Yvonne Carter gave this string of beads, which is of high quality and worth at least several hundred thousand. Henry Carter is quite strict with his children, rarely allowing them to be wild or indulgent, so for her to spend this much money must have been a real sacrifice.

However, it was precisely because of this that everyone at the table was surprised and immediately looked at her with newfound respect.

She was secretly pleased as well. When the old lady asked, she smiled and said, “That’s right, Little David, what gift did you prepare? Why don’t you show us?”

“Uh…”

Before David Carter could react, Olivia Thompson was already nervous. Her family was fairly well-off, but things were simple at home, and she’d never encountered such messy, troublesome situations. The girl wasn’t stupid—she could sense the undercurrents at the table.

She didn’t know anything about incense, only felt that the sachet was just a pile of useless powder, and immediately grew anxious, worrying for her boyfriend.

“I took Little Olivia hiking today, and happened to see this Qingrui incense. I thought the scent was quite special, so I bought it for Grandma to have a look.”

As he spoke, David Carter also took out a small box and stood up to hand it over.

“Oh?”

The old lady took it and saw that inside was a dark blue sachet, roughly made, not even sewn with silk—just a piece of rag. Curious, she casually opened the box and lowered her head to take a sniff.

With just that one breath, she immediately felt a hint of sweetness seep into her heart. In that instant, it was as if everything around her faded away, and only she was surrounded by this elegant, tranquil fragrance.

Even more amazing, there was a faint sense of transcendence within that tranquility.

It’s said that appreciating incense has three levels: appreciating the material, the scent, and the meaning. Identifying the raw materials, enjoying the aroma, and sensing the meaning—each level is a step up. The first two are tangible and describable, but the last depends on one’s state of mind and is beyond words.

The incense in the old lady’s hand was exactly the kind with meaning. Qingrui, Qingrui—just like a reclusive scholar in the mountains, untouched by the dust of the world, standing apart from the crowd.

“……”

Grandma Carter held the sachet in silence. After a while, she finally looked up a little and quietly put the sachet away.

No one knew what to make of it. They looked at each other, eyes wide. The older sister’s expression was complicated, the younger brother tried to stay calm but his palms were sweaty.

In the end, it was Henry Carter who asked, “Mom, what’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the incense?”

“Oh, no.”

The old lady waved her hand and turned to her grandson, “Little David, where did you say you bought this?”

“On Phoenix Mountain.”

“You mean Phoenix Mountain here in Baicheng?”

“Ah, yes!”

“How much was it?”

David Carter hesitated, then said awkwardly, “Sixty yuan each. I bought three.”

“Little David, you really have the nerve to give a sixty-yuan thing as a gift? Even if you came empty-handed, Grandma wouldn’t blame you—why bother with something so perfunctory?”

Yvonne Carter was sharp enough not to say anything. But one of the aunts at the table, who was on her side, couldn’t help but chime in with a taunt.

Who would have thought—the old lady immediately snapped, “You be quiet!” Then she continued, “Little David, what about the other two?”

“Here, here they are!”

He quickly took out the other two and confessed honestly, “I opened one to see what it was made of.”

“Really? Which one?”

Upon hearing this, the old lady also opened a sachet, poured out the contents, and examined them carefully. After a while, she asked, “What do you think it is?”

“Uh, I could only smell jasmine. I really don’t know the rest.”

“Besides jasmine, there seems to be eaglewood, but as for the rest…”

She shook her head and sighed, “I’m not sure either. This incense is completely different from the usual ones. It’s really strange.”

At these words, everyone was surprised. The old lady had some talent for incense appreciation, and in just a few years had become quite accomplished—she was even somewhat famous among incense enthusiasts in the province.

If she said it was strange, then it really was something special.

Seeing everyone’s varied expressions and the slightly tense atmosphere, she smiled and said, “It’s fine, I’m not angry, just amazed. Never mind the ingredients—just look at the craftsmanship…”

She pinched a small bit of incense powder, and as she loosened her fingers, the powder slipped through like fine sand, with a unique softness and texture.

Leaning back, the old lady couldn’t help but sigh, “Who would have thought that in this little Baicheng, there’s actually a true master!”

……

Success!

David Carter saw this and pumped his fist under the table—he’d made the right bet! He suppressed his joy and glanced at his older sister. Her face had gone pale, and though she was indignant and unwilling, she had to force a smile.

Ha!

He grew even more cheerful and seized the moment: “Grandma, if you’re interested in that person, I can go up the mountain again tomorrow and invite him down to meet you.”

“That would be great! Oh, you reminded me—I almost forgot.”

The old lady was in high spirits and added, “Go first thing tomorrow morning. Tell him I’m old and not in good health, or I’d visit in person. And be polite—don’t mess around!”

“How could I not? You said he’s a master—I’ll be as respectful as can be.” David Carter played the good grandson.

Damn!

Yvonne Carter wanted to strangle her brother, but then thought better of it and immediately said, “Grandma, I’ll go with Little David tomorrow. I want to see for myself too.”

“……”