Chapter 343

Xiao Qi finished her part-time job, changed her clothes, took her money, returned her deposit, and took back the little lamb that she had bought herself.

The middle-aged uncle who bid on the little lamb was a bit sleazy. He insisted on adding Xiao Qi on WeChat, saying he didn't expect it was her who bought it. He just bid randomly because it wasn't worth much money. He was planning to take it himself originally. He thanked Xiao Qi for her kindness and insisted that she leave the item for him. He would transfer money to Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi: ...Are you kidding? I finally bought this item directly using my skills. How could I possibly give it back to you? Also, there's no way I would add you on WeChat.

She had rejected requests from several people asking to add her on WeChat. She felt it was strange.

Xiao Qi bid Sister Wang farewell, took her belongings, and slipped away. She did add Sister Wang on WeChat though.

Li Weijin was planning to look for Xiao Qi once the auction ended. However, since he was the highest bidder of the auction, Li Weijin and his mother Gao Cuihua were instantly whisked away by groups of people as soon as the auction ended.

The auction house's boss was practically bowing at their feet. The commission they would receive from this single piece would be enough to run operations at their auction house for three whole years.

Gao Cuihua was thrilled. She finally bought something her son loved. Usually her son rarely liked anything or actively asked for anything. It was as if he was unresponsive to the world around him. When he was little, she had suspected several times that he was autistic, and taken him to the hospital for tests repeatedly. The doctors said he had no problems.

Gao Cuihua did not notice the little girl Xiao Qi on stage. By the final lots of the auction she was already very bored, and only bid on a pair of Hetian jade, feeling very guilty that she had delayed her son's studying by bringing him out for so long. She was always focused on her son.

Noticing her son's abnormal state, she finally felt some excitement and bid without a second thought. There was no way she would let this pass after seeing her son finally take interest in something.

After she bought it, the crowds led her and her son away. Gao Cuihua felt a little overwhelmed. She secretly called her husband.

Li Qianmen said:

"What? You spent 5 billion on a bronze ding?"

"Our son liked it?"

"Alright, buy it."

After all, he had done things in the past like spending billions just to eat an oil stick bread. His wife's purchase now didn't even seem that outrageous compared to the past. The family's financial situation was much better now than before too.

On their way home, Gao Cuihua felt slightly guilty and called her husband again. This time he reassured her and she was no longer anxious, instead beginning to feel proud.

Li Weijin was also confused. His mother spent 5 billion on a ding after he spaced out for just a short while... He felt his brother would go insane over this. Whenever his parents did things out of the ordinary, his older brother was always the one who lost his mind over it in the end.

Not finding Xiao Qi Qi, he returned home with his mother. Because of the matter with the bronze ding, Li Weijin called over the housekeeper to handle it.

Originally the housekeeper's intention was to give the young master Li more opportunities. But seeing that 5 billion bronze ding covered in verdigris made the housekeeper wipe the cold sweat from his forehead... This should have nothing to do with him ba, Young Master Li is surely going to erupt with anger once again.

Li Tangsong was at the company when a pot suddenly dropped from the sky, as the saying goes.

Suddenly 5 billion disappeared from the family's account. He was in the middle of negotiating a large project, preparing to enter the film industry, not to shoot films, but to buy cinemas. He felt the prospects were very promising and he looked favorably on it. Next would definitely be the era of the big screen *fog*.

But all of a sudden the money was gone. He immediately rushed back home.

He just happened to bump into the housekeeper overseeing people carrying that bronze ding. His father and mother were always buying all kinds of bizarre things, so he was used to it by now. He casually asked what it was.

Gao Cuihua excitedly replied: "Tang Tang, this is the Shang dynasty bronze ding that Mom bought for 5 billion at auction. Dad said I got a steal, because one sold overseas previously went for 8 billion."

On their way back, Gao Cuihua still felt slightly guilty and called her husband once again, this time reassured by her husband and no longer feeling anxious, instead starting to feel proud.

Li Tangsong:

"Oh." "What?"

"You spent 5 billion to buy this ding?"

"What happened? Who am I? Where am I?"

He felt that even working himself half to death everyday in the company could not earn this much money. Why did Mom have to spend 5 billion buying this useless ding?

Li Tangsong's expressionless face almost cracked open.

Seeing his oldest son's reaction, Li Qianmen also felt a little guilty. The overseas 8 billion sale price was just something he brought up to reassure his wife. She called him so he just quickly browsed online about it. As it turns out, it already sells for quite a lot in the domestic market with recorded prices of only 1 to 2 billion.

He awkwardly explained: "Your mother said your brother liked it."

Li Tangsong: Nonsense! ...Why would that brat Jijijia like a ding?!

Looking at his mother's side, he deeply disapproved of his parents blaming the situation on his brother. His brother had been forced into becoming expressionless by them. Yet in this situation they still pushed responsibility onto him. This is definitely just mother being reckless with her shopping again.

Seeing how much anger his older brother was holding in with his shaking hands, Li Qianmen appeased: "Forget it, just let it go. What's done is done, don't be angry anymore."

Li Tangsong: ......

Looking at that rusty bronze ding in the living room, for the Nth time, Li Tangsong erupted!

"I don't want to look at that."

After saying this, he wanted to fling the door open and storm off. But the enormous bronze doors of this house were simply impossible to fling. His hand on the door handle, he gazed up in anguish at the towering gates, internally spitting up blood once more. Even the doors were bullying him!

Li Weijin was already used to his brother randomly losing his temper every now and then. Even if his brother seemed like a model son of some other household on the surface everyday, deep down he was still quite rebellious right? Carrying his books, Li Weijin returned to his room. His mother also gave him that pair of Hetian jade Guanyin and Buddha figurines, telling him he could choose one to give to his private tutor.

Li Weijin took them with a stern face and emphasized: "You're the one who said to give these away, not me."

Li Qianmen: ...How will this son find a girlfriend when he's so awkward about giving gifts?

With his two sons gone, only Li Qianmen and his wife Gao Cuihua remained.

Looking at this huge bronze ding, Gao Cuihua also felt somewhat troubled, not knowing where to place it. It took up too much space. Also their oldest son had clearly stated he disliked this bronze ding, so they couldn't just throw it out.

Pondering in circles made Li Qianmen dizzy.

"This way, Cuihua. I'll build an exhibition hall for you where you can display all the art pieces you've collected over the years. You can give tours to guests too in the future. Then they won't have to be placed in our home, upsetting Tang Tang."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cuihua thought to herself, yes, perfect idea. Their home truly had too many items now, relocating some would free up space to buy new things. The full set of LV furniture she replaced recently also had nowhere to place. The storerooms were packed full already. She could toss those into the exhibition hall too.

"That works, but the exhibition hall would have to be gigantic. Extremely, extremely big, otherwise there wouldn't be space. I heard those wealthy people style is one orange per 100 square meters before it can be called 'art'. Let's go by that standard." Gao Cuihua excitedly stated.

Li Qianmen: ...Which wealthy person is that excessively rich???

Although it did seem the artsy types went by this less-is-more style, placing fewer things across larger spaces to seem more artistic. His family may not understand art but they couldn't appear uncultured.

Li Qianmen was a man of action. No sooner said than done with building this exhibition hall. He already started hunting for land. With the standard of one orange per 100 square meters, this exhibition hall could be no smaller in size.

Even a conservative estimate would need over ten thousand square meters. With today's astronomical land prices, Tang Tang would surely erupt in anger again if he knew. Li Qianmen felt slightly guilty, worried his oldest son's heart couldn't take it, and opted to purchase in a more remote location. Right, it can't exceed 5 billion.

But thinking further, it was his oldest son who refused to allow these things placed in their home. So he is building this place to house those elsewhere. The money would be spent for his oldest son's sake, perfectly reasonable.

With this in mind, Li Qianmen relaxedly went to purchase land.

Monday.

Xiao Qi had a busy weekend, but gained something from it too, with a cute little lamb now adorning her handbag.

Returning home, she immediately soaked the small woolen lamb in soapy water, scrubbing it over and over. Considering its age, who knew what it went through before, best to scrub it squeaky clean.

After soaking overnight, the little sheep looked much cleaner and whiter the next morning. It seemed like the red glaze on the surface had been washed off, revealing a sheep full of cracks underneath, but the cracks were evenly distributed and still looked good. Xiao Qi tied a slightly thicker rope through the sheep's ears and hung it on the zipper of her backpack.

It was still the old backpack, made of durable homespun cloth stitched by her mom. It had lasted for many years without breaking down. Back in high school she used to feel inferior about it, but now in college it had become fashionable somehow. Many classmates asked her where she bought such a good-looking bag.

Early in the morning when Xiao Qi got to the classroom, she spotted Li Weijin, who had arrived even earlier.

Today he wore a deep pink shirt...A guy wearing pink looked so handsome, not girly at all. And it made him look even fairer.

Xiao Qi drooled a little, and then remembered the woman who bid for the bronze kettle with Li Weijin at yesterday's auction, spending 50 million bucks...

She felt kind of drunk. Although Xiao Qi knew the bronze kettle was genuine, she didn't think it was worth that much money. How terrifying.

Thinking of this, Xiao Qi quietly went back to her seat, opened her textbook obediently and decided to focus on studying.

Li Weijin also spotted Xiao Qi at first glance. Seeing her in a white hoodie, she looked so beautiful and it delighted him.

There were many classes on Monday and it was not easy to get through till noon. Li Weijin wanted to stop Xiao Qi but in a flash she had rushed to the cafeteria with her roommates. Really...she ran so fast, like a marathon record breaker, no wonder.

He barely caught her when school was over in the afternoon. The afternoon classes were in the lab building.

After class, Xiao Qi headed for the new district. She was going to the riding club.

Li Weijin followed her.

It was on the same route.

On the way, Li Weijin looked like he wanted to say something but held back, making Xiao Qi feel awkward.

"What is it? Just say it."

Li Weijin took out a tiny Buddha pendant made of seed beads. Men wear Guanyin while women wear Buddha. He had quietly put on the Guanyin and wore it close to his body. He decided not to match his necklaces to outfits anymore but just wear this one.

Seeing the little Buddha in Li Weijin's palm, Xiao Qi laughed very familiarly, as if to an old friend, smiling amiably and affectionately.

It was the Buddha pendant she had eyed for a long time yesterday, thinking to bid for her parents if it went below 50,000 yuan. It was a pair of seed bead Guanyin and Buddha pendants. In the end someone spent 188,000 yuan to buy them.

"My mom said you taught very well. This is a small gift to thank you. It's not expensive, only 94 yuan," Li Weijin said with a serious face, casually throwing the little Buddha to Xiao Qi.

Su Xiaoqi:......

Only 94 yuan???

Yeah right!