Chapter 50: Long Lake District is Nice
Cheng Yuan didn’t want to spoil his grandfather’s good mood, so he didn’t expose Wu Kun.
However, to Cheng Yuan’s surprise, Wu Kun approached him directly.
"Xiaoyuan, since you’re doing so well for yourself and know powerful people like Secretary Wu, what kind of birthday gift did you get for Grandpa?"
Wu Xiuli and Cheng Hongbing’s expressions soured. Wu Kun was deliberately trying to embarrass Xiaoyuan. Having just gotten out of prison, how could he possibly have money for a gift?
Wu Renqing feigned displeasure. "Xiaokun, you’re going too far! Xiaoyuan just got out of prison, so he’s obviously not well-off. It’s the thought that counts."
Cheng Yuan glanced coolly at Wu Renqing and his son, then stood up, walked to a corner of the private room, and picked up a black plastic bag.
The relatives were slightly taken aback. ’Is Xiaoyuan being too casual? Just tossing a gift in a plastic bag? He could have at least wrapped it.’
Wu Xiuli was filled with regret. ’I shouldn’t have taken that card from Cheng Yuan. If I hadn’t, he wouldn’t have to be so frugal.’
Cheng Yuan wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. As everyone watched, he placed the black plastic bag on the table.
"Grandpa, drinking red wine in moderation can help prevent cardiovascular disease. I brought you two bottles."
Two bottles of red wine?
The relatives shook their heads slightly. ’He probably bought them at a corner store, right? Twenty yuan for two bottles?’
His grandfather nodded slightly. "Xiaoyuan, you’re very thoughtful."
After speaking, the old man showed no intention of opening the bag. He simply lifted it and placed it under the table, trying to save Cheng Yuan from embarrassment.
But Wu Kun wasn’t about to let Cheng Yuan off the hook. He reached out, grabbed the bag, and placed it back on the table. "Grandpa, this is a token of Xiaoyuan’s sincerity. You should open it and take a look! Here, let me do it for you!"
With that, Wu Kun opened the plastic bag.
When he saw the label on the bottle, he froze.
’How is this possible?’
’Lafite?’
’From ’82?’
’This...’
From the side, Wu Xiulan laughed. "Xiaokun, what are you spacing out for? Hurry and take them out for everyone to see! It doesn’t matter if they’re ten yuan a bottle; it’s the thought that counts."
Wu Kun could have kicked himself. If he had known Cheng Yuan’s gift was a Lafite, and an ’82 at that, he never would have set himself up for this humiliation.
Wu Kun gingerly took the two bottles of wine out of the bag, as if terrified of bumping or scratching them.
"Huh, what kind of wine is this? The labels are a bit yellowed. It must be pretty old, right?"
Wu Xiulan had sharp eyes and recognized the two bottles’ origin. She was stunned.
"Oh my god, is this an ’82 Lafite? I’m not seeing things, am I? Is it a counterfeit? Big Brother, you know a lot about red wine, come and authenticate it."
An ’82 Lafite?
Wu Renqing quickly picked up a bottle and inspected it carefully. After a full two minutes, he set the wine down with a pained expression.
’He’d wanted his son to be in the spotlight, but Cheng Yuan’s two bottles of wine had utterly crushed him!’
"The security markings are all correct. This is genuine, no doubt about it."
Genuine?
All the relatives gasped.
A single bottle of ’82 Lafite was worth tens of thousands. Two bottles were nearly a hundred thousand!
’Cheng Yuan just got out of prison. Where did he get that kind of money?’
Wu Xiuli and Cheng Hongbing exchanged a knowing smile. ’His girlfriend must have bought the wine, right? Given Xiaoyuan’s financial situation, he could never afford this.’
The grandfather roared with laughter. "Excellent! Excellent, Xiaoyuan! See, this old man’s love for him wasn’t wasted!"
Wu Xiulan’s eyes lit up as she looked at Cheng Yuan. "When Xiaoyuan said his girlfriend started a small company, I thought he was bragging. But now I see he wasn’t bragging, he was being modest! Her company must be huge!"
Instantly, a calculating glint appeared in everyone’s eyes.
"Xiaoyuan, what kind of company does your girlfriend run? Where is it? You should take us for a tour sometime, eh?"
"Cousin, is your girlfriend’s company hiring? How about me? A department manager position would be fine."
...
Once again, Cheng Yuan became the center of attention.
Aside from his second aunt’s family, Cheng Yuan didn’t want to get too entangled with his other relatives, so he started spinning a tale.
"Dear relatives, my girlfriend’s company isn’t even registered yet. Right now, it’s just the two of us, a general without an army. I’ll let you all know when the company is officially established."
’The company isn’t even registered?’
The relatives looked at Cheng Yuan with suspicion. Wu Renqing chuckled, "Xiaoyuan, don’t be so modest. If the company isn’t registered, where would you get the money to buy two bottles of ’82 Lafite?"
"A friend gave them to me as a gift. I just helped them out with a small favor."
Cheng Yuan wasn’t exactly lying; he had indeed helped Shen Manwen with a small favor.
But his relatives were misled. ’So the Lafite was a gift from Secretary Wu?’ they thought.
’Giving wine, then showing up to lend his support... any favor would have been more than repaid by now!’
Instantly, the crowd’s enthusiasm for Cheng Yuan cooled.
The commotion caused by the two bottles of Lafite quickly subsided. The relatives resumed their lively chatter, no longer focusing on Cheng Yuan.
Wu Renqing and Wu Xiulan once again dominated the conversation.
An hour later, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and the birthday banquet came to a successful conclusion.
Normally, this would be the time to pack up leftovers and head home.
But Wu Renqing and Wu Xiulan showed no signs of wanting to leave.
Wu Renqing cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. In a solemn voice, he said, "Grandpa is ninety. No matter how robust his health is, he can’t keep living in a walk-up. I plan on buying an apartment in a building with an elevator for him to live out his golden years!"
Wu Xiulan immediately chimed in, "I’m also planning to buy in the same complex as Big Brother, to make it easier to take care of Dad. Should we all buy together?"
Wu Xiuhua’s family was struggling financially, so she didn’t respond and instinctively lowered her head.
Wu Renguang frowned. He was under a lot of financial pressure as well.
To Wu Renqing and Wu Xiulan’s surprise, it was Wu Xiuli who asked with great interest, "Big Brother, Xiulan, which complex are you thinking of buying in?"
"Long Lake District. Xiuli, are you thinking of buying a place too?"
Long Lake District?
A bitter expression crossed Wu Xiuli’s face. Long Lake District was one of the most high-end developments in Luocheng. It was half villas and half large, single-floor apartments, with the smallest units starting at 140 square meters and costing nearly three million yuan. It was truly far too expensive.
Wu Xiuli’s first instinct was to refuse, but Cheng Yuan readily agreed. "Long Lake District sounds good. Let’s go with Long Lake District."
Wu Xiuli was practically dying of anxiety. ’Why is Xiaoyuan putting on a brave front like this? Their family only had around 400,000 yuan in savings—not even half of the down payment!’
But with so many people watching, Wu Xiuli couldn’t bring herself to undermine him, so all she could do was fret.
Everyone was stunned for a moment. Wu Kun asked uncertainly, "Xiaoyuan, do you know anything about Long Lake District? The cheapest large apartment is three million. Even with a thirty percent down payment, that’s almost a million!"
"I know."
Wu Kun rolled his eyes in annoyance. ’This guy, Cheng Yuan... He really is all talk and no action.’
"Since Xiaoyuan also thinks Long Lake District is a good choice, let’s go check out the properties now!"