Chapter 185 - 167: Worldly Wisdom

Seeing Ni Bingyan come over to invite him to dinner, the old master craftsman was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Oh! I couldn’t possibly! You’ve paid me more than enough, and the property management told us in advance that meals weren’t included! I’ve just got a little bit left to finish up. I’ll be done soon and can go home to eat."

Wealthy families had a lot of rules. Who knew if the owner would look down on a worker?

To avoid trouble, the villa’s housekeeper in charge of these arrangements had already given them a heads-up.

The old master was advanced in years and had seen a lot. He knew it was better to avoid making waves, so he had agreed.

If he really had to sit and eat with the big boss, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his food anyway!

"Master craftsman, what are you saying? Since ancient times, when a craftsman comes to do work, how could the host not provide a meal when it’s time to eat? If you say that, it means my father didn’t raise me right."

The Ni family estate had such a large garden and employed workers year-round. Her dad always hosted them warmly.

When she was little, she didn’t understand and asked her father. He had told her that you can’t be careless when building or repairing a house. You must not offend the craftsmen. If you offend them and they decide to pull a little trick, it could ruin the feng shui, and the whole family’s fortune would be destroyed. A little food and drink is nothing, how much could that cost?

She didn’t pay much mind to mystical things like feng shui, but the quality of the construction was definitely closely related to whether the craftsmen put their hearts into it.

By her family’s lotus pond stood a wooden octagonal pavilion built with mortise and tenon joints. It was sturdier than a steel-reinforced concrete bridge. It had been built decades ago and had since survived several earthquakes of magnitude six or higher. It was still in perfect condition. Forget collapsing—with careful maintenance, not a single piece of wood had rotted.

The master was about to refuse again when he heard Ni Bingyan say, "It’s a simple meal I cooked myself. Braised fish in brown sauce, twice-cooked pork, stir-fried sweet peas, and flash-fried mung bean sprouts. They’re all home-style dishes, so please don’t mind the humble fare!"

At other job sites, meals were always included. Seeing her sincere invitation, the old master stopped refusing and nodded in agreement.

Seeing the master craftsman bury his head in his work again, Ni Bingyan estimated the time and returned to the kitchen to stir-fry the vegetable dishes.

That evening, the three of them ate together. Ni Bingyan even took out a bottle of liquor and insisted on pouring a full glass for the master, acting as if it would be a failure of hospitality if she didn’t serve him well. This made the old craftsman wave his hands again and again, saying he didn’t drink.

He said he didn’t drink, but in reality, he just didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of the two women. He got talkative after drinking, so much so that even his wife found him annoying, let alone strangers.

Ni Bingyan pretended not to see him glancing at the bottle and just kept encouraging him to eat his fill.

They made simple small talk during the meal. After they finished eating, she warmly saw the master to the door.

As for the bottle of liquor, she enthusiastically tucked it into his toolbox.

"I don’t drink. I bought this especially to host you. If you don’t accept it, it’ll just sit here. Thank you so much for today! It’s not any fine liquor, so please don’t mind."

Wei Shuojie watched from the side, knowing that the next time Ni Bingyan had a job for him, this old master would do it for her with great enthusiasm and care.

It was just like how after she wrapped a film, whenever she didn’t have a project lined up, producers and directors were always willing to recommend her to their friends.

"Sigh!"

Wei Shuojie sighed again.

Hearing this, Ni Bingyan couldn’t help but laugh and link her arm through Wei Shuojie’s. "Stop sighing! I’ll work hard~"

"Okay."

Wei Shuojie nodded, then asked, "Aren’t you going to Zhou Dawei’s wedding tomorrow? Have you prepared the gift money?"

There were conventions for giving gifts within their circle, and she was afraid Ni Bingyan, being inexperienced, might offend someone without realizing it.

Zhou Dawei’s wedding had been postponed until this year. To make it convenient for people in the industry, they held two receptions: one in his hometown on May Day, and one in Beijing on the fifth of May. This arrangement worked out quite well.

Seeing how Wei Shuojie was growing closer to her, worrying about even small things like this, Ni Bingyan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "Don’t worry! I’m just following Susu’s lead. Speaking of which, Susu is due soon. I need to have a longevity lock made for the baby."

’Alright, she really doesn’t need me to worry about her.’

’In that case, I might as well focus on finding an award-worthy masterpiece for her. I’ll work hard so she can win a few more awards next year.’

Her conversation with Ni Bingyan today had truly spurred her on.

’When the artist has that kind of drive, the manager can’t be the one to hold them back!’