Chapter 6: The Squirrel Neighbor

Unfortunately, the oak box has been soaked in water for too long and is now waterlogged. Although this bronze sculpture has been treated for waterproofing, it is still covered in rust. Qin Shimao estimates that this item would not fetch a good price even if sold for its copper content, so he placed it on the windowsill by the bedside, treating it as a mere decorative piece.

However, Qin Shiao has never heard of any great masters of the caliber of Picasso, Van Gogh, or Monet who also painted comics

This young lady possesses a stunning beauty and an alluring figure, her skin is so exquisite that it could inspire a top-tier comic artist. Even a portrait of her would make Qin Shiyou feel restless, which is a testament to his skill

Taking advantage of the fine time when the morning sun rises, he first circled around the fishing grounds for a while before leisurely returning to the small building to simmer the fish soup

At six thirty in the morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten outside, Qin Shiao woke up

The fish soup had just begun to emit its fragrance when Qin Shiao returned to the bedroom holding a fruit platter. He turned on the television and tuned to the Newfoundland Classics channel, where a movie was playing in the morning theater. He glanced at it and recognized it as one of his favorite American dramas from university, "Youth League".

After that, Qin Shiao washed the fruits, halved the cherry tomatoes and snake fruit, then mixed in black grapes and blueberries. After tossing them with salad and syrup, a serving of fruit salad was ready.

Qin Shiyou hurriedly opened the plastic bag. Due to the excellent sealing, these paintings were well preserved. He opened one and saw that it depicted a poplar forest. This was a sketch, and the portrayal of the poplar trees was quite good, capturing the feeling of the wind blowing through the trees vividly on paper

When Qin Shiou became aware of capturing this large carp, the wild fish immediately calmed down and was pushed to shallow waters by the current. It was then that Qin Shiou realized the significant impact of his consciousness.

What puzzled Qin Shiao was that while there were plenty of grass carp, common carp, crucian carp, and black fish in Chenbao Lake, this supermarket did not have any. He noticed that the vegetable section sold large ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, so he decided to go to Chenbao Lake to catch a big carp to make a fish soup to warm his stomach—he did not know how to prepare salmon or similar fish.

Unable to do anything, Qin Shiao had no choice but to call Mao Weilong. Fortunately, he had activated the global communication service before coming, otherwise he would truly have been unable to call back home

After taking it out of the pot, he tasted it; the flavor was fresh and rich. This carp is purely wild, unlike the feed-cultivated fish from domestic fish ponds.

Dinner is easy to prepare, as the kitchen utensils are fully equipped. Qin Shi Ou took a stroll around the small town supermarket, which is like a sparrow—small in size but complete in its offerings. Inside, there is a full range of seafood, vegetables, and meats.

Qin Shiyou was excited; this painting of his might actually be genuine

A person cannot eat much, and during the Qin Dynasty, Ouliao reached the fruit section, where he selected some blueberries, cherry tomatoes, snake fruit, and North American black grapes

Qin Shi Ou sighed deeply as he glanced through these paintings, all of which were works by Arthur Pina. There were more than twenty pieces in total, including landscapes, portraits, and cartoons. The styles of these paintings varied widely, encompassing sketches, colored paintings, oil paintings, and even abstract art.

These sunflowers resemble a blazing fire, the style is so magnificent, and the colors are so intense. After Qin Shiao observed the signature on this sunflower painting, his heart was completely ignited: this is indeed Van Gogh!

"Is that even possible? How could such a peerless masterpiece be so easily found? You must be incredibly lucky, you rascal?" Mao Weilong inquired

He turned his head and was astonished to see a small squirrel curiously standing outside the window, gently tapping the glass with its little head

I do not want a Bumblebee, I want a Grand Cherokee! Mao Weilong hurriedly negotiated, but finally came to his senses, and soon the sound of the computer booting up could be heard from the other side

Auerbach inquired about his body, and upon finding no issues, he hung up

Qin Shiqiu, in a fit of anger, shouted: "I will buy you twenty vehicles. When the time comes, you can form a convoy, sometimes driving in an S shape and sometimes in a B shape. Is that acceptable?"

Still borrowing the innkeeper's pickup truck, Qin Shiao went to Chenbao Lake. As soon as his consciousness entered the lake, a half-meter-long big carp rushed over, and that was it

He hastily cleaned up and moved directly into the small building, so it would be easier to explain where these paintings came from tomorrow

Certainly, the most abundant are various types of fish, including Atlantic salmon, large-scaled chinook salmon, silver salmon, trout, hardhead trout, and Arctic char, among others, presenting a dazzling array. Additionally, there are high-end ingredients such as oysters, Dungeness crabs, and Alberta beef steaks.

As Qin Shiyou walked over, the little squirrel swiftly leaped to a branch of the maple tree beside the window with a "whoosh," then flicked its tail and nimbly squeezed into a small tree hole, poking its little head out to look around attentively.

He opened the window, then returned to bed, holding a fruit platter while watching a movie. After a while, a fluffy tail swept over his head. He turned his head again and saw a little squirrel squatting at the head of his bed, holding a picture book with both paws, looking up at him with curiosity

During the Qin Dynasty, Ouhou placed the consciousness of the Sea God into a little squirrel, and he felt as if he could influence this small creature. Afterward, feeling somewhat drowsy, he withdrew his consciousness and fell into a deep sleep

Qin Shiyou vaguely knew that Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" consisted of more than twenty pieces, with some of them lost. To confirm this, he opened his phone to search for relevant information. However, the network signal in the small town was extremely poor; he spent ten minutes online refreshing the page hundreds of times, yet he could not find a single piece of information.

At this time, it was already 4 PM in Canada, which corresponds to dawn in the home country. Mao Weilong was sleeping in a daze: "Damn it, you really are a beast, calling at this hour?"

The sculpture is quite large, standing over 1 meter tall. It depicts a muscular young man holding a knife in his right hand and a severed head in his left. His left leg is bent, and he is stepping on the body of an enemy, giving him a fierce appearance

He wants to try and see if his consciousness can invade as long as there is water

Qin Shihou has given up; this person is definitely not a great deity. It is not because he has never heard of this name, but because he later discovered another painting, also signed by this great deity, which depicted a cartoonish red-haired woman!

At the first opportunity, Qin Shiao went to check the signature of the author of the sketch, but there was no name, only the three letters "A.A.P".

While watching a movie and eating salad, Qin Shi Ou was in high spirits when suddenly the glass in the bedroom began to make a loud "bang bang bang" sound

After enjoying a fragrant dinner, Qin Shiao was preparing to sleep, but he noticed a small water reservoir beside the maple tree outside the window. This stirred something within him, prompting him to shift his consciousness there.

The half-meter-long carp weighed about fourteen to fifteen jin. During the Qin Dynasty, Ouzhi only filleted a small portion of the fish, simply preparing some stir-fried fish slices and boiling a bit of soup.

It is getting late now. Qin Shiao called Auerbach and said, "Old man, I won't be returning to the hotel tonight; I will be staying in the small building at the fishing grounds. Additionally, while I was tidying up my grandfather's room at noon, I found some interesting things. I hope you can come and take a look tomorrow."

Subsequently, he continued to browse through several paintings and finally learned the full name of the AAP master, who turned out to be Arthur Ashod Pinajian

Ceng! Mao Weilong chuckled.

Just when Qin Shi O was feeling downcast, a surprise arrived unexpectedly. When he opened the last painting, a cluster of blooming sunflowers appeared before him, accompanied by a phrase: To my wandering life, Vincent Willem van Gogh

Upon seeing this, Qin Shiao laughed. It turned out that this was his neighbor; the little squirrel must have settled in this maple tree. Moreover, if nothing unexpected occurred, this should be the little creature that his Sea God consciousness encountered in the reservoir last night

During the Qin Dynasty, Ouyang tried it out and found that the water and electricity at the fishing grounds had not been interrupted. In fact, when he turned on the large Samsung television in his bedroom, there were programs being broadcast on the screen, and the cable television was still operational.

Qin Shiyou was filled with anxiety and shouted, "Be serious, you bastard, quickly look up how many 'Sunflowers' Van Gogh painted! What do they look like? I found a picture of one in Canada!"

This squirrel is still small, standing only the length of its middle finger. Its eyes are dark and bright, and its entire body is covered in short, reddish-brown fur. At this moment, it is half-squatting on its hind legs, with its front legs resting against the glass, almost pressing its face against it to look inside. Its large, reddish-brown tail is swishing back and forth, as if a pom-pom is tied to its rear.

With a heart full of excitement, Qin Shiao eagerly opened the larger wooden box once again, praying that it would contain another 12 pieces of "Sunflowers." However, to his great disappointment, the box only held a bronze sculpture.

Most fish are inexpensive, with one Canadian dollar able to purchase one to two pounds, ensuring freshness

The waiter said that the blackberries and snake apples here are both wild. Qin Shiao was unsure of their authenticity, but the appealing appearance and reasonable prices tempted her, so she bought a little of each. She also purchased a bottle of salad dressing, planning to make a fruit salad when she got home

Subsequently, Mao Weilong sent the information that Qin Shiao needed. Van Gogh's painting "Sunflowers" indeed consists of more than 11 pieces. In a letter to his brother, he mentioned that he painted a total of 24 pieces, among which twelve sunflowers represent the twelve apostles of Christ. Additionally, he designated the members of the southern studio as 12 people, plus himself and his brother, making a total of 14 individuals, and he painted 14 pieces.

Who is the great deity A.A.P? Qin Shi Ou was puzzled

Indeed, everything regarding the water reservoir is under his control. He can perceive that, at this moment, a large-tailed squirrel is bathing in the pool.

Stretching and yawning, he opened the window, and the fresh sea breeze gently blew in. Qin Shiao took a couple of deep breaths, and for a moment, he felt a sense of tranquility and refreshment

Qin Shiyou said anxiously: "Quickly check, if it's true, I will sell it to buy you a Bumblebee!"