As they rode in their carriage, Su Rong and Duanhua learned more about this Old Man Zhao from each other.
According to Duanhua, he was an ancient scholar. In his younger years, he had earned a living through calligraphy and painting. He wasn't particularly wealthy, but he didn't live in poverty either. After all, which ladies of the Capital City didn't secretly own a few of his paintings? This continued until he got married at the age of thirty and had a son who turned out to be a natural-born businessman. In a span of just ten years, his son became a renowned tea merchant in the Capital City. This allowed him to indulge his passion for story-telling without having to rely on painting for a living. He would spend his days narrating tales at Yipinxiang Tea House.