Chapter 54: Chapter 53 Various Parties Plea for Mercy
Although there was still some embarrassment about meeting Gu Qiaoqiao, he knew he had to take the first step.
Moreover, Qin Xuan still had something on his mind he couldn’t let go of. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Qiaoqiao, is the nucleus carving you did of a small boat?”
As he said this, he took out a nucleus carving.
It was also a small boat, but compared to Gu Qiaoqiao’s, there was still a significant gap.
Gu Qiaoqiao took the small boat and observed it closely. The cultivation technique was somewhat rough, the pattern on the door of the cabin was asymmetrical, the expression on the boatman’s face was lifeless, and the proportions were slightly off.
It’s true what they say, you don’t know how good something is until you compare it.
...
Gu Qiaoqiao became more confident in her own work.
She put down the nucleus carving, “Mine is also a small boat, but both the shape of the boat and the figures are different.”
“Did Yubao Square give you eight hundred yuan directly?” Qin Xuan curiously asked.
“No, they initially offered six hundred. I hesitated for a moment, and to my surprise, when Boss Zhang saw my hesitation, he added another two hundred, and then I agreed,” Gu Qiaoqiao said nonchalantly.
“Is it Boss Zhang, the second manager of Yubao Square?” Qin Xuan asked in disbelief.
“That’s how he introduced himself to me.”
At this moment, Qin Xuan’s heart was as itchy as if it had been scratched by a cat. What a pity, he hadn’t even seen the thing Gu Qiaoqiao carved.
Items that can prompt Zhang Yi to increase the price twice are truly rare in the Imperial Capital.
It is said that Zhang Yi’s offers are always fixed, whether he’s buying or selling.
Because his pricing eerily matches the other party’s psychological threshold.
That’s why in the antique circle, he has another name called “Zhang One-Price.”
Qin Xuan seemed to have forgotten the Qin family’s unpleasantness with Gu Qiaoqiao. Perhaps he also wanted to use this opportunity to ease their relationship. He looked at Gu Qiaoqiao with a voice full of pain and urgency, “Qiaoqiao, your nucleus carving, you might have sold it for too little…”
Sold it for too little?
How could that be?
Gu Qiaoqiao looked at Qin Xuan, puzzled, “Doesn’t everyone say that Yubao Square is fair to both old and young? How could I have lost out?”
She actually felt that the eight hundred yuan was quite a lot, especially in 1986.
At that time, money was very valuable!
Qin Xuan felt that he couldn’t explain things clearly to Gu Qiaoqiao just yet. Since he hadn’t seen the actual object, he couldn’t be sure if Zhang Yi had taken advantage of Gu Qiaoqiao.
What a pity, given the relationship between the Qin family and Yubao Square, it seemed unlikely they would even be able to see it.
And the fact that Zhang Yi bought Gu Qiaoqiao’s item probably meant he didn’t know about her relationship with the Qin family.
Gu Qiaoqiao glanced at Qin Xuan’s expression and knew he was very curious about her nucleus carving.
But she didn’t mind.
If she had lost out, then so be it. Besides, she carved quickly. She could just carve a few more pieces, and it would make up for the loss.
Moreover, she intended to collaborate with Yubao Square for the long term.
Before Qin Xuan had time to regret, the meal was ready.
Grandma Qin had been sitting quietly next to Gu Qiaoqiao, listening to her son and Gu Qiaoqiao talk, and finally felt a bit better.
No matter what happened in the future, this was a good start.
The atmosphere at the dining table was very quiet. Shen Manru ate her food listlessly.
It had only been a few days, but how had her taste become so discerning?
She always felt like the dishes she made lacked either oil or salt.
She looked up stealthily at Gu Qiaoqiao and was surprised to find that the child looked quite appealing while eating.
Modest and restrained, neither fast nor slow, graceful and content.
No wonder they say that when one removes their prejudiced lenses to look at a person, the difference is like night and day.
Yi Shu once wrote, when a man no longer loves his woman, her crying is wrong, her silence is wrong, her very breathing is wrong, even in death she is wrong.
Similarly, when a person hates someone, whether she smiles or doesn’t smile, it’s wrong, even the way she walks and eats is wrong…
However, at this time, Shen Manru couldn’t help but think, how did she even compromise? In her heart, this Gu Qiaoqiao would not be presentable even after ten years of training.
But now…
She refused to think any further.
The dinner had only just reached the halfway point when the ring of a telephone interrupted them.
The few of them exchanged glances, and Qin Xuan gestured for Qin Yize not to move as he walked to the living room to answer the phone.
It was the Old Master of the Bai Family calling.
He pleaded with Qin Xuan to be generous and let go of his foolish granddaughter.
And he claimed he would personally come to apologize.
Of course, that was a lie.
The Old Master Bai occupied a high position; how could he possibly come knocking on their door.
It was merely an excuse.
Qin Xuan had actually anticipated that today would not be peaceful the moment before.
He quietly listened to everything the Old Master Bai had to say, then spoke in a gentle yet firm voice, “This matter is no longer simply an issue between our Qin Family and the Bai Family. Whether it is unlawful or criminal, there are designated institutions to pass judgment on them, and I have faith in the law as well as in Public Security.”
The caller hung up with a click.
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After that, several more calls came, all asking for favors, but Qin Xuan responded to them with the same reasoning as he did with Old Master Bai.
However, Qin Xuan was very clear-headed when dealing with these external affairs, speaking softly and detailing the ins and outs of the situation clearly.
He showed great respect for the facts.
And, as expected, the callers were left speechless after hearing Qin Xuan’s words.
Qin Xuan had no choice but to do this, otherwise, the Bai Family could easily distort the facts, making it sound like a minor dispute between children.
And he, of course, had long been prepared for this.
Gu Qiaoqiao hadn’t expected the situation to blow up so big.
Those who usually only appeared in newspapers and on television had all stepped in to play peacemaker.
But after hearing Qin Xuan’s tactful refusal, Gu Qiaoqiao’s opinion of him somewhat improved.
However, all of these, everything about the Qin Family, would soon have nothing to do with her.
With this in mind, Gu Qiaoqiao found her appetite surprisingly good.
Even though the flavor of the meal was quite ordinary.
And it was a phone call from Old Grand Master of the Qin Family that abruptly ended the dinner.
First, it was Qin Xuan being scolded, then Qin Yize; when Gu Qiaoqiao heard the old master’s strong voice berating Qin Yize for stirring up trouble, she deeply empathized, yet Qin Yize listened quietly, his expression as calm as water.
Only after the old master had finished scolding did he tell Qin Yize to bring his wife to the Qin Family’s Courtyard the next day.
And he informed Qin Yize that he was not in a position to deal with the aftermath, as it was his turn to battle it out with the old head of the Bai Family.
Then, with a huff, he hung up the phone.
The Spring Festival of 1986 was destined not to be peaceful.
In the North City District of the Imperial Capital.
Here lies a courtyard that is even larger than the Qin Family’s Courtyard.
The main building is a two-story house adorned with carved balustrades and columns on the eaves, surrounded by high walls constructed of green bricks.
If one were to look down from above, they would realize that this area was actually a whole, yet it was forcibly partitioned by four tall walls.
And inside one of the courtyards within these tall walls and large compound, surprisingly, there was a greenhouse.
A strong scent of spring greeted those who entered.
The greenhouse covered an area of about two hundred square meters, rectangular in shape, with the side facing the sun made up mostly of large glass panels.