C17 The Mysterious Mother

"What? Can you repeat that? How much is in there? How much money?" Liu's father asked incredulously, thinking he might have misheard.

At that moment, Liu's mother, standing nearby, started to get visibly excited.

"Fifteen million..." Liu Gaang confirmed with a solemn nod.

Liu Lei took a few deep breaths to compose himself. He was, after all, a man of the world. He fixed his gaze on his son and demanded, "Gaang, where did this money come from?"

"Yes, Gaang, how did you come by this money?" Liu's mother chimed in, her face etched with worry.

For any parent, the greatest fear is their child taking the wrong path, especially when the sum in question is as substantial as fifteen million.

"Mom, Dad, I picked up a piece of calligraphy on Antique Street. It was just an item from the Republic of China era, not very valuable. But it turned out to be a 'hidden character' piece, concealing an original work by the Eastern Jin Dynasty's Calligraphy Sage, Wang Xizhi—the Lanting Composition. I sold it for seventeen million. And just yesterday, I found a Republic of China-era bronze mirror with a large Qing Dynasty Double Dragon Stamp inside, which I sold for two million."

Listening to their son, Liu Lei and his wife's faces softened, their anxiety giving way to relief. Liu Lei knew his son well; despite his frivolous ways, he was inherently good-hearted. Plus, his son had a tell when lying—he couldn't stop scratching his head.

This time, there was no scratching, so his son's story had to be true.

Liu's mother smiled and remarked, "Who would have thought you'd stumble upon such a fortune? Wang Xizhi's original work for seventeen million is quite the deal. And that Double Dragons Stamp could indeed fetch around two million at auction."

Liu Gaang glanced at his mother in astonishment. "Picking up a bargain" was collector's lingo. Without his prior reading on antiques, he wouldn't have known the phrase. Yet his mother had used it effortlessly and even knew the value of Wang Xizhi's work, making him wonder just how knowledgeable she was about collecting.

"Mom, I really did find a steal. Then I ran into a wealthy buyer and sold the calligraphy to him."

"Haha, 17 million, plus another 2 million—that's a whopping 19 million! Back in the day, I, Liu Gaang, was like a dragon, never bending or admitting defeat. Who would've thought I'd take such a fall in my middle years? And to think, it was my own son who picked me back up!" Liu Lei reflected with emotion.

"Mom, Dad, with this money, can we get the factory out of trouble? Can we get back everything we mortgaged?" Liu Gaang inquired.

"Absolutely, we can," Liu Lei replied, laughing heartily, his mood unusually buoyant.

Liu's mother seemed lost in thought. Suddenly, she fixed her gaze on Liu Gaang and questioned, "Gaang, you said you sold Wang Xizhi's calligraphy for 17 million and the Double Dragon Stamps for 2 million. Your dad has 15 million in his account—where's the other 4 million?"

"Hand over the remaining money to Mom. I'll keep it safe for you. You can use it later for your wedding, instead of wasting it away."

"Mom, I'm an adult now. Can't you leave me a little spending money?" Liu Gaang pleaded, his face the picture of distress.

At that moment, Liu's father chimed in, "Exactly, Yun. Gaang's grown up now. Let him have some spending money."

"Well, okay. I'll leave him 1 million," Liu's mother conceded after a moment's thought.

It wasn't that Liu's mother was particularly concerned about the money itself; the recent events had simply made her more cautious. She understood her son's nature—if he had control over all the money, he'd surely fritter it away. By keeping it herself, she was safeguarding a safety net for the family, ensuring that if they ever faced hardship again, her children would be provided for.

"Fine, I'll transfer the money to the card in the next few days," Liu Gaang reluctantly agreed.

But internally, he was already scheming, thinking that while he still had some funds, he should quickly make more.

The fall from billionaire to millionaire was a staggering drop!

Liu Gaang enjoyed a delightful dinner with his parents, filled with conversation and laughter, radiating warmth and joy. Liu Gaang had always made it a point to dine with his family whenever he was home, regardless of whether he had already eaten out. Sometimes, he would merely pick at his food symbolically.

Once dinner was over, Liu Gaang retreated to his room to delve into books on antique knowledge, immersing himself in study until the wee hours of the night.