Dragon Hermit

“That’s awesome!” Yao Ting shouted and looked quickly for greenish transparent jadeite and placed it in Xia Yan’s hands. “I also want a jade ornament.”

“Is this jadeite glass?” Xia Yan looked at the egg-sized piece of jadeite in his hand and asked in surprise. This was a beautiful piece of jadeite as pure as water.

“Nope, this is ice jade. Grandpa has said that it’s enough to make two jade pendants. Please make one for me and take the remaining jade for yourself. You can even make a Guanyin Ornament out of it if you want,” Yao Ting said with a flushed face.

Yao Min and Yao Shigu exchanged a glance. They were both smiling with their eyes!

Lil Ting got a favorable impression of Lil Yan!

“Okay, Miss Yan.” Xia Yan didn’t argue and refuse it. He only knew that imperial glass jadeite was very expensive, and didn’t know ice jade’s price, and he assumed that it wouldn’t be worth more than several tens thousand. If he didn’t accept it, it would be very disrespectful. Besides, he was working for her and he could take a fee with a clear conscience.

“Fine. Lil Yan, please put it away for now. We should go out for lunch. I have already reserved some seats in Yichengdu,” Yao Min seemed quite anxious. “It’s already noon and I have to go back to work by 2:30 pm, or else I will be accused of skipping out of work.”

Miss Li was left to look after the store, while Xia Yan and his three companions rode an SUV car. In twenty minutes, they reached a courtyard near the river.

This was a courtyard in the center of Chengdu City with an expanse of 200 square meters. This plot of land was very expensive!

“Sirs, may I ask whether you have a reservation?”

“Take us to Qingchen Pavillion.”

“Please follow me!”

Yao Min had reserved a private room near the river, and they didn’t sit there for long before someone knocked on the door.

“Mister Yao, you are an unusual guest. Did you come over to pass the celebration here? Lil Min is getting more beautiful with every passing day. As for Lil Ting, I heard that you will participate in the four nations’ competition. I’m really proud of you. You must defeat those Japanese, South-Korean, and Thais. I’m cheering for you,” A fatty in his fifties entered the room. He had a tall stature, outstanding bearings, and he greeted the Yaos with a smile across his face and placed a plate of mooncake on the table.

“Fatty Li, I haven’t seen you for a month, yet your tongue got sweeter again,” Yao Shigu said with a wry smile.

“Mister Yao, you haven’t introduced this little fella yet? That isn’t nice of you,” Fatty Li said.

“This is Xia Yan, a junior of mine. Xia Yan, this is Li Ke, Yichengdu’s owner. You can just call him Fatty Li or Mister Li,” Yao Shigu introduced them to each other with a wry smile plastered on his face.

“Mister Li, hello,” This was their first meeting, and Xia Yan couldn’t just call him ‘Fatty Li’.

“Old Yao, that isn’t appropriate. Both Lil Min and Lil Ting call me ‘Uncle’. So, why doesn’t this little fella call me ‘Uncle’, too?” Fatty Li spoke with feigned displeasure.

Yao Min and Yao Ting both revealed wry smiles, while Yao Shigu laughed heartily and said, “Fatty Li, Xia Yan’s seniority is higher than Lil Min and Lil Ting. So, how could he call you ‘Uncle’? Haha!”

“It turns out that it’s Bro Xia. Haha, it’s no wonder that both Lil Min and Lil Ting wore an unsightly expression,” Fatty Li also laughed heartily and shook Xia Yan’s hand. The room’s ambiance got quite lively!

“Old Yao, I have fished out a certain object several days ago, and I’ll bring it to the Antique Collectibles Store someday. Will you have a look at it?”

“Fine, you just have to come over.”

“I won’t disturb your family’s celebration, but I’ll still come over to offer you a toast in a while,” Fatty Li left sensibly, and the waiters started serving the dishes. They also served them a bottle of red wine and said that it was a gift for Mister Yao from the owner.

They didn’t sit down for long before people knocked on the door and entered one by one. “Mister Yao, happy Mid-Autumn Festival”

“Mister Yao, let’s take a drink in your honor.”

“Mister Zhang, hello.”

“Mister Wang…”

“Mister Li…”

It seemed like everyone in Yichengdu who knew Yao Shigu came over to toast him in this short while and their private room didn’t regain its calm until they left. It was at this moment that Xia Yan realized Yao Shigu’s influence. Yao Shigu and his Antique Collectibles Store were famous among Chengdu City’s upper-echelon.

Only merchants came over to propose a toast to Yao Shigu. After all, rules got stricter and government officials didn’t dare to brazenly attend a high-end establishment such as Yichengdu. But, Xia Yan still discerned through those merchants’ sayings that Yao Shigu’s influence among officials was also high.

“Oh, by the way. Why didn’t I get to see Mr. and Mrs. Yao?” After they chatted for a while and ate their fill, Xia Yan couldn’t help but raise this question, but he immediately realized that he made a grave mistake. The Yaos’ expression got quite unsightly!

Yao Shigu sighed and explained everything. It turned out that the Yao sisters’ parents died in a traffic accident in their childhood and it was Yao Shigu that raised his two granddaughters alone.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know this,” Xia Yan apologized.

“It’s fine,” Yao Min revealed a forced smile and questioned Xia Yan. “By the way, Xia Yan, why don’t you tell us about your family? How are your parents?”

It was now Yao Min’s turn to feel ashamed of her question. They were all fellow sufferers and they couldn’t help but empathize with each other. They got closer than before!

…

“Ouhao residence? Isn’t that the Xie Family’s estate?” Upon hearing Xia Yan’s story, Yao Shigu furrowed his brows and questioned him.

“That’s right,” Xia Yan nodded.

“Since Old Xie suffered a stroke three years ago, the Xie family has been getting more ridiculous and scandalous with every passing day. They fanned the flames of internal strife, and they no longer have any bottom line. The Xie family wasn’t in this state when Old Xie was around,” Yao Shigu placed his chopsticks on the table and spoke. He couldn’t help but shook his head.

“Old Xie is a nice old man, but he didn’t teach his descendants well.”

Xia Yan wanted to question Yao Shigu further about the Xie family’s situation, but the phone in his pockets rang suddenly. He took it out and found out that it was a call from Dong Quan. He immediately accepted the call!

On that day in Dynasty Karaoke Hub, Dong Quan’s actions were up to Xia Yan’s satisfaction, and that was why he didn’t vent his anger at Dong Feng’s actions on him.

“Master Xia, happy festival to you!”

“Happy festival to you, too.”

“Master Xia, are you free now? I have something to discuss with you, and it’s related to you,” Dong Quan said.

“Martial Uncle, Miss Min, Miss Ting, I’ll go out to receive a call,” Xia Yan said and left the private room. He asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Master Xia, I have just seen a thread in Chengdu City’s local forum and I’ll now send the link to you. Have a look at it, it’s related to the Xie family,” Dong Quan wanted to say more about this, but hesitated and didn’t describe the thread in detail.

[Is it related to me and the Xie family?] Xia Yan was taken aback and he couldn’t help but wonder what this was.

“Fine, send it to me,” Xia Yan said.

Dong Quan hung up on him and sent him a website’s address. Xia Yan used Yichengdu’s wifi to connect to the internet and opened the website. Upon looking at the thread, flames of anger raged up in his chest and he gritted his teeth.

“The shady deals hidden behind its disregard for human life, I’ll expose the Xie family’s estate.”

“Today, on 28th May. A construction worker called Xia Weiguo fell off the scaffolding and suffered severe injuries, yet the Xie family’s estate paid him only 100.000¥ as compensation and sent him back to Chong County…”