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Chapter 1188: I’m Taking This Prize With Me
🕑 Added 2024-12-11 10:12:28 +0000 UTC"You don't think you're still too young?" Chen Xi responded to Zhen Mi while clapping his hands to gather everyone’s attention.
"The five people who made it to the second round, come forward to draw your prizes," Chen Xi said as he took out ten small balls and tossed them into another Yuanyang Rotating Heart lottery box.
"These are the final five. You can come up and draw. Just remember, there’s a chance you might draw the same item as someone else. If that happens, you’ll have to work it out among yourselves," Chen Xi said with a smile, calling over Wang Yi, Gan Lu, Chen Shuang, Sun Min, and Mi Zhen. "Who wants to go first?"
The five looked at each other, all a bit hesitant. Chen Xi chuckled. "Alright, Wang Yi, you go first since you were the first to advance."
Wang Yi reluctantly stepped forward, reached in, and grabbed a ball. When she opened it, she found the words "Handmade Soap" inside. She stared at Chen Xi in confusion, clearly not understanding what it was.
"It's a kind of technology. Like white porcelain, it’s something that can make a lot of money," Chen Xi said with a grin. "You've got a good hand for luck."
To be honest, Chen Xi hadn’t planned on introducing something even more refined than white porcelain just yet. White porcelain was easier to make and served as a stepping stone for future products.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room gasped. While white porcelain hadn’t yet been mass-produced, those who had come to Chen Xi’s residence were somewhat familiar with it, and they knew just how valuable it was.
"You’re giving me something like this?" Wang Yi asked, shocked.
"I already said, once you draw it, it’s yours," Chen Xi replied casually. Handmade soap was a relatively simple thing to make. In fact, a similar product, lye soap, already existed during this time.
"This seems too valuable..." Wang Yi stammered, unsure how to respond.
"It might be, but you can’t hold up the drawing for everyone else," Chen Xi said, shooing her aside. "If it feels too valuable, just spend your profits on something meaningful later."
Gan Lu quietly approached next and drew her prize. To her surprise, she pulled the same item as Wang Yi—Handmade Soap. The odds of such a low-probability event happening left everyone stunned.
Then, Chen Shuang stepped forward and bowed respectfully. His posture was formal, not showing the familiarity expected between family members, instead displaying a deep sense of reverence.
"I am still your older brother, you know," Chen Xi said, patting Chen Shuang on the shoulder. "Go ahead and draw."
Chen Shuang remained calm and composed. He took a ball, stepped aside, and opened it to find "Perfume" written inside.
"I’ll send you the formula later," Chen Xi said without much explanation. Perfume was one of those timeless luxuries that always held allure.
Next up was Sun Min, who came forward to draw. This was Chen Xi’s first time meeting Sun Qian’s daughter, who seemed about twelve or thirteen years old. Unlike the slightly older Zhen Mi, who always had her mind on Chen Xi, Sun Min’s eyes were filled with innocence.
"Go ahead and draw," Chen Xi said with a warm smile. "Who knows, maybe you’ll get something like candy-making or mushroom cultivation."
In the end, Sun Min drew mushroom cultivation, a technique that had originally been developed by Qu Qi. After trying it out a few times, Qu Qi had lost interest, so Chen Xi had obtained the process and included it as one of the prizes.
"Mi Zhen, your turn. None of the biggest prizes have been drawn yet," Chen Xi said, shaking the lottery box and subtly manipulating it. This time, the six remaining balls were all the same. "You’re pretty lucky, aren’t you? In the first round, you were the last one to draw and got a great prize."
Mi Zhen blushed slightly but wasn’t intimidated by Chen Xi. She pouted, then reached out and grabbed a ball at random. Wang Yi and Zhen Mi both leaned in to peek.
"Year of the Water Pig, second month, fifth day, at the hour of the dragon? What is this?" Mi Zhen asked, looking confused as she read the birthdate aloud.
Zhen Mi and Wang Yi exchanged glances, immediately understanding the situation. Zhen Mi realized it based on something Chen Xi had mentioned earlier, while Wang Yi remembered a similar situation involving her sister exchanging birthdates with Fa Zheng.
At this moment, Lu Xun looked completely bewildered. He didn’t mistake the date as his birthdate, but amidst his confusion, he also felt a trace of excitement.
"This is the ultimate prize. I’ll present it to you now," Chen Xi said as he waved Lu Xun over. Lu Xun, his face flushed, hesitated but eventually walked over.
Chen Xi took Lu Xun’s hand and placed it in Mi Zhen’s. Mi Zhen, though still confused, accepted it, as there was no such thing as the taboo of physical contact between men and women during this era. She saw Chen Xi hand over Lu Xun’s hand but didn’t fully grasp what was happening.
Lu Xun’s face turned even redder, but he remained silent. Mi Zhen looked at Chen Xi, then at Wang Yi and Zhen Mi, still unsure what this all meant.
Meanwhile, those who had figured it out started congratulating Mi Zhen. Many families had sought Mi Zhen’s hand in marriage, but only Lu Xun had managed to avoid being overwhelmed by these suitors. Now, it seemed clear that this was indeed a good match.
"Why are you all congratulating me?" Mi Zhen asked, still confused as she looked around.
"The grand prize is Bo Yan!" Zhen Mi said, giving Mi Zhen a look of exasperation. "Don’t you understand what you drew earlier? That was Bo Yan’s birthdate. The ultimate prize is a husband who can solve any problem!"
"Thank goodness I didn’t win," Wang Yi muttered, pulling a wry face. She had no desire to get married. In fact, Jiang Ying had once asked her if she wanted to marry Fa Zheng, but Wang Yi had refused. She didn’t want to depend on anyone and had no interest in becoming someone’s subordinate.
"How do you like this prize?" Chen Xi asked, smiling at Mi Zhen.
Mi Zhen’s face turned from blushing to outright flushed, her skin turning a deep shade of red. She gripped Lu Xun’s hand, nearly ready to fling him across the room.
Lu Xun, equally embarrassed, remained silent. He felt that Mi Zhen was indeed a suitable match, especially since his family, his teachers, and even Mi Zhen’s brother all agreed. It seemed like the perfect match.
Mi Zhen, though flustered, looked at Lu Xun’s calm expression. She took a deep breath and suppressed her nerves. Though her face remained flushed, her thoughts had cleared. She realized that Chen Xi wouldn’t have done this without her brother’s consent, which meant this was practically settled.
Mi Zhen didn’t dislike Lu Xun. In fact, she admired his intelligence. Now, in this situation, it seemed like the moment to give a definite answer.
She pushed the stray strands of hair that had fallen loose back behind her ears, leaned slightly toward Lu Xun, and prepared herself. Lu Xun, for his part, panicked and tried to back away, but before he could, Mi Zhen grabbed him by the shoulder, lifted him up, and dashed out of the Chen family’s residence in a flash.
"I’m taking this prize with me!" Mi Zhen’s silvery laughter echoed from outside as everyone stood frozen in shock.
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