“Say…”

While surveying their surroundings, Wang Guan inquired, “Since you’ve decided to seek out the Tianqing mud, you must have a plan, right? Where do you intend to start?”

“Uh…” Xing Qiu hesitated for a moment, then spread his hands. “No plan, really. I just felt like coming.”

“Just as I expected,” Wang Guan sighed, shaking his head. “You, you’re a typical case of impulse getting the better of you.”

“Don’t dampen my enthusiasm,” Xing Qiu waved a hand, then grinned. “But I know you have a way, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t look so confident…”

“That’s just your luck,” Wang Guan said casually. “Come on, if we’re looking for something, we need to pay our respects first.”

As he spoke, Wang Guan hailed a passing car and, once inside, immediately stated an address. The driver nodded slightly and sped off, soon leaving the city limits.

Seeing this, Xing Qiu quietly asked, “Where are we going?”

“Dingshu,” Wang Guan explained. “There are more ceramic workshops there. The person I need to see is located there.”

“Who is it?” Xing Qiu pressed curiously.

“Someone I know,” Wang Guan shrugged. “We’ve exchanged a few words and contact information, but I just don’t know if he still remembers me.”

“Oh.” Xing Qiu nodded knowingly, realizing Wang Guan was referring to a business acquaintance—a mere nodding acquaintance.

While they were talking, the driver slowly navigated into a small town and pulled over on a relatively busy lane. Wang Guan paid the fare, motioned for Xing Qiu to get out, and then they resumed their stroll.

Fortunately, the town wasn't large, and after a slow circuit, Wang Guan spotted their destination.

“Chunqiu Workshop!”

Xing Qiu took in the facade and couldn’t help but praise, “That’s a nice name.” After all, his own name contained the character ‘Qiu,’ so he felt a touch of affection for it.

“It is,” Wang Guan replied. “But you’d probably think it was even better if you knew the owner’s surname.” This remark sparked intense curiosity in Xing Qiu. “What is the workshop owner’s surname?”

“Ding. As in the Ding of Ding Chunqiu!” Wang Guan chuckled lightly, and with Xing Qiu looking bewildered, he walked briskly inside, calling out loudly, “Is Boss Ding here?”

“Who is it?” There were over a dozen people working in the workshop. Seeing someone enter, a middle-aged man immediately looked up. “Who’s looking for me?”

“Boss Ding, it’s me,” Wang Guan walked over cheerfully, a wide smile on his face. “It’s been nearly a year since we last met at Dragon Tiger Mountain. I wonder if you still remember this junior.”

“You are…”

The middle-aged man looked hesitant, then suddenly remembered, blurting out, “Li Mo… Brother Wang.”

It seemed that despite the year gap, people still remembered the ‘Li Mo’ Wang Guan carried before they remembered Wang Guan himself.

Truthfully, Wang Guan was similar. If he hadn't seen Boss Ding present a masterfully crafted Zisha teapot at the treasure appraisal meet last year, he probably wouldn't have thought of visiting him upon arriving in Yixing.

Remembering the treasure first, then the person who owned it—this was entirely understandable. So Wang Guan wasn't offended; instead, his smile grew broader. “It’s good that you remember, Boss Ding. I apologize for the abrupt visit; I truly hope I haven’t disturbed you.”

“Not at all, you’re very welcome here…” Boss Ding hastily gestured them in. After a few pleasantries, he led the pair toward the workshop’s reception parlor.

The parlor was spacious, but as it was adjacent to the workspace, the furnishings were simple: just a low tea table and a few chairs. However, directly in front of the parlor stood a small altar, upon which was placed a statue of a monk.

Seeing this, Xing Qiu was naturally surprised, but Wang Guan understood immediately.

Every trade has its patron deity. For instance, the master craftsman Lu Ban is revered by carpenters, Yi Di or Du Kang are credited with inventing wine, and Empress Leizu, wife of the Yellow Emperor, is honored for sericulture. In Yixing pottery, the revered figure is Zhu Gong Fan Li.

Legend has it that after Fan Li helped King Goujian of Yue defeat Wu, he immediately retired with the beauty Xi Shi and took up the pottery business, eventually accumulating immense wealth. Naturally, the pottery trade venerated him as their patriarch. However, although Zisha teapots were historically categorized under pottery, their patron deity was not Fan Li, but an eccentric monk—the Founding Monk of Zisha.

China is a peculiar place; whatever marvelous thing emerges is always accompanied by a beautiful legend. Zisha teapots are no exception. The tale goes that long, long ago, a strangely featured monk passed through Dingshu town, wandering and calling out to people whether they wished to purchase wealth and prosperity.

Most people would have scoffed. But one experienced old potter, sensing something unusual, followed the eccentric monk and later unearthed multicolored mineral ores on the mountain.

The old potter brought these marvelous five-colored ores back, crushing and refining them. Depending on the mix of clay, the fired products exhibited a kaleidoscope of colors: pear-skin yellow, begonia red, sky blue, ink green, dark black, deep purple—an immense variety. Pieces made from coarse sand were robust and heavy; those mixed with fine sand were moist yet not greasy, wondrous beyond description.

It was from that time that the Zisha craft separated from general pottery, establishing its own lineage. That eccentric monk, naturally, became the patron ancestor of the Zisha industry, revered by all.

This, of course, is why Zisha also has the nicknames ‘Five-Colored Clay’ and ‘Wealth Earth.’ Generally, people preferred calling Zisha ‘Wealth Earth,’ as the name was auspicious and carried deep meaning.

Whether the legend is true or false, no one bothers to scrutinize it. They only know that the discovery of this Wealth Earth truly sustained many people, making it only right to honor the one who found it. After all, Chinese people value remembering one’s origins—drinking water without forgetting the well-digger—a fine tradition worthy of preservation.

Just as in the present moment, Boss Ding offered tea and hospitality, and Wang Guan and Xing Qiu naturally expressed their gratitude verbally.

At the same time, Boss Ding probed gently, “Little brother, are you visiting Yixing for leisure?”

“One does not visit the Three Treasures Hall without cause,” Wang Guan chuckled sheepishly. “I came this time to inquire about a few things from Boss Ding.”

“Ask away. If it’s within my power, I won’t hold back,” Boss Ding thumped his chest, showing a touch of forthrightness.

“This matter, perhaps it will make Boss Ding laugh, but there is a reason, so I must come and investigate,” Wang Guan said with a helpless smile. “Boss Ding must know about Tianqing mud, right? That is what we came for.”

“Tianqing mud?” Boss Ding was momentarily stunned, then smiled with understanding. “If you had come for something else, I might have been surprised, but for Tianqing mud, I’m genuinely not surprised at all.”

“Let me put it this way,” Boss Ding estimated, his face beaming. “Yixing has over twenty Zisha enterprises and more than a thousand private workshops, with roughly thirty to fifty thousand formal practitioners, and countless related personnel. Add to that the merchants, collectors, and bargain hunters drawn by reputation—it’s a huge crowd, and everyone is searching for Tianqing mud.”

“Understood,” Wang Guan nodded, then asked with a smile, “Has anyone found it?”

“Rumor has it that someone has,” Boss Ding said with a squint.

Xing Qiu’s eyes lit up, and he quickly pressed, “Where?”

“Calm down,” Wang Guan gently shook his head and smiled faintly. “It’s just a rumor. Who can say what is true and what is false?”

“Exactly, Brother Wang is clearly an expert; he understands the deeper meaning,” Boss Ding chuckled. “Let me put it this way: if this brother had come alone and asked me if I had Tianqing mud, I would certainly tell him yes! I have a piece of Tianqing mud passed down from my ancestors. Do you want it?”

Xing Qiu gave an awkward smile. He wasn't truly foolish and grasped the implication immediately. Whether one has it or not depended on who was asking. If an outsider wanted to buy Tianqing mud, who else would one fleece if not them?

“Boss Ding is just joking…” Wang Guan laughed, then steered the conversation back. “Even if you don’t have Tianqing mud, you should at least have Di Cao Qing mud, right?”

“It seems Brother Wang plans to stick to the dark route,” Boss Ding sighed. “Di Cao Qing mud is also an extremely rare substance.” He paused, then smiled. “But I do have some on hand, it just won’t be cheap.”

“Boss Ding, please note, I specifically need the Di Cao Qing mud from Huanglong Mountain,” Wang Guan reminded him casually.

Wang Guan’s mention was quite pointed. Huanglong Mountain could be called the cradle of Zisha teapots. Ever since Zisha teapots gained prominence in the Ming and Qing dynasties, Yixing potters had collected clay from Huanglong Mountain to make them. The reason was undoubtedly the superior quality of Huanglong Mountain Zisha, which produced better teapots.

In other words, the Zisha clay produced by Huanglong Mountain was the choice essence among the ceramic materials. However, everyone was aware that mineral resources were non-renewable. After centuries of mining, the good stuff was bound to become scarcer. Therefore, to protect the Zisha resources, the local government once issued a mining ban.

Under these circumstances, potters had to mine elsewhere. But the Zisha from other locations was inevitably inferior in quality to that of Huanglong Mountain. This was the difference between old pit and new pit clay; the resulting teapots simply weren't the same, and thus, the prices were naturally differentiated and could not be grouped together.

“Brother Wang is truly an expert.”

Boss Ding praised him sincerely, then sighed. “Saying that, I don’t have what you’re looking for either. And even if such a thing existed, the quantity would be very small. Because it is an extremely scarce material, those who possess it would likely be unwilling to part with it.”

“That’s true…” Wang Guan nodded slightly.

There was nothing more to discuss after that. Wang Guan continued to chat idly with Boss Ding for half an hour before taking his leave. Boss Ding certainly tried to persuade them to stay, but after some polite back-and-forth, Wang Guan and Xing Qiu departed Chunqiu Workshop.

Simultaneously, Xing Qiu asked, “What now?”