To Yu Feibai’s mind, any child with an ounce of conscience would never curse their own parents. If Mr. Zhu Da was truly deceased, Yao Jing should just admit it plainly. If he were faking his death, she would certainly betray herself when she lied.
With this thought, Yu Feibai stared intently at Yao Jing, meticulously tracking every subtle shift in her expression.
“That’s right, my father has passed away.”
At the same moment, Yao Jing said mournfully, “He left three years ago, buried on the mountain nearby.”
“Really dead?”
Yu Feibai still harbored some doubt, but what surfaced more strongly was a sense of bewilderment—the distinct feeling of having painstakingly found a treasure, only to discover it had already been plundered.
“No…”
For a moment, Yu Feibai couldn't quite accept the reality. He urgently asked, “If that’s the case, who were Mr. Anderson, Ouyang, Wang Guan, and Su Wenyi seeing?”
“What did you say?” Yao Jing seemed not to understand.
“I said…”
Just as Yu Feibai was about to explain, Elder Qian interrupted him, waving a dismissive hand. He said calmly, “Feibai, don’t ask any more. In some matters, I suspect the young lady herself is being kept in the dark and might not know the whole truth.”
“What do you mean?” Yu Feibai was naturally taken aback.
“In my view, the whole tangled affair was orchestrated by Meng Jian,” Elder Qian speculated. “She only knows that things are happening, not the why behind them.”
“Uh…”
Yu Feibai glanced at the confused Yao Jing, sensing that Elder Qian’s assessment held some merit.
At that instant, Yao Jing seemed to grasp something and suddenly interjected, “No, I do know. I have some understanding of what my cousin is up to.”
“Oh?” Yu Feibai started in surprise, unable to help but ask, “What do you know?”
“I know that cousin is involved in some… not very good things.”
Yao Jing hesitated for a moment, then finally confessed frankly, “Before my father died, he also left behind a collection of porcelain. Cousin saw it by chance and persuaded me to sell it. Those were my father’s relics. I never agreed to his suggestion. But when I went to check the storeroom a few days ago, I found several pieces missing.”
“That was when I knew something was wrong.”
As she spoke, Yao Jing frowned. “Especially over the last year or two. Cousin has been going abroad every other day, which only deepened my suspicion. Now that you’ve come calling, I’m completely certain. Tell me, how much money do you want?”
“What money?”
For a moment, Wang Guan and the others were completely perplexed.
“My cousin sold you antique reproductions disguised as genuine relics, and now you’ve found out and confiscated them. Aren’t you here to demand accountability?”
Yao Jing’s youthful, delicate features radiated a surprising degree of composure. “Since you haven’t called the police, I assume you intend to settle this privately. Name your price then; I am prepared to compensate you for your losses.”
“Tsk…”
Hearing this, Yu Feibai felt a twinge in his jaw. “So, in your mind, we’re here to extort you.”
“Aren’t you?”
Yao Jing reverted to her innocent expression. “Then why did you come?”
“We came, of course, to…”
In that instant, Yu Feibai was struck dumb. To put it bluntly, their purpose in coming was indeed to seek redress. However, the situation had taken an unexpected turn: the principal party was dead, leaving behind only a half-aware young girl, making it genuinely difficult to clarify matters.
“What is it?”
Now it was Yao Jing’s turn to press for an answer.
At this point, Yu Feibai hesitated, stammering as he looked toward Elder Qian, unsure whether to tell the truth.
“It’s nothing,” Elder Qian said gently at that moment, smiling. “You guessed right and you guessed wrong. We did come to understand the situation, but we have no intention of profiting from it. As for your cousin, he is perfectly well…”
“Oh, right.”
At the opportune moment, Elder Qian suddenly asked, “You mentioned earlier that your father left behind a collection of porcelain. Might we see them?”
“…Yes, we can.”
Yao Jing hesitated but ultimately did not refuse.
Following Yao Jing’s invitation, everyone hurried after her. As it turned out, the storeroom was just beside the small house, accessible through a long corridor right outside the door. Immediately, Yao Jing unlocked the storeroom, and Wang Guan and the others naturally peered inside. The space was not small, and what it held was dazzling.
The storeroom contained more than a dozen shelves laden with every variety of porcelain imaginable: cups, bowls, vases, plates—the most common forms—alongside Qinghua, Fencai, Falamg, Doucai, and many other types. In short, this place was equivalent to a porcelain museum, encompassing virtually every shape and variety produced in China over thousands of years.
Under the illumination of the lights, the array of ceramics emitted a glorious luster, imbued with a sense of opulent splendor.
“Beautiful, truly beautiful.”
Even with prior expectations, Yu Feibai couldn't help but gasp in awe. The primary reason was the sheer elegance of the ceramics themselves, but the sheer quantity amplified this effect, creating an overlapping synergy of brilliance.
At a glance, greens, whites, reds, blues, yellows, blacks—the light from various glazes intertwined like a vibrant, multi-hued rainbow, spectacularly dense and luxuriant.
Upon closer inspection, everyone could discern that these were rare, world-class masterpieces seldom seen on the market. Any single piece taken out would undoubtedly cause a sensation. Yet, how regrettable that they were the handiwork of Mr. Zhu Da.
Yu Feibai approached one shelf and carefully lifted a Wucai Qinghua Tuanlong platter. No matter how closely he examined it, it appeared utterly convincing. It was only when he sought Wang Guan’s assistance that he finally spotted the subtle flaw within the blue-and-white dragon scales.
“Truly divine craftsmanship…”
Yu Feibai breathed out, his gaze betraying a trace of avarice. “Now I somewhat understand Meng Jian. The number of people capable of discerning the authenticity of these pieces is minuscule. How could anyone remain unmoved by wealth valued in the billions?”
“Elder Qian can, and so can I,” Wang Guan smiled faintly. “Failing to resist temptation, like Meng Jian, ultimately harms both others and oneself.”
“Oh, oh.”
Yu Feibai offered a perfunctory reply, but his gaze greedily swept over the collection. It seemed as though he wished he had two extra pairs of eyes just to observe everything in greater detail.
“Stop looking,” Wang Guan reminded him. “It’s time to go back.”
“Go back?” Yu Feibai was startled. “Why so soon?”
“Fast? We’ve been here for over half an hour.” Wang Guan said irritably. “We’re guests here. A quick look is enough; don't start acting like you own the place.”
“No way, half an hour already?” Yu Feibai was astonished. “It feels like we just walked in.”
“That just shows how absorbed you were in looking.”
As they spoke, everyone returned to the living room. By this point, the core truth of the matter was largely clear. Of course, only the basics were understood; certain lingering details remained unresolved. For example, how did Yao Yuan inherit Mr. Zhu Da’s skills to become the new master?
Yu Feibai wanted to clarify this specific point, but just as he was about to speak, he heard Elder Qian ask, “Young lady, were the vases in the living room made by you?”
“Huh?”
In that instant, Yu Feibai noticed that there were indeed several vases displayed on the tables in the living room. Earlier, everyone’s focus had been entirely on Yao Jing, causing them to overlook these pieces. Now, upon closer inspection, they realized the quality of these vases was exceptionally high.
The vases were remarkably plain—not the vibrant colors of Qinghua or Fencai, but a purer celadon. Yet, this celadon differed from ordinary celadon. Its clear, pristine hue was identical to the shards of broken porcelain Wang Guan and Yu Feibai had found at the street stall previously. Compared to those fragments, however, the glaze quality and finish of these vases were clearly more perfect.
After a brief appraisal of their superior quality, Yu Feibai casually remarked, “Elder Qian, how can you be so sure she made these, and not… the items in the storeroom?”
“Because these items aren't perfect yet,” Elder Qian commented. “They are still quite far off.”
“Far off in what way?”
Yao Jing eagerly asked, her eyes holding a flicker of hope.
“If I’m not mistaken, you are attempting to replicate the legendary Chai ware porcelain, correct?”
At the same time, Elder Qian smiled faintly. “The world only knows that Chai ware is ‘blue as the sky’ and ‘bright as a mirror,’ but they don’t know that the glaze surface can shimmer with an opalescent iridescence, a rainbow-like brilliance as dazzling as diamonds. This light emanates from within the glaze and shifts according to changes in angle, or variations in the intensity of sunlight at different times.”
“Clearly, the porcelain you’ve made falls far short of exhibiting these characteristics.”
At this point, Elder Qian stated definitively, “Compared to true Chai ware, there is a world of difference.”
“If what you say is true…”
Yao Jing sounded both surprised and hesitant. “My father couldn’t replicate it; how could anyone else?”
“That person was your father’s master.”
Elder Qian stated plainly, “Just because your father couldn't do it doesn’t mean his master couldn’t.”
“Ah!”
Yao Jing was stunned, while Wang Guan and Yu Feibai looked at each other with dawning realization.
The person Elder Qian spoke of must be the Zhu Da Master from over two decades ago—his friend, He Wei. The question remained: how did He Wei become Yao Yuan’s master? Clearly, Elder Qian knew more about the situation but wasn't telling them…
“He held back another ace,” Yu Feibai muttered, unable to suppress a trace of complaint.