The Chinese-style furniture was sent to the furniture workshop at the far west of Qinghe Street by Xu Xiuhe's men.
Shen Yin registered a shop online and had someone take a detailed set of furniture photos to put up.
There weren't a few who came to ask about the furniture, but once the price was disclosed, they were deterred, and some even chided it as a black-hearted shop.
The most expensive Chinese-style furniture on the market retails for only a million or two, but here, it was priced at five million. Did they intend to rob?
Shen Yin did not respond to these comments. The quality and style of her works were here. They were more modern and sophisticated than the Chinese-style furniture on the market. True connoisseurs wouldn't mind the price at all.
Ever since Shu Yi was approached by Chang Huaiming and Nie Ling in the hospital, she disappeared for a long time.
Even the group chat of the 'Rags to Riches' trio went quiet for quite a while. Thanks to Qi Ji, who because of boredom, would communicate in the group every day, sending various messages.
"[There's good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?]"
Qi Ji tagged Shen Yin and Shu Yi in the group.
"[Good news.]"
"[Bad news.]"
Shen Yin and Shu Yi replied one after the other.
"[I feel like having a hot pot. Let's go have hot pot, and when we meet, I'll announce the good and bad news.]"
Qi Ji suggested.
She's been having cravings these past few days. She wanted to go out every day. Once a homebody who could stay at home for a week, she now yearned for outings every day.
How could pregnancy cause such a huge change?
"[Do you want me to pick you up, or ask your husband to deliver you over?]"
Shu Yi asked.
"[Yes, yes; don’t let him bring me, we'll go to the hot pot restaurant.]"
Shu Yi drove to the entrance of the Xue family's house and called Qi Ji.
Xue Jingrui was at work, and Qi Ji ran over to Ye Rong, cooing, "Mom, I want to go out for hot pot with my friends."
Qi Ji's voice all sweet and soft, clinging to Ye Rong's arm.
Ye Rong was defenseless.
"Qi Ji, let Mom send you there."
"Thanks, Mom, but sister Shu Yi is already waiting for me outside."
"Alright, be careful, all of you. Don't stay out too late. No drinking."
Ye Rong reached out and patted Qi Ji's nose.
Qi Ji bounded out of the house with joy. With her enormous belly, Ye Rong was worried. If something happened, what were they to do? Ye Rong began to resent her son again, for being too eager. They should have waited a couple more years, until Qi Ji was a little more mature before they had a child. She got lost in this thought, completely forgetting the fact that it was she who had been pushing for this in the first place.
As soon as Qi Ji decided to go out, she changed into a large, loose yellow pastry suit, wheat-colored corduroy pants underneath, matched with a pair of white snow boots.
Looking like a fresher who had just graduated from high school, she opened the passenger door of the car.
"Stop, sweetheart; you should sit in the back. You are a pregnant woman; the passenger seat is a little risky. The back is safer."
Shu Yi deflected.
Upon hearing her, Qi Ji shut the passenger door and moved to the backseat.
Inside the car, the heater was on, blowing warmth. The first thing Qi Ji did after getting in was take off her yellow pastry suit.
"Why are you still wearing so much inside?" Shu Yi turned and incredulously remarked.
Inside Qi Ji’s outer clothing was a sweater.
"The cold weather has set in recently, Brother Jingrui says it's risky for pregnant women to get sick, so I should keep myself warm and bundle up when going outside."
"Wow, you have a good husband."
Upon hearing Shu Yi’s comment, Qi Ji felt a bit shy. She realized she had hardly ever called Jingrui her husband out loud.
"Has Sister Shen Yin arrived?”
"They should be here shortly.”
Shen Yin and Xu Yunzheng were already waiting for them in the private room at the hot pot restaurant.
It was the first time that Shen Yin and Yunzheng visited a hot pot restaurant and they looked around curiously.
Shu Yi had parked the car, put on her hat, mask, and scarf, and then turned to look at Qi Ji, who was pulling on her puffy coat.
"In just a short time, I feel like your belly has grown a lot." Shu Yi kept staring at Qi Ji’s belly.
"Have they?" Qi Ji merely smiled without saying anything more.
Following the waiter's guidance, they went straight to the private room.
"Auntie, godmother."
Xu Yunzheng was the first to spot them.
"Is it cold outside?" asked Shen Yin.
"It's cold, but it's okay, I dressed warmly." Qi Ji took off her yellow puffy coat and placed it on her chair.
Shen Yin pulled up a chair for Qi Ji.
"I am going to announce some good news and bad news. Are you all excited?"
"We're excited!" Yunzheng was the most enthusiastic, shouting out loud.
"The good news is that I'm carrying twins, one boy and one girl. I just had the examination yesterday."
"Wow! How lucky.” Shu Yi was amazed, she knew people with twins but had never met anyone with fraternal twins.
"Indeed, that's great news."
Only Yunzheng was confused in the room, wondering why the adults were all so happy when there was no food on the table yet. He looked around, puzzled.
"Yunzheng, Auntie Qi Ji has two little lives in her belly," Shu Yi explained.
"What about the bad news?" Shen Yin asked tentatively, a bit worried. She wondered if it had something to do with the babies.
"The bad news is that the twins are the same size. The little princess already has a fiancé, but there is no one for the brother. How to solve this? I am still short of a daughter-in-law. I am sure the brother will be jealous. What if he gets upset and bullies his sister?”
Shen Yin and Shu Yi were speechless. Was this considered as bad news? They were horrified when Qi Ji said she had bad news.
Qi Ji sure had a long-term vision.
"Given that you already have a son-in-law and you’re still short of a daughter-in-law, it is indeed some bad news."
"Dear, future has its own future blessing. We don't have to worry about it. The brother won't get into trivialities. Don't think too much about it. What kind of hot pot do you want to eat?" Shu Yi picked up the menu and looked at it again.
Fraternal twins are such a low probability event, but it happened to her good friend. Of course, this was worth celebrating.
"We’ll have tomato hot pot, spicy hot pot, and mushroom hot pot." Said Qi Ji.
"Okay, the pregnant woman is the boss here. We'll listen to you."
"What do you want to eat son-in-law?" Qi Ji asked Yunzheng.
"Meat."
When the waiter brought in the food, the sight of Shu Yi stunned him.
"Is that Shu Yi? The goddess?"
Shu Yi didn’t expect to meet her own fan while dining.
The waiter was very young and seemed like a college student working part-time during the winter break. The sight of Shu Yi left him so excited that he stopped what he was doing.
“I am.”
“Wow, I'm your fan. Can you sign for me?”
The waiter took a pen from his pocket and handed it to Shu Yi.
Shu Yi, with a smile, took it and asked, "Sign where?"
The waiter looked around, found that he only had tissue paper in his pocket, so he pulled it out and said, "Here, I really love you. I will cherish this tissue paper.”
"Thank you for your love."
The waiter, faced with joy, could not suppress the smile on his face. Just as he was heading out the door, he suddenly turned back.
