Chapter 18 There was a faint apple scent in the air…
There was a faint scent of apples in the air, and the surroundings were as quiet as night.
Ye Huaizhang called her twice from outside and then fell silent.
Ye Baoling wasn't sure if he was in the dressing room or had already left.
She held the apple to her nose, smelling it gently, not daring to make any rash moves.
I sat on the floor, pressed against the wainscoting, quietly listening to the sounds outside.
About ten minutes later, faint footsteps came from outside, followed by the sound of the door closing.
The sound of the door closing was deep and muffled, and it seemed to travel far away; it was probably the bedroom door that was closed.
Ye Huaizhang went out?
After waiting for about three more minutes and seeing no movement, Ye Baoling dared not wait any longer, fearing that Ye Huaizhang would return. She gently pulled open the wardrobe latch little by little.
After she opened the wardrobe door and peeked out slightly to make sure no one was in the dressing room, she nimbly slipped out.
She breathed a heavy sigh of relief, stuffed the chocolate and apple into her handbag on the cabinet, then straightened her clothes and hair in front of the mirror before leaving the dressing room.
As soon as he stepped out of the dressing room, he saw Ye Huaizhang sitting on the sofa in the bedroom, flipping through documents.
Their eyes met, startling Ye Baoling so much she choked.
This is unbelievable!
Ye Huaizhang looked at her quietly, as if asking, "Where did you come from?"
Ye Baoling spoke first: "Why are you sitting here so quietly without making a sound? You scared me to death."
"Why didn't I see you in the dressing room just now?"
"I'm in the restroom."
"There was no one in the restroom either."
"Maybe you're blind."
Is he blind?
"Are you deaf? I called you, why didn't you answer?"
She retorted, "I didn't hear you."
Then you'd really be deaf.
Ye Huaizhang didn't say much about this strange, temporary disappearance, only saying, "Grandma and the others are back and want you to come down for breakfast."
Ye Baoling gave a casual reply and went out, where she ran into Chen Yulan who was looking for her. The two went downstairs together.
It's quite lively downstairs.
Grandma Guan had four children, three sons and one daughter.
The only daughter, Yip Chun-liu, is the third child. She married an American in her early years. A few years ago, her husband passed away, and she returned to Hong Kong to be with her mother.
Ye Jinliu saw her first, "A-Ling, you're up."
"Good morning, Auntie."
"Good morning." Seeing Ye Baoling walking with a limp, Ye Jinliu quickly asked, "What's wrong with your foot?"
Ye Baoling explained how she bumped into something, and Ye Jinliu hurriedly shouted into the living room, "Second brother, your classmate's renovation company is really no good. It's understandable that the old water pipes make strange noises, but why are the new water pipes like this too? And the circuit is also faulty; it has tripped several times."
Ye Jinbo, the second son who was reading the newspaper in the living room, replied, "Have A-Guang find someone to check it out. If it doesn't work, replace the water pipes and electrical wires. Don't use my classmate's company."
Ye Jinliu: "I told you long ago, you can't help acquaintances with this kind of thing."
Ye Jinbo, who was complained about, was not angry. He laughed and said, "You're right. Helping acquaintances is a waste of money and only causes trouble."
Yang Pinxian, who was watching the maid prepare breakfast, called out to Ye Baoling, "A-Ling, come sit here. Is your leg feeling better?"
"Much better."
Everyone else in the family looked over as well.
This time, Old Madam Guan confided in her children that Bao Ling's actual surname was Ye, not Gu, and that she was the granddaughter of the eldest son's family who had been taken away by her divorced daughter-in-law.
Now that we've revealed the truth, we're all in the same boat. We need to keep it a secret and tell everyone that we married a girl from the Gu family.
The housekeeper also replaced all the servants who were familiar with the eldest son's family and announced to the public that the old lady had lost something and that the servants were strictly forbidden from visiting each other's homes in private, in order to prevent the servants of the eldest son's family from accidentally seeing Ye Baoling.
Yang Pinxian introduced them to Ye Baoling one by one: "This is your second uncle, and this is your second aunt."
"Hello, Second Uncle and Second Aunt."
"There's no need to be so polite among family."
Judging from their appearances, Ye Jinbo and his wife are easy-going people.
Ye Baoling has recently gained a basic understanding of the members of the third branch of the family. The second wife, Han Yanmei, comes from a poor family, but she is well-educated and reasonable. She doesn't like to socialize and only likes to tend to flowers and plants. She just smiled and nodded at Ye Baoling.
Ye Jinbo pointed at his son and said, "Huaili, come here and call your sister-in-law."
Ye Huaili looked a year or two younger than Ye Baoling and seemed very well-behaved. He greeted her with a smile, "Sister-in-law."
Yang Pinxian continued, "This is your fourth uncle, and your fourth aunt took the two children for a medical check-up."
"Hello, Fourth Uncle."
The fourth brother, Ye Jinfeng, put down his newspaper, nodded slightly, his attitude neither arrogant nor gentle. He simply asked, "Where is Huaizhang?"
"He's upstairs."
Ye Jinfeng, dressed in golf attire, looked every bit the elite aristocrat. He was the most business-savvy and capable member of the fourth generation of the third wife's family.
Clearly, in his eyes, Ye Baoling was an insignificant person, a woman who couldn't be brought into the open and was only there to bring good luck in marriage, nothing more.
So he didn't pay much attention to it.
Ye Baoling didn't see Ye Yongqi and couldn't help but ask, "Why isn't Yongqi home?"
"This child is very unruly. She didn't get enough rest at the seaside villa and went to catch up on sleep as soon as she got back. Just ignore her."
That's great. That's how a rich girl should be—eat when she wants and sleep when she wants.
Breakfast was ready, and Grandma Guan came downstairs. She saw Ye Baoling and smiled broadly. "I heard you also hurt your foot. Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"It's good that it doesn't hurt. Don't go back to your grandma's house for the next couple of days. The back-and-forth travel will make the wound on your foot harder to heal."
Ye Baoling smiled and neither agreed nor refused.
When Grandma Guan couldn't find her eldest grandson, she asked, "Why hasn't Huaizhang come down yet? Ah Qun, go and call the young master down for breakfast."
Ye Huaizhang, who was the last to sit down, inevitably received another lecture.
During breakfast, Fourth Uncle Ye Jinfeng brought up business matters, "Huaizhang, I heard that your investment department is planning to invest a huge sum of money in Dapeng Port in Shenzhen?"
"There is such a plan."
“I’m not very optimistic. Hong Kong has enough deep-water ports. The two places are right next to each other, and the scale of the port there doesn’t need to develop such a large port. Moreover, there are policy risks involved. What if things change halfway through? The first phase requires an investment of several billion, which is too risky. It would be better to let the Li family test the waters first.”
Ye Huaizhang disagreed; he was the kind of person who dared to be the first to try something new.
“I am optimistic about the mainland market. The reform and opening up has been going on for seven or eight years with great results and even greater potential for future development. Dapeng Port can radiate throughout the Pearl River Delta. Whoever seizes the opportunity first will benefit. If we are hesitant and dare not invest, the Li family will step in, and we will have wasted this opportunity.”
"But is it worth risking billions? It's not easy for a company to earn billions."
"These billions are the money our investment department earned overseas."
Ye Jinfeng: "..."
Ye Baoling listened silently, noticing that the tension between the uncle and nephew was quite palpable.
Ye Jinfeng turned to his elder brother for help: "Brother, what do you think?"
Ye Jinsong is a conservative, but he didn't want to oppose his son's decision in public, so he said, "Let's discuss it with Mom after we've done our research, and then we'll decide."
Seeing that Ye Jinfeng wanted to continue the conversation, Old Madam Guan interrupted them in time: "We shouldn't talk about business over meals. You can discuss this in private or during company meetings."
Then everyone stopped talking.
Yang Pinxian smiled to ease the tension: "Crab roe shumai is delicious. Yan Mei and I made it ourselves last night and brought it back."
As she spoke, she placed one on Ye Baoling's plate, saying, "A-Ling, you should try it."
Ye Baoling smiled and said, "Thank you, Mom."
She secretly analyzed their discussion about investing in Dapeng Port. If Ye Huaizhang really succeeded in making the port a success, it would indeed be a long-term benefit.
The positive news of buying diamond mines will definitely give a significant boost to the stock performance of the third-largest real estate company, Hong Kong-listed Real Estate.
She can take this opportunity to make some quick money.
However, the actual historical process was that the port of Shenzhen was ultimately given to the Li family.
I don't know why the third wife eventually gave up.
Was it Ye Huaizhang who failed to persuade his father and uncles?
Ye Baoling pondered for a long time, and finally, she complied with Old Madam Guan's wishes and did not return to the Gu family.
She wanted to change the decorations in her room, so Ye Baoling used the excuse that she had nowhere to go and could chat and play mahjong with the old lady to gather intelligence.
Currently, the largest shareholder and chairman of Hong Kong Tong Holdings is Madam Kwan, but she doesn't usually manage things, only taking the helm at crucial moments.
Therefore, the final decision-maker for the construction of Dapeng Port, which involves a major investment of several billion yuan, must have been her.
In the afternoon, Grandma Guan put on her reading glasses and read the newspaper. Ye Baoling sat beside her reading an entertainment magazine. She asked curiously, "Grandma, what do you usually read in the newspaper?"
"My presbyopia is getting worse and worse. Now I can only read the news and financial reports. I want to read entertainment gossip, but it's too hard on my eyes."
"Reading too many newspapers is really bad for your eyes." Ye Baoling volunteered, "Grandma, let me read the newspaper to you."
Grandma Guan put down her newspaper and said somewhat apologetically, "That's too much trouble for you."
"No trouble at all. It saves me from wasting time watching entertainment news every day. You can listen to the radio first thing in the morning, have breakfast, and then I'll read the newspaper to you before I go to work."
"Go to work? Where are you going to work?"
Ye Baoling smiled mysteriously and said, "I secretly went to the Ye Qingtang headquarters for an interview to apply for a clerical job, and I didn't expect to be successful."
Grandma Guan praised exaggeratedly, "Really! How are you so amazing?! Our children may have impressive academic credentials, but if you asked them to interview independently without connections, they might not be able to pass. Ah Ling, you're incredible. Do your grandparents know?"
"I don't know yet. I used Gu Baoling's name for the interview."
Why would you want to go out to work?
"I'm just going to try it out, learn something, and broaden my horizons."
“You’re doing very well. It’s very valuable for a girl to be independent. No matter how much money you earn, as long as you do it and you can be independent, your attitude towards things will be completely different.” Grandma Guan is not like the average wealthy old lady. She is very open-minded and encourages women to continue being career women after marriage.
Ye Baoling took the newspaper and began reading the news to the old lady.
After reading each interesting report, she would ask Old Madam Guan for her opinion.
Just like the last news item, the number of Hong Kong residents emigrating overseas reached a new high last month.
"Grandma, have you ever thought about immigrating?"
Grandma Guan waved her hand: "We, the Ye family, are Chinese. Our roots are in Hong Kong. We can travel abroad, but we can't live here long-term. Our lifestyle, food, and social circle are all here. I dare say that those who want to immigrate will come back sooner or later, as long as they have the ability. Hong Kong is so good. Once you go abroad, you won't be used to living here."
It seems the old lady has some good judgment.
According to development trends, many early immigrants did not find suitable jobs or were not used to life abroad, and eventually many chose to return to the port city.
Ye Baoling smiled and said, "Grandma, you're right. Those who want to immigrate are probably afraid that their lives will change drastically after returning, so they leave."
"Life can't get worse, it can only get better. The country should also set a benchmark."
"It seems you have quite a bit of confidence in our country."
Grandma Guan frowned slightly. "No, it's not that. I'm too old to see clearly."
Understood.
The old lady is confident about the future of Hong Kong, but she can't see the future direction of the mainland.
“We have investments in mainland China, but they are not large, and we dare not invest money recklessly.”
“Being cautious is the right thing to do.” Ye Baoling did not express her opinion; she did not want the old lady to be wary of her.
*
Gu Man'er paged Ye Baoling and told her that Cindy from Parkway Bank had called looking for her.
It turns out that her previous complaint has been resolved.
Manager Li was transferred to another department, and from now on, Ye Baoling's account information cannot be accessed without her authorization.
The next day was Friday, and Ye Baoling went to Parkway Bank early in the morning to find Cindy.
Cindy checked her account and found that the S101 fund redemption of 4.453 million had been credited to her account.
finally!
I'm so happy.
The first goal has been achieved.
She no longer needs to feign politeness with that scumbag Lü Tianyou.
Cindy was quite surprised. "Ms. Ye, how did you redeem this closed-end fund? And you only paid a two percent handling fee."
Ye Baoling smiled and didn't explain much, only saying, "This is what they call a blessing in disguise. I asked you for help withdrawing the closed-end fund before, and promised to give you 50,000 yuan after it was done..."
Cindy quickly waved her hand: "I failed and caused you trouble. I'm so sorry, Miss Ye."
"But I also thank you for not betraying me. I now have more than 4.6 million in my account. From now on, you can help me manage my finances and I'll give you the opportunity to earn commissions."
"Really?" Cindy hadn't expected Ye Baoling to give her another chance. She quickly thanked her, "Thank you for your trust, Miss Ye. I will definitely do my best to serve you. By the way, how do you plan to manage your finances? Or should I make a plan first?"
Parkway Bank has its own securities branch, and Ye Baoling asked her, "Can you do securities trading?"
"I have the certificate, I can do it."
"Then I'll open two securities accounts with you, one for me and one for my cousin. My cousin will mainly manage and trade stocks on my behalf from now on."
"This needs to be done in person. Has your cousin come yet?"
Ye Baoling called Chen Yulan in, "This is my cousin, Chen Yulan."
Immediately, Cindy opened a bank account for Chen Yulan and then a securities account for both of them. Starting today, Cindy will be in charge of buying shares in Suman Jewelry and Gangtong Industrial.
How much of each?
Suman Jewelry has a small market capitalization, making it easier to push up its stock price. It would be more difficult for Gangtong Industrial to experience a surge in its stock price unless Gangtong invests in mainland ports.
But that's uncertain. We can adjust the portfolio later once we've determined the outcome.
"3.5 million in Suman Jewelry and 1 million in Gangtong Industrial. Buy on dips this week."
"Go all in within a week. Huh?"
"Fully stocked."
"good."
After completing the formalities, Ye Baoling and Chen Yulan signed the "Stock Holding Agreement".
She believed that Chen Yulan would not betray her, but even if you trust someone, you still have to be cautious first and then act honestly.
A written agreement is the best tool to protect the interests and friendship of both parties, therefore, an agreement must be signed.
*
After leaving Parkway Bank, Ye Baoling went back to the Gu family home first.
We had dinner at the Gu family's house. The table was full of people, but there were only two vegetarian dishes and a plate of salted duck egg stir-fried with bitter melon.
Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Zhen'er convened a family meeting ahead of schedule to discuss reforms to family management. The meeting was "grandly held" in Old Mrs. Gu's room on the second floor.
Some sat, some stood, and some picked their teeth.
Gu Zhen'er put forward her reform ideas.
“Let me calculate how much money we can spend each month. Dad earns 6,000 yuan a month, he keeps 500 yuan for pocket money and pays 5,500 yuan for household expenses. My eldest sister has started working and will pay 2,000 yuan for household expenses starting next month. My cousin has always had 2,000 yuan for living expenses, but she's been eating at home less often lately, so her living expenses should definitely be reduced as well…”
Millionaire Ye Baoling doesn't care about this amount of living expenses. She said, "I will still give 2,000 yuan for household expenses. My family needs to prepare my meals every day so that I can come back at any time."
Gu Zhen'er smiled and said, "Thank you for your generosity, cousin."
“My cousin is our family’s lucky charm.” Gu Man’er smiled and rested her chin on Ye Baoling’s shoulder.
Ye Baoling playfully teased her chin with her other hand.
Gu Zhen'er: "Without using Grandma's savings, we can use 9,500 yuan."
"As for expenses, the monthly electricity, water, gas and telephone bills are 1,000 yuan, the two Filipino maids are 2,200 yuan, and the driver is 3,000 yuan."
"Besides my eldest cousin, the other five children in the family require an additional 500 yuan per month; school fees and miscellaneous expenses are also 500 yuan per month; four sets of clothes per person per year isn't much, right? Let's estimate at the minimum 200 yuan per month; two pairs of shoes per person per year, that's 100 yuan per month; entertainment like going to the movies and karaoke is reduced to 100 yuan per month..."
"The food expenses for a family of 14, including the maid, need to include meat, eggs, and dairy products every day, which costs 3,600 yuan per month; there are also miscellaneous living expenses, estimated at 300 yuan; gasoline costs 300 yuan; and your mahjong spending is about 200 yuan per month, Mom... In total, the expenses are 12,000 yuan. This does not include car insurance and maintenance costs."
"Our income of 9,500 yuan is completely insufficient to cover our expenses."
Shen Yue'e objected: "Even without your sister paying 2,000 yuan for household expenses, our family is still doing just fine, isn't it?"
Gu Zhen'er: "Life is terrible. The food and clothes are the worst! Water and electricity are wasted, we buy shampoo randomly, and replace it with a new one when it doesn't work, without any planning! And every month my grandma has to take out an unknown amount of money to supplement the household expenses. Last month she took out 4,500 yuan."
Shen Yue'e: "What solutions do you have?"
"Let's talk about cutting costs first. We have to choose between a Filipino maid and a driver, and one of them has to be eliminated. We have a lot of kids and a lot of things to do in our family, so two Filipino maids are essential. Otherwise, Mom, you won't be able to play mahjong, and you'll have endless chores to do at home. So, I suggest eliminating the driver, who has a higher salary but is used less. Eliminating the driver's cost of 3,000 yuan can cover the transportation costs with the gas money, which will just keep our expenses under 9,000 yuan."
Shen Yue'e: "Your father's commute is easy to solve, but without a driver, who will take your younger siblings to school?"
"There are two solutions. The first is that my younger siblings take the bus to school. The second is that either of you, Mom and Dad, can learn to drive, and my older sister, cousin, and I can also learn."
"Learning to drive is free?"
Gu Man'er, who was prepared, interjected, "I asked the driving school, and it's about 1,500 yuan per person. It's a one-time expense, and a driver's monthly salary is enough for two people to learn to drive."
Shen Yue'e is someone who dislikes change. She shook her head and said, "I can't do it. I can't learn to drive."
Ye Baoling looked at her uncle Gu Xianyong, "Uncle..."
Gu Xianyong threw the toothpick he used to pick his teeth into the trash can. The family was eating poorly, dressing poorly, and living in a mess. It really needed to change.
He gritted his teeth slightly: "I'll learn to drive. From now on, I'll get up earlier in the morning and take them to school."
Shen Yue'e was still unwilling, "Without a driver, it will be very inconvenient for me to use a car in the future."
Gu Zhen'er rolled her eyes. She knew that her mother didn't want to lose face in front of her mahjong partners.
"Mom, you can't take the bus? Look at the food we eat every day, look at the tattered clothes your younger siblings wear. Is your pride more important, or your quality of life?"
Shen Yue'e refused to admit it, stubbornly insisting, "What does this have to do with saving face? Our lives are getting worse and worse; everyone will laugh at us!"
Grandma Gu, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, "Now that we're in such a mess, won't people laugh at us? Even if Man'er goes out to work and earns money, if we don't fire the driver, I'll still have to contribute at least 3,000 yuan every month to help with household expenses if we want to eat better. The money I have is all from your sister's inheritance. If we just sit around and do nothing, it'll all be gone sooner or later!"
Shen Yue'e remained silent.
Gu Zhen'er said decisively, "Come on, we're a democratic family, right? Let's raise our hands to vote. Raise your hand if you agree to fire the driver."
The underage children did not participate in the meeting, and everyone except Shen Yue'e voted in favor.
"Passed 5:1, reduce the number of drivers."
Gu Man'er clapped her hands: "That's the final word! It's settled then!"
The meeting isn't over yet.
Gu Zhen'er continued, "That was about cutting expenses. If we want to have a surplus and save money, we need to increase our income. In the next few years, if any of my younger siblings get into university, tuition fees will be a huge expense, so we must save money in advance. I've been thinking about it, and our house is big enough. After we lay off the driver, there will be an extra room on the first floor that we can rent out. There are two storage rooms in the attic that we can also clear out and rent out. Each room will rent for 800 yuan, which is 2,400 yuan a month, and 28,800 yuan a year. My aunt bought the house, and our family paid for the renovations. We will be responsible for renting it out and managing it. We will split the profits with my cousin. We will also save money in other areas and try to save 20,000 yuan a year. Then, when my younger siblings go to preparatory school or university, I won't need to pay for them anymore."
This suggestion for extra income is excellent.
Gu Xianyong, who was under immense pressure to support his family, was the first to agree: "Renting it out is fine!"
Shen Yue'e, who clearly felt that her daughter was about to take away her power in managing the household, spoke up in opposition: "If we rent out the house, it will be uncomfortable to have outsiders in the house."
Gu Man'er supported her sister: "There are already a lot of people in the family, why should we care about this? We'll have fewer drivers who cost money, and more tenants who pay rent. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, it's fine."
Shen Yue'e tried to win over Ye Baoling: "Baoling, tell me, isn't it bad to have more outsiders? Especially men, it's not safe."
Ye Baoling is now rich, and it wouldn't be difficult for her to support her uncle's family. However, it is very valuable for her to be self-reliant and support herself. She said, "Choose your tenants carefully, and try to rent to women as much as possible."
Where can I rent it?
Gu Zhen'er patted her chest confidently: "I'm in charge, I'll handle it."
Shen Yue'e: "What do you mean you're in charge? How old are you to be in charge?"
"This housewife, don't try to be a scoundrel. We agreed before that as long as I come up with a household management plan that ensures everyone has enough to eat and the family has a surplus, I'll be in charge from now on, right? Cousin, Dad, Grandma, you have to stand up for me, my mom is trying to be a scoundrel!" Gu Zhen'er was not someone to be bullied.
Even if her mother bullies her, it won't work.
Gu Xianyong didn't want to offend either side. "I'm only responsible for paying the money. I only get 500 yuan of pocket money each month, and I hand over the rest to you. You decide who gets it."
Gu Man'er: "I want to eat better, I support my second sister."
Shen Yue'e gently pinched Man'er: "Did you grow up eating stones? Did I starve you? Bao Ling, your aunt hasn't mistreated you, has she?"
Ye Baoling chuckled, "Auntie, you're very good to me, but we should eat well too. And we should keep our word; if we promise something, we should keep our promise. How about this: we'll put the money with Grandma, Zhen'er will be in charge of the accounts, and you, Auntie, will manage the household while Grandma supervises."
Before Shen Yue'e could speak, Old Madam Gu nodded first: "That's acceptable."
Shen Yue'e had no choice but to complain: "I only manage the household, not the money. How can I live like this if I have to ask my daughter for money in the future? My allowance is less than half of your father's."
Gu Xianyong: "I need to eat lunch, otherwise you go out and earn money! I'll take care of the household and cooperate with my daughter's work."
Shen Yue'e, who had never worked outside before, was speechless.
Gu Zhen'er immediately gave her mother a boost of oxygen: "If we can save money each month, we'll give 30% of it to Mom as pocket money."
This was a brilliant idea that Ye Baoling had given her before.
Shen Yue'e's eyes darted around. She knew how to play mahjong, but she wasn't good at managing a household or keeping accounts, largely because she lacked motivation.
Gu Zhen'er quickly added, "The prerequisite is that the food cannot be skimped on. Vegetables must be purchased according to the standards. Money can be saved, but meat, vegetables, and milk cannot be lacking."
Ye Baoling whispered to her aunt, "Zhen'er's budget still has a lot of room for saving."
Shen Yue'e pulled Ye Baoling aside and lowered her voice: "She's a real tightwad, she'll definitely be very frugal."
“Even if she’s a miser, she’s still your daughter. You can’t handle her? She’s just the accountant on the surface; you’re the real boss behind the scenes.”
The mastermind behind the scenes?
"certainly."
In the end, Shen Yue'e was successfully manipulated by Ye Baoling, and she agreed.
After the meeting, Ye Baoling offered incense to her maternal grandfather and mother, and didn't return to the third house until almost nine o'clock.
When I got back, I found that Ye Huaizhang, who had been coming home very late the past few days, had taken a shower early today and was curled up on the beanbag chair in the dressing room reading a book.
She was still holding a half-eaten coconut-flavored sachima in her hand.
This is what Ye Baoling placed on the bookshelf as an offering to Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Seeing his wife staring at him intently, Ye Huaizhang couldn't help but ask, "Did I scare you again?"
Ye Baoling couldn't question why he was eating the offerings, so she could only say, "Why are you here so early today?"
It's 9:30.
It's easy to kill a conversation with this person, so Ye Baoling ignored him and went to practice boxing with Chen Yulan.
When she finished her boxing practice and came back to the house, and took a shower, he was lying in bed watching the evening news.
The room's decorations have all been replaced with new ones. The only remaining red elements are the red "囍" character on the wall and the two plush toys tied together by red strings at the head of the bed.
Without the previous terrifying atmosphere, Ye Baoling felt much more at ease.
She threw back the covers and lay down, looking at the high-end color television of this era; she was disgusted by the clarity of the picture.
She initiated a conversation with him, saying, "My second uncle said this house was renovated just two years ago, but the wainscoting looks similar to the one in our old eldest son's house, so it must be at least several decades old, right?"
"The renovation mainly involved changing the plumbing and electrical systems; the layout and decorations are basically the same." He then asked her, "Grandma said you're going to work at Ye Qingtang?"
"Okay, starting next week."
He made no comment on her efforts to support herself, and it was unclear whether he supported or opposed it.
He turned the TV volume down a bit. "Next Friday is your grandfather's birthday, and all of us from the third branch of the family are going. How do you plan to handle our relationship? I'll cooperate with you."
"Let's just pretend we don't know each other, we're not familiar with each other."
Not familiar with each other?
He turned to look at her. "Where did you put the condoms?"
The spooky decorations have been removed; today the moon is full and the wind is strong, perfect for a wedding night.
-----------------------
Author's note: This story will be taken down on the 14th, so tomorrow's update will be at 11 PM. After that, updates will be fixed at 9 PM every day.
There are small red envelopes (gifts of money) to be given away in the comments section of this chapter, until the next chapter is updated.
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