Xiao Feng has always been thinking about what Ning Shaobai said about going to the auction to look at antiques.
But he has always been sensible and would not ask too many questions. Every time he saw Ning Shaobai, he would look at him with expectant eyes.
That day, Ning Shaobai came home from get off work and ran into Xiaofeng, Chenchen and Mao Huizhu playing in the mud at the door. The three children seemed to be building a stove and cooking something.
Xiao Feng stood up immediately when she saw him, and looked at him eagerly with her big grape eyes, "Uncle Ning."
Ning Shaobai shook his head helplessly, lifted him up and swung him around. "You're just like your aunt, you're here to jinx me, right? Let's go tomorrow!"
Xiao Feng suddenly smiled.
Seeing this, Chenchen ran over and said, "Uncle, I want one too."
Ning Shaobai said with disdain, "You piece of dirt..." Having said that, he picked him and Mao Huizhu up one by one and walked them around before sending them home.
Now Xiaofeng and Chenchen are inseparable brothers. If Xiaofeng wants to go, Chenchen will naturally not fall behind.
So the next day, Ning Shaobai set off with Ning Shaoyun and her son, and Xia Mian's aunt and nephew.
Xiao Feng sat in Xia Mian's arms and rocked back and forth happily, and Chenchen followed suit. The two children were like two happy pendulum clocks, making the three adults smile unconsciously.
However, Xia Mian was still very careful to prepare Xiao Feng mentally, "Baby, we're going there today to broaden our horizons and see what antiques look like. We can't afford the antiques at the auction."
Xiao Feng nodded, not letting it affect his happiness at all. He continued to sway his little body and smiled, "I know, I want to pick up the bargains."
aestivation:……
Ning Shaobai and Ning Shaoyun couldn't help laughing out loud.
The auction was held at the Roman Royal Hotel. When Xia Mian and the others arrived, there was already a row of luxury cars on the hotel's open space. Ning Shaobai followed the doorman's instructions to find a parking space.
It made Xia Mian feel a bit like the atmosphere of the future.
Ning Shaobai took them into the hotel. He had obviously paid the deposit. After the manager came over, he quickly changed his license plate.
"By the way." Ning Shaobai stopped the manager who was about to leave and extended his hand towards Xia Mian, "Stamps."
Xia Mian hurriedly took out the black wallet containing stamps and handed it over. When Ning Shaobai notified her yesterday, he specifically asked her to bring the stamps.
She then realized that looking at antiques was just a way to amuse Xiaofeng, and stamps were the main purpose of this trip.
Ning Shaobai said to the auction manager, "Here are two stamps. Could you please give me an estimate?"
The manager opened it and took a look, his eyes suddenly lit up. Stamp collecting is very popular recently, and many important people are collecting stamps. If this thing can be auctioned here...
The manager said attentively, "I'll ask an expert to estimate the price right away, but it will definitely not be ready in time for this issue. It will also take some time for us to produce the brochure and publicity."
"It doesn't matter," Ning Shaobai said, "Let's estimate the price first, and we can talk about the auction later."
After the manager left, Xia Mian asked curiously, "Are the stamps going to be auctioned here?"
Ning Shaobai said, "Don't you want to change the yard?"
"Then what's your estimate?" Xia Mian said, and then he looked at the people coming and going and realized what was going on.
Today, those who go in and out of the auction are either rich or noble. Everyone has a dedicated service manager. Even if it is for publicity, the auction company will notify customers when new items appear. This is a place where information is disseminated accurately.
Sure enough, when Xia Mian and the others were waiting in the small compartment, they heard people talking about words like "stamps", "the mountains and rivers of China are all red", "a red stamp with small characters is worth one yuan", etc., which shows that the news spread quickly.
I believe that before long, many stamp enthusiasts will receive the news, including the Huo family...
Xia Mian couldn't help but wonder what Ning Shaobai was planning, but she couldn't connect all the scattered pieces together. Her head ached from thinking about it, so she simply gave up.
Anyway, the big guy is her ally, so she just follows behind and enjoys the fun.
"If we exchange it for the yard, maybe one stamp would be enough. What are you going to do with the other one? Auction it?"
"Then let's keep it for now." Xia Mian said, "Xiao Feng will deal with it later."
Xiao Feng looked up when she heard his name, "Auntie?"
Xia Mian stroked his ahoge and said, "It's okay."
But Xiao Feng was busy. He held up the auction album and showed it to Xia Mian, "Aunt, antiques?"
Xia Mian laughed, took it and flipped through it, pointing to a few pages and showing them to him, "These porcelains, bottles, bowls, and plates are all antiques."
Ning Shaobai was speechless when he heard her summarize antiques worth tens or millions of dollars in this way, while Ning Shaoyun couldn't help laughing.
Xiao Feng didn't care about that. Once he knew the answer, he and Chenchen lay on the small table in front of them and studied it seriously. While Xiao Feng was reading, he traced with his short little fingers, as if he wanted to write those things down.
Xia Mian wiped his face helplessly and said, "Do you think I should sell that stamp and buy an antique to dispel this little guy's obsession?"
Ning Shaoyun smiled and said, "Then you'll probably need to buy a lottery ticket that could win five million, a house that can be demolished to make you rich, or stocks that keep hitting their daily limit."
Xia Mian felt hopeless and said, "I think I should just wait until he grows up and becomes sensible."
Chenchen suddenly pointed to a page in the album and said, "Mom's painting!"
Xia Mian and Ning Shaoyun were both stunned for a moment. Chenchen pushed the album in front of Ning Shaoyun and said, "Mom, look."
Ning Shaoyun was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously reached out to touch it. This was indeed the painting she had spent two whole years on.
She looked up at Ning Shaobai and saw that he didn't look surprised at all. It was obvious that he had known about this for a long time.
Xia Mian only then realized that the stamp issue was only one of the reasons for coming here today, and Ning Shaoyun's painting was the highlight.
Ning Shaoyun's eyes were red, "Xiaobai."
Ning Shaoyun patted her shoulder and said, "I'll definitely get it back for you."
Xia Mian was completely stunned by the photos in the album.
She vaguely knew that Ning Shaoyun should be a good painter, but she didn't expect her paintings to be so shocking. Even though Xia Mian was an outsider, she could see the excellence of this work.
It was a scene where a towering tree, blocking out the sun, faced a raging gale. In the overwhelming wind, branches snapped and leaves flew, as if the tree would fall at any moment. But its trunk remained steady. Behind it lay a small, beautiful world: a little bear clinging to its bark, tender and bright flowers, tender green grass, and a worried yet fearless girl...
Xia Mian couldn't describe the details, but the tension of the confrontation between darkness and light was overwhelming, and it made people believe that no matter how much the tree went through, it could protect those beautiful things, and a warm feeling naturally arose in his heart.
The painting is titled "Guardian".
This is just a photo in an album. The real painting must be so shocking.
"Mom," Chenchen nestled into Ning Shaoyun's arms, wiping the tears from her eyes with his little hands, "I will help you get the painting back too."
"Yes, Mom knows." Ning Shaoyun hugged Chenchen tightly and kissed his forehead.
Not long after, the auction officially began and everyone moved to the hall. Xia Mian looked around and saw that there were about a hundred people there.
They found a seat near the front. Xia Mian had not been interested before, but after knowing that there were Ning Shaoyun's paintings, he naturally took it seriously.
The items auctioned earlier were all jewelry. Xia Mian was not very interested in them, Ning Shaoyun was not interested in them, and Xiao Feng was curious about the huge projection instrument.
He leaned into Xia Mian's arms and asked quietly, "Aunt, are they all in the box?"
Xia Mian laughed, stroked his ahoge and explained, "That's a projection, it just emits an image." Knowing that he didn't understand, Xia Mian could only
I explained it to him using the universal golden phrase, "You'll understand when you go to school and learn physics."
The antique auction just started, and Xiao Feng stared at the antique photos on the projection screen.
Halfway through the auction, it was Ning Shaoyun's turn to buy paintings.
The projected painting is much larger and clearer than the one in the album. The gentle protection in the storm fills people's hearts with strength.
Xia Mian suddenly felt her hand being grabbed by a small hand. Xia Mian lowered her head, but Xiao Feng did not notice her actions. She just looked up at the painting on the projection without moving, with a strange light in her eyes.
Xia Mian smiled slightly and touched his head.
The host has already begun to introduce the painting, "This is the work of rising star Xue Yun. Painter Xue Yun studied under the late master of painting, Mr. Qi Minghao."
"At the age of 20, she made a splash at an art exhibition and received praise from many industry professionals. Many people offered large sums of money to purchase her works, but Teacher Xueyun declined, saying she needed to further improve her painting skills."
"This is the first work released by Teacher Xueyun after many years. Her delicate brushstrokes surpass those of the past, and her persistent and healing spirit remains the same. I believe anyone who understands painting will know that this painting has a high collection value. The starting bid is 200,000!"
Xia Mian looked at Ning Shaoyun in surprise. She didn't expect that Ning Shaoyun was so famous in the painting world.
Ning Shaoyun held back her tears and said, "Thinking back over the past few years, I really feel a little ashamed of Master's cultivation of me."
Chenchen held Ning Shaoyun's hand and said, "Mom is the best."
Ning Shaoyun smiled and touched his head, "Yes, Mom will get better and better in the future."
Chenchen finally laughed.
Even a complete layman like Xia Mian was shocked by the painting, not to mention those who knew the business, who participated in the auction almost without hesitation. Amidst the constant bids, some investors who did not understand the situation also participated with the mentality of betting.
The bidding didn't slow down until it reached half a million.
"Five hundred thousand, five hundred thousand at a time!"
Xia Mian could hear a young man behind him holding up a sign stubbornly, "Five hundred and ten thousand!"
"Okay, this gentleman, 510,000! Is there anyone else holding up a sign?"
"Five hundred and twenty thousand!"
"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
Ning Shaoyun and Xia Mian were both a little surprised to hear this voice. Xia Mian looked back and said to Ning Shaoyun, "It is indeed Mr. Huo."
Chenchen also stuck his head out and said, "It's Dad."
Ning Shaoyun lowered her eyelids and said nothing. Ning Shaobai finally raised the number plate for the first time, "Six hundred thousand!"
His voice was very recognizable. Xia Mian turned around and saw that Huo Xuewen was looking at her as expected, with a look of surprise on his face. His eyes fell on Ning Shaoyun's back, and he gave a wry smile and put down the license plate.
Huo Xuewen didn't argue, so there were fewer people left. However, there were obviously people who really liked this painting. A young man behind him almost gritted his teeth and raised his sign, "Six hundred and one thousand!"
Huo Xuewen glanced at Ning Shaobai and saw that he didn't seem to move. He quickly raised his sign and said, "Six hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Six hundred and fifty thousand, is there any more of the six hundred and fifty thousand?" The host's voice was a little excited.
The young man seemed to want to raise his hand again, but the person next to him advised him, "My dear friend, we have already collected all our pocket money for you. We don't have enough money."
The young man had no choice but to give up helplessly, "This painting is so beautiful..."
Xia Mian couldn't help but look back at him. The young man had his head drooped like a big dog, and his disappointment was beyond words.
Seeing that there were no other bids, Ning Shaobai continued to raise his hand, "Seven hundred thousand!"
"Seven hundred thousand once, seven hundred thousand twice!"
Suddenly a sharp female voice rang out, "Eight hundred thousand!"
What the hell? Xia Mian turned around and saw Zhou Qianqian in the corner.
"Why is this guy here?" Xia Mian frowned.
"I'm here to see Director Luo." Ning Shaobai said firmly. He turned around to look at Zhou Qianqian's smug look, shook his head and sighed, "I'm afraid she's a fool."
"Hmm?" Xia Mian was puzzled. "She is deliberately raising the price, making sure we can win it."
Ning Shaobai said calmly, "But other people may not know about this painting, but how could she not know? She gave it to Director Luo. The higher the auction price, the faster they will be finished."
They were even raising the price. It took Xia Mian a while to react. Oh my God, if they were to be sued for bribery, with such a high amount, both of them would be finished.
Xia Mian always felt that this was part of Ning Shaobai's plan.
But that was a matter for later. For now, he could keep his composure. After Zhou Qianqian reported 800,000, he stopped raising his hand. The host had already started counting down, and Zhou Qianqian's face turned pale.
She probably didn't expect that Ning Shaobai would be willing to let the painting fall into her hands.
When the host was about to make the final call, Zhou Qianqian was sweating profusely, and Ning Shaobai finally raised his sign, "850,000!"
The whole place was silent, and no one bid anymore.
Zhou Qianqian almost collapsed in her seat, and Xia Mian turned around and gave her a mocking smile.
Zhou Qianqian gritted her teeth in anger and muttered, "You're just trying to be rich. Where do you have so much money? Aren't you going to wait for Huo Xuewen to pay?!"
Thinking of this, she looked at Huo Xuewen angrily.
Huo Xuewen had indeed planned so. When he went to pay after the auction, he hurriedly caught up with Ning Shaobai and handed him a card, "If it's not enough, use this to pay."
Ning Shaobai was about to push the card back when Chenchen over there happily shouted, "Dad."
Huo Xuewen's eyes were filled with emotions at that moment, and he seemed to want to hug him, but in the end he just reached out and touched his head, "Chenchen, have you been good recently?"
Chenchen nodded a little guiltily, "Good boy."
Huo Xuewen stroked his little face. Although he had no expression on his face, he looked as if he would cry at the next second.
Ning Shaoyun and he were a young couple after all, and she felt that something was wrong with his mood. "What's wrong with you?"
This sentence made Huo Xuewen feel helpless. "Xiao, Xiaoyun, I..." He finally closed his eyes with a lonely and painful expression, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
"Huh?" Ning Shaoyun became even more confused.
Huo Xuewen glanced at Ning Shaobai, then took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely give you and Chenchen an explanation."
Ning Shaoyun frowned in confusion, but Xia Mian saw some clues. She suspected that Huo Xuewen knew his life experience and the role played by the Huo family in Chenchen's kidnapping.
Soon, Xia Mian's guess was confirmed.
"Brother Xuewen!" Zhou Qianqian caught up with him. Her tone and demeanor were completely different from before. It was a kind of superiority that came from a sudden turn of events.
Huo Xuewen's eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp, and he instantly returned to being the Mr. Huo who was like a working machine.
"Goodbye, Xiaoyun." He greeted Ning Shaoyun, then glanced at Ning Shaobai and said, "I'll take my leave now."
Ning Shaoyun watched him walk towards Zhou Qianqian and turned back to look at Ning Shaobai, "What are you two talking about?"
Ning Shaobai smiled.
The auction manager came over and said with a smile, "Mr. Ning, this is your painting. Please keep it."
"And the price of the stamps has been estimated. Would you like to auction them here next time?"
Ning Shaobai took back the painting and stamps and said, "The owner of the stamps just said that he wants to exchange them for a few yards, so the auction will not be held for the time being."
They left the hotel with the manager's disappointed expression.
Ning Shaoyun looked at Ning Shaobai and said, "What on earth are you planning?"
Ning Shaobai smiled and said, "Just wait and see. Now everything is ready, only the east wind is missing."
This Dongfeng should be the birthday party of the old man of the Ning family. Will the Huo and Ning families be wiped out at the same time?
But these have little to do with the Xia family's life.
The Xia family had another thing to be happy about: Mao Huimei was going to Rongxin's company to interview for an assistant position.
Mao Huimei recently consulted about the night university and learned that the exam would be next year. After much deliberation, she decided to try working first:
First, it reduces the burden on the family;
Secondly, it was Xia Mian who suggested that society itself is also a good school, and she can adapt to it first. When they come to Yan City, they must learn to integrate here.
She decided to be an assistant, and Mao Zhishan was naturally asked to go and take a look at the crew. It was just a matter of convenience anyway.
Just as Xia Mian expected, although his second uncle had been wavering, Mao Huilan and Mao Huizhu were already certain that their father would become a big star, and their daily expectations made Mao Zhishan unable to refuse.
Mao Huimei thinks it’s nice to be able to work with her father.
Xia Wenyue now also supports him to go.
Because Mao Zhishan has rarely gone out since he came here. He will help Xia Wenyue prepare everything for the stall at home, but he will never go out to help her sell things. It's not because he is lazy, but because he is still afraid that he will embarrass his wife and daughter.
Before, when I was looking for a job, I always thought of doing something far away from home, like moving bricks or carrying heavy bags on a construction site.
"This is his self-perception since childhood, and it's very difficult to get him to change on his own."
Xia Mian said to Xia Wenyue, "He was originally a treasure, but he grew up among ignorant people. Those people said he was a waste, so he thought he was a waste."
"But if you put him in front of someone who understands his value, he will one day realize that he is a treasure that can shine."
Xia Wenyue thought of Rong Xin's sincere praise that day and nodded. She knew how good Mao Zhishan was and also wanted him to hold his head high and stand confidently in front of others.
The day before going to the crew, Xia Wenyue extravagantly beat an egg, mixed the egg white and honey to make a facial mask, and applied it to Mao Zhishan.
Mao Huizhu asked curiously, "Mom, do you still beat my second sister and sister Mian?"
Mao Huilan covered her mouth angrily, "If you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb."
Xiao Feng nervously pulled Xia Mian and ran away.
Xia Wenyue nodded at Xiaofeng lightly, shook her head and laughed.
That happened a few days ago.
It is said that since Mao Zhishan came to Yan City, Xia Wenyue has been carefully nourishing and caring for him every day. His face has grown fat, and the beauty that he had created has shown signs of emerging.
In addition to the cucumber slice beauty method provided by Xia Mian, Mao Huilan and Mao Huizhu, who are committed to making their father a star, will give Mao Zhishan a treatment every now and then.
Maybe it’s because his skin is so good, so the effect is very significant after the operation.
That day, Xia Wenyue met someone who was buying honey. He bought a bottle of honey and said it was for nourishment for his family.
Xia Mian suddenly had an idea. If we really compare them, the effect of the egg white and honey mask is much better than that of cucumber slices. I wonder what the effect will be after giving it to my uncle.
Eggs and honey are different from cucumbers, and Xia Wenyue definitely wouldn't agree to her messing around, so Xia Mian pulled Mao Huilan along and stole an egg and honey to make a facial mask while Xia Wenyue was taking a shower.
Mao Huilan pulled Mao Zhishan, who had already washed up, into the yard, pressed him on a stool and started applying the liquid on his face.
Mao Zhishan had gotten used to his daughter's torment these days, so he didn't resist. However, after it was applied to his face, he couldn't help but ask, "What is this? Why is it so sticky?"
Mao Huilan glanced at Xia Mian guiltily and said, "Oh, don't worry about it. This will make your face look better after you finish it."
Mao Zhishan didn't ask any more questions. Xia Wenyue didn't see it clearly when she passed by after washing up. After all, the light was dim and she was not very curious. She just asked casually, "What are you using? Why does it smell so sweet?"
Mao Huilan just chuckled a few times and got away with it.
Just when they both thought they had successfully concealed the truth, they overlooked a little action-oriented girl - Mao Huizhu.
No one knew when this little girl saw the two of them making facial masks. When Xia Wenyue was looking for her to wash her, she ran into her cracking eggs and making honey in the kitchen.
Xia Wenyue put the things back while cursing, and came out of the west wing with Mao Huilan under her arm, pointing at them angrily and shouting, "Xia Mian! Mao Huilan!"
"Do you two want to get beaten? How dare you waste food? You smear it on your face with something you're reluctant to eat? Come here!"
Xia Mian and Mao Huilan looked at each other, hunched their shoulders, and quickly slipped back into the house.
Xiao Feng nervously followed Xia Mian into the house, turned around to close the door, and leaned against it to look out vigilantly, "Auntie, the second old aunt is angry!"
Xia Mian was amused by him, walked over, picked him up and put him in the quilt, "Then let's go to sleep quickly, she won't hit me when I fall asleep."
Because of this, Xiao Feng got up late the next day.
Even if she woke up, she would not get up. Seeing Xia Mian wake up, she pressed her quilt with her little hands and pricked up her ears to listen to the sounds outside. She whispered like she was meeting with an underground party, "Second Aunt is still here."
Xia Mian was so cute that her heart was moved. "Oh, baby, why are you so cute!" She held him in her arms and rubbed him.
The child didn't understand what was going on, and remained alert after going out. As soon as he saw Xia Wenyue, he quickly ran to Xia Mian and held her hand. He vaguely knew that the adults would give him face and would not beat anyone in front of him.
Xia Wenyue also noticed it and tapped the child's forehead and said, "Little clever ghost."
He just pointed at them and warned them, "If you do that again, I'll really beat you up!"
The two stuck out their tongues, and Xia Mian chuckled, "I won't do that next time. You can buy a pot of aloe vera. Aloe vera has very good beauty effects."
Xia Wenyue said, "You know a lot." But she was also cautious.
Because the effect of Mao Zhishan mask is really amazing.
Xia Wenyue was a rational person. Since the things had been wasted, she naturally had to make full use of them. After strictly following the steps Xia Mian said, she washed her face and applied a thick layer of Dabao on Mao Zhishan.
So the next day, Mao Zhishan's skin became visibly smoother and whiter, and the shadow of his beauty became clearer.
So this time when she went to the crew, Xia Wenyue made him a luxurious facial mask and applied the remaining mask to Mao Huimei as well.
After watching the two of them being picked up by the driver sent by Rong Xin, Xia Wenyue patted her clothes and hurried back, "Oh, it's already this late, hurry up, we're going to be late for the stall."
Then he didn't forget to tell Xia Mian and Mao Huilan, "After you send Xiaofeng and Huizhu to kindergarten, you two should go inside and study. Don't run around. Do you hear me?"
Xia Mian couldn't help laughing, "Your mother isn't worried about Sister Mei at all."
Mao Huilan said, "What's there to worry about? If nothing serious happens, just come back..."
Xia Mian tilted his head, "That's right."
With such a warm family supporting us, there is really nothing to be afraid of.
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