...
Tang Wan hung up the phone and soon arrived at the train station. She waited at the exit for about ten minutes before she saw a familiar figure.
"Master Qiao!" Tang Wan waved at him.
The man, in his early forties, was lean and sharp, with neatly cropped hair and dressed in a black cloth shirt. Despite the warmth of spring, his attire still gave a sowhat chilly impression, yet his posture was proud and erect.
His proud deanor and sharp eyes made even the natural chill of early spring pale in comparison.
"I’ll take your luggage." Tang Wan walked over, just about to take his luggage, but he refused.
"I’ll handle it myself."
His voice was extrely cold, even devoid of warmth, and then he followed up by saying, "It’s quite heavy, you can’t handle it."
Tang Wan just smiled; his way of showing care was always so awkward.
"I’m just getting engaged, I didn’t expect you to trouble yourself to co all this way..."
"Your master couldn’t make it back, so he insisted I co to represent our sect as family and to support you."
Tang Wan’s master specialized in Cyan Feather burning blue and often used jade, while the man before her was Qiao Wangbei from the Wusu Qiao Family, who excelled at jade carving, devoted and even obsessed, often secluding himself at ho without much social grace, his speech always carrying a hint of aloofness.
Since he was a good friend of her master and was technically two years her senior, although not from the sa sect, Tang Wan still addressed him as ’Master Qiao.’
"Thank you, Master Qiao." Tang Wan smiled.
Qiao Wangbei took a deep breath, grumbling to himself. His apprentice was getting married and couldn’t make it back, and he had to co and hold the fort? What was this all about?
When asked about it, the response he got was, "Because you look rather fierce and can keep things under control!"
An engagent party, not a brawl. What’s with controlling the situation?
And it’s not that I look fierce, just a bit stern!
Qiao Wangbei arrived alone, without any companions or acquaintances, and as he was a close friend of her master, Tang Wan arranged for him to stay at her ho.
As soon as he entered the house, Qiao Wangbei opened his luggage, "Wanwan, tomorrow is your engagent. I’ll give you your gift now."
"Master Qiao, you’re too kind. I’m really happy that you could co; you shouldn’t have gone to any expense..."
"As an elder, it’s only proper."
Then Tang Wan saw him take out two large stones from his bag, really big ones!
Her scalp went numb. With these, how did you get through security on the train?
And, you’re giving stones for my engagent?
Your family has plenty of jade, wouldn’t it make more sense to give jade instead of stones?
"These were personally selected by from the northwest recently, with especially good quality. I hope your relationship will be as solid as these stones. And also this..."
Qiao Wangbei then dug out a n’s bracelet made of Obsidian and handed it to her, "I heard your fiancé is not in good health. Obsidian can ward off illness; I hope his health will quickly improve."
As solid as stones? Tang Wan’s mouth twitched hard, but she still thanked him with a smile:
"Thank you, Master Qiao."
"You’re welco."
Then old man Tang saw his granddaughter coming out holding two big stones.
Back in the room, Tang Wan was baffled. What should I do with these stones? They are so big, and Master Qiao has quite the temper; I can’t just discard them. Do I really need to find a place to enshrine these stones?
Giving stones? What does it symbolize?
She searched online for the aning of giving stones: It represents strength!
I’m getting engaged, not heading to battle. Why would I need to be strong?
After sharing the story with Jiang Jinsang, he couldn’t help but laugh, "Traveling so far, carrying two big stones, it’s really not easy..."
"Don’t laugh." Tang Wan stared at the two large stones, her head throbbing with pain, no wonder he said the stuff was heavy and that she couldn’t handle it.
"Your stone-giving Master Qiao, could it be that man from the Wusu Qiao Family?"
"You know him?"
"Not personally, I’ve just heard about him." Jiang Jinsang shook his head, "The Third Master of the Fu Family in Beijing took a fancy to his niece."
"Song Fengwan?"
"Right, you two are close?"
"We’ve only t a few tis, not really close." Tang Wan patted the rock, "I just think the world is rather small. You always seem to run into familiar faces, but I’ve never t the third master from the Fu Family. Qi Zeyan ntioned him before; he doesn’t seem like a good person."
Generally, the rumors in Beijing described the third master of the Fu Family as a person who revered Buddha as if a devil, certainly not a good description.
"He’s older than and from my father’s generation. He definitely carries himself with the air of an elder, and most importantly, he and Duan Linbai are close friends, and Zeyan and Mr. Duan are arch-enemies, so..." Jiang Jinsang hinted no further.
"No wonder he previously ntioned this third master from the Fu Family with such disdain. Now I understand." Tang Wan suddenly realized.
...
As Tang Wan was worrying about how to deal with these two rocks, Shen Shuci knocked and entered, "There are more guests at ho."
"Who is it?" Only so close friends and family were invited to the engagent, but there were quite a few who ca to give gifts, usually greeted by grandfather and maternal grandfather, rarely asking her to co out.
"Jiang Shiyi."
Tang Wan’s breath hitched, why him?
By the ti she reached the main hall, Jiang Shiyi seed ready to leave.
"Wanwan, see him out." Recently, everyone who ca as a guest was warmly received by Old Master Tang.
"No need, I’m just here to deliver a gift." Jiang Shiyi was still dressed in thin clothes, exuding a scholarly aura that was hard to see through.
"I’ll see you out." Tang Wan courteously walked him to the door; his car was parked outside.
"Tomorrow is the engagent party, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for to attend, so I’ve brought the gift ahead of ti. Happy engagent."
Following Jiang Zhaolin’s visit a few days ago, which turned quite chaotic, it indeed wasn’t suitable for him to attend the engagent party. However, she didn’t expect Jiang Shiyi to personally deliver a gift.
"Thank you."
"This is far enough." Jiang Shiyi said as he opened the car door, got in without any pause, and drove away straightly.
Tang Wan watched the car disappearing into the distance, pressing her lips together.
He avoided eting with the Jiang Family, traveled all this distance, didn’t even drink a sip of water, just dropped off a gift and left hurriedly?
What exactly was he trying to do? She really couldn’t see through him.
After his departure, Tang Wan received a gift from the Huo Family. Apparently, the person from the Huo Family was busy and couldn’t co, so they sent soone with the gift, saying they’d invite her and Jiang Jinsang for a al when Tang Wan visited Beijing, as a way to make it up to her.
Intermittently, people kept arriving with gifts and it wasn’t until after eight that the Tang, Shen, and Qiao families, including Qiao Wangbei, finally had a mont to sit down and eat together.
"You know, I suddenly feel sowhat reluctant to let Wanwan go..." Old Master Tang grew sentintal.
Tang Yunxian smiled, "It’s only an engagent. If you’re really reluctant, there’s still ti to back out now."
"Wanwan’s master is still here, and you’re talking such nonsense! The engagent is tomorrow; stop talking rubbish," the old master scolded, yet his heart was surely more joyful than not.
After dinner, Old Master Tang brought all the engagent gifts to Tang Wan’s room. As she opened and neatly arranged them, she realized that those two rocks truly were the most bizarre engagent gifts...
Without a doubt!
**
At the hotel,
Although tomorrow’s engagent party wasn’t as formal as a wedding, it was still a significant event. The grandmother and Fan Mingyu, before going to sleep, took a long ti talking to Jiang Jinsang, instructing him to be warm towards Tang Family’s relatives and friends so as not to leave a bad impression.
Poor Jiang Chengsi, sharing an apartnt suite with them, was also dragged into listening to their lectures.
"Grandma, I’m a bit sleepy. Can I go back to sleep?"
"Normally you’re the one saying ’stay up the latest, drink the hardest liquor.’ It’s just past nine and you’re telling you’re sleepy?" the grandmother raised an eyebrow, clearly indicating: You’re fooling no one!
"Tomorrow is Xiaowu’s engagent, not mine. You should speak these words to him; there’s no use in staying here."
"You’ll need to get married in the future too; consider this a pre-lesson."
anwhile, in the suite shared by Jiang Yanting, Xie Duo, and Shen Zhixian, Xie Duo stayed until past nine o’clock before leaving. Before he left, he kept reminding Shen Zhixian to rember to lock the door before going to bed.
Even so, during the night...
Soone still found their way to Shen Zhixian’s bed.
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