My Ares Son-in-Law

Xiao Chen withdrew his gaze and said to Boss Zhao in a calm tone, "How you deal with your employees and your shop is your business. You don't need to ask me."

After saying that, he didn't linger. Holding the wooden box containing the pen holder, he turned and walked towards the exit of the antique street with unhurried steps, without looking back once more.

Behind him, Boss Zhao was still apologizing, and the cries and pleas of the two sales assistants could be faintly heard, but they could not stop Xiao Chen from leaving.

Xiao Chen slowly walked back along the antique street. The morning sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, warming him and making him feel very comfortable.

He glanced down at the wooden box in his arms, his fingertips gently stroking its surface. He could clearly feel the warm, spiritual energy emanating from the pen holder inside. The energy slowly seeped into his fingertips, making him feel comfortable all over.

The spiritual energy in this pen holder is enough for him to cultivate peacefully for several days, so his trip to the antique street wasn't in vain.

As for the people at Jubaozhai, they were just insignificant passersby in his life, not worth wasting too much time on.

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the clouds, casting a warm, orange-red halo that enveloped the entire city in gentle light and shadow.

Xiao Chen carried the wooden box containing the blue-and-white porcelain pen holder and slowly returned to his residence. As soon as he opened the door, a faint aroma of food wafted over, instantly dispelling his fatigue.

Zhou Keying had already returned from get off work, wearing a light-colored apron, and was busy in the kitchen. Her slender figure moved back and forth in front of the stove, skillfully stir-frying the dishes in the pot, her movements quick and serious.

The range hood in the kitchen was running quietly, accompanied by the sizzling sound of stir-frying, creating a scene full of the warmth of home cooking.

Hearing the door open, Zhou Keying immediately stopped what she was doing, peeked out from the kitchen doorway, a gentle smile on her face, bright eyes, and asked in a light tone:

"You're back? How was it? Did you get the gift? Did you get overwhelmed by the choices?"

Xiao Chen nodded gently, walked calmly into the living room, and carefully placed the wooden box he was carrying on the coffee table, his movements gentle as if afraid of damaging the pen holder inside. He replied in a calm tone:
"I bought it. I picked out a small item, nothing expensive."

Zhou Keying quickly turned off the range hood, wiped the grease off her hands with a clean cloth, walked briskly to the living room, sat down at the coffee table, and curiously picked up the wooden box on the table and gently opened it.

The moment the lid is opened, a simple and elegant blue and white porcelain brush holder comes into view. The blue and white patterns are delicate and smooth, and the glaze is lustrous and shiny. It is clear that it has been around for a long time and exudes a sense of time and experience.

However, Zhou Keying knew nothing about antiques. She only thought the pen holder looked unique, but she couldn't judge its value at all, let alone know that it was a fine piece from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties worth three million.

She reached out and gently touched the surface of the pen holder, feeling its cool touch. She looked up at Xiao Chen and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Is this an antique? It looks quite old. How much did you buy it for?"

Seeing her curious expression, Xiao Chen's eyes softened, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He deliberately softened his tone and casually said:
"It's not much money, around ten thousand yuan. It's just an ordinary little antique, perfect as a congratulatory gift. It's not extravagant."

He didn't tell the truth, deliberately saying three million was ten thousand, not because he didn't trust Zhou Keying, but because he didn't want her to feel guilty...

Three million, while not a huge sum for her, would still be a painful amount. Once she knew the real price, she would definitely question the source of the money and even suspect his identity, shattering the current rare peace.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Keying examined the pen holder carefully again, her brows furrowing slightly, a hint of hesitation on her face, and she said with a touch of worry:
"Over ten thousand? But it looks so old to me... it doesn't seem valuable. You didn't get ripped off by the antique shop owner, did you? The antique street is a mixed bag, lots of fakes." Xiao Chen looked at her worried face and gave a helpless wry smile.
"Don't worry, I wasn't scammed. Antiques are all about getting better with age. I like them, and they're not impolite to give as a gift. The thought is what counts."

Zhou Keying thought about it and felt that Xiao Chen's words made sense. She nodded gently, the worry on her face gradually disappearing, and said with a smile:

“That’s true. Zhang Ziren owns an antique shop, so he must know his stuff. Giving him an antique as a congratulatory gift is a way of catering to his tastes. And no matter how much it’s worth, the sentiment is what matters most. It’s much better than giving him something flashy and impractical.”

As she spoke, she suddenly seemed to remember something, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. She looked up at Xiao Chen and asked with concern:

"By the way, you went to the antique street alone today. Did you run into any trouble? I heard that the antique street is quite chaotic, and there are a lot of snobbish shop assistants. Did no one give you any trouble?"

Xiao Chen recalled the snobbish sales assistants he had encountered at Jubaozhai during the day. A fleeting, almost imperceptible, indifference crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his gentle expression, shook his head slightly, and said in a calm tone:
"No, everything went smoothly. I just wandered around, picked out this pen holder, and came back without any trouble."

Those unimportant people and things are not worth mentioning to Zhou Keying, so as not to worry her.

Hearing this, Zhou Keying finally breathed a sigh of relief, a smile returned to her face, and she stood up and said:
"That's good. I was worried about you. Sit in the living room for a while, I'll go and cook the last dish, and we'll be able to eat soon."

After saying that, she turned and walked quickly into the kitchen, her steps light and quick, humming a cheerful tune. It was clear that she was in a very good mood.

Xiao Chen stood in the living room, his gaze falling on the wooden box on the coffee table, his expression gradually becoming calm.

He slowly walked over, opened the wooden box, and looked at the blue and white porcelain brush holder inside. His fingertips gently stroked the surface of the brush holder, and he could clearly feel the warm and lingering spiritual energy, which was quietly dormant among the blue and white patterns, as if waiting for him to absorb it.

Bought for 10,000 yuan?
No.

It's three million.

Xiao Chen thought to himself silently, a deep look flashing in his eyes.

He wasn't deliberately trying to hide it; he just didn't want to disrupt the current peace and didn't want Zhou Keying to fall into unnecessary worry and speculation.

Three million was just a small sum of money he could easily take out; there was no need to flaunt it.

In the kitchen, the sizzling sound of stir-frying rang out again, accompanied by Zhou Keying's cheerful singing. The warm, homey atmosphere filled the entire room, creating a particularly soothing ambiance.

Xiao Chen carefully closed the wooden box, picked it up, and turned to walk into his room.

The setting sun cast its last rays through the window, dappling the floor with golden light, warm and bright. (End of Chapter)