I'm back in 1990

Chapter 335: This is a Blue Ocean

The next day, in the Astor Courtyard of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Huang Xiaochuan stared speechlessly at the scene before him.

"You didn't do this on purpose, did you? You brought someone who grew up in Suzhou to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to see a replica of the Master of the Nets Garden?"

The Astor Courtyard that Zhang Yun brought Huang Xiaochuan to visit was built by Huamei in the early 1980s. It was a one-to-one replica of the Dianchun Pavilion and its backyard in the Master of the Nets Garden in Suzhou. It was named "Mingxuan" and it displays all kinds of Ming Dynasty furniture.

"I'm so sorry, but actually I really like the Ming Dynasty furniture here, so every time I come, I have to come and see these pieces first."

Huang Xiaochuan explained to Zhang Yun: "The place with the most Ming Dynasty furniture is Jiangsu and Zhejiang. There are many exquisite pieces of furniture scattered among the people, but they are hidden and some have not yet been discovered."

Huang Xiaochuan grew up in Suzhou and had seen a lot of Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, but they weren't anything special. They were just ordinary furniture from wealthy families in the past. They were sturdy and durable, but over time, due to a lack of proper maintenance, most of them were damaged or rotten. The paint on the parts that frequently came into contact with people had been worn away, revealing the original appearance of the wood.

Looking back now, collecting all these pieces of furniture, repairing them, and putting them together as a complete set in the home would have been quite stylish.

Why are there so many Ming Dynasty furniture pieces from the Jiangnan region (Jiangsu and Zhejiang)?

"It's not just in the Jiangzhe region, it should be found throughout China. However, there are many different details in the workmanship depending on the region, and it can be roughly divided into three schools."

Zhang Yun listened attentively, her eyes constantly fixed on Huang Xiaochuan.

"The first type is Suzhou-style furniture: the furniture making techniques of the Jiangnan region are characterized by exquisite craftsmanship, simple form, and beautiful lines. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, hardwoods such as rosewood, padauk, and mahogany were commonly used to make furniture in the Jiangnan region. Suzhou-style furniture is simple and beautiful, reflecting the profound artistic atmosphere and cultural heritage of the Jiangnan region."

"The second type is Beijing-style furniture: Furniture made in Beijing was mainly used by the imperial family and government officials during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is characterized by its exquisite craftsmanship, rigorous design, simple lines, and gorgeous decoration. Beijing-style furniture is generally made of materials such as rosewood, huanghuali, and ebony. The design emphasizes solemnity, dignity, and elegance, reflecting the unique charm and historical value of Chinese feudal culture."

"The third type is Cantonese furniture: the furniture making craftsmanship in eastern Guangdong is famous for its exquisite carvings, smooth lines, and complex structures. The eastern Guangdong region widely uses hardwoods such as rosewood, huanghuali, and ebony as raw materials. These woods are hard, have a beautiful texture, and have extremely high ornamental value and cultural significance."

"These three schools of furniture have different target audiences, which results in different numbers of pieces surviving to this day. For example, Beijing-style furniture was exclusively used by the imperial family and government officials, so it is rarely seen in the general public. Most of it is in museums or private collections, making it the rarest type of furniture among Ming and Qing dynasty pieces."

"Guangdong-style furniture is the second most common type, and it was almost exclusively affordable for wealthy merchants and landowners. Therefore, the quantity of Guangdong-style furniture is not large, especially compared to the vast quantity of Suzhou-style furniture."

"The reason why Suzhou-style furniture is the most numerous is because Jiangsu and Zhejiang have been the most prosperous regions in China since ancient times. This has continued for thousands of years, and the accumulated wealth and cultural heritage are very profound."

"Therefore, there were many wealthy families who passed down their knowledge of poetry and books, and with more scholars, there were more people who passed the imperial examinations and became officials. In addition, the Jiangnan region was where Chinese capitalism began to emerge, so there were many wealthy people, and the demand for high-end furniture was naturally greater."

Moreover, the vast number of ordinary people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang also needed furniture! If they couldn't afford rosewood, padauk, or mahogany, they would use slightly less expensive wood. Over the years, this has resulted in a significant number of families in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region still possessing this furniture, including some certainly fine pieces.

"By the way, there is another reason why there are fewer Ming and Qing dynasty furniture pieces in the north. The climate in the north is dry, and these pieces of furniture are prone to cracking and damage if not properly maintained, so even fewer have survived."

"Wow! I didn't know you knew so much about Ming and Qing dynasty furniture!"

Huang Xiaochuan laughed and said, "I heard it from my grandmother when I was little, and later I read some books to learn more. I've already poured out all my knowledge to you."

Actually, the furniture in the room where my grandmother is sleeping now is the same furniture from her old house in Suzhou. The bed she sleeps in is the same one she used to sleep in. When she moved to Shanghai, she specially brought this bed with her, saying that she was used to sleeping in it and would not be used to sleeping in a different bed.

Including the large wardrobe with hidden compartments, and the daybed that Huang Xiaochuan slept on since he was a child, everything was brought to Shanghai and is now in his grandmother's room.

My grandmother's bed was a canopy bed in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Although it has been through the years, it is still well preserved. Moreover, the skills of the ancient craftsmen were really amazing. This bed was very simple and convenient to assemble and disassemble, even simpler than the assembly of custom-made furniture in later generations. No nails or screws were needed, just a small wooden mallet was enough.

Huang Xiaochuan and his uncle easily disassembled and reassembled the bed without needing to ask anyone for help, and it remained sturdy and solid after being reassembled.

Seeing Zhang Yun's interest in Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, Huang Xiaochuan asked, "Why would someone your age be so interested in these antiques?"

"Haven't you noticed the classical beauty presented in these pieces of furniture? The lines are smooth, the proportions are harmonious, like a traditional Chinese ink painting, fresh and natural. They seem simple, but in fact, they contain understated luxury and have a lot of charm."

Huang Xiaochuan sighed, "The longer I know you, the less I understand you. Are all rich girls like this? Such eccentric tastes?"

Zhang Yun smiled smugly: "Are you praising me?"

"If you say so, then so be it!"

The two left the Astor Courtyard and went to visit another exhibition hall.

Huang Xiaochuan looked at each exhibit with great focus. In fact, he wouldn't have known where many of the exhibits came from without the introductions, since he had been influenced by Han Chinese culture for two lifetimes.

Not long after, Zhang Yun suddenly said, "I had already resigned from Goldman Sachs before you came."

This immediately drew Huang Xiaochuan's attention away from the exhibits and towards Zhang Yun.

Huang Xiaochuan looked at the petite woman with confusion: "Why?"

"You'll find out later. I don't want to say it now. I'm just telling you that I have plenty of time to spend with you now."

Huang Xiaochuan didn't believe the woman's nonsense. This woman, besides having low emotional intelligence, could turn any hair off her body into a spirit.

Since he didn't want to talk about it, Huang Xiaochuan didn't bother asking.

The two strolled leisurely to the next exhibition hall. It should be noted that the Metropolitan Museum of Art covers an area of ​​more than 100,000 square meters, and they could probably only visit a small part of it in one day.

As they walked, Zhang Yun suddenly asked a question: "Huang Xiaochuan, what do you think will be the next investment hotspot?"

Without a second thought, Huang Xiaochuan blurted out, "Technology! Hasn't capital been invested in technology for the past century? That's why technology has developed so greatly. Textbooks say that the technology market depends on the financial market; money is the driving force, isn't it?"

"I know that, you don't need to lecture me. What I'm asking is, what's the next technological window?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Huang Xiaochuan replied, "The Internet!"

Why?

Huang Xiaochuan looked at Zhang Yun with a mocking expression: "You've worked at Goldman Sachs, after all. Do I really need to analyze this for you?"

"Never mind Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs is interested in anything with the potential to make money, not just the Internet. I'm just asking you what your opinion is on the Internet."

Huang Xiaochuan looked at Zhang Yun again: "Is this considered an interview?"

"You're right. If I want you to be my partner, I'll have to test you, won't I?"

"Tch! I'm telling you now, I've changed my mind. I think having you as my partner might have been a mistake."

Zhang Yun immediately changed her approach: "Then can I ask you for advice?"

"If that's what you're saying, then I'd be happy to share some of my thoughts with you."

A victorious smile appeared on Huang Xiaochuan's face.

Zhang Yun chuckled inwardly. Men! They still like to maintain their ridiculous vanity in front of women.

"Let me tell you some data first. Last year, there were about 6.8 million internet users in the United States, and before March of this year, 1994, that number had already approached 10 million, and it is still expanding."

People have discovered that they can find more interesting information through the Internet than through traditional newspapers, magazines, movies, and television. The Internet can transmit massive amounts of information, as long as its server capacity is sufficient.

Furthermore, have you noticed that the number of personal computer users is continuously increasing? Why is that? Because according to Moore's Law, when the price remains constant, the number of transistors that can be placed on an integrated circuit doubles every 18 to 24 months, and the performance also doubles.

Therefore, we have found that personal computers are getting smaller and smaller, while their performance is getting higher and higher, and their prices are decreasing, making personal computers affordable for consumers.

Think about it again. Imagine you and I buy a personal computer and find that we can only use it for playing games, editing documents, and storing information. Suddenly, someone tells us that we can use this computer to connect to the internet, greet and interact with strangers, and even access different websites to find the information we need. What would you do?

Why is the Gaze browser so popular? It's because it simplifies the process of browsing the internet, transforming DOS code into an intuitive image format, allowing users to use it without having to learn complicated DOS commands.

Taking this as an example, I dare say that in the future there will be more and more tools similar to the Gaze browser that simplify users' internet access, and all of these technologies are dependent on the Internet, so I classify these technologies as Internet technologies.

The Gaze browser is like a guiding light, illuminating the door to this path. Given its current success, other internet technologies are also likely to succeed. To put it in more technical terms, "this is a blue ocean market."