The next day, Zhu Xiangxiang returned with a slicked-back young man. His name was Chen Liren, and he was incredibly talkative. After just one tour of the headwear factory, he already endeared himself to many of the women. Afterward, he approached Huang Mei, saying he had several stores in Shenzhen and wanted to stock the factory's merchandise. Despite Zhu Xiangxiang's pleas, Huang Mei ultimately declined, as Chen Wanting was interested in acquiring the exclusive rights to the headwear factory in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. She preferred Chen Wanting, who had worked with the factory for years, to a new client.
After being rejected, Chen Liren looked a little unhappy, but he didn't say much. After all, his visit to the headwear factory was just a side trip; what he really wanted to check out was the latest motorcycle. As for Zhu Xiangxiang, she was just a relatively new toy.
Seeing that they couldn't reach an agreement, Zhu Xiangxiang took him out of the headwear factory. She apologized to him several times along the way, implying that he was a country boy with no knowledge.
Chen Liren smiled silently, preparing to drive back to the county when he saw a familiar motorcycle approaching from a distance. It was Old Zhu behind the wheel. He had spent the entire afternoon and morning learning how to ride, and after a few falls, he had finally mastered the technique. He didn't dare drive too fast, just a little slower than a tortoise, fearing he might hit someone. Even so, he was incredibly happy.
Seeing him looking at the motorcycle, Zhu Xiangxiang pointed to the lane and said, "That's my sixth uncle's motorcycle. My uncle and aunt are both technicians. They've now partnered with the county machinery factory to open a car factory. It's quite impressive."
Chen Liren's mind was stirred. Sanshui County only had one car factory, and while they didn't produce cars, they were producing motorcycles. He had originally planned to go check it out today, but they told him to go tomorrow. Only then did they agree to let Zhu Xiangxiang come to the countryside. Thinking of this, his tone softened considerably as he asked, "Is Zhu Youliang yours?"
"He is my sixth uncle. Brother Liren, have you heard of him? My sixth uncle is a celebrity here and has been on the newspapers." Zhu Xiangxiang said proudly.
"It's your Sixth Uncle. Xiangxiang, you didn't know yet? This motorcycle was made in your Sixth Uncle's factory." Chen Liren said with a smile.
"Ah? I saw Atong yesterday, but she didn't tell me." Zhu Xiangxiang pouted.
"She probably thought you knew. By the way, is it Ah Tong?"
"A-Tong is my sixth uncle's daughter. You'll see her later at dinner. She drove this motorcycle back."
"I see. So, Xiangxiang, I'm going to your sixth uncle's factory tomorrow. How about you come with us? If we can make a deal, I can give you a certain commission."
Zhu Xiangxiang's eyes lit up, but she said, "Brother Liren, it's only natural for me to help you. Not only did you teach me how to drive, you also lent me your car for a day. I'm already thinking about how to repay you."
"Let's put things in perspective. Teaching you how to drive is no big deal. But if I can get a cheap motorcycle order from your sixth uncle's factory, I can make real money." Chen Liren finally told the truth.
Zhu Xiangxiang was deeply moved by what she heard and said truthfully, "I'm just afraid I can't help you. My Sixth Uncle is a very principled person and I can't persuade him."
Chen Liren narrowed his eyes and asked, "How is your relationship with your cousin?"
"It's okay." Zhu Xiangxiang said in a low voice.
As they were talking, Old Zhu arrived. Seeing Zhu Xiangxiang, he immediately said, "Your mother has prepared dinner at home. She asked me to invite you and your friend Chen... to her house for dinner."
"Grandpa, my name is Chen Liren."
"Yes, Chen Liren. You two drive back, I'll stay on this motorcycle." Old Zhu didn't even get off his motorcycle, turning a corner and heading home again. He'd taken the day off today and asked the third uncle from the east side of the village to cover for him. He could earn a few dollars a day, and guarding the gate was easy. His buddies were hoping he'd take every day off.
In the old house, Song Hehua pushed Zhu Youtian.
"I'm telling you, you should be more enthusiastic when we have dinner later. I think Liren is a good guy and he treats Xiangxiang well. Maybe they will be a good match." Song Hehua said, looking outside the door.
"What kind of family are they from? What kind of family are we from? You're just a toad wanting to eat swan meat, aren't you?" Zhu Youtian said in a low voice. Besides being rich and having a good tongue, he couldn't see anything good about Chen Liren.
"How can you be so mean to your own daughter? Xiangxiang is so beautiful, who can compare to her? As for the conditions, it would have been fine if it was before the hair ornament factory opened, but our family is considered to be pretty good in the village now."
"You know it's in the village."
"I won't tell you, so you'd better keep quiet, otherwise you'll make me angry to death." Song Hehua said as she walked out of the house and headed towards the courtyard gate.
As soon as the car stopped, she went to meet it. "Liren, are you cold? Come inside quickly. There's charcoal burning inside, it's warm." Song Hehua said with a smile on her face.
Before Chen Liren could say anything, Zhu Xiangxiang said, "Mom, we're wearing down jackets, we're warm. Burning charcoal is ruining your eyes."
"It's good that it's not cold, but the charcoal still needs to be burned. Don't worry, the charcoal we bought this time is all good quality and doesn't produce much smoke." Song Hehua said as she walked towards the kitchen. She kept the dishes on the stove to prevent them from getting cold.
"Auntie, let me help you serve the dishes." Chen Liren followed her in and said.
"No, no." Song Hehua hurriedly pushed the person out.
"Auntie, what delicious food did you make? It smells so good!" Tongtong and Dunzi came in from outside and said. This afternoon, he and his sister were eating here.
"I stewed a chicken, how could it not be delicious?" Song Hehua said happily. Now that life was better, she was not as picky as before. She treated the children much better, and the children became closer to her.
Zhu Xingtong followed Tongtong into the kitchen and helped serve the dishes. This time, Song Hehua didn't stop him.
Seeing Zhu Xingtong come in, Zhu Xiangxiang immediately waved at her and said, "A-Tong, come here. Let me introduce you. This is my friend, Brother Liren."
"Hello." Chen Liren said with a smile.
Zhu Xingtong nodded at him and went out.
Zhu Xiangxiang said somewhat dejectedly, "Forget it. My cousin is just as hard to please as my sixth uncle. Let's not waste our energy on it."
"It's okay. I didn't expect any connections to work, so just talk about it like a normal business." Chen Liren comforted her.
"I'm sorry, Brother Liren, I couldn't help you." After Zhu Xiangxiang said this, she saw her father walking in from outside.
Chen Liren stood up and handed him a cigarette, "Uncle, have a cigarette."
"Yeah." Zhu Youtian took the cigarette silently.
Zhu Youxiang thought about her father's good relationship with Uncle Six, so she immediately said, "Dad, Brother Liren wants to discuss business with Uncle Six. We're all acquaintances, so why don't you help them get together?"
Zhu Youtian shook his head and said, "Your father doesn't understand these things. Go directly to your sixth uncle."
Song Hehua walked in from outside and said, "Just help the child. Maybe we can be a family in the future."
Chen Liren just smiled and said nothing, nor did he deny it.
Zhu Xiangxiang blushed, "Mom, what are you talking about?"
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