Chapter Fourteen: Nothing but Trash

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Chen Churan’s face stiffened as she was about to speak. But her eldest brother, Chen Jianguo, beat her to it, shouting toward the corner of the banquet hall, “Old Li, come over and take a look! Tell us if this jade pendant is real or fake!”

Chen Jianguo’s voice instantly drew everyone’s attention. Slowly, an elderly man dressed in a traditional Tang suit, his hair meticulously combed back, and twirling two walnuts in his hand, ambled over.

Old Li was a moderately well-known figure in the antique circles, famous more for his knack for spotting hidden treasures and making fortunes from them than for any grand reputation.

“Old Li, have a look. How much do you reckon this jade pendant is worth?” Chen Jianguo said ingratiatingly, handing over the pendant, though his eyes gleamed with sly intent.

Old Li took the pendant, squinting as he examined it carefully, occasionally holding it up to the light, clicking his tongue.

“The quality of the jade, the craftsmanship... tsk tsk, by the looks of it—”

Both Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun wore smug smiles, as if already picturing Chen Churan’s humiliation.

The guests nearby began whispering, most of them eager to see a spectacle.

“By the look of it... it’s a high-quality fake!” Old Li suddenly raised his voice and tossed the pendant back to Chen Jianguo.

“With today’s counterfeit technology, it’s getting harder to tell, but this thing’s worth at most a few hundred yuan!”

Chen Jianguo grabbed the pendant back, his plump face filled with mockery, as if he’d caught Chen Churan in a blunder.

“I’m telling you, third sister, look at you, always wasting money! Treating a few hundred yuan trinket like a treasure—if outsiders find out, won’t they laugh at our Chen family to no end?”

Chen Jianjun chimed in with a cruel smirk, his sharp-featured face full of malice.

“Exactly, sister. I’m not trying to be harsh, but you’re a girl. You don’t understand these things. Next time you buy something, ask your brothers first, so you don’t get scammed and end up counting other people’s money!”

Chen Churan’s face turned pale and then flushed red. She knew these two brothers had ill intentions; they were clearly here to intimidate her.

Taking a deep breath, she was about to retort when Chen Jiwang interrupted.

“Enough, enough.” Chen Jiwang waved his hand, his cloudy eyes filled with affection.

“True or false, it’s Churan’s heartfelt gift, and I like it!”

He said this while tenderly caressing the pendant, as if it were a priceless treasure.

Chen Churan’s heart warmed. She knew her father truly didn’t care whether the pendant was real; he just cared about her.

Meanwhile, Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun’s faces darkened further. They had hoped to humiliate Chen Churan with the pendant, but the patriarch had refused to take their bait.

At that moment, Cheng Ziqiu, who had been silently sitting in the corner, stood up. He could no longer bear the injustice; these two were bullying her excessively!

He walked over to Chen Churan’s side and calmly said,

“This jade pendant is genuine.”

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At these words, the room erupted in shock.

Everyone stared at Cheng Ziqiu as if he were crazy.

Chen Jianguo laughed uproariously, clutching his belly.

“Hey, kid, where did you come from? You’re here just for a free meal, and now you have the nerve to spout nonsense?”

Chen Jianjun joined in the mockery.

“Yeah, do you even know how much this pendant is worth? I bet you’ve never even seen the real thing!”

Cheng Ziqiu’s expression remained unreadable as he regarded these two buffoons with a cold sneer inside.

In his previous life, he had dealt with treasures so often he could distinguish authenticity blindfolded.

And these two fools dared to question him?

“Gentlemen, you can eat whatever you want, but don’t speak recklessly,” Cheng Ziqiu said coolly.

“I guarantee this pendant is real.”

“You guarantee? With what proof?” Chen Jianguo scoffed.

“You freeloaders have no right to speak here!”

Chen Churan lightly tugged on Cheng Ziqiu’s sleeve and shook her head slightly, signaling him to stop.

Though burning with anger, Cheng Ziqiu saw the worry in Chen Churan’s eyes and reluctantly relented.

He shrugged and returned to his corner, feigning indifference.

But Chen Jianguo noticed this subtle gesture immediately.

A sinister smile spread across his plump face.

“Well, why so quiet now? Weren’t you so full of talk just now? Chicken out?”

Cheng Ziqiu shot him a sidelong glance, a disdainful smirk curling on his lips.

“Talking to idiots is a waste of breath.”

“You—!” Chen Jianguo slammed his hand on the table, jiggling his flesh, about to lash out.

Chen Jiwang coughed heavily, his cloudy eyes flashing with severity.

“Silence! It’s my birthday today. Anyone who causes trouble will be thrown out!”

Though reluctant, Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun had no choice but to shut their mouths sulkily.

Chen Jiwang was, after all, the head of the family; they dared not be too reckless.

“Let’s eat!” Chen Jiwang commanded.

Immediately, the sumptuous dishes on the table drew everyone’s attention.

The tense atmosphere vanished, replaced by the lively clinking of glasses and cheerful chatter.

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Chen Jianguo picked up a piece of fish belly, his greasy mouth opening and closing as he said to Chen Churan,

“Churan, you’re not getting any younger. It’s time you found a good family to marry into. Staying at home and enjoying life is what really matters.”

“Leave that little company of yours to me, big brother will take care of it, so you don’t have to worry.”

Chen Churan ignored him, turning instead to excitedly report the company’s recent progress to Chen Jiwang.

“Dad, the company recently signed a new streamer with huge traffic, and sales have multiplied several times.”

She skillfully shifted the topic, eagerly sharing the company’s developments, subtly magnifying Cheng Ziqiu’s contributions.

Chen Jiwang stroked his beard, a look of satisfaction on his face.

“Oh? Seems this young man really has some skill! Not bad, not bad!”

Before the old man finished, Chen Jianguo sneered sarcastically.

“Dad, don’t be fooled by him!”

“That kid’s barely grown a hair on his chin. What could he possibly understand? I bet Churan paid for the traffic; that boy’s just a gigolo!”

Chen Jianjun eagerly chimed in.

“Exactly! Churan, your taste is awful. You pick a gigolo to boost your image? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”

Chen Churan’s expression darkened, ready to argue back, but Chen Jiwang stopped her.

He looked at Cheng Ziqiu with a thoughtful gaze.

“Young man, since you know your stuff, why don’t you take a look at these two antiques Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianjun brought and give us your opinion? Let everyone have a look.”

Cheng Ziqiu hadn’t wanted to get involved in this mess, but since Chen Jiwang had spoken, he had no choice but to stand.

He approached the table and casually glanced at the two so-called “treasures,” unable to suppress a cold laugh.

One was a counterfeit painting, the other a roughly made porcelain vase.

They actually dared to show these off?

“Mr. Chen, I only know a little and don’t want to embarrass myself by pretending to be an expert,” Cheng Ziqiu said lightly, not wanting to make them lose face in public.

“Oh? Don’t know? I think you’re just afraid of being exposed!” Chen Jianguo seized the opportunity to mock.

“Stop pretending you know anything! If you can’t, just say so. Why pretend here?”

Chen Jianjun laughed arrogantly.

“Haha, can’t keep it up, huh? If you’re incompetent, don’t pretend and embarrass yourself!”

Cheng Ziqiu’s patience finally wore thin.

“If you two insist on my appraisal, I’ll be blunt.”

His cold gaze swept over them, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“These two pieces are complete rubbish.”