Chapter 56: Water and Rain Sprouting

  "Jiangnan Club?" Wang Zhi asked in surprise. He had heard of this Jiangnan Club when he was in college, and it was something he had always yearned for. However, the Jiangnan Club was a high-end private club that ordinary people were not qualified to enter, and even now, Wang Zhi did not have the qualifications.

  Let's put it this way, the last time in Nanrao, Wang Zhi went to Shuizhongyue, which was also a private club, but it was completely different from Jiangnan Club. Shuizhongyue was open to anyone with money and power, but Jiangnan Club was not the same. It was a gathering place for cultural celebrities in Jiang Province, and only those who were famous nationwide could enter. They had to be either calligraphers, collectors, or connoisseurs, in short, they had to have great achievements in some aspect of culture. Having money wasn't enough, having status wasn't enough, you had to have real talent to get in.

  The Jiangnan Club was built in the early days of reform and opening up, and it was co-founded by the famous calligrapher Chang Kai-ping, the famous writer Lin Mo-yang, and several other well-known friends at that time. Since its establishment, it has attracted many celebrities to visit, and now it is even more prosperous, almost every household in Jiangnan's high society knows about it.

  Being able to enter Jiangnan Club is absolutely a symbol of status, this status is neither power nor money, but it is the status that countless wealthy and powerful people want to pursue. However, since its establishment, Jiangnan Club has had strict management rules, and the enforcers are all true celebrities with strong bones, which makes many people who want to enter the club through unconventional means have no chance.

  Wang Zhi knew that the current master of Jiangnan Club was none other than the nationally renowned literary giant Zhang Yunxiang, Vice Chairman of the National Writers Association.

  "Not bad, it's Jiangnan Club, I forgot to tell you, I'm one of the members of Jiangnan Club." Jiang Yuanhua said with a smirk.

  "Haha, I really didn't expect that you, of all people, could enter the Jiangnan Club." Wang Zhi looked Jiang Yuanhua up and down and said: "However, even if you are a member, you shouldn't have the qualifications to bring someone in, right?"

  "Haha, you don't understand this, do you? Although I'm not qualified to bring people in, I am qualified to bring things in. Last time I went, I brought the prescription you wrote, and your beautiful brushwork stunned many people at the time. So this time they let me bring you along." Jiang Yuanhua said with a smile.

  "Ha! I thought you'd put up quite a fight, but it turns out my skills are still superior. Old man, didn't my words earn you a lot of face back then?" Wang Zhi chuckled and teased, having long been familiar with Jiang Yuanhua, their conversation was naturally without reserve.

  "Uh!" Jiang Yuanhua smiled awkwardly: "You're saying this isn't right, I'm your recommender after all. No matter how you put it, a fine horse like you needs someone to appreciate its worth."

  "Alright, I know you care about your junior now." Wang Zhi said with a smile, seeing Jiang Yuanhua's embarrassed expression.

  The Jiangnan Club is located on the banks of West Lake, and it's an ancient garden-style building. Wang Zhi and Jiang Yuanhua arrived at the club around 5 pm, when the sun was setting in the west. The Jiangnan Club looked particularly beautiful under the sunset. At the entrance, Jiang Yuanhua showed his membership card and a small red note with Wang Zhi's name and photo on it, as well as five or six people's handwritten signatures. This kind of red note is called an invitation letter, which only takes effect when signed by more than five high-level members of the Jiangnan Club.

  As he walked through the gate, there was a beautiful winding path. The road was lined with all kinds of rare flowers and grasses. Even Wang Zhi, who had seen many ancient gardens, couldn't help but admire them in his heart.

  The small path leads directly to the clubhouse's Wudao Hall, where the five paths of Wudao are qin, chess, books, flowers, and tea. The people inside can spend their leisure time drinking tea, appreciating flowers, playing chess, listening to music, and it can be said that it is a kind of secluded and carefree life.

  The interior design of the Wudang Hall is still ancient, with various furniture inside made of high-quality red pine wood, which is very valuable. The calligraphy and paintings on the walls are also from famous artists.

  When Wang Zhi and Jiang Yuanhua entered the Wudang Hall, there were already five middle-aged men in their fifties inside. What surprised Wang Zhi was that apart from these five middle-aged men, there was also a young girl about his age. The girl wore a light red dress, black and white flat shoes on her feet, and a pair of beautiful small feet could be clearly seen. Her shoulder-length black hair was casually tied back, her face was not made up, but she still couldn't hide her captivating beauty. At this moment, the girl was standing aside watching the two men play chess.

  "Haha, Old Jiang has arrived. Last time I lost half a game to you, today I'm going to win it back." A middle-aged man who was sipping tea stood up and said with a smile as Jiang Yuanhua and Wang Zhigang walked in.

  "I bet you won't win next time either, when have you ever beaten me at chess?" Jiang Yuanhua chuckled and stepped aside to let Wang Zhidao through: "Alright, I've brought the person you've all been expecting today."

  "This is Dr. Wang Zhiwang, who has excellent handwriting." At this time, when Jiang Yuanhua's words were heard, several people around him also stopped what they were doing and gathered around.

  "I'm Wang Zhi, I didn't expect my casual doodles to have caught the attention of a few people." Wang Zhi hastily stepped forward and said. Among the people in front of him, he recognized three of them: one was Jiangnan archaeologist He Jiangmin, one was famous painter Chang Shuping, and one was Go master Yang Yandong. What surprised Wang Zhi was that the person who had just lost to Jiang Yuanhua by half a piece was actually Yang Yandong. Unexpectedly, Old Jiang not only excelled in traditional Chinese medicine but also had such great skills in Go.

  Several people gathered around, and Jiang Yuanhua solemnly introduced them to Wang Zhi. The two people Wang Zhi had not met before were Kong Zehui, a prominent figure in the Jiangnan collecting circle, and Zhu Ge Ran, a famous critic. When introducing the young girl, Jiang Yuanhua smiled unexpectedly and said, "I didn't expect Water Girl to be here too." He glanced at Wang Zhi and continued to introduce her: "Water Girl is one of the rare geniuses in Jiangnan. At the age of 13, she was qualified to enter the Jiangnan Club. Whether it's calligraphy or chess, Water Girl is an expert in both fields. Even I have lost to her multiple times. Now that she has returned from studying psychology abroad, I'm even more unlikely to be a match for her."

  When Wang Zhi heard Jiang Yuanhua say this, he took another look at the girl and was even more shocked. He had never seen Jiang Yuanhua's chess skills before, but being able to slightly beat Yang Yandong was already quite extraordinary. Unexpectedly, she also lost to this girl.

  "Grandfather Jiang was being modest, I just happened to guess your thoughts and won a few times against you, but you're not forgetting that, are you?" The young girl said hastily with a smile, her voice melodious and pleasant, like the gentle chirping of an oriole.

  "Alright, everyone sit down. I've brought a pack of good tea today. Let's have a taste first and then take a look at Wang Xiaoge's skills." Chang Shu Ping said with a smile.

  "Great, the tea that Lao Chang has been collecting is always of the highest quality. This time we are indeed blessed." Zhe Ran clapped his hands in praise, and several people sat down one after another. Because Wang Zhi and the girl were the youngest, their seats were surprisingly close together. After sitting down, the girl saw Wang Zhi looking over and smiled at him.

  The book review is not only a good painting, but also a unique tea ceremony. Not many people can do it, and the faint scent of tea is already floating in the room.

  "This is a 53-year-old black tea that I've collected, it's the king of black teas. Everyone, please have a taste." Chang Shu poured a cup for several people.

  "Hmm, the entrance is fragrant, not astringent or bitter, refreshing and soothing, with a hint of subtle herbal aroma, indeed a top-grade tea." Wang Zhi lightly took a sip and praised.

  "Haha, Wang Xiaoge also understands tea." Chang Shu said with some surprise.

  "Hehe, I slightly understand. I often say that a good TCM doctor must know about tea, so I also have some knowledge of the Way of Tea." Wang Zhi said with a light smile. Through this brief interaction, Wang Zhi had already seen that the people in front of him were truly men of virtue and morality, each with very good breeding, which is why he was speaking freely and praising them.

  "Well said, just based on Wang Xiaoge's idea, it can be seen that Wang Xiaoge's medical skills are absolutely extraordinary, no wonder he can write such a good hand." Chang Shu praised.

  "Haha, Mr. Chang's praise is too kind, I really don't dare to accept it." Wang Zhiqian humbly said.

  "Haha, Wang Zhi, don't be reserved here. Although our Jiangnan Club promotes the culture of ancient people, it does not promote their modesty. Being genuine is good." Jiang Yuanhua said with a smile on the side.

  "It doesn't matter, it's good for young people to be humble." Yang Yandong smiled lightly and turned his head to look at the girl on the side, suggesting: "Can Water Girl play a song to celebrate the tea party?"

  "Alright, since several uncles like it, Yu Meng will perform." The girl responded softly and walked to the guqin in front of her and sat down.

  Wang Zhi had just seen the guqin on one side, and with his eyesight, this guqin must have a history of over 300 years. Unexpectedly, it was placed here for people to play at will. Wang Zhi had heard the guqin many times before, but unfortunately, in today's era, there are not many people who know how to play it. It's just unknown what kind of piano skills this girl has.