Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 82: Eight Weird Artists of Yangzhou (2)

Wang Sasin was a scholar and an artist of the Qing period. He was one of the Eight Weird Artists of Yangzhou, the eight artists who worked in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, during the Qianlong Emperor’s time (1735~96).

Strangely, they were not from Yangzhou. They moved into Yangzhou for the free atmosphere and financial support.

They were called weird not because they acted in a weird manner but because they left the main style of the time and found their own paths.

“Wang Sasin?”

Hyeonjeong looked at Haejin with a question. She didn’t know who that was.

As she mainly bought western paintings and didn’t care much about eastern paintings, it was only natural for her to not know Wang Sasin.

Most Koreans only know about Kim Hongdo, Jang Seungeuop, Shin Yoonbok and not know about other Korean artists, so for them to know a foreign artist would be even stranger.

“He was a scholar and artist of Qing. Although he lost his sight later, he created a unique style of the ume flower and was called ‘Wang Ume Flower’. This appears to be his painting.”

The painting showed the ume flowers drawn only in black. Seeing the ume flower blooming on one branch would be able to make anyone feel calm.

However, it hadn’t been preserved well. Its corner was smudged, and the other side had a small piece missing.

Actually, Haejin was confused as he watched the painting. He thought they would bring out a forgery, but this painting seemed real.

Bringing a damaged fake was unlikely and, if this was a fake, the two sellers had probably been fooled as well.

Anyway, apart from those factors, judging from the rough touch of the brush in the branch and Wang Sasin’s unique style, it was clearly real.

“What do you think? They say Wang Sasin is a master of ume flower like Kim Sisup. Don’t you think that’s right?”

Sangdu confidently praised the painting.

“Yes. This has to be Wang Sasin’s ume flower.”

Haejin agreed and nodded.

The Eight Weird Artists each liked different things. Wang Sasin liked ume flowers, Lee Sun liked pine trees, Kim Nong liked buddha statues, Hwang Shin liked people, Go Sang liked landscape paintings, Jeong Pangyo liked bamboo trees, Lee Bangeung liked orchids, and Na Bing was great at depicting ghosts.

But strangely, similarities can be found in their styles. Their paintings were mostly simple sketches, and mostly depict a less magnificent nature, and have a unique of independence at the same time.

“Right? You have a discerning eye, just as I heard.”

Just as I heard? That didn’t feel good.

“Huh? You know me?”

Sangdu flinched and soon talked.

“Haha! Of course. How could I say that I make my living through art if I don’t know Park Haejin Art Museum? I should retire then.”

That meant he knew Haejin would be here today. Haejin couldn’t understand how that was possible.

He looked at Hyeonjeong who smiled awkwardly.

“Actually, I told them.”

“Oh… I see.”

Haejin swallowed back the sigh and turned back to Sangdu.

“I think Mrs. Hyeonjeong and I need to discuss this first.”

“Okay then, we will go now. You can call us at any time after you made your decision.”

Ridiculously, they quickly rolled back the painting, put it back in its container and left the house. It was like they had been waiting for Haejin to say that they needed to discuss.

After they left, Haejin scolded Hyeonjeong.

“Why did you tell them I would come in advance?”

Hyeonjeong didn’t seem to know what kind of mistake she made. She asked back innocently.

“Oh, have I made a mistake? I told them to imply that since I will be with such an appraiser, they better not do anything suspicious…”

“Huuu… they brought Wang Sasin’s painting instead of Monet’s because they knew I was coming.”

“I thought that painting was also good.”

“I’m not saying the painting is bad. Judging from the market price, Wang Sasin’s paintings are worth less than Monet’s. One of them has been sold below 100 thousand on auction.”

“Oh…”

“What I’m trying to say is that after finding out I’ll be here, they gave up on Monet’s painting and brought a real piece, although it is much less valuable.”

“Then I made a mistake. Oh… I was stupid.”

Hyeonjeong blamed herself only then.

“There’s nothing you can do about the past. They showed us Wang Sasin’s painting in order to not be accused as frauds by you. However, they won’t give up. If the Vice Chairman Lim Sungjun bought a painting from them, they can try to sell to someone else.”

“Ha… what should I do… I tried to not be fooled and made the situation worse.”

“No, it would be best to think it is better this way. It’s not like we’re the police. Making this harder wouldn’t do us any good. Anyway, I do wonder which painting Mr. Vice Chairman bought from them. And, how they managed to approach Hwajin…”

“Anyway, thank you for today. Then, about the appraisal fee…”

“I will think the painting’s appraised price is 100 thousand. As the down payment is bigger than the fee, you don’t have to pay me more.”

Haejin had told her in advance that the 10% down payment won’t be returned even if the artifact to appraise changes, so she nodded.

“Thank you. I’ll call you if they try to sell me something again.”

Haejin thought that wouldn’t be necessary as he wasn’t the police, but he couldn’t say no, so he just awkwardly smiled.

After a few days, Haejin got the answers to his questions faster than he had thought. Sungjun invited him.

As Eunhae had told him that she had stepped down and they should have dinner together, Haejin was worried as he headed to Pyeonchangdong.

When he arrived at the living room, there was someone he had never met before. It was a woman in her mid-40s and, judging from her expression that looked down on people, she had to be Sungjun’s wife.

“Welcome.”

Sungjun greeted Haejin on his sofa. Hyoyeon only nodded while Sungjun’s wife didn’t even do that.

She stood up and spoke bluntly, “Are you going to have lunch?”

“Have you had lunch?” Sungjun then asked.

“Not yet.”

“Then, eat with us. Oh, this is my wife.”

At the sudden introduction, Haejin bowed deeply for now.

“Hello, I am antiquity appraiser Park Haejin.”

She just said her name and went to the dining room, “Lee Misuk.”

Haejin was slightly puzzled to see everyone going to the dining room without saying anything, but he didn’t show it and sat down.

Misuk glared at him, but she didn’t say anything while setting the table with the housemaid. It was a short time, but it felt very wrong. It was because of that strange hostility.

“I thought you wouldn’t come.”

“Because of the buddha?” Haejin asked.

Sungjun raised his eyebrows, he didn’t like that. However, he soon straightened his face.

“You know how to make people nervous. Yes, I thought you would refuse my invitation because of the buddha.”

“However, that was because we wanted different things, and things went well eventually. Of course, you would feel a little bad about it, but as I did what I had to do, I should come to gain your favor from now on.”

Haejin meant it. He wanted to be on good terms with Sungjun. He was too busy for him to go there just because he was curious about the painting. Of course, he wasn’t going to wag the tail like a dog to impress Sungjun. He was just hoping to slightly improve that relationship.

“You are too… careless for someone who is trying to win my favor.”

Sungjun was talking about Haejin’s way of speaking.

“I’m always like this. However, everyone likes me as I don’t hold grudges. Anyway, I love galbijjim (Korean style braised short ribs)! Haha! Thank you.”

Haejin laughed as if he were at a friend’s house, but Sungjun could do nothing. He just smiled and raised his hand.

“Good. Enjoy. Our housemaid is a great cook.”

In fact, it was impossible to have an appetite in that mood, but Haejin ate with a smile. Misuk didn’t like that. She then put down her chopsticks.

“I heard you’ve been meeting Eunhae often recently.”

At that moment, Haejin realized why Misuk was here and why she was glaring at him. She must have found out what Eunhae was up to.

“Yes. How can a man refuse a beautiful woman like Ms. Eunhae? Hahaha!”

Haejin tried to escape with a joke, but Misuk’s reply was beyond expectations.

“If Eunhae likes you, too, why don’t you two get married?”

Haejin almost spewed out the food in his mouth. He was dumbfounded.

Hyeoyeon then added, “That’s a good match. Eunhae is a poor judge of character. He should do.”

They were saying that on purpose. They wanted Eunhae to marry a nobody.

“Haha, thank you for caring about us, but we’ll take care of that on our own. But I have a question…”

Haejin quickly changed the topic and looked at Sungjun.

“What is it?”

“I heard there are some guys who sell Monet’s painting these days.”

Misuk’s eyes shook at this.

“Monet? Monet, like at your museum? They’re selling it?”

“Yes. Their names are Gong Sangdu and Cha Haeseok…”

“Oh! I know them. I just bought a painting from them a while ago. And, did you already know of this? That I bought paintings from them?”

“Yes. A few days ago, Mrs. So Hyeonjeong, the wife of the current FFS Chairman, asked me to appraise a painting. So, I went, and she talked about you. If it had been someone else, she would have ignored them, but as they had sold a painting to you, she couldn’t stop thinking that the Monet’s painting might be real.”

Before Sungjun could answer, Misuk interrupted with anger.

“I didn’t know she was such a person. Who does she think she is to babble about our painting? That’s rude…”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Mrs. Hyeonjeong didn’t babble. She just told me that because she really liked that Monet’s painting. I didn’t know that it would make you uncomfortable.”

Finishing here wouldn’t be better than not bringing up the subject at all, so before Misuk could say anything, Haejin quickly looked at Sungjun and continued.

“However, I am curious. Which painting is that?”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“If the painting you bought is real, then their Monet’s painting might be also real.”

“If it were real, they would have brought it to me already. If they are some frauds, they must have tried to sell a fake using my name. However, I didn’t buy a fake. This isn’t like Max Beckmann’s case.”

He was sure that he had bought a real painting. But strangely, Misuk’s eyes were shaking hard.

Haejin thought there was something going on. Then, Sungjun talked.

“If you are so curious, I’ll show you. You know the Eight Weird Artists of Yangzhou, right?”