Come with me for tea
Lu Yu's smile faltered for a moment. He patiently continued, "Old man, we're not tourists. We're using professional equipment to record these exquisite wood carvings and create digital models so they can be preserved forever. This is a great thing for our ancient town!"
"A good thing?" The old man's eyes grew increasingly disdainful. He surveyed the equipment in their hands, his gaze finally landing on the drone. "Just these buzzing iron birds and those lumps of metal shining randomly at our ancestral tablets? Young men, let me tell you, this isn't protection, this is desecration! We Chen family don't need outsiders like you to dictate what happens to our things."
After the old man finished speaking, he ignored them, turned around and walked to the Moon Gate, sat down against the door frame, closed his eyes, and made it clear that "I'm here, don't even think about passing."
No matter what Lu Yu said, it was all ineffective in front of this stubborn old man.
The core data could not be obtained, and the first day of work was forced to be interrupted early.
When several people came out of the ancestral hall with their equipment, the peripheral team had just completed the preliminary survey. Seeing the expressions on their faces, Lin Xiyue knew that things were not going well.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong inside?" she asked worriedly.
Zhao Teng recounted his experience in detail, adding angrily, "That old man is like a stone in a latrine, stinky and hard! He won't tolerate anything!"
Upon hearing this, Fat Jiang also lost his temper. He sat down on the stone steps at the entrance of the ancestral hall and complained, "After all this time, we still can't see the most important thing. Didn't we work for nothing today? How can we continue this project?"
His words spoke for themselves, and the atmosphere in the team suddenly became heavy and depressing.
Lu Yu stood at the entrance to the ancestral hall, looking up at the locked inner courtyard gate and the four bold characters "Chen Clan Ancestral Hall" on the gatehouse. The sunlight was a bit glaring, and he was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and turned around.
There was no sign of discouragement on his face, and his eyes were even more determined than before.
"Everyone, cheer up! Who says our work was in vain? Today, at least we've figured out one thing: our preliminary research was far from sufficient."
He looked around at everyone and continued, "This proves that our thinking was wrong from the start. This is no longer a purely technical issue. Even the most advanced equipment won't open that door. This is a human problem."
He walked up to Jiang Xiaopang, patted him on the shoulder and asked him to stand up.
"So, the plan has been adjusted," Lu Yu announced. "Starting tomorrow, the outer perimeter survey will continue. The core team's mission will change from surveying the ancestral hall to figuring out the story behind this door. We need to understand why the old man was so resistant, what the Chen family's clan rules are, and what kind of person the clan leader is. Only by understanding these things will we have a chance."
At dusk, the group dragged their tired bodies and heavy equipment along the bluestone road back to the inn, the setting sun stretching their shadows very long.
Lu Yu and Shi Guang walked side by side at the end of the group. Lu Yu could sense that Shi Guang had been silent since the afternoon. He knew that for someone who prioritized technology, the feeling of frustration was the strongest when faced with a problem that technology couldn't solve.
"Are you still thinking about the ancestral hall?" Lu Yu turned his head and asked softly.
Shi Guang nodded.
"Don't worry," Lu Yu looked at him and said seriously, "There are always more solutions than problems. As long as we are together, there is no door that cannot be opened."
This statement was somewhat clichéd, even a bit blindly optimistic, but coming from Lu Yu's mouth, it carried an undeniable power.
Shi Guang raised his head and glanced at him. In the warm afterglow of the setting sun, he saw that Lu Yu's profile was coated with a layer of golden halo, and the pair of eyes that always smiled were now filled with a determined light.
The gloom in his heart caused by frustration seemed to be quietly dispelled by this ray of light.
The next morning, Lu Yu abandoned his plan to try his luck at the ancestral hall entrance. He delegated the task of surveying the perimeter to Sun Rui and Lin Xiyue, and he himself, along with Shi Guang, headed straight for the town's cultural center. He had a clear idea: since the elder had mentioned clan rules and the clan leader, he knew he could find some clues through official channels.
Director Zhang of the Cultural Center was still enthusiastic, pouring tea and offering fruit. But when Lu Yu cautiously steered the conversation towards the Chen Family Ancestral Hall, the smile on his face immediately faltered.
"Xiao Lu, it's not that I don't want to help you," Stationmaster Zhang said, pulling out a thick stack of documents from a locked metal cabinet and placing them on the table. The pages were already yellowing. "Take a look for yourselves. These are all controversial reports and meeting minutes regarding the renovation of the ancestral hall over the years."
Lu Yu flipped open a book, and the contents were shocking. The clan had split into several factions over the allocation of renovation funds and whether to pursue future commercial development. The meeting minutes were filled with table-slamming and eye-glaring arguments.
"Then...what about the patriarch of the ancestral hall? Can we talk to him?" Lu Yu asked with the last glimmer of hope.
"Clan leader?" Stationmaster Zhang gave a wry laugh and shook his head. "The old clan leader passed away a few years ago, and the new one is a wealthy businessman who runs a business outside. He barely comes home all year round and has long since stopped taking care of things. Now, the affairs of the ancestral hall are actually managed by a few respected elders, but they don't accept each other's opinions and can't work together at all."
He added, "The man you met yesterday was called Chen Zhong. We all call him Uncle Zhong. He's the guardian of the ancestral hall from a previous generation. He's very senior and has a stubborn temper. He's basically in charge of the hall now, but aside from sticking to a few outdated clan rules, he won't listen to anyone. I've gone to him several times, but it was no use."
Stationmaster Zhang finally threw up his hands helplessly, condemning this visit to death. "Xiao Lu, listen to my advice. This ancestral hall is like a hornet's nest. Whoever pokes it will get stung. You should change your target. There are many other old houses in town worth studying."
As Lu Yu emerged from the cultural center, a light drizzle began to fall. For the first time, he felt the pinch. The official route was completely blocked. Team morale was already low, and if this news got back, it was likely they would disband.
Back at the inn, the team members were eagerly awaiting news. When Lu Yu explained the situation, everyone fell silent. Even the usually optimistic Jiang Xiaopang hung his head and sighed.
Just when everyone thought Lu Yu would announce that he gave up, he suddenly stood up. There was no trace of frustration on his face. Instead, he showed a somewhat inappropriate and relaxed smile.
"Come on, let's go have tea."
"Huh?" Fatty Jiang was stunned. "Brother Lu, it's already this late, and you're still drinking tea?"
"Yes, right now." Lu Yu's eyes swept over the crowd, "We need to change our thinking. Sometimes, problems that official documents can't solve can be solved with a cup of tea."
After he finished speaking, he ignored the confused expressions of the team members and directly pulled up Shi Guang, who had been sitting in the corner without saying a word: "You, come with me."
Shi Guang didn't understand, but still followed him out.
Lu Yu's goal was clear. He took the time and headed straight to an old, smoke-filled teahouse in the town. The teahouse was filled with local elders, some playing cards, some chatting, and some smoking. The air was filled with the strong aroma of tea and tobacco.
Shi Guang was not used to this noisy and chaotic environment and subconsciously wanted to leave.
Lu Yu, however, walked to the counter as if he were back home. He fished out a bag of fine tea he had brought with him from his pocket and said to the boss generously, "Boss, find us a seat. And refill the water for the old men at the largest table over there. It's on me."
His action immediately won the favor of the elderly people in the teahouse.
Lu Yu pulled Shi Guang to sit in a corner, while he himself, holding the teapot, moved effortlessly between the tea tables, chatting with the elderly people about everything from this year's harvest to the strange things happening in the town.
Shi Guang sat quietly in the corner, silently drinking his cup of strong tea that was so bitter that it made him frown. He couldn't understand Lu Yu's behavior at all. In his opinion, this was simply the dumbest way to engage in a clueless social interaction, a pure waste of time.
Time passed by minute by minute. Just when I was about to get tired of sitting there and was about to find an excuse to leave, an old man at the next table started talking about the craftsmen in the town and inadvertently mentioned:
"If we were to ask who has the best carpentry skills in our town, it would have to be Uncle Chen. Back then, he was the one who spearheaded the last major renovation of the ancestral hall. His craftsmanship was incredible! It's a pity that he has such a strange temper. Now he refuses to see anyone and just stays in his shabby workshop all day."
This name, like a faint flash of lightning, instantly flashed through Lu Yu and Shi Guang's minds.
Following the address they'd gotten at the teahouse, they walked through several muddy, slippery alleys and finally found a yard piled high with timber in the deepest reaches of town. A rotten wooden plaque hung at the entrance. The door was ajar, and a faint cypress fragrance wafted out.
The two men pushed open the courtyard gate and saw a gray-haired old man sitting on a low wooden stool with his back to them. With one hand, he supported a piece of unfinished wood, while with the other, he gripped a simple carving knife, intently carving something. His wrist was steady and powerful, and each stroke was precise and decisive.
There is no doubt that he is Uncle Chen.
Lu Yu took a deep breath, collected himself, and slowly stepped forward. He stood there observing for a moment before speaking in a humble tone, "Master, your craftsmanship is truly extraordinary. We are students from Jiangcheng University. We came here yesterday and would like to ask you something more."
The old man's carving knife suddenly paused, resting on the wood. He slowly turned, his sharp, scrutinizing eyes fixed on Lu Yu. He pointed his chin in the direction of the closed ancestral hall, his gaze filled with clear contempt and impatience.
"What? You haven't given up yet?" His voice was hoarse, like two rough stones rubbing against each other. "I told you yesterday that Xiantang is a family forbidden area. Not to mention you, even if the mayor comes, you can't even take a step without the clan leader's approval! You students, with your newfangled gadgets, really think you can open every door? Go away, you're not welcome here."
Lu Yu's smile froze for a moment. He patiently tried to explain, "Master, we don't want to break in. We just want to learn about the history and structure of the ancestral hall. So..."
"Young people nowadays don't study hard, they're just looking for shortcuts everywhere." Uncle Chen interrupted him directly, stood up, picked up a wooden board leaning against the wall, walked to the door, and with a "bang", pushed the half-open courtyard door shut from the inside, leaving only a narrow gap. His voice was hoarse, like two rough stones rubbing against each other, "There's nothing to say about the ancestral hall. You can go now."
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