bullyxtreme Chapter 75 Tea at the Misty Rain Pavilion
Chapter 75 Tea at the Misty Rain Pavilion
As the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) drew to a close, the streets of Suzhou gradually came alive.
Lin Chen and Xiao Yulou traveled to Yanyu Pavilion by carriage.
The carriage was sent by the Su family; it had green curtains and red wheels, and the two white horses pulling it were exceptionally fine, clearly excellent steeds from the north.
"The Su family truly deserves to be the richest family in Jiangnan." Xiao Yulou looked at the street scene through the car window.
"Even the carriage used for entertaining guests is so elaborate."
Lin Chen leaned back on the cushion and said lazily:
"Businessmen are all about showing off."
However, Su Mo wasn't entirely materialistic; he was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and his cultivation was also quite high, making him a rare all-rounder.
"You think highly of him?" Xiao Yulou turned to look at him.
"Let's be realistic," Lin Chen said with a smile.
"To gain a foothold in a place like the capital and expand the Su family's business throughout Dayan, you can't do it without real skills."
Moreover, he was only at the early stage of Grandmaster level, and ranked tenth on the Prodigy Ranking.
Xiao Yulou nodded, then suddenly remembered something:
"By the way, Eighth Brother, what about the Xishan Mine you mentioned last night... should we tell the Su family?"
Lin Chen pondered for a moment:
"Not for now. Although the Su family and the canal gang have some friction, it hasn't reached the point of a complete falling out."
"If we bring up the Purple Robe Tower now, the Su family might not dare to investigate further."
"That's true," Xiao Yulou said.
"Ordinary people would avoid a force like the Purple Robe Tower. No matter how rich the Su family is, they are still just merchants and cannot afford to offend a Celestial Being."
"So let's investigate ourselves first," Lin Chen said. "Once we've found out, we'll see how to handle it."
As they spoke, the carriage had already left the city and headed west.
The Misty Rain Pavilion is not located within the city, but rather on the mountainside of Cuiwei Mountain, five miles west of the city.
That was the Su family's private garden, which was not open to the public on ordinary days and was only open to distinguished guests.
The carriage slowly made its way up the mountain road.
Bamboo groves line both sides of the road, and a babbling brook flows gently, creating a secluded and tranquil atmosphere.
"This is a wonderful location," Xiao Yulou praised. "It's quiet amidst the hustle and bustle, yet still elegant."
Lin Chen nodded: "The Su family has been running the business for generations; they certainly have a good eye for it."
About half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a garden.
The garden gate is not large, with white walls and black tiles. Above the gate hangs an ebony plaque with the three characters "Yanyu Pavilion" written in vigorous strokes, faintly conveying the aura of swords.
"This word..." Xiao Yulou narrowed his eyes, "is sword intent."
Lin Chen also noticed: "It was written by a swordsman at the peak of the Grandmaster level. The Su family is indeed full of hidden talents."
The two got out of the car, and servants were already waiting for them.
"Young Master Lin, Madam Lin, the young master and young lady are waiting in the garden. Please follow me."
The servants led the two into the garden.
The scenery inside the park is indeed extraordinary.
Upon entering, there is a cobblestone path, with various orchids planted on both sides, which are in full bloom and have a pleasant fragrance.
At the end of the path is an artificial hill with jagged rocks and a waterfall with flowing springs and the sound of gurgling water.
After passing the artificial hill, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before us.
A vast lake comes into view, with a pavilion built in the middle and a winding corridor connecting it to the shore.
Bamboo curtains hung around the waterside pavilion, and the figures inside could be vaguely seen.
"What a magnificent Misty Rain Pavilion!" Lin Chen exclaimed. "Sitting in this waterside pavilion and watching the rain during the rainy season must be the greatest pleasure in the world."
Xiao Yulou was also captivated by the sight: "The wonders of the gardens in Jiangnan are indeed well-deserved."
The two walked along the corridor toward the waterside pavilion.
As they approached the pavilion, Su Mo came out to greet them.
"Brother Lin, Madam Lin, welcome, welcome." Su Mo was dressed in a moon-white long robe today, which made him look even more refined.
"Brother Su, this garden is truly a paradise on earth," Lin Chen said with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Brother Lin, you flatter me. It's merely an inheritance from my ancestors; I'm just offering it up as a token of my appreciation." Su Mo stepped aside to invite him to continue.
"Please come in, tea is ready."
Three people entered the pavilion.
The interior of the waterside pavilion is elegantly furnished, with landscape paintings and calligraphy hanging on the four walls, and a rosewood tea table placed in the center.
Su Xiaoxiao was already kneeling before the table, warming the cups and saucers.
Today she wore a light purple ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her hair was loosely tied up, and she only had a jade hairpin in her hair. Her simple and elegant style exuded a refined beauty.
Upon seeing Lin Chen enter, she rose and gave a graceful bow: "Young Master Lin, Madam Lin."
"Miss Su, there's no need for such formalities," Lin Chen returned the greeting and sat down opposite Xiao Yulou at the tea table.
The tea set—a set of celadon teaware with a warm, jade-like glaze—was already laid out on the tea table.
The copper kettle on the charcoal stove was bubbling away, steam rising from it.
Su Xiaoxiao knelt back to the main seat and began serving tea.
Her movements were skillful and elegant: taking tea, appreciating the tea, warming the cup, adding tea leaves, brewing, and serving the tea.
Every step flows smoothly, with a unique aesthetic appeal.
The aroma of tea rises with the steam, a delicate orchid fragrance.
"This is 'Pre-Rain Longjing' tea, picked from Lion Peak Mountain in West Lake, this year's new tea before Qingming Festival."
Su Xiaoxiao gently pushed the teacups towards Lin Chen and Xiao Yulou.
"Young Master Lin, Madam Lin, please enjoy."
Lin Chen picked up the teacup and first observed its color. The tea soup was clear and emerald green, like spring water just beginning to flow.
The fragrance is refreshing and pleasant, with a hint of bean aroma mixed with orchid scent.
Finally, savor the taste – slightly bitter at first, then sweet, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.
"Excellent tea," he exclaimed sincerely.
"Miss Su's tea ceremony skills have reached a state of perfection."
Xiao Yulou nodded in agreement:
"The tea is excellent, but the craftsmanship is even better. The temperature and concentration of this tea soup are just right; it takes at least ten years of experience to achieve this."
Su Xiaoxiao's face flushed slightly:
"Madam Lin, you flatter me. I've simply loved tea ceremony since I was a child and have been practicing for a while now."
Su Mo smiled and said:
"She started learning tea at the age of six and has been doing so for ten years. Her family's tea master says that her talent in tea art is one in a hundred years."
Lin Chen took another sip of tea and suddenly said, "This water... isn't ordinary spring water, is it?"
Su Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up:
"Young Master Lin is very perceptive. This is spring water from Tianshan Mountain. My elder brother specially had it transported here."
"No wonder." Lin Chen nodded. "Brother Su is very thoughtful."
Su Mo waved his hand: "Good tea deserves good water, that's the only way to do it justice. I'm glad you like it, Brother Lin."
The four of them sipped tea and chatted.
When Su Mo talked about the scenery of Jiangnan, he talked about everything from tea ceremony to calligraphy and painting, from gardens to poetry. He was very knowledgeable and his speech was very elegant.
Su Xiaoxiao occasionally chimed in, her words witty and insightful.
Lin Chen would sometimes share anecdotes about the capital, and sometimes comment on the scenery of Jiangnan.
After all, he was a time traveler with extensive knowledge, and his occasional novel viewpoints often gave the Su siblings a fresh perspective.
Xiao Yulou was not a man of many words, but whenever he spoke, he always got to the heart of the matter.
After all, she was a woman of the martial arts world, having seen the customs and traditions of various places, and her comments on Jiangnan were often incisive.
The atmosphere was harmonious, like old friends reuniting.
After three rounds of tea, Su Mo suddenly said:
"Brother Lin, regarding the matter of the canal transport merchants' association at yesterday's lantern festival... did you notice anything amiss?"
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless:
"What is Brother Su referring to?"
"Wang Biao dared to block the bridge in the street; he must have powerful backing," Su Mo said slowly.
"Although the Grand Canal Gang and the Grand Canal Merchants Association are powerful, they used to be quite respectful to the Su family. But recently they have been frequently provoking us, even daring to touch our military supplies..."
He paused, then looked at Lin Chen:
"Brother Lin, do you know what those three shipments of goods were that the canal gang robbed?"
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "Brother Su, are you willing to tell me?"
"Since Brother Lin is investigating, I, Su, will naturally tell you everything I know," Su Mo said solemnly.
"Those three shipments were nominally silk and tea, but in reality they contained three thousand standard-issue swords, fifty sets of crossbows, and... ten boxes of bone-corroding spirit stones."
Xiao Yulou's teacup swayed slightly.
The Bone-Corroding Spirit Stone is a forbidden item!
Lin Chen remained calm: "Why should the imperial court's military supplies be transported via trade routes?"