Return to the Day When My Pregnant Wife Jumped Off the Building-Chapter 342 Playing the Elder Card_1

Qingyang is the ancestral land of the Hao family, a porcelain sect of the Ancient Appraisal Association, and also a major taxpayer locally, naturally with considerable wealth.

As the host of this treasure appraisal conference, the Hao family had vacated the best hotel in Qingyang, the Qingyang Grand Hotel, exclusively for the accommodation of the guests in attendance.

Xiao Ming and others walked into the hotel lobby, and just as they showed their invitations to the reception and received their room cards, someone called out to him from behind.

"Ah! It really is Xiao, long time no see!"

The man had a head full of white hair, was dressed in a grey mandarin-buttoned linen robe— the standard "master" attire. But his hurried steps and enthusiastic demeanor ruined the effect.

Xiao Ming was startled for a moment before he remembered and quickly went to greet him, "It turns out to be Old Mr. Fang, hello, hello! Are you also here for the treasure appraisal conference?"

The "master" was none other than the renowned traditional Chinese medicine expert Fang Muye, whom he had met once before.

"Yes! As I’m getting older, I like to collect some antiques." The old man didn’t display any of the aloofness he had during their last meeting and said cheerfully, "But what about you, Xiao? Are you also into antiques now?"

"I don’t understand these things! It’s just that I recently donated a trinket to a museum, and the collectors were kind enough to let me join in the fun."

"That doesn’t sound sincere at all," Fang Muye teased. "Sir Zhou and Sir Duan have both said that whenever you’re modest, everything must surely fall into your hands— utterly unavoidable."

"No way? Are the two old men ruining my reputation like that? How am I supposed to keep up my act and swindle people?"

Old Mr. Fang laughed heartily. and then said, "Oh right, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Come on, let me introduce you to an influential figure."

"This... Since it’s an influential figure, wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to just appear midway?"

"It would be inappropriate if it were anyone else, but this person is an exception. Because more than once, he has expressed his desire to meet with a young talent like yourself.

Do you still remember the advice you gave me last time, ’Yin and Yang combined, the seasons distinct’?

I was examining him that day, and if I hadn’t suddenly remembered your advice, I might have caused a serious mistake.

Since then, I’ve been wanting to ask Sir Zhou to arrange a meal to thank you in person, but he’s been too busy, and I heard you went to Lingnan, so it was delayed until today.

No, I won’t let you leave today no matter what."

Xiao Ming smiled wryly but, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to meet that influential figure, he asked Furukawa Shizuka, "Are you going?"

Furukawa Shizuka shook her head indifferently, "I’m a bit tired, I’d like to rest for a bit."

"Alright then, Qingfeng, Mingyue, you accompany Shizuka to the room," said Xiao Ming, "Order whatever you want to eat and don’t try to save me money."

"I’ll come with you," Qingfeng said earnestly. "Grandfather instructed that we must always be in a position to hear your commands."

Xiao Ming, having no choice, strictly warned Mingyue not to pick on Furukawa Shizuka before following Fang Muye to a private room on the hotel’s third floor.

As Fang Muye pushed open the door he called out loudly, "Old Man Shi, look who I’ve brought to see you?"

Xiao Ming stepped inside while Qingfeng stayed conscientiously outside the door.

The private room wasn’t large, but it was elegantly decorated in a classical style. A folding screen stood in front of a paneled window with three bamboo stalks peeking out from behind, creating a picturesque scene.

In front of the screen stood a black lacquered round table where five old men were drinking tea. Their appearances ranged from those in their sixties to the venerable age, with the youngest old enough to be Xiao Ming’s grandfather.

At the end of the room, a girl in white was playing the guzheng. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back, in stark contrast to her slightly pallid complexion.

She seemed oblivious to Fang Muye’s clamor, not lifting her eyelids even once, focused solely on the strings of her instrument as if she had entirely immersed herself in the piece "Autumn Night Musings".

"Greetings to the elders! I am Xiao Ming," he said.

Although only one of the five old men truly deserved respect, Xiao Ming had no choice. Until he could fully assert his status, he had to maintain the etiquette of a junior, bending in a bow.

"I’m here at Old Mr. Fang’s insistence. I hope the gentlemen will forgive my sudden interruption."

"Oh?" The oldest old man spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Does Mr. Xiao mean to say that if it weren’t for Muye’s invitation, meeting with a few old fellows like us wouldn’t have been worth your while?"

This statement was purely designed to make things difficult for him, and could even be described as a test of his intentions.

Fang Muye looked surprised, "Old Sir Shi, you..."

The old man surnamed Shi raised his hand to stop him, only using a gaze sharp as a hawk’s to stare at Xiao Ming.

The other four people obviously had no idea what was going on, but none of them made a sound.

It was a common trait among the elderly, to take advantage of their age to compulsively put young people through tests of education.

To put it nicely, it was called mentoring and guidance, to put it bluntly, it was taking advantage of one’s age.

Xiao Ming inwardly sighed and said, "Old Sir, you’re being rather narrow-minded.

Meeting or not meeting only depends on whether it is necessary to meet.

The possibility of refusing to meet someone despite the opportunity only arises if they are not worthy enough.

So, may I ask the elder, if I did not have Old Mr. Fang’s invitation, would I have the freedom to meet you whenever I wished?"

Old Man Shi was stunned, while an old man of similar age next to him gave a dark smile.

"Clever boy, I won’t comment on the other aspects, but when it comes to sophistry, you’re quite the quick-wit!

Old Sir Shi, he’s turned the situation around on you, how will you respond?"

Old Man Shi smacked his lips together, suddenly revealing a smile as well, and asked, "Xiao, you know of our identities, don’t you?"

Xiao Ming nodded, "The names of the four great families of the Ancient Appraisal Association are as familiar to me as thunder.

And you, from the moment I started my business, I idolized you and kept biographies and anecdotes about you on my bedside table, as well as in the most accessible place on my bookshelf.

So, to be honest, I was very much hoping to hear an affirmative answer from you."

Old Sir Shi’s eyes brightened up as he said in a loud voice, "Good! From today on, the doors of the Shi Family are open to you, you may come in whenever you wish."

Fang Muye and the other four elders showed expressions of surprise, but Xiao Ming immediately bowed again and said, "Thank you, elder, for your gift!"

Old Sir Shi laughed heartily, stood up, walked over to take his hand, and said to the four elders, "I was just teasing Xiao a moment ago. Truth be told, I’ve been the one who has wanted to meet him but couldn’t!

You don’t know, he is a life-saver to this old man."

The four elders were even more shocked when the Hao Family Head, Hao Taixing, said, "There’s such a story? We must hear this.

Xiao, please, take a seat and tell us all about it."

"Thank you, Old Sir Hao!"

Xiao Ming sat at the lowest seat as Old Sir Shi had directed him and then with a worried look said, "But honestly, I’m just as confused right now!

Today is the first time I have had the honor of meeting Old Sir Shi. This talk of being a life-saver, could Old Sir Shi have mistaken me for someone else?"

"Saying that you saved Old Sir Shi’s life might be a bit of an overstatement, but there is no exaggeration in saying you saved mine," Fang Muye immediately related in detail the mistake he had made and how Xiao Ming’s reminder had helped him to avert it just in time.

After listening, only the sound of music remained in the private room. Although Hao Taixing and the others didn’t say anything, their expressions clearly showed they were not convinced.

After all, Xiao Ming’s words had been very vague at the time, sounding like empty pleasantries that just happened to fit with what Fang Muye had later reasoned.

At best, it could be considered a good coincidence, but talk of life-saving was still far off the mark.

In their view, it seemed more like Fang Muye had been requested by Xiao Ming to sing his praises, providing him with a shoddy excuse to ingratiate himself with the Shi Family.