readytorunbook Chapter 729 Master Jiang Zhu
Chapter 729 Master Jiang Zhu
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ou Dehui quickly disassembled the imitation purple clay teapots that Xie Ruxue and Ye Yanzhi had bought.
After unpacking the exquisite gift box, he was completely unaware that the teapot in his hand was actually a replica, and he personally handed it to Ou Hongxin.
He seemed to know a lot about teapots, fiddling with them in front of Ou Hongxin while excitedly praising them to him.
When Xie Ruxue saw Ou Dehui present the teapot to Grandpa Ou, her heart jumped.
She tugged at Ye Yanzhi's dress beside her, lowered her voice, and asked nervously:
"Mother, what should we do?! We're going to get into trouble again!"
Is it too late to leave now?
At this moment, Ye Yanzhi stared intently at the teapot in Ou Dehui's hand; she was more flustered than anyone else.
She glared angrily at Xie Ruxue, gritting her teeth and lowering her voice to accuse her:
"It's you who caused trouble again! It wasn't me!"
If you hadn't dawdled when you left that day, how could we have failed to buy a genuine Yixing teapot!
Tonight really is... our last chance! You have to stay here until the plan falls apart! Don't go anywhere!
Seeing everyone praising Ou Dehui's flowery words, Xie Ruxue curiously peered over to examine the teapot.
She worried that knowledgeable people around her, especially Grandpa Au who particularly admires the genuine works of master craftsmen, might discover that what they were seeing was a fake.
She worried that the moment the counterfeit goods were exposed, she would lose the support and help of her aunt and uncle.
Xie Ruxue looked at her mother, whose eyes darted between despair and determination, and cautiously asked:
"But... what if my aunt and uncle get angry and stop helping us?"
Ye Yanzhi and Xie Ruxue were worried about the same thing, but she really had no other choice.
At this moment, her tone was especially firm, with a sense of helplessness yet a determination to take the gamble, as she said:
"Whether they're angry or not, we have to be bound to the Ou family today!"
Whether it's relying on your uncle or Ou Jinghuan, we'll go all in! But now you can only rely on yourself!
Upon hearing this, Xie Ruxue dared not utter another word, and could only look up nervously at all the possible changes that might occur before her.
Although Ye Yanzhi spoke firmly, when she looked up, her expression was one of fear, as if she were looking at something terrifying.
She still prayed that the counterfeit wouldn't be discovered, and even hoped that Ou Dehui would accidentally drop the teapot so that it wouldn't be found out.
At this moment, Ou Hongxin heard that the gifts Ou Dehui and Ye Yingran gave him were works by the master craftsman of Yixing teapots, whom he had recently admired.
His wrinkled eyes lit up instantly, filled with anticipation.
Then, urged on by Ou Dehui's enthusiasm, he carefully took the Zisha teapot into his hands.
Upon closer inspection, Ou Hongxin's expectant and joyful expression froze instantly.
But the brief pause in his facial expression only lasted for a split second, and no one noticed anything.
Many people around who knew a little about Yixing teapots all turned their attention to the teapot in Ou Hongxin's hand.
Based on the overall lines of the teapot, they roughly guessed that it was a work by Jiang Zhu, a contemporary and recently famous master of Yixing teapot making.
Everyone knows that Jiang Zhu has very few works, but every single one is astonishing.
As the quality of Master Jiang Zhu's works has improved, he has received increasing praise from renowned masters, and his fame has gradually grown in recent years.
This makes the already scarce works even more valuable to collect and more sought after.
In particular, the price of one of the Zisha teapots that incorporated modern elements increased several times over.
At this moment, everyone kept craning their necks to look, wanting to see more clearly.
Then, many people have speculated that the purple clay teapot they saw is likely Master Jiang Zhu's most expensive work.
They were astonished as if they had seen something unbelievable; some of the older guests even rubbed their eyes to look again.
As time passed, more and more murmurs arose around them:
"Wow! Is that Master Jiang Zhu's purple clay teapot?!"
"That's it! I saw a picture of it online before, and it's exactly the same as the one I'm seeing now!"
Others, seeing that the Yixing teapots they had always wanted to buy had become Ou Hongxin's birthday gift, all felt a sense of regret:
"Oh my god! I really love Master Jiang Zhu's works and have wanted to buy one as a collectible, but I haven't been able to find one!"
"Sigh! We don't have that kind of connection! It's thanks to the Ou family's extensive network that it can only be acquired by Old Master Ou!"
Some people began to praise Ou Dehui for giving such a generous gift, praising his filial piety.
At this moment, Ou Dehui heard everyone's envy and praise, and also saw Ou Dechu's surprised and displeased expression.
His smugness was barely concealed, and he looked even more excitedly at Ou Hongxin, who hadn't yet spoken, and asked:
"Father, this is the Zisha teapot made by Master Jiang Zhu that you've recently come to like! It's also his most collectible piece to date!"
Father, although my eldest brother was the one who prepared the birthday banquet this time, I was unable to do anything for you.
However, knowing that you appreciate Master Jiang Zhu's works, I've been thinking of preparing this birthday gift for you. Do you like it?
At this moment, Ou Hongxin, who had been silent until now, smiled and looked at Ou Dehui after seeing the purple clay teapot in his hand.
He looked up and saw Ou Dehui, who was leaning forward with excitement and anticipation in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Ou Dehui watched Ou Hongxin's changing expressions, waiting for Ou Hongxin to show a satisfied look so he could praise him in front of everyone.
Xie Ruxue and Ye Yanzhi, who were not far away, watched anxiously. They seemed to be so hot that they could hardly breathe, but they still subconsciously held their breath.
Just when Xie Ruxue and Ye Yanzhi thought that Ou Hongxin had seen through the counterfeit goods, Ou Hongxin patted Ou Dehui's arm and laughed:
"I love it! How could I not love it! Hahaha!"
As soon as Ou Hongxin finished speaking, the people around him praised Ou Dehui even more.
"Haha, Father, I'm glad you're happy! Your happiness makes me happy too!"
Ou Dehui received the reaction he had expected, and he smiled happily, continuing to say things to please Ou Hongxin.
At this moment, only Xie Ruxue and Ye Yanzhi were dumbfounded. They looked at each other again, not knowing what was going on.
Ou Hongxin laughed loudly as he praised Ou Dehui and told him to put the teapot away.
Ou Dehui obediently put the teapot back into the gift box and closed the lid.
Seeing this, Xie Ruxue and Ye Yanzhi breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Grandpa Ou didn't actually know how to appreciate things!
Just when they thought they could finally relax, a magnetic voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, asked without using honorifics:
"Grandpa, what's making you laugh like that?"