Chapter 156 Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones
Renting a house costs fifteen dollars a month, which is only over a hundred dollars a year, but buying a house will cost four or five thousand dollars at once. If you do the math, it is of course more cost-effective to rent a house.
However, buying a house means less disputes with the landlord, and the house maintains its value, so if you don’t need it in the future, you can just sell it.
Gu Jianguo made some calculations in his mind and finally decided to buy a house.
After saying this, he mentioned Zhang Jingtong's invitation to meet Erhui. He asked Gu Erhui, "How are you getting along with Zhang Zijun?"
He really couldn't think of any other reason why Zhang Jingtong wanted to see him, other than what happened between Erhui and Zhang Zijun.
Gu Erhui was also a little confused. Although she and Zhang Zijun got along well, it was not to the point of meeting his parents. She said, "He didn't tell me that his father wanted to meet me."
Gu Jianguo thought for a while, but couldn't figure it out, so he said, "You'll know what it is when you see me tomorrow."
Gu Erhui hummed a sound. She was also a little nervous. Unlike the last time she met Zhang Jingtong, when she was simply afraid of the high official, this time she felt like an ugly daughter-in-law meeting her father-in-law.
Although she and Zhang Zijun weren't really dating yet, they were both moving in that direction. Now that she was suddenly told she had to meet his parents, it was impossible not to feel a little nervous.
But if water comes, we will stop it; if soldiers come, we will block them with earth. There is no point in her being nervous. She told herself this and she felt less nervous.
The next day, Gu Jianguo put on his newly bought white shirt, black trousers, and brand new leather shoes. He looked in the mirror and said to Wang Yueju, "Am I okay like this?"
"Sure. If someone doesn't know you, they would think you were going on a blind date." Wang Yueju joked.
"This is more important than a blind date." Gu Jianguo combed his hair in front of the mirror and said, "Although I don't like Zhang Zijun, Erhui gets along well with him. I heard that Zhang Ji also supports him. I can't let Erhui down."
"Okay, it's not good to make it too formal." Wang Yueju said.
Gu Jianguo thought about it and fiddled with his hair to make it look a little messy.
Gu Jianguo was in his forties, tall and square, and good-looking. He looked really good in this outfit. Wang Yueju felt a bit complicated. It was good for a man to be successful, but it was also easy for him to get into trouble.
Gu Jianguo looked at his watch. It was 9 AM. He said, "That's it."
As he said this, he went out. Gu Erhui was also dressed up. She wore a light pink short-sleeved shirt and a dark knee-length skirt. She looked slim, clean and fresh.
The father and daughter rode their bikes to the government office, registered at the gate, and went in. As soon as they entered, they saw Li Yan waiting in the lobby on the first floor. Seeing them, he smiled and came over to shake hands with Gu Jianguo, then took them upstairs.
"It will be over soon, just wait a moment."
When they got upstairs, Li Yan first led them into the reception room. After waiting for about five minutes, Li Yan came over and said, "The meeting is over. Come with me."
The father and daughter followed him to the door of an office. Li Yan knocked on the door and pushed it open. Before he could speak, Zhang Jingtong smiled at Gu Jianguo behind him and said, "Is that Comrade Jianguo? Come in quickly."
Gu Jianguo and Gu Erhui went in, and Li Yan led them to the sofa for reception. They sat down, and Zhang Jingtong also sat down with a smile. Li Yan poured them each a glass of water and left.
"Erhui, we meet again." Zhang Jingtong smiled and looked at Gu Jianguo and said, "Comrade Jianguo, you are very good at educating children. You have raised Erhui to be smart and brave."
His tone was casual, without any official airs, and both Gu Jianguo and Gu Erhui relaxed considerably. Gu Jianguo smiled and said, "I don't know anything about education, but this child is certainly quite courageous."
Zhang Jingtong laughed out loud after hearing this and thought to himself that he was indeed very brave, daring to slap Zhang Zijun in the face and even run to him to tell his parents.
"Society is different now, men and women are the same, I think Erhui is fine like this." Zhang Jingtong's eyes were full of love for Gu Erhui, and Gu Jianguo felt very proud.
At this time, Zhang Jingtong said again: "I called you here this time for no personal matter. I heard from Zijun that you are planning to open a supermarket. Can you tell me about your plan?"
Gu Jianguo and Gu Erhui had never thought that Zhang Jingtong had called them here because of the supermarket matter. The two looked at each other, and Gu Jianguo said, "Let Erhui speak."
Regardless of whether Erhui and Zhang Zijun could succeed in the future, he had to give his daughter a chance to perform. They were now facing not only Zhang Zijun's father, but also the head official of their province.
Gu Erhui didn't hesitate to explain their plans for the supermarket's development. Her logic was clear and her words were simple and concise, and Zhang Jingtong listened attentively.
After Gu Erhui finished speaking, he asked, "Why open a small supermarket instead of a large one? Is it because of insufficient funds?"
"Funding is one aspect, but it's not the main problem." Gu Erhui said: "We have no experience in opening supermarkets. We are building a small one in the early stage to gain experience. Moreover, we are short of resources, so we also need to accumulate resources."
Zhang Jingtong nodded after hearing this, and thought to himself that the Gu family was not the kind of people who would be greedy for merit and advance rashly.
"What resources do you lack?" he asked.
Gu Erhui heard him say this and naturally seized the opportunity to say, "It's mainly a problem of supply. My father has encountered many difficulties in finding a source of goods these days. Some factories are unwilling to supply us, and some factories have very complicated procedures."
Zhang Jingtong hummed, "I'll try to figure this out. When you get back, write a list and I'll have someone tell them."
Gu Jianguo was overjoyed when he heard this, "Thank you so much."
These days, he's been running around between various factories. Either those factories refuse to supply him with goods because they don't have enough, or the processes are too complicated, requiring him to file declarations at every level.
Zhang Jingtong, upon hearing his thanks, said, "I should thank you. It's too difficult for ordinary people to buy things these days, and the state-owned supply and marketing cooperative system can't meet the needs of the general public. Without people's spending power, there's no economic development. This is one of the reasons for reform and opening up."
Zhang Jingtong mentioned economic development, and Gu Jianguo and Gu Erhui were both confused. But they understood that what they were doing should be beneficial to economic development, which was why Zhang Jingtong met with them in his office.
The two of them suddenly felt that they knew too little and had too much to learn.
"Your plan for the supermarket is very good," Zhang Jingtong added. "You're focusing on your own realities and developing steadily. That's very good."
Gu Erhui and Gu Jianguo both smiled modestly. Zhang Jingtong looked at Gu Erhui and asked, "According to your plan, if everything goes well, how many stores can you open this year?"
Gu Erhui and Gu Jianguo didn't know how to answer. They were crossing the river by feeling the stones. The first store hadn't even opened yet, so how could they know when the second and third stores would open?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
