As for this person Dafang, Ryan Bennett had never heard of him before, but figuring out Dafang’s background wasn’t too difficult. If he didn’t know, he could just ask Uncle David!

Thinking of this, Ryan Bennett immediately picked up the phone and called Uncle David. Once the call connected, Uncle David’s strong, energetic voice came through: “Is that Little Ryan? You’re back home? I was just saying I should give you a call these days. How’s your health? Are you alright?”

Hearing this, Ryan Bennett couldn’t help but blush a little. He hadn’t even called to let anyone know he was safe after coming home, only thinking of others when he needed something. He quickly said, “Uncle David, I’m fine, my health is good too. After the New Year, I’ll try to get back to work early. I called just to put your mind at ease.”

“As long as you’re fine, no need to rush back to work. Rest at home for a while longer. I’ve arranged everything at the pawnshop, so don’t worry. Give my New Year’s greetings to your mother for me! If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now—a bunch of apprentices are here to pay their respects!”

It was a bit noisy on Uncle David’s end. He was a well-known figure in the antique world of Zhonghai, with a large group of disciples and followers. Every New Year, his house was always bustling with excitement.

“Uncle David, actually, I do have something I’d like to ask you…” These two calligraphy pieces were very important to Ryan Bennett, so he couldn’t bother with pleasantries.

“Oh? Then hold on, let me step out to take the call…”

Uncle David was a bit surprised. This kid had never shown interest in the things he knew, even after spending a year together, and had never used the words “ask for advice.”

“Uncle David, here’s the thing. My family’s old house is about to be demolished, and when I was clearing out my grandfather’s belongings, I found two calligraphy pieces. They read: ‘How can one know the phoenix is not my equal, for now let me eat clams and rest, asking the heavens.’ The signature is ‘Dafang’. You know, I’m completely clueless about these things, so I have to ask for your guidance…”

Ryan Bennett also reported the dimensions of the two pieces to Uncle David, feeling quite nervous, afraid that Uncle David might not know the origin of these works either.

After listening to Ryan Bennett, Uncle David burst out laughing and said, “You rascal, always so unmotivated. I tried to teach you a few things before, but you always made excuses. Now you see, knowing a bit more isn’t a bad thing, is it?”

Ryan Bennett naturally apologized repeatedly and promised to learn more from Uncle David in the future. Only then did he get the background of Dafang.

Dafang, also known as Fang Dishan, was born in 1873. His original name was Fang Erqian, courtesy name Dishan, from Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province (now Yangzhou). He was born into a scholarly family (his father, Fang Peisen, was a successful candidate in the imperial examination during the Tongzhi period of the Qing dynasty and served as an instructor locally for many years). He excelled at calligraphy and couplets, and was a renowned scholar, calligrapher, and couplet master in the late Qing and early Republican periods.

As a youth, Fang Dishan was exceptionally intelligent and talented, skilled in calligraphy, and highly knowledgeable in epigraphy, painting, and ancient texts. His calligraphy was upright and vigorous, with a rustic air, wild and unrestrained in style. He was witty and unconventional, passing the county-level imperial exam at age 13. Later, he taught at the Beiyang Military Academy, became a close friend and in-law of Yuan Shikai’s second son Yuan Kewen, and formed a cross-generational friendship with the then-unknown painter Zhang Daqian.

Fang Dishan was adept at composing couplets, especially name-embedded and witty couplets, following the tradition of Ming dynasty’s Xie Jin and Qing dynasty’s Ji Yun, valuing intelligence and ingenuity. The name-embedded couplets he composed for others were always improvised, never drafted, naturally formed, and exquisitely worded, often seamlessly incorporating allusions without any trace of artifice. He was acclaimed as the “Couplet Sage” of the Republic era.

“Uncle David, does our pawnshop have any works by Fang Dishan?”

After hearing Uncle David’s introduction, Ryan Bennett realized that Fang Dishan was quite a master in modern calligraphy. However, what he wanted now was to find another work by Fang Dishan to see if he could absorb any spiritual energy from it.

“Our pawnshop doesn’t, but…”

Uncle David paused for a moment, then said, “There are quite a few of Fang Dishan’s works in circulation. Some collectors in Zhonghai have them. You want to know the price, right? Because there are many surviving pieces, his works aren’t very expensive. Your two pieces are a couplet, so the price should be between eight thousand and fifteen thousand. Since these are things left by your elders, you should keep them! If you’re short on money, just tell Uncle David, I can lend you some.”

Seeing that Uncle David misunderstood his intentions, Ryan Bennett quickly said, “Uncle David, that’s not what I meant. I’m mainly interested in the things left by my elders and curious about Fang Dishan, so I wanted to know what other works he has. When I get back to Zhonghai, I’d appreciate it if you could take me to visit some collectors who have his works.”

Since this couplet could no longer provide spiritual energy, Ryan Bennett wanted to see if he could absorb any from Fang Dishan’s other works.

“That’s no problem. When the time comes, bring that couplet, and I’ll take you to meet some collector friends.”

Uncle David was very pleased to hear this from Ryan Bennett. In the antique world, character is paramount. Ryan Bennett was honest and sincere, and Uncle David had a great impression of him. He had always wanted to bring him into the business but hadn’t succeeded. Now that Ryan Bennett was coming to him on his own, Uncle David couldn’t be happier!

Chapter 0010: Best Friend

After calling Uncle David, Ryan Bennett felt relieved. Only then did he notice his stomach growling. Looking at the time, it was already past two in the afternoon. In his excitement, he had actually forgotten to eat lunch.