Ren Jin raised an eyebrow, surprised that she actually remembered how old he was, since even his grandparents didn't remember.
When Huang Qiuyan saw Ren Jin raise an eyebrow when she mentioned his age, she knew she had guessed correctly, and her heart leaped with joy. She spoke even more enthusiastically, "When you were born, you were tiny and wrinkled. I never imagined you would grow up to be so tall and handsome."
She reached out to touch Ren Jin's head, but Ren Jin tilted his head away.
Huang Qiuyan paused, awkwardly withdrawing her hand, and continued to recall, "It was so cold the day you were born. It snowed heavily. I stayed in the delivery room for a whole day and night, feeling both pain and cold. After you were born, I was worried you would get cold, so I asked the nurse to bring you into my arms. As soon as I held you, you stopped crying. I held you all night long, not wanting to put you down."
Ren Jin listened, his eyebrows rising higher and higher. Only after Huang Qiuyan had finished her long and detailed explanation did he speak calmly, "My birthday is in the summer."
Upon hearing this, Huang Qiuyan's expression visibly turned awkward, and coupled with Zhu Yifeng's hearty laughter, the scene became quite comical, and Ren Jin couldn't help but laugh as well.
Zhu Xingchang, who had been silent until now, opportunely handed over a menu to smooth things over, "Xiao Jin, your mom said to wait until you get here before ordering. Take a look and see what you like to eat."
Huang Qiuyan immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, you order, don't go hungry."
Ren Jin accepted the gift knowingly, saying, "Thank you." He flipped through a couple of pages, ordered a reasonably priced meat dish, and handed it back to Huang Qiuyan, saying, "You can order the rest; I can eat anything."
"Okay, I can eat anything, unlike your two younger brothers who are such picky eaters."
"Mom, I want to eat lobster and spicy chicken!" Zhu Yifeng shouted, craning his neck as the menu didn't reach him yet.
"You've just recovered from a cold, why do you want spicy chicken? I'll order you some light boiled shrimp instead."
"No, I don't want it. My cold is all better now. I just want to eat spicy chicken."
Huang Qiuyan ignored him. Zhu Yifeng was about to continue making a scene when Zhu Xingchang gave him a look, and he obediently quieted down.
Huang Qiuyan ordered several more dishes, each one tailored to the preferences of the three men in the Zhu family. Before ordering, she would subconsciously ask them if they liked the food.
Ren Jin watched quietly, feeling both unfamiliar and new about the scene. So this is what it's like for Huang Qiuyan to be a mother, and this is what it's like for parents and children to live together in a family.
The meal wasn't as awkward as Ren Jin had imagined, mainly because Huang Qiuyan kept talking. She talked about the two brothers, Zhu Yifan and Zhu Yifeng, saying that one was mischievous and didn't like studying, while the other had graduated and was now working with his father in the door and window business. He had a girlfriend and wanted to get married, but business was tough, and they didn't have the money for a wedding house yet.
Zhu Xingchang, who was not usually talkative, suddenly chimed in after Huang Qiuyan started talking about business.
Zhu Xingchang said his shop in the decoration market is called Changlong Doors and Windows, which mainly relies on retail. In the past three years, due to the pandemic and the fact that many new buildings are now fully furnished, business has become increasingly difficult.
Ren Jin was in the engineering business and had some understanding of the door and window business, so he chatted with Zhu Xingchang for a while, but kept quiet about his engineering business.
"I heard from the owner of the shop next door that he contracted to make doors and windows for a construction site. He said that doing one job on a construction site is more profitable than selling in the shop for several years." Zhu Xingchang said, looking meaningfully at Ren Jin.
Ren Jin didn't look at Zhu Xingchang, but simply stated the matter at hand: "With a large volume of properties, it's certain that profits will be higher."
"It seems the only way to make money now is by selling doors and windows to construction sites, don't you think, Xiao Jin?" Huang Qiuyan continued to hint.
"That's true, but this is fat meat that everyone can see, and it's not easy to get a bite." Ren Jin didn't want to eat anymore and started wiping his mouth, unwilling to say any more.
Seeing that Ren Jin still seemed clueless despite their many hints, Zhu Xingchang gave Huang Qiuyan a look. She immediately understood and, while pouring tea for Ren Jin, said bluntly, "It's like this, Xiao Jin. I heard from your dad that you're working on construction projects now, right? And on big construction sites, with a well-known real estate developer. I figured that building houses definitely requires doors and windows, and your Uncle Zhu makes doors and windows, so isn't that perfect?"
As soon as Huang Qiuyan finished speaking, Zhu Xingchang immediately handed Ren Jin a business card, saying, "Xiao Jin knows a lot about business matters. Changlong will have to rely on Xiao Jin more in the future."
Ren Jin paused for two seconds before taking the business card, waving it around, and smiling.
Huang Qiuyan's sudden calls and enthusiasm over the past twenty years, as well as all the incomprehensible aspects of today's meal, suddenly became clear.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com