Chapter 91: The Land of Abundance

The fragrance of Huanghuali wood has an almost addictive allure; what captivates the senses cannot be frozen and explained the way a photograph can. It can only be imagined.

To Zhuang Chen’s nose, it was endlessly changeable, like a host of mischievous little sprites. Some notes were sweet, some astringent; some rich, some faint; sometimes there, sometimes not. If one were to classify the scent, there were creamy notes, spicy notes, and some that were simply, authentically aromatic.

Even from the very same log, the taste when it has just been felled and the taste after decades of aging are worlds apart. Two pieces from the same forest can be put to entirely different uses: one left in a fishpond, the other turned into a pot lid or a pigsty fence, and their fragrances can differ dramatically.

Even on the same piece of wood, if one side is laid against the ground and the other faces the sun, the surface scent on those two sides can differ from morning to night.

When raw timber is harvested and processed, the heartwood has not yet oxidized and still retains considerable moisture. After cutting, its fragrance becomes especially pronounced, drifting out richly and striking the nose at once. Such is the case with the decorative scent jars, toothpick holders, bottles, teapots, teacups, and the like.

Its aroma is not as dense or long-lasting as agarwood; it is a pure, natural beauty. Only a fresh cut surface, or a tightly sealed cup or jar, will reveal it.

Once exposed to the air, the fragrance gradually fades, until a new surface is scraped open and it rises again. On rainy days, or in damp weather, it will drift out once more with a lingering, gentle scent.

For an entire day, Zhuang Chen stayed shut in the study and refused to go out, as though wandering through an ocean of fragrance. He even had the absurd sensation of a cultivator in a novel drawing in spiritual energy.

Overall, Suzhou and Hangzhou left a fine impression; indeed, they deserved their reputation as a water town of the south, a place blessed by heaven and rich in gifted people. Counting that he had been here for nearly half a month, it was about time to change locales. Zhuang Chen had Xia Hu drive the Rolls-Royce back to Nine Halls, left the G-Class in Jiangnan Li, booked their flights, and set the next destination as Shudu.

The so-called Land of Abundance, a city people come to and do not wish to leave.

After landing, they first took a taxi to buy a car: a Maybach 62, for Xia Hu to try. To be fair, Maybach’s popularity in the country was far below that of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Perhaps it was because its price was simply too staggering, with starting figures often running into seven or eight million, even over ten million yuan.

When Jack Ma traveled, he rode in a 62S, a twelve-million-yuan car; there were fewer than thirty in the entire country. The Landaulet, a global limited edition of twenty units, hand-built from the ground up, had once been the vehicle of the Pope in Vatican City, and at the Beijing Auto Show that year its price was quoted at 25.48 million.

Though now acquired by Mercedes-Benz, it remained a luxury car nonetheless, with a 6.0-liter engine and an overall length of nearly 6.2 meters. After much thought, he decided to buy one for the fun of it.

Only after arriving at the dealership did he learn that there were just three models: the Maybach 57, Maybach 62, and Maybach 62S, priced between 5.38 million and 12.98 million yuan.

There was a black 62 in stock, and with everything included it came to just under eight million. Its appearance was restrained and dignified, while the interior offered new choices of leather, carpeting, and headliner colors, elegant in the extreme.

Its highlights were the specially developed executive intelligent fragrance system, along with a high-definition 19-inch liquid-crystal display, perfect for watching a movie on the road.

He swiped the card, and two hours later they were on the road again. Then they went to buy a villa. He had long planned to make a home here, and headed straight for Azure Cartier, reputed to be the most luxurious villa community.

Passing the central square, he saw two or three hundred middle-aged women already singing and dancing in broad daylight. It was his first time witnessing such a grand scene, truly worthy of the city known for leisure.

When they arrived at Muma Mountain, the broad low hills, the White River, and the forest cover made the natural surroundings beautiful beyond measure. Azure Cartier bordered an international golf course, lay only eighteen kilometers from the central business district, and a mere six kilometers from Shuangliu Airport—an enviably carefree place, ready for departure at any time.

The detached villas, each over a thousand square meters, were lavishly decorated in a European retro style. Only three remained for sale, and Zhuang Chen chose the largest. Altogether it came to one hundred million.

The house itself was merely acceptable; the real surprise was the specially built Muma Mountain Club, which blended French architectural and decorative styles, featured exquisite spatial design, and offered professional facilities such as a wine cellar, a fitness club, a cigar room, and more, along with bespoke membership services, much like the Ten-Blessings Club paired with Nine Halls.

After completing the paperwork, he was granted a three-hundred-square-meter private wine cellar, kept at constant temperature and humidity and maintained around the clock by dedicated staff. When he sent the video to Ding Mengyao, she was filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

Zhuang Chen was quite satisfied. From now on, he could store his wine here and take it out whenever he wanted, saving himself all the trouble. The fitness center was enormous, with a Peak Pilates system, an indoor heated pool, American billiards, a squash court, a yoga room, private training classes, outdoor tennis courts, and more.

For women, there were salon areas, hairdressing, skincare, makeup, manicures, spa services...

There were also exclusive services such as private fitness courses and customized parties, as well as housekeeping, dining, gardening, and other in-home services. So long as one was an owner, anything could be negotiated.

He had the housekeepers clean everything thoroughly, then drove into the city center and checked into the presidential suite at the Tai Koo Hotel for two days. From the roster, he selected a local beauty. They said this place was full of soft, sweet girls suited to becoming wives; naturally, he had to try.

Feifei, an early childhood teacher, should have a good heart. By day she could act as a guide and take him around; by night she would fulfill a wife’s duties, though regrettably without the corresponding rights.

Going downstairs, he came to a nearby teahouse. So-called leisure is not merely a matter of climate and history, but of the temperament and habits of life that settle deep in the bones of the local people.

The furnishings need not be elaborate, nor the tea sets extravagant. With two or three old friends over a few cups of clear tea, one may chat, listen to birdsong or the chirring of cicadas, hear storytelling or Sichuan opera, or do nothing at all—simply sit quietly through the day and while away the time.

The three of them sat down, and Xia Long handed the Longjing tea he had brought to the waiter, then ordered a few local snacks. Zhuang Chen looked around. Teahouses exist everywhere, but the attitude toward life embodied in the local teahouses is entirely different from that elsewhere.

In Guangzhou, drinking tea is a popular custom steeped in the atmosphere of everyday life; in Hangzhou, the teahouse is a place to reward oneself after hard work; but the teahouses of Shudu carry an air of having no desires at all.

Even if not a single grain were earned today, one would still not have wasted this glorious time.

As Chen Xiaoqing once said, even if heaven and earth were to collapse, once night fell here the lights would still blaze on as always—eat as you please, play as you please...

How delightfully intoxicating!