Afternoon, before 5 pm.
The sun is setting, and it’s getting dark.
Dong Xuebing parked his car in front of Yun De Auction and entered the company. He thinks if he should pretend to be sick or find an excuse to push away this invitation. But feigning sick is too obvious, and everyone can tell. Furthermore, it will leave a bad impression with Senior Xie and Sister Xie’s parents. He had no choice.
Never mind.
I had never feared anyone since young.
“Is Xiao Tao around?” Dong Xuebing asked a girl at the counter.
The girl looks at Dong Xuebing and immediately recognized him. She knew this man is close to Manager Qu. “Are you looking for Manager Qu’s secretary? Please wait for a moment while I call her.”
After a while, Xiao Tao came down from upstairs.
Dong Xuebing did not waste any time. “Are you holding on to Yunxuan’s keys to the safe? Help me get a box of Wild Ginseng.”
Xiao Tao knew those boxes of Wild Ginsengs belongs to Dong Xuebing. “Do you want to come up with me? What ‘year’ do you need?”
“I will not go up. Hmmm… Bring me a box of 50-years-old Wild Ginseng. I remember there should be one box.”
The keys to the safe were held by Qu Yunxuan, but she had gone for a vacation with her parents and passed the keys to Xiao Tao. If it was someone else, Xiao Tao would call Qu Yunxuan to get her permission. But she does not need to get any permission for Dong Xuebing, and only needs to inform Qu Yunxuan when she returns. She quickly went upstairs to the safe and brought back a box of 50-years-old Wild Ginseng.
Dong Xuebing is in a hurry and left after getting the Ginseng.
A few minutes past six o’clock.
Xishan, Villa area.
Dong Xuebing drove his car in and saw the majestic Mansion far away. The armed guards standing in front of the gates looked menacing, and Dong Xuebing took a deep breath. He looks at his watch, and he was slightly late. After parking his car in the garage, he called Xie Huilan. But Xie Huilan had just gotten off the highway and can only reach 15 minutes later. She asked Dong Xuebing to wait for her to enter the Mansion together.
After waiting for a while, a brand new black Volkswagen Passat entered the garage.
The car’s number plate is Yan Tai County Government’s number plate, and Xie Huilan is alone in the car.
Xie Huilan is dressed up and is very pretty today. She carried her handbag in one hand and her coat in the other as she alighted from the car. Her hair is tied up neatly in a bun, and she wore a grey lady’s suit with coffee-colored pants and black high heels. This is very different from the usual black suit and made her more feminine. At least, her dressing today is not as serious as her usual dressing.
Dong Xuebing walks up to Xie Huilan. “You are beautiful today.”
“Haha… thank you.” Xie Huilan laughed. “Have you brought the Ginseng?”
Dong Xuebing waved the box of Wild Ginseng in his hand. “50-years-old. I had sold all the older Ginsengs at the auctions, and this is the only one left.”
“This is worth a few hundred thousand, and you think it is not presentable enough?” Xie Huilan carried her coat and bag in one hand and hooked her arm around Dong Xuebing’s arm. “Let’s go in.”
Dong Xuebing took a glance at his arm and cleared his throat. “Ok.”
At the gates of the Mansion, two guards stopped Dong Xuebing and want to conduct a body search on him. This is the procedure, and Dong Xuebing had been searched the last time he came. Although Dong Xuebing is unhappy about this, this is the rule.
Xie Huilan narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to search me too? Huh?”
The Officer, who had reached out for Dong Xuebing, paused.
“This is my boyfriend.” Xie Huilan looks at the guards. “Do you think there will be any problem with him?”
The two guards looked at each other and stepped back without conducting the search.
When Dong Xuebing came here previously, he was not close to Xie Huilan and had to be searched. But this time, he is here as Xie Huilan’s boyfriend, and it will look bad on Xie Huilan if he is searched.
After entering the compound, Xie Huilan instructed. “Later, when we meet the elders, just address them the same as me.”
Dong Xuebing nodded and asked suddenly. “What about your parents? Must I call them Dad and Mum like you?”
Xie Huilan laughed. “I am talking about my Uncles. As for my parents… Hahaha… you can address them as Mum and Dad if you dare.”
Dong Xuebing dares not to address them as Mum and Dad.
“Oh, I am the eldest of the third generation. You don’t need to be overly polite to them.”
“Ok.” Dong Xuebing took a deep breath to calm himself.
Before Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan could enter the Mansion, they heard someone talking at the pavilion in the front yard. Two middle-aged men were smoking and chatting there, and they looked alike, like brothers. One of them has a deep and strong voice, and the other has a calm voice. There is also a middle-aged woman sitting beside them, listening to them with a smile.
Xie Huilan pulled Dong Xuebing lightly. “Come, let’s go over to greet them.”
“These three are…” Dong Xuebing asked softly.
“The one who is speaking slowly is my Eldest Uncle, Xie Guoliang. He is my father’s brother and the second of the Second-generation. He has a good temper… haha… I seldom see him get angry.” Xie Huilan walked slowly and explained to Dong Xuebing softly. “He is working in the Finance Ministry, and is the First Deputy Minister.”
Deputy Minister of the Finance Ministry?!
Dong Xuebing got shocked.
Xie Huilan continued. “The other two are my Second Uncle and his wife. Xie Guojian and Ci Lifen. He is the third of the Second-generation and is also Xiao Hao’s father. His temperament is like my Grandfather, very stubborn. But he honest and frank. Oh, he is a Lieutenant General with the Army General Political Department and is the Deputy Director there. His wife is working at the General Administration of Press and Publication. She is the head of a department and not the highest-ranked leader there.”
Deputy Director of the Army General Political Department?!
A leader with the General Administration of Press and Publication?!
Dong Xuebing starts to panic. What are all these people?! The First Deputy Minister of the Finance Ministry is at least a Provincial-Ministerial rank. Also, Deputy Director of the Army General Political Department, Lieutenant General?! One more promotion, this person will enter the Military Committee. Even if Xie Huilan’s Second Aunt is the head of a department with the General Administration of Press and Publication, her rank should at least be Bureau-Director.
“Eh, Huilan is here.” Ci Lifen saw Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan.
Xie Guoliang laughed. “You are late. Did you want the whole family to wait for you?”
Xie Huilan held Dong Xuebing’s hand and walks over quickly with a smile. “I am not late on purpose. The traffic is bad… Hahaha… Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, I wish you a Happy New Year.”
Dong Xuebing followed what Xie Huilan said. Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, Happy New Year.”
Xie Huilan introduced. “This is Dong Xuebing.”
Xie Hao’s mother, Ci Lifen, took a look at Dong Xuebing and nodded. “Not bad. This young man looks smart.
Xie Guoliang also smiles and nodded to Dong Xuebing. Just like what Sister Xie said earlier, he is friendly and approachable.
But Xie Guojian is not so friendly. He acknowledged Dong Xuebing’s greeting expressionlessly but did not show any displeasure.
Dong Xuebing was slightly relieved, as the situation is not as bad as he thought.
After chatting for a while, Xie Guoliang laughed and said. “Alright. Go in and greet your Grandfather. Everyone is waiting for you.”
Xie Huilan replied. “It’s almost dinner time. You two should smoke lesser. It’s not good for your health. Hehe… We will go in first.”
Xie Guojian laughed loudly. “You brat… are you trying to restrict me?”
Ci Lifen rolled her eyes. “Huilan is right. You should smoke less. Do you want to be hospitalized again?”
At the doors of the Mansion, Xie Huilan held onto the door’s handle but did not open it. She turned to Dong Xuebing and said. “My Eldest Aunt, youngest Aunt, and her husband are busy with work and could not come back. When I called earlier, Xiao Ran and the rest had arrived. Xie Ran is my younger brother (cousin), and Xie Jing is my younger Sister (cousin). They are younger than me by one and two years. But they are all older than you, and they are my Eldest Uncle, Xie Guoliang, children. Hmmm… Xie Ran is now working in Beijing Committee to get some experience as he was just promoted to Deputy Director. Xie Jing is working at Xinhua News Agency. That’s about it. This is almost everything about my family.”
Dong Xuebing is speechless. He thought his rank is quite high, but compared to anyone in Xie Huilan’s family, he is nothing. Even the youngest of the Third-generation is a Deputy Director.
“Shall we enter?”
“… ok.”
Xie Huilan pushed the door open and laughed. “Sorry I am late because of the traffic. Haha…”
Xie Huilan’s mother, Han Jing, and Xie Guobang are sitting on the sofa. They heard Xie Huilan and looks at her. “You are making everyone wait for you every time. Stop finding excuses.” Han Jing chided her daughter before turning to Dong Xuebing with a gentle smile. “Xiao Bing, you are here? Come in, quick.”
Dong Xuebing greeted them politely. “Uncle, Auntie, Happy New Year.”
The Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Beijing City’s Committee Member, Xie Guobang, looked at Dong Xuebing and nodded. “Have a seat.”
“Haha… Happy New Year to you too.” Han Jing returned the greetings warmly.
The first time Dong Xuebing met Han Jing, the latter had treated him normally. But this time, Dong Xuebing can feel Mdm. Han’s attitude towards him had changed. He wondered if it is because he had saved Xie Huilan’s life during the timebomb incident, or… his performance at work. Errrm… this should be quite impossible.
Han Jing and Xie Guobang are the only ones in the living room, and the rest should be upstairs.
Xie Guobang sat on the sofa steadily, and Han Jing held Dong Xuebing’s hand and chatted with him. She also thanked Dong Xuebing for risking his life to defuse the timebomb and saved Xie Huilan’s life.
Xie Huilan laughed. “Mum, you are scaring Xiao Bing. Haha… Give him a break and let him have a sip of water first.”
Han Jing gave her daughter an angry stare.
