Chapter 6: Where's The Promised Rich Father?

It was a round bowl that was slightly purple. It looked unremarkable to the untrained eye, but not Jiang Ruobai.

No matter how he looked at it, he felt that the bowl was similar to the one Master Xuan Yun had used when he traveled.

That was one of Master Xuan Yun's personal belonging that he owned in the whole world. It was truly priceless.

And his daughter used such a rare collector's item as a cat bowl?

Jiang Ruobai felt an incoming headache as he looked at the girl with disbelief. 

He even thought that maybe this girl wasn't his daughter.

But there was no mistaking it… This child really looked like his wife.

Still…

'I couldn't take this any longer.'

Jiang Ruobai leaned over and squatted on the ground by her wooden wheelchair. Then he quickly seized up the bowl.

The cat happily ate its fish until it was startled by the sudden movement and jumped away. When it noticed someone had snatched its food, the cat hissed angrily at the man, and its fur stood on end.

Jiang Ning was struck stunned by the whole scene.

What happened to her 'rich father'?

This man was clothed in gorgeous clothes, yet he crouched on the ground to stole food from a cat?

This was most likely a fake who wanted to abduct and sell her because of her beauty!

Wait. That's not right. He wouldn't have fought with a cat for food if he was really a kidnapper. 

That means this man must've been starving. 

"Uncle1," Jiang Ning began, "If you're really that hungry, I still have some mushroom soup in my pot. I plan to save it for dinner, but you can have it."

"Oh, oh..." The bowl entranced Jiang Ruobai so much that he didn't hear what she had said. He hummed a few times, inspecting this authentic antique until a porcelain bowl appeared in front of his face. It was then that he realized how his behavior could easily be misunderstood.

"Actually, I..." He chuckled, slightly embarrassed, but slowly trailed off as he noticed the delicious aroma. "Hmm?"

It smelled rich with flavor and unique. It was something he had never encountered in his life. 

And it came from the porcelain bowl in front of him.

Jiang Ning smiled and encouraged him, "Let's eat,"

He immediately came face to face with the girl's bright smile, and with the addition of flavourful fragrance assaulting his nose, how could he refuse? Jiang Ruobai's hands automatically reached out for the bowl, taking a small sip.

Rich flavors immediately assaulted his tongue. The mushrooms were fresh, tender, and smooth, leaving an endless and tasteful aftertaste.

Jiang Ruobai had never eaten this kind of soup before, so he ate the soup in one gulp.

He was born into a prestigious family. One would say that he had gained everything in the world. But with that thought, he had arrogantly assumed he knew everything, while in reality, he had missed out on opportunities that he didn't even know about. What other things in the world had he not seen? What kind of riches had he not enjoyed? 

It was funny. To think he had tasted the most delicious soup he had ever eaten in a thatched house.

How could he not be surprised?

He couldn't help but lick his lips when he emptied the bowl.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning's heart sank.

The man was so hungry that he finished the measly half bowl of leftover soup in a blink of an eye. This guy was even poorer than Old Li!

He probably lied about how wealthy the Jiang family was so he could lure her into becoming a prostitute! He even told her she could have as much money as she wanted. 

'Bah! I've been tricked!'

Maybe she shouldn't go with this man...

Not in a million years would Jiang Ruobai imagine that he would be labeled as a beggar after eating a half-bowl of soup by his own flesh and blood.

Oblivious to his daughter's thoughts, he continued to stare at the porcelain bowl in his hands as if it would magically refill itself. 

'Wait. This porcelain bowl….'

The glaze was green, with a soft luster and brown cracks at the bottom. It was clearly... A treasure from the old official kiln.

Just the price of this bowl alone was worth more than a hundred silver coins!

Jiang Ruobai looked at the wooden table in the central room, and his heart trembled.

There was a whole set on the table, exactly the same as the one in his hand.

This set was even more precious than just a single bowl.

There was something familiar about these objects… Jiang Ruobai was sure he had seen these things somewhere before, but not in these shabby thatched houses, of course.

'What is going on?'

Jiang Ruobai walked into the room to get a closer look, only to be shocked when he saw a painting spread out on the high table, under a pot of orchids like a table cloth. There were even some places on the artwork that was stained with dirt.

Jiang Ruobai's eyes widened. Something about the painting had seemed familiar too. He hurried over to pick up the orchid and carefully lifted the scroll painting to examine the picture. 

This paper, this brush line, this seal, this painting exuded a majestic aura of power.

This was an authentic painting of the setting sun by Zhang Linxian, a famous painter from the Southern Dynasty.

He had the exact same painting hanging in his study room. It had been copied by another great artist of the dynasty. Although the quality was considered good, it was still inadequate compared to the original artist's authentic work.

No, there was no comparison at all.

A fake was still a fake.

It would never become real!

Jiang Ruobai swallowed his saliva and looked around the room. Finally, his eyes fell on an unremarkable big basket of willow branches behind the door.