Zhang Guodong refused Bai Zhongsheng's request, but returned to the shop and brought him three black carp and three eels. After hearing Zheng's father praise them as wild species, Bai Zhongsheng observed them for a while with some skepticism, and they were indeed wild.
This gift was quite expensive, mainly because wild-caught fish are rarely sold on the market, making it a rare and precious treat. Professor Bai was a little embarrassed and insisted on paying, but Zheng's father laughed and said, "Old Bai, don't underestimate these few fish. They might sell for three thousand yuan at Guodong's shop. Half of that would go to your monthly salary, allowances, and bonuses. Besides, Guodong doesn't need your money. Consider it a gift from a younger generation to you!"
Bai Zhongsheng hadn't expected wild blackfish and eels to be so expensive on the market. Even though he was a typical tech geek and clueless about everyday life, he knew Zhang Guodong's fish were really pricey. But after his old friend's comment, he understood. He hadn't realized his friend had his eye on this young Zhang, acting like he wanted to make him his son-in-law.
We have to accept this gift as a sign of filial piety, whether we like it or not!
Zhang Guodong was kept in the dark.
"Haha, then I'll accept it without hesitation. It's only fair to return the favor. I brought extra 'medicinal tea' with me this time. Xiao Zhang, take half a jin!"
Upon hearing this, Zheng's father objected: "Fine, Lao Bai, you just said you only brought a pound of herbal tea, which is half of your stock. How come you hid another half pound?"
Bai Zhongsheng quickly coughed and said, "Old Zheng, if I didn't say that, wouldn't you have taken everything from me? Little Zhang gave me such an expensive gift, as his 'elder,' it wouldn't be right for me not to reciprocate in some way, would it?"
'Medicinal tea' is suitable for middle-aged and elderly people. It contains a lot of Chinese medicinal herbs, which should all be grown at the Yangling Academy of Agricultural Sciences experimental base. Ordinary people really can't drink it.
Upon hearing that it was a good product, Zhang Guodong hurriedly and solemnly put it away, thinking it would be good for his father, Zhang Zhengrong, and mother, Ye Cuihua, to have some, since they were getting old.
"Guodong, if you're thinking of expanding your business selling vegetables and seafood, you should contact Lao Bai more often. They come up with a lot of new varieties every year that are usually hard to get!" Zheng's father said to Zhang Guodong.
"You old Zheng, haha!" Professor Bai glared at Zheng's father upon hearing this.
Zhang Guodong was overjoyed.
Although he no longer intended to expand the store, what kind of place is the Academy of Agricultural Sciences? It's the highest-level agricultural research and experimental base in China, concentrating a vast amount of talent and resources, such as flowers and trees, high-quality vegetables, and aquatic products—they're the authorities in these fields. He definitely needs to visit them when he has time; more connections mean more opportunities!
"Thank you very much, Professor Bai, hehe!" Zhang Guodong said.
"What Professor Bai? That sounds too formal. You're already calling me Uncle Zheng. Can you just call me Uncle Bai or Uncle Bai? Haha!" Bai Zhongsheng said with dissatisfaction.
"Uncle Bai!" Zhang Guodong called out hurriedly.
Bai Zhongsheng is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He not only supervises doctoral students but is also currently organizing a research project, so he doesn't have much time to stay. In the afternoon, Zhang Guodong was invited to stay at Zheng's house for lunch, and then everyone said their goodbyes.
Aunt Meilan returned in the afternoon and asked Zheng Le to see Zhang Guodong out after dinner. Her intention was obvious. Although Zhang Guodong was quite ordinary, she deeply understood the meaning of "a peaceful life is a blessing," as someone who had been through it all. Moreover, she thought that an ordinary son-in-law would be better to her daughter.
However, Zheng Le was a little resentful. Although she was optimistic and cheerful and three years older than Zhang Guodong, she couldn't understand how Zhang Guodong had won over her parents.
Now that she's eating at the Zheng family's house more often, this trend is becoming increasingly unstoppable. As a dutiful daughter, she naturally won't object to her family's arrangements. It's just a blind date, not a marriage. But when it comes to such a major event as marriage, and seeing that a 'major problem' is about to arise, Zheng Le is getting a little anxious.
As they walked along the road, Zhang Guodong rarely spoke, and Zheng Le didn't know how to start. Seeing that they were almost out, she gritted her teeth and said, "Guodong, there's something I want to talk to you about—"
Zhang Guodong looked at her with a puzzled expression.
After the initial shock of recognizing Zheng Le, the shock became less intense as they grew to know each other better.
"What is it?" Zhang Guodong asked.
Zheng Le was a little embarrassed; the topic of blind dates was difficult to bring up: "You know, I'm three years older than you—"
"Huh?" Zhang Guodong was dumbfounded. What did that mean? If he wasn't careful, he might start thinking about other things. He asked doubtfully, "What's wrong with being three years older? There are many people marrying and having children later these days. You look like you're twenty-three or twenty-four!"
These words were somewhat ambiguous, and Zhang Guodong regretted saying them as soon as they left his mouth.
Sure enough, Zheng Le's face flushed red instantly. She gave Zhang Guodong a slightly seductive glare, thinking to herself, "I didn't expect this kid to be so wicked."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Zheng Le said, somewhat displeased. "I mean I'm three years older than you, not young anymore, and my mom keeps arranging blind dates for me. This time, the blind date is you. Do you understand now?"
"What? A blind date?" Zhang Guodong asked incredulously.
"Don't shout so loudly, or someone will hear you!" Zheng Le said hastily after looking around.
Once Zheng Le opened up, things became much more natural. Zhang Guodong listened intently, feeling somewhat annoyed. A blind date? This was Zheng Le choosing a son-in-law, and he, the person directly involved, had no idea.
But listening to her, he understood Zheng Le's predicament; she didn't want to rush into finding a boyfriend or even a husband.
She was slightly disappointed, but Zhang Guodong quickly regained his composure and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, I didn't know Aunt Mei's intention in inviting me to dinner before. Now that I know, I'll decline it. Choosing a son-in-law is a lifelong matter, and it can't be taken lightly!"
When Zhang Guodong said this with a smile, Zheng Le breathed a sigh of relief, smiled gratefully at him, and regained her cheerful demeanor.
"Thank you, but you can't mention this, or I'll be finished!" Zheng Le said. "You can tell, right? My parents are so enthusiastic about you, aren't they? Hehe, they treat you like a son or son-in-law. Even I'm a little jealous. When younger relatives come to visit before, my parents are polite, but they've never been this enthusiastic towards you!"
This whole affair has given Zhang Guodong a sense of pride. A matter of character? Character, indeed!
"Well, if I come less often in the future, they'll probably forget about it, right?"
Zheng Le burst out laughing and said, "Your idea is terrible! Your shop is right at the entrance of National Taiwan University. My parents are retired now, and it's just around the corner!"
Zhang Guodong said helplessly, "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm not planning to close my shop yet. Every little bit of money counts, and it would be a shame not to make it. Even though the sign has been taken down, some of my regular customers are used to eating my vegetables and seafood. It wouldn't make sense to close it down!"
He couldn't do anything about it; he couldn't just let him close the shop and leave, could he? Although Zhang Guodong wanted to help Zheng Le solve the problem, he couldn't do it at the expense of Zheng Le's business, could he? His spirit wasn't that noble, even though the other party was a top host, a celebrity, and a beautiful woman.
"That's not what I meant, Guodong, don't misunderstand!" Zheng Le, quick-witted as ever, said hurriedly. "Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor—"
"My parents approve of you, and besides, I already consider you a friend. So, to be frank, it's better to continue than to be bothered by my mom later. You can pretend to be my boyfriend, and you can tell my parents we're dating. We can have a meal together occasionally to keep things quiet!"
Zhang Guodong opened his mouth, he didn't expect Zheng Le to come up with such an idea. Although it was pretending to be a boyfriend, the difference between real and fake was only one word. Should he agree or not?
He didn't dislike Zheng Le, and they were usually cheerful during casual conversations. Besides, if they were friends, it wouldn't be right not to help.
"Alright, I'll help you!" Zhang Guodong thought for a moment and agreed, smiling nonchalantly. If someone like him actually managed to get his hands on such a swan, I bet many people in the world would jump off buildings to commit suicide, right?
"Then it's settled, no backing out! There's an internal dance party at the station on Friday, I'll call you then, you can come too!" Zheng Le said happily.
Zhang Guodong felt a pang of frustration; it seemed like this was premeditated. But having already agreed, he could only nod again. There were still a few days until Friday! Thankfully, it wasn't next Friday.
Next Friday, a major auction will be held in Tongguan Town, bringing together seven or eight black markets from across the province. There will be plenty of resources there, and Zhang Guodong can go and hunt for some bargains. He's very passionate about making money. Although he's already quite wealthy, it seems he's still not quite there yet to build his dream secluded manor. Moreover, a manor can't be built with just money; it needs certain 'contents,' and Zhang Guodong doesn't advocate rushing this part. He enjoys the process and wants to take it slow.
Zhang Guodong absolutely must attend the joint flower and tree trade event next Friday. He has a natural advantage: he can sense the spiritual energy fluctuations contained within certain flowers and trees, which is a powerful tool for finding bargains.
Not to mention that when Zhang Guodong returned to the store, he ran into Li Yun and Miss Li, who had been partying all night the night before.
Zheng Le arrived at work at the provincial television station's second building with a 'happy smile' on her face. This smile wasn't faked; she was genuinely relieved that the troublesome matter had finally been resolved.
"Zheng Le, what happened? Why are you so happy?" a colleague asked.
Zheng Le has good relationships and talent here, and he has a very good image, so naturally he has many fans.
"Hehe, it's nothing, I'm just in a good mood!"
Han Bing, the head of the hosting team on the second urban channel, is considered Zheng Le's close friend. Although she is older than Zheng Le, already thirty-one, the two families live not far apart, so she knows a little about the Zheng family's situation.
Zhang Guodong, this very ordinary 'boy,' has been visiting the Zheng family frequently lately. He and Zheng Le have strolled along the forest paths several times, chatting happily. Some of the retired old men and women have become well-informed, and as soon as they get home, they start gossiping: the Zheng family's daughter has a boyfriend and is probably getting married soon!
It's no wonder people are so sensitive and gossipy; Zheng Le is 29 years old. If she were a typical girl, she would have been married by 24 or 25, and some might even have had children by then.
Then there's Aunt Mei's nagging, which made some of the older folks who were close to her aware that the Zheng family was extremely worried about their daughter's marriage.
"Zheng Le, come to my office!" Han Bing said to Zheng Le as soon as she appeared.
Office of the host team of Urban Channel 2.
"Sister Han, what's up?" Zheng Le asked casually before even sitting down.
Han Bing laughed, but it was a strange laugh. Two pretty dimples appeared, making the woman very charming. Unlike Zheng Le, who was considered a beautiful woman, Han Bing was usually short and dressed like a young married woman.
"Lele, is your sister dating someone?" Han Bing asked gossipily.
Normally, Zheng Le would have denied it immediately. But since she had just made a 'deal' with Zhang Guodong, it was difficult for her to deny it.
She blushed slightly, nodded, and said, "We're dating, let's see if it's a good match!"
"Ha, I didn't realize that Zheng Le, who has rejected countless talented people, would blush. What does this person do, and what kind of person is he?"
It's not right for women to not gossip when they're together.
While inwardly smiling bitterly, Zheng Le continued to fabricate the identity of Zhang Guodong's boyfriend. If someone were to expose that she had a fake boyfriend, she would probably be in big trouble.
P.S.: First update on Thursday!
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