Chapter 343: Took Advantage and Left
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Li Yao, along with the others, fell silent upon hearing this. Except for Li Yao, everyone else lowered their heads and dared not look at Xiao Yang.
“I heard you all outside the door just now, talking confidently. But now, why is everyone suddenly silent? Li Yao, tell me, what’s our next move?”
“Brother Yang, just tell us what we should do, we all admit to our faults!” Li Yao closed his eyes and lay down, leaving the decision-making to Xiao Yang, no matter how it was handled.
Xiao Yang glanced at Zhou Chao, who instantly understood the situation. Seeing that the purpose had been achieved, Zhou Chao didn’t want to push it further. In plain terms, it was his turn to step in.
“Brother Yang, we should just let this matter slide. Today, Brother Yao invited me here for a rare tea session, and we can also catch up. Let’s not discuss other matters. What do you think?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yang smiled.
“Young Zhou knows when to stop. After all, we’re all from the same circle, and it wouldn’t be wise to burn bridges. This kid even knows how to show me some respect. Well done, well done.”
Xiao Yang then turned to Li Yao and his group. “Since Zhou Chao put it this way, let’s consider the matter settled. 1 don’t want any of you doing anything behind my back afterward. That would be a slap in my face.”
“No, we won’t, absolutely not!” The group quickly shook their heads.
“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go. Time to head home for dinner.” Xiao Yang glanced at Zhou Chao and walked toward the exit. Zhou Chao followed suit.
It wasn’t until Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang left the private room that Li Yao and his group breathed sighs of relief. They all slumped back in their chairs.
Li Yao sighed as well and took a sip of the tea on the table, feeling somewhat calmer. Yang Fan, on the other hand, still seemed disgruntled.
“Brother Yao, are we really going to let this matter end like this?” Yang Fan had a dissatisfied expression on his face.
“What? Do you still want to seek revenge? Is life at home treating you too well? If you want to give it a try, I won’t stop you!” Li Yao, upon hearing Yang Fan’s words, felt like he was about to be infuriated.
“Speaking of which, it was that tortoise’s idea to invite someone for tea. Motherfucker, not only did we not have tea, but we also got ourselves into a lot of trouble!” Li Yao’s voice was as cold as ice.
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent and cast their eyes toward Yang Fan.
Li Yao realized that Yang Fan still didn’t understand the situation, so he gave him an exasperated look and sighed in silence.
Leaving the Jingdu Club, Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang were now seated in Zhou Chao’s luxury car, heading towards a courtyard on the canal bank.
“Brother Yang, how did you know 1 was here?” Zhou Chao was still surprised when he first saw Xiao Yang.
“You think I wanted to come? It was your wife who called me. 1 rushed over from work because of her.”
“Fortunately, you arrived in time. Otherwise, today’s ending might not have been so pleasant. The worst-case scenario would have been a direct confrontation with Li Yao and his group,” Zhou Chao said, feeling grateful. After all, if they had really fallen out, it would have been a never-ending hassle. He wasn’t afraid, but it would have been quite annoying.
“Don’t bother with the pleasantries. If you really want to thank me, treat me to some good wine. I’ve heard from Old Master Ma that you’ve given him a lot of rare and valuable wines. Today, I did you a big favor. Won’t you show some gratitude?”
“Consider it arranged. You have my word,” Zhou Chao agreed without hesitation.
Driving the car, Zhou Chao’s mind was already preoccupied with concerns about whether his collection of fine wines in the cellar would survive the night.
After about half an hour, Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang arrived home. As they entered, they were greeted by Jiang Li, who rushed toward Zhou Chao.
“Are you alright? I’ve been so worried!” Jiang Li circled around Zhou Chao, checking if he had any injuries.
“I’m fine, don’t worry. Thanks for your concern,” Zhou Chao reassured her, pulling her into his arms.
“Ahem, if you two plan to show affection, maybe save it for bedtime. Right now, let’s eat; I’m starving!” Xiao Yang interjected with a playful tone.
“It’s your fault for making my cousin laugh at me!” Jiang Li quickly broke free from Zhou Chao’s embrace.
“Ignore him; he’s just jealous,” Zhou Chao teased.
“Hmph!”
“Cousin, I’ve already asked Aunt Wang to prepare dinner. We can eat anytime!” Zhou Chao was surprised to find that Jiang Li had everything arranged.
So the three of them headed to the dining room, where several covered dishes and bowls were neatly arranged.
“Mr. Zhou, welcome back. Dinner is ready whenever you are!” Aunt Wang appeared with a large pot of tomato spare rib soup, Zhou Chao’s favorite.
“Thank you, Aunt Wang,” Zhou Chao replied, then turned to Xiao Yang.
“Brother Yang, please have a seat. 1’11 go to the wine cellar and fetch some bottles. I’ll be back soon.”
“It better be good wine; otherwise, I won’t drink it!” Xiao Yang replied with a playful smile as Zhou Chao left for the wine cellar.
Once Zhou Chao had gone, Jiang Li asked in a hushed voice, “Brother, what really happened?”
“Nothing serious, just met an acquaintance and went for tea. We’re all acquaintances, nothing to worry about.” Upon hearing this, Jiang Li, being part of the same social circle, quickly grasped the situation.
Shortly, Zhou Chao returned with a box of wine bottles. Seeing the bottles, Xiao Yang’s smile grew even brighter.
“Excellent, excellent. This trip wasn’t in vain,” Xiao Yang said, glancing at the wine inside the box.
“Let’s start eating!” Zhou Chao began organizing the meal for everyone.
Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang then initiated a drinking contest, using small cups, commonly known as ‘sip and savor.’
“Although we’ve resolved today’s issue, you still need to be cautious. There are definitely other prying eyes, whether from within or outside our circle. You should keep one eye open.”
if
Yeah, I understand. That’s why 1 prefer to stay behind the scenes, seeing more and farther.”
“Alright, as long as you’re aware,” Xiao Yang concluded, realizing that Zhou Chao could handle things well, and it was just a matter of convenience.
After nearly two to three hours of drinking, Aunt Wang reheated the dishes once in a while. Both men consumed five or six bottles of Maotai, but they remained quite sober.
“I’ll head out now. A car will come to pick me up later.” Xiao Yang casually picked up the box of wine on the table and walked towards the exit.
“Brother Yang, are you sure about this?” Zhou Chao watched Xiao Yang’s actions, feeling somewhat helpless.
“What’s the matter? After helping you deal with such a big issue today, I take a few bottles of wine from you. If others offered them to me, 1 wouldn’t even accept. This is me showing you some respect!”
Xiao Yang’s words left Zhou Chao speechless, and he reluctantly nodded.
“Yeah, what Brother Yang said is right!” Jiang Li clapped her hands in agreement.
Zhou Chao could only watch as Xiao Yang carried the bottles of fine wine and headed outside. He hurriedly followed to the entrance. Just as he reached the door, he saw a Jeep parked there.
“I’m heading back now. Call me if you need anything!” Xiao Yang gave some parting advice before getting into the car.
“Alright, have a safe trip, Brother Yang!”
Xiao Yang loaded the bottles into the car, making sure not to drop them.
Zhou Chao helplessly watched him go. Once the Jeep disappeared from sight, he withdrew his gaze and took out a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it up.
When the cigarette was almost burnt to the filter, Zhou Chao stomped it out, closed the door, and returned inside.
After taking a shower, he went to bed with Jiang Li.
The next morning, both of them woke up early. They wanted to sleep in, but Jiang Li wouldn’t allow it.
Zhou Chao, after brushing up, came downstairs, still yawning.
“Brother Chao, are you going to the expo today?”
“1 won’t go today. I’m afraid I’ll be disturbed again if 1 go,” Zhou Chao replied, shaking his head after a moment of contemplation.
“Then I’ll go and see if there’s anything I can help with.”
“Why go? There are other people to handle that.”
“I want to learn and see products from other companies.”
“Alright, 1’11 drop you off later.”
“No need, I’m an adult, and I can drive. I’ll go by myself.”
Zhou Chao nodded in response and stopped talking, focusing on getting breakfast.
After breakfast, Jiang Li changed into different clothes, grabbed her keys, and left. Zhou Chao remained on the sofa, playing with the fat orange cat, Shoufu.
“Shoufu, why didn’t you go see your little wife today?”
Shoufu lazily meowed a couple of times and then lay down on Zhou Chao’s lap, falling asleep.
“Well, it seems like you had a wild night out last night.” Zhou Chao chuckled, looking at Shoufu sleeping in his arms.
As he played with his phone for a while, a call came in.
“Hello, is there something you need, Old Master Ma?” The caller was Ma Weidou.
“Zhou Chao, you mentioned before that you were looking for a piece of calligraphy and painting. 1 just found a suitable one. Are you at home? I can bring it over for you to see.”
“Oh, Old Master Ma, I’m at home. Feel free to come over!”
“Alright, I’ll be there in half an hour.”
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Chao commented to himself, “It seems like they are still concerned about the matter we discussed last time.”
Half an hour later, Ma Weidou arrived, holding a box and accompanied by Aunt Wang.
With great care, Zhou Chao placed Shoufu, which had been resting on his body, onto the sofa before getting up to welcome him.
“Thank you for your trouble, Ma Lao!”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. I’ve had your wine several times. If I can’t handle such a small matter, I’d be embarrassed to drink at your place!”
“If you want to drink, you can come over anytime!”
Zhou Chao led Ma Weidu towards the study upstairs.
“Ma Lao, what kind of painting is it that made you rush over like this?”
Unexpectedly, Ma Weidu smiled mysteriously, and then took the painting out of the box.
Without further ado, Zhou Chao cleared his desk and carefully unfolded the painting.
“This is a bamboo painting by Master Banqiao!” Zhou Chao was surprised; he hadn’t expected Ma Weidu to obtain such a valuable piece.
He then used his appraisal skill and confirmed that it was indeed an authentic work by Master Banqiao.
“My friend wanted to sell this because they needed money urgently, so I bought it from them.”
“Ma Lao, you’ve gone through all this trouble! How much does it cost? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Ma Weidu didn’t say anything but pulled out a stack of documents from the box.
“Young Master Zhou, this is the certificate of authenticity for this painting.
Forget about the money; just treat me to a few drinks next time, and we’ll call it even!”
“Alright, no problem!”
Chapter 343: Took Advantage and Left
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Li Yao, along with the others, fell silent upon hearing this. Except for Li Yao, everyone else lowered their heads and dared not look at Xiao Yang.
“I heard you all outside the door just now, talking confidently. But now, why is everyone suddenly silent? Li Yao, tell me, what’s our next move?”
“Brother Yang, just tell us what we should do, we all admit to our faults!” Li Yao closed his eyes and lay down, leaving the decision-making to Xiao Yang, no matter how it was handled.
Xiao Yang glanced at Zhou Chao, who instantly understood the situation. Seeing that the purpose had been achieved, Zhou Chao didn’t want to push it further. In plain terms, it was his turn to step in.
“Brother Yang, we should just let this matter slide. Today, Brother Yao invited me here for a rare tea session, and we can also catch up. Let’s not discuss other matters. What do you think?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yang smiled.
“Young Zhou knows when to stop. After all, we’re all from the same circle, and it wouldn’t be wise to burn bridges. This kid even knows how to show me some respect. Well done, well done.”
Xiao Yang then turned to Li Yao and his group. “Since Zhou Chao put it this way, let’s consider the matter settled. 1 don’t want any of you doing anything behind my back afterward. That would be a slap in my face.”
“No, we won’t, absolutely not!” The group quickly shook their heads.
“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go. Time to head home for dinner.” Xiao Yang glanced at Zhou Chao and walked toward the exit. Zhou Chao followed suit.
It wasn’t until Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang left the private room that Li Yao and his group breathed sighs of relief. They all slumped back in their chairs.
Li Yao sighed as well and took a sip of the tea on the table, feeling somewhat calmer. Yang Fan, on the other hand, still seemed disgruntled.
“Brother Yao, are we really going to let this matter end like this?” Yang Fan had a dissatisfied expression on his face.
“What? Do you still want to seek revenge? Is life at home treating you too well? If you want to give it a try, I won’t stop you!” Li Yao, upon hearing Yang Fan’s words, felt like he was about to be infuriated.
“Speaking of which, it was that tortoise’s idea to invite someone for tea. Motherfucker, not only did we not have tea, but we also got ourselves into a lot of trouble!” Li Yao’s voice was as cold as ice.
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent and cast their eyes toward Yang Fan.
Li Yao realized that Yang Fan still didn’t understand the situation, so he gave him an exasperated look and sighed in silence.
Leaving the Jingdu Club, Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang were now seated in Zhou Chao’s luxury car, heading towards a courtyard on the canal bank.
“Brother Yang, how did you know 1 was here?” Zhou Chao was still surprised when he first saw Xiao Yang.
“You think I wanted to come? It was your wife who called me. 1 rushed over from work because of her.”
“Fortunately, you arrived in time. Otherwise, today’s ending might not have been so pleasant. The worst-case scenario would have been a direct confrontation with Li Yao and his group,” Zhou Chao said, feeling grateful. After all, if they had really fallen out, it would have been a never-ending hassle. He wasn’t afraid, but it would have been quite annoying.
“Don’t bother with the pleasantries. If you really want to thank me, treat me to some good wine. I’ve heard from Old Master Ma that you’ve given him a lot of rare and valuable wines. Today, I did you a big favor. Won’t you show some gratitude?”
“Consider it arranged. You have my word,” Zhou Chao agreed without hesitation.
Driving the car, Zhou Chao’s mind was already preoccupied with concerns about whether his collection of fine wines in the cellar would survive the night.
After about half an hour, Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang arrived home. As they entered, they were greeted by Jiang Li, who rushed toward Zhou Chao.
“Are you alright? I’ve been so worried!” Jiang Li circled around Zhou Chao, checking if he had any injuries.
“I’m fine, don’t worry. Thanks for your concern,” Zhou Chao reassured her, pulling her into his arms.
“Ahem, if you two plan to show affection, maybe save it for bedtime. Right now, let’s eat; I’m starving!” Xiao Yang interjected with a playful tone.
“It’s your fault for making my cousin laugh at me!” Jiang Li quickly broke free from Zhou Chao’s embrace.
“Ignore him; he’s just jealous,” Zhou Chao teased.
“Hmph!”
“Cousin, I’ve already asked Aunt Wang to prepare dinner. We can eat anytime!” Zhou Chao was surprised to find that Jiang Li had everything arranged.
So the three of them headed to the dining room, where several covered dishes and bowls were neatly arranged.
“Mr. Zhou, welcome back. Dinner is ready whenever you are!” Aunt Wang appeared with a large pot of tomato spare rib soup, Zhou Chao’s favorite.
“Thank you, Aunt Wang,” Zhou Chao replied, then turned to Xiao Yang.
“Brother Yang, please have a seat. 1’11 go to the wine cellar and fetch some bottles. I’ll be back soon.”
“It better be good wine; otherwise, I won’t drink it!” Xiao Yang replied with a playful smile as Zhou Chao left for the wine cellar.
Once Zhou Chao had gone, Jiang Li asked in a hushed voice, “Brother, what really happened?”
“Nothing serious, just met an acquaintance and went for tea. We’re all acquaintances, nothing to worry about.” Upon hearing this, Jiang Li, being part of the same social circle, quickly grasped the situation.
Shortly, Zhou Chao returned with a box of wine bottles. Seeing the bottles, Xiao Yang’s smile grew even brighter.
“Excellent, excellent. This trip wasn’t in vain,” Xiao Yang said, glancing at the wine inside the box.
“Let’s start eating!” Zhou Chao began organizing the meal for everyone.
Zhou Chao and Xiao Yang then initiated a drinking contest, using small cups, commonly known as ‘sip and savor.’
“Although we’ve resolved today’s issue, you still need to be cautious. There are definitely other prying eyes, whether from within or outside our circle. You should keep one eye open.”
if
Yeah, I understand. That’s why 1 prefer to stay behind the scenes, seeing more and farther.”
“Alright, as long as you’re aware,” Xiao Yang concluded, realizing that Zhou Chao could handle things well, and it was just a matter of convenience.
After nearly two to three hours of drinking, Aunt Wang reheated the dishes once in a while. Both men consumed five or six bottles of Maotai, but they remained quite sober.
“I’ll head out now. A car will come to pick me up later.” Xiao Yang casually picked up the box of wine on the table and walked towards the exit.
“Brother Yang, are you sure about this?” Zhou Chao watched Xiao Yang’s actions, feeling somewhat helpless.
“What’s the matter? After helping you deal with such a big issue today, I take a few bottles of wine from you. If others offered them to me, 1 wouldn’t even accept. This is me showing you some respect!”
Xiao Yang’s words left Zhou Chao speechless, and he reluctantly nodded.
“Yeah, what Brother Yang said is right!” Jiang Li clapped her hands in agreement.
Zhou Chao could only watch as Xiao Yang carried the bottles of fine wine and headed outside. He hurriedly followed to the entrance. Just as he reached the door, he saw a Jeep parked there.
“I’m heading back now. Call me if you need anything!” Xiao Yang gave some parting advice before getting into the car.
“Alright, have a safe trip, Brother Yang!”
Xiao Yang loaded the bottles into the car, making sure not to drop them.
Zhou Chao helplessly watched him go. Once the Jeep disappeared from sight, he withdrew his gaze and took out a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it up.
When the cigarette was almost burnt to the filter, Zhou Chao stomped it out, closed the door, and returned inside.
After taking a shower, he went to bed with Jiang Li.
The next morning, both of them woke up early. They wanted to sleep in, but Jiang Li wouldn’t allow it.
Zhou Chao, after brushing up, came downstairs, still yawning.
“Brother Chao, are you going to the expo today?”
“1 won’t go today. I’m afraid I’ll be disturbed again if 1 go,” Zhou Chao replied, shaking his head after a moment of contemplation.
“Then I’ll go and see if there’s anything I can help with.”
“Why go? There are other people to handle that.”
“I want to learn and see products from other companies.”
“Alright, 1’11 drop you off later.”
“No need, I’m an adult, and I can drive. I’ll go by myself.”
Zhou Chao nodded in response and stopped talking, focusing on getting breakfast.
After breakfast, Jiang Li changed into different clothes, grabbed her keys, and left. Zhou Chao remained on the sofa, playing with the fat orange cat, Shoufu.
“Shoufu, why didn’t you go see your little wife today?”
Shoufu lazily meowed a couple of times and then lay down on Zhou Chao’s lap, falling asleep.
“Well, it seems like you had a wild night out last night.” Zhou Chao chuckled, looking at Shoufu sleeping in his arms.
As he played with his phone for a while, a call came in.
“Hello, is there something you need, Old Master Ma?” The caller was Ma Weidou.
“Zhou Chao, you mentioned before that you were looking for a piece of calligraphy and painting. 1 just found a suitable one. Are you at home? I can bring it over for you to see.”
“Oh, Old Master Ma, I’m at home. Feel free to come over!”
“Alright, I’ll be there in half an hour.”
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Chao commented to himself, “It seems like they are still concerned about the matter we discussed last time.”
Half an hour later, Ma Weidou arrived, holding a box and accompanied by Aunt Wang.
With great care, Zhou Chao placed Shoufu, which had been resting on his body, onto the sofa before getting up to welcome him.
“Thank you for your trouble, Ma Lao!”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. I’ve had your wine several times. If I can’t handle such a small matter, I’d be embarrassed to drink at your place!”
“If you want to drink, you can come over anytime!”
Zhou Chao led Ma Weidu towards the study upstairs.
“Ma Lao, what kind of painting is it that made you rush over like this?”
Unexpectedly, Ma Weidu smiled mysteriously, and then took the painting out of the box.
Without further ado, Zhou Chao cleared his desk and carefully unfolded the painting.
“This is a bamboo painting by Master Banqiao!” Zhou Chao was surprised; he hadn’t expected Ma Weidu to obtain such a valuable piece.
He then used his appraisal skill and confirmed that it was indeed an authentic work by Master Banqiao.
“My friend wanted to sell this because they needed money urgently, so I bought it from them.”
“Ma Lao, you’ve gone through all this trouble! How much does it cost? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Ma Weidu didn’t say anything but pulled out a stack of documents from the box.
“Young Master Zhou, this is the certificate of authenticity for this painting.
Forget about the money; just treat me to a few drinks next time, and we’ll call it even!”
“Alright, no problem!”
