Chapter 91 Director Xiao's Wife
That morning, just after finishing stocking the store, Wen Xiaoxiao and Wu Jia were discussing whether to stock up on some cotton vests when the wind chimes at the door rang out with a particularly clear "ding-a-ling".
The two looked up and saw a woman enter.
He was around forty years old, wearing a beige thin woolen long coat. The fabric was crisp and the cut was good, clearly indicating good workmanship.
Inside, she wore a light brown turtleneck cashmere sweater, and around her neck was a smoky gray silk scarf, loosely draped.
Her hair was styled in trendy big waves and pinned behind her ear with an amber-colored hair clip, revealing her smooth forehead.
She was carrying a brown leather bag, simple in style but with a glossy finish.
Wu Jia reacted quickly, smiling as she went up to her: "Hey lady, want to see the clothes? They're all new autumn styles."
The woman nodded to Wu Jia, glanced around the shop, and finally fixed her gaze on Wen Xiaoxiao, smiling slightly: "Are you the owner?"
"Yes, my surname is Wen, Wen Xiaoxiao." Wen Xiaoxiao stood up, pondering the man's attire. He didn't seem like an ordinary wage earner, but he spoke without any airs.
"My surname is Fu, Fu Yunrou." The woman walked to the coat rack, her fingers lightly brushing against the collar of a navy blue double-breasted trench coat. "What... what material is this one made of?"
"This is a polyester-wool blend, it's wrinkle-resistant and has a good cut." Wen Xiaoxiao walked over and took the clothes down. "Would you like to try it on? This color is very elegant."
Fu Yunrou took it and compared herself to the mirror on the wall: "Is there a fitting room?"
Yes, over here.
Fu Yunrou went in to try on clothes, and Wen Xiaoxiao and Wu Jia exchanged a glance.
Wu Jia whispered, "This lady has a lot of presence, but she's quite easygoing."
Wen Xiaoxiao nodded.
She had met many wealthy customers, some arrogant and others picky, but few were as well-mannered and natural as her.
The fitting room curtain was drawn back, and Fu Yunrou walked out wearing the trench coat, turning around in front of the mirror.
The clothes fit her perfectly, making her figure appear even more slender.
"It's fine." Fu Yunrou looked at it herself. "How much?"
"Sixty-eight," Wen Xiaoxiao quoted a fair price.
Fu Yunrou didn't haggle, she just nodded: "Wrap it up. I'll look at some others."
After looking at them, I picked out five or six items.
A maroon woolen short coat, two wool scarves, and a beige knitted cardigan.
Wu Jia was busy issuing invoices and packing, while Wen Xiaoxiao was calculating the accounts, secretly pleased that this was a big customer.
"Two hundred and ninety-three yuan in total." Wen Xiaoxiao handed over the bill.
Fu Yunrou took out her wallet from her purse, counted out three hundred-yuan bills and handed them over: "Keep the change, the extra is for the kids to buy candy."
Wen Xiaoxiao was taken aback, and quickly said, "No way, you should keep whatever you owe." She then reached for the change.
"Really, there's no need." Fu Yunrou waved her hand and smiled gently. "My son is probably about the same age as your child. I feel a sense of kinship when I see you."
This opened the floodgates of conversation. While packing clothes, Wen Xiaoxiao casually asked, "How old is your son? What grade is he in?"
"I'm in my final year of junior high, and I'm taking the high school entrance exam this year." Fu Yunrou sighed. "It's driving me crazy. My grades are so-so, and all I do is play all day."
"Grade 9? I also have a daughter in Grade 9, at the Experimental Middle School." Wen Xiaoxiao put the clothes into the bag. "You can't rush a child's studies."
"Experimental Middle School?" Fu Yunrou's eyes lit up. "My son is also at Experimental Middle School, in Class 3. What class is your daughter in?"
"Also in Class 3!" Wen Xiaoxiao exclaimed in surprise. "His name is Zhao Yidi."
"Zhao Yidi?!" Fu Yunrou's voice rose. "Oh my, what a coincidence! My son keeps mentioning it when he comes home, saying there's a girl in his class who always gets first place in exams, and her name is Zhao Yidi! So she's your daughter!"
Wen Xiaoxiao laughed: "Yes, Yidi is quite hardworking. What's your son's name?"
“Xiao Junkai, what a mischievous boy.” Fu Yunrou shook her head. “He can’t sit still. The teacher says he twists and turns eight hundred times in a single class. His dad and I have worried a lot about him, but his grades just won’t improve. Mr. Wen, what should we do?”
Wu Jia, who was listening nearby, chimed in, "Kids, some mature early, some mature late. Boys have more staying power."
"Thank you for your kind words." Fu Yunrou said, then suddenly remembered something and said apologetically, "...Mr. Wen, I have a favor to ask... You see, this Saturday and Sunday, could I bring Junkai to your house and have Yidi tutor him? It doesn't have to be much, just once a week is fine. I'll pay him according to the tutoring rate, and I won't let the child work for nothing."
Wen Xiaoxiao didn't expect her to bring this up. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Sister Fu, I have to ask Yidi about this. The child is busy with her studies, and I don't know if she'd be willing."
"Of course, of course." Fu Yunrou nodded repeatedly. "Then let me know after you've asked. I'm usually free on Saturday afternoons, so I can bring him over to familiarize himself with the place."
The two chatted for a few more minutes about the children, and then Fu Yunrou left carrying a large bag of clothes.
Wu Jia saw her to the door and then said to Wen Xiaoxiao, "That woman is really straightforward."
Looking at the black Santana parked by the roadside, driven by Fu Yunrou, Wen Xiaoxiao knew in her heart that this person was no ordinary rich person.
But the way he speaks and acts really makes people feel comfortable.
When Zhao Yidi came home from school that evening, Wen Xiaoxiao told her about it while setting the table.
"Xiao Junkai?" Zhao Yidi paused, her chopsticks still holding food. "Mom, it's him."
"You know him?"
“He’s in the same class, sitting two rows behind me.” Zhao Yidi shoveled some rice into his mouth. “He’s a really nice guy, loves playing basketball, and last time a classmate was bullied by someone from another class, he stood up for them. It’s just… it’s just that his grades are a little low.”
"His mother wants you to tutor him this weekend, are you willing?" Wen Xiaoxiao looked at her, "If you're not willing, Mom will tell you that you're busy with your studies."
Zhao Yidi thought for a moment: "Teaching him is fine. He's not actually stupid, he just doesn't pay attention. Last time in math class, when the teacher asked a question, he answered quite quickly, but he's always careless and makes mistakes in calculations."
"So you're agreeing?"
"Okay." Zhao Yidi nodded. "Let him come. But Mom, don't take his money. It feels awkward to accept money when classmates help each other."
Wen Xiaoxiao patted her daughter's head: "Mom knows. Then tell Xiao Junkai tomorrow to come over this Saturday afternoon."
"OK."
That was settled.
On Saturday morning, Zhao Fei unusually did not go to the construction site.
The foundation of the cannery was laid, the factory building frame was erected, and the construction team worked step by step, allowing the boss to finally catch his breath.
He sat on a chair by the window in the shop, flipping through the equipment manual, while Wen Xiaoxiao checked the accounts behind the counter. Sunlight streamed in through the glass, making it feel warm and cozy.
Around 2 PM, the black Santana was parked in front of the store.
Fu Yunrou got off the bus first, followed by a boy. He was quite tall, probably around 1.75 meters, wearing a blue and white tracksuit, carrying a black backpack, and had his hair cut short, looking very energetic.
"Boss Wen!" Fu Yunrou pushed open the door and came in, followed by a boy.
Wen Xiaoxiao quickly stood up: "Sister Fu is here, come in quickly. This must be Jun Kai, right?"
Xiao Junkai greeted her shyly, "Hello, Auntie."
"Hello, hello." Wen Xiaoxiao smiled. "Yidi is upstairs. Junkai, just go up. It's the first room on the right on the second floor."
Xiao Junkai looked at his mother, Fu Yunrou nodded: "Go ahead, listen to Yidi's lecture carefully, and don't cause any trouble."
"Okay," the boy replied and quickly went upstairs.
Fu Yunrou then turned to Wen Xiaoxiao, and was about to speak when her gaze fell on Zhao Fei by the window, and she paused for a moment.
Zhao Fei also saw her. At first, he thought she looked familiar, but upon closer inspection, he slowly put down the instruction manual in his hand and stood up.
"Director Fu...?" Zhao Fei called out uncertainly.
Fu Yunrou recognized him too: "You are... Boss Zhao?"
Wen Xiaoxiao looked at this one, then at that one: "You know each other?"
Fu Yunrou smiled: "What a coincidence. Before the New Year, didn't Boss Zhao go to the Finance Bureau's residential compound with a comrade surnamed Wen?"
Zhao Fei nodded, a little embarrassed: "Yes, I went. At the time, I was... I went to visit Director Xiao, and it was Director Fu who opened the door."
Wen Xiaoxiao immediately understood.
Zhao Fei had mentioned to her that when the cannery was getting the land approved, Wenbin insisted on taking him to give gifts to Director Xiao of the Finance Bureau.
The two waited at the door for a long time with their gifts. Finally, a woman with a very good temperament opened the door. She did not accept the gifts, but she was very friendly and said that she would handle it according to procedure.
Later, the land was indeed approved, and Zhao Fei always remembered this favor.
So that was Fu Yunrou.
“What director or not, I’m just a housewife.” Fu Yunrou waved her hand and sat down in the chair that Wen Xiaoxiao brought over. “Old Xiao never lets me get involved in work matters at home. It was just a coincidence that day; the housekeeper was on leave, so I went to open the door.”
Zhao Fei knew perfectly well what she meant by "housewife"—the wife of Director Xiao of the Finance Bureau. How could her words carry no weight?
But he didn't show it on his face, and only said sincerely, "At that time, we were very grateful for your guidance, which told us to follow the proper procedures. We went back and reorganized the materials, and sure enough, it was approved."
“That’s because you meet the requirements,” Fu Yunrou said succinctly. “For those who don’t meet the requirements, no amount of pleading will help.”
Wen Xiaoxiao realized what was happening and quickly took out a newly arrived cashmere scarf from under the counter. It was light camel-colored and soft in texture.
She had originally intended to keep it to give to Zhou Lanying, but she couldn't care less about that now.
"Sister Fu, please try this on. The color suits you well." Wen Xiaoxiao handed over the scarf.
Fu Yunrou immediately understood what she meant and declined, saying, "This won't do. I brought my child here today to trouble you, how can I accept anything?"
"It's not worth much money, it's just a token of my appreciation," Wen Xiaoxiao insisted. "If you don't accept it, you'll be being too polite."
After declining twice, Fu Yunrou finally took it, tried it on around her neck, and looked at herself in the mirror: "It looks really good. Boss Wen is so thoughtful."
The three sat down again, and Wu Jia poured tea for them.
Fu Yunrou took a sip and said, "I brought Xiao Kai here today to familiarize him with the place. From now on, I'll let him ride his bike here on weekends instead of always coming with me. It's not right for a child to always follow his mother around now that he's grown up."
"Is it safe to ride a bike?" Wen Xiaoxiao asked with some concern. "There are a lot of cars on the road."
“It’s alright, he’s been riding it for two years.” Fu Yunrou smiled. “It’s just that I’ll have to trouble Yidi to take some time to explain the problems to him. I don’t expect him to improve much all at once. I’ll be content if he can be influenced by good students and learn some study methods.”
Zhao Fei chimed in, "It's good that Yidi can be of help. The children can learn from each other."
Upstairs, in Zhao Yidi's room.
The desk was quite large, and the two of them sat on opposite sides.
Zhao Yidi spread out her math test paper and pointed to a geometry proof problem: "The teacher explained a similar problem in class. The auxiliary lines should be drawn like this..."
Xiao Junkai leaned closer to look. The boy smelled faintly of laundry detergent, mixed with the scent of sunshine.
He listened attentively, occasionally asking, "Why was this point chosen as the auxiliary line?"
"Because this connects the two angles." Zhao Yidi drew lightly with a pencil. "You see, after connecting them, the two triangles are congruent."
"Oh—" Xiao Junkai suddenly realized, "I get it! It's so simple!"
Zhao Yidi glanced at him: "You're actually quite smart, you just didn't pay attention in class. When the teacher was explaining this theorem, you were folding paper airplanes down there."
Xiao Junkai scratched his head, a little embarrassed: "How did you know?"
“I sit in front of you, I can see you with just a turn of my head.” Zhao Yidi’s tone was calm, without any hint of blame. “Be more careful next time, these questions are not difficult.”
“Okay!” Xiao Junkai readily agreed. “Then you can teach me more in the future. The students in my class are either impatient when explaining problems, or they can’t explain them clearly even after a long time.”
Zhao Yidi's lips curled up slightly: "Then you have to treat me to an ice pop."
"No problem! Pick anything you like at the convenience store!"
They both laughed.
Downstairs, the adults were chatting.
Fu Yunrou talked about her child's education, Wen Xiaoxiao talked about the difficulties of opening a shop, and Zhao Fei occasionally chimed in with a few words about the progress of the cannery.
The aroma of tea wafted through the air, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Around 4 o'clock, Xiao Junkai came downstairs with his schoolbag on his back and a smile on his face: "Mom, Yidi explained it very clearly. I understood several questions today!"
Seeing his happy expression, Fu Yunrou smiled and said, "That's good. Did you thank Yidi?"
"Thanks!" Xiao Junkai shouted upstairs.
Zhao Yidi poked her head out from the stairs: "Don't forget to bring your homework at the same time next week."
"I can't forget it!"
Fu Yunrou got up to say goodbye, and Wen Xiaoxiao and Zhao Fei saw her to the door.
Watching the Santana drive away, Wen Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Zhao Fei: "I really didn't expect it to be Director Xiao's wife."
“Okay.” Zhao Fei looked in the direction the car disappeared. “Jun Kai can come here often in the future. Tell Yi Di to teach him what he needs to teach, but don’t mention anything about being a bureau chief. Kids should just be classmates.”
“I understand.” Wen Xiaoxiao nodded. “Yidi doesn’t care about those things either.”
The two returned to the store, where Wu Jia was tidying up the clothes that had been messed up by customers.
Meanwhile, inside the Santana, Fu Yunrou glanced at her son in the rearview mirror while driving: "How was your study today?"
"It's good." Xiao Junkai looked out the window. "Mom, is Zhao Yidi's dad... the one who owns the pig farm?"
"Yes, we're opening a cannery now," Fu Yunrou said. "Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing, just asking." The boy turned back, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knee. "Mom, I can ride my bike there myself next weekend, you don't need to come with me."
"Okay," Fu Yunrou smiled. "You've learned to care about your image now."
The cars merged into the traffic on the street, and the setting sun dyed the sky a warm orange-red.
On this ordinary Saturday afternoon, two families who would otherwise never have crossed paths were gently connected because of their two children.
But who could have predicted that the two children would one day get married...?
(Gentlemen, may you be blessed! Are you satisfied with the family you found for our Dibao?)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com