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Exiting the elevator, the group was guided by the waiter into a spacious and bright suite. The marble floor gleamed, and beautiful dark patterns were carved into the walls. Soft orange light streamed down from the ornate chandelier above, and a round table was set with a red tablecloth edged in gold, with neatly folded napkins placed in the cups. The waiter personally pulled out the chairs, wearing a professional smile as he invited everyone to sit down.
"Zhang Qiu, why don't you order?" Song Shiyin said lightly, "Choose whatever you like, don't be polite with your uncle."
Zhang Qiu took the menu and flipped through a few pages, selecting several dishes. She smiled slightly at the waiter and said, "That's all."
"Let the girl order a few more," Song Shiyin thought to himself. Young love is often unreliable; they don't know how to take care of themselves. It seems his strict prohibition against his son dating in high school was indeed the right decision. As he pondered this, his gaze shifted to Song Weidong, who understood the meaning behind his father's look and turned his head away, avoiding eye contact. This was one point on which they always disagreed.
Jiang Xue smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, but Zhang Qiu has already ordered for me. She chose all my favorite dishes."
Song Shiyin chuckled awkwardly, avoiding looking at his son's expression. He took the menu back and ordered a few signature dishes for himself before asking Zhang Qiu, "What would you like to drink?"
"Plain water."
"Plain water?" Song Shiyin replied with slight surprise. Nowadays, even kids who don't drink alcohol usually enjoy some beverages.
"Yes, I just want plain water. And please get my girlfriend a Fresh Watermelon Juice."
"Alright then, we'll have plain water." Song Shiyin felt puzzled but didn't ask further. After all, everyone has their own habits; perhaps this young man simply prefers plain water.
Once the ordering was complete, Song Shiyin dismissed the waiter, leaving only the four of them in the room. The drinks arrived first; Song Weidong poured a glass for his father. Song Shiyin raised his glass to Zhang Qiu and said, "Once again, thank you for saving my son. This toast is for you; just drink your plain water."
"Okay, but uncle, let’s just toast this one glass. I feel bad having you toast me while I drink water," Zhang Qiu said as she looked at Song Shiyin's full glass of liquor.
"Haha," Song Shiyin laughed heartily. "Then let's have some liquor too; alcohol is truly a man's drink."
Zhang Qiu smiled and shook her head. Song Shiyin downed his drink while Zhang Qiu happily drank her water. Her decision to only drink plain water had just begun yesterday when she casually flipped through an ancient book gifted by Grandpa Pingchuan. One page read: "In life, one must navigate like floating in vast waters; regularly drinking from natural springs aligns oneself with nature's laws externally and harmonizes with one's internal pathways. Coupled with breathing techniques, one becomes invigorated and refined; thus life holds infinite possibilities."
After watching, Zhang Qiu decisively decided to only drink Boiled Water from now on. He also tried the Zhong Tu Na Breathing Method; he wasn't sure if it was psychological or truly effective, but after finishing, Zhang Qiu felt refreshed and full of energy, miraculously not feeling sleepy during morning self-study.
Delicately shaped and beautifully plated dishes were served. After a couple of drinks, Song Shiyin opened up and raised his glass to toast Zhang Qiu again, and not only that, he included Song Weidong as well.
"Wei Dong, someone saved your life; it can't always be me toasting. You should also raise a glass to him."
"Uncle, really no need to be so polite. Between Wei Dong and me, there's no need for toasts. You should drink less; didn't you just promise me you'd only toast once?"
Song Shiyin protectively held his wine glass and smiled proudly, "I never promised that! Your uncle does this for a living; I have to socialize more than twenty times a month. It's not like I can avoid drinking. Don't worry; I can handle this amount of alcohol." With that, Song Shiyin tilted his head back and downed a glass, leaving Zhang Qiu with no choice but to accompany him with another glass of Boiled Water.
Song Shiyin put down his wine glass and said with a smile, "Let's eat! Uncle won't make you drink anymore. Try the chef's dishes here; they taste great. Eat more, don't hold back."
"Don't worry, Uncle. As long as there's good food, I won't hold back anywhere."
"Good, good! That's the spirit." Song Shiyin picked up some food and sent it to his mouth, tossing the napkin aside carelessly. "This place is pretty good; this is only the eighteenth floor. The nineteenth floor is even better. I've heard from friends that the waitresses there are carefully selected and rigorously trained; each one is stunningly beautiful."
Zhang Qiu recalled the beautiful waitresses he saw at Wang Guodong's closing banquet with Liu Fangfei on the nineteenth floor. Each had fair skin and wore red cheongsams that accentuated their figures perfectly—high breasts and long legs that were subtly visible—combined with their exquisite faces, they could only be described in two words: breathtaking. Zhang Qiu couldn't help but exclaim, "They are indeed very beautiful."
Song Shiyin was taken aback, his wine glass paused mid-air as he asked, "You've been to the nineteenth floor?"
"I went once last month."
Song Shiyin nodded thoughtfully but did not press further. He had heard that only those with significant power could access the nineteenth floor; with his status, he could only come to the eighteenth floor of Beilan Grand Hotel. Yet this seemingly ordinary high school student had actually been to the nineteenth floor. Song Shiyin couldn't help but become interested in learning more about Zhang Qiu beyond just a simple thank-you banquet.
Zhang Qiu was unaware that his single statement had stirred great waves within Song Shiyin. Faced with a table full of delicious dishes, Zhang Qiu did his best to maintain proper etiquette while devouring the food eagerly, occasionally helping Jiang Xue pick out dishes she liked.
Song Shiyin looked at Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue, suddenly smiling and saying, "You saved my son, so how about I call you nephew? Since you have a good relationship with Wei Dong, let's just become sworn brothers."
"Sure," Zhang Qiu replied, looking up at Song Shiyin with a puzzled nod. Song Weidong, however, was curious; his father seemed to really appreciate Zhang Qiu. He couldn't help but think how nice it would be if he had such strong abilities like Zhang Qiu. That feeling must be great.
"Alright, after this meal, you two will be brothers. Come on, let's toast."
Song Shiyin raised his glass again, and Zhang Qiu had no choice but to lift his cup of Boiled Water once more. Although both were clear liquids, they were worlds apart.
After downing the drink, Song Shiyin's face flushed as he burped and said to Zhang Qiu, "Nephew, do you know what your uncle does?"
Zhang Qiu nodded. "Yes, Wei Dong mentioned it to me."
"That's good. So when do you and your wife want a house? If you buy from us, I'll let you have the best house at a price lower than the lowest." Song Shiyin's voice suddenly dropped as he raised his right hand to cover his mouth and whispered, "Some houses are reserved for officials from various government departments and are not sold to the public. If you're interested, I can set one aside for you; it will definitely be worth it."
Zhang Qiu was taken aback. Is there really such a trick in real estate? He only knew that real estate development was booming everywhere. Take Beilan County where he lived; Director Chen had proposed a slogan about major changes in three years. Suddenly, construction sites were everywhere in the county town, creating a lot of dust and chaos. People in the city hoped that demolition wouldn't fall on them, while villagers nearby wished their own villages would be included in the redevelopment for new apartments. Now that more than a year had passed, the county town had indeed changed significantly. If what Song Shiyin said was true, then those officials must be making a fortune.
"Well, if I really plan to buy a house," Zhang Qiu thought to himself. No matter how he pondered about officials, it wouldn't help him much. However, there was something he clearly remembered: when he accidentally ran into Song Weidong while eating hot pot at Da He, Auntie had expressed interest in buying a house. At that time, he hadn't paid much attention because his relationship with Song Weidong wasn't at that level yet. But now things were different. After all, Auntie was still Jiang Xue's relative. No matter what method he used—good or bad—if he could change Auntie's attitude, Jiang Xue would feel better about it. It was worth a try.
Song Shiyin immediately slapped his thigh and said, "Great! After the college entrance examination is over, I'll take you to see some houses."
Zhang Qiu smiled and replied, "Sure, but it's not me who wants to buy a house; it's my Auntie. Is that alright?"
Song Shiyin paused for a moment; how did it become Auntie? Never mind; Auntie is Auntie after all; she is your relative. Song Shiyin readily agreed. His success as a businessman relied not only on favorable national policies but also on various irregularities during the early stages of capital accumulation. One of Song Shiyin's secrets was to cultivate relationships with officials. In fact, it wasn't just him; this circle involved everything imaginable and unimaginable like marriage alliances. Years of business experience made him realize the necessity of building a good relationship with Zhang Qiu. Although he still didn't know who Zhang Qiu really was, just based on the fact that he had been to the nineteenth floor of Beilan Grand Hotel, Song Shiyin decided to take a gamble since there was no loss involved.
Besides Song Shiyin being stunned, Jiang Xue was also surprised. Zhang Qiu's Auntie? Jiang Xue recalled that her Auntie had once asked Zhang Qiu about buying a house; could it be... Jiang Xue asked curiously, "Zhang Qiu, who is your Auntie?"
"Foolish girl, isn't your Auntie me?"
"But..."
"No buts. Get your Auntie a set of welfare housing, and she'll be happy. After that, she won't bully you anymore."
Jiang Xue looked at Zhang Qiu's innocent smile, tears welling up in her eyes. They had known each other for three years, and since they became good friends, Zhang Qiu had always taken care of her. Now, for the sake of an Auntie, she was willing to give up a house that ordinary people couldn't even buy. It's worth noting that Zhang Qiu's family was still renting in the village.
Jiang Xue's heart couldn't settle for a long time. Zhang Qiu pinched Jiang Xue's face and asked with a smile, "What are you thinking? You look so dazed; it's quite funny."
"Nothing, Zhang Qiu, thank you."
"Oh my, still being polite with me." Zhang Qiu leaned down to Jiang Xue's ear and whispered with a laugh, "It's not impossible to thank me; when you get home tonight, make sure to thank me properly."
"You're such a bad egg!" Jiang Xue instantly understood what Zhang Qiu meant, her face flushing red as she reached out to pinch Zhang Qiu's waist. Zhang Qiu grinned and dodged, saying to Song Shiyin, "Then I'll take that as a thank you; I'll have Auntie contact you later."
"No problem, no need to be polite with Uncle."
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