Chapter 21: A Gift of Bamboo Slips

Seeing Jiang Yanshu’s skeptical look, which clearly meant "Are you okay?", Jiang Luan sat back down with a calm expression.

"That chicken is quite good; you should have more, brother."

Jiang Luan nodded at Jiang Yanshu as if nothing had happened and turned back to continue his meal.

"..."

Jiang Yanshu turned back, looking suspicious.

Zheng Peiluan, noticing Jiang Yanshu’s strange expression, guessed that nothing good had come out of Jiang Luan’s foul mouth. She whispered to her son, "What did Jiang Luan say to you?"

Jiang Yanshu’s mouth twitched. "He told me to eat the chicken."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Peiluan immediately picked the chicken out of her bowl and threw it away. Good heavens, who would dare eat that now?

After Prince Suping finished displaying his giant golden peach, he received a chorus of marvels and finally wore a satisfied smile.

Opposite him, Lady Zhou wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and nudged her son with her elbow.

Qi Shaokang immediately stepped forward and said, "Grandfather, Kang’er also has a birthday gift to offer."

The behavior of Lady Zhou and her son was rather modest; Qi Shaokang took a large box from beside his feet and presented it respectfully to Qi Yuheng.

Qi Yuheng took the box and opened it to find an ordinary wooden basin, with a layer of pebbles spread across the bottom.

"This is..."

"Kang’er was also influenced by Cousin-in-law," Qi Shaokang said, smiling as he glanced at Jiang Luan.

Jiang Luan, with a piece of chicken in his mouth, looked up and glared at him, thinking, *Why the hell does this involve me again?*

"Cousin-in-law’s soup delivery earlier gave me some inspiration," Qi Shaokang said respectfully. "Coupled with my father’s long-standing poor health, I understand how important a healthy physique is, so I searched for a long time before finding this."

"Oh?" Qi Yuheng asked curiously. "Is there something special about this wooden basin?"

"The basin itself is just an ordinary one," Qi Shaokang replied, "made of fragrant cedar, which helps retain the heat of the water for longer when soaking one's feet. The key lies in these stones inside."

Prince Suping, who had been observing the basin, remarked coldly, "I thought they were just ordinary pebbles."

"The Prince is mistaken," Qi Shaokang explained. "These stones are called volcanic stones, formed by the cooling of volcanic eruptions. Craftsmen select stones from deep within the rock walls and polish them through forty-nine days of water treatment before they can be used. Heating these volcanic stones for a foot soak can accelerate the body’s blood circulation and is highly beneficial."

Though the guests didn't fully understand it, it sounded very logical. Everyone nodded repeatedly.

Qi Shaokang bowed to Qi Yuheng and offered his congratulations, "With this gift, Kang’er wishes Grandfather longevity and health for a hundred years."

"Haha, good, very good." Qi Yuheng nodded, looking quite satisfied.

The surrounding guests whispered with envy:

"The second branch’s gift is quite good, too. You can tell it came from the heart."

"Indeed. The eldest branch gave something valuable, while the second branch gave something thoughtful. The head of the Qi family is truly blessed."

"Not only that, Young Master Qi Shaokang has an extraordinary demeanor and speaks clearly; he is clearly a dragon among men."

"The Qi family has produced two fine grandsons."

"Two? Have you forgotten the Qi family’s eldest grandson?"

"What? Isn't the eldest grandson the Prince’s..."

The guest who asked was clearly visiting the Qi residence for the first time and knew little about the family. The person next to him nudged him and gestured for him to look: there was still a fool of a young master in the Qi family!

Qi Shaolin was focused intently on the food in his bowl, completely oblivious to what was happening before him.

Qi Yuheng, long accustomed to Qi Shaolin’s decade-long childlike temperament, sighed slightly. He didn't expect to hear any auspicious words from his eldest grandson, even though there was a new granddaughter-in-law this year.

After presenting his gift, Qi Shaokang returned to his seat.

Qi Yuheng lifted his eyelids to look at Jiang Luan. Seeing that he hadn't made a move yet, he decided to let it go and began to conclude, "This year..."

"Grandfather, there is still me and Brother Lin," Jiang Luan said slowly.

"In previous years, it was only our two families," Prince Suping suddenly interjected. "Now that Shaolin has taken a wife, things are truly different. I must say, I am not quite used to it."

"It would be better if you got used to it early, Your Highness," Jiang Luan said, nodding at him. "After all, Brother Shaolin is the eldest grandson of the Qi family. I suspect there will be plenty of opportunities for him to step up for the family in the future."

Prince Suping’s face darkened at these words; he slammed his cup onto the table and fell silent.

Nearby, Qi Shaokang looked at Jiang Luan with an intrigued expression.

The guests at the banquet began to whisper again:

"Who is he? I don’t think I’ve seen him before."

"You don’t know him? That’s Jiang Luan, the newlywed granddaughter-in-law of the Qi family."

"Oh, the wife of that fool... the grandson with impaired intelligence? He is quite beautiful, though."

"More than just beautiful. The scandalous stories behind him are quite interesting, too..."

Hearing these rumors, Jiang Yanshu’s face turned black. He slammed his chopsticks down and grumbled indignantly, "That brat Jiang Luan! He’s brought shame upon our entire family!"

Zheng Peiluan remained calm. "Why are you getting angry? Jiang Luan is already a member of the Qi family; his shame won’t reach our doorstep."

Jiang Luan arched his thin eyebrows and cast a light, airy glance at the banquet. Those who had been gossiping suddenly went quiet.

*Enough is enough!* Jiang Luan had been patient for a long time. Were these people here to eat, or were they here to consume gossip? Were they human ticker-tape machines?

Qi Shaokang stood up and asked Jiang Luan, "I wonder what Cousin-in-law has prepared? I can help you retrieve it."

"No need, the birthday gift is currently on my person."

Jiang Luan smiled suddenly, his face as bright as the moon, his natural charm evident in the corners of his eyes, leaving Qi Shaokang momentarily breathless.

Other bored, single young masters at the banquet couldn't help but inquire about this new granddaughter-in-law of the Qi family.

Qi Shaolin set down his chopsticks, seemingly having heard these remarks, and looked visibly displeased.

"Lad Jiang, what kind of trick do you have up your sleeve now?"

Seeing Jiang Luan’s slender frame, which didn't look like it could hide anything, Qi Yuheng felt that this boy must have something up his sleeve again.

Qi Shaoyang sneered in a low voice, "I hope he didn't just come here with a few banknotes rolled up..."

Jiang Luan pulled three finger-length bamboo slips from his sleeve. "Grandfather, this is my birthday gift for you."

As soon as his "gift" was revealed, someone in the crowd couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"This, this..."

"How could it be so shabby?"

"Compared to the first two, this is truly... what is he doing?"

"Actually, it's not surprising. After all, given the situation with the Qi family’s eldest grandson, sigh."

"But I heard the Jiang family is a wealthy one, isn't it?"

Jiang Yanshu’s face turned beet red; he wanted to cover his face with his sleeves and couldn't help but mutter curses, "What on earth is Jiang Luan doing?"

Zheng Peiluan glared at the gossiping crowd, sighed, and said, "If I had known we would be humiliated like this, we shouldn't have come."

"It’s even more ridiculous than banknotes! What is this supposed to be?" Qi Shaoyang was practically bursting with glee.

A sinister smile also appeared on Prince Suping’s face. He let out a cold snort, "If Jiang Luan embarrasses the Qi family today, just wait and see how I deal with him later!"

Jiang Luan ignored these remarks, walked calmly to Qi Yuheng with his three bamboo slips, and said, "Grandfather, please choose one."

Qi Yuheng was not annoyed; he knew this boy liked to build suspense and was probably playing some kind of game. He shook his head with a smile. "You brat, what are you up to now?"

Jiang Luan winked at him. "Grandfather will know once you've chosen."