As the gifts were presented to Old Master Su, the crowd below naturally began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Such a large jade Ruyi, how massive must the original block of jade have been to carve it?"

"Idiot, didn't you see? The jade Ruyi is segmented into three pieces, then joined with gold foil plating. So, it's not as precious as you think. The real show is yet to come."

"Exactly. Generally speaking, the first person to present a gift is often not confident in what they’ve brought…"

Amidst the low whispers of the crowd, the second, third, fourth, and then the fifth through eighth people stepped forward in quick succession. Each presented something different, but without question, they were all valuable offerings.

Items like rhinoceros horn cups, longevity peach wood carvings, or celebratory couplets inscribed by famous calligraphers were considered relatively standard fare. However, pieces such as Zheng Banqiao’s Three Friends of Winter painting, a century-old wild ginseng root, or a Qing Dynasty official kiln gourd (for Fu Lu, fortune and prosperity) vase were truly rare and commendable treasures.

While everyone attending Old Master Su's birthday banquet had some connection, however tenuous, to the Su family, this was simply a fact of life. In a sense, those present were far from ordinary folk; indeed, many were extremely wealthy or highly influential.

But regardless of their own status, upon seeing so many exquisite and valuable gifts appear one after another, most people couldn't help but feel a touch of awe, and their discussions grew more animated. The gossip revolved around two central themes: the value of each item, and which presentation would ultimately prove the most precious.

"Don't rush things; haven't they already said the beginning is just the start?"

From a table within the main seating area, a man who seemed to know everything chuckled mysteriously, "Haven't you noticed? The people seated at the front tables haven't made a move yet. That tells you the real spectacle is still forthcoming."

Meanwhile, at the table where Wang Guan sat, Old Man Yan sipped his Hua Diao wine. Far from appearing tipsy, his eyes seemed even brighter. He then smiled genially, "Little Hao, so many people are stepping up to claim the spotlight, yet you sit so steadily. Did you perhaps secure something truly special yesterday?"

As he spoke, Old Man Yan glanced toward Wang Guan and smiled, "Don't tell me you bought his teacup."

"Old Yan, I certainly wished I could buy it, but I lack the means," Hao Baolai replied with a wry smile. "If I had actually purchased that teacup, I’d probably be bankrupt."

"Heh, that’s true enough," Old Man Yan agreed wholeheartedly, chuckling. "In that case, shouldn't you hurry up and present your gift? The longer you wait, if what you bring isn't quite up to par, you’ll give those perpetually unsatisfied people something to mock you about."

"No need to hurry, Old Yan." Hao Baolai smiled confidently. "I just acquired a treasure. It might not be the absolute best thing here, but it should be the most appropriate gift for the occasion."

"Just now?" Old Man Yan looked slightly taken aback. "By the sound of it, you prepared this gift in haste?"

"Please rest assured, Old Yan, even if it was spur-of-the-moment, I know my limits. If it weren't a fine item, how would I dare wait until the very end to avoid making a fool of myself?" Hao Baolai said, brimming with confidence regarding the hawksbill shell piece.

"That makes sense," Old Man Yan replied with a smile. "Then I shall wait and see."

As they spoke, the stream of attendees stepping forward to offer birthday wishes to Old Master Su dwindled until, finally, no one moved.

At this moment, under the gaze of the entire assembly, Hao Baolai slowly made his way toward the chief table, carrying an object cradled in his hands. Although he had acquired the hawksbill piece somewhat hastily, it had been simply wrapped in delicate, soft cloth, obscuring its true nature from view.

"Is that a plate?"

"Probably something like a longevity peach platter, I’d guess."

However, some guests tried to deduce its form based on the general outline.

Amidst the low murmuring, Hao Baolai stepped briskly to Old Master Su’s side, first respectfully presenting the item, then smiling warmly, "Old Su, I have come to offer my birthday felicitations. I wish you robust health and boundless fortune."

"Good, you have a kind heart," Old Master Su said with a smile, taking the item.

At this point, without needing any prompting from the host, someone nearby chuckled, "Old Su, what treasure is this? Do unveil it so we may all admire it."

Old Master Su glanced at Hao Baolai, noted his composed demeanor, and happily nodded, pulling the soft cloth away. Instantly, an object shaped like a shield, densely covered in dark brown mottling, appeared before everyone’s eyes.

"A piece of tortoise shell?"

Many people froze, harbors a degree of doubt, and looked at Hao Baolai with distinctly strange expressions. They wondered if the man had come to cause trouble. On the auspicious occasion of Old Master Su’s eightieth birthday, how could he dare present a broken piece of shell, and worse, a tortoise shell? Was he trying to imply something sinister?

Of course, where the masses were oblivious, there were those with keen insight. Noticing the distinct, beautiful, and translucent patterns on the piece, someone paused for a moment before smiling, "This is a piece of (dàimào) scale, isn't it? To have it in a plate-like size is quite rare."

"Oh, so it’s!"

At once, many understood, grasping the sentiment behind Hao Baolai’s choice. After all, the hawksbill turtle is associated with longevity, making such a gift perfectly appropriate for the occasion.

However, once the context was clear, some began to feel disappointed. Those who had anticipated the final presentation to be a priceless, monumental treasure could only shake their heads, feeling their anticipation had been wasted.

"What a letdown. They should have shown this earlier instead of dragging it out until the end."

"Exactly..."

Many voices chimed in agreement. While they couldn't deny that was valuable, its worth was limited—nowhere near the heavyweight treasure they had been expecting. Sometimes, the higher the expectation, the greater the resulting disappointment.

Generally, a disappointing presentation would mark Hao Baolai as the target of silent scorn.

"This shouldn't be," Old Man Yan frowned. "Little Hao was so confident; why bring out such a trifle to fool people?"

"Old Yan, don't worry, the real show is coming," Gao Dequan, seated nearby, heard this and laughed. "That object is far from simple. Besides, Baolai isn't foolish; he wouldn't dare present something ordinary."

"True enough," Old Man Yan conceded, smiling, and continued to watch, leaning on his cane.

"Huh!"

At that moment, Old Master Su, who had been examining the scale, fixed his gaze upon it. A sense of understanding mingled with surprise bloomed within him. Unlike the others, Old Master Su had known from the start that whatever Hao Baolai brought would not be simple. Thus, he studied it closely and naturally detected something unusual.

"Baolai, you truly have a thoughtful heart," Old Master Su murmured, his fingers lightly tracing the patterns on the scale, his expression showing genuine, pleasant surprise. "You must have been searching for this for a long time? You’ve gone to great trouble."

"If Old Su likes it, that is all that matters," Hao Baolai replied cheerfully, careful not to mention that he had only acquired it moments ago.

Perhaps Old Master Su was simply being polite and giving him face, he thought.

However, a guest seated next to Old Master Su noticed the subtle movement of the host's fingers and suddenly exclaimed, "Longevity!"

"What longevity?" others immediately inquired, surprised.

"Look at the dark markings on the scale," the guest hastily explained. "They look like an ancient character for Shòu ( - Longevity)."

The others stopped chattering. Being far away, they couldn't see clearly. But the guests seated at the head table had the advantage of proximity and all leaned in to look. Old Master Su, not wishing to hoard the discovery, carefully laid the scale flat, allowing everyone a clearer view.

Seeing this, the guests gasped in amazement. Some even declared outright that this single pattern of the Shòu character would multiply the scale's status by a hundredfold. Many nodded in firm agreement.

"An item like this, in ancient times, would surely be considered an auspicious omen (Xiang Rui). Perhaps only the Emperor or Empress Dowager would have been permitted to keep it," one guest commented playfully. "For you to receive such a thing, Old Master, suggests you shall enjoy eternal fortune and live as long as Heaven itself."

This was clearly hyperbole, but everyone understood the sentiment. No one exposed the exaggeration; instead, they smiled and concurred heartily.

In any case, Hao Baolai had thoroughly stolen the show and was naturally pleased. After offering Old Master Su another toast, he retreated to his seat, perfectly content.

As soon as he sat down, he heard Old Man Yan complain, "Little Hao, that's unfair of you! Having such a treasure, why didn't you give me a heads-up? Now that it's in the treasury at Ruisheng, it'll probably be buried and never see the light of day again."

"Old Yan, what are you saying..." Hao Baolai chuckled, and without hesitation, deflected the blame: "Old Yan, let me tell you the truth. Wang Guan transferred that item to me. Ah De said he has plenty of other good things. If you're eager to see treasures, you should go ask him."

"Is that so?" Old Man Yan immediately turned to Wang Guan.

Wang Guan could only offer a helpless, wry smile and spread his hands. "Old Yan, even if I had some fine things, I couldn't possibly bring them here. Why don't you come with me to the Capital, or perhaps take a trip to the Porcelain Capital? Moreover, Elder Uncle, you may not know this, but Uncle Hao actually has a veritable treasure vault at home—there are far more valuables there."

"You two slippery eels," Old Man Yan laughed, scolding them. "So, in your minds, I’m some common brigand who tries to rob everyone of anything good he sees, which is why you keep everything hidden from me."

"Not at all."

Both men shook their heads repeatedly. Amidst the laughter and banter, the noon banquet concluded. With Su Wenyian overseeing the departure gifts, about two-thirds of the guests boarded the passenger ferry to leave. Naturally, some stayed behind. Wang Guan had intended to leave as well, but seeing that Hao Baolai remained, he felt awkward bringing it up.

However, at that moment, Old Man Yan tapped his cane and called out with a smile, "Let's go. I want to go see Ruisheng's acquisitions. After seeing so many treasures just now, my spirit has been itching. I purposely didn't sit at the head table because just looking without getting to touch is dull, you see..."