After the divorce, I became a mountain god

But what about himself? After learning that Xu Bo'an was the real leader of Kangtai Pharmaceutical Factory, he was very happy and thought about meeting Xu Bo'an as soon as possible. However, when he saw that Xu Bo'an still needed to take out a loan to buy a car worth a little over one million, his attitude towards Xu Bo'an changed. In the end, he simply walked away to answer the phone. He didn't even say goodbye to Xu Bo'an when he left the bank.

Compared to Xu Bo'an, who overheard Liu Juncai's phone call and promptly offered his assistance, Liu Juncai felt utterly insignificant and filled with guilt towards Xu Bo'an. He suddenly realized how small he was in the face of Xu Bo'an's towering figure!

Liu Juncai said to Xu Bo'an, "Mr. Xu, would you do me the honor of having lunch together at noon?"

Xu Bo'an, knowing he had nothing else to do after changing cars, agreed to Liu Juncai's request, saying, "Okay!"

Liu Juncai was overjoyed to hear Xu Bo'an agree and said, "That's great! I'll contact Mr. Lin Kangtai and Liu Quan from Kangtai Pharmaceutical Factory later. What do you think?"

It was obvious that Liu Juncai was asking for Xu Bo'an's opinion. Lin Kangtai and Liu Quan were both his capable assistants, and it had been a long time since he had sat down with them for a meal and a chat. It would be nice to get together.

Xu Bo'an then said to Liu Juncai, "That's great, it's more lively to eat with more people!"

After hearing Xu Bo'an's confirmation, Liu Jun chatted with Xu Bo'an for a few more minutes before hanging up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Liu Juncai happily called Lin Kangtai and Liu Quan respectively.

Liu Juncai and Lin Kangtai did not know each other before, but after Liu Juncai called Lin Kangtai and explained the situation, Lin Kangtai readily agreed.

After hanging up with Liu Juncai, Lin Kangtai called Xu Bo'an to verify Liu Juncai's information before deciding to have dinner together.

After all, Lin Kangtai is in charge of such a large company as Kangtai Pharmaceutical Factory. There are many people who are envious of him, and it is easy for people with ulterior motives to want to deal with him. Therefore, it is better to be cautious in his actions.

Liu Juncai called Xu Bo'an and Lin Kangtai before finally calling Liu Quan. He explained that Xu Bo'an and Lin Kangtai would be having lunch together, and that he had already told Xu Bo'an about the meal. Liu Quan agreed after hearing that Liu Juncai had already told Xu Bo'an about the meal.

After inviting all the people he wanted to host, Liu Juncai busied himself arranging a place to eat, and finally decided on a mid-to-high-end French restaurant in Dongjiang City.

Although Liu Juncai knew that Xu Bo'an and the others were used to eating big meals and didn't particularly want to eat these things, the meal wasn't the key point; the most important thing was to show his sincerity.

For example, your father-in-law might occasionally visit you and say that living conditions have improved over the years, and you've gotten used to eating big meals every day. He might say he just wants some yams, cornbread, and wild vegetables, and that you don't need to prepare all that big food, as it's troublesome and a waste if you don't eat it.

If you take this advice to heart and actually prepare things like steamed buns, yam sprouts, and wild vegetables—things meant to evoke memories of hardship and appreciate present happiness—without any fancy dishes or meat, then you're being a bit too practical. In this case, your father-in-law has likely remembered the hardships, but he certainly hasn't considered the sweetness of life.

After all, your father-in-law's generation has already suffered a lot. They've had enough of those hard times. Who really wants to go back to the days of eating chaff and wild vegetables?

The reason they say such things to you could be twofold: firstly, they want you not to be too wasteful in entertaining them; secondly, they might be too concerned about their image and want to appear wealthy in front of you and your family so that you won't look down on them.

Moreover, the second possibility is the most likely. People generally care about their image, especially men, who tend to be more concerned about this aspect in such situations.

Do you think he really wanted to eat those things? He did want to eat a few bites, but you have to pay attention to the word "a few bites"—it really was just a few bites.

It's just that they got used to eating those things when they were young and wanted to relive the memories left in their minds. Do they love eating those things? The answer is definitely yes. However, most of their older generation came from hard times, and frugality is ingrained in their bones. They are already very frugal when they live at home.

The things the son-in-law said when he visited were just to save face. I never expected you to actually serve him a table of simple, rustic dishes that evoke memories of hardship. Regardless of whether your father-in-law's family is well-off or not, this kind of behavior makes people think that you don't value him enough.

So even if they say they don't want to eat, you still have to show your attitude and try your best to prepare a more substantial meal. Don't just prepare wild vegetables or something like that, otherwise not only will your father-in-law tease you behind your back, but all his relatives will also say that you are inconsiderate.

For example, if you visit a friend's house and they see you've brought some things, they might politely say, "You've come all this way, why did you bring anything? Don't bring anything next time, or I'll get angry!"

They were just being polite, but you took it seriously. The next time you visited their home, you didn't bring them anything. They might not say anything to your face, but behind your back, they've already badmouthed you to their friends.

So either you don't visit someone's home, or if you do, you can't go empty-handed; this is the most basic etiquette.

Another example is when you go to someone's house, and after a satisfying meal and drinks, it's already evening. Your friend, seeing that it's getting dark and late, is approached by the wife, who says, "It's getting late, why don't you stay at my house tonight?"

When your friend heard what your wife said, he quickly and enthusiastically tried to persuade you and your family to stay.

Most normal people would know that what someone said was just a polite and courteous remark, but you took it seriously, thinking that your friend's family was so hospitable, and that if you left, you would feel like you were letting them down, or that your departure would make the friendship seem less close. If you still have these thoughts, then you're being rather naive. (End of Chapter)