Chapter 4141【VIP】
Xu Shanshan felt truly unlucky lately. First, the relationship between Fang Yuan and Zhu Zhu had become strained, and now, though they hadn't divorced, they were living apart. Not long after, her second sister wrote again, saying her eldest sister and her husband had lost their minds and that Caixia should drop out of school to care for her younger brother.
Because of this, Xu Ruyi and Xu Meili deliberately returned to their hometown, bringing Erya along with them. The three sisters had another quarrel. Xu Meili was the most ruthless. She hugged Caixia and pointed at her eldest sister and her husband, saying, "Caixia, look! These are your good father and mother. For your brother, they didn't even let you go to school. You know, your third aunt was afraid your mother would get confused, so she deliberately paid your tuition."
"Hongxia, remember this, remember it for the rest of your life. Remember the expressions on your parents' faces right now."
"If they get into trouble and come to your door begging for food, don't open the door."
Qiang Zhijie had long known that his wife's sisters were selfish and cruel, focused solely on their own well-being, regardless of their impoverished, poor old father. Now, seeing Xu Meili teaching her daughters this way, he was furious, jumping up and down and cursing as if his butt was on fire.
Xu Meili had built her career in Lin City from scratch, so she was naturally well-versed in both the art of communication and the art of handling matters. If she had wanted to resolve the matter amicably, that would have been easy, but today she had chosen to cause a scene. Eldest Sister had said it nicely then, that her children were her flesh and blood, but what about now?
Xu Meili seriously suspected her elder sister's brain had been lost along with the placenta during childbirth. Otherwise, why would she have been willing to let Hongxia drop out of school? What had she said back then? And what was she doing now?
Xu Daya hugged her son, exhausted. She wasn't determined to force her daughter to drop out of school, but her body simply couldn't take it anymore. Giving birth to her son felt noticeably different from giving birth to Hongxia. Back then, she could go to the fields the same day, and after three days of confinement, she was back working.
This time I felt uncomfortable all over, but the child was still noisy and cried whenever he was not satisfied. I wanted to ignore him, but he cried until he was suffocated. I don't know who he inherited this temper from.
Her mother-in-law and husband were willing to take care of her, though they were more talkative than physical, focusing more on the children. Her daughter, on the other hand, was thoughtful and considerate, and her presence made things much easier. Hongxia had been a huge help this summer, which was why the couple wanted to take their child out of school for a year.
Hongxia has good grades, so it’s no big deal for her to drop out of school for a year.
Xu Daya believed what the man said.
But seeing that her sisters were so determined and they even rushed back from the neighboring city for their children's education, Xu Daya felt like she had made a mistake.
Her sisters' words were harsh, but she didn't take them to heart. She asked her daughter, "Hongxia, do you want to study?"
Hongxia lowered her head and said, "Mom, didn't you tell me to study hard and get into a big city school?"
Xu Meili snorted coldly. She didn't care how her brother-in-law rantd, but asked her elder sister what she was thinking.
"Read. Hongxia has good grades. Keep studying."
Qiang Zhijie didn't dare to stop them. Although he didn't like the dominance of his aunts, he was more afraid that his wife and daughter would be led astray. Xu Meili's words just now were really horrifying. They were clearly trying to sow discord between them.
With the support of several aunts, Qiang Hongxia returned to school.
"Congcong is also going to town to study this semester. I have already rented a house. Hongxia will live with me then. Little sister, it's a good thing you're back too. I have something to discuss with you."
Xu Erya planned to start a business in town, leaving the fruit and vegetable business to the men at home. She herself planned to learn from her younger sister and sell some clothes, shoes and socks.
She knew that her sister had cooperation with several factories and could get the lowest price.
"What about the fruit business at home?"
"Your second brother-in-law can just make it for the seasonal items."
Xu Meili said slowly: "That's right, after all, my second sister is working with Boss Zhang." Boss Zhang is his biological father's adopted stepson and a well-known gangster in town.
Xu Erya hadn't expected her fifth sister to know this. She'd been hanging out with her father for so many years, largely because of her family's business partnership with Boss Zhang. In the early days, when individual businesses weren't allowed in the village, Boss Zhang had sold all the fruits and vegetables at home at high prices.
Zhang Lao Da was a big scoundrel, but he did have some skills. Xu Erya could see that people like him would definitely have a bright future.
Xu Erya was silent for a long time before saying, "Meili, you're a businessman too, so you should understand. As long as you can make money, why would you care so much? Besides, if I cooperate with him, it's a win-win situation. At least Dad is better off and won't think of going to the city to look for you."
This was true. For his youngest son's sake, the second son of the Xu family had tried several times to go to the nearby city to make trouble for money. He had gotten so much trouble from the eldest son of the Xu family over the years that he was already well versed in the art of throwing tantrums.
Xu Erya didn’t think so much at first, but later the benefits of cooperation became apparent.
At least with Boss Zhang around, Boss Xu will be more cautious in his actions.
Xu Meili remained silent after hearing this. Even without these reasons, she couldn't possibly care about how her second sister lived. She just thought about how her mother almost died, and she still felt a little resentful.
"Sis, if you buy from me, I'll naturally give you my discount. It's fine if I don't find out. If I do, our sisterly cooperation will end here."
Since then, the matter was resolved. Xu Erya went to the town to do business and get used to life.
Son, no matter how hard or tiring it is, they have to solve it by themselves.
The next day, Xu Meili and Xu Ruyi returned to the city. Qiang Zhijie hugged his son and said, "Yuanyuan, your aunts don't care about you anymore."
Xu Daya felt unhappy when she heard the man say that, but when she thought about it, it seemed to be true.
She wasn't angry, just a little upset.
After returning home, the two sisters told Xu Shanshan what happened in the village. Seeing that Hongxia could continue her studies and someone was taking care of her, Xu Shanshan felt a lot more relaxed.
Xu Ruyi admired Youyou for a while and then said, "Third sister, now everyone in the village who hasn't given birth to a son is going on guerrilla warfare. Second sister's sister-in-law, who married someone from eldest sister's village, is now also hiding away to give birth to a son. I heard that they gave away two daughters."
"This time she got pregnant again. We spent a lot of money on x-rays to check the gender of the baby, and they said it was a girl. But after the abortion, it turned out to be a boy. The family was so upset. When we left, the family was still making a fuss in the hospital."
"Eldest sister's daughter Yuanyuan used all her family savings to pay the fine in order to settle down. Otherwise, eldest sister could have spent money to find someone in the village to take care of her. I wanted to give eldest sister some money, but my younger sister refused."
Xu Meili glanced at Xu Ruyi and said, "Fourth sister, you have a lot of money, why don't you lend me some? The sock factory in Zhongjiao can't survive, and I'm planning to take over."
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.
Fang Zhiwen knew that his younger sister was a capable person, but he didn't expect that she could do such a big thing without saying a word.
"Fourth sister, you are so powerful?" Xu Ruyi was stunned.
"Thanks to my third sister for helping me."
Xu Shanshan wanted to help, but the company's funds were all used to import copper, aluminum, and other non-ferrous metals from abroad. There were many other issues involved. In recent years, domestic exports have primarily consisted of light industry and raw materials. Some regions, however, have opted to export copper, aluminum, and other non-ferrous metals at low prices to secure foreign exchange. Aunt Zhanhong had made several trips to this end, but she hadn't been able to buy them herself.
In the end, Aunt Zhanhong went to other countries to buy them, and even a batch of goods were exported and then sold domestically.
Whenever international non-ferrous metal prices drop, Aunt Zhanhong can't help but stock up.
To this end, they bought a piece of land at the port to use as a warehouse.
So while their import and export companies may earn a lot, they also spend it quickly. However, Fang Zhiwen's factory is doing well, being one of the few companies in Lin City that sells electrical appliances abroad.
However, their factory also spent money quickly, primarily on R&D. Guo Zhan was indeed impressive. He understood all the electronic technologies Fang Zhiwen had known in his previous life, and even had research and development directions. Unfortunately, the materials weren't up to par.
To this end, Fang Zhiwen spent money to invest in downstream material factories.
Back to the point, after Xu Shanshan learned that her sister was capable of opening a factory, she definitely wanted to support her. It just so happened that a Hong Kong businessman she knew was recently upgrading his industry and subcontracting the production of products like socks.
"Meili, are you taking over the factory? Or are you taking over the factory and the people?"
"Sister, I'd like to borrow some money from my brother-in-law, or even have him invest in the company. I originally wanted to invest in the sock factory and use the original team. But this time, I found that the factory has serious problems. There are more than 30 people, and they are all relatives. Even if I invested money, I wouldn't have 100% decision-making power. After thinking about it, I decided to spend some money and rebuild the team."
Fang Zhiwen and Xu Shanshan agreed with her idea. The smaller the factory, the more straightforward the interpersonal relationships.
"Okay, come to my company to find the finance department later."
Xu Ruyi quickly said, "Little sister, I also have money. I will give you whatever you need."
Xu Meili was touched, but she was genuinely anxious: "What are you giving me? Are you going to run a stall forever? I heard that the commercial housing in the new district is equipped with shops, why don't you go buy one?"
My fourth sister is good in every way except for her own plans. This time when she returned home, she secretly gave money to my second sister and hid it from me, hoping that I wouldn't know.
Fortunately, my second sister has always been a smart person and did not take the money.
Otherwise, I will definitely get angry.
Xu Ruyi herself had no ambitions, but she couldn't resist the pressure of her older sister and younger sister to push her forward. The next day, Xu Shanshan was not busy, so she and her younger sister took Xu Ruyi to the new district to look at houses.
Sales Office
The new district's houses are located right between the city center and the suburbs. Looking toward the suburbs, two kilometers away, stretches of farmland stretch out. However, the road to the city center was newly paved this year, with wide, two-way lanes. There's also a dedicated bus service from the community to the city center. Compared to the congested city center, this area feels quite spacious.
I heard that the community was designed by a foreign designer. There are fountains on both sides of the gate, and there are angel stone sculptures after entering. The overall style and interior decoration are all Western style.
Xu Ruyi felt a little timid as she looked at it. She whispered, "Sister, this is so expensive. I'm afraid I can't afford it."
"I've asked around, and there aren't many people who actually want to buy. Those who have money think it's too remote and don't want to move to the suburbs. The price this time is dozens cheaper than when it was first put on the market. You and your younger sister should each buy one, and you can bargain later." Fang Zhiwen deliberately told Xu Shanshan before coming, in an effort to get both of his sisters to buy houses.
This place only seems remote now, but once the city government moves in in two years, the housing prices will go up immediately.
In addition to the appreciation, the most important thing is that my sisters now have a house, which will make it easier for them to settle down in the future.
Therefore, Xu Meili, who was penniless, owed her fourth sister and biological mother money for buying a house.
Yes, when Zhao Xiaohe knew her daughters were planning to buy a house, she took out half of her savings. But her daughters refused to take it, and she got angry.
Employer Shengjia
Zhao Xiaohe said with a hint of pride and vanity, "Today, my three daughters went to the new district to buy a house. My youngest daughter is only twenty years old, but she started her own factory and bought a house. She worked hard all by herself."
Old Madam Sheng smiled gently and complimented her a few times before saying, "Xiao He, you're not that old yet. What are your thoughts on the future? Are you planning to remarry?"
Zhao Xiaohe quickly waved her hand and said, "I'm already old, and I don't want to get married again. Sister Sheng, I have a good life now."
Old Madam Sheng said, "I see you're quick at work and a quick learner. Your daughter must have taken after you. You're not even sixty yet, so you're not that old. You could earn money taking care of people, but I always think it's a bit of a waste. Since you're brave enough to venture out, why not try a different way of life?"
"Me? Should I be a self-employed person?" Zhao Xiaohe waved her hands quickly. She didn't have that ability.
Old Madam Sheng was puzzled. "You haven't even tried it yet, so why are you saying no? I see you're studious, down-to-earth, and have a real competitive streak." A few days ago, her children came home and kept talking about steak and steak. Zhao Xiaohe had actually spent her own money to buy beef, and based on her daughter's description, she spent a week trying to figure it out.
It was also from this incident that Mrs. Sheng felt that Zhao Xiaohe could live a better life.
Zhao Xiaohe blushed at Old Lady Sheng's praise. She had never been supported or encouraged in her life, and hearing these words now made her heart burn with passion.
"Xiaohe, my daughter wants to take me abroad. We'll leave after the New Year." Mrs. Sheng's last sentence made Zhao Xiaohe feel a little helpless.
Zhao Xiaohe was stunned for a moment. Old Lady Sheng was also reluctant to leave her country, but she wanted to be closer to her children, so she added, "What I just said is sincere. You are still young, think about it more."
In the bathroom, Zhao Xiaohe looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair, which was originally as dry as hay, had become smoother and thicker over the years. The white parts had all been dyed black, making her look younger.
In the village, turning sixty is almost the age of burial.
In the city, she was actually considered young for her age. Yes, of course she wasn't young, she was the same age as her in-laws, who had been rehired and continued to work at the school.
She went out to buy vegetables, and saw many people of her age setting up stalls on the street.
Zhao Xiaohe covered her pounding chest, thinking about the first half of her life which had been arranged by others, and suddenly she felt very unwilling.
Xu Shanshan naturally didn't know that her mother also had the idea of starting a business. She was currently applying for a visa with Zhan Hong and preparing to go abroad.
In response, Fang Zhiwen said that he wanted to go too.
"Shanshan's on business, why are you following her?" Fang Yuanzhou said speechlessly. He knew the significance of Xu Shanshan and the others' trip. If they could get it done, they could fill the gap in domestic technology. From mining to pollution treatment, they could establish a complete system.
This incident is of grave importance, affecting nearly every domestic industry. Manufacturing requires various nonferrous metals, and while domestic resources are plentiful, the technology and equipment are far behind.
Because the TV factory is developing color TVs, importing indium raw materials is more difficult than before.
Fang Yuanzhou was well aware of the importance of this overseas mission. If Zhan Hong had not found his former schoolmates, they would not even have had a chance.
"Dad, Aunt Zhanhong relies on personal connections, so things aren't guaranteed to be settled. If my son goes, we can achieve a win-win situation. Why can't I go?" Fang Zhiwen knew about the afterlife and the future direction of technology better than anyone else. He privately believed that he was still quite useful.
Xu Shanshan also knew Fang Zhiwen's background, so she said, "Dad, let Zhiwen go with you."
Fang Yuanzhou did not refuse his daughter-in-law's request. However, before leaving, he repeatedly reminded his son, "Zhiwen, protect your Aunt Hong and Shanshan when you go out. If you encounter any trouble, go find this person."
Fang Zhiwen was surprised and said, "Dad, you hid it well enough. Do you have connections abroad?"
Fang Yuanzhou's expression suddenly became indescribable. After a long while, he said, "Your father is my defeated opponent. Anyway, don't bother him unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Dad, you're amazing. You even have your love rival's contact information?"
Fang Yuanzhou didn't bother to care for his son. Zhiwen had been born well, but he had no idea of the turbulent years of his youth. Shuya was bright, independent, and well-educated, a school sensation back then. If it weren't for the friendship and gratitude he'd received from their childhood sweethearts, he might not have been able to compare to others.
Seeing his father reminiscing about the past, Fang Zhiwen couldn't help but whisper, "My mother chose you, be happy."
Fang Yuanzhou smiled, then couldn't help but slapped his son on the head, saying unhappily, "You're disrespectful. Alright, be careful outside."
Fang Zhiwen and Xu Shanshan boarded a plane to go abroad, and Xu Ruyi and Xu Meili also bought their own house. The two sisters were not in a hurry to move in, but waited for their third sister and brother-in-law to come back for a housewarming drink.
The two sisters bought shops next door to each other, and Xu Ruyi also booked a shop with a side entrance. Zhao Xiaohe accompanied her daughters to look around the shop, and she couldn't help but choke up and said, "I never thought I would live like this in my life."
The moment she saw the house, Zhao Xiaohe felt a special sense of security. It was as if her family had truly taken root in Linshi.
From now on, she no longer has to worry about her daughter being kicked out of the house like her.
This is the children's own house, and no one has the right to kick them out.
And this huge change was all due to my daughter Shanshan.
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