Chapter 45
For two consecutive days, the Zheng family villa was surprisingly quiet.
During this time, Guan Ying called Manager Zhao and learned that his Shanghai trip wasn't going well. Zhao's lack of technical expertise was predictable. Now that Uncle Zheng had signed the contract with the district government, the purchase of the fine desulfurization equipment became the top priority, and the pressure on Zhao suddenly increased. Guan Ying couldn't bring herself to repeat her earlier words of dissuading him from pursuing the project, so she comforted Zhao and encouraged him to do his best.
Uncle Zheng has never been good at socializing, but in recent days he has been going in and out between the district government and banks and financial institutions, and he is always drunk when he comes home every night.
Uncle Zheng, known for his ability to hold his liquor, was staggering, demonstrating his lack of tact and tact in social situations, and lacking a capable and resourceful assistant. Aunt Zheng worried about both her son and her husband, knowing they were still battling each other. She dared not take sides, but she couldn't let either side off, so she held onto her anxiety, simmering down on her own, hoping for a quick resolution.
Amidst the chaos, Guan Ying took care of Aunt Zheng while also starting to contact her for studying abroad.
On Thursday, before Uncle Zheng changed his shoes and went out, his cell phone rang on the table by the door. When Aunt Zheng picked it up for him, she saw the caller ID and said nervously, "It's my son."
Uncle Zheng took his time picking up a pair of shoes, letting his cell phone keep ringing in Aunt Zheng's hand.
Ever since that dinner in the courtyard, Aunt Zheng seemed to have lost her spirit and was a completely different person at home. Normally, if Uncle Zheng didn't want to answer the phone, Aunt Zheng would either hang up for him or answer it immediately, never waiting nervously by his side.
Guan Ying followed him out, glanced at the awkward expressions of the two people in the porch, and took the phone from Aunt Zheng.
"Dad!" Zheng Juyong was waiting anxiously on the other side.
"It's me."
"Oh...you're still at my house, where's my dad?"
Guan Ying looked at Uncle Zheng, who was still bending over to pick out shoes. Knowing that he was listening, she replied to Zheng Juyong, "Uncle Zheng is busy right now. Tell me and I'll pass it on to him."
Aunt Zheng was beside him and took a step closer.
"The results of Fenghua Technology's assessment are out. Because the financial risk factor for Southern Steel is too high, they've decided to send a technical team to Jingxi for an on-site inspection. They'll leave at noon today. Engineer Li will be leading them, and they'll arrive around evening. Please tell my dad and have him arrange for someone from the factory to receive them."
Guan Ying was a little surprised and asked, "Financial risk... So, Manager Xu messed up? Aren't they determined to win?"
"It's not that they messed up... Let's talk about it when I get back." Zheng Juyong's tone on the other side sounded a little strange.
Guan Ying glanced at Aunt Zheng and asked into the phone, "What about you? When will you be back?"
"I'm flying to Yunnan tonight... Tomorrow night, Qiao Qi and I will pick up her parents and go back to Jingxi. Um... can you ask my dad for me about the engagement party this weekend..." He wasn't asking. Since he was going to pick up Qiao Qi's parents, it was equivalent to notifying the family to prepare as soon as possible.
Zheng Dongfang picked up a pair of leather shoes from the shoe rack and slammed them to the floor. Aunt Zheng took a step back, turned around silently, and went to lie down on the sofa in the living room.
Who could have predicted that amidst the quarrel between father and son, Zheng Juyong would actually turn the tide? Guan Ying glanced at Uncle Zheng's expression and said thoughtfully into the phone, "Oh... What standards do you plan to follow in preparing for you?"
"Qiao Qi should keep a low profile. His parents won't be a bother. We can just have a meal together. Oh, and prepare two extra seats. Qiao Qi and I will each invite a witness."
"Yeah." After hanging up the phone, Guan Ying returned the phone to Uncle Zheng.
"He really got lucky!" Uncle Zheng angrily caught the phone, thinking back to when his son arrived in Shenzhen and was abducted by people from Southern Steel to the Dameisha Hotel. He had been mistreated for several days and thought he would be too embarrassed to come back. He never thought his son could get such a big bargain in the end. What else could he say? Just leave it to fate!
Guan Ying roughly thought so. How could she have predicted that the duck that Manager Xu had secured would fly away? Thinking of Manager Zhao who was still in trouble in Shanghai at this time, she said, "Uncle Zheng, why don't you call Manager Zhao back? With Engineer Li and Manager Zhao working together, there's no doubt they won't be able to take over Fenghua's technical team."
Zheng Dongfang nodded and turned to look at his wife on the sofa.
"I'm here." Guan Ying comforted.
Zheng Dongfang turned towards the sofa and sighed, "Oh, let's be more open-minded. It won't last longer than Sunday. This is our fate."
There was no movement on the sofa.
......
Early on Friday morning, Guan Ying took the initiative to avoid suspicion, packed up all the daily necessities that she had left in the Zheng family villa since she was a child, and moved out of the Zheng family villa.
Aunt Zheng stayed in her room, unwilling to come out and face the situation; Aunt Lin sighed and helped out, unable to stop them.
Unexpectedly, on Saturday afternoon, Uncle Zheng called Old Guan and invited Guan Xiong and his family to the engagement party on Sunday. Old Guan immediately agreed, figuring that no matter how much he and Uncle Zheng had argued over Xicheng Steel, he still had to put aside his differences and go openly to congratulate them on such a major event. He even assumed that the Zheng family had booked the hotel banquet hall, so it was perfectly normal for the whole family to attend. It wasn't until he returned home that evening and heard Guan Ying explain that the engagement party wasn't a grand affair, but rather a family dinner for the Qiao and Zheng families' parents in a small private room that he realized something was amiss.
"Oh, what did your Uncle Zheng do?!" Old Guan regretted it deeply.
Mrs. Guan asked in surprise, "Why don't you ask clearly?"
"How can I ask that? It's so hard for Old Zheng to open his mouth. Don't you know he's thin-skinned? If I ask too much, he'll think I don't want to go. Don't I have to agree to it right away? Isn't his wife a little star? How could I have known he would keep this so low-key?"
Mrs. Guan thought for a moment and said, "Many celebrities are secretly married nowadays. Maybe it's because of this."
The old manager disagreed: "Nonsense! She's not a big shot, so how could Xicheng Steel not be worthy of her? The entertainment industry is a mess, and marrying a small star into the Zheng family is considered marrying into a wealthy family. Isn't it worth making a big fuss? Doing it secretly, as if looking down on someone, I think there's something fishy going on!"
Mrs. Guan laughed and said, "Look at you. You said the Zheng family's son was so worthless, and now you praise him so highly that even celebrities are not worthy of him? Why do you have the final say?"
Lao Guan: "It's different. That little bastard is indeed not a good match for our daughter, but tell me, why is he so determined to fall for such a vase-like little star? I feel sorry for Old Zheng! The boy who was raised by Old Zheng is also a good character among the second generation of Beijing West. The disadvantage is that he was not taught enough about love. The boy's vision of women is really poor!"
Mrs. Guan glanced at her daughter's face and pushed Old Guan.
Guan Ying curled her lips and said, "You think your daughter is doing well, but Qiao Qi's parents also think their daughter is marrying down. Stop saying that! Lao Guan, please call my uncle Zheng and tell him that our family should not go tomorrow."
Old Guan looked at his daughter, his heart filled with regret. After careful consideration, he made a serious decision: "Go! Your Uncle Zheng isn't shy about it, so why should our family hide? The Guan and Zheng families have been connected for decades. Even if we have to sever our ties, we can't do it so hastily. Let's take this opportunity to sit down together and talk it out!"
Mrs. Guan said worriedly, "You're being stubborn again, aren't you? It's the Zheng family's big day, why are you bringing up all that? Listen to my daughter, let's not go."
But Old Guan had made up his mind: "It's too late to say no now! Putting aside other things, the Zheng family has raised our daughter for five years. She is half a daughter of the Zheng family, right? She should go if she can!" He then instructed Guan Ying: "Tomorrow, you must dress beautifully and go!"
Mrs. Guan was helpless and said no more.
This engagement banquet was forced upon the family by Zheng Juyong, and Uncle Zheng and Aunt Zheng were naturally unhappy about it. Uncle Zheng had come to invite Old Guan, partly because he felt he had broken the agreement with Old Guan and his wife, and partly out of consideration for Guan Ying's feelings.
Guan Ying had taken the initiative to move out of the Zheng family because she was a decisive person. Rather than embarrass her elders, who didn't know how to speak to her, she decided to be more self-aware. Her decisiveness was indeed considerate, but it also made the Zheng elders feel guilty. If she didn't go tomorrow, her uncle and aunt would probably misunderstand that she had been wronged. Instead, she happily went to offer congratulations, fulfilling their uncle and aunt's wishes and making them feel better.
At noon on Sunday, the appearance of the old Guan family did surprise Zheng Juyong and Qiao Qi. They were obviously not notified in advance by Uncle Zheng and Aunt Zheng.
Qiao Qi's parents had traveled all the way from the south and were treated as honored guests. They looked to be in their early fifties, much younger than the four parents of the Guan and Zheng families. Although their Mandarin wasn't perfect, they were still chatting and laughing. Qiao Qi's mother was also very pleased with her future son-in-law, Zheng Juyong, holding his hand tightly and praising him endlessly.
Zheng Dongfang and his wife enthusiastically introduced the Guan family. Although Qiao Qi's parents were not in business, they saw that the Guan family was very impressive. They also understood that since they had been the most important business partners of their in-laws for decades, they would definitely support the young couple in the future, so they were not shy with the Guan family.
After some greetings, the families finally sat down again.
It was then that Guan Ying finally caught sight of the two guests sitting across from her. She couldn't help but wonder, "Why is one of these witnesses Zhang Rong, the owner of Fangxiang Restaurant and Vice President of Lido Group? She must have been invited by Zheng Juyong. Then, the equally impressive middle-aged man next to her must have been invited by Qiao Qi. Who is he?"
The sight of these two guests sitting together was truly impressive! Although the Guan and Zheng families controlled the West City Steel industry, their elders were considered influential figures in western Beijing, and they were all dressed to impress, but compared to the two guests across from them, they seemed to lack a certain amount of grandeur, appearing rather condescending.
While the other families were chatting, the two guests sat quietly in their seats, not participating. Once everyone was seated, Zhang Rong smiled and nodded at Guan Ying from across the table. Guan Ying immediately leaned forward and returned the greeting, also greeting the man next to her. The man just smiled.
"That's Mr. Qian, Qiao Qi's mentor and mentor. Mr. Qian is also from western Beijing, and it's thanks to Qiao Qi that I have the opportunity to meet him." Zheng Dongfang introduced him to Guan Xiong beside him. Old Guan was a man of the moment, so he stood up and exchanged a few polite words with Mr. Qian on behalf of his family. Mr. Qian became more lively when he saw such a smart guy.
Guan Ying made a rough guess based on the tone of the voice. It turned out that this person was Qian Shaowei, the famous music producer behind "Kung Fu Teahouse"!
"The person next to you is Mr. Zhang. He helped Juyong a lot in Guangzhou this time. He can be considered a benefactor of our Xicheng Steel!" Uncle Zheng introduced Zhang Rong to Lao Guan in this way, but Guan Ying was a little confused.
The old manager didn't understand what was going on and just greeted them warmly.
Uncle Zheng made many insincere remarks during the banquet, then drank a considerable amount of wine. He relied on the steward to fill in any gaps in his care for his in-laws and guests. Although his illness prevented him from drinking, he persuaded others to drink, especially getting Qiao Qi's father drunk. Mrs. Guan, worried that he would overshadow the guests, kept trying to stop him, but Uncle Guan ignored her and continued to act recklessly.
Mrs. Zheng had a stern face throughout the entire meeting, only forcing a small smile when Qiao Qi came over to toast. She also pushed all the gifts and red envelopes to Zheng Dongfang to socialize, which made Qiao Qi's mother see her expression.
In the middle of the banquet, Guan Ying went out to get some fresh air.
Qiao Qi noticed her and followed her out. He no longer called her "Sister Guan Guan" as enthusiastically as he had at the banquet. Instead, he stopped calling her by name and said straight to the point, "What are you and your family doing here today? Look at your dad. He didn't drink a single sip, but he's trying to get my dad drunk. What's going on?"
There was hostility in his words, but Old Guan was his biological father after all, and everyone could see that he was unhappy today. Guan Ying could only laugh and smooth things over: "Haha, of course I'm here to congratulate you. I see Uncle Qiao can drink a lot and he's having a great time. Isn't Uncle Zheng drinking with him too, haha."
Qiao Qi glanced at the door behind her, and seeing no one following her out, she spoke without hesitation: "I heard that you also went to Guangzhou a few days ago? And you were hanging out with Ju Yong? You knew he went to Guangzhou for me, but you still went after him so hard. Don't you think you are so despicable and pathetic? Please be more careful in the future!"
She hadn't expected Qiao Qi to become so sharp and blunt once she got engaged. After a moment of shock, Guan Ying didn't want to seriously argue with her and could only continue laughing. "Haha, you're already pregnant and engaged, so why are you still so afraid that I'll steal your husband?"
Her cheerful attitude only made Qiao Qi even more upset. He raised his hands to rub his forehead and eyebrows, lowering his brows and saying silently, "Am I afraid of you? I'm warning you to stay away from Juyong in the future."
Guan Ying instantly glanced at the silver chain on her wrist again, and something flashed through her mind.
Earlier at the banquet, after Uncle Zheng had presented the gold gifts, Qiao's mother held her daughter's hand and put one of the gold bracelets on Qiao Qi's finger. She casually said, "Today is such an important day, and a gift from your in-laws would be the most glorious. Why are you still wearing so many messy jewels?"
This wasn't unusual at all. It just so happened that when Qiao Qi was taking the chains off her wrists, her father was there to help. Perhaps he'd been a bit drunk, so he examined each chain in detail. Then, laughing, he complained about his daughter's taste: "Young people these days wear a whole bunch of jingling jewelry, but none of it is actually worth anything. Our Qiao Qi is really something. She only knows how to make money, not how to spend it! When you get married, you'll realize there's nothing worth gold!"
It sounded as if he didn't recognize the silver chain he gave to Qiao Qi at all.
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