No wonder the fellow apprentices all said that he was soone who could adapt to the situation. Many pieces of furniture sold through him, earning the master’s favor.
I’ve been here for half a year, lagging in technical skills, unpopular with custors, and even the junior apprentices are better than .
Ah, still a bit dull.
Must study hard!
Thinking about the young man earlier, the shop boy felt regret. He was the only custor who seriously listened to him, leaving a good impression. He thought the young man must have liked it; if only he could afford to buy it...
Chun Ning had just left the shop when he bumped into Zhao Minghua.
"Chun Ning, why are you out here alone? This is Shuzhou..."
After saying that, he felt silly. Though Chun Ning hadn’t been to Shuzhou before, he grew up in the Capital. As long as he could read and recognize the roads, what was there to fear?
"Brother Zhao, finished with your work?"
Zhao Minghua had been busy with his shop’s accounts ever since arriving in Shuzhou, so Chun Ning decided to go out and explore on his own.
Thinking about the silver in hand and the list made by his aunt, Chun Ning felt embarrassed and couldn’t bring himself to ntion it to Zhao Minghua.
"Chun Ning, I’ve arranged to et the shopkeeper of Shu Mo Studio to look at so paintings. Co with ."
"Alright."
The antique paintings were listed on the dowry list drafted by his aunt. Chun Ning had just visited a nearby shop to check them out but found the prices to be steep even for the good ones.
Chun Ning felt powerless: what he liked, he couldn’t afford; what he could afford, he didn’t like.
According to Zhao Minghua, he seed to be familiar with the shopkeeper of Shu Mo Studio. Chun Ning wondered if they could get a better deal and at least secure a couple of paintings.
Chun Ning followed Zhao Minghua for a while until they reached a painting shop.
Hey, isn’t this the shop he just visited?
Looking up, well, it was indeed Shu Mo Studio, but earlier, he’d been too focused on going inside without even noticing the sign.
"Mr. Zhao is here." The shop boy quickly greeted them warmly. "Our manager instructed that when Mr. Zhao arrives, he should go directly to the elegant second-floor room to have tea. I’ll go get the manager."
"Alright, thanks." Zhao Minghua nodded and said to Chun Ning, "Let’s go, we’ll have tea in the elegant room upstairs."
Chun Ning noticed that not only the shop boy but also the tea-serving boy on the second floor seed familiar with Zhao Minghua.
"Mr. Zhao, please. This way, please, sir."
Zhao Minghua nodded and lightly tapped his finger on the table.
Chun Ning understood this as a gesture of acknowledgnt towards the boy serving the tea.
Speaking of tea, he had only learned to drink it by following Zhao Minghua.
Before, he wasn’t keen on tea; he preferred health tonics prepared by his grandfather or sister.
After arriving in Shu City, he noticed that elderly folks with or without money loved to drink bowl tea.
In town, there were various tea houses, where for just a couple of coins one could sit for half the day. It wasn’t necessarily the tea they were enjoying but rather the ambiance and atmosphere.
Zhao Minghua had once taken Chun Ning to such tea houses frequented by elders who smoked tobacco, coughed, and discussed family matters, national issues, worldly affairs.
According to Zhao Minghua, no matter which tea house, there were always a couple of elders bragging, basking in the admiration of others. At those tis, they forgot their age, talked eloquently, as if they knew half of the celestial matters and all of the earthly ones.
The elder tea drinkers listened with interest, sotis chiming in.
Of course, there were also contrarians who insisted on arguing, competing for a win, blushing with stubborn refusal to concede.
Chun Ning knew that the tea houses of Shu City were entirely different from those in the Capital.
Tea houses in the Capital employed storytellers, with audiences gathered to listen to tales, cheering and rewarding the good ones.
Tea patrons in Shu City entertained themselves, making for a more lively and down-to-earth experience.
"Drink up, this is Shu City’s pre-Ming tea, different from what you have in the Capital."
Zhao Minghua raised his cup to Chun Ning and said, "Later, when Manager Wen arrives, we’ll look at so paintings."
"Alright." Chun Ning nodded.
Watching Zhao Minghua shed his playful deanor and adopt the bearing of a genteel scion, Chun Ning was secretly amazed, confirming what his sister had said: one’s identity outside is self-given.
If it weren’t for spending over two years with him, Chun Ning wouldn’t have known that the Zhao family’s third young master’s face changed faster than flipping a book.
Just as he was thinking, footsteps echoed from the entrance.
"Mr. Zhao, how have you been?"
"Manager Wen, sorry to intrude. Busy?"
"Oh, just bustling around." Manager Wen said, "A few days ago, I received an ancient book that is authentic, but unfortunately, it’s mostly ruined. I’ve been heartbroken trying to restore it but found it impossible to proceed."
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