From Wage Slave to Tycoon novel Chapter 313

Chapter 313: Chapter 183: Chance Encounter

Tongli Ancient Town is nestled on the shores of Tongli Lake in the Wujiang District.

First built during the Song Dynasty, it boasts a history of over a thousand years. The entire ancient town is divided into seven islands by fifteen crisscrossing rivers, which are in turn connected by forty-nine ancient bridges.

After taking an afternoon nap at home, Su Chen brought Jiang Hui to Tongli Ancient Town. They were just wandering around when a Pingtan teahouse by the roadside stopped them in their tracks.

"Green bricks and lacquered tiles, a white horse on fresh-trodden trails, mountain flowers and banana leaves in the twilight’s haze..."

Listening to "Sheng Sheng Man" sung in the soft Wu dialect, Su Chen finally understood why the ancients all yearned for Jiangnan... Listening to songs in the old theaters—who could possibly tear themselves away from such a lingering, ethereal melody?

They ordered a pot of tea and a few Suzhou-style pastries, taking a seat by the window where they could listen to the soft Wu dialect and admire the ancient town’s scenery at the same time.

What a leisurely and carefree moment!

"These Suzhou pastries not only taste great, but they’re also beautifully shaped," Su Chen remarked, holding up a pastry that looked like a little rabbit.

An old man at the next table seemed to have overheard Su Chen’s comment. He looked at Su Chen with a smile and said, "Young man, you’ve got good taste. You should know, the pastries at this teahouse are all made in-house. They’re definitely not the same as the ones sold outside."

"Oh? Sir, is there a special story behind them?" Su Chen asked, his curiosity piqued.

"There’s a big story, all right!" The old man took a sip of tea to wet his throat before continuing. "The teahouse sources all its ingredients from the surrounding towns and villages—fresh things like rose petals, osmanthus flowers, orange peels, and the like."

"Then they’re combined with main ingredients like rice and wheat. The pastries are made without any artificial flavors or colors. With every bite, you can taste the true flavor of the ingredients themselves, unlike the ones sold outside that are full of additives and don’t taste good at all."

"Huh..." Su Chen was a little stunned. ’So the ’big story’ was that straightforward and simple.’

The old man turned out to be quite the talker. He kept Su Chen occupied for a long while, giving him a history lesson on Suzhou pastries. He explained how they originated in the Sui and Tang dynasties, reached their peak during the Song, and how countless scholars and poets had lingered over them, leaving behind many poems describing their delight.

He rattled on for over an hour, long enough for them to need two refills of tea. If the teahouse’s Pingtan performance hadn’t ended, the old man would have probably launched into the entire cultural history of Suzhou.

By the time they left the teahouse, Su Chen’s face was a mask of pure exasperation.

"Hahaha! Sir, the look on your face is hilarious!" Jiang Hui couldn’t help but tease.

Su Chen shot him an annoyed glare. "Old men these days are really chatty, but hey, I still learned a few things, didn’t I?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell naturally on Jiang Hui, waiting for his response.

Jiang Hui practically jumped, nodding quickly. "That’s right! It was definitely very enlightening!"

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