"It requires a thousand-year-old snow lotus, which is extremely rare and cannot be eaten every day," the uncle said apologetically.
Qin Xiaoyu already understood what she was eating; it was probably something a junior had taught her to respect her senior uncle.
This wasn't the first time she'd made a mistake because of her gluttony, but this time it was hard to make up for. Qin Xiaoyu decided to be more enthusiastic towards her martial uncle. She immediately put on a big smile, which startled her martial uncle, who became suspicious and dared not flirt with her anymore.
This senior apprentice still keeps up his airs, so aloof and arrogant. He hardly eats anything. Did he grow up drinking dew and living on the northwest wind? He's quite an oddball.
After leaving the hotel, Qin Xiaoyu and Xiao Mengting got into their martial uncle's car. They thought he was taking them back to their hotel, but after a few detours, the car stopped at a house.
"My master said it's inconvenient for us to live outside and asked us to move in. I told him I'd only be gone for a day and wouldn't want to make a fuss, but he wouldn't allow it." Xiao Mengting's tone was filled with pride. It seemed that in her sect, being favored by one's master was a remarkable thing.
Qin Xiaoyu, being a guest, followed the host's lead and couldn't make decisions on her own, so she went inside with Xiao Mengting.
This is a replica of a Suzhou-style garden, with an exquisite layout, quite different from the rough and rugged style of the north. It actually matches my uncle's affected manner quite well.
Their martial uncle personally escorted them to the back. The northern weather was still cold, and there wasn't a single patch of green on the ground, making the garden somewhat desolate. Lacking the delicate beauty of southern gardens, it felt dry and barren. A word kept popping into Qin Xiaoyu's mind, almost blurting out, "Let's get it!"
Turning the corner gate, more pavilions and towers appeared, with lights twinkling, giving the place a more lively feel.
"Two friends live here. You'll stay in the small building at the back. They won't disturb you," Uncle said, pointing in the direction of the lights.
“Our master’s circle consists of people of high social standing, so how could we be disturbed? They are all people we would rather not even get to know.” As soon as Xiao Mengting spoke, Qin Xiaoyu’s jaw dropped. This was the same eccentric star who had always been known for his integrity. How could he have lost all sense of propriety?
As they were talking, two people came over from the opposite direction. Qin Xiaoyu recognized them and stopped.
The two men also stopped, so the uncle had no choice but to greet them.
“Mr. Tang, I brought my nephew here. We’ll talk in your room later.”
"Tang Long?" Qin Xiaoyu recognized Tang Long's eye patch clearly under the dim light.
"Auntie?" Tang Long exclaimed in surprise.
"You two know each other?" Xiao Mengting asked curiously.
“This is my nephew, and the manager of Hengchang is his mother.” As soon as Qin Xiaoyu said this, Xiao Mengting realized who she was.
"But the flood washed away the Dragon King Temple; it turns out we were all one family."
"Let's go over there and talk," said the martial uncle, making way for them as they moved to the back.
"Tang Long, are you here to discuss business?" Qin Xiaoyu saw that Xiao Pang was also by her side and guessed most likely.
"Boss Zhu wants to buy some jewelry and headwear. I have some in stock, so I brought it over to take a look." Qin Xiaoyu understood as soon as Tang Long said this.
Given the tastes of someone like my uncle, I reckon he'd like any of the old items Tang Long collects.
After entering the house, the five chatted for a while, and Qin Xiaoyu learned that Tang Long was no longer the boy who rode around on a tricycle; his business had developed.
Opening a shop in his hometown is just a foothold; his business is nationwide. His next step is to go to Hong Kong.
"There are many taboos in this business, so be careful," Qin Xiaoyu said, adding a few more words of advice as she remained concerned.
The counter opened smoothly and sales were booming. Seeing that everything was arranged, Qin Xiaoyu wanted to head back.
“If you have something to do over there, I won’t stop you. If you don’t, just wait a day. It’s a rare opportunity for your master to perform on stage. It would be a real pity if you missed it,” Xiao Mengting advised.
Qin Xiaoyu wasn't in a hurry to go home. She remembered her impulsive trip to Shanghai last time and was now struggling with herself every day, determined to go to Guangzhou.
Going to Guangzhou is not like going back to my hometown; there are not flights every day, and tickets are hard to buy.
I called him that evening as usual to ask about Wang Lei's situation; the test results weren't back yet.
"Are all your events over?" A Lei suddenly asked. He hadn't known her schedule lately; she was the one asking him questions and he was the one answering.
"Yes." Qin Xiaoyu suddenly felt a sense of anticipation.
"I saw the news about your ribbon-cutting ceremony. You're getting more and more impressive. Get some rest, goodnight." A Lei changed the subject.
Qin Xiaoyu was still a little confused after hanging up the phone. What was he trying to say? She felt that there was something more to his words.
When Qin Xiaoyu saw the report about the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Xiao Mengting's room, she suddenly realized that she and her martial uncle, standing in the middle, had almost stolen the limelight from everyone else.
She was radiant, while her uncle was elegant and reserved. They were a perfect couple, completely out of step with that era.
Is A Lei jealous?
Qin Xiaoyu immediately made up her mind to go to Guangzhou.
Xiao Mengting didn't ask her why she was going to Guangzhou; she simply obediently booked a flight for two days later.
Although Fengcheng is also the provincial capital of Northeast China, it is closest to the interior, so it is more lively than the other two cities in many ways. New trends come first, making it more vibrant.
On the way to the theater that evening, Xiao Mengting gave a brief introduction to the background of the performance.
It was originally the anniversary celebration of my senior brother's drama troupe. Someone of my senior brother's status had no reason to perform, so it was already quite generous of him to come and watch the play. But when it came to the last performance, which was the grand finale, Fengcheng was in an uproar and tickets were hard to come by.
The theater was built before liberation and wasn't very big to begin with. When their car arrived outside, there were still some people queuing up in a chaotic manner, hoping to snag a ticket.
The senior students were already getting their makeup done, and Xiao Mengting led Qin Xiaoyu backstage. Ever since the theater fire, Qin Xiaoyu had been traumatized, and she trembled as she walked inside.
Two people were standing outside the martial uncle's dressing room. They were both from the sect and had volunteered to guard it. Knowing that Xiao Mengting was close to the martial uncle, they didn't dare to stop him.
"Uncle-Master, we've arrived." Xiao Mengting presented a bouquet of flowers from his arms.
"It's refreshing that you're sending this." The uncle chuckled, probably thinking that men wouldn't bother with such a thing.
"It wouldn't be right to come empty-handed, and other gifts wouldn't meet your standards, Uncle. This was something I went to great lengths to find, so please bear with it, Uncle," Xiao Mengting said with a smile.
"Why does Director Qin look so unwell?" The uncle glanced at Qin Xiaoyu, but asked Xiao Mengting instead.
"Really?" Xiao Mengting asked in surprise. She looked at Qin Xiaoyu and then noticed that her face was pale and there was sweat on her forehead.
"It's nothing, I'm probably just carsick," Qin Xiaoyu forced a smile.
"Motion sickness? Can you still fly?" Xiao Mengting asked with concern.
"Where is Factory Director Qin going?" My uncle was still a curious child.
"Let's go to Guangzhou for a look." Qin Xiaoyu felt she couldn't stay a second longer, and looked at Xiao Mengting pitifully.
"Auntie, are you still scared because of the theater fire last time? Let's go outside." Tang Long understood a little.
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