Pine Crane Longevity (continued)

Meng Yixian clasped his hands toward Zhu Dafu and said sheepishly, "Old Zhu, thanks for the reminder. I've had things go too smoothly these past few years. Sometimes I bought things purely according to my own preferences. If I keep this up, I might end up losing everything."

Some readers might think Meng Yixian was exaggerating, but don't forget that the swindler Chu Chen had heard about in Shudu could wait several years before springing his trap. Given Meng Yixian's previous lack of vigilance, it was entirely possible for him to be cheated out of everything.

Zhu Dafu said with a laugh, "When you bought that Zisha teapot before, I clearly told you it wasn't cheap, but you bought it anyway. I was wondering why you weren't as sharp as you used to be. Turns out you were bewitched."

Meng Yixian slapped his forehead and shook his head with a laugh. "You know, I really was bewitched back then. I guess people really can't live too comfortably for too long!"

Everyone smiled, then began examining the three-legged dish before them.

Copper-bodied cloisonné was what people commonly called cloisonné. This three-legged dish had a regular, rounded body, a flat, wide rim, a shallow belly, and three short feet supporting its base. The design used green pines and immortal cranes to symbolize the beautiful wish for longevity, and it was ingeniously conceived.

The center of the dish was covered in blue enamel glaze, with the Pine Crane Longevity design rendered through cloisonné wires and colored enamel. Dark green enamel depicted the rocks and grass, as well as the vigorous green pine. The pine's branches were gnarled and powerful, while its clustered needles were lush and abundant. Beneath the pine, green glaze was again used to depict the ground and rocks. Its slightly