"Grandpa Chen, could you please put in a good word with the person in charge of Friendship Store? I'd like to sell whitening cream."
"Whitening cream?" A rare look of surprise appeared in Chen Zerui's wise eyes. "Everyone's struggling to make ends meet these days, where would they get the spare money to buy this wasteful stuff?"
His tone was full of disapproval.
“Why not?” Su Wantang said matter-of-factly, “I’ve been making 300 yuan a month from whitening cream since I opened the shop.”
"Huh? You said too much—"
Over the phone, Su Wantang heard a sharp, piercing sound as a wooden chair hit the ground, and she moved the receiver further away from her eardrums.
He raised his voice slightly: "Grandpa Chen, you're getting on in years, calm down and don't be rash."
Chen Ze's facial muscles twitched twice, shifting between surprise, anger, and doubt like a palette of colors: "...Really?"
Even taking two deep breaths couldn't suppress the tremor in Chen Ze's voice.
Su Wantang blinked and said playfully, "It's fake."
Chen Ze smiled helplessly: "Girl, don't be naughty. Grandpa is old and can't take a scare."
"Grandpa Chen, I sell this old whitening cream for 5 yuan a box. After using it for half a month, you will gradually see changes. I'm tentatively setting the price of this new whitening cream at no less than 50 yuan. You will see obvious changes after using it for three days."
Chen Ze keenly sensed the difference: "You mean, you made 300 yuan a month using the old version of the whitening cream?"
"yes."
According to his agreement with the little girl, half of the 300 yuan belonged to him...
He knew in his heart how big the little girl's pharmacy was; it couldn't compare to the Friendship Store.
Chen Ze placed his hand on his chest, feeling the surge of energy in his palm. After a while, he said in a deep voice, "Okay, I'll have Secretary Zhou put in a word with him in a bit."
After calming down, Chen Ze's mind started working again: "Isn't 50 yuan a bit too high? Tang girl, I think it would be better to sell more at a lower profit margin."
Su Wantang knew what Chen Ze was worried about, and explained, "Grandpa Chen, I plan to handle both the low-end and high-end markets. The Friendship Store has foreign friends who are not short of money. If possible, we might as well try to expand the business..."
She stopped there, but Chen Ze's thoughts didn't stop. His heart was surging, like a secluded temple in the mountains striking a long-silent bell, the sound resounding loudly.
But in just a few moments, Chen Ze returned to normal.
"Go ahead and do it boldly; I'll make sure they cooperate fully."
"Thank you, Grandpa Chen."
Chen Ze reminded her, "Tang girl, remember, you have to take things one step at a time."
"good."
—
“Old Zhang, we’ve been away for several years now, and we’ve accomplished quite a bit. Shouldn’t we go back?” Gu Nanzhi handed over the surgical report she had written yesterday, carefully examining the elderly man with gray hair who was only forty-one years old.
He frowned, his eyes darted around, his gaze shifting from the surgical report, his tone heavy with displeasure.
"Go back? The international situation is still relatively clear; it's the perfect time for us to learn from their experience!"
“If you can’t stay here any longer, I will call home and send you back.”
Being deported back to China or returning home after completing studies are both ways of returning home, but are they the same?
Gu Nanzhi never expected that Zhang Guodong would react so strongly to her casual remark, even suggesting that she be sent back to China.
Composing herself and suppressing the tremor in her heart, Gu Nanzhi said, "Old Zhang, you've misunderstood me... That's not what I meant."
With tears welling up in her eyes, she said with a wronged expression, "It's...it's because my sister told me that Aunt Lin's condition has worsened again, and I'm a little worried."
Lin Xiang, Zhang Guodong's first wife, the two were childhood sweethearts and betrothed since they were little.
Lin Xiang was a well-bred young lady, and he was a doctor who had studied abroad.
Later, due to the turbulent times, he joined the army and became a military doctor, spending most of his time traveling around. This time, he was ordered to come for two reasons: first, the country needed talent in various fields for development, and second, it was also for Lin Xiang's illness.
After years of hard work and frugal living, she developed tuberculosis.
Zhang Guodong looked away, his fingertips trembling slightly as he held the white paper.
He seems... never to have been a good husband.
She always noticed her unusual behavior later than outsiders.
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again; there was no longer a trace of emotion in Zhang Guodong's eyes.
His tone was almost ruthless: "You don't need to worry about this. Focus on your studies."
"Yes, Mr. Zhang."
Zhang Guodong's gaze returned to the surgical report, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Your perspective is quite unique. I heard Dr. Charles mention that they've been experimenting with craniotomy and have even developed a CT (computed tomography) medical device that can supposedly see clear images inside the brain..."
As he spoke, his voice suddenly weakened.
"Given our status, we have no access to these things..."
A long sigh, carrying a sense of helplessness that seemed to span centuries.
While they were still growing long braids, other places had already built underground roads.
The foreigners said that it was called a 'subway,' and that it ran really fast. Its rumbling sound was like a dark, oppressive sky, making it hard to breathe.
Gu Nanzhi's eyes darted around.
That Dr. Charles has been very kind to her; if only she could get her hands on a CT scanner…
Even after returning to China, she remains the most prominent figure.
"You can leave now," Zhang Guodong said calmly.
Gu Nanzhi turned and left.
Bang! The door slammed shut. The old man, who had appeared perfectly normal, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes. He opened the gold pocket watch he had hidden close to his chest. The young girl was gentle and graceful, with smiling eyes and a tender, affectionate demeanor.
In the end, I pledged myself to the country, but I failed you.
He opened the drawer, took out a piece of letter paper, and spread it out. Every stroke of his pen was filled with unyielding and indescribable sorrow.
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