First, then, love.

Everyone took their seats.

A large round table made of Phoebe zhennan wood.

Shu Jianguo was forced by He's father to sit in the seat of honor.

Lin Shufen stood next to Shen Minghua.

Shu Yao and He Zheng sat side by side at the lower end.

The seating arrangement is very clear.

The elders sit in the seat of honor, while the younger generation sits in the accompanying seats.

The waiters filed in and began serving the cold dishes.

The chilled osmanthus-flavored white lotus root, the cold-dressed shepherd's purse, and the braised platter were exquisitely presented, with small portions, yet they exuded a sense of refinement.

Mr. He picked up the white porcelain teacup in front of him, took a sip, and put it down.

He turned to look at Shu Jianguo, a smile on his face.

"Old Shu, isn't there a restoration project underway on the Ming Dynasty city wall ruins on the east side of our city? Is your Cultural Bureau leading this project?"

Shu Jianguo was holding his chopsticks, unsure which dish to start eating.

Upon hearing Mr. He's question, he immediately put down his chopsticks and straightened his back.

This topic has run into his line of fire.

"Yes, it's our bureau's cultural relics protection section that's handling it." Shu Jianguo pushed up his glasses.

When talking about his job, his awkwardness instantly diminished by more than half.

"This project is difficult. The bricks of the old city wall are severely weathered. The city requires that the old walls be restored to their original state. We couldn't find the original blue bricks, so we went to three provinces before we found a substitute in an abandoned ancient kiln. The resistance in the process was enormous."

When Shu Jianguo started talking about these things, he couldn't resist pouring out his grievances.

Mr. He nodded repeatedly, tapping his finger on the table.

"Restoring the old as it was—it's easy to say, but a bottomless pit in practice." Father He sighed. "Financial allocations are limited. The higher-ups want political achievements, while the lower-ups want to protect cultural relics. You're caught in the middle, suffering from both sides. It's not easy."

One sentence struck a chord with Shu Jianguo.

Shu Jianguo's eyes reddened, and he almost slammed his fist on the table.

"Father-in-law, you know your stuff! Those urban construction guys practically want to tear down the ancient city wall and build a commercial street. We cultural heritage preservation workers argue with them every day, until we're red in the face and our necks are bulging. That's how my blood pressure goes up!"

"We can't push it down." Father He's expression turned serious. "It's a root left by our ancestors. Pushing it down would make us sinners in history. I'll bring this up at the Standing Committee meeting later and allocate some special funds to your Cultural Bureau to protect this city wall."

Shu Jianguo was so excited that he rubbed his hands together.

The funding problem had been troubling the bureau for more than half a year.

At the dinner table, it was resolved with a single, casual remark from the father-in-law.

He looked at He's father, and his eyes completely changed.

This is hardly the high and mighty provincial party committee leader.

This is clearly a confidant who understands and supports him.

"He Zheng." He's father turned around and called out to his son, "Go to the trunk of my car. Bring that white styrofoam box up."

He Zheng was using serving chopsticks to put a piece of lotus root on Shu Yao's plate.

Hearing commands.

He put down his chopsticks, stood up, and pushed open the door to go out.

Within two minutes, He Zheng carried in a small white foam box.

It was placed on the preparation table in the corner.

Tear off the tape and open the lid.

They took out two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor) without any labels or packaging; the bottles were just plain white porcelain bottles with the mouths sealed tightly with red wax.

He Zheng picked up the bottle opener from the table, scraped off the sealant, and pulled it off forcefully.

"Pop".

Remove the cork.

A rich, mellow aroma of soy sauce-flavored liquor instantly filled the private room, forcefully penetrating everyone's nostrils.

Even though Shu Yao didn't know anything about wine, she thought it smelled good.

It doesn't have a pungent smell.

It carries a sweet aroma of fermented grains.

When Shu Jianguo smelled this aroma, his eyes lit up and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.

He Zheng walked over with a wine bottle and filled the wine dispenser in front of Shu Jianguo.

The wine is slightly yellow and has a very thick coating on the glass.

Then he poured a full glass for Father He.

"Old Shu, let's not talk about business today, let's just talk about culture and history." Father He picked up his small wine cup. "This wine was a gift from an old comrade-in-arms from the Northwest Military Region. It's been stored in the underground cellar for thirty years. I usually can't bear to drink it. But today we're happy, let's drink to our hearts' content."

Shu Jianguo quickly picked up his wine cup and stood up.

"Father-in-law, this is too much trouble, I toast you!"

The two clinked their glasses, making a crisp, clear sound.

He raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.

After drinking strong liquor.

Shu Jianguo's face flushed instantly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

But he felt great, as if every pore on his body had opened up.

"Good wine! Smooth on the throat, not spicy at all!" Shu Jianguo praised.

Father He laughed heartily and picked up his chopsticks.

"Eat some vegetables, eat some vegetables. Fill your stomach before you drink."

The man opened a bottle of wine, and the atmosphere became incredibly lively.

Shu Jianguo completely forgot his restraint and pulled He's father along.

The conversation started with the nascent capitalism of the Ming Dynasty, then moved on to the Qing Dynasty's policy of isolationism, and finally discussed the development of the city's cultural industry.

The two hit it off as they talked.

After a few rounds of drinks, the way people addressed each other completely changed.

"Old He, let me tell you..." Shu Jianguo slapped his thigh, his face beaming.

"Old Shu, your insights are unique, I'd like to toast you..." Father He nodded repeatedly, holding his wine glass.

the other side.

Shen Minghua and Lin Shufen started chatting.

Shen Minghua, with his sharp eyes, immediately recognized the origin of the clothes Lin Shufen was wearing.

"Girl, you've chosen a great dress. I often order from that Milan brand. Their hand embroidery is the best part; it makes you look so elegant and flatters your figure beautifully."

Shen Minghua's opening remarks were full of compliments, each sentence hitting Lin Shufen's vanity.

Lin Shufen was overjoyed by the praise and couldn't stop smiling.

"Minghua, you have such a good eye! This dress was bought for me at Henglong Plaza yesterday by Yaoyao. That girl spends money so extravagantly. I said I would just buy something that costs a few hundred yuan, but she insisted that I wear this. It broke my heart."

Lin Shufen complained half-jokingly, but in reality, she was showing off.

Shen Minghua smiled and waved his hand.

"Your daughter is so filial, that's your blessing. This fabric is delicate, so don't use the washing machine to wash it; you have to take it to the dry cleaners."

"I know, I know," Lin Shufen nodded repeatedly.

Shen Minghua's gaze shifted downwards and landed on the icy jadeite bracelet on Lin Shufen's wrist.

This bracelet was an engagement gift that she had sent over.

"This bracelet looks much better on your wrist than it does in the box. Its luster is truly nourishing." Shen Minghua pulled Lin Shufen's hand over and examined it closely. "Yesterday I thought that your fair skin could carry off this emerald green. On someone else, it would easily make them look older."

Lin Shufen touched the bracelet, smiling so broadly that her eyes disappeared from her smile.

"Sister Minghua, this gift is too heavy. I don't dare to wear it out, for fear of bumping or scratching it."

"We're family, so let's not talk like strangers. Jewelry is meant to be worn."

Shen Minghua leaned forward, lowered her voice, and began discussing the most private topic between women.

"Let me tell you, never buy jade from department store counters. They rip you off, they add brand premiums to everything."

Lin Shufen immediately perked up her ears, looking eager to learn.

"Where should we buy it? In Yunnan?"

Shen Minghua shook his head, his face full of disdain.

"The tourist areas in Yunnan are even more deceptive; they're full of counterfeit and substandard goods soaked in chemicals, and wearing them for a long time can cause cancer."

She patted the green "nothing to worry about" plaque on her wrist.

"If you really want good quality jade, you have to go to an auction house, or find a jade mine owner in Myanmar to get the raw material directly and then find a craftsman to carve it yourself. I know a few reliable jade carving masters. When I have time, I'll take you around and we can choose the stones and cut them ourselves."

Lin Shufen's eyes lit up as she listened.

This is the key to entering the circle of top-tier wealthy women.

"That's great! I'll learn something new from Sister Minghua!"

"The same goes for bags." Shen Minghua changed the subject, pointing to his Birkin bag on the chair next to him.

"Don't listen to the sales assistants' nonsense about 'buying additional items' or 'waiting in line,' those are just sales tactics. If you really want to buy, I'll recommend my sales associate to you; you won't need to buy additional items, and you can get the latest styles directly."

The two women touched heads and chatted animatedly.

The conversation ranged from jewelry to beauty and skincare, and even to gossip about saleswomen at various luxury brand stores.

Lin Shufen completely let loose, and her laughter grew louder and louder.

Parents on both sides.

Men drink Moutai and discuss world affairs, while women chat about jewelry and buy handbags.

The atmosphere was extremely harmonious.

The two parties involved, who were sitting at the lower end of the table, were completely ignored.