Chapter 421: Rowing Forward Together

I made tea and my brother-in-law sat opposite me.

I poured him a large glass and one for myself.

I said, "Brother-in-law, since arriving in Shangzhou, we rarely sit down and talk heart to heart like we did in Urumqi. Tonight, I really want to have a good chat with you."

My brother-in-law has a good personality and a calm demeanor. Although he didn't know what I was going to talk about, he wasn't panicked at all. He smiled and said, "Go ahead."

I told him the truth about how I met Mr. Dong, how I treated Cruz, how much money I made, why I learned acupuncture, and why I wanted to go to the Philippines to work with Cruz again.

Except for a slight shudder when he heard that I had earned $11.88 million, he sat still without any expression of surprise.

I explained to him the purpose of the money and why I was only telling him and Xiaolin.

My brother-in-law nodded, indicating that he could completely understand.

He asked, "You mean, if the cooperation is successful, you will leave Xuri and devote yourself to promoting Chinese medicine?"

I nodded and said, "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. After I leave, I'll have to ask you to help me shoulder this heavy burden at home."

My parents are old, and I can't take Xiaolin and the others over right now. Without a man at home, and with me leaving Asahi, they feel like they've lost someone to rely on."

He took a sip of tea and didn't express his opinion.

I got up and went to the study, found a pack of cigarettes, took one out for him, lit it for him, and smoked one myself.

He said, "They moved to Huaxi Lake, which is too far from here. Even without traffic, it takes more than 40 minutes to drive there. To be honest, if I were to commit to this, I could only visit them on weekends."

"I've thought of that, too. Since you're living in the shop now and haven't bought a house, my idea is, I'll support you with some money, and you can buy a house in Huaxi Lake and open the shop there as well. Think about it and figure out how much it'll cost."

He said, "We've almost saved enough money to buy a house. Once we move the shop, renovating the 450-square-meter restaurant will cost about 500,000 to 600,000 yuan."

I said, "How about this. I'll give you two million. You can use it to buy a house or renovate a restaurant. You can use it for whatever you want. Anyway, I'll give you two million. This way, you can take care of the two elderly people nearby."

"Have you discussed this with Xiaolin?"

"No need to discuss. I've already agreed with Xiaolin that the 1.88 million that Cruz will give me later is mine. I have the right to control it. You just need to tell my sister that I'm not the one who supports this money."

My brother-in-law said, "That's very thoughtful of you. But how can I accept so much money from you?"

I said, "Brother-in-law, we're not two families, we're one family. I remember when we had a long talk in Urumqi. Do you still remember it?"

He nodded and recalled fondly, "How could I not remember? We were so poor back then. You said that coming from the countryside to the city was like a small boat floating on a river. This boat must not have any holes, or it would sink in the vast ocean of the city."

I said, "Yes, we were rootless and isolated in Urumqi, like a small boat in the storm. Our family carefully established roots and accumulated wealth, which allowed us to expand our store and buy a house. Later, we moved to Shangzhou. Our lives have been getting better and better, and it's because we stuck together as a family and supported each other that we are where we are today."

My brother-in-law said, "Thank goodness you've been so social and well-mannered, building up your connections and foundation here. Your sister might not admit defeat, but she still speaks well of you behind your back."

I said, "I know. I have the same personality as my mother. I just want to be a queen. I have a kind heart, but my mouth is a bit..."

I paused and my brother-in-law laughed.

He said, "In that case, you should go over there and have a talk. I think Mr. Deng is a lucky guy. He seems to have never lost money in business."

"Well, he's a man who appears to be very wise but appears foolish. You might think he's fat and a little slow-witted, but in fact, he's more intelligent than anyone else."

"Then you will be stationed there permanently?"

“No, it will probably take a little longer in the early stages.”

"What did you say to Mr. Chen?"

"Get straight to the point."

"You should thank him more. He treats you well."

"Don't worry, Shanhong's heart is bright red."

"Then let's leave it at that for now. I'll let your sister know once you've made your official decision."

"Okay, just be careful and tell her not to let it slip that I supported you with some money."

My brother-in-law laughed and said, "You know he cares about his reputation, so he'd never tell anyone. She just likes to show off her ability. She buys houses, moves stores, and I, Wan Shuixiu, am rich."

I laughed out loud. Then I said, "Then you go back first. I have something else to do. You can walk home later."

My brother-in-law is gone.

I sat there alone, thinking, this is killing two birds with one stone.

My sister and brother-in-law live in Huaxi Lake, so they can take care of my parents nearby. But more importantly, I want to balance the psychological gap between my sister and me.

The couple was so focused on making money, and their shop was their home that they hadn't even bought a house yet. Her younger brother lived so well, while she had nowhere to live. For someone as competitive as her, if they didn't help her, she'd surely resent him over time.

I gave her two million. She had saved several million over the years. She could buy a duplex, pay the down payment, and move a shop, and she would be financially secure.

Next, let Yifan and Xiao Shitou move in. Their business will be much simpler. They just need to rent a place, do some simple renovations, and start the business.

After thinking about all this, I felt relieved. I stood up, stretched, closed the door, and walked home. When I got home, my parents, Xiaolin, were playing cards. Xiaolin asked, "What do you think of the furniture?"

"Look here. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

My mother said, "Play your cards."

Xiaolin quickly played a card, and my mother was exactly what she needed. She spread out the cards and said, "I win, pay me."

Xiao Lin said, "As soon as you come in, I'll pay."

I said, "As a daughter-in-law, even if you have a winning hand, you should deliberately make mistakes so that your parents can win. It's all about having fun."

My mother said, "Shanhong is like me, it can talk."

My father was dissatisfied and said, "Rest. It's so late."

Because my mother suggested playing cards, Sister Guihua took Xiaoyu to bed a long time ago.

After washing up, I sat on the bed. Xiaolin said, "Have you become a thinker? What are you thinking about sitting there?"

I said, “I want to talk to you.”

She also leaned against the head of the bed: "Go ahead."

I said, "We can move before the end of the lunar year. Why don't we just have Yifan and Xiao Shitou rent a storefront near Huaxi Lake and move the shop there?"

"Why?"

"We're too far away to take care of them. If we move there, they can take care of us. Secondly, people there have higher incomes and are more generous with their spending."

Xiaolin said, "That's a good idea."

I said, "I'm your brother anyway. If they need any expenses, it's just a small amount of money. Boss Tao, just support them."

She said, "Okay."

"There's something else I need to talk to you about."

"Go ahead."

I told him everything about my plan to open a hospital in the Philippines.

She was silent for a long time.

I said, "It's okay not to go. It would be so nice to be with you every day. Living in a big villa and driving a Cayenne."

She smiled bitterly: "You won't stay there permanently, will you?"

"No. It will take a little longer in the early stages. I just want to follow Mr. Deng, the ever-profitable general, to make a little money and invest some money there. I don't want to work at Rising Sun. I'll just open a studio at home in the future."

"You always put off saying things until later, which should have been said earlier. I'm lucky I don't have a heart disease. It makes me feel really nervous. Wan Shanhong, are you trying to scare me to death?"

"I've never thought about it this way. It's scary. Next time I move to a new house, who will design it for me for free?"

She said softly, "While you are still young, make a name for yourself and earn more money. I will support you."