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墨書 Inktalez
Hanno had a good memory and immediately recognized the visitor as an appraiser from Denglin Pavilion, the very person who had first helped her, Mr. Zhang, followed by Master Yuan.
“Master Yuan, Mr. Zhang,” Hanno greeted them politely.
The other party was quite enthusiastic.
“Ms. Han, are you out for morning tea with your son?” Mr. Zhang asked charmingly. Given Hanno's past ownership of two national treasures and her current status as a billionaire, she was not someone to be underestimated.
Hanno twitched her lips; did she really look that old?
“This is my nephew, my cousin's child,” Hanno said, patting Han Bin. “Say hello.”
“Grandpa, Uncle,” Brat greeted, putting on a show of being a well-mannered child in front of outsiders.
“Hello, young man,” Mr. Zhang smiled at Brat to cover his embarrassment.
“Are you two here for morning tea as well?” Hanno asked, unsure why they had come over to greet her and trying to make small talk.
“We're here to meet a client,” Master Yuan replied. “A client has an antique that is quite good and wants us to appraise it, but it turned out to be just a high imitation.”
Master Yuan began to look displeased. Recently, most antiques sent to the auction house for appraisal or brought directly to them had turned out to be fakes. The genuine ones were mostly worthless and lacked any significant collectible or research value, which left him feeling frustrated. Upon seeing Hanno, he remembered the two national treasures she had sold and approached her with hope, wondering if she might have more treasures for sale.
Standing while talking was impolite, so Hanno invited the two to sit down. They had already eaten breakfast, so Hanno ordered a pot of tea, and the three of them chatted over it.
Mr. Zhang was younger than Master Yuan and seemed more eager. He asked, “Ms. Han, our last collaboration was quite pleasant. I wonder if you have any antiques you wish to sell; we at Denglin Pavilion can represent you with only a five percent commission.”
In the industry, auction houses typically charged a commission of ten to fifteen percent of the final price. The fact that Denglin Pavilion offered a five percent rate showed their respect and sincerity towards Hanno as a major client.
Hanno thought for a moment; she would likely have more than just one or two antiques from ancient times in the future and should find someone for long-term cooperation. Denglin Pavilion had a good reputation, and their previous collaboration had been successful.
“I don’t have any antiques I want to sell myself right now,” Hanno said, “but I do know some people who have collected antiques and are interested in selling.”
Master Yuan and Mr. Zhang were delighted to hear this. "Could you introduce us to them?"
Hanno shook his head. "They are quite old and don't like being disturbed by strangers. They also don't want to deal with selling things themselves. They will entrust me to help sell their antiques, and when someone among them decides to sell, I will contact you."
Master Yuan and Mr. Zhang were satisfied. Although they couldn't meet the true collectors of the antiques, collaborating with Hanno as an agent was still a good opportunity. The three of them chatted happily for a while before Master Yuan and Mr. Zhang left contentedly.
The Brat lifted his head, patting his bulging belly, and pretended to be mature as he said, "Finally gone! If they stayed any longer, I wouldn't be able to eat."
Hanno looked at the empty bowl and several empty plates. "You still have room to eat?"
The Brat sheepishly chuckled, "It was just too delicious!"
Hanno replied, "I originally planned to take a taxi to the train station, but since we are taking the bus, it will help you digest."
The Brat protested, "I don't want to take the bus; it's too crowded and uncomfortable."
Hanno asked, "Your Second Grandmother made delicious food at home; aren't you going to eat it?"
The Brat replied eagerly, "Yes, yes!"
Hanno teased him, "With your belly so full, can you still eat what your Second Grandmother made?"
The Brat looked down at his belly and said, "Let's take the bus; it'll help with digestion."
As the heat intensified, even though the Han family's house was located by the river—where the humidity mixed with the wind made it slightly cooler than other places—it was still unbearably hot. The air conditioning in the house had been running for at least seventeen or eighteen hours straight, only turning off late at night when everyone was asleep and for a brief moment in the morning.
The Brat did not go home—Provincial Capital was hotter than D City. He packed his belongings into his Wolfy backpack, preparing to go out with Han Dad and Mom Han to escape the heat. Every year during the hottest time, they would visit a Taoist temple in the mountains for a cool retreat; it was a tradition. The temple was called Wuji Temple and was located sixty kilometers outside D City in Yuchu Mountain. Although Yuchu Mountain wasn't well-known, it was one of Taoism's Ten Great Caves. It didn't boast spectacular scenery but offered lush forests and an environment untouched by modern technology—making it a perfect place for summer respite with its warm winters and cool summers.
Wuji Temple was a thousand-year-old shrine, but now it had fallen into disrepair, reduced to a simple Taoist temple. The distance from the main entrance to the main hall, Jade Emperor Hall, was barely five hundred meters. In between were the Sanqing Hall and the Spirit Officer Hall, with no other buildings in sight except for a kitchen and dining hall on the right and a dozen or so rooms for laypeople on the left. The living quarters were newly built, looking quite fresh from the outside, equipped with televisions and water heaters inside. Each room had two beautiful large beds, and the bathrooms were tiled with shiny porcelain. Surrounding the house were plants like pitcher plants and night-blooming jasmine, specifically chosen to ward off mosquitoes, creating a very comfortable environment. Not only Han Dad and Mom Han, but many elderly people also came here in summer to escape the heat. Moreover, the fees were very reasonable, covering meals and accommodation; meals included both meat and vegetarian options, costing fifty yuan per person, while someone like Han Bin, referred to as Brat, only needed to pay twenty yuan.
Hanno called for a car and personally took Han Dad, Mom Han, and Brat to Wuji Temple. Master Liu had long been familiar with Han Dad and had prepared their room in advance, even hanging up mosquito nets so that the elderly couple could rest as soon as they entered.
“Liu Guanzhu, I’m leaving my parents in your care,” Hanno said with a smile to Master Liu of Wuji Temple. She had already paid for Han Dad and Mom Han’s stay and left five thousand yuan at the temple for any adjustments.
“Don’t worry; I will take good care of them,” Liu Guanzhu replied. He was a middle-aged man in his forties who enjoyed playing chess and got along well with Han Dad.
For lunch, Hanno ate at Wuji Temple. The food was quite good, featuring braised carp, steamed pork with pickles, and stir-fried meat. The fish was freshly caught from the nearby pond, and the pork came from local farmers’ livestock; it tasted much better than what one would find in city markets. The vegetables were grown by the temple itself; every morning, the lady responsible for meals would gather a basket of fresh produce from the fields—absolutely pesticide-free—ready to eat after just a quick rinse.
After enjoying a satisfying meal, Hanno took a car back to D City. The driver chatted with her as he drove.
“Miss, how did you find out about such a nice place to escape the heat?”
“A friend of my father recommended it. My father believes in Taoism and knows many people involved in it; through them, he got acquainted with Liu Guanzhu,” Hanno explained. “Why? Do you think this place is nice too? Want to come here for some relief from the heat?”
The driver nodded. “It is indeed nice—quiet, cool, good food—and most importantly, cheap. But I can’t come myself; I have to drive to earn money. However, I want to bring my parents here; they would definitely love it.”
“Then you should contact Liu Guanzhu first. Although Wuji Temple is remote and not widely known, there are still people who know about it. Many come here every year to escape the heat; my uncle and aunt will be coming over from Provincial Capital soon,” Hanno said. After learning about Wuji Temple through Han Dad, the Han family made it an annual summer retreat despite staying for shorter periods than Han Dad and Mom Han. This year, their fourth uncle would celebrate his forty-ninth birthday at Wuji Temple; they would pay Liu Guanzhu to arrange everything while he would hire skilled chefs from rural areas for both meat and vegetarian dishes.
“Really? Then I need to get in touch quickly,” said the driver. “Miss, do you have Liu Guanzhu’s phone number?”
“Yes, just wait a moment while I get it for you,” Hanno replied as she took out her phone.
The driver quickly added, “Just send me a text instead; it’s not convenient for me to use my phone while driving.”
“Sure! Just give me your phone number,” Hanno said.
The driver recited a string of numbers while Hanno typed them into her phone. Just as she sent the message successfully without looking up, she noticed that the car's speed was gradually slowing down.
Hanno looked up and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"
The driver had a serious expression. "There's been an accident up ahead."
Hanno turned to look ahead and indeed saw police cars and ambulances parked to the side. Vehicles could only move slowly from the other side. The road was relatively wide; although half of it was cordoned off by traffic police, there was still enough space for two cars to pass side by side.
Both Hanno and the driver rolled down their windows, listening to the gossip coming from the cars in front.
"Tsk tsk tsk, the owner of that Peugeot really crashed hard; there's blood splattered all over half the car. It makes me feel uneasy just looking at it."
"The Peugeot owner got what they deserved. The owner of that Toyota was just driving normally, and it was her who crashed into them."
"That's what you call karma. The Toyota owner only suffered minor injuries, while the Peugeot owner might not even survive."
"Serves them right."
"Do you think the Peugeot owner was trying to crash into the Toyota on purpose? Maybe there's some backstory, like the Toyota owner being her enemy?"
"From what you're saying, that's quite possible! Both car owners are women, and they're both young and pretty. Could they be rivals?"
"Could it be that the Toyota owner was a third party in a relationship involving the Peugeot owner?"
Hanno felt a bit bewildered; people's imaginations really ran wild these days. However, as their car approached the accident scene and she saw two injured individuals being carried onto an ambulance by medical staff, Hanno realized that perhaps the onlookers' wild theories weren't so far-fetched after all.
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