Just as I was worried Matthew Yong would agree to the other party's terms, he said, "Let me think about this further."
The old man smiled, and whether intentionally or not, glanced at me and said, "Mr. Ma has guests; we shall not disturb you further. We will return once Mr. Ma has a response."
With that, the old man stood up and, calling Kong Wen to his side, bid farewell.
"Wait a moment," Matthew Yong called out to them, pointing at the teacups on the table. "You're not taking this thing with you?"
"As the saying goes, a treasured sword is gifted to a hero. This teacup will best demonstrate its value by staying by Mr. Ma's side," the old man said with a smile. "Regardless of Mr. Ma's final decision, this teacup is a gift I offer to Mr. Ma."
"Such a valuable gift is beyond my ability to accept," Matthew Yong said with a smile, closing the brocade box and picking it up to hand it back.
The old man forced a wry smile, showing some hesitation.
Matthew Yong directly handed the brocade box to Kong Wen, who, as a junior, could not refuse it.
"You may take the item with you first. It is not too late for you to give it to me after I have made my decision," Matthew Yong said with a smile.
The old man sighed and said, "Very well, we shall take our leave then."
Only after the two of them left did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Brother Xiang, you seemed quite nervous just now?" Matthew Yong said with a smile, pouring me a cup of tea. "Were you perhaps afraid I would accept that teacup?"
I was slightly taken aback and replied with a smile, "What is there for me to be afraid of?"
"Is that so?" A hint of slyness flashed in Matthew Yong's eyes. "You've been coming to accompany me for tea and conversation every day recently. I presume it's also for the White Dragon Jade Horse, isn't it? How about it, do you have any good plans in mind? Have you figured out how to get the White Dragon Jade Horse from me?"
His sudden barrage of questions caught me off guard.
When did he know I was after the White Dragon Jade Horse?
He smiled and said, "Brother Xiang, you saw the terms others offered, didn't you? That teacup is not cheap."
"How did Brother Ma know I was sent by one of the Four Great Families?" I asked.
He replied, "I grew up in this small fishing village. I pretty much know everyone on every street and alley. If you casually ask around, you can find out where you've been and who you've met. Combining this information, it's easy for anyone not foolish to deduce it."
I feigned a helpless, bitter smile and said, "So, Brother Ma already knew my purpose for coming here. It's a shame I kept trying to hide it..."
"Tell me, which family sent you?" Matthew Yong asked, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.
Matthew Yong appears very young, but I know I am more than thirty years his senior.
As the saying goes, the older you are, the shrewder you become. This is absolutely true. It seems he had already thoroughly investigated my background.
I sighed and, deciding to be honest, told him that the Yan family had sent me.
He didn't seem too surprised after hearing this, instead wearing an expression of "as expected." "The Yan family sending you means you must possess some extraordinary qualities, Brother Xiang. So, how do you plan to obtain the White Dragon Jade Horse?"
Matthew Yong smiled and looked at me. "You saw the sincerity of the Kong family just now, didn't you..."
I took a deep breath and said with a bitter smile, "To be honest, Brother Ma, the Yan family didn't tell me much about obtaining the White Dragon Jade Horse. I've only learned about many of the circumstances after arriving here."
"What? Yan Hongguang intends to pull a fast one?" Matthew Yong said with a smile. "That's a clever calculation on his part. It seems he sent you here intending to use a certain method to take the White Dragon Jade Horse from me."
"A certain method?" I was somewhat confused.
Matthew Yong pursed his lips, the smile on his face gradually fading. He took out his tobacco pouch, rolled a cigarette, lit it, and began to smoke. "Brother Xiang, do you know how our Ma family got its start?"
I shook my head.
"Years ago, my ancestor worked as an apprentice in the largest pawnshop in Yanjing. He did this for decades. He didn't learn much else, but he did pick up considerable gambling skills," Matthew Yong said with a wry smile.
"With those gambling and appraisal skills, my ancestor laid the foundation for our family in Guangbei. It was from that time that our Ma family secured a foothold in the antique circle of Guangbei."
Hearing him speak of this, my heart stirred, and I began to grasp some of the implications.
"Our Ma family has an unwritten rule," Matthew Yong stated. "Anyone who wins against our Ma family in a gamble or appraisal, our Ma family must agree to do one thing for them, no matter what it is."
Just as I suspected!
This was the true purpose of Yan Hongguang sending me here. He wanted me to gamble with the Ma family and, by winning, retrieve the White Dragon Jade Horse!
Matthew Yong looked at me and said, "Brother Xiang, we can be considered friends despite the age difference. After our interactions these past few days, we have a general understanding of each other. What do you think your chances of winning are?"
I let out a breath, feeling a bit uncertain.
I had indeed witnessed Matthew Yong's appraisal skills during this time. His practical experience was far richer than mine.
A competition of appraisal abilities ultimately comes down to who has more experience.
This is why, in the appraisal circle, the older one is, the more authority they hold.
I smiled bitterly and said, "I didn't expect the Yan family wanted me to obtain the White Dragon Jade Horse through gambling... I truly had no idea beforehand."
"Actually, I'm quite curious. Brother Xiang, you're so young, yet your appraisal skills are considerable..."
Matthew Yong paused, then continued, "From what I know, there aren't many appraisal families in the whole of China with the surname Xiang. Your hometown is Jiangdong, and the only family that comes to mind is just one, though unfortunately, that family has been out of contact for decades..."
At this point, he exhaled a plume of smoke and looked at me, asking, "Who is Xiang Tian to you?"
I hadn't expected my father's reputation to be known to so many people.
It was one thing for the Yan family to know, but how did Matthew Yong also know?
Seeing my silence, Matthew Yong grinned and said, "It seems my guess is correct. Xiang Tian must be your father, right?"
I nodded. "Does Brother Ma know my father?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't know him. However, I have heard some legends about your father… one glance to distinguish truth from falsehood, two glances to determine age. He was known as the 'Giant Eye of Jiangdong'."
I felt a pang of bitterness within me. Just how much of a stir had my father caused back in the day?
How could even people in Guangbei have heard of him?
No wonder my grandfather insisted on beating his legs that year.
"I never thought I would have the honor of meeting a descendant of the Giant Eye of Jiangdong. This is truly my honor."
As Matthew Yong said this, I noticed his eyes, for some reason, ignite with a newfound fighting spirit that hadn't been there before.
I knew then that he also very much wanted to test his skills against me, or rather, to meet our Xiang family.
With this thought, a fighting spirit also ignited within me.
Being able to spar with someone like Matthew Yong was an opportunity I could only dream of.
It seemed that a confrontation between him and me was unavoidable!