Chapter 313 - 183: Chance Encounter

Chapter 313: Chapter 183: Chance Encounter

Tongli Ancient Town is nestled on the shores of Tongli Lake in the Wujiang District.

First built during the Song Dynasty, it boasts a history of over a thousand years. The entire ancient town is divided into seven islands by fifteen crisscrossing rivers, which are in turn connected by forty-nine ancient bridges.

After taking an afternoon nap at home, Su Chen brought Jiang Hui to Tongli Ancient Town. They were just wandering around when a Pingtan teahouse by the roadside stopped them in their tracks.

"Green bricks and lacquered tiles, a white horse on fresh-trodden trails, mountain flowers and banana leaves in the twilight’s haze..."

Listening to "Sheng Sheng Man" sung in the soft Wu dialect, Su Chen finally understood why the ancients all yearned for Jiangnan... Listening to songs in the old theaters—who could possibly tear themselves away from such a lingering, ethereal melody?

They ordered a pot of tea and a few Suzhou-style pastries, taking a seat by the window where they could listen to the soft Wu dialect and admire the ancient town’s scenery at the same time.

What a leisurely and carefree moment!

"These Suzhou pastries not only taste great, but they’re also beautifully shaped," Su Chen remarked, holding up a pastry that looked like a little rabbit.

An old man at the next table seemed to have overheard Su Chen’s comment. He looked at Su Chen with a smile and said, "Young man, you’ve got good taste. You should know, the pastries at this teahouse are all made in-house. They’re definitely not the same as the ones sold outside."

"Oh? Sir, is there a special story behind them?" Su Chen asked, his curiosity piqued.

"There’s a big story, all right!" The old man took a sip of tea to wet his throat before continuing. "The teahouse sources all its ingredients from the surrounding towns and villages—fresh things like rose petals, osmanthus flowers, orange peels, and the like."

"Then they’re combined with main ingredients like rice and wheat. The pastries are made without any artificial flavors or colors. With every bite, you can taste the true flavor of the ingredients themselves, unlike the ones sold outside that are full of additives and don’t taste good at all."

"Huh..." Su Chen was a little stunned. ’So the ’big story’ was that straightforward and simple.’

The old man turned out to be quite the talker. He kept Su Chen occupied for a long while, giving him a history lesson on Suzhou pastries. He explained how they originated in the Sui and Tang dynasties, reached their peak during the Song, and how countless scholars and poets had lingered over them, leaving behind many poems describing their delight.

He rattled on for over an hour, long enough for them to need two refills of tea. If the teahouse’s Pingtan performance hadn’t ended, the old man would have probably launched into the entire cultural history of Suzhou.

By the time they left the teahouse, Su Chen’s face was a mask of pure exasperation.

"Hahaha! Sir, the look on your face is hilarious!" Jiang Hui couldn’t help but tease.

Su Chen shot him an annoyed glare. "Old men these days are really chatty, but hey, I still learned a few things, didn’t I?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell naturally on Jiang Hui, waiting for his response.

Jiang Hui practically jumped, nodding quickly. "That’s right! It was definitely very enlightening!"

Seeing this, Su Chen nodded in satisfaction. ’Can’t be the only one getting enlightened here,’ he thought. ’That would just make me look shallow.’

In March, Tongli Ancient Town was already suffused with the breath of spring. Large trees formed a shady canopy, blocking the gentle sunlight, with only a few scattered rays dappling the bluestone paths below.

"Hey, handsome! Care for a boat ride?" a slightly weathered voice called out from nearby.

Su Chen glanced around and saw a boatman standing by the canal not far away, looking at him with an expectant gaze.

"Sir, are you talking to me?" Su Chen asked uncertainly, pointing to himself.

The boatman nodded emphatically, a smile spreading across his tanned face. "Yes, handsome! Want a ride? Just eighty yuan for the two of you, and you can cruise the ancient town for half an hour!"

"We’ll take it! Just for you calling me handsome, I have to give you the business!" Su Chen said with a chuckle as he walked over.

He had wanted to experience a ride in a black-canopied boat anyway. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, how could Su Chen refuse?

The black-canopied boat wasn’t very large. Visually, it seemed to be about four meters long and just over a meter wide, just enough for Su Chen and Jiang Hui to sit side-by-side.

The boatman’s skill was impressive. Standing at the stern, he gently worked the single sculling oar, and the black-canopied boat began to rock and sway its way forward through the canal.

"Oh, Jiang~nan’s misty rain... so~ serene..." From the stern, the boatman began to hum a folk song of the Jiangnan water towns, his voice thick with the Wu dialect.

Weeping willows seemed to part for them on both banks, revealing white walls and dark-tiled roofs, creating an exceptionally peaceful atmosphere.

Su Chen leaned back slightly, his elbow resting on the boat’s railing. He crossed his legs, and as the boatman hummed his little tune, Su Chen began rhythmically tapping his right hand against his thigh, softly humming along.

The moment of tranquility was soon broken by a questioning call. "Su Chen?"

"Hm?" Su Chen followed the voice with his eyes and saw a slightly chubby young man with frameless glasses standing on a bridge, waving at him.

"Third Brother?" A flicker of astonishment crossed Su Chen’s face. The chubby man was none other than his third brother, Chen Peng.

He had just been thinking about heading to Kunshan to find him in a couple of days. He never expected to run into him here. What a coincidence.

"Handsome, you want to pull ashore?" The boatman had obviously seen the exchange and slowed his rowing.

Hearing this, Su Chen turned to Jiang Hui next to him and said, "You can go on by yourself. I’ll head back to the Bamboo Garden on my own later."

Then he turned to the boatman behind them and said, "Sir, please pull ashore. I’m getting off!"

The boatman nodded. He had overheard their conversation just now.