"This is our family matter. We don't need an outsider like you to interfere," the boss said.
Xu Qingqing was so amused by his shameless and pretentious words that she directly picked up a calligraphy work and announced loudly, "Leaving aside whether you're really his nephew or not, this calligraphy is a fake!"
"How dare you say my calligraphy is fake!" The boss's heart skipped a beat. He stood up and tried to snatch the work back.
Xu Qingqing dodged and refused to give it back. "My dad... Xu Weiguo would never write such an ugly calligraphy. Even his cursive script is legible and has its own style with powerful strokes. It would never look like chicken scratches!"
Xu Qingqing said speechlessly. It felt strange to say her father's full name. She had to repeat it silently in her mind several times to get used to it. "Moreover, the rice paper is of the roughest quality. Would a great calligrapher like Xu Weiguo use such inferior paper?"
"Of course he would. My uncle was very thrifty!" The boss still refused to admit defeat.
Xu Qingqing sneered. It was time to give the boss a fatal blow. "Everyone, when Xu Weiguo finished writing, he would always sign his name in black ink on the black ink strokes as a signature. Because of the cover of the black ink, his signature was very hard to find. That's why there was a rumor that Xu Weiguo never signed his calligraphy. But if you look carefully, you'll find that every one of his calligraphy works has a signature, just in a random and hidden position."
An old man carefully examined the calligraphy with his magnifying glass and confirmed, "There's no signature. It's a fake!"
"Good eye," Xu Qingqing praised the old man and looked at the panicked boss.
But the boss still refused to admit defeat. "Of course I know that. I deliberately asked my uncle not to sign it so that the calligraphy could be sold to people who really appreciated it, not those who only cared about his reputation."
"Oh, then why did you tell the customers that this was Xu Weiguo's calligraphy? You could just let them appreciate it without telling them. Your words and actions are self - contradictory," Xu Qingqing shrugged and pouted.
The boss was speechless. He took out the photo again. "I have evidence! This is a photo of me and my uncle!"
"Your calligraphy is fake, and so is this photo. As far as I know, this photo was taken when Xu Weiguo saw his daughter off on her trip abroad," Xu Qingqing retorted.
"How... How do you know!" The exposed boss blurted out subconsciously.
"Because I'm Xu Weiguo's daughter. The original photo is saved on my phone!"
After saying that, Xu Qingqing took out her phone, found the photo, and showed it to everyone. "If you don't believe me, I have other photos."
Xu Qingqing's explanation was well - reasoned. The biggest truth was that Xu Qingqing was Xu Weiguo's daughter. Which daughter couldn't tell whether her father's calligraphy was genuine or fake?
Those who came to buy calligraphy and paintings quickly put them back and demanded a refund. And the customer who had praised the boss's calligraphy and paintings as genuine before, seeing the boss in a desperate situation, turned around and tried to slip away.
Xu Qingqing took a long stride, grabbed the man's hat, and dragged him back. She said in a chilling tone beside his ear, "Don't even think about leaving, you shill!"
Xu Qingqing didn't need to guess. She knew that the boss was selling fakes under the guise of being Xu Weiguo's nephew. To make people believe, he had hired a shill to praise his works and lure people in. What a series of deceptions!
The shill still tried to struggle, but Zhang Beichen pinned him to the ground and took out his walkie - talkie to call for the security team.
After handing the man over to Zhang Beichen, Xu Qingqing clapped her hands with relief and said to Li Ying'er, "Okay, the matter is solved. Let's go."
"Wait! You're the daughter of Master Xu Weiguo!"
Old Li couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at Xu Qingqing.
Xu Qingqing nodded. "Yes."
Old Li's expression suddenly changed. He put on an obsequious smile and looked at Xu Qingqing. "Qingqing, I'm a loyal fan of your father. Could you ask your father to write a calligraphy for me?"
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"What a shame for an old man to ask a young girl for something!"
"You can't even tell the real from the fake. How dare you claim to be a fan!"
Father Lu dragged Old Li aside to separate him from Xu Qingqing. There was a hint of indignation in his tone. He hadn't even got a calligraphy from Xu Weiguo yet. How could this old man get there first!
Xu Qingqing said somewhat shyly, "Uncle Li, I'll tell my dad when I get home. I'll ask him to write for you when he's free."
"Thank you!"
Old Li nodded excitedly, and all his grudges were gone.
Hearing that Old Li had successfully asked for a calligraphy, Father Lu quickly pointed at himself and said to Xu Qingqing, "Qingqing, could you ask your father to write one for me too?"
"Sure. I won't forget you!"
On the way back, Li Ying'er hung her head, looking a bit anxious. "Sister Qingqing, I didn't find any good treasures. I'm afraid I won't even make it into the top ten this time."
She had boasted before the competition that she would win the first place. Now she realized it was much more difficult in practice!
Xu Qingqing comforted her, "It's okay. There'll still be opportunities on the way back. I'll help you take a look."
On the way back, Xu Qingqing only needed to take a glance at the stalls to sense if there were any genuine treasures. Then she would tell Li Ying'er not to waste her time.
Li Ying'er was extremely impressed by Xu Qingqing's special ability.
Halfway on the road, Xu Qingqing and the others met a middle - aged man selling bracelets. The man carried a wooden stick like the one for skewering candied haws, with bracelets skewered on it.
As the man moved around with the stick, it became a makeshift stall. The man with the stall was simply dressed. He had long, knotted hair and was wearing a sheepskin coat. The long wool inside the coat stuck out, making him look shabby and slovenly, just like a vagrant.
But Xu Qingqing only took one look at his stall and immediately felt a strong hunch. She quickly pulled Li Ying'er. "Li Ying'er, there should be good treasures on that stall!"
"Sister Qingqing, you mean that man's stall..." Li Ying'er pinched her nose and looked reluctant.
She could smell the man from a distance. "Sister Qingqing, he looks like a vagrant. How could he have any treasures? Are you mistaken?"
Xu Qingqing shook her head firmly. Her intuition had never been wrong on this trip. "If you don't want it, I'll buy it..."
"Want! Of course we want it!"
Old Li, who had overheard their conversation, smiled and pulled Li Ying'er towards the man's stall. "Just do as she says. Qingqing won't harm you!"
"Qingqing, which treasure are you talking about?"
Father Lu shook his head helplessly at Old Li's vain behavior.