At this time, Gao Dequan chuckled, "It's precisely this show-off nature that caused him heartache for a long time. One of his brothers-in-law, completely unaware of the tea set's value, accidentally broke a cup. This naturally left him with a bitterness he couldn't express, and from then on, he never dared to casually entertain guests with his tea sets again..."

This incident was quite a well-known anecdote in collecting circles, but Gao Dequan was generous enough not to name the person, merely sharing it for everyone's amusement without delving deeper.

Of course, as the primary subject of comparison, Yu Feibai was naturally displeased. He pouted, "Uncle De, what do you mean by having a nature like mine that loves to show off? Mine is about sharing joy—if you have something good, you should let everyone enjoy it..."

"It's the same thing; it's still showing off." Wang Guan chuckled lightly, and before Yu Feibai could argue back, he smoothly shifted the topic: "Uncle De, when are you planning to head to the capital?"

"Tomorrow," Gao Dequan replied with a smile. "It's been a while since I last saw Old Qian. I plan to stay there for a few days... You two should be heading back to the capital soon too, why don't you travel together?"

"I don't mind, the key is Wang Guan," Yu Feibai said casually. "He seems to have something to take care of."

"Oh?"

Gao Dequan paused, "What is it?"

"A small matter," Wang Guan replied with a smile. "I promised Old Feng—the Old Feng who gave me the shards of the Mao porcelain—that if the new porcelain fired well, I would deliver some samples to him."

"That's the right thing to do," Gao Dequan immediately nodded in approval. "If it weren't for that Old Feng, we likely wouldn't have this batch of porcelain. He truly deserves a proper thank you."

"Indeed, so I plan to deliver them personally. It will probably take a day or two," Wang Guan explained, then added with a smile, "But I shouldn't keep Old Qian waiting either. You guys go ahead first."

"That works," Gao Dequan nodded slightly.

"And you,"

Just then, Wang Guan asked, "Are you going with me to Sichuan, or traveling with Uncle De to the capital?"

"To the capital, of course," Yu Feibai replied without hesitation, sounding slightly eager. "I still want to hear Old Qian’s evaluation of Master Zhu’s early works."

After all, the process of evaluation was a learning opportunity, one Yu Feibai certainly wouldn't miss.

"Suit yourself," Wang Guan didn't mind. After delivering the goods, he would fly directly to the capital anyway, and consulting Old Qian there would be just as good.

The next day, everyone arrived at the airport, but their flights were scheduled differently. Wang Guan's flight was earlier, so he boarded amid their farewells and soon arrived smoothly at the Shuangliu Airport in Chengdu.

However, Old Feng's residence wasn't in Chengdu city, but in Meishan. So, Wang Guan had to arrange for a transfer. After some twists and turns, he finally reached his destination—though the destination referred only to the city, not Old Feng's exact home.

It had been over half a year. Even with Wang Guan's good memory, he only recalled the general direction of Old Feng's house; the precise location was a bit hazy.

But after some searching, Wang Guan finally located the place and cheerfully stepped up to ring the doorbell.

"Who is it?"

A moment later, a housekeeper emerged. Seeing Wang Guan through the iron gate, she found him unfamiliar, so she cautiously kept the door shut, asking through the bars, "Who are you looking for?"

"Is Old Feng home, please?" Wang Guan asked with a smile. He hadn't called beforehand, hoping to give Old Feng a surprise.

"Old Master Feng is not at home."

The housekeeper frowned slightly but explained clearly, "He went out on an errand and won't be back until evening."

"Ugh!"

In an instant, Wang Guan felt the irony of lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot. If he had called ahead, Old Feng would likely have been home waiting for him. Now that he wasn't there, Wang Guan was momentarily stumped.

"Truly unlucky timing," Wang Guan blinked, then simply asked, "Excuse me, where did Old Master Feng go? Could I possibly call him back?"

The housekeeper was hesitant to disclose Old Feng's whereabouts, asking instead, "Is it urgent? What is your business with Old Master Feng?"

"I've come to pay my respects to Old Master Feng."

Understanding the housekeeper's concern, Wang Guan smiled and said directly, "Do you remember me? I visited last year..."

"Last year?" The housekeeper paused, studying Wang Guan closely, a vague impression starting to surface. After a moment, she suddenly recalled, her voice filled with surprise, "Oh yes, it's you... the one who helped Old Master Feng retrieve the painting."

"That’s me," Wang Guan admitted, completely dispelling the housekeeper's doubts.

"Please come in quickly,"

The housekeeper opened the door and then explained, "There's a snuff bottle exhibition in the city. Old Master Feng went early this morning to visit and hasn't returned for lunch. Please come in and sit. I'll call him now to come back."

"Snuff bottle exhibition..."

Wang Guan immediately understood the situation. No wonder Old Feng wasn't home. For Old Feng, snuff bottles were a passion, and he certainly wouldn't miss an exhibition dedicated to them.

After a moment's thought, Wang Guan stopped the housekeeper from making the call, found out the exhibition's location, and headed straight there.

The snuff bottle exhibition was located on the first floor of a spacious commercial building in the city center, and there were no strict entry requirements; anyone could go in to view the exhibits. After walking in, Wang Guan glanced at the introductory plaque hanging on the wall and learned that the exhibition was jointly organized by craft masters from a certain provincial snuff bottle school, aimed at promoting and expanding the school's influence.

There were numerous exhibits, at least ten thousand snuff bottles. The materials were too numerous to list—gold, silver, bronze, iron, jade, ivory, horn, bamboo, wood, porcelain, and also glass, crystal, and more. Every kind imaginable. As for the shapes, they were incredibly varied: round, square, and certainly not lacking angular forms; so diverse they made the eyes swim.

It must be said that any snuff bottle displayed in a showcase for public viewing must possess a certain level of craftsmanship. The compositions on each bottle were different: figures, landscapes, calligraphy, birds and flowers—a vast universe contained within a tiny space.

In short, for the average person, these snuff bottles could certainly be called exquisitely crafted and beautiful works of art, eliciting gasps of amazement from the visitors.

However, for those with a discerning eye, despite the large number of snuff bottles, when calculated strictly, the items truly carrying weight and meriting the title of 'masterpiece' were likely not that many.

Wang Guan took a cursory look and could roughly categorize the snuff bottles into several tiers.

The first tier comprised works by general craftspeople. Their shapes were quite regular, bordering on rigid. The painted designs were clear but possessed a mechanical quality, lacking individual character. These works constituted the absolute majority of the exhibits.

The second tier was the work of craftspeople with deep skill and rich experience. These snuff bottles had more vivid shapes, especially showing meticulous attention to detail and exceptionally smooth lines. The paintings were vibrant and held a distinct charm.

Naturally, the final tier was reserved for the works of Masters. Although the basic shapes were similar to the others, the feeling they imparted was distinctly different compared to the works of the general craftspeople.

What exactly was the difference? Ordinary people certainly couldn't articulate it, but the disparity was quite obvious.

When viewing an ordinary piece, one might simply think it's nice. But when viewing a Master's work, the heart feels uplifted; there is a sense of genuine aesthetic pleasure. This was primarily because the Masters’ works were often imbued with what is called artistic resonance, giving a distinctly different impression.

However, there wouldn't be many Masterworks; even one percent of the total quantity would be considered generous. And Wang Guan didn't need to search hard; by walking directly toward the center of the exhibition hall, he could spot those works of the masters.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan also spotted Old Feng. At that moment, he was standing next to a glass counter, deeply engrossed in admiring a snuff bottle crafted by a Master. Totally absorbed, he naturally failed to notice Wang Guan’s arrival.

"As expected..."

Wang Guan smiled and approached quietly. Intentionally not alerting him, he stood beside Old Feng, taking the opportunity to examine the snuff bottle in the case. The body of the bottle was a pale yellow, but the lid and both sides had hints of reddish hue. It looked somewhat plain, yet it radiated a warm, gentle luster across its entirety, appearing exquisitely beautiful.

Compared to snuff bottles adorned with painted motifs, this one was exceptionally simple. The entire surface was smooth, lacking any inscription or pattern. This state was essentially the most primitive form of a snuff bottle; apart from its shape, it had no further embellishment. It wasn't just simple; it was a demonstration of returning to nature.

Snuff bottles have diverse shapes and designs. Due to differing aesthetic tastes, some prefer the ornate splendor of elaborate patterns, some favor the elegant tranquility of mountains and streams, some prefer figures and birds, and naturally, some appreciate the pure, unadorned snuff bottle. Simple, understated—how much better that is.

Of course, a Master is a Master; they can often turn the mundane into the magical. Even with such a simple, unembellished snuff bottle, viewers could perceive a unique flavor. It couldn't be denied, or perhaps it was the material itself, but that warm, gentle luster of pale yellow was pleasing to the eye.

"Crane's Head Red?" Old Feng murmured after observing for a moment, glancing at the tag on the counter. He immediately expressed surprise: "Isn't Crane's Head Dan a poison? How can it be made into a snuff bottle?"

"Crane's Head Red isn't a poison; it refers to the skull of a certain type of bird..."

"Oh," Old Feng realized, instinctively turning his head to look, then his face shifted between shock and delight. "Wang Guan, how is that you..."

"Old Feng, long time no see?" Wang Guan greeted him with a warm smile.

"What brings you here?" Old Feng asked joyfully. "Are you in Sichuan on business?"

"I do have something to attend to," Wang Guan chuckled lightly. "But I actually came to pay my respects to you, Old Feng... I went to your house just now and learned you were here, so I rushed over."

"Visiting me... Why didn't you say so earlier?" Old Feng complained. "You should have given me a heads-up."