he first discovered them, they were used as tea bowls by the owner.
Bao Pohou knew it after just two glances.
"He's from the Southern Song Dynasty. Your boy's eyesight has improved recently."
Wang Gang smiled and said: "Then I also want to thank you for the books you gave me."
Baolan Hou snorted: "You are a good master, otherwise just reading will be useless."
Wang Gang knew that Shashahou and Mr. Guan knew each other, and something happened when they were young, which made them dislike each other.
He also asked about it, but unfortunately the two of them were very strict with each other and no one said anything.
"Marquis Popo, how about exchanging these two bowls for two of your paintings?" Wang Gang suddenly suggested.
Bashahou said a little warily: "What do you think of my paintings?"
Wang Gang smiled and said: "It's those two paintings by Zhang Daqian."
Bashahou asked in confusion: "You want Zhang Daqian's paintings?"
Wang Gang nodded and said: "I have no interest in porcelain, I just like painting."
Baolanhou said doubtfully: "Are you sure you want two paintings by Zhang Daqian? That one is worthless!"
Now Zhang Daqian is still alive and living in Bay Province. Although his paintings are famous, they are not as valuable as those of later generations.
The porcelain that Wang Gang brought over is a good thing from the Southern Song Dynasty.
"It's hard to buy a good heart." Wang Gang explained.
Wang Gang loves painting, and even worked as a painter in the windy world. Compared with antique porcelain, painting is more popular with him.
Baolan Hou curled his lips and said, "I don't like to take advantage of others. I'll give you two paintings by Zhang Daqian, plus one by Wu Daozi."
Wang Gang didn't expect there would be an unexpected gain.
"It's not easy for Wu Daozi's paintings to be preserved to this day. I'm not taking advantage of you!"
Baolanhou snorted coldly: "Don't be too happy too early. I only have half of this painting."
While talking, Popohou walked into the bedroom and took out a box from under the bed.
Wang Gang discovered that there were many good things in the box.
Shapohou took out a scroll and handed it to Wang Gang casually.
Wang Gang wiped his hands with his clothes before picking up the scroll.
"Open it and take a look!" Popohou put the box under the bed again.
Wang Gang took out the scroll, put it on the table and opened it carefully.
This secondary painting collected by Poshahou Hou is a statue of Guanyin. It should be an early work by Wu Daozi. The brushwork is obviously not as sophisticated as the middle and later periods.
The scroll is not completely preserved, only half of it is preserved. The statue of Guanyin was cut off at the middle, and the whereabouts of the second half are unknown.
"What a pity, what a pity." Wang Gang looked at half of the painting and said it was a pity.
Baolanhou hummed and said, "If it wasn't just half of it, I could give it to you in exchange."
Wang Gang suddenly remembered that he seemed to have seen half of the Guanyin statue in Mr. Guan's collection, just below the waist.
"It can't be such a coincidence!" Wang Gang said, touching his chin.
When the Poshahou Hou heard Wang Gang's words, he wondered: "What a coincidence?"
Wang Gang didn't hide anything and said to Baolan Hou: "My master also has a half-cut painting there, which seems to be a statue of Guanyin."
Baolan Hou was startled and took a deep look at Wang Gang.
"Tell me, aren't you afraid that I will regret not changing it?"
Wang Gang said calmly: "I didn't think much about it. I just thought about how to put the paintings together."
The corners of Baolanhou's mouth slightly curled up and he said, "It's God's will! It's fitting that this painting will be complete in your hands."
Wang Gang said: "Otherwise, you can change it to something else."
Baolanhou snorted coldly: "I, Baolanhou, will spit out foam and nail each one. I will give it to you as long as I tell you."
Wang Gang didn't say anything, he silently put away the scroll, and then handed the two Southern Song Dynasty ancient porcelains to Shapohou Hou.
After staying at Shapohouhou's house for a while, Wang Gang said goodbye and left, planning to go to the black market first to buy some things for Mr. Guan.
Bashahou's home is not far from the black market, and Wang Gang walked there in just ten minutes.
This was not Wang Gang's first visit to the black market. He strolled around and bought some eggs and ducks.
When passing by a stall selling sweets, Wang Gang stopped for a while, thinking of bringing some back to Mother Han, who loved sweets.
"How do you sell this candy?" Wang Gang asked proactively when he saw that the stall owner was wearing dirty clothes and a hat covering most of his face.
The stall owner saw the business, immediately raised his head and said: "A penny for a penny."
When Wang Gang saw the stall owner's face, he was stunned and shouted:
"Zheng Juan!"
The appearance of the stall owner is exactly the same as that of Wang Gang's wife Zheng Juan in the human world. Although the stall owner is disguised as a woman, Wang Gang can still tell that she is a woman at a glance.
"You must have mistaken the person! My name is not Zheng Juan." The stall owner deliberately lowered his voice and pretended to be a man.
When Wang came to his senses, he saw the appearance of the stall owner and recalled many past events with Zheng Juan.
"I'm sorry, you look very similar to someone I know."
Wang Gang took out 50 cents and said, "Bring me five balls of glutinous rice syrup."
The stall owner happily accepted the money and began to stir syrup for Wang Gang.
After accepting the syrup, Wang Gang asked again: "Girl, what's your name?"
"What girl? I'm a boy." The stall owner said anxiously.
Wang Gang smiled and said nothing.
Seeing that he couldn't hide it, the stall owner looked around and said, "Don't tell me."
The black market is chaotic, and it takes a lot of care for a girl to make a living on her own.
"I don't mean anything else. You look too much like a friend of mine." Wang Gang said sadly.
The stall owner seemed to feel Wang Gang's sadness, and finally thought about it and told Wang Gang her name.