Chapter 660: Gifts Arrive
Chapter 660: Gifts Arrive
Yu Meotong expressed her gratitude to Lu Jiaxin with numerous gifts, and Zong Shimeng soon found out. She had originally planned to go shopping with Lu Jiaxin at the end of the year and let her pick whatever she liked, and she would foot the bill. But now that Yu Meotong had taken the initiative to send gifts, Zong Shimeng felt that her own plan fell short.
That very night, Zong Shimeng brought up the matter to Hu Zhifeng, "Jiaxin helped us avoid such huge losses. We should definitely reciprocate with a thoughtful gesture."
With the recovery of over 300 million yuan in funds, there were still shares in an automobile company that hadn't been transferred yet. If not for Jiaxin's reminder, those 300 million yuan would likely be worth less than 80 million now. Moreover, this calculation only takes into account the stock prices; in the current situation with Xiaori, the stocks and shares couldn't be sold at all.
Hu Zhifeng pondered for a moment before suggesting, "I recall you mentioning that Miss Lu has a fondness for luxury watches. Why don't you buy her a couple of those along with some jewelry?"
"But Meotong already gave her a Patek Philippe watch and jewelry. We can't give the same thing," Zong Shimeng replied.
Upon hearing this, Hu Zhifeng felt a bit stumped. He knew that Lu Jiaxin wouldn't accept something extravagant like a luxury car or a mansion.
Zong Shimeng, however, already had an idea, "Jiaxin has a penchant for antiques, right? Dad has a collection of those. We can just pick something from there."
There was no way she could be the one to bring this up. Firstly, Hu Zhifeng had pocketed the lion's share of the profits without giving her a cut, so it was only right that he take the lead on this, and she could handle the actual act of giving the gift. Secondly, if she were the one to make the suggestion, her mother-in-law would surely object.
During dinner, Hu Zhifeng brought up the topic, "Dad, Miss Lu helped me out immensely, and I'd like to express my gratitude with a gift. But Miss Lu only seems to appreciate ancient paintings, ceramics, and other antiques. She's not interested in anything else. Dad, I recall you have quite a collection of ceramics."
Zong Shimeng added, "Dad, Mom, thanks to Jiaxin's help, Zhifeng's investment in Xiaori earned him over 230 million yuan by selling before the stock market crash. If he hadn't sold, we wouldn't have been able to recoup even 100 million of our initial investment."
It wasn't enough to just mention Jiaxin's assistance; providing the monetary figures would have a more profound impact on her in-laws.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Hu immediately spoke up, "In that case, we should definitely express our heartfelt thanks. Honey, I remember you acquired a very exquisite lotus bowl some time ago. Why don't we give that to Miss Lu?"
Lu Jiaxin had helped their son avoid a loss of over 200 million yuan, so they naturally wanted to express their gratitude in a significant way. Mr. Hu said, "That lotus bowl is rumored to be a product of the Ru kiln, but there are also claims that it's a fake. It's not really appropriate to give it as a gift."
He then turned to Hu Zhifeng and continued, "I have a piece of Ming dynasty porcelain here—a pink ivory thin-walled porcelain piece with the character 'fu' on it. It's quite beautiful, and I think Miss Lu would appreciate it."
The item was undoubtedly valuable, but at their age, one tends to prefer more subdued colors. Additionally, being from the Ming dynasty, it would be significantly more affordable compared to other items in his collection.
Zong Shimeng knew that Lu Jiaxin had a soft spot for finely crafted ceramics, so she discreetly tugged on Hu Zhifeng's sleeve, prompting him to speak up.
As a couple of over a decade, they still had their moments of unspoken understanding. Hu Zhifeng said, "Dad, it's more thoughtful to give two gifts together. Let's give both the lotus bowl and the pink ivory thin-walled porcelain with the 'fu' character!"
Mr. Hu shook his head, "The lotus bowl was only appraised by an old friend of mine, and we didn't get an expert's opinion. It could very well be a fake."
Zong Shimeng didn't think it was a big issue, "Jiaxin appreciates beautiful things. Even if it's a replica, she won't mind as long as it looks good."
Mr. Hu glanced at her and then nodded in agreement.
Later that night, Zong Shimeng called Lu Jiaxin to arrange a meeting, knowing that she was busy these days. She suggested coming to her place in the evening, "Meotong told me that the crystal cake and lotus seed soup your aunt made are especially delicious. I want to try them tomorrow as well."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and replied, "They really are quite tasty. I'll ask my aunt to make extra tomorrow so you can take some home for the kids."
"Auntie, she was headhunted from the mainland with a hefty sum. It was only because her offer was too good that Auntie was willing to uproot herself and come to Hong Kong."
The next day, Zong Shimeng arrived at Lu Jiaxin's door with two gifts in hand.
Lu Jiaxin had expected them to buy jewelry and watches like Yu Meotong, but she never anticipated such valuable presents.
These two pieces of ceramics were exquisite, and Lu Jiaxin admired them at first sight. Nonetheless, she said, "Sister Shimeng, these are too precious. I can't accept them."
Zong Shimeng pointed at the pink ivory thin-walled porcelain with the 'fu' character and laughed, "This one's authentic. It's been appraised by an expert and dates back to the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty."
The porcelain was characterized by its delicate craftsmanship, resembling dragonfly wings in thinness, cloud-like lightness, crystal-like transparency, and intricate beauty. Among Lu Jiaxin's collection, there were two thin-walled porcelain pieces, but none as exquisite as this one.
"Sister Shimeng, these would cost several million on the market," Lu Jiaxin exclaimed.
Zong Shimeng shook her head. "Not that much. As for this porcelain vase, I saw one at an auction two months ago, and it sold for HK$880,000."
Lu Jiaxin pointed at the other lotus bowl and asked, "What about this one? It looks different from the ceramics in my collection!"
Zong Shimeng didn't know much about ceramics and replied, "My father-in-law said it's a 'Chai Kiln' piece, but he only showed it to an old friend and didn't get an expert appraisal, so he's not sure if it's real. I just thought the bowl was beautiful, and since you'd like it, I took it."
She hadn't seen the items before, but her mother-in-law had a good eye for beauty, so she trusted her judgment. Upon seeing the gifts, she knew her instincts were right.
Lu Jiaxin was astonished. "Chai Kiln?"
Chai Kiln was a type of porcelain commissioned by Emperor Chai Rong of the Later Zhou Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was known for its unique qualities: "as green as the sky, as bright as a mirror, as thin as paper, as crisp as a chime, and as moist and delicate as fine lines." Due to the short existence of the Later Zhou Dynasty, Chai Kiln porcelain was extremely rare.
Noticing Lu Jiaxin's expression, Zong Shimeng asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Lu Jiaxin explained, "I'm just surprised. Sister Shimeng, other ceramics can still be found on the market, but Chai Kiln pieces have disappeared for decades. It is said that the housekeeper of a wealthy man during the Republic of China era traded a large mansion and dozens of acres of fertile land for a Chai Kiln piece. This was the last known appearance of a Chai Kiln on the market, and none have surfaced since."
"Because the output of the Chai Kiln was originally scarce, and having endured a millennium, the techniques and formulas have long been lost. If this lotus bowl is genuine, it could be worth two or three hundred million in a couple of decades."
Such ancient and rare items were indeed priceless.
Zong Shimeng hadn't realized the bowl was so valuable, but she felt that material possessions were secondary to human relationships. "Who cares how much it's worth? If you like it, keep it."
Lu Jiaxin gazed at the lotus bowl, a smile spreading across her face. "Sister Shimeng, I truly love this bowl, so I won't be polite about it."
The gift had truly touched her heart, and she couldn't bring herself to refuse it. At this point in her life, she did as she pleased, and since she liked it, she would accept it. She could always make it up to them in other ways.
Zong Shimeng smiled. "Don't be so formal with me. Let me tell you, my father-in-law also has a fondness for antiques and has collected quite a few paintings and ceramics. If you're interested, I can get you a few more pieces in the future."
She preferred cash, which she could use to buy property or invest in business ventures, and held no interest in antiques or paintings. While these collectibles might appreciate in value over time, they would only be sold in case of bankruptcy or a crisis. Moreover, her father-in-law had two sons and a daughter, so they would only receive a third of his collection, and even that would be decades later.
Lu Jiaxin waved her hands. "No, no, these two pieces are more than enough."
(End of Chapter)
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