Saturday.
It’s a bright and sunny day.
The weather is warmer now and finally felt like Spring.
At around 9 am, Dong Xuebing arrived in Beijing in his Mercedes MPV. He had slept until around 10.30 pm at Xie Huilan’s place and continued his sleep at home. He woke up before 5 am and started driving to Beijing. Tomorrow is Madam Han’s birthday banquet, and he needs to prepare her gift. He also needs to visit Chief Xu Yan and Qu Yunxuan.
Suddenly, Dong Xuebing’s phone rang. It was Xie Hao.
Dong Xuebing slowed down and answered. “Hello, Xiao Hao.”
“Haha… Brother-in-law. My Eldest Aunt is celebrating her birthday. When are you arriving in Beijing?” Xie Hao is always so cheerful.
“I am in Beijing now and is heading to the City. Where are you now?” “Ah? Have you arrived? I am with my 2nd Sis. We had just bought my Aunt’s present. Hehe… If I had known you are arriving so early, we could go together.”
“You two are too early. Where are you all? I will go over now.”
After taking down the address, Dong Xuebing drove towards the City’s Northern District. His gift for Madam Han cannot be too shabby or tacky as it will embarrass him and Sister Xie. That’s why Dong Xuebing wants to see what Xiao Hao and Xiao Jing buy and find out about her preferences before deciding. He had owned Xie Jing a favor a few days ago, and how can he not treat her to a meal after knowing she is with Xie Hao?
Northern City.
Dong Xuebing parked his car near a shopping street and looks around.
“Brother-in-law!” Xie Hao shouted and waved furiously.
Xie Jing was holding on to a Ming Dynasty small bowl and smiled at Dong Xuebing before boarding Dong Xuebing’s car with Xie Hao.
Xie Hao threw his snack out of the window and wiped his mouth. “Brother-in-law, you are here at the right time. We are troubled as we cannot get a taxi.”
Dong Xuebing laughed. “Did you treat me as your driver?”
Xie Hao giggled. “I don’t dare to do that. It’s just on the way… Oh, let me show you the gift we prepared.” They had bought an antique porcelain bowl and an antique Huangyang Wood accessory.
Dong Xuebing blinked and asked. “Madam Han likes antiques?”
“A little.” Xie Jing, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat, laughed. “We don’t know what to get. Gold or cosmetics are too tacky, and we had given her other gifts before. Haha… My Big Sis likes antiques, and my Aunt is also influenced by her. Especially porcelain items. That’s why I bought this bowl.”
If it’s antique, it will be easy. Dong Xuebing can just return to his company to get an antique.
After chatting for a while, Xie Jing said suddenly. “Brother Dong, let’s go to my place. You had promised to cook lunch for me.”
Dong Xuebing replied readily. “Alright. Let’s go.”
“Just go straight from here. It’s not very far.” Xie Jing said.
Dong Xuebing was puzzled. “Xin Hua Agency’s quarters are located here?” “No. It’s my family’s old house. I had not been staying here.” Xie Jing pointed in front. “Some time ago, someone died upstairs, and I am superstitious. I had borrowed a Guanyin statue from my Aunt last month. It’s been a month, and it should be fine for me to move in. Many people had come to my workplace’s apartment to ask for favors recently. If I still stay there, I will not get any rest over the weekends.”
Xie Hao laughed. “That’s because you are capable. How come no one comes to me to ask me for favors?” “Are you looking for a beating?” Xie Jing gave her cousin a stare.
Dong Xuebing laughed. “Your department is in charge of hiring, right? Is it because there is an opening recently?” Xie Jing smiled wearily. “Not really. It’s just an exchange program. The grassroots level media news agency will pick a few outstanding staff to intern at our Xin Hua News Agency head office. They will be joining different departments to get experience. Although they will not stay with Xin Hua Agency in the future, it will look good on their resumes. That’s why everyone one comes to me after this program was announced. I know all of them, and it’s hard for me to reject them. That’s why I want to hide from them.”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “Xin Hua Agency is just so popular.” “It’s a National Level News Agency. Who doesn’t want to get experience here if they want to progress in the news industry?”
“Do our Yan Tai County have a place in this program?” Dong Xuebing asked.
Xie Jing replied immediately without thinking. “No. The name list had been finalized and passed to our HR department as part of the workflow. There are too many people fighting over the limited slots.” Their department can only decide on one or two slots, and that’s why she decided to move out from her quarters to prevent offending others.
Xie Hao grew impatient as Dong Xuebing, and Xie Jing chatted about work. “Can you two change the topic? Why are you two keep talking about work?”
“Haha…” Dong Xuebing and Xie Jing laughed.
In a small neighborhood.
Dong Xuebing parked his car in front of a building.
After alighting, Xie Hao looks around. “Second Sis, do you still remember you had brought me here to have a snowball fight when we were young? It’s here. You had bullied me that time. You threw a big snowball on me, and we ended up all wet and even caught a cold. Big Sis came and scolded us. But you answered back and ended up getting your ears pulled and got a beating from her. Hahaha….” Xie Jing gave him a stare. “That’s because you are naughty and always making me mad.”
“Hmph! You are ten years older than me, and don’t you know how to give in to me? Haha… but you ended up getting beaten up by Big Sis.” Xie Hao gloated.
“Your Big Sis did not beat you before? Ah?”
“… err… she did not beat me because of that incident.”
Dong Xuebing smiled as he listened to them talking about their childhood memories. No wonder Xie Huilan commanded so much respect from them. Xie Hao and Xie Jing are afraid of her, and Xie Ran also respected her. So, the real reason is that they had all received beatings from her when they were young. Eldest Sis is like their mother, and Dong Xuebing can imagine Xie Huilan’s face as she pulls their ears. He is curious to know how she looked like when she was young.
As they entered the building’s stairwell, Xie Hao and Xie Jing are still bickering.
“Second Sis, you are too timid.” Xie Hao mocked. “It’s just someone passed away upstairs, and you are so scared. You don’t even dare to move here for over a month? You still need to bring in a Buddha statue to ward off the spirits? That’s superstitious.”
Xie Jing replied angrily. “What do you know?!”
Xie Hao retorted. “That’s my Aunt’s treasure. Why did she lend it to you?”
“Lower down!” Xie Jing gave him a stare.
Dong Xuebing asked curiously. “What Buddha statue is that?” Xie Jing cleared her throat and said softly. “It’s a Buddha statue from the Tang Dynasty, and it is made from Tianlong Mountain’s sandstone.” Dong Xuebing got a fright. Xie Jing smiled. “Brother Dong also knows about antique? This Buddha statue was worth around 10 million in an auction a few years ago. If it is up for auction now, it is worth at least tens of millions. This statue is considered an antique among the antiques and is my grandfather’s family heirloom.”
The statue belongs to Senior Xie?
Family heirloom?
Dong Xuebing felt this is not a surprise. If this statue is not a family heirloom, no one in the Xie Family can afford to buy it. It is worth over 10 million, and no one in Xie Family is doing business.
Dong Xuebing asked curiously. “Did Senior Xie gave it to Madam Han?”
Xie Jing nodded. “When my Uncle got married to my Aunt, Senior Xie gave it to her. After all, my Uncle is his eldest son, and my Aunt is his eldest daughter-in-law. Haha… I had begged my Aunt for a few days to lend it for a month. Tomorrow is her birthday, and if I did not return it, she would be pissed.”
Xie Hao laughed. “If it is damaged, my Aunt will kill you.”
“Go away. Stop cursing me.” They chatted and joked as they make their way to the fourth floor. Xie Jing took out her keys to open the door.
Click… click…
“Eh?” Xie Jing gasped. “Why is the lock broken?” Dong Xuebing got shocked and looks over. “You cannot insert the key? Did you get the correct one?” “No.” Xie Jing looked at her key and tried again. This time, she used a bit more strength, and the door opened. It’s unlocked?!
Dong Xuebing looked at the keyhole and noticed it had been tampered with. He immediately cried out. “A break-in!” Xie Jing and Xie Hao quickly rush into the apartment!
The apartment was ransacked. Clothes and pillows are all over the floor, and even the bedsheets had been pulled off the bed. All the drawers and cupboards are opened and emptied. Someone had stolen everything!
“Shit!” Xie Hao shouted. “The Buddha!” Xie Jing turned pale and ran into the bedroom. “The safe! The safe! Please… it must be fine!” Xie Jing had bought a small safe to keep the precious Buddha statue.
The room was also ransacked.
Xie Jing, Dong Xuebing, and Xie Hao lifted the bedsheets and checked all the wardrobe and drawered.
But the safe which was placed in the corner was missing!
Did the burglar stole the safe?!
Xie Jing’s legs gave way, and she sat on the floor, crying. “The Buddha is stolen! It’s gone… I… I… How am I going to tell my Aunt?” Xie Hao shouted furiously. “F**k! Which bastard stole it?!”
