Yu Feibai nodded. "It’s not just a matter of money, but mostly because the items are numerous and scattered, making them hard to collect. That's why, even though China's top tycoons are incredibly wealthy, I haven't heard of anyone successfully assembling a complete set of Mao porcelain."

"That's why I say I'm still poor," Wang Guan sighed. "Forget a villa; I can't even afford an apartment."

"Stop pretending to be poor. Don't forget, Wen Tong's Ink Bamboo scroll is about to go to auction." Yu Feibai scoffed. "In ten days, you'll be a multi-millionaire."

"Uh..."

Wang Guan scratched his head, embarrassed. "Gosh, I completely forgot about that."

"You're something else."

Yu Feibai was momentarily speechless, then curiosity piqued. "Speaking of which, since you're short on cash for a house, why don't you just let me have the Water Droplet Peach Blossom Cup? Not only would you not have to pay me back, but you'd also net an extra million."

"No need," Wang Guan continued to refuse, shaking his head. "Besides, I already promised Old Feng I would take good care of this cup. I can't go back on my word and transfer it to someone else."

However, Wang Guan had already resolved himself: as soon as he returned to Shu Du, he would head straight to the Songxianqiao Antique Market and snag a few major bargains.

"So stubborn," Yu Feibai gritted his teeth, holding out his hand. "Give it to me. Since I have half ownership right now, I absolutely must appreciate and play with it properly."

"Whatever you say."

Wang Guan was unconcerned and handed over the brocade box, reminding him, "But don't forget. We still have to follow Uncle Lei to Linqiong tomorrow. Don't stay up too late looking at it. You won't be able to get up in the morning."

"Don't worry, I'll be mindful and won't cause any trouble." As he spoke, Yu Feibai opened the brocade box, took a glance, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wang Guan, why is there an extra snuff bottle in the box?"

"What?" Wang Guan froze. He walked over and saw that next to the Water Droplet Peach Blossom Cup in the box, there was indeed a delicate, exquisite inside-painted snuff bottle.

In an instant, both of them reacted, beginning to understand what had happened. Yu Feibai chuckled lightly. "Wang Guan, it seems Old Feng couldn't quite let go after all. He wanted to give you a grand gift."

"I knew it," Wang Guan chuckled wryly. "Why did Old Ren suddenly pull me aside for a long chat after dinner? It was to distract everyone so Old Feng could make his move."

"Weren't you doing the same thing?" Yu Feibai countered. "You kept pulling everyone away to say goodbye so I could quietly slip the check over."

Wang Guan frowned. "That's different. Trading the Jade Fish for the Water Droplet Peach Blossom Cup, I took a huge advantage; it's only right that I compensate him. But Old Feng already suffered a significant loss. How can he send another snuff bottle?"

"I don't think you need to be so calculating," Yu Feibai shook his head. "This is a matter of favor and relationship, not a transaction. Whether you gain or lose, it shouldn't be measured purely by price."

"Hmm. You're right."

Wang Guan paused, realizing he had indeed been somewhat rigid. Although these items were priceless treasures, as long as he didn't sell them, they were simply gifts representing Old Feng's thoughtfulness, not things to be quantified by monetary value.

With that realization, Wang Guan began to understand why Old Feng gave him the Water Droplet Peach Blossom Cup in a half-exchange, half-gift manner. Perhaps in the old man's eyes, the cup's price wasn't important. What mattered was whether the person entrusted with it could properly collect and preserve it, ensuring the cup would be passed down through generations.

Thinking this, Wang Guan felt a pang of shame. "Feibai, do you think I'm too utilitarian? No matter what happens, I always try to measure it with money."

"I don't know."

Yu Feibai considered it seriously, then shrugged after a long pause. "Well, it's not just you; everyone is like that."

Hearing this, although Wang Guan knew it was meant to be comforting, he did feel a little better. After all, given the general trend in society, he was bound to be influenced. At least Wang Guan still reflected and awakened, unlike some who just stayed corrupt all the way down.

"Alright, why bring up such a heavy topic when things were going fine," Yu Feibai waved his hand. "You wash up and go to sleep. Don't interrupt me while I appreciate the Water Droplet Peach Blossom."

"Okay!"

Wang Guan nodded, letting go of his worries. He immediately took a shower and went to bed.

The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Wang Guan woke up, roused Yu Feibai, and after washing their faces and brushing their teeth, they packed their luggage. They immediately contacted Lei Yunzhang, learned the meeting point, and drove off.

Soon after, Yu Feibai drove them to a location beneath a teahouse.

"Here..."

At that moment, Lei Yunzhang and Ma Fusheng were sitting in the main hall of the teahouse, drinking tea and enjoying a hot breakfast. Seeing the two arrive, they quickly waved them over.

The two got out of the car and walked quickly inside. Lei Yunzhang set out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, smiling warmly. "You haven't eaten breakfast, have you? Fill up first; you'll need the energy to drive to Linqiong."

"That's right," Ma Fusheng took a sip of hot soup, his face flushed with health. "You two better be mentally prepared. Once we get to Linqiong, we still have to drive out to the countryside."

"No problem, we expected that," Yu Feibai said with a smile. "Most of the good stuff is in the countryside." He had always envied Wang Guan for finding such treasures every time they went to the countryside, so he was very much looking forward to this trip.

Lei Yunzhang nodded, then asked curiously, "By the way, how was your visit to Old Feng's place yesterday?"

"Old Feng was very hospitable and very caring towards us young people," Wang Guan replied, keeping his words vague. After all, both the Jade Fish and the Water Droplet Peach Blossom Cup were rare treasures. Spreading the news too widely might attract covetous eyes, so being low-key was always the safer approach.

"Old Feng has been teaching for decades; it's become second nature for him to favor the younger generation," Lei Yunzhang said with a mysterious smile. "If the old man doesn't mind, you two should keep in frequent contact with him. Perhaps at a critical moment, you might receive his help. Some matters could be resolved easily."

"Uncle Lei, what do you mean by that?" Wang Guan looked somewhat puzzled.

"Heh, I mean that Old Feng has countless students and extensive connections. Being favored by him is something worth envying," Lei Yunzhang chuckled. "But let's not talk about that. Hurry up and eat breakfast; we need to hit the road soon."

"Oh..."

Wang Guan pondered, feeling there was hidden meaning in Uncle Lei's words. However, he clearly wasn't planning to elaborate, and Wang Guan couldn't press further, so he just ate his breakfast quietly.

After about ten minutes, the group finished their breakfast, rested briefly, paid the bill, and left. Lei Yunzhang and Ma Fusheng drove ahead to guide the way, while Yu Feibai drove the SUV behind with Wang Guan as a passenger.

There was no direct road from Meishan to Linqiong; they had to backtrack toward Shu Du, reach a place called Xinjin, and then turn west to go directly to Linqiong.

The stretch from Meishan to Xinjin was a highway, and the car sped along, covering the distance in less than an hour. Then, they turned around and headed from Xinjin toward Linqiong. This section was ordinary road, so the speed was much slower.

In the car, Wang Guan had already grown tired of the monotonous scenery along the roadside and felt very bored. But when he closed his eyes, he couldn't sleep. Chatting with Yu Feibai eventually ran out of topics, and silence settled between them.

Idly, Wang Guan moved his fingers, intending to play with the Jade Fish. This had become a recent habit. But when he patted his pocket, he found nothing, only then realizing that the Jade Fish had been gifted to Old Feng in exchange for the Water Droplet Peach Blossom Cup.

At this, Wang Guan became interested. He reached behind the seat, took out the brocade box, and flipped open the lid. He didn't touch the Water Droplet Peach Blossom Cup but instead picked up the inside-painted snuff bottle.

After closing the brocade box lid and placing it back, Wang Guan began to examine the snuff bottle with keen interest. The mural inside the bottle depicted a branch of pale pink and white plum blossoms. The design was exquisitely detailed and lifelike. A single branch split into several twigs, adorned with clusters of pink and white blossoms, standing proud against the wind. Through simple shading, the spirit of the plum was perfectly expressed.

Admiring the plum blossoms, Wang Guan slightly rotated the snuff bottle and discovered that the back was engraved with Lu You’s Ci poem, Bu Suan Zi: Ode to the Plum Blossom.

"By the broken bridge outside the post station, blooming lonely and unwatched... Having no desire to fight for spring's favor, letting all other flowers envy..." Wang Guan couldn't help but recite softly, feeling the poem and the plum blossoms inside the bottle complemented each other perfectly.

Wang Guan examined the calligraphy closely and found the script neat and rigorous, resembling the regular script of the famous Tang dynasty calligrapher Ouyang Xun. Inside the tiny snuff bottle, in a space no larger than a thumbnail, an entire plum blossom scene and a poem had been flawlessly reverse-engraved. Moreover, the plum blossoms were vibrant and beautiful, and the script was precise, capturing the essence of Ouyang Xun’s style. It was evident that the artist who painted this inside-out piece possessed profound skill and was truly extraordinary.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan noticed an inscription below the poem:

"Xinhai, Winter..."

Wang Guan murmured the inscription, feeling something was missing.

Just then, Yu Feibai, focused on driving, hadn't noticed Wang Guan admiring the snuff bottle. He asked out of curiosity, "Wang Guan, you just finished reciting Lu You's Bu Suan Zi: Ode to the Plum Blossom, why are you suddenly bringing up the Xinhai Revolution?"

"What Xinhai Revolution? I'm admiring the inside-painted bottle Old Feng gave me," Wang Guan replied, casually removing the small cap of the snuff bottle and peering curiously inside.

Unfortunately, although the snuff bottle wasn't tiny, the neck only had an opening the size of a chopstick tip. When Wang Guan held it up to look, he could only see the bottom of the bottle; he couldn't make out the entire inner wall. Thus, Wang Guan marveled even more—how could someone manage to reverse-paint such detailed landscapes, flora, figures, and text within the inner wall through such a tiny aperture? It was truly exquisite, bordering on the supernatural. No wonder this art form of snuff bottles received such high praise domestically and internationally.

At that very moment, Wang Guan kept his eyes half-lidded, peering curiously inside the bottle. Because he couldn't see clearly, he impulsively activated his special ability.

Instantly, the clouds parted, and everything became brightly illuminated. However, it was at this moment that Wang Guan suddenly discovered that a spot on the inner wall of the bottle appeared to be stuck down by something...