Chapter 548: Grandpa’s Atonement
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As soon as Wen Xinya returned home, Mother w.a.n.g said, “Missy, you’re home. Old Sir is in the study upstairs and he wants you to look for him once you’re home.”
“Got it, Mother w.a.n.g.” Wen Xinya nodded and grabbed the tray in Mother w.a.n.g’s hand, on which there were two types of Old Mr. Wen’s favorite snacks.
Wen Xinya headed to the study to see that the door was left ajar. She knocked twice on the door gently.
“Xinya, come in!”
Wen Xinya entered with the tray and walked towards Old Mr. Wen slowly. She then placed the tray down on the teapoy.
Old Mr. Wen was in the midst of scrutinizing a lotus-leaf-shaped bowl made out of green ceramic with a magnifying gla.s.s. She could not help but be reminded of the broken vase.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the bowl, Old Mr. Wen said, “Xinya, hurry and come take a look at this green ceramic bowl. How does it compare to that ceramic vase?”
Wen Xinya smiled and said, “It’s great, of course. This green ceramic dates back to the mid-era of the Tang Dynasty and it’s very rare. Unfortunately, the war that went on during the late Song Dynasty ruined many of these ceramics. There are only sixty-odd pieces in the world now and they’re priceless. This bowl is bright and gleaming. There are spa.r.s.e bubbles under the glaze which resemble dewdrops on leaves when looked at from afar. This should be a prized possession from the Song Dynasty.”
Old Mr. Wen applauded and said, “I didn’t expect that you’d know so much about this green ceramic. You must have developed an interest in it because of your Grampy’s influence. He had always been an avid fan of fine Ruyao china.”
The ceramic tea set that Old Mr. Mo had gifted her with was said to be a prized possession given to him by his most honored student who carried the last name Si.
Wen Xinya smiled and said, “Grampy did tell me some stuff about it.”
“Unfortunately, that Ruyao ceramic vase of yours had been broken. That’s one less treasure in this world,” Old Mr. Wen remarked, sounding a little regretful, for it was Mo Yunyao’s dowry. Yet, it was ruined all because of Old Mrs. Wen. Hence, he felt rather guilty about it.
Old Mr. Wen would definitely not believe that the precious vase was broken by accident. After some thought, he began to admire Wen Xinya more and more for not allowing the loss of a precious piece of china to affect her. Instead, she knew her predicament and could make a rational decision. Clearly, she was a determined and resolute person.
Agony was written all over Wen Xinya’s face, though she did not mention much about it.
Old Mr. Wen placed the lotus-leaf-shaped bowl inside a box and handed it to Wen Xinya. “Your Grandma is to be blamed for the broken vase. She was unruly and outrageous. Coincidentally, I happen to know a friend who collects fine china. However, he has made some losses in investments lately and needed some cash, so he gave this to me in exchange. Just take it as a form of compensation to you.”
“It’s for me?” Wen Xinya asked in astonishment. There was a role reversal, though the scene was the same in the previous lifetime.
Old Mr. Wen smiled and said, “That goes without saying. That vase was your mother’s dowry and it was ruined because of your Grandma. The Wen Family owes you an explanation.”
Extremely touched, Wen Xinya said, “Thank you, Grandpa.”
She had been upset over the broken vase for days and was overwhelmed with guilt too. However, Old Mr. Mo noticed how moody she seemed and told her that it was just a replica.
Thinking that Old Mr. Mo was just trying to comfort her, she deliberately searched the internet for information about fine china, only to realize that it was almost impossible to make replicas of large Ruyao ceramic pieces. Hence, the large pieces of Ruyao ceramic pieces in the world were few and far between.
Hence, Wen Xinya believed him, especially since there were no fine lines on the Ruyao ceramic.
Seeing that she seemed to be in high spirits, Old Mr. Wen smiled and said, “Good that you like it. It’s your fortune to be able to get your hands on this Ruyao ceramic bowl.”
Previously, he had wanted to gift her with a tricolor tea set which was extremely rare, though it was not expensive as Ruyao ceramic. To his surprise, he managed to get his hands on the Ruyao ceramic bowl and hence, believed that it was because Wen Xinya was lucky.
Wen Xinya gently caressed the bowl and admired its beauty. She thought to herself, Grandpa is right… I’m indeed very lucky. I managed to exchange a replica for an authentic piece.
Old Mr. Wen said, “The preparations for Ruya’s coming-of-age ceremony are ongoing too. I’m planning to help the Xia Family organize Ruya’s coming-of-age ceremony. What’s your opinion about that?”
He was well aware of the tension between Wen Xinya and Xia Ruya. The broken vase incident almost made Wen Xinya embarra.s.sed. Hence, he decided to seek her opinion in order to make it up to her.
The smile on Wen Xinya’s face stiffened and she said, “I understand your considerations, Grandpa. I don’t have any objections. After all… the Wen Family’s reputation matters the most.”
Although she felt a little guilty for getting an authentic piece in exchange, she suddenly felt that she deserved it all right, for she knew that Old Mr. Wen merely wanted to make use of the ceramic bowl to atone for his guilt and comfort her.
Old Mr. Wen stared at her in a bid to find out her emotions. However, she looked rather calm and composed. He smiled and asked, “How are the preparations for your coming-of-age ceremony going? Although I’ve promised not to intervene and allow you to handle it, I’m very worried because it’s taking place in less than twenty days and yet there isn’t any confirmation yet.”
He was well aware of Wen Xinya’s abilities. Hence, he felt extremely at ease about letting her handle the preparations of her coming-of-age ceremony.
Wen Xinya smiled and answered, “They’re almost done, but the details are to be kept secret for now.”
In fact, she did not know the exact details and whenever she asked about it, Si Yiyan would simply tell her that it was in the midst of preparation. Hence, she decided not to probe any further and leave him to it.
Old Mr. Wen said, “Alright! In that case, I’ll leave it to you. Anyway, I’m here for you regardless of what happens.”
Wen Xinya answered with much grat.i.tude, “Thank you, Grandpa!”
Old Mr. Wen recalled the incident of Luo Le taking Ning Shuqian’s pulse and had asked Ning Shuqian about her pregnancy in detail. Although he could not find out much, he simply felt uneasy about the matter and would often find himself tongue-tied around Wen Xinya.
Wen Xinya naturally understood what Old Mr. Wen’s expressions meant. However, she simply looked down and continued to eat her snacks while pretending not to notice his expressions. The fact that he did not question me directly, simply means that he has his doubts and suspicions about Ning Shuqian, though he still believes her for the most part. In that case, Grandpa can go check up on his own! I happen to not have any evidence anyway. It’s better not to intervene.