Chapter 36
Her scream was a bit loud, and Hu Zhenzhen heard it too. She glanced over curiously and saw two little girls, their faces flushed, hugging each other head to head, not knowing what they were doing.
Ah... this action, could it be that they're dating?
Young girls in love are indeed prone to making such surprised screams.
Hu Zhenzhen lowered her head and couldn't help but sigh to herself.
Young people these days are so passionate when they fall in love.
Just a few seconds after she started thinking this, Hu Zhenzhen was stopped by the little girl she had just seen.
"Excuse me, are you Ms. Hu Zhenzhen?"
"Ah, yes."
Upon hearing her admit it, the little girl screamed again in front of Hu Zhenzhen, her face turning bright red.
"Excuse me, this is my first time meeting a celebrity, I'm a little too excited. Ms. Hu, may we take a picture with you?"
This was the first time Hu Zhenzhen had heard someone make this request. She hesitated for a moment before agreeing, "Okay."
The little girl didn't expect her to agree so quickly, so she quickly pulled her best friend, who was standing blankly to the side, over, and they surrounded Hu Zhenzhen on the left and right.
Chen Kai, standing behind him, was a little nervous, since he was the only one accompanying the boss.
In case these two people have ulterior motives and want to harm Hu Zhenzhen, he needs to pull them apart immediately.
Chen Kai didn't even dare to blink, staring at the two people taking a photo with Hu Zhenzhen.
After taking the photos, Hu Zhenzhen subconsciously said, "I wish you happiness," leaving the two girls completely bewildered.
I wish you happiness too.
The little girl answered like that, but her face still showed confusion.
Hu Zhenzhen immediately realized that she had misunderstood. She awkwardly gripped the ground with her toes, smiled, and waved goodbye to the two of them.
"So you're Mrs. Zhenzhen?"
The sound that suddenly came from the side diverted Hu Zhenzhen's attention.
She turned her head and saw it was the auntie selling fried noodles.
Chen Kai also recognized the aunt.
Aunt Li was very excited. She lives on Xijingmen Street and usually comes here to set up a night market to sell snacks to make a living.
Hu Zhenzhen is very famous on Xijingmen Street. Although the hospital has not officially opened yet, the doctors she hired provide free medical consultations at the hospital entrance every day, and almost everyone on Xijingmen Street praises her.
Aunt Li went there to get her finger bandaged when she injured it last time.
She had long been interested in this Mr. Hu, and she was thrilled to finally meet him in person today.
Can I take a picture too?
Aunt Li rubbed her hands on her apron in front of her, looking very nervous. "I want to post something on my WeChat Moments."
"Of course," Hu Zhenzhen glanced at the freshly fried starch sausages and reluctantly handed them to Chen Kai first.
Aunt Li excitedly came over, quickly took off her apron, patted her clothes, and then stood next to Hu Zhenzhen.
Older people are not very proficient with mobile phones and only use the most basic camera functions for taking pictures.
Fortunately, Hu Zhenzhen is well-maintained and has fair skin, which allows her to withstand harsh lighting and the harshness of the camera, resulting in decent photos.
"I never expected to meet you here. I live on Xijingmen Street. Thank you so much for the hospital help."
Aunt Li wanted to shake hands with her, but her hands were covered in oil from the fried noodles, so she gave up after a moment's thought.
"I heard that Xijingmen Street is all yours, and you haven't raised the rent for so many years. There is no more compassionate businessman in the world than Madam Zhenzhen."
Hu Zhenzhen felt a little embarrassed by her praise.
"No, I'm just an ordinary person."
Aunt Li wanted to talk to her a bit more, so she enthusiastically offered Hu Zhenzhen a serving of fried noodles.
Hu Zhenzhen watched as she deftly tossed the ingredients in, and couldn't say no. She could only tell Chen Kai to quickly scan the code and pay.
"Don't let the old appearance of my fried noodle stall fool you, I keep it very clean. I've been doing this for 10 years, and all the customers who come here are regulars. They all say the fried noodles are delicious."
Aunt Li had a warm smile on her face, which was very infectious.
"I guarantee you'll want to eat it once and then want to eat it again. Who knows, you might even come back to me specifically to buy it from me in the future."
When this was mentioned, Aunt Li immediately thought of moving her stall, and the smile on her face disappeared.
"However, this place has been bought, and we will be moving away soon. If you want to eat here next time, you can just go to Xijingmen Street to find me."
After saying that, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"I don't know who bought the unfinished building, leaving us small vendors with nowhere to do business."
Hu Zhenzhen awkwardly touched her ear.
"Actually, I bought the building behind it."
Aunt Li was stunned for a moment, and didn't react for a long time.
"You bought it, what do you need this building for?"
She was genuinely puzzled. After all, Hu Zhenzhen had become quite famous recently. She was so rich and had so many businesses, so why would she need to buy an unfinished building?
Aunt Li had a very good impression of Hu Zhenzhen, and when she learned that Hu Zhenzhen was the buyer, she didn't utter a single complaint from before.
But the owners of fried food stalls are different.
He had no idea who Hu Zhenzhen was, and when he heard that she was the buyer, he immediately became anxious.
"No, young lady, you have so much money, why did you have to buy this unfinished building? Aren't you just driving us to the brink of despair?"
He said some unpleasant things, and Aunt Li's attitude changed immediately after hearing it.
“How can you call it being forced into a corner? If we set up a stall in another place, it would only cost us a few hundred yuan in stall fees. We should have paid that money anyway. We’ve already benefited from hiding in this unfinished building for so long. How can you blame Mrs. Zhenzhen?”
The fried food vendor was stunned by her sudden change of expression.
“That’s not what you said earlier. All the places where we can set up stalls have been taken. Now you’re suddenly kicking us out. Where are we supposed to set up stalls? We won’t make any money. Aren’t we just going to starve to death?”
His attitude was somewhat agitated, and Chen Kai silently stepped forward, standing between the stall owner and Hu Zhenzhen.
“You’ve misunderstood,” Hu Zhenzhen peeked out from behind Chen Kai. “I didn’t mean to drive you away.”
The commotion was so loud that nearby stall owners noticed it, and a crowd gradually gathered around.
Seeing this, Chen Kai quickly swiped his phone and sent a message to Liu An.
[Emergency support needed at the site of the unfinished building.]
Hu Zhenzhen wasn't worried about her safety.
Because she never intended to make things difficult for the stall owners.
After listening to Chen Kai's idea yesterday, Hu Zhenzhen thought it was feasible and took into account the livelihood of these small stall owners.
"Let's talk about this properly."
"Have you ever thought about having a fixed stall so you don't have to push your cart back and forth every day?"
Everyone has probably thought about opening their own small shop after their business grows big, so they don't have to be exposed to the elements or hide from city management officials, and can do their business openly and honestly.
But for roadside stalls, achieving that level is too difficult.
"I can give you a chance to have a stall like this now."
Hu Zhenzhen spoke up.
The fried food vendor didn't refute the argument with the same emotional outburst as before, but his eyes still held a hint of suspicion.
“We don’t have that much money to rent a stall. If we had that money, I would have set up a stall long ago.”
Although his words were unpleasant, he still meant that he wanted a stall.
Hu Zhenzhen could tell.
She smiled faintly, "What if the stalls were free?"
"How is that possible?"
The owner of the fried food stall subconsciously denied Hu Zhenzhen's words, and only after a few seconds did he realize what she was talking about.
"You're going to give us free booths?"
These words immediately caused trouble.
Hu Zhenzhen naturally couldn't agree with him.
"It's not that we're giving you free booths; to be precise, it's that we're borrowing them."
A group of people surrounded Hu Zhenzhen, all falling silent and waiting for her to continue.
"This place will become a food court in the future, and the first floor will be entirely converted into small stalls and rented to people who want to do small business."
"I want to turn this place into the best food court in S City, so even small stalls have to pass a test to stay here."
The fried food vendor seemed to understand, yet also didn't.
He anxiously interrupted, asking, "Didn't you say it was free? What kind of test are you going to put on now?"
This time, without Hu Zhenzhen speaking, someone who was also a stall owner spoke up to stop him.
"Why don't you listen to what the boss has to say first? You don't want to stay here, but we do!"
The fried food vendor shut up reluctantly after being yelled at.
Hu Zhenzhen then continued, "Once this building is completed, everyone will have the opportunity to receive a free stall for one quarter."
"After one quarter, merchants with many negative reviews will be eliminated, while those with many positive reviews will remain."
This is equivalent to putting everyone on a level playing field, letting them compete with each other to become better.
But not everyone enjoys competition.
Some people immediately backed out, complaining inwardly.
"Originally, I was working for myself, but now that I've pulled this stunt, I still have to pay rent and work for her, right?"
The person speaking didn't speak loudly, but several people around heard him.
Hu Zhenzhen hadn't finished speaking when he interrupted her, which gave her a perfect opportunity to continue her story.
"I'm not working for me; I'm giving everyone a chance to realize their dreams."
This sounds hypocritical and empty.
Boos immediately erupted from the crowd.
Hu Zhenzhen maintained her smile and completely ignored the comments.
"Businesses that remain will receive rent reductions."
After saying that, she looked around and said, "Well then, the deadline is one week. Starting tomorrow, those who are willing, please come here to register."
After he finished speaking, Liu An and the others arrived and squeezed through the crowd to stand guard beside Hu Zhenzhen.
Hu Zhenzhen had made herself clear enough, and there was no point in staying any longer. She left with Liu An and the others clearing the way.
The stall owners watched her leave, exchanged glances, and were at a loss for what to do.
"Could she be telling the truth? Does she think that if you do well in this food court, you'll get a rent reduction?"
Some people are getting restless.
"I think it's mostly unreliable. They didn't say how much the rent would be reduced. What if it's just a reduction of 50 yuan? That's no different from not reducing it at all."
Some people are losing their will to live.
Aunt Li remained silent throughout the crowd.
It wasn't until the fried food vendor called out to her, "Aunt Li, don't you know that female boss? What do you think?"
"How I see it—"
Aunt Li turned her head and glanced at the unfinished building that hadn't even been started yet. "I'll look at it with my own eyes."
The vendor selling fried skewers retorted with a harsh retort.
"Can't you speak properly? Everyone's discussing this; we're all in the same boat. Can't we offer each other some advice?"
Aunt Li ignored his accusations.
"I don't care about you guys, I'm definitely coming to register tomorrow."
After saying that, she went back to her stall to pack up her things.
"Hey! How could you be like this!"
It was getting late, and there weren't many customers on the street, so it was time to pack up and close up shop.
However, these vendors always try to earn as much as possible and are reluctant to close up shop so early. Aunt Li usually doesn't close up shop this early either.
Seeing that she was about to leave, several stall owners living on Xijingmen Street exchanged glances and went to their stalls to pack up.
"Why are you all leaving?"
The fried food vendor then realized something was wrong, "You all trust that woman so much?"
Aunt Li ignored him completely, pedaled her tricycle home with the stall behind her.
However, one of the remaining people was kind enough to speak to him.
"Of course we believe her. She's Hu Zhenzhen. No one on Xijingmen Street would disbelieve her."
While this statement may be somewhat exaggerated, it represents the thoughts of most residents of Xijingmen.
Hu Zhenzhen was very special to them.
She is a landlord who never raises rent throughout the year, a kind person who provides new hospitals and lowers drug prices, and a boss who provides jobs for them.
Perhaps some people on Xijingmen Street don't like her, but no one dislikes her.
Since Hu Zhenzhen said that she would reduce the rent after the test was passed.
Then she will definitely do it.
This is the trust she has built up on Xijingmen Street.
All the stall owners living near Xijingmen have left. According to them, they all need to come back tomorrow to sign up and register.
This made the remaining people even more hesitant.
There are only so many stalls in total. Although Ms. Hu said that everyone should have a chance, those who arrive first will always have the opportunity to choose first.
If you hesitate and miss the opportunity to grab a good stall, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
Some people think more realistically.
Since Hu Zhenzhen said the first quarter would be free, I might as well try it for three months. I'll just treat it as borrowing a free place to do business and save on rent.
There are quite a few people who think this way.
More and more people are leaving.
Soon, only the fried food vendor and a few other vendors who were undecided remained.
"There's really nothing to say to this group of people. They can't even properly discuss the future of this relationship."
He complained a couple of times, but deep down he didn't believe Hu Zhenzhen.
"Forget it, I'll find a place to set up a stall myself tomorrow. I'll rely on my skills to earn money for food."
That's quite a boastful statement for a street vendor.
The others didn't say anything, but offered him a few words of encouragement.
After the fried food vendor left, the others quietly discussed whether or not to sign up for tomorrow's event.
When she got home, Hu Zhenzhen handed the matter over to Liu An.
The journey took a while, and the fried noodles and fried sausages weren't as hot anymore.
Fortunately, it's still summer, so the food cools down slowly and is still warm, so it doesn't need to be reheated.
As soon as Hu Zhenzhen returned, Jiang Chen, who was playing with models in the hall, excitedly looked up and ran to her side.
It's not because of anything else.
Hu Zhenzhen told Jiang Chen before she left that she would buy him fried sausages. The child was looking forward to her coming home.
After picking Jiang Chen up from school tonight, Hu Zhenzhen and Chen Kai casually mentioned the roadside stalls.
From that time on, Jiang Chen began to look at it with great interest.
This kind of greasy and unhealthy stuff is easy for kids to like, and it really is unhealthy.
Hu Zhenzhen herself was craving something, and noticing Xiao Chen's gaze, she immediately realized that he also wanted to eat.
"Xiao Chen, would you like some fried sausage?"
The child's eyes sparkled, and he nodded emphatically.
"Is the fried sausage delicious, Mom?"
Hu Zhenzhen then realized that he had never eaten at this kind of roadside stall before.
An 8-year-old child is neither too old nor too young. Elementary school is the time when he loves to eat snacks the most, yet Jiang Chen has never eaten fried skewers, a kind of street food.
She only said one sentence, "Xiao Chen will know once he tries it."
The Jiang family probably didn't give him pocket money before, Hu Zhenzhen belatedly realized.
What should a child do if they get hungry at school when they have no pocket money?
Hu Zhenzhen didn't know how Jiang Chen had gotten by before. He seemed to have developed a certain habit, and he never squandered the pocket money Hu Zhenzhen gave him.
He's so young, yet he already knows how to save money.
This is simply unacceptable—
Hu Zhenzhen turned around and went out to buy fried skewers, cursing Jiang Lin hundreds of times in her heart.
Even though she had been sent to prison, Hu Zhenzhen was still angry when she thought about what she had done before.
This anger transformed into affection for Jiang Chen after he left the house.
Hu Zhenzhen's mood improved only after she returned with fried noodles and fried sausages.
Although it's not good to eat junk food with my son, the aroma of deep-fried starch sausages brought us a brief moment of happiness.
Since Jiang Chen has never eaten starch sausage, he must also have never eaten any other variety of breakfasts.
After moving to the Woshan Villa, the nanny made nutritious breakfasts, which were quite delicious.
But if you've never even tried anything from outside, won't you be surprised by everything you eat in the future?
"Xiao Chen, how about Mommy takes you out for pancakes tomorrow morning?"
Jiang Chen often saw his classmates eating this, so he nodded and said, "Okay."
He was a beat slow to realize that Tong Shuai would often wait for him at the school gate and then say some nonsensical things on the way to the classroom.
Jiang Chen didn't want her mother to see Tong Shuai.
He knew those words would definitely anger her.
Jiang Chen didn't want to upset his mother.
His little face was scrunched up in a frown, and Hu Zhenzhen couldn't help but pinch his white, round face.
"Mother!"
Only after Jiang Chen protested did Hu Zhenzhen release her grip with satisfaction.
Jiang Chen had been cared for by her for several months and had changed from a malnourished child. His cheeks had finally gained some flesh, and he even had some of the baby fat that is typical of children.
The more Hu Zhenzhen looked at it, the cuter it seemed, and she couldn't resist giving it a squeeze.
With this interruption, Jiang Chen forgot about the matter concerning Commander Tong.
The next morning, as he sat in his car, holding a steaming hot jianbing (Chinese crepe), he remembered this incident.
However, it was too late.
His mother sat next to him. Jiang Chen turned his head to look at the school gate, where Tong Shuai was waiting, obviously squatting down to see him.
The car is parked safely.
Hu Zhenzhen inserted a straw into the milk and handed it to Jiang Chen, saying, "Eat it in the car before going to class."
Since it's still early, it's best to eat pancakes while they're hot.
Jiang Chen was worried about Tong Shuai, but when he heard Hu Zhenzhen's words, he suddenly understood. Tong Shuai couldn't wait for him at the door forever. As long as he went in later, he wouldn't run into Tong Shuai.
Jiang Chen slowly ate the pancake.
He was young and couldn't eat much, so Hu Zhenzhen asked the pancake vendor to add an extra egg, with only a small piece of fruit slice in the middle.
Compared to ordinary pancakes, the pancake in Jiang Chen's hand was a size smaller.
However, this one meal was enough for Jiang Chen to have a full morning of classes.
Even though Jiang Chen tried his best to slow down the time, it only took him fifteen minutes to eat a pancake.
He glanced at the entrance; Tong Shuai hadn't given up and was still waiting for him at the school gate.
Jiang Chen lingered over his milk, wanting to wait a little longer before getting off the bus.
"Xiao Chen, is that classmate waiting for you at the door?"
When Hu Zhenzhen asked the question, Jiang Chen was momentarily at a loss for words and bit his straw.
"I'm not familiar with him."
Hu Zhenzhen understood, and Jiang Chen didn't deny it, so it seemed that the young man was indeed waiting for him.
I just don't know what this person has done recently to make Xiao Chen so resistant, to the point of avoiding him.
Could it be school bullying?
The moment she considered this possibility, Hu Zhenzhen's gaze sharpened instantly.
She pushed open the door and got out of the car, and Jiang Chen in the back seat hurriedly followed her out.
Seeing his flustered state, Hu Zhenzhen became even more certain that the relationship between this boy and her child was definitely not that simple.
She took Jiang Chen's hand. "Xiao Chen, shall Mom take you into the teaching building?"
"Mom, no need, I can go by myself!"
Jiang Chen hurriedly made a promise.
To Hu Zhenzhen, it was clear that he didn't want her to get close to the boy.
The more Jiang Chen acted this way, the more Hu Zhenzhen needed to understand why.
If her own child is really bullied, she will definitely stand up for him!
She walked to the school gate with a clear purpose and struck up a conversation with Tong Shuai, who was leaning against the wall at the school gate.
Are you waiting for Xiao Chen?
Tong Shuai didn't expect that Hu Zhenzhen, an adult, would come up to him directly and ask him questions. He quickly stood up straight and said, "I, I'm waiting for him. I want to make friends with him."
The words, "Let's make friends," sound friendly.
If Jiang Chen hadn't been so resistant, Hu Zhenzhen might have believed half of it; now she doesn't believe a single word.
"Making friends is fine, but since we are friends, we should love and help each other, and we should never make the other person feel embarrassed."
"Auntie supports you two being friends, but you always wait for Xiaochen at the school gate, and he'll feel embarrassed. Could you please stop waiting for Xiaochen at the school gate in the future?"
Having been a boss for a long time, Hu Zhenzhen possessed a unique aura even when speaking in a friendly manner, which made Tong Shuai dare not act recklessly.
"Okay, Auntie, I... I won't wait for him like this anymore."
Seeing that he had a good attitude and didn't seem like the kind of kid who would brandish knives or sticks, Hu Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Chen watched the whole thing from behind her. His little brain was working at lightning speed, and he seemed to have figured something out. He suddenly became alert.
After being persuaded by Hu Zhenzhen, Tong Shuai didn't say anything to Jiang Chen for the first time and slunk into the campus.
Jiang Chen watched his retreating figure and suddenly grabbed Hu Zhenzhen's sleeve.
"Mom, I understand!"
Hu Zhenzhen, who had just breathed a sigh of relief: ?
What did he understand?
"We need to be more direct in our speech and learn to express ourselves better!"
That's true, but Hu Zhenzhen still felt that something was off.
She recalled the original plot, where the movie star male lead was just as straightforward. However, this straightforwardness was seen as sharp-tongued by others, and it was because of this sharp-tonguedness that Jiang Chen didn't have a single close friend after he grew up.
Hu Zhenzhen touched her nose guiltily.
Could it be that the actor's sharp-tongued speaking style from the original novel has awakened at this point?
However, Jiang Chen is different from the original book. Now he has two good friends to play with, so he won't become like the original book.
With this in mind, Hu Zhenzhen finally felt relieved.
As soon as Hu Zhenzhen turned around after watching Jiang Chen enter the school gate, she saw her usually reliable housekeeper hurriedly get out of the car, trip over a roadside stone, and almost fall.
"Something terrible has happened, boss!"
The shout startled Hu Zhenzhen, who quickly went over to help the person.
"What's wrong?"
What happened to make Chen Kai so anxious?
Chen Kai held Hu Zhenzhen's hand tightly, momentarily disregarding his own image.
"Boss! The registration area at the entrance of the unfinished building has just been trampled flat!"
"ha?"
Flattened?
Hu Zhenzhen suddenly felt like the world had turned into science fiction. This person isn't an elephant, how could he flatten a house!
Even if it's a temporary tin shack, it's still a proper structure that can withstand wind and rain. How could it be trampled flat?
This was so outrageous that Hu Zhenzhen was speechless for a long time.
"Is Liu An alright?"
She only asked this one question, and after receiving the answer that no one was hurt, she fell into a long silence.
Chen Kai and she looked at each other in silence, and the two stood there for three minutes. Hu Zhenzhen still couldn't believe it.
"How could someone trample a house to the ground?"
Chen Kai knew more about the situation, so he coughed lightly and reminded Hu Zhenzhen.
"Boss, there are too many people signing up!"
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