More importantly, there were over thirty books, consisting of classics, histories, philosophical works, and collections of literature, as well as several commentaries by contemporary masters. These books were, of course, not gifts, but lent to him for reading and copying. Liu Ziru and Zhu Wenchang’s thoughtful arrangement moved Lin Zezu deeply. The other items notwithstanding, these thirty-some books were truly priceless, especially the commentaries by renowned scholars, which were not things one could simply buy with money. Lin Zezu sighed inwardly, knowing he owed them a massive favor.
"Manager Ma, sorry to trouble you." Lin Zezu gestured politely. "Manager Ma, let’s go to the backyard and have a cup of tea to refresh ourselves."
Under the persimmon tree in the backyard, by the same bamboo table, Lin Zezu and Manager Ma sat down casually. Without needing any instruction, Sister Jiang brought out two cups of Chunying green tea on a square bamboo tray. As soon as she set the tea down and was about to withdraw, Lin Zezu spoke up:
Chapter 56