Chapter 18

It was obvious that Old Master Chu was giving Su Wen a promise.

Su Wen didn’t say much, just chuckled and said, "It’s not worth mentioning, I just did what I should have done."

"Hmph, you found my grandfather’s ancient jade, why didn’t you give it to him right away? You made my grandfather worry all the way." Chu Fei was unhappy, as she had been thinking about Su Wen these days.

"Well, I had my reasons," Su Wen said with a sheepish smile.

He could have returned the jade pendant to Old Master Chu on the train, but it would have been hard to explain where he found it. With so many people around, he might even be misunderstood as a jade thief. He thought he would never meet Old Master Chu again, so he chose to return the jade when they parted ways.

But fate had other plans, and he met Old Master Chu again in Jiangning.

And Chu Fei.

"Fei'er, Su Wen has his own reasons. Don’t keep harping on this." Old Master Chu was very reasonable. He wouldn’t pry into others’ secrets, as everyone has their own secrets. Not asking is a form of respect, especially since Su Wen’s background was special, and he wouldn’t make things difficult for him over this.

"Hmph, I’ll let you off this time." Chu Fei acted like a young lady who was letting him off.

Her attitude made it seem as if Su Wen had done something wrong.

"Old Master Chu, so I’ll be working at Jubaizhai from now on?" Su Wen returned to the main topic.

Old Master Chu pondered for a moment: "Working at Jubaizhai is fine, but to be honest, Jubaizhai’s operations are not in good shape. When Zhang Bufan was in charge, Jubaizhai barely made a profit. Now that Zhang Bufan is gone, I don’t plan to hire another manager. I’ll take over Jubaizhai for a while, and you can follow me. It’s a good opportunity to learn."

"Is this... like being your apprentice?" Su Wen was taken aback.

"You’re really lucky. My grandfather is a professor of cultural relics at Jiangning University, and he’s the best in the field of cultural relic identification. Many people want to be his disciples, but he doesn’t even look at them. If you follow my grandfather, you’ll be his half-disciple. With that title, you won’t go hungry in Jiangning." Chu Fei said.

"Professor? Disciple?"

"Not exactly a disciple, but you’ll learn from me. I’ve seen Su Wen’s background, and he’s in archaeology, so he already has a good foundation in cultural relics. Following me will be like further education, and it will give you a skill to rely on in the future." Old Master Chu thought for a moment.

Su Wen was touched: "Thank you, Old Master Chu. I’ll follow you and learn well."

He already had intermediate-level appraisal skills, and while he might be slightly inferior to Old Master Chu, he could easily survive with this skill. But Old Master Chu’s sincerity made him reluctant to refuse his kindness.

"That’s settled. Now let me introduce you to Jubaizhai." Old Master Chu stood up from his chair. "This place has been passed down from my ancestors and was once very prosperous."

Su Wen listened quietly.

"Jubaizhai wasn’t just a simple antique shop in the past; it was a huge store with mountains of treasures. Jubaizhai had resources from all over the world, and items that even emperors couldn’t obtain could be found in Jubaizhai. Jubaizhai’s shops were spread across the globe, and the world’s largest auction houses had to buy items from Jubaizhai. One could say that Jubaizhai was above the secular world. A single word from the owner of Jubaizhai could make half the world busy, and the nobles from all over had to hesitate before entering. Our ancestors enjoyed endless glory..."

Chu Fei seemed to know this already and wasn’t surprised.

But Su Wen was shocked.

Who would have thought that such an ordinary shop had such a glorious history.

"Unfortunately, wars broke out, the country became weak, and the people suffered. Jubaizhai gradually declined, and the endless resources disappeared. In the end, only this small storefront remained. There are times for prosperity and decline, and one can only sigh!" Old Master Chu took a deep breath.

"Old Master Chu, you don’t need to be troubled. Who can guarantee that Jubaizhai won’t rise again?" Su Wen comforted him.

"Rise again?" Old Master Chu smiled bitterly. "It’s not that easy."

Indeed, it’s not that easy.

"Jubaizhai now has six employees, including you. There’s Aunt Wu for logistics, Uncle Zhao and Uncle Ma for antique maintenance, Uncle Cui for purchasing, and Brother Wang for antique operations." Chu Fei informed Su Wen.

"Quite a... large scale!" Su Wen said insincerely.

"For now, that’s it. You’ll meet them soon." Old Master Chu walked a few steps. "Your main task for now is to learn. When I go to Jiangning University to teach, you’ll come with me. Your position will be assistant."

"Assistant?"

"My assistant."

Old Master Chu looked at Su Wen, as if seeking his opinion.

"Sure." Su Wen wouldn’t refuse. He didn’t plan to gain anything from Jubaizhai; it was just a temporary place to stay. His main task in the future was to use the Great Heavenly Dao Recycling System to collect unclaimed items and continue training.

"Any other questions?" Old Master Chu asked.

Su Wen thought for a moment and asked somewhat embarrassedly, "What about my current salary?"

Old Master Chu found it amusing: "You won’t go hungry. Our industry is never short of money. I’ll start you at 6,000 yuan a month. As for insurance and such, there’s none of that."

"6,000?" Su Wen was surprised.

The cost of living in Jiangning was much lower than in the capital, and 6,000 yuan was more than enough to live well in Jiangning. According to his understanding, even some of his classmates who found good jobs in Jiangning didn’t earn more than 5,000 yuan. Getting such a high salary was partly due to Old Master Chu’s generosity and partly as a way to repay him.

But honestly, he didn’t need the money.

"How about it, are you satisfied?" Old Master Chu asked.

"Well... very satisfied." What else could Su Wen say? But looking at his large bag, he scratched his head, "When I came, my father told me that it included meals and accommodation..."

"Meals and accommodation?" Chu Fei’s mouth dropped open.

Alright!

Actually, Su Donghe hadn’t said that; it was mainly because Su Wen needed a place to stay.

He came to Jiangning alone, and finding a place to live wasn’t easy. He urgently needed a place to settle down.

Old Master Chu thought for a moment: "I didn’t consider that. You do need a place to stay when you first come to Jiangning. I have a spare house near Jiangning University. Only Fei'er and her cousin live there. If I remember correctly, there should be an empty room. You can stay there temporarily. As for meals, if you eat out, I’ll reimburse you. If you prefer to cook, the market is nearby, and it’s quite convenient."

Su Wen was stunned.

Chu Fei already shouted, "Grandfather, how can you let a man live with us?"

"What’s the problem? Co-living is very common nowadays. Even I, an old-fashioned person, can accept it. Having Su Wen around is good; he’s honest and can keep an eye on you. You disappear as soon as class is over, and you’ve caused me trouble three times already." Old Master Chu waved his hand.

Su Wen was sweating profusely. What did Chu Fei do after class?

"Old Master Chu, this... is indeed a bit inconvenient." Su Wen felt it was better to keep his distance from Chu Fei.

"You young man, living with two beautiful women, and you still have complaints?" Old Master Chu frowned. "Stop dilly-dallying. A grown man shouldn’t be less mature than a girl."

Su Wen was thunderstruck.

Living with two beautiful women?

Old Master Chu actually used such a domineering term.

"Alright, I agree." Su Wen didn’t dare to go against Old Master Chu’s wishes.

"Good. You’ll get used to the environment here first. Fei'er will take you there in the evening. Start work at 9 AM tomorrow, don’t forget." Old Master Chu said and went upstairs alone.

After watching her grandfather leave, Chu Fei looked at Su Wen with ill intent.

"Don’t look at me, I’m being forced." Su Wen quickly said.

"Can you cook?" Chu Fei suddenly asked.

Su Wen was a bit confused but still said, "A bit."

"Can you clean the room?"

"A bit."

"Can you wash dishes?"

"A bit."

"Can you buy groceries?"

"Of course."

...

"Good, all of these will be your responsibilities from now on." Chu Fei said excitedly.

"What?" Su Wen was so surprised he dropped his bag. "Why? I’m staying there because your grandfather arranged it."

"You’re living with two beautiful women, and it’s a pleasure to see them every day. This is the price of that pleasure, understand?" Chu Fei put her hands on her hips and declared domineeringly.

Su Wen was completely flustered.

...