"Yes! There are still many mysteries in nature that we humans cannot know, which means that the process of life is a continuous process of exploration." With a sigh, Elder Dong earnestly said, "President Song, this Heavenly Bowl is destined for you. Treasure it well. You can share its wondrous sight with those who know you, but it's best not to reveal it publicly to avoid misfortune. The Heavenly Bowl is worthy to be the treasure of Tianyi Hall, protecting its growth and prosperity, and enabling it to benefit the people through medicine. With Heavenly Water, Tianyi Hall should also be able to produce more and better miraculous medicines!"
"Thank you, Elder Dong, for allowing me to experience the wonder of spiritual treasures. Without your guidance, I might never have discovered this marvel in my entire life," Song Hao said gratefully.
"I should be thanking you. You've allowed me to verify the legend of our clan, and it turns out to be a true legend!" Old Master Dong exclaimed. "This Heavenly Bowl is a rare treasure of China, a national gem, only appearing in a prosperous era. It is Heaven's will that it will settle in Tianyi Hall, ensuring the eternal prosperity of Tianyi Hall's medicine. This is truly a blessing for our nation!"
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Return to the Heavenly Medicine Hall
Song Hao and Elder Dong then walked out of the room hand in hand, smiling. Tang Yu, Zhao Lida, and others in another room heard the commotion and hurried out to greet them.
"Little Liu, we should go back too," Old Dong said to the middle-aged woman.
Song Hao, Tang Yu, and Zhao Lida saw Old Dong off at the office gate. Old Dong waved to Song Hao, smiled, got into the car, and was driven home by Li Dongbei.
"So, Mr. Song, judging from what Mr. Dong said, that celadon bowl must be very valuable, right? How much could it fetch at the antique market?" After the car drove away, Zhao Lida asked impatiently.
Song Hao laughed and said, "Old Dong didn't say how much it would cost, but he said that this kind of bowl is one of a kind in the world, and it would be a pity to sell it. It's better to keep it at home to store fruit!"
"Oh! It seems to be just an ordinary antique porcelain bowl. Mr. Dong is just trying to comfort President Song. Rather than inviting Mr. Dong to appraise this antique bowl, it's more accurate to say that Mr. Dong wants to take this opportunity to meet President Song," Zhao Lida said with a knowing smile.
Tang Yu, sensing the hidden meaning in Song Hao's words, knew there might be something going on, so she remained silent and simply smiled.
Song Hao took the Heavenly Bowl and returned to the room where they were resting with Tang Yu. He turned around, closed the door tightly, and then mysteriously said to Tang Yu, "We've obtained a treasure."
"I estimate it's only worth a few million, look how happy you are. You think you've gotten a great deal," Tang Yu laughed.
“You’re wrong. This porcelain bowl is no longer worth anything; it’s priceless. Old Master Dong said that even the entire city of Kunming couldn’t buy it,” Song Hao said.
"Forget it!" Tang Yu said dismissively, "Looks like digging these past few days has worn you out. The only good thing about this bowl is that it can be used as a makeshift refrigerator."
"Listen to me." Song Hao then recounted Elder Dong's words and the wonders he had witnessed to Tang Yu.
Tang Yu was stunned when she heard this.
"Come on! Seeing is believing!" Song Hao placed the bowl between himself and Tang Yu, and the two of them, head to head, began to stare at the changes in the bowl.
A few minutes later, Tang Yu said, "This bowl is really making me dizzy! Where's the fish? Song Hao, are you kidding me? You're playing this childish game."
"Don't worry, just wait and see, it'll be here soon," Song Hao said.
"Hey! I can really see water!" Tang Yu exclaimed in surprise. She then picked up the Heavenly Bowl with both hands, examined it closely, and then tilted it slightly, as if to pour out the water.
"Hehe! This is divine water; you can't pour it out," Song Hao laughed.
"Why...why is the water in this bowl gone again?" Tang Yu asked in surprise.
"It would be strange if you could actually pour the water out of the bowl! People who live a normal life wouldn't need to pay water bills," Song Hao laughed.
"How strange!" Tang Yu exclaimed in surprise. She put the empty bowl back on the table and stared at it with Song Hao, their heads facing each other.
About ten minutes later, Tang Yu exclaimed softly, "Song Hao, I saw a fish!" She dared not make any more sudden movements, lest she scare away the strange phenomenon.
"I saw them too!" Song Hao said. "How many did you see?"
“Three! And you?” Tang Yu replied excitedly.
"Three! You're lucky! I only saw two." Song Hao said with slight surprise.
"A little black fish, a little red fish, and a yellow one. It's so beautiful!" Tang Yu exclaimed excitedly, her eyes still glued to the surface of the bowl, afraid that this wonder would fade away.
"I only see one black and one red. Where is the yellow one you saw?" Song Hao asked.
"Next to that red one, what, can't you see it?" Tang Yu replied softly.
"No!" Song Hao shook his head. "Looks like you're luckier than me. Old Dong said that the more fish you see, the luckier you are. Congratulations!"
"Really!" Tang Yu said excitedly.
"Song Hao, look! This fish is growing bigger!" Tang Yu exclaimed in surprise.
Song Hao exclaimed in surprise, "Yes! I saw it too. It started as one inch long and has now grown to two inches long. It's really strange!"
The two men stared in amazement at the empty bowl. Whether it was true or not, no one knew.
Song Hao and Tang Yu stared at the magical Heavenly Bowl for a while longer, until their eyes got tired, and then they stopped.
"Song Hao, how can such a strange scene appear in this bowl? It's unbelievable. It's not our hallucination, is it?" Tang Yu asked, still in disbelief.
Song Hao said, "There won't be any collective hallucinations. It can only be said that this Heavenly Bowl is too magical. I don't know what its internal structure is like, but it can cause people to have illusions or hallucinations."
"That's right!" Song Hao, his childlike spirit suddenly awakened, laughed, "The idea that water springs from the sky and fish appear out of thin air is just an illusion. If we put real food in it, could it turn into two? You probably forgot how many grapes you put in the bowl, and you probably didn't notice if there were too many. This kind of treasure bowl might even be a magical object like a treasure basin. I'll try it and see if it can produce money. Then we won't have to do anything; we can just wait for it to generate loads of money for us all day long." As he spoke, Song Hao actually put a hundred-yuan bill into the Heavenly Bowl, and then put the bowl in the cupboard.
Tang Yu smiled upon seeing this, but remained silent.
The two then met with Zhao Lida again and inquired about the search for Ren Zhiqian, but to no avail. Frustrated, Song Hao had no choice but to give up. He then asked Zhao Lida to book two plane tickets for the next day from Kunming to the provincial capital where Tianyitang was located.
That evening, Zhao Lida arranged a farewell banquet, which Song Hao and Tang Yu couldn't refuse, so they accepted the invitation. Afterwards, they returned to their office to rest, and nothing more was said that night.
The next morning, Song Hao got up and was about to go for a walk when he remembered that there was something he hadn't confirmed. So he opened the cupboard and took out the Tianyi Bowl that was stored inside.
"Huh!?" Song Hao was taken aback. There were two brand-new 100-yuan bills in the bowl. He clearly remembered that he had put one in yesterday.
"No way!" Song Hao couldn't believe his eyes. He exclaimed in astonishment, "Water can generate money! How... how is this possible?"
Filled with doubt and a touch of excitement, Song Hao took the two banknotes to Tang Yu's room. Upon seeing Tang Yu, he waved the two banknotes in front of her, bewildered, and said, "Money really did appear!"
"Wow! You've got a treasure bowl!" Tang Yu exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. Then she turned around and burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down her face and she bent over with laughter.
Upon seeing this, Song Hao suddenly realized that Tang Yu had secretly put a banknote in there as a joke. He shook his head and smiled with relief, "Luckily it's fake. Otherwise, if this Heavenly Bowl could really produce money, this world would be a mythical world, and the worldview I've painstakingly built up over the past twenty years would completely collapse."