Enlighten him

After drinking the third cup, Chen Liqing finally opened up.

His silver-haired cultural tourism business, which started off relatively smoothly last year, has been plagued by problems since this year. Most of these issues stem from customer complaints, which he describes as "a bunch of trivial matters." He's constantly busy explaining, negotiating, and responding, "cleaning up all the messes," and even occasionally being invited to have tea with the relevant authorities, which has become tiresome.

Recently, due to minor incidents involving several tour groups traveling to remote areas like Xinjiang and Tibet, the company was the target of customer complaints, public online complaints, and a relentless stream of negative publicity from marketing accounts. Chen Liqing, feeling underwhelmed by the lack of financial gains and the resulting stress, briefly considered quitting.

With a bang, he put down his wine glass heavily: "Making money from selling cabbages, but worrying about selling cocaine! Grandpa, I quit!"

"Can you sell a four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment in Beijing by selling cabbage?" Zuo Xiao sneered, "Are you selling jade katydid cabbage?"

"What is Jade Grasshopper Cabbage?" Zhuang Jinghao's curiosity was piqued. Zuo Xiao tapped her forehead and said, "Baidu it yourself."

"The money I used to buy the house was all my old earnings," Chen Liqing complained bitterly as he poured more wine into his glass. "I've been running this crappy tour group for over a year, and the money I make isn't even enough to pay the community property management fees. What do you think I'm doing?"

"That's not that exaggerated," Zuo Xiao complained. "You just used to make money so easily that you can't stand it if it comes even slightly slower."

"I'm not exaggerating! My partners and I haven't taken a salary since we started. All our earnings have gone back into running the company. It's like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey's head with the words: 'Grow bigger and stronger!'" Chen Liqing loudly vented his negative energy. "Working for my employees, being a grandson to my clients, and being a slave to my investors... Damn it, why do I have to live like this?"

"Starting a business is inherently risky. If you want a guaranteed income every month, just go get a job." Zuo Xiaoke wouldn't indulge him. "Besides, if your employees and clients choose you, does that mean they're risk-free? Can you give them more of the profits? You want to make a lot of money, but you're afraid of hard work and unwilling to take risks. Are you dreaming?"

With a "bang", Chen Liqing slammed the table in anger: "Okay, Zuo Xiao, you called me here today just to piss me off, right? You——"

"Stop!" Zhuang Jinghao yelled, "Everyone, please talk properly and stop arguing!"

Zuo Xiao turned his head to look at her and smiled, "He and I are always like this. We're not quarreling."

"Huh?" Zhuang Jing was stunned. Were their conversations usually so intense? So, all the arguments her brother had with her before weren't really fights?

After her interruption, Chen Liqing lost his temper and started drinking in silence.

"Um..." Zhuang Jinghao said, "Chen Liqing, do you love your career? Do you like running tour groups for senior citizens?"

"It's Silver Hair Culture and Tourism," Zuo Xiao corrected her maliciously. "This is a rising trend. Someone boasted to me back then that this business was so good, you could make money without doing anything!"

Seeing Chen Liqing's face getting uglier, Zuo Xiao reached out and rubbed his shoulder, saying with a smile, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Answer Xiao Jing's question: Chen Liqing, do you love your career?"

Chen Liqing took a sip of wine and said, "It's not a question of whether I love it or not. If it weren't for the money, who would bother to serve the elderly?"

"That means you don't like it, or even hate it." Zhuang Jinghao blinked her innocent eyes, "Then don't do it! Go do something you like."

My little princess! Chen Liqing wanted to scold her, but her tone was so sincere that he was speechless.

Zuo Xiao chuckled and said, "Xiao Jing is right. Think about it, what is it that you are passionate about?"

Perhaps because the alcohol had numbed his brain, Chen Liqing actually began to think about their questions. After a moment, he said, "If I have to say, it's something related to sports. I'm really enjoying the weight loss program I'm doing in college."

"Of course I'm happy!" Zuo Xiao couldn't help but reveal his secrets. "Back then, your partner took care of operations, product development, and promotion, and you were just responsible for teaching and recording videos at the front desk. It wasn't easy. I even suspect that guy has a crush on you, otherwise he wouldn't give you so much."

"You know shit!" Chen Liqing raged again. "You think making courses and recording videos is that easy? And easy... work until midnight every day, okay?"

"Wow, there's a video!" Zhuang Jing was so happy. "Where can I see it? I want to watch it—oh no, I want to learn it."

Zuo Xiao laughed and said, "Back then, Chen Liqing had hundreds of thousands of fans. They had dozens of social media groups, each with hundreds of members."

Zhuang Jinghao's eyes lit up immediately: "That's amazing!" Then he thought, "Then why didn't you continue?"

Zuo Xiao explained with a smile, "They sold the project to cash in. Later, according to the contract, Chen Liqing continued to work for Party A for another year as a transition, but he stopped working after the expiration of the contract. As for the reason..."

She whispered in Zhuang Jinghao's ear, "Chen Liqing was very popular among gay men, and since he filmed sports videos, he'd often strip and show his body. At the time, many gay men confessed their love to him every day, and later, a stalker appeared. Chen Liqing got scared and stopped showing his face in public."

Zhuang Jinghao was stunned by what she heard. When she looked at Chen Liqing again, her eyes were very complicated.

"Then you can continue to do sports-related projects." She said, "The kind that doesn't show your body..."

Chen Liqing glared at Zuo Xiao and said unhappily, "Do you think you can just do it if you want? Back then, video self-media and social marketing were booming. To put it bluntly, making money was easy back then, but it's hard now, understand?"

"Isn't that right..." Zhuang Jinghao said weakly, "But if a person does something he hates every day, and it's very tedious, it's hard to stick with it, right?"

"Sister!" Chen Liqing finally couldn't help but scold her, "Work is work, and hobbies are hobbies! Can you stop being so childish? There are so many delivery people on the street, how many of them like to do this?"

"I know..." Zhuang Jinghao retorted softly, "But wouldn't it be better if work and hobbies were the same thing..."

Chen Liqing rolled his eyes. Zuo Xiao stepped in to weigh in. "On this issue, I side with Chen Liqing. Xiao Jinghao is indeed too idealistic. Work is meant to allow you to survive with dignity. You should do things that you are good at and that have a higher input-output ratio. As for hobbies, they are meant to add icing on the cake to life, making it more fulfilling and exciting. In reality, it's difficult to balance the two."

"Why is it so difficult to balance things?" Zhuang Jinghao disagreed. "Take my brother for example. He loves animals, and the pet industry happened to be booming, so he went into it. Although the first few years of starting his business were incredibly hard, he's incredibly motivated every day!"

"He likes animals?" Zuo Xiao questioned. "I didn't notice. He acts like a Thanos all day, as if he can snap his fingers and wipe out half the living things on Earth..."

"It's true!" Zhuang Jinghao defended his brother. "Although we only have a cat and a dog at home, my brother has funded many stray animal rescue centers! Last year, he even built one in Dali, named after me, called Jinghao Home!"

"Well... that's really surprising..." Zuo Xiao imagined Zhuang Yu'an surrounded by a group of kittens and puppies, like a holy father, and felt that the picture was not harmonious at all.

Chen Liqing snorted coldly: "Some people treat cats and dogs like their own children, but are very indifferent to people."

"My brother isn't cold to others!" Zhuang Jinghao defended herself, her family affection overpowering her lust. "He donates to children in impoverished areas, but not money. He donates supplies, and asks trusted friends to deliver them to the local area. He's very compassionate!"

"Alright, alright," Zuo Xiao promptly stopped her bragging. "Your brother is just an exception. In reality, most people can't turn their hobbies into jobs. Work emphasizes professionalism and value. You have to create value within a large business system, and most people's hobbies are half-baked, far from professional, let alone having any external value. Even if a person's hobby is professional enough, once it becomes a job, they will face many difficulties and may even start to hate doing it."

Zhuang Jing thought for a moment and said earnestly, "It's not an isolated case. Si Rui also turned his hobby into a job. And Jing Jing—you don't know her, she's my college classmate. She likes fashion design and started her own clothing brand last year. Although it didn't sell very well..."

"What about you?" Zuo Xiao hit the nail on the head. "Why don't you treat your hobby as a job? Don't tell me your hobby is publishing articles and licking the boots of media teachers."

Zhuang Jinghao was stunned for a moment and said, "It's because I really don't have anything I like or am good at... But I don't hate my current job either. I'm quite happy doing it. It's different from Chen Liqing..."

"Can we not talk about this? We're talking at cross purposes." Chen Liqing said in a rough voice.

Zuo Xiao didn't want to continue discussing such vague topics, so she discussed with him how to avoid the risks of sunset red tour groups and reduce customer complaints. However, she knew nothing about these things, and it quickly turned into a meeting to complain about customers, which gave Chen Liqing some emotional value.

As they chatted, Zhuang Jinghao suddenly asked, "Chen Liqing, does your company have a public relations department?"

"No." Chen Liqing said drunkenly, "It's a small company, we don't keep idle people."

Zhuang Jing was unconvinced. "PR is no slacker! For a startup like yours, endorsements from reputable media outlets are incredibly valuable! Whether you're talking to clients, investors, or partners, show them this reputable media coverage: 'We were featured in XX Daily!' They'll definitely trust you more, right?"

"You're right," Zuo Xiao said with a smile. "It's just that Chen Liqing's company is in its early stages, with less than a hundred employees, so we can't afford a PR department just yet." Turning to Chen Liqing, he said, "Xiao Jinghao is a PR expert. You can ask her any questions related to the media, including how to handle negative feedback."

Zhuang Jing was so embarrassed that her face turned red: "I don't deserve it! I haven't deserved it! I've only been doing this for a year..."

"How about this..." Zuo Xiao said to Chen Liqing, "Let Xiao Jing be a consultant for your company. You pay a consulting fee every month and get the same PR services as a quasi-listed company. How about that?"

Zhuang Jinghao suddenly looked terrified and waved his hands quickly: "If you have any questions, feel free to ask. There's no consulting fee!" Chen Liqing's expression was cold: "No need."

Zhuang Jing was so embarrassed that she quickly changed the subject: "Chen Liqing, what travel routes does your company recommend? I want to sign up a tour for my grandparents..."

In the second half of the night, the two girls lay side by side. They had both drunk a few glasses tonight, but much less than Chen Liqing.

"Xiaoxiao, baby, I think you're amazing!" Zhuang Jinghao's tone was filled with the excitement typical of someone drunk. "You can play guitar, sing, draw, and even write novels. Unlike me, I can't do anything... I want to know how I can be like you and do so many things."

Zuo Xiao's mind was filled with joy. He thought her question was stupid and funny: "If you like it, go learn it. Won't you be able to do it after you learn it?"

"Well, I like reading novels, eating delicious food, and doing manicures... So should I start writing, learn to be a chef, or learn to do manicures?"

"Oh, you're quite greedy. Can't you just pick one and learn from it first?"

"Well, I'm already learning badminton. Oh, and I'm also learning how to handle Chen Liqing... I'll consider the next one after I learn it."

"Can."

"Then I'd like to know, with all the skills you possess, which one do you enjoy most? Is it painting? Is that why you became a designer?"

"Painting is painting, and design is design. They're not the same thing. Forget it. You won't understand even if I explain it to you."

"Oh. So do you like being a designer?"

"It's not a matter of whether I like it or not, but I don't reject it anyway."

"So you don't really like it..." Zhuang Jinghao suddenly became excited. "I think you should write novels full-time! It's much more interesting than operating those design software programs every day! And you have the talent for it!"

Zuo Xiao chuckled, but a dark cloud loomed in his heart. After a moment, he said, "I don't think I have much talent for writing. Besides, I just write when I'm bored, trying to do things in the second dimension that I couldn't do in the third dimension."

"That's amazing! He can write so well just because he's bored. What would happen if he wrote full-time?!"

Zuo Xiao couldn't stand her overly exaggerated praise and unconsciously raised a small thorn: "If I believed you, I would starve to death! Haven't you seen that I've written my third book? Am I still a "three-no" player?"

"Don't you have a die-hard fan like me?" Zhuang Jinghao hugged her. "For every Zhuang Jinghao, there will be a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand!"

"Come on." Zuo Xiao sneered. "By the time ten thousand Zhuang Jinghaos hatch from their eggs, Zuo Xiao will have starved to death in his rented apartment."

"No, no!" The only Zhuang Jinghao hugged her tightly, "I'll use my salary to support you, okay?"

Zuo Xiao was stunned for a moment and said, "You really have drunk too much."

"No!" the little guy said with a silly smile, "Have you heard of a great director named Ang Lee?"

Zuo Xiao rolled his eyes: "I've never heard of it. I'm from outer space."

"Haha!" The little guy laughed so hard that his shoulders shook. "It doesn't matter whether you've heard it or not. What I'm saying is that this famous director didn't make any money for many years and was supported by his wife at home! He said it himself."

"……so what?"

"So you don't have to make money, you can just let me support you! It's for art, there's nothing shameful about it."

"Nervous. Are you my wife? Or my mother?"

"Who says it has to be family? It can be between friends, too. Marx was able to write Capital because he was supported by Engels!"

"I didn't realize you were so knowledgeable... Which marketing account did you find this from?"

"No! Our history teacher said that. Didn't your teacher say that?"

Zuo Xiao was so engrossed in her conversation that he fell asleep at some point. When he woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. The two of them didn't arrive in Tianjin until after 3 p.m., but Zhuang Jinghao's friends Zhu Jingjing and Wang Zihan had already arrived.

Zuo Xiao was in Tianjin for the first time, and Zhuang Jinghao and her friends accompanied him as they strolled through the Fifth Avenue, Xikai Church, and the Porcelain House. They then went to hear a crosstalk performance around 7 p.m. They had also wanted to ride the Ferris wheel, but they ran out of time and gave up.

The next day, we went to the Italian-style street again. In a cultural and creative store, girls chattered as they picked out refrigerator magnets and other gadgets. Zuo Xiao took a fancy to a blue-and-gold-framed refrigerator magnet with a plaque. Inscribed in vigorous calligraphy were the four characters "Ponggen Family," which looked quite funny.

She took four and put them in the shopping cart, keeping one for herself and giving one each to Chen Liqing, Lu Fei, and Zhan Jiaxin.

Zhuang Jinghao came over: "I want one too!"

"You're already here, and you're still asking me for a gift?"

"It's different. I want the one you gave me." She giggled, "I'll give you one too. Pick the one you like."

Zuo Xiao couldn't resist her and took another one and put it in the shopping basket. Zhuang Jinghao looked at her profile, a sly smile in his almond-shaped eyes.