Chapter 73

Hearing the melodious and pleasant string music, Qi Xiang naturally felt a bit curious and immediately followed the sound.

The source of the sound was in the middle of the ship, in a very elegant room. Qi Xiang walked to the side of the room and, through the hanging pearl curtain, could see the inside.

The spacious room was divided into two parts by a simple screen.

The innermost part was blocked by the screen, making it impossible to see the specific situation. In the outer space, however, seven or eight young men and women in ancient costumes were playing the zither and lute with great effort.

The beautiful music was emitted from their hands, sounding extremely pleasant.

"Quite high-end..."

Qi Xiang was somewhat surprised. He had thought the string music was played by a machine, but it turned out to be a live performance. This also showed that Zhu Shen had put a lot of effort into entertaining the guests inside.

While Qi Xiang was observing the room, Zhu Shen appeared in the corridor and whispered, "Why did you come here? I'm busy entertaining guests and don't have time to accompany you. Go play outside, and call me when Tian Shi comes..."

Qi Xiang was speechless. Zhu Shen's words were not just crossing the bridge and then burning it, but also turning the millstone to kill the donkey.

"Are you hiding a beauty in there, not letting anyone see?" Qi Xiang smiled, thinking this was most likely the case.

"Don't talk nonsense," Zhu Shen glared. "Go away, don't block the door..."

"Angry and embarrassed? Looks like I guessed right." Qi Xiang shrugged and tactfully moved aside.

The two of them whispered, trying to keep their voices low, but still made some noise, which caught the attention of the person behind the screen. Then, an elderly voice came from inside, "Xiao Zhu, you're back?"

"Huh?" Qi Xiang was taken aback, not expecting the person behind the screen to be an old man, not a young woman.

A moment later, the old man walked out from behind the screen, which surprised Qi Xiang even more. The old man had white eyebrows and beard, wearing a loose robe, with a飘逸的衣袂, exuding a sense of Daoist and immortal.

It seemed that Zhu Shen was not hiding a beauty, but this raised a question. Who was this old man, and why did Zhu Shen, a spoiled and arrogant rich second generation, go to such lengths to please him?

"Xiao Zhu, I've already said, just cook a few dishes, have a little drink, and make do. No need to make such a fuss," the old man said, walking leisurely like a hermit, without any worldly concerns.

He walked out and saw Qi Xiang, naturally giving him a second look: "By the way, who is this young friend?"

"…A friend, my friend," Zhu Shen quickly explained. "I happened to meet him on the lake and let him come up… cough, to keep me company. Yes, to keep you company, to drink and chat with you."

"That's great!" The old man smiled leisurely. "Did you buy the fish you mentioned?"

"Bought, bought," Zhu Shen said hurriedly. "I even invited a famous chef to prepare it. He'll be here soon, please wait a little longer…"

"Why bother?" The old man shook his head. "As long as there's wine and meat, that's enough. Why go through so much trouble?"

Zhu Shen grinned, "Old Mr. Qin, you're an elder, how can I treat you casually? If my father knew I was neglecting you, he'd beat me to death."

"Being casual is better," the old man's yellowish eyes flashed with wisdom. "You're being too formal, which makes me worried. I'm afraid this is a banquet with hidden intentions."

Zhu Shen's smile froze, and he said awkwardly, "Old Mr. Qin, you… are exaggerating."

"Not at all."

The old man's gaze was sharp, and he smiled, "Xiao Zhu, there's an old saying: 'When someone who has no reason to be kind is suddenly kind, it's either a thief or a villain.' My relationship with your father is good, but I don't seem to have much interaction with you."

"I've heard a bit about your personality. And before this, we didn't talk much. Now you suddenly want to invite me to a banquet and treat me so politely…"

The old man clicked his tongue and sighed, "When someone shows respect, it usually means they want something. If you don't explain clearly, I won't be able to eat this meal with peace of mind."

"…I'm just respecting the elderly and caring for the young, it's normal!" Zhu Shen tried to explain.

"Ha ha." The old man laughed and turned to Qi Xiang, "Young friend, do you believe him?"

"Eh?" Qi Xiang was taken aback and smiled without speaking. He didn't want to lie when it wasn't necessary. Besides, he was curious and wanted to know why Zhu Shen would invite the old man for no reason.

"Old Mr. Qin… this, we'll talk about it later."

Zhu Shen forced a smile, "Let's go inside and have a drink first. The chef will be here soon. I heard his skills are unparalleled. He'll make a full fish banquet for you, and I guarantee you'll enjoy it."

"Even the meat of a dragon from the sky can't be enjoyed if you have something on your mind," the old man shook his head. "You'd better explain clearly first. I'm already quite old and can't handle surprises."

"Cough, cough…"

Zhu Shen glanced at Qi Xiang, as if hinting at something.

Qi Xiang blinked, pretending to understand nothing, and stood there motionless.

Zhu Shen's lips twitched, and he directly asked Qi Xiang to leave, "…Go outside and see if Tian Shi is coming. Go and welcome him for me."

"He won't be here that quickly," Qi Xiang deliberately played dumb. "He's in the city, and it will take some time to get here."

Zhu Shen glared at Qi Xiang sharply, but his gaze couldn't penetrate Qi Xiang's thick skin. Helpless and without time to deal with Qi Xiang, he turned to the old man and smiled awkwardly, "Old Mr. Qin, you're right. I do have something to ask for your help."

"Surprising," the old man said, surprised and smiling. "In terms of wealth, your father might not be the richest in Wuxi, but he's at least in the top three. In terms of power, your uncles and brothers all hold important positions."

"To put it bluntly, if your father sneezes, the whole city of Wuxi will shake."

The old man was puzzled, "What problem can't you solve that you need to ask me? Or, to put it another way, if even he can't solve it, asking me won't help either."

"It's different, different," Zhu Shen waved his hands. "Only you can handle this matter."

"Only I can?" The old man was surprised, then thought for a moment, "I'm just an ordinary old man with no special skills, except for a little unremarkable craft."

"Old Mr. Qin, you're too modest," Zhu Shen said hurriedly. "Who doesn't know that you're a master of purple clay teapots, with unparalleled and perfect skills?"

"Any new teapot you make, even if priced at 400,000 to 500,000, will be snatched up."

Zhu Shen flattered, "Such a market value is definitely the best in the country, unmatched in the world."

"That's too much, I can't bear such praise," the old man was very flustered and said solemnly, "Xiao Zhu, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't flatter me. Being called the best in the world is too much, it can be dangerous."

"You're a great person, you won't fall," Zhu Xiang said with a smile.

"Even if you don't fall, you might be cursed to death," the old man was a bit helpless and frowned, "Xiao Zhu, from your words, it seems you want me to make a purple clay teapot?"

"Yes, yes, that's it," Zhu Shen nodded repeatedly.

"That's easy," the old man smiled. "In the past two years, I've made many teapots for your father. He has at least twenty to thirty of my teapots, in various styles. You can ask him for one."

"I don't want those ordinary teapots, I want a special one," Zhu Shen said seriously.

"A special teapot?" The old man thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want a custom-made one?"

"Yes…" Zhu Shen nodded again.

"Sure, just tell me your requirements."

The old man didn't think much of it. He had made many custom teapots. After all, some powerful and wealthy people liked to order custom items to show their uniqueness.

This was a matter of taste and style.

The old man was no longer surprised by such requests. He thought Zhu Shen was the same, a young man who wanted to stand out and be unique.

However, when Zhu Shen nodded excitedly and stated his requirement, the old man was greatly surprised.

"Old Mr. Qin, this is what you said…" Zhu Shen smiled broadly and said hurriedly, "I want a tea mud teapot!"

"What tea mud teapot?" The old man was stunned, not quite understanding.

"Legend has it that high-quality tea leaves are mixed with purple clay and fermented for a long time until the tea and clay are completely integrated," Zhu Shen explained. "Using such tea mud to make a teapot, once the teapot is made, you don't need to brew tea. Just pour hot water, and you can immediately smell the tea fragrance…"

"What?"

Old Mr. Qin was speechless, "Xiao Zhu, are you joking? How can such a teapot exist? I've heard of it, but it's just a story."

"To put it bluntly, it's just some irresponsible, fabricated nonsense, not to be believed."

Old Mr. Qin shook his head, "Xiao Zhu, I can clearly tell you that I've been in this profession for over sixty years, and I've never seen a tea mud teapot, let alone know how to make one."

"It's not possible…" Zhu Shen was anxious, "Someone told me that such tea mud teapots really exist, and there's physical evidence… that person wouldn't lie to me."

"Physical evidence?" The old man held out his hand, "Show it to me."

"Eh…" Zhu Shen stammered, "I don't have it with me…"

The old man chuckled and no longer paid attention to Zhu Shen. Instead, he took Qi Xiang's hand and invited him, "Young friend, come, come, have a drink with me. Shaoxing yellow wine is good, flavorful, and nourishing, good for health and yin-yang balance."

Qi Xiang smiled lightly and obediently followed the old man into the room.

Zhu Shen stood there for a moment, then hurriedly followed, shouting, "Old Mr. Qin, I'm not lying, it's the truth. Tea mud teapots really exist, you must know how to make them, right?"

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