Three days later, Zhang Yang asked the people at the auction house for help and finally found out the address of the mysterious Master Jin.

Zhang Yang originally just wanted to try his luck, but he didn't expect to find it so easily without spending any money.

Of course he couldn't let him go, so he didn't waste any time and took Grandpa Lu to find the person.

On the way there, Grandpa Lu stared at the Chinese painting snuff bottle in his hand for a long time, and finally couldn't help asking:

"Although this Master Jin's inner painting skills are quite good, there's nothing special about him other than painting snuff bottles, right?"

"Why would we go to such a man? To make a custom snuff bottle from him? But who among us smokes? Didn't you say that the snuff bottle market has declined?"

Grandpa Lu asked several questions in a row, but none of them hit the point.

Zhang Yang followed his grandfather's words and explained: "Snuff bottles are declining, so we can't let such talents go to waste."

"Maybe this is what heroes appreciate heroes!"

The purpose of his coming to find Master Jin was actually very simple. He just wanted to recruit him for his own use.

What is the most lacking thing in the Tukeng section?
Is it money you lack?
It was probably true when the master was still around, but ever since Li Zi came and brought in capital, Zhang Yang hasn’t thought about the issue of money for a long time.

This is the advantage of a rich woman, there is no need to avoid it.

Is it the skills that are lacking? Although his master has gone to jail, Zhang Yang still has some confidence. If nothing else, at least in Qingzhou, he feels that he should have no rivals in the counterfeiting business.

Even in the entire Handong Province, he would probably be ranked in the top ten, including those national-level craftsmen.

What the Tukeng section really lacks is people who can work!

Although the workshop was small, it never lacked orders, especially after Zhang Yang came back from Yanjing, many people came here and paid him a lot of money to copy murals.

But Zhang Yang did not accept any of these orders.

Because there is simply no time.

In addition to murals, there are also many orders for bronze ware. The relationship between the Li family and him is basically on the table. Many people who want to have a relationship with Li Zi will also want to go the high-profile route.

But I couldn't answer it.

Because when bronze ware was produced in the past, it was Shen Yiyi who helped with the work.

As for the orders that came with the Li family's connections, it was already very ladylike of Xiao Shen not to chase away the people who came to her door with a shovel, let alone help with the work.

But the business in Tukengduan is all technical work. Without certain skills, ordinary people can't even do odd jobs.

Grandpa and Li Zi had both tried to help, but ended up making things worse. Now, whenever they see Zhang Yang and Shen Yiyi working, they will sensibly step aside to play with their phones and don't even dare to talk to them.

Now, having met a master of Chinese painting, Zhang Yang certainly couldn't let him go.

Based on his observation of Master Jin's works, this person not only has a deep foundation in Chinese painting, but is also very likely to be the successor of Ye Zhongsan.

Even if he is not a direct disciple, he is definitely a leader among the side branches.

Otherwise, Zhang Yang would not have discovered the problems with Master Jin's work until he got his hands on it.

After introducing the purpose of this trip to Grandpa Lu, the two arrived at Master Jin's house.

The other party's residence is a rather dilapidated house by the sea. In Hong Kong movies, this kind of house is usually occupied by bullies or people who rely on their parents for support.

But Master Jin was obviously neither of them. He was just standing in the yard with a flat head and looked very energetic.

If it weren't for the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes that betrayed his age, his dress and temperament would really look like a nerd in his twenties, like a graduate student who was pressured by his supervisor to do experiments, with a wooden and hopeless expression on his face.

He was holding a brush in his hand, carefully sketching something on a white porcelain bottle that was as smooth as new.

Anyone familiar with the porcelain-making process will know at a glance that this is the process of overglaze coloring.

From Zhang Yang's perspective, Master Jin's craftsmanship is obviously aimed at the most expensive ancient overglaze porcelain - Yongzheng famille rose.

It's just that the level is slightly lower than that of his snuff bottle.

Not wanting to disturb him, Zhang Yang waited until he picked up his paintbrush and was about to dip it in camphor oil before speaking:
"Excuse me, is Master Jin from the Treasure Pavilion home?"

The man in the yard was obviously stunned and turned his head in confusion.

"Who are you? How did you find this place?"

"I am the seventh generation disciple of Tukeng Duan, Zhang Yang from Qingzhou in Handong."

"Ah?" Grandpa Lu asked in doubt. He didn't expect Zhang Yang to introduce it like this.

However, he reacted quickly and immediately said, "I am Lu Mingfei, the sixth-generation elder of Tukeng Section. My friend, I hope you will forgive me for disturbing you without notifying you!"

"hold head high?"

Master Jin in the yard stood there with his eyebrows half raised, and he didn't even notice that the colored paint on his brush had dripped onto his clothes.

He asked with a confused look on his face:

"Are you guys filming a variety show? The kind without a script? I haven't received any notice!"

"Actually, I don't have one either." Grandpa Lu shrugged and looked at Zhang Yang in confusion, silently asking why he introduced himself like that.

Zhang Yang didn't react much, and explained calmly:
"Your teachers should be Ye Zhongsan and Senior Ye, right?"

"What a coincidence, the founder of our Tukeng section had an encounter with Senior Ye in the past, so our sects are old friends."

"Do you know my ancestor?" Master Jin asked in surprise at first, but soon remembered that Grandpa Lu mentioned the "Treasure Pavilion".

The old man and the young man in front of them must have seen the snuff bottle in the Treasure Pavilion. Given this premise, it is not surprising that they talked about Ye Zhongsan.

He quickly changed his attitude: "Tell me, why are you coming to me in such a roundabout way to establish a relationship with me? What do you think I can do for you?"

"A discount coupon from Treasure Pavilion, or do you want to pay less by ordering something from me?"

"I'm telling you, there's no way..."

"Neither." Zhang Yang interrupted.

Master Jin was choked, paused for half a second, and asked back: "Neither?"

"But I haven't finished yet. What if I have more guesses? Wouldn't it be a bit hasty for you to interrupt and say that it's not the case?"

"Not at all." Zhang Yang smiled confidently and told the other party: "I came here to find a proper class for you."

"..."

Grandpa Lu, who understood what was said, and Master Jin, who didn't quite understand, both remained silent.

After a long while, Lao Jin took the initiative to speak: "What do you mean by find a class to attend? My Chinese grades are not very good. Can you explain it in another way?"

“It’s just to give you an offer.”

"Me? Offer?" Master Jin laughed, "Unbelievable, you want to hire me to work for you?"

"Oh, I see. You think the Treasure Pavilion's business is very good, so you want to poach me with a high salary, and then use me to defeat it..."

"No." Zhang Yang interrupted again with a smile, to prevent Master Jin from imagining things too far. "Isn't it?"

"Of course not. You don't think your stuff is a best-selling item in the Treasure Pavilion, do you? It's 2024 now, and snuff bottles are no longer the darlings of collectors as they once were."

"Besides, if you can really make money like this, why are you dealing in pastels?"

Zhang Yang nodded at the workbench beside Master Jin. Facts speak louder than words. Craftsmen who specialize in painting snuff bottles have begun to study overglaze colors.

Originally, Master Jin was a little embarrassed by what he said.

He knew the situation in the Treasure Pavilion best. Snuff bottles were indeed difficult to sell, especially those that he imitated from late Qing Dynasty Chinese paintings.

But Zhang Yang's last sentence instantly eased his embarrassment, and he quickly followed Zhang Yang's words and changed the subject:

"What's wrong with me dealing with pastels? I'm just practicing on a vase. The ultimate goal is a pastel snuff bottle!"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Uh...nothing wrong."

Zhang Yang looked at Master Jin, who was holding his head high and looking a little arrogant, and nodded in agreement helplessly.

There is indeed nothing wrong with the famille rose snuff bottle. The Palace Museum has it in its collection. It is small and pink in color. If you don’t know, you might think it is a container used by women to store cosmetics.

Of course, as to the current situation in the yard, whether or not they are studying enamel snuff bottles is a matter of opinion.

"Okay, since you've given in, I'll take a step back."

As Master Jin spoke, he actually took a half step back and then said sideways:
"Please come in, it's almost time for afternoon tea. If you have anything to say, let's talk while we drink."

……

After a brief communication, Zhang Yang found out that Master Jin’s surname was not Jin, but this title was just his stage name.

His real name is Mai Botao. Because he used to sell fake antiques, he almost had his legs broken. Later, for fear of revenge, he called himself Jin.

Master Jin is not from Hong Kong either. He originally studied fine arts at Shenghai, but because he failed the college entrance examination, he had to change his career.

Although he was a failed art student, he was a very traditional person. Even after arriving in Hong Kong, he still wanted to learn a skill to support himself.

By chance, I became a disciple of Ye Zhongsan's fourth generation disciple.

After eight years of apprenticeship, when he graduated, the snuff bottles he made were not cheap even if they were sold as handicrafts.

"What a pity. I was set up and got involved in gambling. Not only did I lose my house and car, but I also ended up in debt."

"If Master Bi from the Treasure Pavilion hadn't helped me, I would have starved to death on the street now."

When Master Jin talked about the past, besides simple emotion, there was also a hidden meaning, which was to persuade Zhang Yang to give up the idea of ​​digging him out to work.

Master Bi was the one who saved his life, so Master Jin himself had an emotional foundation for the Treasure Pavilion, and this relationship could not be shaken by a little money.

"I see. I didn't expect that Master Jin and Master Bi had such a relationship."

Zhang Yang nodded and said thoughtfully: "If we have this kind of relationship, then I will increase it a little bit and give you a fixed salary of 10 yuan a month. How about that?"

"This is not about money. Master Bi is my benefactor, and his whereabouts are unknown. If I terminate my cooperation with Treasure Pavilion at this time, who knows what kind of trouble will arise."

"Then... I'll also tell you where Master Bi is."

"What?" Master Jin blinked, wondering if he had heard it wrong.

So Zhang Yang repeated it again: "I can tell you the whereabouts of Master Bi, but the premise is that he is in a fixed location."

After the suspect is arrested, he will be quickly sent to the detention center, and then you can ask the lawyer to help check which detention center Master Bi is being held in.

Of course, the prerequisite is that he has been locked up, or at least in a prisoner transfer van.

"Really? Are you sure you know the whereabouts of Master Bi?" Master Jin asked a little incredulously.

"We've been looking for him at the Treasure Pavilion for a long time but haven't been able to contact him. Are you sure you can find him?"

"I am sure."

Zhang Yang nodded heavily and told Master Jin that after he arrived in Qingzhou and signed the contract, the news of Master Bi's whereabouts would be sent to him as soon as possible.

After listening to this, Master Jin stroked his chin and looked at Zhang Yang carefully for a while.

He seemed to want to see through the young man in front of him, but it was doomed to be in vain.

Finally, he chose to attack Grandpa Lu next to him:

"Old man, who are you exactly? With such great power, why would you poach a small fry like me to work for you?"

"Isn't it some transnational criminal group?"

"No." Grandpa Lu shook his head and answered seriously: "We are the Tukeng section, which is as famous as the Forbidden City and Shenghai Museum."

"We are short of people to do the work now. We are looking for you to come over to help with the work. Everything else is just out of sincerity."

"Zhang Yang, don't you think so?"

"Not entirely." Zhang Yang shook his head and slightly denied what Grandpa Lu said: "In addition to working, you will have better room for growth in our Tukeng section."

"Although at your age... it seems that there is no need to grow up, but whether you can grow up is one thing, and whether our platform has room for development is another."

"Come here. If nothing else, at least I can give you some pointers on pastels."

After Zhang Yang finished speaking, he turned around and looked around the room carefully, intending to find an example to demonstrate his level.

But he found something strange on the cabinet behind him.

"What are these?"

Master Jin looked in the direction of Zhang Yang's finger, realized what Zhang Yang saw, and stood up immediately.

He quickly walked to the cabinet, put the things on the counter inside, and explained:

"This was something a previous customer ordered, but they forgot to put it up."

"Mr. Zhang, are you sure you can find Master Bi? If so, I am willing to work in your company for a while. Of course, the salary must be based on what you say."

"Well, don't worry about that."

The monthly salary of 100,000 yuan offered by Zhang Yang is definitely a high price, because the output of a snuff bottle craftsman is actually not very high. If Master Jin devotes his whole heart to the work and is efficient, he can only make three or four fine pieces in a month.

If I sell it on the market, I won’t even earn enough to pay my salary.

However, if this skill is used to make small and exquisite porcelain, or to help paint murals, combined with Zhang Yang's meticulous work, it would be more than enough to earn a hundred thousand.

But now, this matter is no longer important.

Because Zhang Yang had remembered where he had seen those small and exquisite snuff bottles on the counter.

If I remember correctly, weren't the shapes and materials based on the collections in Hall 33b of the British Museum?
Who is Master Jin planning to deceive by imitating these things? (End of this chapter)