Chapter 91

"Ah?"

After hearing Zhu Hongwu’s words, Zhu Qiao was taken aback: "Uncle, you haven’t even looked at it. How do you know it’s not a pearl-moving tray?"

"There’s no need to look..."

Zhu Hongwu shook his head and added: "Or rather, there’s no need to examine it in detail to determine that it’s not a pearl-moving tray. I may be old, but my eyesight is still good. I can tell the difference between real and fake."

Zhu Qiao blinked and hesitated: "Uncle, from what you’re saying, have you seen a real pearl-moving tray before?"

Zhu Hongwu smiled but didn’t answer, instead asking: "A Zhu, I remember that the pearl-moving tray should be a treasure of the Dong family. Regardless of whether this tray is real or fake, where did you buy it from?"

"From the Dong family themselves," Zhu Qiao explained. "Uncle, you might not know, but the Dong family is in a bad situation lately, especially the younger generation. They indulge in eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and drugs—basically, all five vices."

Zhu Qiao, standing on the moral high ground, spoke bluntly: "The Dong family, from top to bottom, is thoroughly rotten. Many of them owe money outside and secretly sell the family’s antiques and treasures to pay off their debts."

"Right before this, I got a call. The Dong family’s eldest grandson said he was short on cash and asked if I was interested in their pearl-moving tray. I thought about it and figured it was a treasure, so I bought it to show respect to you."

Zhu Qiao cleverly stated his position, then turned his attention to Qi Xiang, scolding him: "Who knew that his eyesight was so poor that he mistook a fake for the real thing and persuaded me to buy it. What a scoundrel."

"Master Zhu, I’ve already said I’m not very knowledgeable about porcelain," Qi Xiang had to defend himself, looking aggrieved. "It was you who insisted on dragging me to appraise it. Is it my fault?"

"It’s not your fault, is it mine?" Zhu Qiao was furious: "You damn fool, do you still want the money?"

"Alright..."

Zhu Hongwu waved his hand, his face showing a hint of melancholy: "I didn’t expect that the Dong family’s old patriarch has only been gone for a few years, and the family has fallen to this. It’s truly a twist of fate."

"Uncle, don’t be sad," Zhu Qiao comforted him. "They brought it upon themselves, and it has nothing to do with others."

"Ah, that’s true, but back in the day, Dong Xiong and I were close friends..." Zhu Hongwu fell into deep thought, as if recalling the past.

"Dong Xiong was generous and righteous, and he loved making friends. I was once a frequent guest at the Dong family’s residence."

Zhu Hongwu reminisced: "I remember one Mid-Autumn Festival, Dong Xiong held a grand banquet at the ancestral home. Everyone was quite drunk, and one guest mentioned the Dong family’s three legendary treasures..."

"The Dong family’s three legendary treasures?" Zhu Qiao’s eyes widened. "Which three treasures?"

"The pearl-moving tray, the eggshell cup, and the flowing mist cup!"

Zhu Hongwu smiled, filled with nostalgia: "Back then, when someone mentioned the three treasures, and under everyone’s urging, Dong Xiong generously brought them out for everyone to admire."

"What were the three treasures like?" Zhu Qiao asked eagerly.

"Indescribably wonderful!"

Zhu Hongwu sighed: "It’s hard to describe, but they were treasures from heaven, not ordinary things of this world."

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

Zhu Qiao looked skeptical, not quite believing it.

Zhu Hongwu chuckled and pointed at the tray on the table: "A Zhu, how much did you spend on this item?"

"Two million!" Zhu Qiao answered truthfully.

"Sure enough, as I expected..." Zhu Hongwu shook his head and said casually: "Let me tell you the truth. Twenty years ago, someone offered twenty million to buy the real pearl-moving tray, but Dong Xiong refused without hesitation."

"Twenty million!"

Zhu Qiao’s eyes widened, and he was completely stunned.

Qi Xiang also couldn’t help but be amazed. Twenty million twenty years ago was an astronomical figure, unimaginable. If converted, that twenty million would be worth at least two hundred million today.

"It’s impossible..." Zhu Qiao, of course, didn’t believe it.

"There’s nothing impossible about it," Zhu Hongwu said seriously. "A Zhu, you’ve never seen the real pearl-moving tray, so you don’t understand its extraordinary value. That treasure is absolutely priceless, beyond estimation."

"Uncle, can you tell me how wonderful that treasure is?" Zhu Qiao asked earnestly.

"How to describe it..." Zhu Hongwu hesitated, lost in thought. "Back then, when Dong Xiong brought out the tray, it was a Mid-Autumn Festival night with a full moon, clear and bright."

"But as soon as the tray was revealed, another moon appeared in the courtyard, hazy like a full moon covered in a light veil!"

Zhu Hongwu muttered to himself: "A full moon, as if it had fallen from the Heavenly Palace, illuminated the entire courtyard, making everything crystal clear."

"That’s too exaggerated," Zhu Qiao’s mouth dropped open, imagining the scene, naturally feeling very skeptical.

"There’s even more to it," Zhu Hongwu asked: "Do you know why it’s called a pearl-moving tray?"

"Uh?" Zhu Qiao was taken aback and answered honestly: "I don’t know... Isn’t it because the tray is so smooth that a pearl can roll for a long time without stopping, hence the name?"

"Who told you that nonsense?" Zhu Hongwu frowned. "Nonsense."

"It was the Dong family’s wastrel who said that," Zhu Qiao looked innocent. "I believed him."

"He tricked you, and you believed him?" Zhu Hongwu sneered. "That guy didn’t tell the truth, just spouted lies. No wonder you got scammed."

"…I understand," Zhu Qiao gritted his teeth. "I’ll go find him and settle the score."

Zhu Hongwu shook his head: "There are laws in the country, rules in the family, and principles in the industry. Since you bought the item, being scammed is due to your lack of skill. Even if you’re unhappy, you have to accept it. Going after him will just make you look foolish."

"…Uncle, I know what to do. Don’t worry about it," Zhu Qiao changed the subject and continued to ask: "Tell me, why is it called a pearl-moving tray?"

"Because that tray, not only clear and bright like the moon, can also… turn water into pearls," Zhu Hongwu said solemnly. "A drop of clear water, placed on the tray, immediately turns into a transparent pearl, rolling around lightly, like a snowball, for several rounds before finally dissipating."

"The pearl-moving tray is just a short name. The full name should actually be the water-dripping pearl-moving tray!"

Zhu Hongwu sighed deeply: "The tray shines like the moon, and the water is like pearls. If you hadn’t seen it, you wouldn’t believe that even spending twenty million, or even two hundred million, would be worth it..."

Zhu Qiao swallowed hard, shocked: "So magical?"

"Exactly that magical," Zhu Hongwu nodded heavily and then smiled. "But you don’t need to think about it. It’s the Dong family’s heirloom, passed down for generations, for several hundred years."

"Even if the Dong family is in dire straits, as long as they haven’t reached the point of utter ruin, they definitely won’t consider selling it."

Zhu Hongwu spoke softly: "Back then, when someone heard about the Dong family’s treasures, they had evil intentions and directly locked Dong Xiong in a cowshed, making him suffer greatly, almost dying several times."

"But Dong Xiong was tough and didn’t reveal a single word, refusing to yield. Those people were afraid and didn’t dare to go too far, so the matter ended without resolution."

Zhu Hongwu sighed in admiration: "Dong Xiong survived that ordeal, but from then on, the three treasures were kept secret and no one has seen them again..."

"In the 1990s, a wealthy person from overseas heard about the Dong family’s treasures and brought a truckload of cash, placing several boxes of money, totaling twenty million, just to buy one of the items."

Zhu Hongwu clicked his tongue and laughed: "Dong Xiong was naturally proud and didn’t even look at the money, directly serving tea to the guest and sending them away. From then on, he never received any more visitors."

"Truly..." Zhu Qiao pondered for a while before sighing: "Impressive!"

"Of course, Dong Xiong was recognized as a man of iron will," Zhu Hongwu smiled. "So even if the Dong family is in a bad state, they still retain some pride and won’t easily sell their heirlooms."

"Haha, that’s hard to say," Zhu Qiao’s eyes darted around, suddenly turning his head: "Hey, you’ve heard enough stories, right? Can you leave now?"

"Cough..."

Qi Xiang blinked: "Master Zhu, are you not going to hold me responsible for misidentifying the item?"

"Do you have the money to compensate me if I did?"

Zhu Qiao rolled his eyes and waved his hand: "There’s a cause for every effect, and I know who’s responsible. I need to talk to Uncle about important matters. If you have nothing else, get lost."

Qi Xiang didn’t move, whispering: "Master Zhu, when I came over, I saw that Dong family’s young master rushing to town, looking very anxious..."

"Running away with the money..." Zhu Qiao understood and was angry: "Tricking me and then trying to run? Dream on!"

As he spoke, Zhu Qiao was about to call his henchmen to issue a manhunt order. But his gaze shifted to Zhu Hongwu sitting beside him, and he quickly held back his words.

"But... Uncle is right, there are rules in the industry."

Zhu Qiao put on a show, speaking insincerely: "It’s my lack of skill that led to the mistake. I’ll take responsibility for it. Let’s end this matter here. Drinking tea with Uncle is the priority."

Zhu Qiao’s demeanor was too stiff. Even someone who couldn’t read people’s expressions could tell he was holding a grudge and planning to settle the score later.

Qi Xiang was pleased to see this and got up to leave: "Fifth Master Zhu, Master Zhu, I won’t disturb your reunion. Goodbye!"

As expected, no one tried to stop him. Qi Xiang left the teahouse with a light step.

To be honest, he felt a bit regretful. He hadn’t had the chance to interact more with his idol, Zhu Hongwu, or to chat a bit. Most importantly, he had only heard about one of the Dong family’s three legendary treasures, the pearl-moving tray. He didn’t know how precious and magical the other two treasures, the eggshell cup and the flowing mist cup, were.

But he imagined that anything that could be mentioned alongside the pearl-moving tray wouldn’t be simple...

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