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Chapter 605: Chapter 509: Visiting (Happy New Year’s Eve!)"_1
After returning to school.
The girls were all a bit shaken. They were grateful that Tang Qing had discovered the issue in time. Even though they knew eating it once or twice wouldn’t have much of an impact, the thought of what they’d eaten always made them a bit scared.
They probably wouldn’t want to have hot pot or anything spicy for a long time.
In the afternoon.
Tang Qing sat in the classroom. The first weekend of university was coming. The students were somewhat absent-minded, many of them planning where to go and have fun. Zhong Liang wanted to invite Tang Qing to be their guest of honor, but at such a ’critical’ moment, Tang Qing wasn’t willing to go, so he declined.
Understanding immediately, Zhong Liang gave Tang Qing an ambiguous look, showing his understanding.
Of course.
And envy.
Although Zhong Liang’s family was well-off, he had always been a good boy. Seeing Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue paired up, Zhong Liang started to think about joining a club with many beautiful girls, hoping to solve his problem of being alone in the future; else, he was worried that he’d be drowned in the persistent show of affection from Tang Qing.
...
In the evening.
As invited.
Tang Qing took Lin Jiaxue to Qiu Jie’s house. Qiu Jie was a school leader and had a house allocated by the school. It was located deep in the faculty family quarters, near the side door, and on the third floor.
They found the place, knocked on the door.
After hearing footsteps, the door was opened, and it was Qiu Jie.
"Principal Qiu, sorry for the intrusion. Just a small little gift," Tang Qing greeted and handed over his gift. It was a specialty of his territory, two bottles of fruit wine. The domestic retail price was 3,500 RMB per bottle. Due to supply constraints, the private transaction price was rising, and it had become a small luxury in the wine industry.
But for Tang Qing, this was just water from home. The cost was almost nothing. The key was that the raw materials couldn’t be grown outside, making it exceptionally precious. After some promotion, it was quickly recognized and accepted by the upper class worldwide.
With no alternatives, the price could naturally be set as high as they wanted. But Tang Qing hadn’t really thought about selling his fruit wine at a sky-high price. A consistent, steady profit was the key.
No matter how expensive a wine is on the surface, there is a pricing ladder. First, establish a strong foothold in the mid-to-high-end market, declare sovereignty, expand the customer base. Only when the high-end and collector-grade goods are ready to be sold at higher prices in the future would it come out to sell.
"Just come in, look at you, just coming over is enough, you shouldn’t have brought anything," Qiu Jie complained while accepting Tang Qing’s gift. Although he had not seen this wine before, the packaging alone made it look expensive, so he didn’t ask about the price. He decided to enjoy the wine together later, so as to not deem Tang’s gift too extravagant.
Walking into the living room.
The table was already filled with all kinds of delicious food, and the sound of cooking could be heard from the kitchen.
"Little Tang, sorry about last night. I had an old friend inviting me for dinner and couldn’t keep you company," Qiu Jie put the gift aside and said.
Tang Qing quickly gestured, "Principal Qiu, don’t say that. How can I, a junior, ask for your company?"
Having experienced Tang Qing’s smooth talking in Thailand, and his speech today, Qiu Jie couldn’t help but laugh, "Haha, you’re a smooth talker, alright, come and sit. My son won’t be back for another hour, let’s start eating without waiting for him."
As soon as Qiu Jie finished speaking, Qiu Wanrou, who had heard the noises outside, bounced out of her room. She’d been keeping her door shut to do homework due to the noise from the kitchen.
"Brother Tang, Sister Lin, you finally came," Qiu Wanrou’s little face was full of joy.
"What were you doing in the room, Wanrou?" Tang Qing asked casually.
"I was doing my homework. I’m going out with grandpa tomorrow and need to finish some of it. Otherwise, mom won’t let me go," Qiu Wanrou pouted and looked towards the kitchen.
Obviously, the one cooking was Qiu Wanrou’s mother.
With that, the three took their seats, and the sound of cooking stopped. A still glamorous middle-aged woman walked out of the kitchen, holding a plate of stir-fried pig liver. She was Qiu Wanrou’s mother. As introduced, she also worked at Fudan University, but not as a teacher, but in the logistics department.
This was also the last dish.
"Start eating, don’t be polite. Treat this like your own home," Qiu Jie said.
"Alright," Tang Qing didn’t hesitate, took a piece of sweet and sour pork and placed it in Lin Jiaxue’s bowl. He also took one for himself, and after biting down, his eyes suddenly lit up. The sweet and sour pork tasted really good.
Qiu Jie poured each of them a cup of the wine that Tang Qing had brought.
It was just fruit wine.
The taste was superb. After sipping it, Qiu Jie couldn’t stop praising. Such a good gift had to be sent by the visitor indeed. The wine was fragrant and refreshing. He thought he could buy some to give away next time.
Throughout the meal, Qiu Wanrou was engaged in constant chatter with Lin Jiaxue. However, Qiu Wanrou was reminded by Qiu Jie not to talk in detail about the events in Thailand. The intelligent girl understood immediately and didn’t mention it at all, only discussing school matters. Her mother was also very warm toward Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue, constantly adding food to their plates. Tang Qing knew this warmth was genuine, presumably because she had understood the situation.
"Little Tang. What are your plans for university?" Qiu Jie asked suddenly while eating.
Tang Qing was stunned, "Plans?"
What a familiar question.
"Given your academic ability, college courses should be easy for you. Do you plan to skip ahead, or do you intend to take it slow and complete the full four years?" Qiu Jie asked.
Tang Qing shook his head in confusion and said, "I’m not in a rush to graduate. I’ll take it slow. However, I may have to take frequent absences in the future. I hope Principal Qiu could accommodate me then."
"No problem, your household affairs seem to be quite extraordinary. As someone competent, you naturally have many responsibilities. You simply need a leave; it’s a trivial matter. Even without my approval, your performance would still make the professors turn a blind eye."
"Just an average family. We run a small business. My parents have a jewelry store in our hometown." Tang Qing explained succinctly.
Qiu Jie didn’t believe that the answer was that simple. He looked at Tang Qing, smiled ambiguously, and said, "There must be more to it, right?"
"Well, one of the people you saw last time was my second uncle, who does business in Thailand. He has some influence." Tang Qing felt obliged to explain. While he didn’t have to disclose this, he respected the elderly.
This information was enough.
"I see. Eat up and don’t be shy." Qiu Jie did not ask further. If Tang Qing didn’t want to talk, could he not investigate? It was much simpler now than before when he didn’t even know Tang Qing’s name.
"Alright, I won’t be shy." Tang Qing glanced at the sweet and sour pork that he had almost finished.
Tang Qing was not afraid of Qiu Jie’s investigation. After all, Chai Ren, Zheng Lin, and other second-generation elites in Beijing, even Shen Yi’s father and many competitors of the Sheng Tang Group, were all looking into him now.
After all, the industrial and commercial registration information wasn’t a state secret. Anyone with some connections could find it easily. During this period, the number of individuals investigating him increased and varied widely in identity, covering various industries, even including the state.
Clearly, Chai Guoqiang had reported his information.
Tang Qing was fully aware of all these details.
But so what? As long as they didn’t cause trouble for him. If they wanted to investigate, let them. He wouldn’t lose anything.
During the meal, Qiu Jie mostly spoke and Tang Qing listened. He felt like he was facing his second uncle. Qiu Jie kept talking about the school’s affairs and his life experiences. Although it might sound tedious, it was sincere guidance which he didn’t find annoying.
After dinner.
Seeing that it was getting late, Tang Qing decided to leave. Seems like Qiu Jie’s son was still working since he didn’t show up.
Qiu Jie looked at his watch and said, "I won’t hold you two back then. Rest well when you get home and come visit any time." During the meal, Tang Qing’s demeanor, knowledge, and unique insights on things made him nod in approval.
"No problem."
"Grandpa, it’s raining outside." Qiu Wanrou pointed out the window.
Qiu Jie glanced over and saw that it was indeed raining, albeit lightly. But it seemed like a storm was brewing. The rustling of the leaves indicated the approaching storm.
In the coastal area, people had grown accustomed to heavy rain.
"Wan Rou, quickly fetch two umbrellas." Qiu Jie thought that Tang Qing was living on campus.
"It’s okay, Principal Qiu, someone’s coming to pick us up. They are waiting downstairs." Tang Qing quickly objected. Qiu Jie hadn’t noticed the rain, but the sensory-sharp Tang Qing of course knew it, and his men were waiting for him downstairs.
"Someone’s picking you up?"
Qiu Jie was puzzled. Tang Qing hadn’t called anyone, and he only needed to walk a few steps, why would he need a pick up?
"Yeah, it’s the weekend. Jiaxue and I are going home." Tang Qing explained.
Looking at the somewhat shy Lin Jiaxue, Qiu Jie understood and smiled, "Alright then, let me walk you out."
After bidding farewell to Qiu Jie’s daughter-in-law, Qiu Jie and his granddaughter followed Tang Qing downstairs.
As they stepped out of the building, Qiu Jie saw two large men in black standing at the door, holding umbrellas. Even at night, they were wearing sunglasses, which looked rather strange. Qiu Jie really wanted to ask: Can you even see the road right now?
Just as Qiu Jie was puzzled, the two men in black stepped forward and opened the umbrellas.
"Principal Qiu, these are the people waiting for me. You should go back now, it’s windy outside, and a bit chilly. Go home and rest early." Tang Qing turned around and said to Qiu Jie.
"These are your...?"
Qiu Jie pointed at the two men in black, somewhat stunned.
"They are my drivers and bodyguards. The place where I live is quite far from here. It takes more than an hour by car. So, I had to ask them to pick me up." Tang Qing laughed.
Hearing that they were Tang Qing’s bodyguards, Qiu Jie couldn’t hide his surprise. He became increasingly curious about Tang Qing’s real identity. The son of a jewelry shop owner clearly wouldn’t need to hire bodyguards.
Moreover, Tang Qing had said ’mine’, not ’our family’s’, which signified a significant difference.
"Alright then, be careful on the way." Qiu Jie advised. He had many questions but deferred asking them. He would learn everything in due course.
"Bye, sister Wan Rou." Tang Qing waved cheerily.
"Goodbye, Brother Tang, Sister Lin. You must come and visit often." Qiu Wanrou watched them with regret. Despite their short interaction, she felt a deep friendship with them, influenced by Tang Qing’s invisible charisma and Lin Jiaxue’s gentle and intelligent demeanor.
"Sure, no problem." Tang Qing gently tousled her hair, speaking warmly.
Afterward, Tang Qing took Lin Jiaxue’s hand and walked into the rain. The two fighters held umbrellas overhead. Luckily, the rain was light at the moment. If it started pouring with high winds, they would have had to bring the car up.
