Xu Ruantang was slightly taken aback, and after a pause, she said, "Really?"
Chen Ji looked at her with utmost sincerity in his eyes, "Yes, don't worry, I have experience taking care of children."
His eyes gradually became filled with lust, and the conversation unconsciously veered off course.
But Chen Ji ultimately stuck to his principles, ignoring Xu Ruantang's repeated assurances that everything was alright.
She ended up becoming the one consumed by lust.
......
As the weather warmed up, my godmother and Aunt Liu's shop business got better and better.
Single-layered garments are easy to make, but children like to wear fancy ones, so many factory workers bought fabric and brought it to tailors to have them made.
This is cheaper than buying ready-made clothes, and the kids are happy with it.
That day, Xu Ruantang returned from the Chen family home and was standing in the yard watering flowers and listening to the radio when her godmother hurriedly pushed open the gate and came in.
"Ruan Tang, Ruan Tang!"
She walked in a hurry, panting as she stood in the yard calling out.
Xu Ruantang put down the kettle. "Godmother, I'm here."
She moved a stool, wanting her godmother to sit down and talk.
The godmother plopped down, let out a sigh of relief, and said, "Something terrible has happened!"
After she finished speaking, Xu Ruantang finally understood what had happened.
The Xifo Temple Market is being demolished, and their courtyard and Qiu Liang's row of houses will all be demolished as well.
Xu Ruantang had anticipated this when he bought the courtyard.
This is Beijing, and it's already the 1990s; demolition is inevitable.
"Godmother, don't worry, I'll go check on it tomorrow."
Xu Ruantang poured water for her godmother and comforted her, "As for the tailor shop, if you and Aunt Liu still want to keep it, I'll find another storefront."
Tailor shops don't need to be very large, and they're not hard to find.
She actually wanted her godmother to rest, but she also knew that it would be difficult for older people to be idle.
The next day, Chen Ji accompanied Xu Ruantang to the courtyard of Xifo Temple.
Xu Ruantang initially wanted to say that she didn't need him to accompany her, but Chen Ji seemed to be a bit too nervous lately, and he was very careful about everything she did.
She was bored at home and decided to cook.
Xu Ruantang still doesn't cook often, but the food she does cook is still edible; at least she tasted it and thought it was pretty good.
When Chen Ji came home from get off work, he ate all the food she had prepared.
However, afterwards, she was still explicitly forbidden from entering the kitchen again.
Chen Ji would get up very early in the morning to make breakfast for Xu Ruantang before leaving.
He would make a special trip back at noon, and if the cafeteria had any of her favorite dishes that day, he would bring them back.
If not, I'll make it myself, or I'll simply have Ye Lan deliver it.
Xu Ruantang ate there a few times, then felt a little embarrassed.
After all, the Chen family still has an old lady to take care of.
Ye Lan suggested that the family's housekeeper come and stay, but Xu Ruantang did not agree.
Firstly, since Auntie lives in the Chen family home, Chen Lin's status and position are there, and there is also an old lady to take care of at home, so no one will gossip.
But if we let the auntie come over, there will inevitably be gossip.
Secondly, Chen Ji didn't like having outsiders in the house. The downstairs room was where her godmother lived, and even though her godmother didn't come back often, it was still reserved for her.
Xu Ruantang had told Chen Ji that she could cook simple meals herself and assured him that she and her child would never go hungry.
Even if it doesn't taste as good as Chen Ji's, it doesn't matter.
However, her protests were ineffective; Chen Ji refused to agree to her demands no matter what she said.
After becoming pregnant, Xu Ruantang never touched a car.
When the two arrived at Xifo Temple, Xu Ruantang got out of the car and saw Sister Juan sitting at the entrance, with a beautiful little child nestled in her arms.
Qiu Liang was moving things with the workers.
"Ruan Tang, come here quickly."
When Sister Juan saw her, she reached out to greet her. The little girl in her arms kicked her legs, her bright black eyes darting around.
After parking the car, Chen Ji rolled up his sleeves and started helping Qiu Liang.
"Sister Juan, have you found a place to stay?"
As soon as Xu Ruantang sat down, she couldn't wait to ask about the demolition.
When Xu Ruantang first asked them to join Huan Yuanliang's store franchise, she had already anticipated this day would come.
Wang Xiuxiu was supervising the renovation, and Xu Ruantang privately told her to keep the materials as simple as possible without affecting the final result.
"We've found a place. Someone at Qiu Liang's friend's factory is selling a house, so we can move there. It's on the first floor."
A faint sorrow shrouded Juan's face.
"We hadn't heard a word about it beforehand. Who would have thought that the demolition would happen so suddenly?"
She sighed and turned to look at the child in her arms.
As her dessert shop business became profitable, her legs also improved.
Sister Juan believed that she and Qiu Liang had enough capital to raise a child.
Unexpectedly, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
"As long as there's a place to stay, that's fine."
Xu Ruantang patted Sister Juan's hand and said with a light laugh, "Sister Juan, the demolition is a good thing, the business will come again."
She has a semi-God's-eye view and is very clear that the houses that can be demolished at this time are much better than those inside the Second Ring Road that cannot be demolished, sold, or modified in the future.
Sister Juan forced a smile. "That's the only way to think about it. Ruan Tang, your brother Qiu Liang is too embarrassed to ask, but there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Xu Ruantang listened patiently and understood what Sister Juan and Qiu Liang meant.
In the past two years, they have made a lot of money from the dessert shop. In addition, due to the demolition, Qiu Liang wants to find a new place to continue to franchise Huan Yuanliang's dessert shop.
After listening, Xu Ruantang hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Sister Juan, I actually don't recommend that you join the franchise."
Indeed, Huan Yuanliang's branches have spread throughout the capital.
Xu Ruantang had also heard Huan Yuanliang say that he planned to expand the market to surrounding cities and even the whole country.
However, Huan Yuanliang's store has now changed from being directly operated to being a franchise.
"In Beijing, with Huan Yuanliang's business acumen and vision, all the shops that could be opened have already been opened."
Xu Ruantang truthfully stated, "With such high franchise fees, it's pointless to open another store elsewhere."
To put it bluntly, they just don't know how to make big money.
The city of Beijing is developing rapidly. Besides the Huan family, competitors are springing up like mushrooms after rain, and this trend will only intensify in the future.
After hearing what Xu Ruantang had to say, Sister Juan's expression darkened even more.
But she knew Xu Ruantang wouldn't harm them, so she nodded and said, "Then...then let's think of another way. If that doesn't work, we can have your brother Qiu Liang buy a job and go back to work at the factory."
When Xu Ruantang thought about time, she suddenly realized something.
In the near future, Beijing and even the whole country will see a large number of unemployed and laid-off workers.
Therefore, buying a job is not feasible.
Xu Ruantang didn't know what to say for a moment, and turned to look at Chen Ji and Qiu Liang not far away.
All of Qiu's belongings had been loaded onto the truck. Qiu Liang and Chen Ji stood together, exchanging a rare conversation.
Chen Ji listened attentively to Qiu Liang's words, nodding in agreement from time to time.
Qiu Liang frowned slightly, his lips moving as he spoke with great seriousness.
What are they talking about?
Xu Ruantang asked in confusion.
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