Chapter Seven: Half Pot Tiger Runs Old Tea

  Although he is unanimously recognized by the Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai circles as a narrow-minded man with a heart smaller than a needle hole, Wei Duan Gong considers himself to be a very broad-minded man. After more than 30 years of cultivating his mind and nature since his debut, even if someone curses him in front of him that he can only have daughters who will be bullied for life, Wei Duan Gong has not said that he must cut the guy into eight pieces. But saying that Wei Duan Gong is a woman is a universally recognized taboo, it's against the grain. So Wei Duan Gong's ten fingers are clasped together on his abdomen, he doesn't move his chopsticks, he doesn't drink wine, and he stares at Zhang Sanqian with a smile, who is still holding a plate of braised pork belly with plum sauce, like a wolf staring at its prey.

  Chen Ergou raised a bowl of wine and made a round: "Mr. Wei, that child's mother died when he was born, and his father drank to death after four years. A child who has no father to teach since birth can't have any upbringing, don't take it to heart. I'll drink this bowl first as a toast, let's just say Zhang Sanqian is apologizing for the kid."

  "Third Uncle, Great Grandfather said you can't drink too much of your good wine. I'll just have this one."

  Zhang Sanqian slammed down the plate of food, grabbed a bowl of Maotai liquor and gulped it all down in one go. Wang Huren and Wang Jiefang, who had been on high alert, let out a sigh of relief as they saw Zhang Sanqian's expression turn bitter and resentful, like he was swallowing poison. The two brothers-in-law, who had often suffered at the hands of Zhang Sanqian, burst out laughing. Wei Duangong was taken aback, not having expected that this half-masculine, half-feminine child with a strong temper would have such guts. Drinking down a bowl of Maotai in one go was no easy feat, and the aftertaste was enough to knock most people off their feet. Zhang Sanqian's face turned bright red like a peach blossom as he finished drinking, then glared fiercely at Wei Duangong. However, under the influence of the liquor, his fierce gaze became more like that of a fox spirit from "The Investiture of the Gods" after getting drunk - his eyes were misty and his expression was flirtatious, with a hint of intoxication that was as sly as a fox's tail. Wei Duangong smiled at this interesting child, stuck out his thumb and said: "You've got guts!"

  "Third Uncle, I'm going to take a nap, can't hold on anymore."

  Then Zhang Sanqian swayed and went to bed, didn't even climb up, directly fell asleep on Chen Ergou's lower bunk, probably couldn't climb up. Chen Ergou and Wei Duan Gong looked at each other and burst out laughing, Zhang Sanqian's cooking skills were not bad, enough to deal with the likes of Chen Ergou and Wang Hu, Wei Duan Gong occasionally moved his chopsticks, but it was extremely rare, you know this famous foodie from Nanjing had higher requirements for food than women, the dishes on his table were definitely more precious than the women on his bed. This big shot who raised Tibetan mastiffs, Shandong fine dogs and foreign pedigree dogs, took a small bite of braised pork belly, savoring it slowly, using authentic Jianghuai Mandarin from the Huai River region said: "I can actually be considered half a Cantonese person, outsiders look at us and say we don't eat anything with fur, legs or wings, what's left is all edible, this shows we dare to eat, after coming to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, I realized that in the eyes of old foodies from Beijing, it's no different from eating raw meat and drinking blood, although the fresh seafood is original flavor, but compared to Confucius' saying 'eat not greasy, cook not fine', there's a big difference, so until now, speaking the most authentic Nanjing dialect, even Wu dialect can't stump me, when it comes to eating, I'm particular about the door, who would have thought that I'm from Yunfu, Guangdong?"

  Wei Duan Gong ignored the group of people who were drinking and making a ruckus, and instead looked around the small room. The room was only about 13 or 14 square meters in size, with a bunk bed, a coal gas stove and a coal gas tank, an old desk with books neatly arranged on it, covered with newspaper, and a small dining table that was only a few tens of centimeters high, with four small stools placed under it. There wasn't even half a point of extra space in the room, and in the corner, there was even a self-made bamboo cabinet for storing pots and pans. Seeing all this, Wei Duan Gong felt deeply moved. Even though he could now raise over ten famous dogs, had six or seven villas, and had been with many women, including celebrities, rich women, and college beauties, just like he had said before, no matter how much he seemed like a Nanjing person, he still "kept his roots in the poorest part of Guangzhou, Yunfu". People who grew up in poor places would not look down on others unless they had lost all their conscience. This was also one of the main reasons why Wei Duan Gong was willing to sit down and eat this meal.

  Wang Huzi knew he was Wei Duan Gong, so he became even more indifferent and unenthusiastic. He didn't toast or try to curry favor, not because he wasn't a gentleman, but because not every powerful person would bring him benefits. Businessmen always talked about profits; who would let someone take advantage of them for free? Chen Er Gou had just arrived in Nanjing and hadn't been at the Shanshui Huamen for long. Good things that came too quickly were often not good things. Wang Huzi understood the principle of fortune and disaster being intertwined, so he was relieved to see that Chen Er Gou wasn't blinded by a bottle of Maotai. Wei Duan Gong also didn't seem to have revealed any ulterior motives or intentions for a transaction. As Wang Huzi drank bowl after bowl of wine without showing any courtesy, he secretly observed Wei Duan Gong's physiognomy. From just looking at his face, Wang Huzi could only determine that this guy had great fortune and prosperity, but also an extremely strong yin energy, making it uncertain whether it was good or bad luck. Later, as the wine took effect and they became more talkative, Wei Duan Gong and Wang Huzi chatted like old friends. Wei Duan Gong's knowledge was eclectic, and his demeanor was calm and composed, just like a professor who had mastered the I Ching. After taking a sip of wine, Wei Duan Gong said: "From the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Qing Dynasty, there were many famous geomancers, but their academic achievements were not rich because they were restricted by the imperial court. They were forbidden from teaching geography to the common people after receiving their official salaries, for fear that they would reveal the emperor's secrets. Yang Gong's 'Tian Yu Jing' advised later generations to observe the layout of cities, academies, government offices, temples, and private residences in each province. By understanding the feng shui of these places, one could grasp half of the knowledge of geography. After I achieved some success and had spare money, the first thing I did was travel all over the country, especially to old cities like Xi'an, where I would stay for a week or two. This trip took me nearly three years."

  Wang Hu said with a deep feeling: "Indeed, one needs to read more and walk more. In my younger years, I also followed my master to study by reading books together. The things written in the book are not dead, but it depends on whether the person who reads has an open mind or not. Three years to find the pulse, ten years to point the acupoints, the theory of Qi and the head is enough to make people research for several lifetimes without thorough understanding. Until now, I have never seen anyone dare to say that they are proficient in the art of Qigong."

  Wei Duan Gong smiled and said, "I happen to know two of them. One comes from a family of geomancers and at a young age became disillusioned with the world and went to Wudang Mountain to become a Taoist priest. He's been there for thirty years, but if it weren't for a chance encounter, I wouldn't have known he was an extraordinary person. In fact, that man has no reputation in Wudang Mountain, just like the monk who sweeps the floor in 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber', living a life without contention. The other one is a temple guardian on the top of Wu Hill in Hangzhou, with many stories to tell. Wu Hill is the same hill mentioned in the poem 'With a hundred thousand soldiers marching west on West Lake, dismounting at the first peak of Wu Hill'. If you have the chance to go to Hangzhou, just say you're friends with Wei Duan Gong and he'll definitely treat you to good tea and wine."

  Chen Ergou said with a hint of envy, "Hangzhou is a great place, the mountains and rivers are beautiful. I also want to go to Wu Shan. My family's elderly person once told me that someone in Wu Shan owed him half a pot of Tiger Run Old Tea. In those years when the old man was still around, he would always mention it, saying that they had owed him for 33 years. He would bring it up every year, so I remember it very clearly. If he's still alive today, he'll definitely continue to talk about it."

  Wei Duan Gong's hand shook, and the newly poured bowl of wine spilled half a bowl. This big man, feared as the dead eunuch Wei Qian Sui, lowered his head, making it impossible to discern his expression.

  At this time, Zhang Sanqian suddenly blurted out a dream phrase from "Chu Shi Biao", "Received the mission at the moment of defeat, received the order in the midst of danger, it has been twenty-one years since you came." (If you want to know what happens next, please log in, more chapters, support the author, support the genuine version!)