Chapter 601: Chapter 572: No Common Ground

Mo Han said, "Stop pretending." She took out her phone and played a video showing a guy wearing a green hat being attacked by a crowd.

Xu Chunliang looked at it and clicked his tongue, "This guy with the green hat has some good moves."

Mo Han gritted her teeth and said, "I’d recognize you even if you turned to dust."

Xu Chunliang said to Mo Han, "Is this a confession? I really didn’t know you loved me so deeply."

Mo Han said, "Xu Chunliang, I never thought you could be so despicable to do such a thing."

Xu Chunliang sighed, "Are you paranoid or delusional? Which eye of yours sees that this is me?"

Mo Han said, "Xu Chunliang, you’re shameless. You won’t admit to it unless you’re caught in the act."

Xu Chunliang said, "Miss Mo, make sure you know who you’re talking to. Falsely accusing a state official has serious consequences."

"You, a state official? Do you dare to openly admit to the bad things you’ve done?"

Xu Chunliang said, "This conversation is going nowhere. I see what you’re up to. You came here early to make trouble, asking me for dragon bones? If we trace it back, the dragon bones you have all originally belonged to our Old Xu Family. You’re lucky I’m not causing you trouble for that, and yet you’re the one turning the tables on me. How did Bai Mushan get hurt? How did the dragon bones go missing? Were you trying to cut me out of a deal and ended up shooting yourself in the foot?"

Mo Han bit her lips tightly, convinced that the person in the video, although never showing his face, was indeed Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang said, "I despise betrayal. From today, we’re done."

Mo Han grabbed a teacup and threw the entire cup of tea at Xu Chunliang’s face.

Xu Chunliang surprisingly didn’t dodge and took the tea head-on.

Seeing Xu Chunliang in such a sorry state, Mo Han felt somewhat guilty. She realized she got provoked and that Xu Chunliang wanted to anger her, intentionally not dodging the tea.

Xu Chunliang softly said, "Little shrew!" Then he stood up and walked away.

Mo Han’s fingers closed tightly like an orchid, and the blue and white porcelain teacup in her hand shattered under her grip.

As Xu Chunliang walked out of the private room toward the stairs, a voice suddenly called from behind, "Young man, hold on."

Xu Chunliang turned to see an elderly man in the southeastern corner, looking ageless with white beard and brows. The old man, dressed in a simple Tang suit, exuded an aura of tranquility, and gestured for Xu Chunliang to come over, saying, "Young man, care to chat with me for a moment?"

Xu Chunliang found the old man somewhat familiar and thought hard, realizing he had seen him on a plaster package from Renhe Hall. This old man was Zhou Renhe, the founder of Renhe Hall.

Small world indeed. Xu Chunliang had heard of Zhou Renhe’s notorious reputation, knowing that this old man seized many treasures from the Xu Family during the confiscations and even caused the death of his grandaunt, Xu Changying.

Xu Chunliang believed Zhou Renhe wouldn’t call him over for no reason, and since they met, he figured he’d take the opportunity to see what tricks this old man was up to.

Xu Chunliang approached Zhou Renhe and smiled, "Sir, do you know me?"

Zhou Renhe made a gesture of invitation and said with a smile, "Chunliang, I’ve seen your photo. Please, sit!"

Hearing his name, Xu Chunliang realized Zhou Renhe’s appearance here wasn’t coincidental. Could he and Mo Han have planned this meeting?

At this moment, Mo Han also came out of the room. She expected Xu Chunliang to have left already but was surprised to see him still sitting in the tea house with an old man with a white beard.

Xu Chunliang pretended not to see her. The little girl dared to throw tea at me; if I don’t show her a lesson, she’ll walk all over me.

Mo Han didn’t disturb them, sneaking out with a bit of confusion and regret for throwing tea at Xu Chunliang, realizing after venting that she fell for his provocation. She seldom lost her composure before.

Mo Han left the tea house and got into a black Bentley parked outside, where Bai Mushan was waiting inside for her. He eagerly asked, "So? He..."

Mo Han’s beautiful eyes flashed with coldness, like sharp blades piercing Bai Mushan’s heart, making him shudder involuntarily.

Mo Han looked out the car window, now completely calm, and said, "He’s with the old man Zhou."

Zhou Renhe drank tea without the meticulousness of Mo Han and was not much different from other patrons of Hongxing Tea House, using big teapots, big tea bowls, and ordinary tea leaves.

For some reason, Xu Chunliang found this ordinary jasmine tea more refreshing than the specially prepared nine-process jasmine that Mo Han had offered.

Zhou Renhe asked the waiter to bring another plate of sunflower seeds and peanuts and smiled, "The Xu Family members are all very good-looking."

Xu Chunliang said, "Elder Zhou, it seems a bit inappropriate to describe a man as pretty, doesn’t it?"

Zhou Renhe replied, "From my age, there’s nothing improper about complimenting you as pretty. Let me introduce myself; I am Zhou Renhe, the founder of Renhe Hall. You might have heard your grandfather mention my name. I used to study medicine at Huichun Hall, so I’m actually your grandfather’s senior."

Xu Chunliang responded, "I’ve never heard Grandpa mention it. As far as I know, Huichun Hall’s medical techniques were not shared with outsiders in the past."

Zhou Renhe was not at all upset; he nodded slightly and said, "That’s right, not shared with outsiders. Have you heard of me before?"

Xu Chunliang said, "I’ve heard of Renhe Hall. It’s said the ointments sell quite well online. It caused a lot of trouble when it originally contracted departments at Changxing Hospital."

Zhou Renhe said, "The one who contracted with Changxing Hospital was Zhou Yisheng, a distant nephew of mine." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Elder Zhou, Renhe Hall’s ointments must have used our Xu Family’s formula, right?" Xu Chunliang asked, with quite a provocative tone. However, he considered himself polite enough not to use the word ’steal’ against this traitor of Huichun Hall, the real culprit for causing his grand-aunt’s death.

Surprisingly, Zhou Renhe did not deny it. He nodded and said, "I learned my medical skills from Huichun Hall. Without Huichun Hall, there wouldn’t be the Renhe Hall of today."

His answer was greatly unexpected for Xu Chunliang—what was going on with this old man? He actually admitted it right in front of him.

Xu Chunliang deliberately remarked, "I haven’t seen that noted on Renhe Hall’s products."

Zhou Renhe laughed and said, "I passed Renhe Hall on to my two sons long ago. How they run it is their business, not mine. Whether you ask me or someone else does, I won’t avoid the fact that I am from Huichun Hall."

Xu Chunliang said, "You seem to have let go of everything, Elder Zhou."

As a person approaching death, Zhou Renhe, already at an advanced age, probably didn’t have much time left in this world. Perhaps understanding life allowed him to let go of past grievances.

Zhou Renhe said, "When you’ve been through a few more experiences, you’ll realize that many things aren’t as they seem, and many people aren’t as you’ve heard." He took a big sip of tea and said, "Your grandfather has always hated me."

Xu Chunliang shook his head and said, "That’s not true. The old man never mentioned you on his own." Xu Chunliang wasn’t lying; his grandfather merely tried to avoid mentioning Zhou Renhe but never showed any deep hatred or plans for revenge.

Zhou Renhe said, "Chunliang, may I call you that?"

Xu Chunliang said, "It’s fine; a name is for others to call you by."

Zhou Renhe laughed; he could sense Xu Chunliang’s resistance towards him.

"Changshan is indeed blessed, with a thriving family and each member making him proud."

Xu Chunliang said, "You’re not bad yourself. Renhe Hall is flourishing, and your two sons are thriving in their careers."

Zhou Renhe sighed, "Neither of them is my biological son."

Xu Chunliang was momentarily speechless; Zhou Renhe truly didn’t consider him an outsider. On this first meeting, he aired even such private family matters. Xu Chunliang had done his homework on Renhe Hall but never found this out—did this mean Zhou Renhe had no descendants? Karma!

Though this was what he thought, he said, "The grace of raising someone surpasses all."

"The saying that ’raising is better than birth’ is nonsense. Blood is thicker than water is an undying truth," Zhou Renhe slowly set down his teacup and said. "In my life, I only owe a debt to one person, that is Xu Changying. Many say I betrayed my master, forgetting my roots and being ungrateful. Ask your grandfather if he thinks the same way?"

Xu Chunliang said, "So much time has passed; my grandfather has already let it go, so why do you keep dwelling on it?"

Zhou Renhe said, "Back then, I did lead people to copy Huichun Hall’s merchandise, but I did not destroy their things. Without my actions, the Xu Family’s heritage wouldn’t have lasted to now, let alone today’s Huichun Hall."

Xu Chunliang said, "Because you understood those things were valuable."

Zhou Renhe smiled, "You’re saying I coveted the Xu Family’s possessions and wanted to keep them for myself. But have you considered that if the people copying Huichun Hall weren’t me, but someone else, the Xu Family’s ancestral legacies would have long been destroyed?"

Inwardly, Xu Chunliang considered his words had some truth. If someone else had come to raid the family, they probably wouldn’t have seen the Xu Family’s medical texts as treasures. Those medical books might very well have been burned to ashes. However, this old man’s motives couldn’t have been so noble—his original intent was likely to claim the family treasures for himself. Although most items were returned to Huichun Hall afterward by the government, some were likely hidden by him; otherwise, Renhe Hall wouldn’t be thriving today.

Zhou Renhe said, "I say this not to absolve myself but simply to address the facts. The Art of War says, ’The swift currents of water profoundly force floating stones; it is due to the momentum.’ Given the situation back then, the only way to preserve Huichun Hall was to go with the trend. Your grandfather should also understand many things."

Xu Chunliang said, "He wouldn’t be happy knowing I’m here drinking tea with you."