Visit Old Liu

"Brother Zhou, how about it? Since this worked out, are you going to treat us tonight?" Chu Chen asked with a laugh.

"Xiao Chen... this... well..."

After hearing the news, Zhou Wenping could no longer remain calm. His words became incoherent, and for a moment, he was so excited that he did not know what to say. After quite some time, he finally steadied his emotions, patted Chu Chen on the shoulder, and said:

"Xiao Chen, I won't say anything more. From now on, as long as it's something I can do, just give me the order. No matter how difficult it is, I'll definitely get it done properly for you."

Hearing this, Chu Chen said with some displeasure, "Brother Zhou, I did this for you entirely because of our friendship. If you put it that way, wouldn't it make us seem a little distant?"

Hearing him say that, Zhou Wenping said somewhat sheepishly, "It was Brother Zhou's fault. Xiao Chen, don't take it to heart. Anyway, from now on, you're my own younger brother. We'll be family from now on. If you need anything, don't stand on ceremony with me."

"Alright, Brother Zhou. I'm satisfied as long as I have your word." Chu Chen smiled happily.

Seeing the two of them laughing so joyfully, Old Wu came over and asked, "What are you two so happy about?"

When he learned that Zhou Wenping's entire family could transfer their household registration to the capital, he was extremely envious. He said to Chu Chen, "Not bad, Xiao Chen. Your connections are impressive. You handled such a major matter without making a sound."

"How about this, Fifth Brother? I've already troubled that friend of mine this time. When the time is right next time, I'll help you handle yours as well." Chu Chen had thought about it before. Since Old Wu might be recruited to help him in the future, and he had helped Zhou Wenping's family transfer their household registration, he could not favor one over the other. He would definitely have to find an opportunity to handle it for Old Wu's family too.

Hearing this, Old Wu immediately said excitedly, "This... how could I let you do that? It'll cost quite a bit, right? Just tell me how much. Surely Fifth Brother can't let you pay for it yourself."

When Zhou Wenping heard Old Wu say this, he also realized what was going on and hurriedly said, "Exactly, Xiao Chen. You haven't said how much this will cost. You can't possibly pay for it yourself. What would that make me?"

Chu Chen looked both amused and exasperated. "I say, why are you two worrying about this? My friend has a powerful background. For something this minor, all he needs to do is say a word. If there were any fees, would I not mention them to you? What am I, some modern-day living Lei Feng?"

The two of them thought about it and agreed, then began laughing. Afterward, Old Wu said enviously to Zhou Wenping, "Not bad, Old Zhou. You're the first to become a citizen of the capital. No, you definitely have to treat us tonight!"

Zhou Wenping said with great enthusiasm, "Of course. How could we not celebrate such happy news? We'll splurge for once today and go to Eight Treasures Jade Food."

Eight Treasures Jade Food was the private restaurant opened by Zhao Qirui. Its full name was Eight Treasures Jade Food Private Kitchen. When Chu Chen had first seen the restaurant's name, he had thought, What a boastful name. I wonder whether the dishes inside can live up to it. Unexpectedly, after eating there once, he had found that it truly lived up to its reputation. After what happened yesterday, he was even less inclined to doubt it.

As soon as Zhou Wenping said that, Old Wu began drooling. He, too, had been conquered by the delicious food there last time. However, Chu Chen poured cold water on them and said with a laugh:

"Forget it. It's already past three. Do you really think we can still reserve a table?"

It turned out that the private restaurant had just opened and was holding an opening celebration, so it had not limited the number of customers. Starting yesterday, however, the restaurant had limited the number of tables available each day. Reservations were required to get a seat. Given the quality of the environment and the deliciousness of the dishes, the prices were somewhat high, but the tables were often booked out well in advance.

After Zhou Wenping and Old Wu learned about this, they could not help sighing. They had no idea when they would get to taste such mouthwatering delicacies again, so Zhou Wenping could only reserve a table at another well-known restaurant.

Actually, Chu Chen could still have gotten a table at Eight Treasures Jade Food because he had a gold card. However, considering that Zhou Wenping's circumstances were not particularly good, treating them there would certainly cost no less than last time. Even with the discount card, it would still cost several thousand yuan, whereas an ordinary restaurant would not cost nearly as much. Thus, he did not bring it up.

The next day, Chu Chen unusually failed to wake up on time. Lying in bed, he still felt some lingering dread from the previous day's dinner. In the heated atmosphere, the three men had repeatedly challenged one another to drink, with Chu Chen bearing the brunt of it. In the end, he had fought the two of them alone, and the battle had been truly brutal.

There was no need to mention Old Wu, who was a seasoned drunkard by nature. Although Zhou Wenping had not drunk much since Sister-in-law Zhou fell ill, he had been able to hold his liquor quite well before that.

Under their combined assault, Chu Chen had drunk a full five jin of baijiu. Even with his excellent constitution, he had ended up thoroughly drunk. The other two had not fared much better either; both of them had rolled under the dining table. Their wives had been frightened by the ferocity of the scene, and barring any surprises, the two men would certainly be in trouble at home today.

Lying in bed, Chu Chen silently laughed. Zhou Wenping and Old Wu did not possess his special constitution. Even if they got drunk, they could not get up the next morning full of energy. They were certainly suffering now, and they would also be punished by their wives. He wore a gleeful expression. Serves you right. Who told you to overestimate yourselves and try to drink me under the table?

Just as he was about to get out of bed, his phone rang. Seeing that it was Uncle Wu, he quickly answered.

"Hello, Uncle Wu. Why are you calling so early? Is something wrong?"

Uncle Wu's amused scolding came through the phone. "You brat, it's already seven-thirty. How is that early? Don't forget, we're visiting Old Liu today. That old man goes to bed early and rises early every day. If we arrive late, wouldn't that be rude?"

Chu Chen chuckled. "Uncle Wu, I really didn't know that before. Wait for me. I'll be at your place shortly."

"Alright, then hurry up."

After hanging up, Chu Chen quickly washed and changed. He picked up the bag containing the Tang Sancai fragments and the brocade box holding the Ding ware large dish. He did not even have time for breakfast before hurrying to Uncle Wu's home.

When he arrived at Uncle Wu's door, Chu Chen found him already waiting outside.

Seeing Chu Chen's travel-worn appearance, Uncle Wu said, somewhat unhappily, "Next time you visit someone's home, learn more about the host's habits. Don't be as careless as you were this time. You haven't eaten breakfast, have you? Here, these are the meat buns your aunt made. Eat them on the way."

Seeing Chu Chen accept the buns with a foolish grin, Uncle Wu noticed that he was also carrying a brocade box and asked, "What's this? Don't tell me you really brought an antique too?"

Chu Chen said smugly, "Of course. Didn't you say it would be best if I could bring one? This is the finest piece I currently have with me. As for what it is, we'll find out when we get to Old Liu's."

Hearing this, Uncle Wu became curious as well. "Oh? Then I'll have to see it for myself later. But I hope it really is as fine as you say. Otherwise, we'll lose a great deal of face. Alright, if there's nothing else, let's set off."

Old Liu lived in an upscale villa district in Dongcheng. It took only about ten minutes to get there by taxi from Uncle Wu's home.

Chu Chen had only heard of this upscale villa district. It was said that the residents were either wealthy people with powerful backgrounds or figures with considerable authority. That much could be seen from the heavily guarded security measures at the entrance.

Even though Uncle Wu often came to visit, he still had to call Old Liu first, then pass through several rounds of security checks before entering. This made Chu Chen believe the rumors he had heard before even more.

From the outside, Old Liu's villa was not laid out like some grand estate with towering halls and expansive courtyards. Instead, it presented a pastoral scene of bridges and flowing water, full of the atmosphere of nature.

When Chu Chen and the others arrived in front of Old Liu's residence, a middle-aged woman was already waiting at the entrance.

Seeing this, Uncle Wu went forward and greeted her. "Qinshu, sorry for the trouble. You even had to wait here for us."

This middle-aged woman named Qinshu was Old Liu's younger daughter.

Liu Qinshu smiled. "What trouble? It was only a few extra steps. It gave me a chance to exercise, too. This young man must be Ziping's nephew, right? He's quite handsome."

Hearing this, Chu Chen stepped forward and greeted her somewhat bashfully. Liu Qinshu chuckled, then led them into the courtyard.

As they walked, Uncle Wu asked, "What, are there other people visiting Old Liu today?"

"Hehe, you mean the owner of the car at the entrance? You know her too, actually. She's the girl from the Li family."

"You mean Li Beibei? Why would she come over today?" Uncle Wu asked in surprise.

Chu Chen was also a little surprised. He had just mentioned Wu Ke on the phone yesterday, and unexpectedly, he had run into her in person today.

Liu Qinshu smiled. "It's nothing much. She came to ask my father to attend Old Li's eightieth birthday celebration."

After hearing this, Uncle Wu laughed. "It can't be that simple. Old Li's eightieth birthday is still three or four months away. If there were nothing else, would she have come so early?"

"Hehe, Ziping, you really do understand her character. She came to invite my father, of course, but that's only one reason. She also wants my father to help appraise a tianhuang Shou Xing ornament. The ornament looks quite exquisite, but we don't know what the final result will be."

At that moment, Chu Chen and the others were walking along a path paved with cobblestones. Various flowers, plants, and trees had been planted on both sides, and the path extended to every corner of the courtyard.

Outside, the walls had blocked their view, so they had been unable to see the whole scene. Once they entered the courtyard, however, they suddenly felt their vision open up. Looking around, they saw that the buildings in the courtyard were all extremely simple and natural. In the vast courtyard, a small, gourd-shaped lake running from east to west had been laid out with remarkable harmony.