Chen Rong, courtesy name Gongchu, style name Suoweng, whose birth and death years are unknown, was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Duanping era of the Southern Song Dynasty. His poetry and prose were bold and vigorous, and he was renowned for his dragon paintings, which enjoyed widespread fame at the time, to the extent that even the powerful chancellor Jia Sidao attempted to recruit him.

Not many of Chen Rong's original works have survived. According to historical records, several pieces were once housed in the Qing Dynasty Imperial Collection, indicating that his paintings were valued by the rulers of that era. However, following the turmoil at the end of the Qing Dynasty, many of his works were scattered. His masterpieces are primarily collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Guangdong Museum, with other exceptional pieces held in the United States and Japan.

"What do you think of this painting?"

As Wang Guan's thoughts raced, Expert Zhu also approached with a smile, saying, "To tell you the truth, I don't recall seeing this painting here on my previous visits. It must be newly hung. It looks quite good."

"Yes, it is good," Wang Guan conceded with a nod. The soaring dragon in the painting leaped and coiled amidst the clouds and sky, its whiskers bristling, its claws grasping fiercely, shrouded by swirling mist. Its body occasionally vanished and reappeared, exuding a magnificent momentum of soaring through the clouds. With such brushwork, regardless of whether the artist was a master, it demonstrated profound skill and was immensely evocative.

"Huh, it looks like an antique."

Just then, Expert Zhu reached out to touch the paper, expressing some surprise himself: "It has a natural patina; it doesn't look artificially aged."

"What do you mean by artificially aged?"

Simultaneously, Gao Zhuang, unwilling to be left behind, approached lightly to examine it. After a moment's observation, he immediately exclaimed, "The Sea Dragon King is painted wonderfully! I wonder where one can buy it. I'll get one too and hang it in my cabin to burn incense to it day and night."

"That's easy enough," Expert Zhu chuckled. "Go to the provincial art museum. They have specialized painters there who can handle any subject matter. Their skill is passable, and the price is very fair."

"Mmm, I'll check it out when I have time..."

While they were speaking, the owner of the private restaurant personally emerged, carrying the freshly cooked Fotiaoqiang (Buddha Jumps Over the Wall). Trailing behind him were two or three assistants, bearing five or six side dishes, along with wine.

Seeing this scene, Expert Zhu smiled contentedly, then remarked, "Boss Ding. I didn't realize your taste was becoming so refined. Where did you acquire this dragon painting? It looks quite impressive."

"Does it really look good?"

Boss Ding appeared somewhat pleased at this moment, yet sighed as he spoke, "It's not that my taste is refined; I was forced into it. Just the other day, someone hosted a banquet here, ordering the deluxe VIP feast. It involved both Maotai and Wuliangye—only the most expensive selections. But after they ate their fill, he actually claimed he had no money..."

"Heh, you ran into a freeloader," Gao Zhuang inquired with keen interest. "What happened next? How did you handle it?"

"How else could I handle it?"

Boss Ding managed a bitter, helpless smile. "At the time, my teeth were itching with hatred; I wanted to break his limbs and throw him out. Unfortunately, I lacked the nerve. I had to endure it and prepared to call the police for handling. Unexpectedly, when the man saw I was about to call the authorities, he immediately knelt down, desperately pleading, saying he would wash dishes to settle the debt."

"He certainly calculated things well. He ate the deluxe VIP feast. Even if he washed dishes for a year, it wouldn't cover the bill, and during that time, I’d have to feed him for free. No matter how you look at it, I’d be at a loss," Boss Ding spread his hands. "When he saw I wouldn't agree and insisted on calling the police, he naturally backed down. But since he had no money, he could only offer this painting to settle the debt."

"I had someone look at this painting. It is indeed an ancient piece, and the execution seems quite good. Besides, in business, we must emphasize harmony for prosperity. I decided to count it as a loss, take a small hit, and let him go..."

As he spoke, Boss Ding eagerly asked, "Expert Zhu, is this painting truly good?"

"You're asking me?" Expert Zhu smiled and shook his head. "You've asked the wrong person. I specialize in ceramics, not calligraphy and painting. It’s not my field, so I dare not speak carelessly, lest I make a mistake and become a laughingstock."

"How could that be?" Boss Ding clearly didn't believe it. "Isn't there a saying about deriving knowledge from related fields? Expert Zhu, please take a look. I’ll give you an 80% discount on today’s meal."

"Only 80% off? I thought you were treating us," Expert Zhu quipped.

"It's a small operation, please understand," Boss Ding bit the bullet and conceded another step, "How about 70% off? That's cost price."

Boss Ding's statement carried some credibility. After all, the catering business truly has fat margins, but competition is fierce, and no one dares to mark prices up excessively. Earning a three-to-five fold profit on a banquet would already be considered high returns.

Of course, some unscrupulous merchants substitute inferior ingredients or cut corners, potentially turning a three-to-five fold profit into thirty-to-fifty fold. That, however, was a different matter. As for Xiangmanyuan, such practices didn't exist. All ingredients, especially the oils and salt, were of the highest quality, which is why it had established its reputation in the industry.

In modern society, everyone understood the importance of reputation, so Boss Ding wouldn't be foolish enough to ruin his own. Claiming 70% off was the cost price might have had a little exaggeration, but it certainly wouldn't be wildly off the mark.

Given this, Expert Zhu didn't quibble but smiled and gestured: "Boss Ding, you asked the wrong person from the start. The person truly knowledgeable about calligraphy and painting is right here beside you, yet you failed to recognize Mount Tai."

"Uh?"

Boss Ding froze, naturally turning his gaze to Wang Guan, clearly astonished. Youth was not a crime, but the problem was that in the public perception, the youngest expert or scholar specializing in ancient calligraphy and painting should be over forty. However, no matter how one looked at Wang Guan, he appeared to be under forty, perhaps not even thirty.

Just moments ago, he had heard Expert Zhu mention that even the mayor was coming to greet Wang Guan, so Boss Ding subconsciously assumed Wang Guan must be from a wealthy family, or at the very least, the driver or secretary to a major provincial leader.

Don't underestimate a top leader's driver or secretary. As the saying goes, 'A subordinate outside the prime minister's gate holds seventh-rank prestige.' Drivers and secretaries are akin to the close attendants next to ancient officials and serve as the leader's public face. If you offended them, it was tantamount to indirectly offending the leader. If you showed disrespect to the leader’s presence, who knew when their casual remark could ruin your future? Therefore, they deserved respectful treatment.

This wasn't mere speculation on Boss Ding's part. After all, this was the provincial capital, and he ran an eatery, dealing with people from the bureaucracy daily. Gossip circulated ceaselessly. Through constant exposure, Boss Ding understood the convoluted nature of officialdom.

Knowing how deep the waters ran, Boss Ding kept his mouth tightly shut. Even if he occasionally overheard classified information, he firmly refused to let any hint slip. Paradoxically, this discretion made more people prefer dining there, creating a virtuous cycle.

Naturally, over time, this fostered in Boss Ding an ability to navigate social situations deftly. Hearing Expert Zhu say what he did, even if he harbored deep doubts internally, he revealed nothing on the surface. Instead, he smoothly shifted tone, chuckling, "Oh my, I truly have been blind, accidentally approaching the wrong esteemed figure. I will punish myself with three drinks later; I hope the honored guest can forgive me."

"Expert Zhu is joking," Wang Guan waved his hand. "My level is merely that of a beginner."

"If you've entered the threshold, it means you've reached the inner hall," Expert Zhu laughed again. "It’s better than me, still lingering at the door and unable to even see the doorstep..."

"You are too modest," Wang Guan shook his head, yet his attention remained focused on scrutinizing the painting. He observed that it was rendered entirely in ink wash or light color, with firm, bold brushstrokes that possessed a majestic aura.

The painter outlined the dragon’s form with strong lines, using varying concentrations of ink wash to shade the main parts, making the dragon's image clear and prominent. The surrounding white space and the uneven rendering of light and dark tones left infinite room for imagination. Amidst the surging waves and swirling mist, the dragon's unrestrained flight through the air was rendered vividly.

Generally speaking, ancient dragon paintings emphasized nobility and elegance, especially imperial dragon motifs, which were always inclined towards splendor and opulence, conveying a sense of magnificence. However, this particular painting focused on portraying the dragon's fierce and wild temperament, giving an impression of brutality and savagery.

In conclusion, from Wang Guan's aesthetic perspective, this was a good painting. Boss Ding trading a whole banquet for this dragon painting was certainly a profitable exchange.

"It’s a pity there’s no inscription or seal on the painting,"

Wang Guan sighed at this point. "So it’s an anonymous work. Its price won't be high—the market value is likely between thirty to fifty thousand. If it finds someone who truly loves it, perhaps a bit more."

"Thirty to fifty thousand?"

In an instant, Boss Ding was stunned, utterly unexpected. After a pause, he recovered, a mixture of delight and disbelief coloring his expression: "Really?"

"What's wrong?"

Expert Zhu chuckled, "Do you hope it's false? Or do you feel the price is too low and you’re dissatisfied?"

"No, no, no..."

Boss Ding quickly shook his head, visible delight spreading across his face. "I initially thought it might be worth a few thousand to ten thousand at most. I never expected it could be worth thirty to fifty thousand... It seems that person wasn't lying; this painting truly was passed down from his ancestors."

"Whether it was passed down from his ancestors is a bit hard to say for sure," Wang Guan chuckled lightly. "However, in my view, this painting should date from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, making it about one to two hundred years old."

"One to two hundred years?" Hearing this, Boss Ding was naturally even happier, but he was also somewhat perplexed, unsure how Wang Guan arrived at that judgment.

"Look at the quality of the paper,"

Wang Guan gestured. "Calligraphy and painting can be artificially aged, but the color developed by deliberate aging will certainly differ from the marks formed by the passage of genuine, long time. Moreover, the color formed over ten or twenty years is distinctly different from that formed over one or two centuries. Through these differences, one can roughly determine the period."

"Of course, there are bound to be slight margins of error, so I can't say for certain if it's mid-period or late-period."

As he spoke, Wang Guan still felt a touch of regret. "Perhaps the artist knew that painting dragons was taboo, so he dared not sign his name or even include a date, which makes precise authentication difficult."

"Mr. Wang, you are being too modest,"

Expert Zhu countered at this moment, though it sounded less like a rebuttal and more like praise. "To be able to judge the age of an item purely by the color of the paper—that skill is not something everyone possesses. It is certainly admirable..."

"You are the one overpraising me,"

Wang Guan smiled faintly. "I merely spoke offhand; it is my personal opinion and does not represent the final consensus..."