Chapter 20: The Tea Ceremony

Liu Dong had not really heard much about Zhao Defa's experience of finding a bargain on Taobao and getting duped, but that did not stop him from knowing how wealthy the man was. As Uncle Long had mentioned, perhaps three million was an astronomical figure for him, but for this man, it was just a drizzle.

At this moment, the middle-aged female servant who had been there earlier walked over with a tray carrying a teapot and several teacups. At Old Li's gesture, she placed them on the stone table in front of everyone.

"Old Li, this seems to be a purple clay teapot, doesn't it?" Liu Dong, looking at the teapot on the tray, which was a purplish-red color, smooth and lustrous, exuding a historical charm, shaped like a pumpkin, divided into eight sections, and with an ancient and elegant design, could not help but ask.

"Oh? Xiao Dong, you know about purple clay teapots too?" Old Li suddenly asked with interest.

"Not very clearly, but I've seen similar ones at antique stalls in the market before. However, none of them were as good as this one."

"Hehe, this purple clay teapot of mine is not simple at all." After a pause, the old man looked at Liu Dong and suddenly said, "If you can tell me the origin of this item, I will give you something I've been treasuring for many years as a gift for our first meeting. I promise you won't be disappointed!"

Before Liu Dong could speak, Old Long, sitting beside him, urged, "Xiao Dong, if you can really see something from this, then speak boldly. This old man is always very generous to the younger generation. Didn't you always like collecting things? Old Li's collection is very rich!"

Hearing this, Old Li just smiled faintly and said nothing. He looked at Liu Dong with a calm expression, his eyes filled with a faint expectation.

Seeing the expressions of the two elders, Liu Dong could not help but take a deep breath. If it were before, with his limited knowledge of antiques, he would definitely not have been able to discern anything from this purple clay teapot. But now, it was different. Regardless of whether this item was an antique or not, the treasure in his mind would show something. Even if there was something hidden in this purple clay teapot, it would not escape his透视异能 (penetrating ability).

Thinking about this, Liu Dong had no reservations and immediately agreed, "Since Old Li says so, I'll take the risk. If I'm wrong, please bear with me!"

Liu Dong bowed, and seeing the old man nod, he focused his mind. Immediately, he felt as if a window had opened on his forehead, and everything within two meters looked different to him. The purple clay teapot on the table, as expected, emitted a strong white fluorescence, though it only rose about ten centimeters, it was definitely a genuine antique.

He then subconsciously checked the芥子空间 (Jiezi Space) in his mind and saw the words "Qing Dynasty Chen Mingyuan's Pumpkin Teapot" floating above the yellow treasure, giving him confidence.

"Old Li, this should be a purple clay pumpkin teapot made by Chen Mingyuan, a master of purple clay teapot art from the early Qing Dynasty!" Liu Dong said.

Hearing his answer, Old Li's eyes quickly flashed with surprise, and he looked at Liu Dong, asking calmly, "Oh, hehe, not bad. How did you figure that out?"

Hearing Old Li's question, Liu Dong could not help but feel a surge of tension. To be honest, without the help of his sudden ability, he really would not have known how to identify this teapot as a Qing Dynasty Chen Mingyuan purple clay teapot. But after a few more glances, Liu Dong finally relaxed.

"Old Li, I saw two characters, 'He Feng'!" Liu Dong pointed to a position on the side of the teapot facing him, between two pumpkin ridges, in a fine crevice.

Actually, to see these two characters with the naked eye was really difficult, as the author's hidden mark was extremely small, no thicker than a hair. If it weren't for his penetrating ability, Liu Dong would not have seen this hidden mark.

However, although he saw these two characters, he did not know much about Chen Mingyuan, the master of purple clay teapot art from the early Qing Dynasty, nor did he know what 'He Feng' meant. But with no other evidence, he had to mention these two characters.

However, after hearing his words, Old Li could not help but show a look of surprise on his face. He could not help but look at the young man sitting opposite him again and slowly said, "Xiao Dong's eyesight is indeed good. 'He Feng' is Chen Mingyuan's pseudonym, which he often left on his purple clay teapots. This is well-documented in ancient books."

"Haha, Old Li, we who study micro-carving have nothing but good eyesight. Xiao Dong has indeed identified your precious purple clay teapot. It's time to fulfill your promise, isn't it?" Uncle Long, sitting beside him, said with a smile. In fact, he was also surprised that Liu Dong could see this hidden mark.

Old Li could not help but roll his eyes and said irritably, "Do you think everyone is like you, always trying to weasel out of their bets?" After saying this, he turned around and instructed the middle-aged female servant standing by, "Xiao Zhang, go to my study and bring me the book on the table."

"Yes, sir!" The servant's eyes flashed with surprise, glanced at Liu Dong, and then turned to go inside.

"Old Li, actually, I just got lucky this time. As for the prize, let's just forget it. If you could give me more guidance on collecting, that would be enough!" Liu Dong was really afraid that Old Li would, as Uncle Long said, give him a valuable antique from his collection. Although he had indeed won the bet, which was not really a bet, receiving such a precious item on their first meeting would not be appropriate.

At this moment, Uncle Long, sitting beside him, did not say anything. Although he was fond of Liu Dong, if his old friend really intended to give Liu Dong an antique because of the bet, he thought Liu Dong's words were very reasonable.

"Alright, no need to say more. I've made up my mind. Besides, what I'm giving you is not that valuable, so you don't need to worry," Old Li said, waving his hand.

Hearing this, Liu Dong glanced at Uncle Long, who shook his head slightly, and did not say anything more.

"Alright, let's drink tea first! This is genuine Fujian Da Hong Pao. Although it's not from the three tea trees on Wuyi Mountain, it's from the second generation of six mother trees, which is quite rare!" Saying this, Old Li picked up the teapot and poured a cup for each of them.

As the light red, clear tea filled the cups, a refreshing aroma filled the air, making everyone take a deep breath and show a look of satisfaction. Even Liu Dong, who rarely drank tea, felt a strong urge to taste it.

"Good tea, indeed worthy of being the best of Wuyi rock tea, with the fresh fragrance of green tea and the sweetness of black tea. It is truly the finest of Chinese oolong teas, living up to its reputation as the 'King of Teas'!" Uncle Long held the cup in his right hand, supported it with his left, and after a light sniff, closed his eyes in ecstasy, his voice full of admiration.