My Ares Son-in-Law

Upon hearing the name "Jiang Youwei," Jiang Xuanxuan exclaimed in surprise, her face filled with astonishment: "Jiang Youwei? That antique appraisal expert who frequently appears on the 'Treasure Appraisal' program? He's actually your father?"

Jiang Lanting nodded smugly, his face full of pride:

"That's right, it's my dad! He's here today too, in the private room upstairs. How about I ask him to come down and take a look at this 'treasure' pen holder that Xiao Chen gave us, and see how much it's worth? It'll be good for everyone to see!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had grasped a lifeline. He abruptly stood up and shouted at Jiang Lanting:
"Then I'll trouble Miss Jiang to invite my uncle down here and show him to us! If this broken pen holder of Xiao Chen's really can exceed the total amount of all the gifts we've received today, I, Li Xiao, will gnaw this table on the spot! I mean what I say!"

His words caused the entire audience to erupt in cheers once again, with everyone excitedly watching the stage.

They waited for Jiang Youwei to come down so they could see if Xiao Chen's pen holder was real or fake and how much it was worth. They also waited to see Li Xiao bite the table or Xiao Chen get a good show of being humiliated on the spot.

Jiang Xuanxuan leaned closer to Zhou Keying, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of schadenfreude:

"Keying, Jiang Lanting's father really is here, it's that famous appraiser Jiang Youwei. That pen holder you gave us will definitely be shown off later, and then..."

She paused, glanced at Xiao Chen, and her smile widened: "Then, some people will be slapped in the face on the spot, let's see how they can still brag!"

Xiao Chen sat to the side, his expression unchanged, only giving a faint "oh" without any panic in his eyes, as if everything in front of him was irrelevant, so calm that he was hard to fathom.

Zhou Keying, however, became somewhat nervous. She gripped Xiao Chen's hand tightly, her voice filled with worry, and asked softly, "Jiang Lanting's father? Is that the famous cultural relic appraisal expert Jiang Youwei who's always on TV?"

“Yes, it’s him.” Jiang Xuanxuan nodded and said with certainty.

"I heard that Zhang Ziren specially invited him to come and oversee things. He will also be appraising several important collectibles on the spot to promote Renhetang and let everyone know that Renhetang's collectibles are genuine and valuable."

Zhou Keying subconsciously looked at Xiao Chen, her worry deepening.

The pen holder that Xiao Chen gave me, although Xiao Chen said it cost more than 10,000 yuan, what if it's fake, or not worth that much money at all?

If Jiang Youwei were to identify Xiao Chen in front of so many old classmates, she would be utterly humiliated, and she would be embarrassed along with him.

Xiao Chen felt the tension and worry in her palm. He turned his head slightly to look at her, his eyes gentle and reassuring. He patted her hand lightly and said calmly, "It's okay, don't worry, there won't be any problems."

Zhou Keying opened her mouth, wanting to say something, wanting to persuade Xiao Chen to quickly find an excuse to take the pen holder back.

Looking at Xiao Chen's calm and composed gaze, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue, and simply nodded slightly, but the worry in her heart did not diminish at all.

As they were talking, a commotion suddenly broke out in the hall. Someone exclaimed in a low voice, and all eyes turned to the door. Discussions immediately rose and fell.

"Teacher Jiang is here! It's Teacher Jiang Youwei!" "Hello, Teacher Jiang! I've heard so much about you!"

Accompanied by a respectful greeting, a middle-aged man in his fifties slowly walked in.

He was dressed in a dark gray Tang suit, made of exquisite fabric. He stood tall and straight, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes and brows revealed a touch of elegance and humility. He exuded the calm and composed aura of a cultural relics expert, and every move he made was unhurried.

A young woman followed closely behind him; it was Jiang Lanting. She was wearing a fashionable and beautiful dress, with exquisite makeup, but her face carried an undisguised arrogance. She walked with her chin held high, looking superior to everyone else.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Ziren quickly stepped forward, his face full of respect, his tone both warm and humble: "Teacher Jiang, you've finally arrived! Please come in, please come in, please come inside!"

Jiang Youwei nodded slightly, a gentle smile appearing on his face. His gaze slowly swept over the shop's furnishings, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes as he looked at the antique decor and neatly arranged collections. He slowly began to speak:

"Ziren, your shop is decorated very well. It has an antique feel and a touch of ancient charm. It's clear that you put your heart into it."

Zhang Ziren was flattered and quickly waved his hand, saying humbly, "Teacher Jiang, you flatter me. My skills are all learned from you, and they are nothing compared to yours."

Jiang Lanting followed behind her father, her gaze quickly sweeping across the crowd before landing on Zhou Keying. A complex expression flashed across her face... a mixture of jealousy, resentment, and a hint of barely perceptible hostility.

She and Zhou Keying were high school classmates, and their relationship was always lukewarm.

Zhou Keying is beautiful, academically excellent, and gentle in personality. She is a well-known and popular figure in the class, attracting everyone's attention wherever she goes.
Jiang Lanting, despite her privileged background, was constantly compared to Zhou Keying by those around her. No matter how hard she tried, she could never surpass Zhou Keying, which inevitably led to a lot of resentment in her heart.

Later, she overheard that Zhou Keying had found an unemployed man as her boyfriend, who didn't even have a proper job. She was secretly pleased for a while, thinking that finally there was someone who could compare to Zhou Keying.

Today, she specially invited her father down, hoping to use him to give Zhou Keying a good slap in the face.

Let everyone see just how utterly worthless Zhou Keying's boyfriend is, and how pathetic Zhou Keying's life is now.

After Jiang Youwei sat down to rest for a while, Zhang Ziren quickly walked to the long table in the center of the hall, cleared his throat, and raised his voice to say:
"Dear friends and colleagues, today is the auspicious day of the opening of Renhetang. I am very grateful to everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and support us. I, Zhang Ziren, will remember this kindness!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a round of enthusiastic applause broke out in the room, which lasted for a while before gradually subsiding.

Zhang Ziren continued:
"Today, I have specially invited Mr. Jiang Youwei, a famous cultural relic appraisal expert from our provincial capital, to come to the site to appraise several collections for everyone."

Firstly, we want to broaden everyone's horizons and let them see genuine antique treasures; secondly, we also want to invite Mr. Jiang to add to the festive atmosphere of Renhetang and witness our sincerity!

The crowd applauded again, their eyes turning to Jiang Youwei with admiration and anticipation… Witnessing Jiang Youwei's on-site appraisal was a rare opportunity for many collectors or those simply curious about antiques. (End of Chapter)