CHAPTER 270: CHAPTER 80: THE MYSTERIOUS ELDER (2)

The elderly man just sat aside, his chopsticks never touched any delicacies, simply sipping tea and watching Su Ziceng eat, with a face full of harmony.

"Why don’t you eat?" Su Ziceng genuinely liked this teahouse, which is elegantly decorated, bustling with people, serving authentic tea and food. In comparison, the dumplings from the star-rated hotel he had this morning felt like wax.

After sitting in the teahouse for a while, the lonely atmosphere of spending New Year’s alone was completely dispelled, fully embracing the festive spirit, which aligned with the old saying that Chinese people love bustling places.

"As you get older, you need to cut down on these strong-flavored foods," the old man reminisced that he used to eat several baskets of shumai dumplings at a time. At his age now, a slight overeating could lead to discomfort.

From choosing this teahouse, Su Ziceng could guess that the old man must have been a picky eater in his early years, but he didn’t know how the man managed to curb his appetite now.

"Young lady, what are you doing all alone in Bianjing City during New Year?" the old man finished his tea and didn’t pour more.

Su Ziceng’s mouth was dry from eating, she reached for the tea bowl, and just as she took a sip, she was captivated by the tea bowl in her hand. The owner of Xianfeng Tea House was definitely an insider. The tea was excellent, and even the tea bowls were top-notch.

Superior white clay body, glazed with patterns like budding willows, making the tea appear clearer and the cup more vibrant. Seeing Su Ziceng staring blankly at the tea bowl while unconsciously praising, "This teacup is nice."

The old man laughed again, this girl from the South in the teahouse, instead of praising the tea, was praising the tea cup, really amusing as if it were the "buying the casket and returning the pearl" kind of joke.

"The owner of Xianfeng is an old-timer who lived through the Liberation War, choosing only authentic items. Despite the crowdedness and chaotic surroundings of the teahouse, what you’re sitting on and what’s placed under your hands are antiquities left from the Qing Dynasty," the old man tapped the rosewood table with his finger.

Su Ziceng turned her head and indeed, she was sitting on an antique from the Qing Dynasty, not just a set of tables and chairs. Upon closer inspection of the entire teahouse, whether upper or lower floors or even those extended to the street front, there were at least over a hundred tables. Moreover, each table was well-maintained, shining brightly with every wipe from the tea master.

"Over a hundred sets of tables and chairs," Su Ziceng no longer cared about her tea, "I’m here to find antiques," she wouldn’t have shared this with anyone else, but talking to this nearly century-old man made her speech flow smoothly.

By the time Su Ziceng had explained everything, the tea master had already refilled the pot with boiling water, filling up the cups in one swift motion.

"Surprising, you manage things efficiently despite your young age, but a bit too rash, places like Luli Street can’t be scoured for good items anymore," this old man, despite his age, was not closed-minded at all. He had adopted the foreign custom of auctioning antiques, and it did not bother him a bit.

Earlier, Su Ziceng inquired from a few old-timers on Luli Street about displaying and auctioning antiques like a beauty pageant which caused them to launch into tirades, with some even calling her a ’traitor.’ Selling antiques has an unwritten rule: sell to relatives, not strangers; sell to those nearby, not afar – a high-class act of favoritism.

"Rash?" Su Ziceng was unfamiliar with Bianjing City, and could only head towards well-known places.

"There are many small, hidden black markets in Bianjing City that outsiders cannot find. The channels through which your rival collects auction items probably involve these black markets," the old man said with a smile, "Those places are not suitable for you. However, I do know a good place where you can deal with antiques, where if you are meticulous and patient, the antiques you find will surely be fairly priced."

The old man dipped his finger into his tea, and with the tea, he wrote down some words on the rosewood table. Su Ziceng leaned over to look and was stunned.

These places can indeed find good items. After the old man finished talking, he chuckled, called over the tea master, and paid the bill.

Su Ziceng had eaten a lot and felt it improper to let an elderly man pay. She quickly stood up, insisting on paying, only to see the old man give a stern look, "Daring to vie with an elder over such matters, truly unaware, and besides, this old man’s money if not spent now, might as well end up in the coffin."

Seeing the old man change his demeanor, Su Ziceng quickly sat down. You wouldn’t believe it, but the old man, previously benign in conversation, turned stern and his voice boomed - truly an imposing figure exuding an indescribable authority. It was Su Ziceng’s first encounter with such a character, thinking inside that Bianjing really was a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, even an old man watching fireworks in a square seemed more formidable than usual.

After leaving the tea house, Su Ziceng wanted to hail a car for the old man, but he insisted on walking, advising her to return early as the clouds were fiery red, predicting a heavy snowfall later which would make travel difficult for both vehicles and pedestrians.

Su Ziceng reluctantly hailed a cab and watched the old man disappear around the corner they had come from before getting into the car herself.

After turning the corner, the old man saw a military-green jeep parked with snow covering its roof. A soldier in uniform got out, stood at attention with a thud, and greeted, "Greetings, Commander."

"Thanks for your hard work. I got carried away and lost track of time, let’s head back to the military area." The old man entered the vehicle, sitting erect in a typical military posture. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for monthly and recommendation tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)