The Sweetness of the Seventies-Chapter 975 - 944: Giving Gifts, Good Impression

Qi Zhengmin brought Tang Qian in.

Qi Shuliang sized up Tang Qian from top to bottom, finding him dignified and impressive; his appearance passed muster.

His gaze was clear and sharp, his thoughts seemed rather pure, and he appeared to be a decent person.

Qi Shuliang prepared to have a good chat with Tang Qian to see what kind of person he was.

Upon seeing his mother, Qi Zhengmin’s face felt a little warm, but he still confidently introduced everyone.

"Tang Qian, this is my dad and mom; Dad, Mom, this is the general agent of Fuxi Automobile Factory in Yanjing, Tang Qian." After the introductions by Qi Zhengmin, they were acquainted. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Tang Qian said with a smile, extending his hand, "Uncle Qi, hello, I have long admired your reputation."

Tang Qian familiarly called him Uncle Qi instead of Mr. Qi.

A simple form of address revealed Tang Qian’s emotional intelligence; he came to meet Qi Shuliang not in the capacity of the general agent of Fuxi Automobile in Yanjing, but as a younger generation meeting an elder."

Qi Shuliang chuckled and nodded, "Mr. Tang is also accomplished at a young age."

Tang Qian responded modestly, "I am the fourth child in my family, so Mr. Qi can simply call me Tang Qian or Xiao Si. The title Mr. Tang is something I really don’t deserve."

"Then I’ll call you Tang Qian," Qi Shuliang said with a smile. As for calling him Xiao Si, that was too intimate for a first meeting.

"Thank you, Uncle Qi," Tang Qian said with a smile, "Aunt Annie, these are fresh lilies, I hope you like them."

Annie glanced at her daughter, guessing that her daughter must have told Tang Qian about this.

"Thank you, they’re beautiful, and I really like them," Annie said with a smile, handing the flowers to the maid to put in a vase.

"No need to thank me, as long as you like them," Tang Qian said modestly. Then he took out a wooden box from the box on the side, "Uncle Qi, it’s my first visit, and I didn’t have anything better to bring. However, hearing Zhengmin say you like calligraphy, I brought you some fine inkstones and ink from home, hoping you will like them."

Qi Shuliang felt somewhat mixed emotions upon hearing this, but he was also curious to see what Tang Qian had brought.

"Thank you," Qi Shuliang said with a smile, then asked, "I do love calligraphy, and I’d like to open it up to take a look now. Is that all right?"

"Of course, I brought it for Uncle Qi, so now it belongs to you," Tang Qian said hopefully, wishing Qi Shuliang would like it.

This was something he had spent a lot of money on back home.

Although it wasn’t an antique, it was still very fine due to its pure handcraftsmanship.

"My, my, this is indeed a fine Tao Inkstone!" Qi Shuliang exclaimed upon seeing it, very fond of it to the point of not wanting to let go.

If Tang Qian weren’t there, Qi Shuliang would surely have taken his time to appreciate it thoroughly.

"Dad, what is a Tao Inkstone?" Qi Zhengmin asked with a smile, noting that Tang Qian was quite considerate to bring such a gift, which had truly touched her father’s heart.

She and her brother had given their dad some inkstones before, and he liked them very much, but he had never reacted as strongly as he did to this Tao Inkstone.

Everyone turned their attention to Qi Shuliang.

Qi Shuliang smiled and said, "Tao Inkstones, also known as Tao River Inkstones, are made from materials found in the deep waters of the Tao River in the Gansu Zhuoni area (which was part of Taozhou during the Tang Dynasty). Tao Inkstones are prized for their fine texture, silky patterns, elegant color, quick ink-dispersion, warmth retention, and benefits to the brush. They have been considered very valuable in the North since the Song Dynasty and became scarce. Since becoming famous in the Tang Dynasty, the old Tao Inkstones have always been possessions of the royal scholars, wealthy merchants, and nobles. I used to own one, but it was damaged during a journey, which I have always regretted. I never thought such inkstones were still made nowadays."

Tang Qian said with a smile, "After the revolution, the production of Tao Inkstones resumed. They are produced in small quantities and not often seen on the market."

"Good, good stuff," Qi Shuliang said with a smile. "I really like it, thank you for your gift."

"I’m glad Uncle Qi likes it," Tang Qian said with a smile, feeling good about giving a well-received gift. The atmosphere was lively now, and he had made a good impression.

It was all worth it.

In fact, it wasn’t something Tang Qian had bought from outside, but something he had taken from his father’s study.

Old Master Tang wasn’t pleased at first, scolding Tang Qian for his filial impiety for giving away such a fine object.

Tang Qian had just said one thing—do you want the inkstone, or do you want a daughter-in-law?

Old Master Tang had been longing to hold a grandson for quite some time.

The inkstone was nice, but it couldn’t produce little inkstones.

When compared, Old Master Tang reluctantly let go of his beloved inkstone and let Tang Qian take it.

"You’re thoughtful," Qi Shuliang said with a smile. "The weather outside is lovely. Let’s go, I’ll take you for a walk in the garden at the back."

"I’d be delighted," Tang Qian replied politely.

"Annie, you and Zhengmin prepare lunch. Make sure to treat Tang Qian well," Qi Shuliang instructed, considering the first impression favorable enough for his daughter to interact with this man.

"All right, dear," Annie said with a smile, watching her husband and Qi Shuliang leave.

Once they were out of sight, Annie chuckled and said, "Zhengmin, that’s a fine young man. I have a good impression of him, and your dad likes him, too."

"Just because Tang Qian gave a gift that Dad liked?" Zhengmin wrinkled her nose. With the inkstone, everything seemed to fall into place.

Annie shrugged. She didn’t understand why there were so many inkstones in her husband’s study; to her, they all seemed the same.

"Your dad likes inkstones, but he loves his daughter too," Annie said with a smile. "He wouldn’t give away his daughter for an inkstone, only because the person offering the inkstone isn’t bad."

"Hehe, I accept Mom’s explanation," Zhengmin said with a smile. "Mom, what are we preparing for lunch?"

"All your favorites," Annie replied with a smile. "By the way, what does that Tang Qian like to eat?"

"Ah?" Zhengmin really didn’t know. She thought back to the times in Yanjing; whatever she liked to eat, Tang Qian didn’t seem to refuse. "Whatever I like to eat, he seems to like as well."

Annie shook her head and said, "Zhengmin, if you like him, you must get to know him better. Love is mutual; you can’t just enjoy someone else’s efforts without giving your own feelings. Such unequal love won’t be happy and won’t last."

Zhengmin hugged her mother and said, "Thank you, Mom, I understand."

"My Zhengmin has grown up and will surely handle her own romantic matters," Annie said with a smile. "But, if you encounter any issues, you can talk to Mom. As someone who has been through it, I can give you advice."

"Thank you, Mom, I’ve noted it," Zhengmin said with a smile, gladly accepting her family’s care.

Mother and daughter went to the kitchen together, personally overseeing the maid as she cooked.

As for Qi Shuliang, he took Tang Qian to the estate behind the house, where there was a large expanse of green lawn and rows of peach trees in bloom, with little grass sprouting along the edges of the flagstone paths.

"Tang Qian, are you pursuing Zhengmin?" Qi Shuliang asked directly, without beating around the bush.

To Qi Shuliang, anyone who pursued his daughter deserved special attention. He wanted to use his experience to assess Tang Qian, to see if he qualified to be his daughter’s lover, or even her husband!