A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1333 Fan Shengmei's Inner monologue! (Please subscribe!)
Qiu Yingying covered her mouth, her eyes filled with surprise and reminiscence:
"Slam Dunk was my favorite manga when I was a kid."

Guan Guan asked curiously, "How come I didn't know you liked basketball?"

Qiu Yingying chuckled: "I have many hobbies. Do you know what a treasure girl is? That's me!"

The girls all giggled as she boasted.

At this moment, Hua Shier saw several women arrive on his floor through the security camera, so he opened the door and came out of room 2101:

"Why are you here?"

Fan Shengmei, confident in her familiarity with him, feigned displeasure and said:

"Why, you're not welcome!"

Andy said, "This morning we saw that your place was a mess, so we thought we'd come and see how it was going and if we could help in any way, but it seems like you've already got it sorted out!"

Guan Juer pointed around and asked:

"Brother Wang, did you hire someone to paint this? It's really well done, how much did it cost?"

Hua Shier pointed to a speck of dye on his cuff:
"What, doesn't this look like something I drew myself?"

The women were all very surprised, never expecting that this man was so talented. Guan Juer sincerely praised him:

"Brother Wang, you're so talented! You sing like Pavarotti, and you paint so well too!"

Qiu Yingying nodded vigorously, then pointed to the painting on the wall depicting Jordan's last shot from behind and asked:
"Brother Wang, who is this person? I don't remember him being in Slam Dunk."

Hua Twelve laughed and explained:
"This is Michael Jordan, the god of basketball. Everyone in the world who loves basketball knows him. Let's put it this way: without Jordan, basketball wouldn't have the influence it has today, and there's a good chance that the manga 'Slam Dunk' wouldn't exist!"

Guan Juer covered her forehead speechlessly: "Little earthworm, is this what you mean by liking basketball?"

Qiu Yingying chuckled awkwardly, "I like Rukawa Kaede. What's basketball anyway!"

She had barely finished speaking when she suddenly sniffed the air: "What smells so good?"

The others also smelled the delicious aroma. Hua Shier glanced at his watch:
"I roasted a leg of lamb. It's almost time now. You guys haven't eaten yet, have you? How about we eat together?"

Qiu Yingying, the foodie, nodded vigorously:
"Mmmmmmm!"

Fan Shengmei replied without hesitation, "Okay!"

She felt that since Wang Baichuan had come all this way to her place, it wouldn't be right not to give him a chance to get closer to her. Besides, she had originally planned to assess Wang Baichuan's financial situation, so she couldn't very well refuse his invitation to dinner.

Seeing that her two roommates had agreed, Guan Juer felt a little embarrassed, but even more reluctant to refuse, so she said:
"Then we'll trouble you, Brother Wang. We'll return the favor another day!"

Hua Shier waved his hand: "We're all neighbors, what's the trouble?"

Before Andy could make up her mind, Fan Shengmei pulled her inside, so she could only say, "Thank you!" She was thinking the same thing as Guan Juer: she would just have to return the favor another day.

Hua Shier led them to 2101. As soon as they entered, Andy was fine, but Fan Shengmei, Qiu Yingying, and Guan Juer were surprised by the luxurious decoration and furnishings in the room.

The crystal chandelier on the ceiling cut the light into diamond-like fragments, and the light and shadow flowed on the imported Caramel white marble floor.

The classic Italian sofa occupies the visual center like a sculpture, with the curves of the armrests resembling frozen waves. The Poliform full-wall walnut bookcase is inlaid with brass slides, and each light fixture has been adjusted to museum-quality color temperature.

Fan Shengmei's fingertips brushed unintentionally against Giorgetti's entryway table, the smooth feel of enamel inlay against her skin.

The Lalique crystal ornament on the table reflects iridescent colors, creating a material match with the Fendi Casa crocodile leather coffee table.

After Hua Shier came in, he told everyone to sit wherever they liked. He went to check the oven and, sure enough, it was time to cook. He immediately opened the oven and tested it with a fork.
"It'll be a little while longer. You can do whatever you want. I'll add some side dishes, and it'll be ready in about thirty minutes!"

He deftly chopped the onions, potatoes, and carrots, placed them in the baking pan, and then set the timer for another thirty minutes.

Qiu Yingying, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly exclaimed, "Wow, this sofa can move!"

Andy glanced at it and explained, "I've seen this sofa before. It comes with heating, temperature control, and massage functions, which can relieve fatigue!"

Qiu Yingying, Guan Juer, and Fan Shengmei all sat down, saying they wanted to experience it.

After pressing it for a while, Guan Juer said, "This is so comfortable! I have to buy one. I'll sleep on it at home. Andy, how much is this sofa?"

Andy thought for a moment: "Even the base model costs over ten thousand!"

Guan Juer stuck out her tongue: "Forget it, I can't afford it!"

Fan Shengmei's eyes sparkled as she looked around. She felt that this was the life she wanted, the life she deserved!

Hua Shier quickly made a fruit and vegetable salad to serve as a side dish to cut through the greasiness of the barbecue.

After washing his hands, he opened the Minotti's concealed wine cabinet. The German-plated rails immediately emitted a silky rustling sound. He casually took out a bottle of red wine, turned around, and smiled, saying:
"Please have some red wine with your roast lamb leg. If you can't drink alcohol, you can have a soft drink!"

Qiu Yingying quickly raised her hand: "I'll drink the juice!"

"no problem!"

Hua Shier then casually opened the Gaggenau built-in refrigerator and took out a bottle of fresh juice:

"Grape juice, it's good for fighting oxidation and aging!"

Qiu Yingying nodded vigorously.

Hua Shier placed the red wine and juice on the table, and then took out a decanter to start decanting the wine.

Andy then noticed the wine label and quickly said:
"Mr. Wang, this bottle of red wine is too expensive. We don't need to drink such expensive wine!"

Fan Shengmei, who knew nothing about wine, asked, "Is this wine very expensive?"

Andy walked over and took a closer look, then smiled wryly and said, "A 05 Romanée-Conti, it must cost over two hundred thousand now!"

The women were speechless with astonishment; a bottle of wine costing over 200,000 yuan was simply unimaginable to them.

Hua Shier waved his hand with a smile: "Hey, this wine is just homemade wine from a friend's house. It's just a random label. You can easily buy this kind of brand online for a very cheap price!"

After he said that, the three girls in room 2202 were relieved and realized that this made sense. How could someone drink alcohol worth over 200,000 yuan at home?

Only Andy, seeing that the wine didn't seem fake, leaned closer, fanned the decanter's spout with his hand, smelled it, and then gave Hua Twelve a meaningful look.

Hua Shier knew she had seen through him, so he moved closer and whispered:

"It's just a meal, there's no need to make them so nervous. Wouldn't it be better if they relaxed a bit?"

Andy rolled his eyes in annoyance and said in a low voice, "Then why did you bring out such expensive wine!"

Hua Shierchao gestured towards the wine cabinet: "Go see for yourself, see if there are any cheap ones!"

Andy actually glanced into the wine cabinet. Well, was this a wine cabinet or a safe? A single bottle of wine cost hundreds of thousands. She even saw two bottles of 'Lai Mao' that looked like antiques. Although she had lived abroad for many years, she had heard of the value of this wine. She guessed that this was the ceiling of domestic liquor.

Ding!
The oven gave a timer, indicating that the lamb leg was completely roasted. As soon as Hua Shier opened the oven, a wonderful aroma wafted out, stimulating the taste buds of the girls.

Qiu Yingying exclaimed with delight, "It smells so good! I can't wait any longer. Look, my mouth is watering!"

Seeing her shameless reaction to the delicious food, everyone couldn't help but laugh. Hua Shier placed an iron plate on the table, and then, to make it look impressive, put on heat-resistant gloves before taking out the lamb leg, placing it on the iron plate, and preparing dipping sauce for everyone.

Following the northern style of eating, Hua Shier distributed a small knife to everyone:

"Let's eat something hearty, we'll cut the meat ourselves!"

As he spoke, he demonstrated for the women, cutting off a piece of mutton with a knife, dipping it in the sauce, and putting it in his mouth to chew.

Qiu Yingying immediately imitated him, cutting off a piece of mutton, dipping it in sauce, and putting it in her mouth. Then, a happy expression appeared on her face, her eyes narrowed, looking like she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

“It smells so good!”

The other girls were initially a little embarrassed, but seeing Qiu Yingying's expression, they all started cutting meat with their knives and eating it without restraint.

Hua Shier poured red wine for everyone, while Qiu Yingying poured herself juice. The former raised her glass:
"A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. We live in the same building, one of whom is my old classmate. This is fate. Come on, let's drink to this fate!"

The women responded in unison, raising their glasses and shouting, "Cheers!"

There's a saying in the North: there's nothing a barbecue can't solve. Roasted lamb leg is no exception. Everyone sits together, eats meat, drinks wine, laughs and jokes, and quickly gets closer and becomes familiar with each other.

Guan Juer asked, somewhat puzzled, "Brother Wang, I heard that you're renting this place?"

Hua Shier nodded: "That's right, what's wrong?"

"I don't understand why you rent three apartments together and decorate them so luxuriously. Aren't you just decorating for someone else? Why don't you use that money to buy your own apartment?"

Hua Twelve smiled and said:
"I just arrived in Shanghai and I don't have the qualifications to buy a house. I've asked around, and even if I'm buying a second-hand house or transferring ownership as a gift, I still need the qualifications to buy a house before the transfer can be completed!"

"Of course, there are ways to solve this without going through the formal channels, but I'm unwilling to do that. I can live in a rented place just the same!"

"As for the renovation, you have to renovate the houses you bought yourself. It's not a waste to renovate every ten years, right? I rented out these three houses for ten years, so it's no different from renovating them for myself!"

Fan Shengmei asked, "These furniture and appliances of yours don't look cheap, do they?"

Hua Shier shook his head: "It's alright, they were all discounted items, I didn't spend much money!"

Yes, he's a big customer, buying so many luxury brands at once, so of course the mall will give him a discount. But even with the discount, it's still an astronomical figure for a working-class person.

Of course, Hua Shier wasn't lying; the renovation expenses were indeed minimal compared to the funds in his account.

When Fan Shengmei heard that the items were on sale, the enthusiasm in her eyes immediately diminished.

In her mind, discounted items are like unsold bread in dessert shops that are sold at half price, 30% off, or 10% off in the evening. Therefore, she believes that buying discounted items does not reflect one's economic strength.

Yes, we need to continue our investigation.

When Qiu Yingying brought up what happened today, she asked in a low voice:
"Brother Wang, tell the truth, did you do those things outside Qu Xiaoxiao's door?"

Fan Shengmei quickly said:

"Little earthworm, this is mealtime! Can you please not bring up such disgusting things? You won't be able to eat later!"

Guan Juer and Andy both nodded repeatedly when they thought about the scene of the excrement being thrown that morning.

Andy added, "I'm traumatized. Today, when I parked in the underground garage, it smelled like morning air."

Hua Shier had a strange expression. The situation in the basement was even worse than at the entrance of 2203!

Fan Shengmei then spoke up, "Bai Chuan, I don't think you're being nice. Qu Xiaoxiao is a girl after all, and she's younger than you. Can't you be more considerate of her? Why are you being so petty with her?"

Hua Shier wondered if Fan Shengmei had lost her mind, why was she suddenly speaking up for Qu Xiaoxiao?

In reality, Fan Shengmei felt that Wang Baichuan should change his temper. Otherwise, if she passed Wang Baichuan's test and they got together, what would she do if this jerk threw tantrums at her?

If Hua Shier knew, he would definitely say that you're overthinking things.

He couldn't be bothered to argue with someone who advised others to be kind, and just scoffed.
"Yes, you're right. Let's eat!"

Meanwhile, Qu Xiaoxiao's parents took Qu Lianjie to the hospital.

At this moment, Qu Xiaoxiao lay silently on the hospital bed. Her wealthy friends, when questioned by Qu's father, all stammered and couldn't very well say that their daughter had been provoked by the feces thrown at her.

Mr. Qu anxiously asked the doctor:
"Doctor, how is my daughter?"

The doctor reviewed the medical records: "She had a slight lung infection when she was brought in, but she's already been given medication and it's not a serious problem. It's just that she seems to have some psychological issues!"

Qu Lianjie exclaimed with surprise, "My sister has gone mad?" He really wanted to grab the doctor's hand and say, "It's a promise, a double blessing! We must have solid proof, we can't change it now!"

But upon hearing his words, Qu Xiaoxiao immediately snapped out of her numb state and bristled, saying:
"Qu Lianjie, you're the one who's crazy! Even if you're crazy, I'm not! Get out of here! Get out of here!"

The doctor explained, "Don't worry, she's just been a little agitated. Also, you family members should be careful not to upset her further!"

Qu's father yelled at Qu Lianjie, "Didn't you hear me? Your sister can't take any more stress! Get out of here now!"

Seeing his father's outburst, Qu Lianjie dared not say anything more and slunk out of the ward.

Qu's mother asked the doctor, "Doctor, how do we solve this psychological problem?"

The doctor said, "We've spoken with a psychologist, and this will take time to alleviate. Perhaps we could have her do something she enjoys to distract her and prevent her from thinking about unpleasant things, which would also help her condition!"

Taking the opportunity, Qu's mother said to Qu's father:
“Our daughter came back wanting to make something of herself and prove herself to you. Since the doctor said to let her do what she likes, I think we should find her some work. Aren’t we negotiating the agency rights for GI? I think we should let Xiaoxiao handle that!”

Qu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up:
"Dad, I want to do this. Just leave GI to me, and I'll make sure it's done perfectly!"

Mr. Qu said with difficulty, "But your older brother is working on that project!"

Qu Xiaoxiao's eyes darted around, then her face fell, looking as if she had lost her parents. Her mother immediately panicked and snapped at her father:
"I think you just can't stand to see your daughter doing well; you value money more than your daughter!"

Mr. Qu also cared about his daughter, and gritted his teeth:

"Alright, let Xiaoxiao do it then, but she has to do it well!"

Qu Xiaoxiao immediately hugged her father; "Dad, you're the best!" She felt that she had actually turned misfortune into blessing.

She was hospitalized here, and next to her were Yao Bin and a few others who were being showered. These people all had some kind of respiratory infection, and they couldn't help it because they choked. Now their burps even have a special flavor, which is really intoxicating!

Yao Bin, after receiving intravenous fluids for two days, felt much better and immediately wanted to seek revenge on Hua Shier, but was stopped by Qu Xiaoxiao:

"None of you should make any rash moves. I recently accepted the GI agency rights and don't want to cause any trouble. Once I take over GI, that will be our time for revenge. If I don't get my revenge, I'm not Qu Xiaoxiao!"

Of course, these people all know that their revenge is not about killing anyone. This is a society governed by law, and since the other party has played them like this, they definitely have to get back at them.

When Qu Xiaoxiao took over the company's business, she was immediately overwhelmed. She was surprised to find that despite studying in the United States for several years, she couldn't understand English documents, which was really ridiculous.

At this point, Yao Bin tells Qu Xiaoxiao that the previous information was wrong. The reason Andy drives Tan Zongming's car is because she is a high-end talent at the level of Wall Street elites that Tan Zongming invited back.

Qu Xiaoxiao immediately set her sights on Andy, and a week after the feces-throwing incident, she moved back to the Ode to Joy neighborhood.

Thanks to 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, and Desert Octopus for their generous donations, and to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!