Chapter 18 of 100

Chapter 18

16 min read3,917 words

"Who are you calling?"

For a moment, everyone in the hall exchanged puzzled glances, their faces filled with confusion.

At this moment, Jiang Baiwan coughed, stood up, and smiled, saying, "Bixue, you could have just asked anyone to call me. Why did you have to come yourself..."

"Do you think I wanted to?" Chen Bixue glanced at him indifferently. "I was drafted."

"Ah..." Jiang Baiwan gave an awkward laugh, then noticed the strange looks from the others and quickly said, "Bixue, let's go. We can't keep Uncle waiting."

Chen Bixue pursed her lips, didn't even say goodbye, and turned to leave.

Jiang Baiwan seemed used to his temperament and didn't mind. After a few steps, he suddenly turned back, "Qi Xiang, what are you standing there for? Come on."

"Huh?" Qi Xiang, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly followed.

On the way, he was a bit dazed, his mind not entirely at ease. He thought back to a few years ago when he first met Jiang Baiwan. Back then, Jiang Baiwan was browsing through a street stall and accidentally bumped into him, causing a porcelain bowl in his hand to fall and break.

At that time, he didn't try to take advantage of the situation and only asked for the original price as compensation.

To his surprise, Jiang Baiwan felt very guilty and insisted on treating him to a meal to express his apology.

During the meal, they found they got along well and exchanged contact information.

At that time, he was still making a living in the antique market, and Jiang Baiwan, when he had free time, also liked to come and browse. Over time, they met more often and gradually became closer.

When he had free time, he would help Jiang Baiwan with appraisals and find some items.

As they got to know each other better, Jiang Baiwan invited him to his home as a guest. It was then that he was surprised to discover that Jiang Baiwan was actually a wealthy person. He had already been quite unassuming, but it seemed he was even more secretive than that.

At the very least, Qi Xiang had never known that Jiang Baiwan had a deep connection with the Chen family. To be able to call Chen Futu "Uncle" and have the second young master of the Chen family personally come to invite him, it would be an insult to everyone's intelligence to say they had a casual relationship.

Not only did Qi Xiang think this way, but others were also filled with various doubts and suspicions.

Especially those who had been chatting and laughing with Jiang Baiwan just now, they were both shocked and delighted. It seemed they had hit the jackpot by befriending a powerful person?

Putting aside the speculations of the crowd, under Jiang Baiwan's lead, Qi Xiang left the spacious courtyard and followed the undulating mountain terrain, walking for about ten minutes before stopping at a very elegant pavilion.

The pavilion was made entirely of wood, with intricate and delicately carved latticed windows. Several large red pillars supported it symmetrically, and wind chimes hung under the eaves. The wind blew, and the chimes rang out, clear and pleasant, full of charm.

The pavilion's main door was wide open, leading to a spacious hall.

At this moment, there were many people in the hall, gathered around a soft carpet, laughing and watching a chubby, fair-skinned baby sitting among a pile of things, grabbing and biting...

Qi Xiang glanced and immediately understood what was happening.

"Zhuazhou (grabbing the future)!"

This is an ancient custom, said to have existed before the Qin Dynasty. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, it spread throughout the country, known as "shui zui" or "zhou zui."

In ancient times, people believed that by observing what a child grabbed during this ceremony, they could predict the child's future.

Of course, nowadays, no one holds such superstitious beliefs. The zhuazhou ceremony is purely a fun and entertaining game to celebrate a child's first birthday.

Entering the hall, Qi Xiang could see more clearly. On the carpet were books, abacuses, coins, writing brushes, and various other valuable and miscellaneous items.

A quick count revealed at least a hundred items, each different.

The chubby baby, wearing a red belly band, with white, tender hands and feet, was lying on top of the pile of items, his black eyes filled with confusion, not understanding what these mean adults wanted him to do.

Encouraged by the others, he tentatively grabbed a jade seal and then put it in his mouth to bite...

In an instant, the baby's face scrunched up, and he waved his hand, throwing the seal away.

"Ha ha..."

The crowd laughed heartily.

"Poor kid, to have such a black history at such a young age, he'll surely be embarrassed when he grows up," Chen Bixue shook her head slightly and walked up quickly, saying, "Dad, Third Brother Jiang is here."

A man turned at the sound, like a lion turning its head, exuding a natural air of authority.

The man was in his fifties, with a full forehead, a square jaw, and fair, rosy skin, a typical sign of wealth, happiness, and longevity.

Qi Xiang didn't know how to read faces, but he knew how to read people.

Without a doubt, this man was Chen Futu, the powerful figure in Nanjing, known by name but not by title.

As a big shot in many people's eyes, Chen Futu had no airs and was very approachable, smiling and waving, "Zhongliu, since you're here, just come in. Why wait outside?"

Qi Xiang was taken aback but then heard Jiang Baiwan laugh and respond, "I knew you were busy, so I didn't want to disturb you."

"I am busy, but I'm busy entertaining guests like you," Chen Futu smiled. "If you didn't come, how could I be busy?"

Jiang Baiwan nodded humbly, and suddenly, someone in the crowd chuckled, "Uncle, I think he's not afraid of disturbing you, but he's putting on airs, waiting for you to send someone to invite him."

Qi Xiang looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man in his thirties step forward. He had a warm smile, and his manner was as gentle as a spring breeze. His words seemed like a joke, but they were actually sharp and hidden with malice.

"Yun Zhongwu!" Jiang Baiwan's expression changed, and his face turned cold.

He was cold, but Yun Zhongwu was warm, walking over enthusiastically and greeting with a smile, "Brother Jiang, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"I was doing fine, but seeing you makes me feel not so good," Jiang Baiwan said bluntly, snorting. "We're not that close. Can you stay away from me? Seeing you annoys me."

"Brother Jiang, you're still as witty as ever," Yun Zhongwu laughed, a hint of sharpness flashing in his eyes.

Jiang Baiwan also laughed, his expression sincere, "It's not that I'm witty, it's that you're humorous..."

Anyone who knew their usual relationship could tell that Jiang Baiwan's words were full of sarcasm.

Yun Zhongwu pretended not to understand and continued to laugh, "Brother Jiang, I saw someone carrying a large box just now. I heard it was a gift you brought for Uncle. That's quite generous."

Jiang Baiwan ignored him and turned to say, "A small token of my appreciation, I hope Uncle likes it."

Chen Futu seemed oblivious to their hidden conflict and remained very approachable, "It's good that you're here. You don't need to bring gifts every time..."

Chen Bixue, who had been listening, seemed a bit impatient and walked away, then came to the carpet, bent down, and picked up the chubby baby, playing with him.

Soon, the baby was cooing and laughing, waving his hands and feet.

The others, seeing this, dispersed in small groups, chatting among themselves.

Qi Xiang observed silently, feeling very impressed. The casual conversations of these people seemed to contain a lot of information, truly broadening his horizons and making him eager to try.

Their topics included finance, technology, current events, and stocks...

Some insider information made Qi Xiang wish he could fly back immediately and start buying. He was severely short of money and didn't want to miss this opportunity to make a fortune.

Just as Qi Xiang was feeling excited, he felt a tug on his pants. He looked down and was stunned.

Chen Bixue was apparently trying to train the baby to crawl, holding a rattle in front of him. The baby, hearing the sound, immediately started crawling over.

But halfway there, as he passed by Qi Xiang, the baby suddenly stopped. Whether he was tired or not, he raised his chubby hand and tugged at Qi Xiang's pants, as if asking to be picked up.

For a moment, under everyone's watchful eyes, Qi Xiang felt a bit at a loss.

Fortunately, Chen Bixue quickly came over, glanced at Qi Xiang coldly, and immediately picked up the baby. Just as she was about to walk away, the baby started struggling, raising his hand and babbling.

Chen Bixue frowned and quickly handed the rattle to the baby, who played with it for a moment.

Unexpectedly, the chubby baby showed no interest and threw the rattle away, his voice tinged with a hint of crying.

Suddenly, a woman in her twenties, with fair skin and a beautiful, dignified appearance, hurried over and smiled, "Second Uncle, he might be hungry. Let me take him."

Chen Bixue nodded and handed the baby to the woman.

"Baby, don't cry, be good..." The woman gently comforted him, picked up a warm bottle of milk from the table, and carefully placed it near the baby's mouth.

The baby took a few sips, then suddenly turned his head, his chubby, white hand flailing in the air, and his body struggling, babbling.

The commotion quickly drew everyone's attention, and Chen Futu, leaving Jiang Baiwan and Yun Zhongwu, walked over and asked, "What's going on?"

"Father, the baby seems hungry, but he won't eat," the woman said softly, looking anxious.

Chen Futu personally checked the milk and found no problem. But when he placed it near the baby's mouth, the baby showed no interest, his chubby hand reaching in one direction, as if trying to grab something.

Seeing this, Chen Futu's heart stirred, and he said sternly, "Put him down."

"Ah?" The woman was startled, hesitated for a moment, but didn't dare to disobey Chen Futu, so she carefully placed the baby on the soft carpet.

As soon as the baby landed, his bright, black eyes showed a hint of confusion. But soon, he turned around and happily crawled to someone's feet, tugging at his pants and raising his chubby hand, asking to be picked up...

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