Chapter 57 Even Pouting Doesn't Work
When Shen Jingni returned home, Xu Ningwan was sitting on the sofa eating fruit.
Seeing that she was yawning and looked listless, Ms. Xu frowned.
"Miaomiao, are you feeling unwell?"
It looks so unnatural.
“No,” Shen Jingni cursed Zhao Zonglan in her mind again, “I stayed up too late with my friends last night and I’m a little sleepy.”
It's all his fault.
"I told you a long time ago, don't hang out with those shady friends. With your physical condition, why are you staying up all night?"
Ultimately, Xu Ningwan was still worried about her health and afraid that she would get sick.
Shen Jingni obediently replied, "I understand."
But her 'shady friends' might not listen to her.
As they were talking, Ms. Xu asked the maid to bring over Shen Jingni's longevity lock.
That was a small silver lock that her grandmother had made for Shen Jingni when she was just born. The front was engraved with the eight characters "Long life, wealth and honor, free from illness and disaster" and the back had her nickname.
Shen Jingni thought it looked bad and rarely wore it. After she grew up, she simply put it away in some corner.
"You must keep the longevity lock carefully. It's such an important thing, don't just throw it away."
Xu Ningwan originally intended to criticize her, but upon seeing her daughter's beautiful face, she couldn't utter a single harsh word.
The longevity lock has weathered the years, and the lettering on it has been worn down to a faint outline. There is also a dent on the back of the lock, which is from when I was a child.
Shen Jingni held the longevity lock for a while, then suddenly looked up and asked Ms. Xu, "Where did Grandma order this lock?"
After carefully recalling the memory, Xu Ningwan mentioned a place name and then instructed her, "This was made by your grandmother using 'money from a hundred families' that she begged for; you must cherish it."
Back then, the Shen family was still in Hangzhou, not as prosperous as they are now. They didn't have many friends, and the old man had to go door to door to raise the money from all the families.
Shen Jingni stared blankly at the longevity lock in her hand, seemingly oblivious to what she was hearing.
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The next day at work, Shen Jingni received a batch of Song brocade.
Chang An personally led a group to deliver it.
The traditional production of Song brocade involves more than 20 processes, including silk reeling and dyeing, preparation of warp and weft threads, and weaving. The process is complex and the production cycle is very long, with a daily output of only a few meters.
It is very difficult to get so many handmade Song brocades made in just one month.
When the topic came up, Chang An added a few words at the opportune moment: "This was made by two Song brocade intangible cultural heritage teams that the gentleman found at a high price, working overtime to complete it."
“When you and your husband had that argument, this batch of Song brocade hadn’t been finished yet, and the quantity and quality were still unknown, so your husband didn’t say anything.”
This was the first time Shen Jingni had heard Chang An say so much.
In her memory, this refined assistant was a man of few words and rarely mentioned Zhao Zonglan.
He did his job very well.
And yet today, he actually said these things for the first time ever. How could Shen Jingni not understand?
He was giving her some pointers.
It also tells her that Zhao Zonglan has been solving her problems and has kept his word.
Actually, even without Chang An saying it, Shen Jingni had already guessed it when she saw this batch of Song brocade.
She could feel Zhao Zonglan's kindness towards her.
After getting off work that day, Shen Jingni went to Tanyuan.
Zhao Zonglan and Rong Heng were discussing matters in the study.
Rong Heng was very well-informed. Knowing that Harvey had come to see Zhao Zonglan yesterday, he naturally guessed why.
"Fifth Brother, let's not beat around the bush. I know you're playing a big game. Whether it's AI or other industrial chains, I want a piece of the Silicon Valley pie too."
He plopped down in the chair with a flourish, saying, "You have to take me with you."
The Rong family has been a state-owned merchant family since their ancestors' time. To this day, they mostly cooperate with higher authorities. Although this is profitable and respectable, Rong Heng is not satisfied with it.
Among them, Rong Heng was the youngest, but he was very ambitious.
Unlike Xie Chengsui's ambitious ambition, his ambition was inevitably tinged with naive impulsiveness; he was like a newborn calf, fearless and reckless.
With the Rong family backing him up, he really had nothing to fear.
Hearing him say that, Zhao Zonglan flicked the ash off his cigarette with his fingers, without even raising his eyelids, and said, "Give me a reason."
Rong Heng seemed to have thought this through beforehand, and said readily, "I'll contribute money and effort, and be at your beck and call. I'll only drink the soup; the main course is yours, I won't touch it."
Although that's what he said, he knew that his fifth brother would never let him suffer a loss.
Zhao Zonglan opened his eyes and said in a calm tone, "Okay."
If there's labor available, why not use it?
"You'll come to America with me then."
Rong Heng nodded, then asked, "When? How long will it take?"
Zhao Zonglan frowned, feeling that this kid talked too much.
He stubbed out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray, his voice indifferent, "The time hasn't been set yet."
The exact duration depends on the situation.
Rong Heng didn't care. He could leave anytime, since he had several older sisters at home, which made him feel at ease.
Shen Jingni waited in the living room for half an hour before Zhao Zonglan came out.
Behind him followed a handsome young man with an extraordinary air.
Without thinking much, Shen Jingni ran up and hugged Zhao Zonglan's waist, looking up at him and saying, "Brother, I'm here to get that broken crystal ball."
She originally intended to take it and leave, but Chang An was stubborn and wouldn't let her take it.
They said they would follow the master's instructions.
Zhao Zonglan frowned slightly. "What do you need that for?"
"Take it to be repaired." Shen Jingni's eyes were clear, and her gaze was unusually sincere. "Since you don't want a new gift, then I'll just have to take it to be repaired."
It will most likely require redoing the glass and the interior decorations, but the base should be fine.
Meeting her sincere gaze, Zhao Zonglan's heart stirred, and he reached out to pinch her cheek. "You've been so good today, Song Jin, have you received that?"
Shen Jingni pushed his hand away and asked in a coquettish voice, "Am I that materialistic in your heart?"
Zhao Zonglan fell silent.
Rong Heng was so shocked by this scene that he could hardly close his mouth.
Even if he were oblivious to matters of the heart, he could guess that the woman in front of him was the legendary 'sister-in-law'.
"Hello, sister-in-law, I am Rong Heng."
Rong Heng, like a model student, nodded slightly to Shen Jingni and greeted her in a clear voice.
He missed the last hot spring resort due to other commitments and didn't get to see Shen Jingni. Then, at Jingyao's headquarters, that embarrassing incident happened again. So, this is their first real meeting.
The young master of the Rong family is renowned for his wealth and status, and is also the big boss behind Wangjinglou, making him a man of great influence.
Hearing him call her "sister-in-law," Shen Jingni was somewhat flattered, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded generously, saying, "Hello."
Rong Heng still remembered that ashtray from last time.
If Mingzhao hadn't blocked it for him, he would probably have been the one who got hurt.
He took the initiative and politely said goodbye to the two of them: "You two chat, I'm going back."
After Rong Heng left, Zhao Zonglan glanced at her watch and asked, "Have you eaten?"
Shen Jingni stammered, "I... I'll take the things and go back. You should quickly ask Chang An to get them for me."
She didn't want to eat with him.
The pressure is too much.
Zhao Zonglan remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on her.
Shen Jingni felt guilty.
She avoided his gaze, her tone slightly exasperated, "I didn't eat, okay?"
Old men are so nosy.
With a cold expression, Zhao Zonglan gripped her wrist with his calloused fingers and led her towards the restaurant.
"I'll get it for you after you finish eating."
Shen Jingni refused and shook his hand again, saying in a coquettish voice, "Brother, I'm not hungry."
He glanced down at her, his voice cold and clear: "Being coquettish won't work."
Shen Jingni: "...You're such a nuisance."
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