Chapter 183

Chapter 183: Isn’t This Just Scarcity Marketing?

Du An Rao was stunned by the big blame hat he suddenly put on her head and didn’t even know how to react for a moment.

[Wait, so I’m wrong for not spending Granduncle’s money now? Why does it sound like if I don’t spend it, I’m breaking some heavenly rule? This is so strange. Other people’s parents worry their kids will waste money. My family is afraid I don’t know how to spend money. Every single one of them is pushing me to go out and spend. If I don’t, they’re not happy…]

Du De Sheng and Qin Yan Qing looked at each other and both felt a little helpless.

Their blood relatives and old close friends were all trying every trick they could think of to suck away every last bit of their money and connections. They practically wanted to crack their bones, suck the marrow, drain all the blood, then collect the bone dust to reuse.

But this girl in front of them was the opposite. Even when the money was cleaned and handed right into her palm, she didn’t dare spend it casually. They really did not know what to say.

“Granduncle, you misunderstood! I just… just felt these things were all small amounts. I can cover them with my own allowance. Why would I need your awesome Supreme Black Card for that? Wouldn’t that drag its level down?”

Leaning on his cane, Du De Sheng raised an eyebrow: “Oh? Really?”

“Of course it’s true.” Du An Rao braced herself and said: “I’m going to stay in City B for a while. Are you really afraid I won’t find places to spend money? You said it yourself, the cost of living in City B is high. Making money isn’t easy, but spending it sure is. Just don’t complain later that I’m spending so much it makes your heart ache.”

“Listen to her, listen to her.” Du De Sheng pointed at her and laughed. “Then you’d better work hard. Your Granduncle has a huge family business. If you can even spend enough to touch the tip of the iceberg and make me feel pain, then you really have skills.”

Du An Rao gave two dry laughs, her face full of awkwardness.

[Even though I know Granduncle is just telling the truth, saying it out loud like that is a bit… I strongly suspect all those people coveting his wealth were attracted by this loud, high profile, show off way of doing things.]

The show-off rich man who had nowhere to complain: “…”

Little heartless thing, how could Granduncle not understand the saying “don’t show your wealth”? But at his rank, even if no one knew exactly how much he had, the part that had to be shown on the surface was already enough to make people greedy.

And really, did she think her Granduncle was some money-throwing veteran who was this generous to everyone? It was only to her and Grandma Qin. For anyone else, even if they managed to get a single cent out of him, they still had to see if they had the life to spend it.

The frustration and grievance in Du De Sheng’s eyes were so obvious that Qin Yan Qing could not help feeling amused. “Alright, alright. It’s her first day here and she already ran into such annoying things. She must be tired. Don’t make it harder for her. An An, are you hungry? Let’s go eat.”

[Grandmother, you really are my true Grandmother!]

“Yeah, yeah. I want roast duck today, and soy sauce chicken drumsticks.”

“There are, there are. When you were craving them yesterday, I already told your Uncle Du Miao to get them ready. There are also crab roe buns and sweet and sour ribs that you like.”

“Yes, yes, I love all of those. Grandmother, I love you to death. If this keeps going, after you two get married, I really won’t want to go back.”

“If you can’t bear to leave, then don’t go. Your Granduncle and Grandmother will always keep a place here for you. Whenever you miss us, just come back and stay.”

“Mm.”

The old and the young supported each other as they walked away, leaving the head of the household, Du De Sheng, standing there alone.

But he wasn’t angry. Just looking at their backs made him feel the empty piece in his heart was filled. A few more hints of a smile appeared on his face.

When the two of them went into the inner room and fully disappeared, Du De Sheng finally gave A’Ming a look.

A’Ming nodded and turned to leave at once.

One could easily imagine how miserable those people would be later.

Of all the people they could have provoked, they chose one of the two people Ninth Master cared most about right now, the person at the very tip of his heart. Now they had really played themselves.

Maybe because Du An Rao had refused to accept Qiu Ji Chen’s apology gift and had not taken the jewelry from his branch store for free, he was afraid she was still angry.

The next morning he called as soon as it was light, saying he had sent another gift and asking if she could come out to get it, or give him an address so someone could deliver it.

Du An Rao knew that if she refused this gift, he would probably keep overthinking it. So she simply asked Uncle A Wen to go pick it up for her.

When he brought it back, they saw that what Qiu Ji Chen sent was actually an invitation with gold letters on it.

“Duobao Pavilion?”

Qin Yan Qing had only recently come to City B and was not very familiar with the name. She turned to A’Wen and asked: “Have you heard of this place? What do they do?”

“Duobao Pavilion Auction House is the biggest auction house in City B. They collect treasures from all over the world, antiques, calligraphy and paintings. They hold an auction every quarter. Most of the people who go are business giants and new members of old rich families from City B and other places.”

Du An Rao waved the invitation in her hand at him: “This?”

“Yes. But, Miss, the one in your hand is an annual auction invitation. It’s rarer and more valuable, and much harder to get.”

“The annual invitation isn’t the same as the quarterly ones?”

“Their annual auction is the last auction of the year. They display the items from the past year that have the highest collection value. Every year at this time, tycoons from all over the country rush over to join this auction, so the weight of this invitation rises too.”

“…Isn’t that just scarcity marketing?”

A’Wen was amused by her description: “You can put it that way. But the quality of the things this auction house sells is well known and really good. Otherwise there wouldn’t be so many tycoons from other places coming here for it.”

[Got it. So what you mean is that the things they auction are really rare, real treasures. That’s why so many leeks rush over to hand them money and get themselves cut.]

Qin Yan Qing: “…” Put like that, it wasn’t wrong.

“An An, do you want to go to this auction?”

“Yes, I do.”

Du An Rao had been worrying about not finding a suitable wedding gift. If this auction house really had treasures you couldn’t find elsewhere, maybe she would not have to bother someone to go up the mountain and bring down a piece from the collection she kept in the temple.

When Qin Yan Qing learned that Du An Rao wanted to go to the auction for the sake of her and Du De Sheng, the smile in her eyes grew even warmer. “If you want to go, then we’ll go. But there will be a lot of people at the auction, all sorts mixed together. Remember to take A’Wen and the others with you so they can look out for you.”

Knowing this was good will from her elders, and that she really was unfamiliar with City B and should not go alone, Du An Rao did not refuse.

The auction was scheduled for three days later, but before the day came, a call from Jiang You Nian arrived first.

“Eh? What did you say? Aunt wants to invite me to your house for a meal?”