Chapter 46: Helping him take a bath at the party?
Lu Shuangcai looked at them with a large stack of receipts, his tone rather embarrassed: "Actually, we made quite a bit of profit this year, after all, we added two more cars. But as you know, the construction of the garage and warehouse cost a lot of money. After repaying the bank loan, we didn't make much profit this year."
"The bank loans have all been paid off?" Ji Wei was somewhat surprised; this was faster than she had expected.
"Yes, there's still a surplus. We won't have to pay the bank back the money we earn next year." Speaking of this, Lü Shuangcai was even more excited than them. He had made a huge decision when he borrowed the money, but he never expected to pay it back in less than six months.
"Being debt-free is a relief, and we're sure to earn even more next year." Ji Wei understood the mindset of most people at this time; they were unwilling to owe money to the bank. But it didn't matter; given their credit history, the bank should be able to disburse loans quickly if needed.
"Your sister-in-law speaks in a way that makes people feel comfortable. As expected, cultured people are extraordinary." Lü Shuangcai's tone was full of praise.
If it weren't for his genuine sincerity, Ji Wei would have thought he was being sarcastic or two-faced.
"Alright, enough of that nonsense. Let's just talk about how much each of our two families will get now." Qiao Xiaoxue glared at him, having talked for so long without getting to the point.
“Look, I almost forgot the important thing. Now each of our families can get five hundred yuan, which should be enough for New Year’s shopping.” Lu Shuangcai said with a smile. Before expanding, he never thought he could have this kind of profit. Now it seems that his decision was correct.
“That’s good too. My shop makes a profit every month.” Qiao Xiaoxue nodded in satisfaction.
“Sister-in-law is right. Zhiyuan also gets a salary every month, which is much better than we expected,” Ji Wei echoed.
"How about we have a get-together today?" Lü Shuangcai suggested, as it was a rare occasion for both families to be together.
"Where are Brother Wang and the others?" Gu Zhiyuan couldn't help but ask.
"They're busy tending to the shop right now. The couple has always been well-liked, and with the New Year approaching, they're getting a lot of customers. Just the other day they were saying they were overwhelmed with work." Lu Shuangcai finished speaking and glanced at Ji Wei. Her suggestion was right. If Old Wang and his wife had chosen to work here, they would definitely have been disappointed when they found out about their income. Now that their business is thriving, this is undoubtedly the best outcome.
"It's so cold today, let's have hot pot. It'll be a nice little break from our busy schedules." Wang Haifeng and his wife's shop was bustling with activity, and Qiao Xiaoxue's shop was just as busy.
"We've worked hard all year, let's just go out to eat. I'm too lazy to cook at home." Lu Shuangcai said, looking at Qiao Xiaoxue. He was thinking that with so many people, she would have to work for a long time by herself.
“Okay, let’s go straight to Rong County for dinner. You can stay with us tonight.” Qiao Xiaoxue knew her husband’s character; he would definitely be drinking later. Not only would he drink, but he would also drag Zhiyuan along. She decided to drive home first, otherwise she would have to worry about getting home later.
Gu Zhiyuan didn't agree to their request immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Ji Wei. It was the first time the two little ones had ever stayed overnight at someone else's house. They looked at Ji Wei with bright eyes, hoping she would agree soon.
Seeing their expectation, Ji Wei hesitated and looked at the couple: "Wouldn't this be too much trouble for you?"
"What's the trouble? Let's go back over there now. That newly opened hot pot place is pretty good, and they even give you free drinks." Qiao Xiaoxue quickly shifted the topic to dinner, and the children next to her widened their eyes and their eyes lit up when they heard about the free drinks.
Lu Shuangcai's van could seat seven people. Ji Wei and Gu Zhiyuan sat in the last row with Lulu, while Lulu sat in the middle, glancing at Ji Wei and then at Gu Zhiyuan. Ji Wei gently patted her bottom and warned, "Behave yourself."
"Oh." Lulu nodded and then looked at Gu Zhiyuan next to her: "Dad, buy a car."
Yes, the little one started to envy Lu Song's family for having a car. Children don't know much about prices, they just feel that if other families have one, they want theirs to have one too. So she started to whine to Gu Zhiyuan, hoping that her family could buy a car as well.
"Lulu likes this car?" The driver in front laughed heartily upon hearing this.
"I like it." In the little guy's eyes, cars with four wheels are very powerful things.
"If you like it, tell your dad to buy one right away." Lü Shuangcai had an expression that suggested he was enjoying the drama.
"Daddy will buy it," Lulu said again.
"You probably won't believe me now, because it's too expensive," Gu Zhiyuan explained gently, bowing his head.
“My brother and I have money.” Lulu said, indicating her willingness to contribute her and Gu Chenan’s allowance.
"That's not enough. You're so generous, making decisions for your brother." Ji Wei tapped the little girl's cheek. Three-year-old Lulu's baby fat was starting to disappear.
"Isn't this enough?" Lulu blinked. If this isn't enough, how much do you need?
"It's not enough. Can we wait until we've saved up enough money to buy one?" Ji Wei suggested to her. The most important thing was that they didn't need the car much right now, so it wasn't necessary.
"Alright then." Lulu was a little disappointed, but this disappointment quickly dissipated when they arrived at the Lü family's house, because Qiao Xiaoxue brought a lot of food and put it on the table.
The children were lured away by the snacks, so Qiao Xiaoxue placed some fruit in front of them and explained, "We'll rest for a bit and then go straight to eat. You must be tired after shopping all day."
Her last words were addressed to Ji Wei, who simply shook her head upon hearing them: "It's alright, not too tiring." They had prepared a checklist in advance, which saved them a lot of unnecessary detours.
"You have such great stamina. I can't do that now. I get tired after walking around for a while," Qiao Xiaoxue said, shaking her head.
"I'll go to Lao Wang's place and see if they have time to come over for dinner tonight." Before, when they were in the city, he hadn't thought about inviting them because he knew they were busy, but now that they were back in Rong County, everyone was there, and he hoped they could get together.
"I'll go with Brother Lü." Gu Zhiyuan said, getting up as well. As soon as he stood up, the two little tagalongs quickly followed, saying they wanted to go too. Gu Zhiyuan naturally agreed, and in the end, Lü Song also went, leaving only the two women at home.
Qiao Xiaoxue was happy that they all went. She turned to Ji Wei and said, "It's time for the two of us to have some peace and quiet."
Ji Wei looked like she understood perfectly. Usually at home, her two little ones would call her "Mommy" all the time, which drove her crazy. This short break was something they both really enjoyed.
That night was a rare get-together, and it allowed Ji Wei to see another side of Gu Zhiyuan. He was noticeably more relaxed in front of his comrades. Of course, while he was drinking with them, he didn't forget to keep an eye on her and the child. Ji Wei glanced at the food in her bowl and said with a hint of helplessness, "You can chat with them. Don't worry about me."
"You've been taking care of them the whole time, and you haven't eaten much yourself." The table outside is a bit high, which is inconvenient for children who aren't tall enough. She's been taking care of the two children the whole time, and she hasn't eaten much herself.
"I'm eating, don't worry." Ji Wei said, covering her bowl to indicate that he didn't need to worry about her. Qiao Xiaoxue, who was next to her, couldn't help but chuckle. The two of them were much closer than last time.
The children didn't eat much, and they quickly finished their meal. The four children left the table together to play in the open space outside the restaurant. The three men drank and chatted about all sorts of things. The three women talked about their recent lives, occasionally mentioning this year's trending clothes and hairstyles. Qiao Xiaoxue tried to persuade them to go with her to get their hair permed, but Ji Wei refused after a while, saying that curly hair didn't suit her.
"Alright, if none of you are going, I'll have Lao Lü come with me when he's free." All the drivers at the freight company are officially on holiday starting today.
"Wouldn't it be better if Brother Lü accompanied you?" Zhou Meiyun looked at them with a happy expression, her eyes filled with gratitude. With the New Year approaching, they were so busy that they didn't even have time to drink water. Originally, they had only planned to have a simple meal tonight, but Lü Shuangcai and Gu Zhiyuan had come to their house in person. Without them, they wouldn't have their current business, so they decided to close early tonight.
And so, the group ate together for two hours in a lively atmosphere before the meal ended. Before leaving, Zhou Meiyun and her husband stuffed a large bag of New Year's goods into the hands of both families and insisted that they not refuse: "We know you don't need anything, but this is just a small token of our appreciation, and you must accept it."
"Okay, we'll accept it." Lü Shuangcai was already slurring his words from drinking too much.
Gu Zhiyuan wasn't much better off. His eyes, once clear, were now filled with confusion. Unlike Lü Shuangcai, he barely spoke, only staring at Ji Wei beside him. Ji Wei had never seen him look like this before; it was as if he would obediently do whatever she said. After settling the two children, Ji Wei, in a playful mood, leaned closer to Gu Zhiyuan and sniffed him, then said with a look of disgust, "You reek of alcohol, so awful."
Gu Zhiyuan looked at her with some confusion, then looked down and smelled himself, defending himself: "Just a little bit of alcohol, not smelly."
"It just smells bad." Ji Wei shook her head.
Gu Zhiyuan thought for a moment, then got up and started taking off his clothes: "Then I'll just take a shower."
His actions caught Ji Wei off guard. Fortunately, it was winter, and he had just unbuttoned his coat. Ji Wei quickly pressed his hand down, saying, "You can't take it off now. Take it off later." She wondered if they had gotten their turn to shower yet.
"Ji Wei, the water's ready. Zhiyuan's probably drunk too. Watch him take a bath, make sure he doesn't slip and fall." Qiao Xiaoxue's voice came from outside.
"Watch him shower?" Ji Wei almost stammered. Although the two of them had already been completely honest with each other, wouldn't it be a little inconvenient for her to shower him? Thinking of this, Ji Wei suddenly stole a glance at the person next to her. Thinking of the abs that always made her envious, she suddenly felt that this might be a good opportunity?
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