"White Dragon Jade Horse?" the fat man stared at me, "What is that?"
After dinner, we returned to our lodging, and I recounted the events to the fat man.
"It's a treasured heirloom of the Guanggu Association, likely something akin to ancient imperial seals," I replied.
The fat man stroked the layer of fat on his chin. "So, you find this item for him, and he'll tell you about your father back then?"
I nodded.
"The first time I met that old man Yan, I felt he wasn't simple. He's quite the schemer," the fat man remarked.
I lit a cigarette and took a puff. "What I don't understand is why he's asking me to do this. Surely he has plenty of people under him?"
The fat man said, "Mr. Xiang, do you think it's because finding this White Dragon Jade Horse requires appraisal skills?"
His words reminded me, "If you say so, does it mean we need appraisal skills to get this White Dragon Jade Horse?"
"I'm just guessing. Otherwise, why would old man Yan ask you?"
I nodded, "You make sense..."
"In my opinion, whether it's a Black Dragon Jade Horse or a White Dragon Jade Horse, we just find it for him and be done with it," the fat man said. "By then, the map situation should also be settled, and we can head straight home."
"En, that's what I think too."
Having made up our minds, the next day, the fat man, Song Bing, and I went to a pier. Following Yan Yuhe's directions, we boarded a fishing boat and sailed to a fishing village several dozen kilometers off Guangbei.
According to Yan Yuhe, the White Dragon Jade Horse was in this place, though she didn't specify exactly where.
When I asked her, she only said, "You'll know when you get there."
This fishing village was quite large and prosperous, with three or four main roads and constant traffic. The pier was also crowded with many fishing boats.
Calling it a fishing village was an understatement; it was more like a small county town.
The village had everything: guesthouses, late-night food stalls, and even dance halls.
The only thing it lacked were tall buildings. The most common sight in the entire fishing village was seafood stalls; various kinds of seafood and open-air diners occupied half of the village.
We found a hotel and checked in. Then, we split into two groups to inquire about the White Dragon Jade Horse.
I initially thought it would be difficult to find any information, but to our surprise, while eating oysters at a roadside diner, I casually asked the owner, "Boss, have you heard of the White Dragon Jade Horse?"
The owner grinned and said, "Of course, I've heard of it. The White Dragon Jade Horse is famous here."
The fat man and I exchanged glances. I asked with some confusion, "Famous? What do you mean?"
"This is your first time here, isn't it?" the owner asked.
I nodded.
"That explains it. The White Dragon Jade Horse is our local teahouse. The owner of the teahouse is the richest man in our village," the owner explained.
"Teahouse?"
"Yes, just follow this road straight to the end," the owner helpfully pointed the way.
After finishing our oysters, the fat man and I decided to go and see it.
When we arrived at the entrance of the teahouse called "White Dragon Jade Horse," we were all stunned by its magnificent decoration.
The teahouse was a grand mansion with three entrances and three courtyards. The stone lions at the entrance were over two meters tall, and the red lacquered main gate was at least five to six meters wide.
The architectural style of the entire building was completely from the late Qing Dynasty. Under the eaves hung a plaque with four golden characters, "White Dragon Jade Horse," written in standard script.
On either side of the gate were a pair of couplets. The upper line read: "Threads of scholarly fragrance linger in the elegant courtyard," and the lower line: "Sturdy, unyielding bones stand tall like cold plum blossoms."
"Mr. Xiang, this courtyard is quite magnificent!" the fat man exclaimed. "Even before entering, the exterior alone rivals the famous courtyard houses in Yanjing."
I nodded and said, "I didn't expect such a grand place in such a small town. No wonder that woman Yan Yuhe said we would find the White Dragon Jade Horse when we arrived here."
The fat man said, "Mr. Xiang, didn't old man Yan say the White Dragon Jade Horse has always been guarded by specialists? Could it be the owner here?"
"Highly possible. Let's go in and have a look first." I said.
"Alright!" the fat man replied.
We entered the courtyard and, after passing through the inner courtyard, were met by a young man in a black mandarin jacket. "Do the two of you have a reservation?"
"Reservation?" I asked, a little confused.
"You must have a reservation to enter. If you don't have one, you cannot proceed," the man stated.
"How do we make a reservation?" I asked.
"Three days in advance, either by phone or in person."
The fat man and I exchanged glances. He then smiled, took out fifty yuan, and handed it over. "Young man, we've come here by reputation as well. Could you possibly make an exception for us?"
The man looked at the money in the fat man's hand and smiled wryly. "I'm truly sorry, but we only receive three tables of guests per day, and all the slots for today are already filled."
I didn't expect the teahouse to have such rules. I thought for a moment, "Can we make a reservation now?"
The man said, "Please wait, let me check."
He then took out a small notebook and flipped through it. "If you make a reservation today, you'll have a spot in four days."
"Four days?"
"En."
I had wanted to ask him if I could see the owner of the place, but then I decided to hold off and figure out the situation first.
Yan Hongguang asked me to come here to retrieve the White Dragon Jade Horse, and there must be a reason.
If the White Dragon Jade Horse were so easy to obtain, he could have just sent anyone, couldn't he?
Therefore, we had to figure out the situation first.
As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.
"Alright then, please make a reservation for me," I said.
The man took my name and phone number. Finally, he asked me to pay a deposit. When I asked him the amount, he stated a figure that made both the fat man and me freeze.
"Ten thousand?!" the fat man exclaimed. "The deposit alone is ten thousand?"
The man nodded with a smile. "Yes."
"Is the tea here made of gold?" the fat man quipped.
The man remained unfazed and smiled, "The tea is naturally of superior quality, and the tea itself is merely a complimentary gift. Since you have come by reputation, you should know that our consultation fees are priced as such."
"Consultation fees?" the fat man asked, a little bewildered.
The man looked at us curiously. "Aren't you two here for consultation?"
My eyes darted, "Yes, yes, yes, we are here for consultation. Alright then, I'll pay the deposit first... it's just that I don't have this much cash on me right now..."
"It's no problem," the man handed me a card. "As long as you deposit the money into this account within twenty-four hours."
I took the card and nodded, pulling the fat man out of the courtyard.
"Mr. Xiang, isn't this a rip-off? What kind of consultation fee costs ten thousand?" the fat man complained.
I told him to calm down and wait, and that we should first ask around for information. Besides, I hadn't paid yet, so there was no need to rush.
Hearing my words, the fat man calmed down.