For several days, I went to the tea house almost every day. After a few visits, Ma Xiuyong and I had gotten to know each other.
He was quite an interesting person, with his own insights into appraising treasures.
What’s more, he enjoyed collecting teaware, especially teacups, possessing all sorts of varieties.
According to him, teaware was the item that had the most contact with people. In ancient times, many artists, whether they were painting or composing poetry, would inevitably drink tea. Under the daily touch of ancient people, these teaware were no longer simply teaware but teaware imbued with artistic flair.
I couldn’t say I agreed or disagreed with this theory, as collecting was a very personal matter. As the saying goes, to each their own.
Early one morning, I received a call from Liu Zaixi. She told me that the map had been deciphered and asked me to visit her when I had time.
To express my gratitude, I asked her for her bank account number and transferred fifty thousand yuan.
At first, she refused to accept it, saying that she had already saved a significant amount of money with the previous purchase of the appraisal tools and that she was grateful enough, let alone accepting money from me.
I told her, "Miss Liu, one thing is one thing. You’ve worked hard for so long this time, and naturally, I can’t let you do this for free."
"Alright then, I've written down the deciphered map in my notes. Come and get it when you have time," Liu Zaixi said. "I haven't been to work for the past few days, and Sister Xue’er is already unhappy."
"Would you like me to call her for you?" I asked.
Liu Zaixi replied, "No need to bother. I'll handle this myself."
"Okay, when I return to Guangbei, I'll treat you to a meal then."
"Okay."
After hanging up the phone, I took a deep breath. Now that the map had been deciphered, my purpose in coming to Guangbei had been fulfilled.
Now I needed to find a way to quickly obtain the "White Dragon Jade Horse" and then return to find Yan Hongguang.
Just like the previous days, I grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds and prepared to go to the tea house to find Ma Xiuyong.
As soon as I reached the entrance, I saw several black commercial vehicles blocking the doorway. Several men in black suits stood by the cars, occasionally looking towards the entrance.
What were these people doing?
I was a bit confused. As I walked over, one of them stopped me. "Hello, you can't go in right now."
"Why?" I asked. "The owner of this place is my friend."
The man in the black suit did not answer but said, "Please cooperate."
"Cooperate? What are you doing?" I asked curiously.
The man in the black suit took out a walkie-talkie and walked aside to contact someone. Soon, he returned to me, glanced at me, and said, "You can go in now."
I was a little strange. I glanced at these people and then walked in.
Who exactly was looking for Ma Xiuyong?
And making such a grand display?
Passing through the courtyard, I quickly arrived at the main hall. The door to the main hall was open, and several people were sitting inside.
When I entered, Ma Xiuyong was sitting in a grand armchair, and his expression seemed a little grim.
Opposite him sat two people, one around fifty years old, and the other very young.
I had never seen the older man before, but the younger one was a familiar face.
Kong Wen was also surprised when he saw me, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes. He then leaned in and whispered something to the elder.
Last time, at the appraisal conference, Kong Wen had come to find trouble with me, and I had retorted him into running away in disgrace. I hadn't expected to see him here this time.
Why were people from the Kong family showing up here?
Could they also be after the White Dragon Jade Horse?
It was highly likely.
Thinking this, I walked over and greeted Ma Xiuyong, "Brother Ma, am I disturbing you?"
Upon seeing me, Ma Xiuyong smiled. "Brother Xiang, you're here? Sit."
I casually walked to the empty seat next to him and sat down, placing the bag of sunflower seeds on the table.
It was then that I noticed a delicate brocade box on the table, inside which was a teacup of pure golden yellow.
Seeing this teacup, I couldn't help but freeze.
I instinctively glanced at Ma Xiuyong beside me. From his eyes, I could be sure that this teacup was most likely a Ming Jiajing yellow-glazed teacup.
Judging by the situation, this thing was probably intended as a gift for Ma Xiuyong.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had such a complex expression.
Such a valuable item, if it could be "gifted," the price would not be small.
"Brother Xiang, what do you think of this teacup?" Ma Xiuyong asked me with a smile.
I leaned in to examine it closely. "There aren't many yellow-glazed teacups that have been preserved so well."
"Indeed, this is a yellow-glazed teacup from the Ming Jiajing period," Ma Xiuyong sighed.
At this point, the elder sitting opposite them smiled and said, "Since Mr. Ma likes this teacup so much, why not accept it?"
"Of course, I want to accept it, but the price for this exchange is simply too great," Ma Xiuyong replied.
The elder smiled and said, "Trading the White Dragon Jade Horse for such a teacup, it seems Mr. Ma is getting the better deal…"
Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat: they were indeed after the White Dragon Jade Horse!
For a moment, I started to panic. I glanced at Ma Xiuyong and saw his infatuated expression. I didn't know what to say.
If he really handed over the White Dragon Jade Horse, wouldn't I have made this trip in vain?
Making the trip in vain was fine, but the main point was that I had finally gotten some news about my father's past. Was I really going to watch it slip away like this?
Absolutely not!