Chapter 257 Testing the Waters!
The next morning, Chu Yan called Gu Yin after getting up and told them they didn't need to get up early and could go see the house in the afternoon. Gu Yin was also still asleep and readily agreed.
Because they were entertaining guests, and these guests were very important, Chu Xiong and Yao Jinse stayed at home and did not go out, except for the two elders and Chu Yan.
When the clock struck ten, the butler's voice came from outside the door.
"Sir, our distinguished guest has arrived!"
The old man and his family got up and went over.
Chu Yan followed Mrs. Chu to the door and saw the people who appeared in the photos in the files when he investigated Gu Yin before.
While his grandfather was greeting them, Chu Yan looked over at them one by one.
The young master and daughter-in-law of the Zhou family were not present; instead, it was the old master and his wife, Zhou Tengfei, and Zhou Feifei who came.
Zhou Feifei and Zhou Tengfei knew Chu Yan. When they came to Beijing, they had already familiarized themselves with all the prominent families in the city, just in case they didn't know anyone and something went wrong.
Because of what happened yesterday, Zhou Feifei hasn't looked at Chu Yan at all.
The two families exchanged pleasantries and then went inside.
After we sat down, the servants served tea and snacks.
Grandpa Chu looked at Grandpa Zhou and smiled, "It's been so many years since you've been back. Have you taken a stroll around Beijing? How was it?"
Grandpa Zhou put down his teacup and sighed, "I haven't been back for most of my life since I left Beijing. When I was young, I was afraid, and later I couldn't swallow my pride. Now that I'm older, I've started to miss my homeland. I guess you could say I haven't been back. I still occasionally go to S City, but I haven't come back here. I looked around yesterday, and everything has changed!"
After saying that, he smiled and shook his head.
They all came from that era. The Chu family had friends who helped them back then, otherwise they would have had to leave this place. Old Master Chu understood.
"We're all at this age now, and life has worn away any old emotions or tempers. Besides, we already have grandchildren! Are you planning to settle down in Beijing this time?"
Grandpa Zhou smiled and shook his head: "No, not at all. They've gotten used to it over there. But the two kids like it here, so I'm planning to open two companies for them to get some experience. One will be technical, and the other will be entertainment. Just for fun. They're new here and don't know any of the rules yet. If they make a fool of themselves, I hope you won't laugh at me!"
Sensing the other party's probing, Old Master Zhou stated directly that he hadn't originally planned to move the headquarters here. The policies here weren't very clear, and moving the headquarters wasn't something that could be done on a whim. Besides, they were getting old, so it was better to let the next generation handle it.
Old Master Chu understood what he meant, smiled and didn't take it to heart; such words were just for show.
He looked at the others and then smiled, "Are these your grandson and granddaughter?"
Grandpa Zhou nodded and looked at Chu Yan: "He's not as outstanding as your grandson. You only have one?"
"One is enough. In a family like ours, having more would only be a disaster! How many do you have?"
Grandpa Zhou pointed to Zhou Tengfei and Zhou Feifei: "Just these two. My wife and I think the same way you do. We all came from that era. Having too many children can indeed cause trouble at home. But you are still luckier than me. You have an outstanding son and an outstanding grandson. As for my son, well, let's not even talk about him. We'll have to rely on these two kids for everything at home!"
Speaking of this week, the old man thought of his useless son, and he felt very tired!
Since his grandson was so outstanding, Grandpa Chu wasn't going to be modest. The child worked so hard and put in so much effort; his excellence was his reward. Why should he pretend to be modest and undermine the child's confidence? So he didn't stand on ceremony with Grandpa Zhou.
Zhou Tengfei, however, felt a bit unconvinced and said with a smile, "I wonder where Chu Yan goes to school? I'm in the Finance Department at Qingda University. If you're also at Qingda University, we can hang out together."
Chu Yan was staring at Grandma Zhou in a daze when she heard this. She looked at Zhou Tengfei and smiled, "Then there may be no chance. I received offers from top universities around the world. After the college entrance examination, I will go abroad to study."
Zhou Tengfei was a little embarrassed: "That's good, that's good. After I graduate, I should also go abroad for further studies."
Zhou Feifei disliked Chu Yan's arrogant demeanor and raised her eyebrows, saying, "Does going abroad mean you look down on domestic schools? As far as I know, many people in our circle go abroad to study, but they just pay for it, get a 'prestige' and then come back. After that, they introduce themselves to everyone as 'returnees,' acting like they're superior. If you ask me, aren't our domestic schools very good? Those who get into Qingdao University and Tsinghua University are the ones with real talent! Why waste that money going abroad!"
"Feifei!" Old Madam Zhou shouted sternly.
Seeing that her grandparents looked unhappy, Zhou Feifei glared at Chu Yan and then stopped talking. It was true, everyone knew who was who. Going abroad sounded nice, but it was all bought with money!
Zhou Tengfei grew increasingly embarrassed. Even though he'd paid for the banquet, how could he possibly speak his mind in this kind of setting? Was his sister getting dumber? Leaving Hong Kong and without Grandma watching over her, her IQ seemed to have dropped! She was truly more trouble than she was worth!
Zhou Tengfei stood up, looked at everyone, and said with a smile, "We kids are bored staying here, and we'll be interrupting the adults' conversation. How about Young Master Chu takes us outside for a walk?"
Chu Yan didn't care. He glanced at the old man, and after the old man nodded, he led the two of them out of the living room.
After the children left, Old Master Zhou looked apologetically at the Chu family members: "This child is spoiled and speaks without thinking. I'm sorry you had to see this!"
Grandma Zhou smiled apologetically, "Back in Hong Kong, I used to teach them, but they've become unruly and increasingly disobedient since coming here! I hope you won't mind. I'll have her apologize to Young Master Chu later!"
Grandma Chu waved her hand: "It's not worth it. My grandson's excellence cannot be denied by her words. The little girl is still young. She will understand when she grows up."
They're not our own child, so why should we care if she goes astray or whatever? If we pamper her, she'll get what's coming to her sooner or later! The Zhou family's parenting style needs improvement!
Old Master Chu's eyes flickered. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said casually, "You two are legends in the industry. You're smart and bold, building such a large business from scratch. How come these two kids are nothing like you? Don't blame me for being blunt, but judging from their behavior just now, it's hard for them to support your vast fortune!"
Mr. and Mrs. Chu were startled by the old man's words. When had he ever been so tactless? They weren't even that familiar with each other; it was really inappropriate to talk about someone's family!
Grandpa Zhou sighed, "You've hit the nail on the head! My son is nothing like either of us! Cowardly and incompetent! If it weren't for the paternity test, I would have suspected he was switched at birth! These two kids are a little better than their father, but that's in an ordinary family. In a family like ours, it would be tough! So we've decided that if things really get too bad, we'll hire someone to take care of them. After we're gone, they can do whatever they want; we can't control them from the afterlife!"
Old Master Chu stared at him and said, "Your main account is ruined, why don't you create a new one! Have your son have another one, and you can raise it from a young age!"
At this point, Old Master Chu narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Or do you have other children, such as a second concubine or a third concubine?"
Grandma Chu slapped her husband's knee: "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Mr. Zhou didn't care and laughed, "I don't have any messy relationships. My wife and I have had a hard life. One child is enough. I can't bear to see her suffer, nor can I bear to see the child suffer. If she's not smart, so be it. Anyway, that money is enough for them to live on for several lifetimes."
Madam Zhou also laughed and said, "Even if they're not very smart, they're still our own flesh and blood. We can't remake them. Let them be. It's better for them to be a little slow than those who are utterly depraved!"
Grandpa Chu breathed a sigh of relief. These two seemed to be of good character. He would have to ask the girl how to handle the matter.
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