Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 865 - 430: Life’s Short Thirty Thousand Days (Part 2)

Recently, it's become apparent that the study efforts have been quite fruitful, getting to the point of being a bit too engrossed in reading.

As they strolled through the gallery, Qin Huai carefully examined each painting, while Shi Dadan frowned the entire time and hadn't even finished his iced Americano. Zhao Cheng'an, after snapping a few photos for a pretentious social media post, started watching some variety shows.

The love variety show Zhao Cheng'an watched had begun its heated arguments, but he wasn't interested in the arguments. He focused on the show's location, marveling, "Hey, this island is nice; we could plan a trip there next year."

Qin Huai reexamined the first painting he saw upon entering the gallery, puzzled and muttering, "Master Zhou specifically gave me a day off to view these paintings, there must be a deeper meaning here. But what's so special about these paintings? Is Master Zhou hinting for me to spend some money and audit classes at the art school? That's not realistic, is it?"

Shi Dadan stared at his half-finished iced Americano, thinking, "Is this the stuff that the captain spent so much money and effort trying to buy back then?"

Each of the three had their own little quirks.

After checking travel guides, Zhao Cheng'an put down his phone and took a moment to check on his companions. He noticed Qin Huai was crouched, seriously studying the first painting with an academic approach. Seeing Qin Huai's dedication, Zhao Cheng'an leaned over, "What are you looking at? Do you like this painting that much? If you do, why not buy it? Usually, these exhibit paintings are for sale; even if there's no price listed, you can always inquire."

"It can be bought?" Qin Huai inquired.

"Of course, you can buy it. I've purchased paintings from galleries before. That painting hanging on the wall in my family's restaurant is one of them."

Qin Huai tried hard to recall but couldn't remember what painting was hanging on Zhao Cheng'an's restaurant wall; he only remembered that something was definitely there.

"How much did you pay for that painting?" Qin Huai asked.

"Over 4000," Zhao Cheng'an replied. "It turned out to be a worthwhile purchase. I got it from a gallery when I was in Beiping. It was a piece by an emerging artist, very cheap, and I liked the bold color combinations. Seems like I got it last year."

"I did some inquiries this year, and that artist's paintings have now increased to over ten thousand, quite valuable for investment."

"These kinds of student exhibition works are also worth investing in. What if you end up with a masterpiece from a future great artist during their internship phase? Keep it for a decade, resell it and make a fortune. I love dabbling with these investments. Previously, I tried stocks and funds, then moved to antiques, but they have too many pitfalls."

"Stocks and funds make me anxious with their instability, and antiques are an even greater trap, whereas artwork seems more reliable. Even if you buy something cheap, the loss won't be too significant."

"Sometimes, you even turn a profit. Haven't the paintings I bought already appreciated?"

Qin Huai: "… Have we ever considered that not investing might avoid losses altogether?"

Zhao Cheng'an: …

Zhao Cheng'an silently looked up, pretending the gallery's ceiling was exceptionally artistic.

Hmm, worth savoring indeed.

Recently, Qin Huai has been absorbed in reading and making snacks, rarely chatting with Zhao Cheng'an. Now that there's an opportunity, with Zhao Cheng'an voluntarily sharing some personal interests, Qin Huai seized the moment to ask:

"Brother Cheng'an, do you usually enjoy attending these exhibits?"

Zhao Cheng'an shook his head, "Not particularly. Initially, it was about checking out something new at the exhibits, but later, I found some pieces to be quite investable, so I somewhat randomly bought a few. After purchasing, I wanted to know if these things had any value. To find out, I started frequenting exhibits, and before long, the habit stuck."

"Especially these student exhibitions and emerging artist showcases; whenever they're around, I feel the urge to have a look."

Qin Huai: … Sounds like he's fallen into some investment trap, inching deeper and deeper.

"My senior apprentices sometimes feel I've wasted a lot of money on this. After all, my house is filled with a hodgepodge of things—sculptures, paintings, crafts, even teapots. And every time I travel, I bring back specialities and handiworks from various places. You hadn't seen that small room last time you visited my house, it's crammed full."

"Most of these things, once bought, stay untouched at home, which seems a bit wasteful. But I don't mind; life's too short not to try a bit of everything. I love making snacks, but I don't want to be confined to one place, at the same cookstation, making them forever."

"It'd be great if a snack master could be like Xu Cheng, traveling the world and sampling different cuisines. Why can't a snack master also travel the world and make delicacies wherever they go? It's true, my family doesn't have Xu Cheng's wealth. Expecting my parents to reach Xu Cheng's level of wealth is dreaming foolishly."

"But while a food critic travels purely spending money, a snack master traveling could earn money. Work in each place along the way. I think it's a wonderful idea; in fact, a few years ago, I even proposed this to my teacher."

"Students can go on study tours; why can't I go on 'make tours'? My teacher said my snacks were too stiff and lacked originality, soul. So I'd travel to find that soul. Give me three to five years, and maybe not a world tour, but at least let me roam through Asia, Africa, and Europe. Maybe I could even help 'Zhiwei Restaurant' make a global name, break out of Asia, and onto the world stage."

The more Zhao Cheng'an spoke, the more excited he became, as if he'd rush back and submit another application to Master Zhou, rewriting the proposal.

Qin Huai was silent for several seconds, pretending the painting in front of him was truly captivating, focusing on it for a while, then asked slowly, "So about this idea of yours…what was Master Zhou's reaction?"

"He told me to get lost."

Qin Huai could tell Master Zhou really liked Zhao Cheng'an since he merely told him to get lost rather than make him work 15 hours a day to sober up.

"So, Qin Huai, any interest in this painting? If you like it, ask for the price; it's truly a worthy investment." Zhao Cheng'an sounded like someone already caught in a scam, dragging others further in.

Qin Huai glanced a few more times at the painting, "If it's not too pricey, I might consider…"

"I just asked, this painting is 1800," Shi Dadan appeared out of nowhere, holding a bag of bread, already eating.

Shi Dadan handed a sweet bun each to Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an.

"Xiao Qin, do you like this style of painting? If you do, I can have a friend inquire for you; I have a friend who runs a gallery," Shi Dadan said between bites of bread, enunciating clearly, "I remember your house's walls don't have any paintings, buying a few to hang at home isn't a bad idea."

Qin Huai looked at the painting before him, "Can't say I particularly like this style of painting. I just find it kind of warm and homely."

Hearing this, Zhao Cheng'an, for the first time, gave the painting a serious glance, noticing it was a very simple portrait.

The title of the painting was as straightforward as its content: "My Brother."

The painting showed a high school student bent over his desk doing homework, a quintessential student work, competent without being outstanding.

The artist was an art school student named Jiang Bing.

"1800 isn't expensive, just consider it an investment, buy it if you like it," Zhao Cheng'an said. "It's not like you're short on money; life's short, if you like something, go for it, don't let yourself regret it."

"I'll go home today and rewrite another application, test my teacher's mood tomorrow, and see if I can squeeze one more trip abroad by year's end."

Qin Huai chuckled, "I suspect Master Zhou won't approve."

"99.99% probably not, but there's still that 0.01% chance, isn't there? At worst, I'll just get scolded. No worries," Zhao Cheng'an laughed freely, "Life's only got thirty thousand days or so, get through one day at a time."

As Zhao Cheng'an finished speaking, a game alert sounded in Qin Huai's mind.

"Ding, congratulations on unlocking a new illustrated guide, please check the guide panel."

Huh?

Does unlocking a guide now also trigger a sound alert?