The Central Courtyard Garden

Su Chen was sitting leisurely in the central courtyard pavilion, sipping tea and admiring the koi swimming in the fishpond.

His butler, Jiang Hui, had told him about it last night, saying that while inspecting the house, he discovered twenty-seven or twenty-eight top-grade koi in the pond, all with superb coloring.

When he viewed the property yesterday, Su Chen had thought it was just a simple pond with some lotuses, never expecting it to have koi.

So, first thing this morning... Su Chen had sent Jiang Hui to the flower and bird market to buy some specialty koi food.

"Sir, you have a visitor," Jiang Hui said, his professionalism on full display in his dark tailcoat butler uniform, white shirt, and gloves.

"Hm? Who is it?" Su Chen paused, then picked up some fish food from the table and tossed it into the pond, instantly causing the koi to scramble for it.

"The visitor says a Mr. Xiao Chen sent him to deliver something."

"Oh? Show him in," Su Chen said. He guessed they were probably here to deliver the property documents.

As for issues like paperwork or restrictions on non-residents purchasing property, none of that was a problem for Xiao Chen.

A single phone call was all it took for him to sort everything out perfectly.

Soon, Jiang Hui returned with a young man who was carrying a large cardboard box.

He had a crew cut, wore a white shirt and a suit, and had a resolute expression. He walked with the power and determination of a tiger descending a mountain; one look was enough to tell he was no ordinary person.

The young man placed the large cardboard box on the stone table before speaking. "Mr. Su, Mr. Xiao asked me to pass on a message. He’s been busy lately but will find you for a drink once he’s free. He also had me bring you a few small things. He hopes you like them."

Su Chen glanced at the large box on the table and nodded slightly. "I’ll accept the gifts. Please thank Brother Xiao for me."

The young man nodded. Without another word, he turned and left.

A smile touched Su Chen’s lips as he watched the brisk and decisive young man leave.

He had a vague idea of the young man’s background, but as for whether it was true... Su Chen wasn’t in the mood to investigate.

After all, he’d befriended Xiao Chen for who he was, not his background. They simply got along well.

After seeing the man out, Jiang Hui returned to the pavilion in the central courtyard. Looking at the large cardboard box on the table, he asked for instructions, "Sir, shall I open it?"

Su Chen was also curious about what Xiao Chen had sent him. "Go ahead," he said. "Let’s see what surprises are inside."

Jiang Hui produced a small fruit knife from somewhere and slit the tape sealing the box.

The first thing they saw upon opening it was a manila envelope. Jiang Hui looked through it and said, "Sir, these are the property deeds and related documents for this siheyuan." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Next, Jiang Hui took out two cartons of white cigarettes from the box. There was no text on them—just a single red, five-pointed star and no other images or words.

Su Chen chuckled and took the cigarettes, tapping them twice in his hand. "And here I thought the internet said these things don’t exist!"

He examined them for a moment before casually placing them on the table. If anyone else saw these, they’d probably be so envious they’d try to snatch them away.

Jiang Hui then pulled out a fist-sized metal tin. He opened it and sniffed, and a rich tea aroma wafted out.

"Sir, this must be some extraordinary tea!"

"Haha, no matter how extraordinary, it’s still meant to be drunk!" With that, Su Chen took a pinch from the tin and put it in a teacup to brew.

The moment the hot water met the tea leaves, Su Chen truly understood the meaning of "fragrance filling the air." Even Jiang Hui, the professional butler, couldn’t help but take a few deep whiffs of the aroma.

Seeing Jiang Hui’s blissful expression, Su Chen laughed and said, "Old Jiang, would you like a cup to try?"

Jiang Hui opened his mouth to speak. His professional etiquette told him to refuse, but his body was honestly craving a taste.

Su Chen saw the look on his face, smiled, and poured a cup for Jiang Hui, handing it to him.

"Thank you, Sir!" Jiang Hui accepted the cup with both hands, looking overwhelmed by the gesture...

He sniffed it, a look of pure satisfaction on his face. After about ten seconds, he finally took a small sip.

"The fragrance lingers in your mouth, the aftertaste is sweet... This is a top-tier tea! A pity I can’t identify what kind it is."

Su Chen poured a cup for himself as well. "Who cares what kind it is? As long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters."

With that, he also picked up his cup and took a small sip.

Su Chen had drunk his fair share of tea, but it was nothing compared to this.

The two of them savored the tea for about ten minutes until they had finished every last drop.

"Old Jiang, see if there’s anything else in the box!" Su Chen’s interest was piqued now, and he quickly gestured for Jiang Hui to continue unboxing.

Jiang Hui glanced inside the box and said, "Sir, it looks like there’s only one thing left."

After speaking, Jiang Hui removed his white gloves and, with some effort, lifted another old, slightly aged box out of the cardboard container.

Jiang Hui placed it carefully on the table, as if afraid of any mishaps.

"Hm? Is this... Maotai? And an aged bottle at that?"

Su Chen looked at the date on the box. It was produced in the first year of the century, making it over a decade old.

As for its authenticity... it didn’t take a genius to know it was 100% genuine.

After a quick look, he had Jiang Hui take everything down to the basement for storage. Of course, Su Chen kept one carton of cigarettes for himself to smoke.

’Hah, "small gifts," he calls them...’ Su Chen chuckled and shook his head, wondering what would be a suitable gift in return.

After thinking for a moment without coming up with anything suitable, he decided to drop it. He’d worry about it later when he found something fitting.

......

"Old Jiang, go change your clothes. Casual wear will be fine. That uniform is too conspicuous for going out," Su Chen said, preparing to go for a stroll.

’Now that I’m living in Shichahai, how can I not explore the neighborhood?’

Jiang Hui nodded and turned to walk toward his room.

In October, the temperature in the Imperial Capital was already starting to turn cool. Most people were wearing a light layer or two, or a sweatshirt.

Su Chen picked out a sun-protection jacket from his limited wardrobe—something he had brought back from Xiangjiang.

’Looks like I need to buy myself some more clothes...’

After a moment’s thought, Su Chen took out his phone and sent a text.

Soon, Jiang Hui emerged in a casual outfit—a sporty sweatshirt that made him look exceptionally stylish.

Although Jiang Hui was in his forties, the outfit made him look ten years younger, giving him a "cool uncle" vibe.

"Old Jiang, with that look, you could charm any young lady you want. They wouldn’t stand a chance!"

Jiang Hui was completely baffled. ’Why are we talking about charming young ladies now...?’

"Let’s go. We’ll explore the area and get familiar with the surroundings."

Su Chen’s siheyuan was located on the northern edge of Shichahai. The lake was right outside his door, but this area was quieter, filled with various former residences and fewer commercial establishments. Consequently, there were far fewer tourists here than in the surrounding areas.