Zhuang Rui had promised Wu Jia's grandfather, so naturally he couldn't go back on his word.
Upon hearing this, Gu Lao picked up the jade pendant and examined it for a moment before asking, "Is this pendant for a man or a woman to wear?"
"For my mom and my niece..."
"Oh, men wear Guanyin and women wear Buddha, so three pendants are fine. It's just that the material for the earrings and the ring face... we can cut back, but it won't be very big. Are you sure?"
Following the old man's habit of carving in Beijing, this piece of jade was just the right amount to cut into three pendants, without any waste. If it were according to Zhuang Rui's request, the pendants would be smaller.
"Uncle-Master, I dare not hide this from you, this matter..."
Zhuang Rui hesitated for a moment before revealing that Grandpa Wu wanted to keep a ring face. If he didn't tell the old man, it would definitely upset him.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Gu Lao was not angry. Instead, he said with some emotion, "It's Brother Wu. Alas, I heard a few years ago that his son and daughter-in-law had a car accident and his health deteriorated. I didn't expect that he would be unable to perform surgery. Our generation is getting younger and younger."
"Okay, I'll take the job, but it won't be quick. I'm leaving tomorrow and won't be back for three to five days. It'll be about half a month before I finish this job. Oh, wait a minute, there's something else I need to tell you."
Old Gu stood up and walked into the main room. Not long after, he came out with a red-covered notebook in his hand.
"Here, this is for you. Take a look..."
Zhuang Rui took the red-covered book and realized it was a betrothal letter wrapped in red silk. But after opening it, Zhuang Rui was dumbfounded. Pointing to the words on it, he stammered, "Grandpa, you...you...you're not joking with me, are you?"
The letter of appointment read, "Mr. Zhuang Rui is hereby appointed as a director of this association..."
The words made Zhuang Rui feel as if he were dreaming. Looking at the red stamp and signature below, he saw that it was the seal of the Jade Association and the three words "Gu Tianfeng".
"Uncle-Master Gu, I dare not accept such a title. If anyone were to say that you are abusing your power for personal gain, then it would be entirely my fault."
Zhuang Rui looked at the letter of appointment again carefully. Yes, it was for him. He quickly declined, saying that apart from winning a few pieces of jade in a gamble, he had nothing else to do with jade. He wondered why Old Master Gu would come up with such a title for him. This made Zhuang Rui feel a little apprehensive.
"Why are you getting so excited? A director isn't the chairman, it's just a title. There are over thirty directors in the association, and even Song Jun managed to become one. What are you afraid of?"
Seeing Zhuang Ruicheng's fearful expression, the old man laughed.
"What? More than thirty board members? Brother Song too..."
Zhuang Rui was stunned. He had thought that a huge windfall had fallen from the sky and hit him, but this also put his mind at ease. He was still young and couldn't bear too heavy a burden.
"Don't take this lightly. Let me tell you, although the Jade Association is a non-governmental organization, its affiliated jade testing center is quite authoritative in jade identification. And with this status, you won't need special invitations to participate in various jade bidding events across the country. Even in countries that are major jade producers, this thing still has some use..."
The old man gave Zhuang Rui this identity so that it would be easier for him to enter and leave those jade gambling venues in the future. Besides, he is not young anymore, and he will probably resign from his position in the Jade Association after this year. This can be regarded as taking care of Zhuang Rui before retiring.
"Senior Uncle, thank you so much..."
Zhuang Rui finally understood what the old man meant when he heard his words. With this thing, it would indeed be much more convenient to gamble on stones in the future, and even if he went to Myanmar, he would have a legitimate reason: academic exchange.
The old man waved his hand, saying that this was nothing to him, just a simple nomination.
"By the way, are you in a hurry for this item? Are you going back to Pengcheng first, or are you waiting in Beijing?"
The old man will be gone for several days, so I'm asking Zhuang Rui about it.
Zhuang Rui was also a little hesitant. Going back and forth in this sweltering heat was really uncomfortable. However, if he stayed in Beijing, he was too lazy to go out and visit those famous historical sites under the scorching sun. He was undecided for a moment.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's expression, Gu Lao said, "How about this, if you have time, come with me for a trip. You'll be back in three to five days and you'll broaden your horizons."
"Senior Uncle, where are you going this time?"
Zhuang Rui asked with some curiosity, "Running outside in this sweltering heat is unbearable even for a young man like me, let alone Grandpa Gu."
"Go to Xinjiang, Hotan..."
This name is probably familiar to any Chinese person, and Zhuang Rui is no exception. He has long yearned for the origin of mutton fat jade.
“Alright, Uncle-Master, I’ll go with you. I’ve been wanting to see soft jade for a long time…”
Zhuang Rui readily agreed, knowing that being able to stay by the old man's side meant he would see all sorts of good things.
"Hmm, you stayed at a hotel yesterday, right? Go and tidy up, stay here tonight. Our flight is early tomorrow morning. Oh, and I need someone to book a ticket for you."
Old Gu gave Zhuang Rui a few instructions and went inside to make a phone call. He had booked his plane ticket a few days ago, and taking Zhuang Rui along was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. He didn't know if there were any tickets left.
Zhuang Rui also took out his phone and called home, telling his mother that he would be going back after a few days of vacation. His mother gave him a few instructions on the phone but didn't say much else.
Just after hanging up the phone, it rang again. Zhuang Rui glanced at it; the number was unfamiliar. Without thinking much of it, he pressed the answer button.
"Hello, are you Zhuang Rui? This is Ouyang Jun..."
"Ouyang Jun?"
The voice on the phone was unfamiliar, and Zhuang Rui was certain that he did not know a man named Ouyang Jun.
Chapter 264 Sorry, I'm busy
"Ouyang Jun? I'm sorry. I don't know you. How did you get my phone number?"
Zhuang Rui was a little surprised to hear the person on the phone call out his name, as only a very few people knew his phone number.
"Hey, don't hang up yet. Weren't you with Yue Xiaoliu yesterday? We even talked..."
Ouyang Jun was a little annoyed. Yue Xiaoliu's phone had been off since yesterday until this morning. Because of something his father said, he got up early and went to Yue Xiaoliu's workplace to wait for him, and that's how he got Zhuang Rui's phone number. He didn't expect that the other party didn't remember him at all.
"Oh, you must be... Fourth Brother? I'm sorry, I didn't recognize your voice earlier. Is there something you need?"
When Zhuang Rui heard him mention Yue Jing, and that the surname was Ouyang, he remembered the fourth brother from yesterday. However, Ouyang Jun hadn't said much at the time. In addition, the voice on the phone was a bit distorted, so it's no wonder Zhuang Rui hadn't recognized him.
"Well, it's like this, are you free the day after tomorrow at noon? Someone wants to see you, I'm just passing on a message..."
Ouyang Jun didn't directly say that it was his father who wanted to see Zhuang Rui. He was afraid that summoning a high-ranking minister would frighten Zhuang Rui.
"Who wants to see me? I don't have time the day after tomorrow, I'll be free next week..."
Zhuang Rui was a little confused. He had no connection with this Ouyang Jun; they had only met once yesterday. He couldn't guess who would send him to deliver a message. However, Zhuang Rui was indeed busy; he was going to Xinjiang with Gu Lao tomorrow.
"Hey, could you postpone that matter a bit? The person who needs to see you is very important!"
Ouyang Jun deepened his tone, feeling increasingly annoyed. Let alone his own father, even those local bureau-level officials had to make appointments to see him, and even then, the decision depended on his mood. When did he become so desperate to beg for people's company?
"Xiao Zhuang, the tickets are booked, but there are no first-class seats left, you can only sit in economy class. Oh, you're making a phone call? You can make the call first..."
As they were talking, Old Master Gu came out of the house and saw Zhuang Rui on the phone. He gestured for him to continue and then went to his recliner to make tea.
"Fourth Brother, I'm sorry, I've really been busy these past few days. My flight is tomorrow, and I have some other things to take care of right now. Let's talk again when I get back..."
Although Yue Jing said that his fourth brother had a powerful family background, Zhuang Rui didn't take it to heart. He was just an ordinary citizen who obeyed the law and couldn't ask these people for favors. No matter how powerful they were, it had nothing to do with him. Seeing that the old man was waiting beside him, Zhuang Rui hung up the phone after he finished speaking.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm talking to you..."
Ouyang Jun called out several times on the phone, but all he heard was a busy signal; clearly, the other party had hung up.
"Fuck it. Hang up on me!"
Ouyang Jun was amused by Zhuang Rui's antics. In his memory, since he learned to use a telephone, no one except his elders and relatives had ever dared to hang up on him. Today, Zhuang Rui had actually hung up on him, which left him stunned for a long time.
After a moment of stunned silence, Ouyang Jun remembered to tell his father. He dialed the number, but his secretary answered. After a while, Ouyang Zhenwu's voice came through, and Ouyang Jun quickly repeated what Zhuang Rui had just said.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before he said, "Wait until he gets back, then contact him again. Just say you want to see him. Is your father ashamed to admit it? Can't you even give your name? You've grown up and you still can't speak properly..."
Having just been hung up on by Zhuang Rui, and still fuming, Ouyang Jun was then scolded by his father. He was so angry he almost threw his phone away. This was all completely unwarranted trouble.
"Fourth Brother, what's making you so angry?"
As she spoke, a soft body pressed against her. Actually, Xu, the big star, was two years older than Ouyang Jun, but one called him that smoothly, and the other listened without hesitation. After all, these days, relationships between older women and younger men are popular. Even the Hong Kong superstars, such as Queen Wong and Little King Xie, have an age difference of more than ten years.
"It's nothing. The call was just hung up on. It was that kid you said looked like me yesterday."
Ouyang Jun wrapped his arms around the superstar, pulling her onto his lap and burying his face in her ample bosom.
"Stop fooling around, it's broad daylight. By the way, why did you call that person just now? Is it really some kind of romantic entanglement your old man has incurred?"
The big star has been with Ouyang Jun for seven or eight years. If it weren't for her family's disapproval of the marriage, the two would probably have gotten married long ago, so she doesn't have many reservations about what she says.
"Are you asking for a beating? My father hasn't remarried all these years since my mother passed away, so it can't be that. But this kid is pretty impressive. No, I need to go find Yue Xiaoliu and ask him again."
Originally, Ouyang Jun was only a little curious about the old man wanting to see Zhuang Rui, but now he was really interested. He took out his phone to call Yue Jing, but still couldn't get through. So he simply stood up and went to wait for Yue Xiaoliu. As for whether it would affect other people's work, that was not his concern. The minister's business was also work, wasn't it?
The reason Yue Jingxiong's phone was unreachable was because he was currently busy calling Zhuang Rui. Ouyang Jun had found him and asked for Zhuang Rui's phone number. He didn't say anything about it; the second brother was worried that Zhuang Rui might have offended someone without his knowledge, and was calling to inquire about it.
"Hey, Second Brother, it's really nothing. He said someone wanted to see me, but I didn't have time, so I turned it down. Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. I'm flying to Xinjiang tomorrow and will be back in three to five days. We can talk then."
The old man was still waiting nearby. It was somewhat impolite to answer several phone calls in a row, so Zhuang Rui tried to hang up after speaking.
"Hey, I said, call me right away if anything happens."
As soon as Yue Jing uttered those words, the phone went dead. He shook his head, turned around, and went back to his office. Little did he know that Zhuang Rui was even more efficient at hanging up on that fourth brother.
After hanging up Yue Jing's call, Zhuang Rui recalled Ouyang Jun's call. Apart from Old Master Gu and Yue Jing, he didn't know anyone in Beijing. Who could have sent Ouyang Jun to ask to see him? And judging from Ouyang Jun's tone, that person seemed to be someone of high status.
"Could it be because of Mom?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but make connections with the surname Ouyang. He remembered that when he was a child, his mother spoke with a Beijing accent, but later she spoke with a Pengcheng accent. Could it be that his mother was really from Beijing and had some kind of relationship with Ouyang Jun's family?
Thinking about his resemblance to Ouyang Jun, Zhuang Rui became even more certain, and for a moment he was in a state of confusion. He didn't know whether he should agree to meet the person who invited him after returning from Xinjiang.
Zhuang Rui was afraid that his actions would hurt his mother, because in the past twenty years, his mother had never mentioned her own family. Even when Zhuang Rui and his sister asked, they were only scolded by their mother. From this point of view, if he rashly went to meet others, his mother would probably be unhappy.
However, Zhuang Rui was filled with curiosity about his mother's past. What exactly happened back then that made his mother never mention the past again? Did his mother still have any relatives alive? All these mysteries made Zhuang Rui look forward to Ouyang Jun's invitation.
The old man sitting next to him noticed that Zhuang Rui had become somewhat unsettled after answering the phone, so he said, "Xiao Zhuang, what happened? If you have something to do, you don't need to come with me. The plane tickets can be refunded."
"Uncle-Master, it's alright. We'll deal with it when I get back. You don't think I'm a burden and don't want to take me with you anymore, do you?"
Zhuang Rui shook his head, suppressing the myriad thoughts in his mind, and joked with Grandpa Gu. He also wanted to use these few days in Xinjiang to sort out his thoughts. If Ouyang Jun's family really had some kind of relationship with his mother, how should he deal with it? At least for now, Zhuang Rui still hadn't figured it out, and having a few days to buffer wouldn't be a bad thing.
"You brat, joking with your old man. Go back and cancel your hotel room. We'll have a good drink together tonight."
If you find someone agreeable, you can tolerate anything about them; this is why Gu Lao and Zhuang Rui have hit it off.
That evening, the old man ordered pickles from Liubiju and roast duck from Quanjude. He and Zhuang Rui sat under a tree and had a few drinks. Of course, he also taught Zhuang Rui some knowledge about nephrite jade appreciation. The old man promised Zhuang Rui that after returning from this trip to Xinjiang, he would take Zhuang Rui to the Palace Museum to see the precious jade artifacts left over from the Qing Dynasty. After all, the old man is also an advisor on jade artifacts and antiques at the Palace Museum.
Sleeping in the courtyard at night, listening to the crickets chirping in the yard, Zhuang Rui felt an unparalleled sense of peace. All the restlessness he had felt during the day vanished, and he slept soundly until dawn.
After getting up and washing up in the morning, Zhuang Rui followed Gu Lao to the airport. By noon, the two had arrived at Hotan Airport in Xinjiang.
Zhuang Rui also figured out the reason for this trip to Xinjiang. It was Old Master Gu's personal matter. He had an old friend of several decades who used to be a jade miner in the Kunlun Mountains. After he made a fortune through jade mining, he no longer went up the mountain himself. Instead, he collected raw jade from other jade miners and then resold it to the mainland. Now he has become the largest supplier of Hetian jade raw materials in Xinjiang.
My friend recently acquired a piece of mountain jade. Judging from the jade inside the outer skin, it is very likely to be mutton fat jade. However, he was unsure, so he asked Mr. Gu to come and appraise it.
"Old friend, thank you so much for coming this time..."
As Zhuang Rui and Gu Lao stepped out of the airport exit, an elderly man from Xinjiang with a high nose bridge and slightly blue eyes came up to greet them and hugged Gu Lao.