"Alright, enough nonsense, get to the point. That manuscript is half yours."
Zhuang Rui replied irritably, "Why bother with such pointless talk about the brothers' relationship? They've never shared anything since they were little. When the school organized field trips, Liu Chuan always carried two meals in his bag. The friendship between our two families, from the oldest to the youngest, can't be measured in money."
"Hehe, let's sell that manuscript and each buy a Desert Prince. I've been wanting to replace this old car of mine for a long time."
Liu Chuan's eyes gleamed as he began to dream about the wonderful life he would have after becoming rich.
"Desert Prince? Want me to buy you a sand bike? Nothing else? I'm going back now."
Zhuang Rui was too lazy to chat with Liu Chuan. He'd rather go home and brush up on his knowledge of antique collecting.
"I have something to do, I have something to do. I'm going to Tibet in a few days. You're bored at home, why don't you come with me? Consider it a vacation..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui calling for Nannan to leave, Liu Chuan quickly said something.
Chapter 30 Cover-up
"Going to Tibet for tourism now? Are you out of your mind? Why would you go to a high-altitude, oxygen-deprived place in this freezing weather? If you want to travel, go in spring or autumn. I'm not going."
Zhuang Rui immediately refused. He rarely had time to stay at home with his mother throughout the year, so he didn't really want to go out. Besides, going to that freezing place in this season would be like asking for trouble.
"Hey buddy, why don't you go on a trip? I don't have that kind of luck. I've been to a lot of places all over the country, but I've never actually done any travel. This time, I'm going because an old customer wants to buy a Tibetan Mastiff. He wants a purebred one, but you can't get one without going to Tibet. These days, the Tibetan Mastiffs in kennels all over the country are ridiculously expensive, and they're not necessarily purebred. It's better to find one yourself for peace of mind."
Liu Chuan shouted indignantly. He didn't want to leave Pengcheng at this time either. He had been getting along very well with Lei Lei lately. However, his old client had just bought a new villa and wanted to find a fierce Tibetan Mastiff to guard the house. The client had contacted him several times and had asked for a high price, so he really couldn't refuse. Fortunately, Lei Lei and the others were also leaving Pengcheng in the next few days, which reduced Liu Chuan's resentment a lot.
When Liu Chuan mentioned Tibetan mastiffs, Zhuang Rui recalled a report he had seen some time ago. It was about a famous track and field coach from Northeast China who retired and started raising Tibetan mastiffs. Apparently, each one could sell for millions of yuan, which caused a great sensation in society at the time. Zhuang Rui really couldn't understand how a pet could be worth so much money. The local dog he raised when he was a child seemed to be doing a good job of guarding the house.
Seeing Zhuang Rui fall silent, Liu Chuan shamelessly pressed closer, urging, "Trains, planes, and long-distance buses don't allow animals. I'm planning to drive myself this time, and the journey is a bit long. You wouldn't want to hear about your brother getting into a car accident right after the New Year, would you?"
This guy started appealing to his emotions.
"By the way... you haven't had your driver's license for long, have you? Want to get your hands dirty and drive? I'll let you drive the whole way. I'm entrusting my life to you, how about it? Also, my client said he doesn't care how much I paid for the Tibetan Mastiff, as long as it's purebred, he'll give me 500,000. I'm telling you, brother, this is a rare opportunity. I don't even know if I can earn that much after a year of hard work. At worst, I'll just split the money with you."
Liu Chuan then tried to entice him with benefits.
However, Zhuang Rui was somewhat tempted by these words. He didn't care much about the money. Not to mention that he had just earned 150,000 yuan today, Zhuang Rui believed that he would never go back to living in the shantytown in Zhonghai, based on the spiritual energy in his eyes.
What moved Zhuang Rui was that he had only gotten his driver's license last October. Apart from touching his boss's car and driving it a few times in sparsely populated areas, he had never had the chance to drive a car. Everyone knows that new drivers especially want to drive, especially men. The sense of satisfaction of driving a cool car on the street is indescribable. Of course, the legendary road killers are mostly people like this.
"How long will it take?"
Zhuang Rui considered for a moment and then asked. He had about a month left on his vacation. If going to Tibet would take too long, he would choose to stay home and spend more time with his mother. He felt that his mother had aged a lot since he came back this time. He felt guilty because he had not been by his mother's side since graduating from university.
Liu Chuan estimated in his mind and said, "If everything goes smoothly, it should take about ten days to make a round trip. If things are slower, two weeks should be enough."
"Alright, I'll go with you."
Hearing that it would only be a little over two weeks at most, Zhuang Rui agreed. He was also a little worried that Liu Chuan would cause trouble outside. After all, they had grown up together since childhood, and he knew Liu Chuan's volatile temper very well. However, he did not expect that Liu Chuan had not been idle for the past few years. He had traveled to many places all over the country and had become quite experienced. He asked Zhuang Rui to go with him this time simply because he was too bored on the road and wanted someone to chat with on the way.
"Darling, we should go home now, or Grandma will scold you again..."
Looking at his watch, it was already past four in the afternoon. Zhuang Rui prepared to take his niece home. Today had been a good day for him. He had managed to snag a cricket gourd from Sanhe Liu at a bargain price and even made a profit. Putting that aside, the prospect of seeing those other people's collections tomorrow made Zhuang Rui incredibly excited. You see, the fact that his spiritual energy in his eyes couldn't be replenished had been a real problem for him.
To Zhuang Rui's surprise, the usually obedient and well-behaved little girl refused to leave. Pointing to the turtle she had flipped over and placed upside down on the table, and the hamster rolling around in its cage, she said very seriously, "Uncle, I had a lot of fun playing with Blackie, Whitey, and me. If I leave, they will be unhappy..."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui nearly spat the tea he had just drunk onto Liu Chuan's face. He thought to himself, "Little Miss, if you leave, the turtle and hamster will probably be burning incense in gratitude." Just as he was about to speak, he saw the little girl secretly laughing and realized what was going on. He broke out in a cold sweat. This little girl, only three years old, already knew how to bargain with adults.
As a result, Liu Chuan, the sucker, patted his chest and grabbed two turtles for Nannan, and also provided her with more than a month's worth of pet food. As for the hamster, due to Zhuang Rui's strong opposition, Nannan did not get her wish; instead, the original one turtle became two.
After returning home, Zhuang Rui left his niece with his mother and hurriedly went out again. Fortunately, the door was still open. Zhuang Rui arrived at the door of an eyeglasses store and breathed a sigh of relief.
Since his eyes underwent a strange transformation and gained spiritual energy, Zhuang Rui has conducted countless experiments in front of a mirror. He discovered that for a fraction of a second, the strange phenomenon of double pupils would still appear in his eyes the instant the spiritual energy escaped from them. Although this time was extremely brief and almost unnoticed by others, Zhuang Rui still dared not be careless.
From discovering the couplets left by his grandfather to finding the cricket gourd from Sanhe Liu today, and even eradicating his mother's back ailment, all of this is thanks to the spiritual energy in his eyes. Zhuang Rui now feels that the spiritual energy in his eyes is becoming more and more important to him, and protecting this secret is naturally of paramount importance.
The purpose of coming to the optician's was naturally to get glasses. Zhuang Rui knew that when people see things through glass or glasses, there will be some deviation due to the principle of refraction. Even non-prescription glasses will affect a person's vision. Zhuang Rui planned to get a pair of light brown non-prescription glasses that were similar to his skin tone. He believed that with these glasses and a little concealment, even if others stared at him, they would not be able to see the secret of his double pupils.
After spending four hundred yuan, Zhuang Rui walked out of the optician's shop wearing a pair of brown-tinted glasses with resin lenses. With the glasses on, Zhuang Rui appeared much more composed, and his originally ordinary appearance even carried a touch of scholarly elegance, which was something he had not expected.
Chapter 31 Breakfast
"Wooden head, wooden head, get up quickly."
Zhuang Rui, half asleep, was dreaming that he was sitting on Emperor Wu of Han's dragon throne, having just rinsed his mouth with shark fin soup served in Emperor Kangxi's exquisite porcelain vessel, and was drooling over a table full of rare dishes when he suddenly felt his body jolted violently. He was pulled out of the magnificent palace by a pair of large hands. When he opened his eyes, he saw Liu Chuan shaking him vigorously by his shoulders.
Wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth and pushing Liu Chuan's hand away, Zhuang Rui glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table and couldn't help but feel angry. It wasn't even 7:30 yet, and he had already woken him up. These past few days, with his energetic niece, Zhuang Rui had been getting up early and going to bed late. Zhuang Min had just brought Nannan home last night, and on this cold day, he was finally able to sleep in, but Liu Chuan had ruined it again.
"Turn right after you leave this room. The main door is three meters away. Remember to close the door behind you when you leave..."
After speaking, Zhuang Rui turned over in bed and pulled the blanket over his head, preparing to continue his deep sleep. He hadn't even had a chance to enjoy the delicious food on the table yet.
"Hey buddy, aren't you born in the Year of the Pig? Get up quickly, you've made plans with Old Man Lu and the others today, they'll be unhappy if you're late."
Liu Chuan relentlessly pulled back the blanket, making Zhuang Rui shiver from the cold. He quickly snatched the blanket back.
"Hey kid, are you being a pervert? Damn it, we grew up naked together, what's so interesting about that? What's going on? Tell me quickly, I made an appointment with Manager Lü and the others at 10 o'clock, why are you bothering me now?"
Zhuang Rui knew Liu Chuan all too well. If this guy could get up so early, there must be something going on. It seemed like Zhuang Rui was the one who used to pull back his blankets.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to know the value of that manuscript. I was a little anxious and couldn't sleep, so I came to you."
Liu Chuan said with a serious expression.
"Really, it's nothing. Get up quickly. I'll treat you to breakfast at Lianglaifeng. Hurry up, I'm going to check on my godmother..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's disbelieving expression, Liu Chuan's voice immediately lowered, and he avoided Zhuang Rui's gaze before slinking out of the room.
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but chuckle. This brother of his had always been like this since he was a child. He couldn't lie, and everything he thought was written all over his face. He remembered that when they were young, after watching the movie "Little Soldier Zhang Ga," they were deeply inspired and climbed onto the roof of their neighbor's old house and blocked the kitchen chimney, almost causing a fire in the neighbor's house. The neighbor's uncle then carried a fire hook and searched the whole yard for the culprit.
After the two slipped out of the house, Zhuang Rui, being meticulous, went to the river to wash his hands and face clean before going home, eliminating all evidence. Little did he know that Liu Chuan's father was at home frowning over a case that day. When the guy returned home and saw his father's tense face, he thought he had been caught. Before his father could say anything, he spilled the beans, confessing all the heroic deeds he had done in learning from Brother Ga Zi.
Well, after the two of them got a spanking, Liu's father dragged them to apologize to the other party, which made Zhuang Rui too embarrassed to go to the old house to catch crickets for a long time.
Zhuang Rui initially thought that Liu's father, a policeman, had discovered the matter using his professional skills. Later, he learned that it was Liu Chuan who had confessed on his own initiative. He was so angry that he wanted to grind his teeth. You know, Liu Chuan was stuck with a policeman father. Why didn't the son understand the principle of "confess and you'll be treated leniently, you'll spend your life in jail, and if you resist, you'll be punished severely and go home for the New Year"?
After washing up, Zhuang Rui opened the wooden box left by his grandfather and took out the manuscript. However, the manuscript was badly damaged, so he couldn't just carry it around. After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui found a piece of clothing in the wardrobe. It was a satin sleeveless shirt that he had made when he was in high school. Back then, it was popular to practice Tai Chi, and Zhuang Rui had pestered his mother to make him a practice shirt. However, he couldn't wear it anymore, so he decided to make good use of it.
Zhuang Rui cut open the entire back of his clothes with scissors, wrapped the manuscript inside, and stuffed it into his leather jacket. The jacket had a waistband, so it was safe to put the manuscript inside. After putting the manuscript away, he put on the glasses he had gotten yesterday from the bedside table before leaving the room.
Liu Chuan had been waiting impatiently for a while. He was chatting idly with Zhuang's mother in the living room, his eyes constantly glancing towards Zhuang Rui's room. When he saw Zhuang Rui come out, he jumped up and said, "Godmother, my mom is calling you to come over for dinner. Don't cook tonight!"
"You brat, you're so reckless, drive slower."
Zhuang's mother called out from behind, thinking to herself, "He has a girlfriend now, how come he's still so unreliable?"
After getting in the car, they sped off. Liu Chuan parked the car in front of Lianglaifeng, pulled Zhuang Rui into the store, and shouted, "Boss, give me a pound of pan-fried buns, two bowls of soup with eggs, hurry up!"
Those of you who are looking up words in the dictionary below don't need to look anymore. You won't find the "pheasant soup" that is said to have originated from Peng Zu. It is delicious, spicy and fragrant, and is loved by the people of Pengcheng. Many people feel listless all day if they don't have a bowl of it in the morning.
There is also an interesting story about Tang. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong traveled incognito to the south of the Yangtze River seven times, he passed through Pengcheng. Knowing that the people of Pengcheng were fierce and everyone practiced martial arts, making it a famous martial arts town, Emperor Qianlong would go out for a stroll early in the morning to avoid trouble.
Emperor Qianlong was a long-lived emperor who paid great attention to health and rarely ate at night. After a night of fasting, he suddenly became hungry. Seeing the steaming aroma of a food stall ahead, he hurried over to take a closer look. It was a pot of soup that didn't look very appealing, but smelled incredibly tempting. Even Emperor Qianlong, who had tasted delicacies from all over the country, had no idea what this dish was.
So Emperor Qianlong ordered a bowl and slowly drank it. Hmm? This soup is truly delicious! After a bowl of hot soup, he felt completely comfortable. Qianlong called over the old man selling the soup and asked, "What kind of soup is this? Why does it taste so rich and tempting? After drinking it, I feel warm all over and very comfortable!"
In his delight, Emperor Qianlong forgot that he was traveling incognito. The old man selling soup was a shrewd fellow. After hearing this, the old man immediately understood that this man actually referred to himself as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I"). In the whole world, the only person who would dare to address himself in such a way is probably our Emperor Qianlong, who likes to travel incognito!
The old man selling soup immediately knelt down: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing a name upon this soup. It shall be called Shita (Sha) Soup!"
After returning to the capital, our Emperor still couldn't forget the taste of this soup, and later bestowed upon it the title of "The Best Soup Under Heaven".
Although it's just a legend, it shows how much the people of Pengcheng love this soup.
"Hey scoundrel, why did you call me out so early? What's the matter? You can tell me now, right? I promised to go to Tibet with you yesterday."
Sipping hot soup and biting into a juicy fried bun, Zhuang Rui asked indistinctly.
"Actually, it's nothing much. It's just that Lei Lei and Qin Xuanbing also want to participate in your tea tasting and treasure appraisal today. I'll take you there first, since I still need to pick them up."
Liu Chuan clearly didn't have a good appetite today. Avoiding Zhuang Rui's gaze, he stammered.
"What! They're going too?"
Zhuang Rui's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, drawing the attention of everyone eating breakfast in the shop who turned to look at the two of them.
Chapter 32 Jingming Pavilion
"Keep your voice down, bro. I have no choice. Qin Xuanbing wants to go, and Lei Lei is too embarrassed to refuse, so she came to me. You have to help me out, my happiness for the rest of my life depends on you."
Liu Chuan said in a low voice that he had been conflicted ever since he received Lei Lei's call last night. Although Manager Lü and the others didn't say anything about Qin Xuanbing's interference in Liu Hulu's affairs in Sanhe, Liu Chuan knew in his heart that they didn't really care. Moreover, he still needed to see the manuscript that Zhuang Rui had obtained today, otherwise he would have embarrassed Qin Xuanbing in person yesterday.
"Pah, happiness for the rest of your life? You're talking about sexual happiness for the rest of your life. What are you expecting from me? You're familiar with those guys. They won't disrespect Boss Liu, will they?"
Zhuang Rui finally came to his senses. Whether Qin Xuanbing and the others went or not had nothing to do with him. If his manuscript was indeed in Wang Shizhen's handwriting, he would be more than happy if Qin Xuanbing wanted to get involved and raise the price.
Anyway, Manager Lü and the others will be taking their collections with them today, and absorbing spiritual energy with their eyes is just a one-off deal. After I return to work in Zhonghai, I don't know if I will have any further contact with them.
"Don't be like that. Old Lu invited you to see the manuscript today. Your words carry more weight than mine. I know that old man's temper. Although he didn't say anything to my face yesterday, I don't know how angry he was when he got home. If I bring him there directly, I'll definitely offend him to death."
Liu Chuan looked miserable, bowing repeatedly to Zhuang Rui. Liu Chuan had been in society for many years and had dated several times, so he shouldn't be so infatuated with Lei Lei. But it was just a coincidence that the two of them hit it off. These days, they not only spent every day together, but also talked on the phone for half an hour every day.
Now that Lei Lei has asked for a favor for the first time, Liu Chuan is willing to risk his reputation to get it done. However, in Zhuang Rui's eyes, Liu Chuan is just a shameless bum and worthless.
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and said, "Go ahead, but tell them not to say too much. You know the rules of this business better than I do. If they embarrass you, you'll be the one who loses face..."
"Okay, that's what you said. I promise I'll keep them quiet. You keep eating, I'll go pick them up..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Chuan was overjoyed. He skipped breakfast and ran out, leaving Zhuang Rui behind. Fortunately, he remembered to pay the bill when he got to the counter. As for how Zhuang Rui would get to Boss Song's Jingmingxuan Teahouse, well, he'd have to take a taxi himself.
Zhuang Rui was too lazy to get angry with this guy. They'd grown up together since they were kids, and he knew Liu Chuan's temperament all too well. He was the kind of guy who'd forget everyone else when it came to women. After finishing breakfast, Zhuang Rui checked his watch. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet, more than an hour until their agreed meeting time. Fine, he'd just stroll off. ...
Mr. Song's Jingmingxuan Teahouse is located about 100 meters in front of the antique market. Zhuang Rui would pass by there every time he went to the antique market. He didn't know Mr. Song before and would just glance at it when he passed by. Now, standing in front of the teahouse and looking at it carefully, he realized that the teahouse was built in the style of Ming and Qing architecture. From the outside, it exuded a very ancient atmosphere.
From the outside, the buildings all have an old-fashioned feel to them. In front of the ancient lacquered red gate, red lanterns hang high, and there are three large characters that spell out the old teahouse name, "Jingmingxuan".
Being old doesn't necessarily mean being nostalgic, nor does it mean that older things are more loved. On the contrary, old things can easily become unpleasant, like antiques. But if you can extract the essence from old things, isn't that a business strategy? The Jingmingxuan Teahouse, which exudes a strong classical atmosphere, is surrounded by cars. Judging from the rugged appearance of the owner, Mr. Song, he's not as simple as he seems.
Zhuang Rui walked inside the teahouse, taking in its architectural style.
A long row of red lanterns in front of the door, just like the lanterns in an ancient mansion, was lively and grand, perfectly matching the atmosphere of the New Year. To Zhuang Rui, they looked like enormous red dates, hanging vertically above the eaves. It was particularly interesting.
Pushing open the heavy, unassuming door adorned with red lanterns, you'll see a long table stretching out in front of you, with various tea snacks displayed in every nook and cranny. Each snack is presented in exquisite porcelain, the white background and blue patterns giving the tea house lobby a classic, antique feel.
At the entrance, a young girl was kneeling in front of what appeared to be a sandalwood tea table, serving each guest a cup of tea. She possessed the elegance and charm of a woman from Jiangnan, and her every move exuded gentle grace.
Blue and brown are the main colors of Jingmingxuan, showing that Boss Song has put a lot of effort into the decoration. In this environment, even if you don't drink tea, you can smell the unique atmosphere of ancient times. After entering, Zhuang Rui paused for a moment and couldn't help but feel a very quiet feeling, just like the tea displayed by the girl in the cheongsam at the door, clear and sparkling.