Rong Mansion Initially Settled
Huang Zijun glanced at her and immediately understood her preferences. "If you like this style, I happen to be restoring a pair of noodle cabinets in my studio; I think you'll like them."
"Noodle cabinet?"
"A classic Ming Dynasty storage cabinet was about 1.5 meters long, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Its design was ingenious, with the center of gravity slightly towards the inside, and the doors closed automatically after opening. This style was visually elegant and refined. It gradually disappeared after the Qing Dynasty because two cabinets were typically placed together, creating an inverted triangle in the middle, which made it less compact."
Huang Zijun recounted the story in detail, and Zhiwei listened intently. He showed her photos of the restoration process on his phone; it was indeed antique and elegant. Zhiwei then arranged to visit his studio the next day.
In the evening, after Li Fuqiang had rested, he called to ask how Zhiwei's arrangements were. Zhiwei excitedly told him about her shopping haul. Hearing that she had traveled all over the country in just one day, Li Fuqiang couldn't help but sigh that youth could indeed withstand a lot of hardship.
"Shall I pick you up for dinner tonight? What would you like to eat?"
"Anything is fine, just something light."
Around 5 PM, driver Lao Wu came to pick her up. They arrived at Rong Mansion in just over ten minutes. It was Zhiwei's first formal visit, and Li Fuqiang personally gave her a tour. It was naturally magnificent, and although Zhiwei remembered Jingnan mentioning the Da Vinci furniture, she didn't show it on her face.
Downstairs there was a suite, a guest room, and Li Fuqiang's study. Upstairs there was a large suite and a small suite. The large suite belonged to Li Fuqiang; the bedroom opened directly onto a large terrace, and even the bathtub in the bathroom offered a panoramic view. The decor was better than she had imagined, not too cramped, and possessed a grand, commanding presence.
They didn't go into the other suite. Li Fuqiang said awkwardly, "Jiaqi isn't usually in the country. I'll introduce you two when I have the chance."
When they went downstairs, dinner was already prepared. Shen Ping and all the staff were waiting in the dining room.
Li Fuqiang pulled Zhiwei aside and said, "From now on, Zhiwei's words mean what I say. Please take good care of her."
Seeing that there were only six or seven dishes, a soup, and a serving of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), Zhiwei laughed and said, "Is this another crab roe xiaolongbao? I'm really afraid we'll have it for every meal from now on."
"You guessed right. I noticed you hadn't eaten here in a while, so I specially had them make it for you today. Don't worry, you won't get tired of it. Just tell them what you want to eat next time."
Seeing that everyone was still there, Zhiwei gently pulled Li Fuqiang's hand and gestured with her eyes. Li Fuqiang understood that she didn't want so many people waiting, so he told Shenping to lead everyone to their respective tasks.
The food was excellent in appearance, aroma, and taste, much better than Xiao Yang's at Xu Anyi's place. Especially the soup, which looked like boiled cabbage, but tasted incredibly delicious, without a trace of meatiness, and had a subtle hint of ham and scallop flavor.
Zhiwei doesn't usually diet, but after living abroad for so long, although she frequents upscale restaurants with Li Fuqiang, she's never been this meticulous. She ate to her heart's content, and even Li Fuqiang was infected by her appetite and ate quite a bit more.
Setting down her bowl, Zhiwei said regretfully, "There's been too much food; it's all going to be a waste."
"Since it's your first time here, they don't know your tastes, so they always prepare a few extra dishes. This is considered a clean meal."
"I need to digest my food tonight and get some exercise. Otherwise, eating like this every day will make me gain weight."
After the meal, Sister Shen poured them two cups of Pu'er tea, and the two of them chatted and digested their food on the sofa while holding their teacups.
"I saw you let Xiaoyu come back yesterday. Why don't you let her come with you, help you tidy up the house, cook, and keep you company, so the house doesn't feel too empty when you're alone?"
Zhiwei hesitated, fearing he might misunderstand: "Of course, that's fine. But whether Xiaoyu is willing to take what's hers depends on her own wishes. After all, this grand mansion here, while impressive, doesn't offer me any real benefits."
"Forget about this and that. Let Sister Chen ask her opinion privately. It's best if she's willing to do it."
"Should the driver let Lao Wu go with you? You're already familiar with him, aren't you?"
"No, Mr. Li. You must be used to using it since you brought Lao Wu all the way to America. You should keep it for yourself. I can just take a taxi when I need a ride."
"It can be difficult to hail a taxi in Beijing when you need one."
"Then let Lao Wu find me another one and train him. Lao Wu will stay with you."
Li Fuqiang was indeed used to Lao Wu, so he didn't force him: "Then I'll talk to Lao Wu later and have him pick an honest one for you."
Zhiwei got up and browsed the books on his study shelves. Li Fuqiang's bookshelves were quite impressive, with many historical books, including a complete set of "Zizhi Tongjian", as well as many biographies and novels about figures from the War of Resistance against Japan.
Li Fuqiang followed her into the study and saw her staring at the bookshelf in a daze. He said, "Most of it is just for show; she hasn't actually read it."
Zhiwei smiled gently: "I haven't read these books either, they're too profound. I usually just flip through picture books."
"Just write down what books you need, and Sister Chen will have someone procure them."
Among the bookshelves were several photos of Li Fuqiang, some of which were of him with a young woman, presumably his daughter, whose features vaguely resembled her father's. This suggests that his claim of being favored by the county magistrate's daughter was not unfounded; his daughter was at least presentable.
“Jiaqi hasn’t come back for two years. She’s changed her major and I don’t know what she’s going to achieve.”
"If I had the opportunity, I would also like to study each major one by one. Studying is so easy and enjoyable."
"That's because you love reading. I find it boring."
When they returned home in the evening, Xiaoyu had already packed her belongings, and Lao Wu still drove them back to Yayuan.
Li Fuqiang said, "I need to go to the company tomorrow. I've been gone for half a year, and I'm afraid I'll be very busy when I get back."
Zhiwei replied considerately, "You can focus on your business. I'll explore Beijing first and see if there's anything I can do. Tomorrow I'll go to 798 Art Zone. I met a designer's studio there today; they said they can customize desks. I'll go check it out."
Li Fuqiang handed over a supplementary card: "Feel free to swipe it if you need anything. Just let Sister Chen know if you need anything, and I'll come and keep you company when I have time."
Zhiwei accepted the gift without hesitation and left with Xiaoyu. She arranged for Xiaoyu to stay in the north-facing bedroom, leaving the south-facing bedroom with an ensuite bathroom for her mother, Xu Anyi, to stay in the future.
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