Following his sister's gaze, Qin Xiao indeed saw an old butler dressed in a dark brocade robe, looking energetic and meticulous, walking steadily to the temporary platform erected in the center of the front hall.
He understood it clearly.
This is also one of the classic scenes in the original work where Ye Chen starts to show off and then gets slapped in the face.
It's nothing more than comparing the value of birthday gifts from different families to highlight his uniqueness and wealth as the "chosen one," and incidentally, to suppress the villains he dislikes.
Ultimately, Ye Chen, relying on a treasure far beyond ordinary people's imagination obtained through an "adventure" of unknown origin, overwhelmed all others, won first place, and earned the special attention of the old matriarch of the Liu family, paving the way for the subsequent development of the plot.
Sure enough, as the old butler adjusted his breathing, a loud and clear voice rang out in the hall, and one birthday gift after another was solemnly announced.
"The Chen family is celebrating the 80th birthday of the matriarch with a Hetian jade ruyi!"
"To the Li family, we wish the matriarch of the Li family a long and healthy life, and present her with a century-old wild ginseng!"
"The Zhang family..."
As the valuable and auspicious gifts were read out, the surrounding guests began to whisper among themselves, praising or comparing them, and the atmosphere gradually became lively and subtle.
Seeing that the gifts from the previous families had all been presented, Qin Xiao felt that the time was about right.
He turned his head slightly and gestured to the attendant who stood respectfully behind him.
"It's time for me to go up and show my face."
He spoke softly to Nie Beini and Qin Ruoyan.
The attendant immediately understood, bowed, and stepped forward, carefully carrying a tray covered with bright red silk, the shape of which hinted at the extraordinary contents inside.
Qin Xiao stepped to the front of the stage and bowed slightly to Old Madam Liu, who was sitting in the main seat on the high platform, dressed in a crimson brocade robe with auspicious and longevity patterns. His posture was neither humble nor arrogant.
"Qin Xiao, a junior member of the Qin family, wishes Old Madam Liu a long and prosperous life, as boundless as the Eastern Sea and as enduring as the Southern Mountain."
His voice was gentle and clear, with just the right amount of respect.
As he spoke, he gestured for his attendants to unveil the red silk.
In an instant, a dazzling crimson color caught everyone's eye.
A natural red coral tree, nearly half a meter tall, entirely blood-red, with gnarled and powerful branches and an exquisite shape, suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the hall, falling perfectly on the coral tree and reflecting a warm yet dazzling luster, like a quietly burning flame or a frozen, magnificent sunset—breathtakingly beautiful.
"Wow—what beautiful red coral!"
"How big must this whole piece of natural deep-sea red coral be to be carved like this? It's so rare!"
"The Qin family is indeed well-established; their actions are extraordinary from the very first move!"
A murmur of amazement and heartfelt praise rippled through the crowd, and many people looked on with envy.
Qin Xiao still wore a gentle smile on his face, and took a long, rectangular brocade box from another attendant. The box was simple and elegant.
"I am a junior and have prepared a small gift as a token of my respect."
He handed the brocade box to the butler beside him with both hands, but did not immediately indicate that it should be opened.
He simply smiled and nodded again to Old Madam Liu to express his respect.
Grandma Liu sat in the main seat, her well-maintained face always bearing a polite and kind smile. She nodded slightly to Qin Xiao, accepting his blessings and gifts, and her eyes revealed a hint of approval.
Just then, a slightly arrogant voice, deliberately raised in tone, suddenly rang out, breaking the brief tranquility brought about by the red coral.
"Ye Chen of the Ye family congratulates Old Madam Liu on her 80th birthday!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ye Chen striding over, accompanied by "Scorpion," who was dressed in black and had eyes as sinister as a venomous snake.
Behind him followed several burly attendants, carrying an object that was significantly larger than Qin Xiao's red coral tree. It was also covered tightly with a thick red cloth, exuding a heavy sense of mystery.
Ye Chen walked to the front of the stage, his face showing a deliberately suppressed yet still undisguised arrogance.
"Grandma Liu, I heard that today is your 80th birthday. Ye Chen, a junior member of the Ye family, has prepared a small gift for you. Please accept it with a smile!"
His voice was loud and clear, carrying an undeniable confidence.
After saying that, he suddenly waved his hand, signaling to the scorpion behind him.
The scorpion stepped forward and swiftly ripped off the red cloth covering it!
Whoosh—!
A series of clearly audible gasps of cold air echoed throughout the hall, even drowning out the previous discussions.
Beneath the red cloth was a huge screen, nearly two meters tall, composed of four panels!
The screen's frame is made of extremely precious dark rosewood, with a deep and heavy color that subtly gleams with a dark and mysterious luster under the light, making it instantly recognizable as priceless.
The fan-shaped surface of the screen is even more exquisite, as it is made of countless gemstones of various colors, crystal pearls, warm agate, green jade and other rare treasures, which are pieced together into a lifelike picture of the "Four Gentlemen" (plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum) through the superb mother-of-pearl inlay technique!
Sunlight shone on the screen, instantly creating a dazzling display of light and color, with the brilliance of various gemstones intertwining and dazzling everyone's eyes! It was the epitome of luxury!
"My God! This is... a screen made of dark red sandalwood inlaid with mother-of-pearl and featuring the Eight Treasures and the Four Gentlemen!"
"This is too extravagant! Too luxurious! The four dark rosewood frames alone are already incredibly expensive, not to mention the countless gems and pearls inlaid on them!"
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