My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 140 Great Favor
"By the way, where are my third and fourth sisters? Why is no one home?"

At this moment, Zhou Jiye realized that no one was home when he returned earlier that day. He knew Lin Ying and Fang Manxia had gone out, but what about Lin Wen and Lin Xi? Where were those two girls? Could it be that they no longer lived here? Or had they gone back to their hometown?
“They’re at work; they can’t go home until they finish get off work,” Lin Ying said.

"Go to work? What kind of work? You found them a job?" Zhou Jiye was taken aback, a look of surprise on his face.

This era is very different from what it will be decades later. Now, all the jobs available are government-owned; there's not a trace of private companies yet. Moreover, there are countless unemployed youths in society today, and many of the returned educated youths have no way to be resettled. How could Lin Wen and Lin Xi, two country girls from the Northwest, possibly find jobs? Keep in mind, they don't even have Shanghai residency permits.

"Hehe, you don't know, do you? My uncle and I opened a coffee shop near Jing'an Temple. They are our employees now," Lin Ying replied with a smile.

"A coffee shop?" Zhou Jiye was taken aback again. He had been gone for several months, how could so many things have happened that he didn't know about? When did Lin Ying and Xie Xiangrong open a coffee shop? What kind of operation is this?
Xie Xiangrong is a master coffee maker, and he comes from a family with a long history in the coffee industry, which Zhou Jiye knows. But how easy is it to open a coffee shop these days? There aren't even any private companies or individual businesses these days, let alone private enterprises. So how did this coffee shop even get started?
Seeing his surprised expression, Lin Ying explained the situation of opening the coffee shop to him. After listening to Lin Ying, Zhou Jiye finally understood. Although the coffee shop was not a private enterprise, but rather a contracted partnership with the hotel, they had the final say in the operation. In addition, the profit sharing of the coffee shop was agreed upon in advance, which made things quite good.

"How's the coffee shop business? Where exactly is it located? How big is it...?" Curious, Zhou Jiye asked several questions in a row. Suddenly, he thought of something and couldn't help but ask Lin Ying, "You're working at the coffee shop now, so what about Aqing and Wen's business? Who's in charge?"

“I’m temporarily withdrawing from this project; Aqing and Brother Wen are doing it on their own.”

"You're not doing it anymore?"

Lin Ying nodded and briefly explained the situation to Zhou Jiye. After listening, Zhou Jiye sighed but didn't say anything.

Lin Ying's withdrawal from the partnership was unavoidable. She had inexplicably gone to Hong Kong and couldn't contact them. Moreover, Lin Ying was pregnant, and it was inappropriate for her to continue showing her face and setting up a stall. In addition, the coffee shop had already been planned and was about to open for trial operation. Under these circumstances, there was nothing to say about Lin Ying's voluntary withdrawal.

"They've been worried about you, asking around for news of you. Now that you're back, find some time tomorrow to contact Brother Qing and Brother Wen, and reassure them. They'll definitely be happy to see you. By the way, as for your own plans afterward—whether you intend to continue working with them, do something else, or even work at the coffee shop—think about it yourself and let me know when you've made a decision," Lin Ying said. Zhou Jiye nodded to indicate that he understood, then glanced at Fang Manxia.

"Look at me, Xiao Zhou just got back. He must be exhausted from the journey. Xiao Ying, you too. Get some rest. If there's nothing else, I'll go upstairs now. We can talk about it in a few days. There's plenty of time." With that, Fang Manxia smiled and got up to leave.

At this moment, Zhou Jiye quickly said that he had brought back some gifts from Hong Kong. He helped Fang Manxia upstairs and took the gifts with him.

Fang Manxia smiled and agreed. Zhou Jiye took the gift from his bag and left the room with Fang Manxia. The two went upstairs to Fang Manxia's room on the second floor.

"Grandma, this is something I brought for you." After entering the house, Zhou Jiye put the gift aside.

Fang Manxia looked at Zhou Jiye with a smile. Zhou Jiye understood her meaning and bowed to her respectfully.

"Thank you, Grandma. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have been able to return from Hong Kong so easily this time. By the way, Uncle Zhang asked me to tell you that he wants you to take good care of yourself. He said that if he has the opportunity in the future, he will personally visit you in Shanghai and ask you to stay well."

"Have you seen Zhang Chengsheng? How is he now?" Fang Manxia asked.

“I’ve met him. It was Uncle Zhang who had me taken away from Cheng Jiandong’s place. I stayed at Uncle Zhang’s house for two days before I came back, and it was also his arrangement for someone to bring me back by boat,” Zhou Jiye said. He then told Fang Manxia about some of Zhang Chengsheng’s situation and what he knew. Fang Manxia listened attentively and nodded slightly. After Zhou Jiye finished speaking, she looked at him with emotion.

"It seems he's doing quite well in Hong Kong. That's good, as long as he's a good person. Whether we meet or not isn't that important. Let nature take its course."

"By the way, Grandma," Zhou Jiye hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "This Uncle Zhang doesn't seem like an ordinary person. He has a high status in the Hong Kong underworld. They all call him Uncle. He is...?"

"Hehe, 'Uncle' is a term used within the Hongmen to address elders. It's generally used to refer to senior members with high standing in the martial arts world. However, the rules in the Hongmen are somewhat different from those in Shanghai. Although it's said that 'the lotus is white, the lotus root is green, and the lotus leaf is green, and the three religions are originally one family,' each has its own way of speaking, so they cannot be compared."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiye suddenly realized that he had actually suspected something for a long time, but he had never had the chance to ask. Now, Fang Manxia's words had cleared up his doubts.

"So, Uncle Zhang is considered a member of the Hongmen?"

"It wasn't like that before, but it is now."

"How do you explain that...?"

"Green enters the flood, adorned with red and green." Fang Manxia said this simply and then said nothing more. Zhou Jiye was completely confused and didn't understand the meaning behind her words, but at this point, Fang Manxia didn't want to say anything more about the matter, and even Zhang Chengsheng had no interest in bringing it up again.

He casually mentioned that he had just returned, and as long as he was safe, that was all that mattered. The past was the past, and there was no need to dwell on it. As for this incident, it was simply a favor Zhang Chengsheng owed him years ago. Fang Manxia didn't need that favor anyway; it didn't matter who it was owed. It was a small matter of making a small request, and Zhou Jiye didn't need to worry about it. Now that he was safely back, they could live a peaceful life in Shanghai. Besides, Lin Ying was already pregnant, and their child would be born in a little over three months, making Zhou Jiye a father. He shouldn't think about anything else; that was enough.

Filled with questions, Zhou Jiye returned to his room downstairs. Lin Ying had already changed into loose-fitting home clothes and was half-lying on the bed waiting for him.

"Have you finished talking to Grandma?"

"How did you know I had something to say to Grandma?" Zhou Jiye asked, somewhat surprised.

Lin Ying rolled her eyes at him and said, "I'm not blind. Why would I personally deliver a gift and stay up there for so long? It would be strange if nothing happened. By the way, what did you talk to Grandma about?"

Zhou Jiye thought for a moment and subconsciously reached for a cigarette, but before he could take it out, he saw Lin Ying's big belly and put the cigarette back in his hand.

“This matter is a bit complicated. Well, you can give me some advice.” Zhou Jiye sat down next to Lin Ying and began to tell her in detail some of the details he hadn’t mentioned before.

Lin Ying listened attentively without interrupting until Zhou Jiye finished speaking, at which point she finally understood.

"No wonder……."

"What's the wonder?"

“Grandma once told me not to be impatient and to wait patiently, saying that there would definitely be news about you. I thought it was just comforting words, but I didn’t expect there to be such a thing.” Lin Ying said with gratitude on her face: “Don’t be silly and take what Grandma said to you seriously. This kind of favor is not simple. Uncle Zhang is no ordinary person either. To be able to persuade him to get you out and bring you back safely, you owe him a huge favor.”

"Yes, if it weren't for Uncle Zhang, I don't know when I would have been able to get back. Cheng Jiandong is not a good person to get along with, and the work he does is too risky. He might get into trouble any day, and following him could even cost you your life." Zhou Jiye nodded with emotion. He was well aware of this. Fang Manxia had spoken lightly earlier and told him not to think about it anymore, but how could Zhou Jiye not be grateful for such a favor?
As for Zhou Jiye's incomprehensible words, Lin Ying understood them immediately.

After all, Lin Ying and Zhou Jiye are different. Lin Ying was a native of Shanghai in her previous life, but Zhou Jiye is a new Shanghainese who is drifting in Shanghai.

Some historical anecdotes are difficult for newcomers to Shanghai to understand, but Lin Ying knew them. She whispered a few words of explanation in Zhou Jiye's ear, and after hearing Lin Ying's explanation, Zhou Jiye's face showed indescribable shock. He never imagined that Uncle Zhang would have such an background.

"You should have been able to figure it out."

"why?"

"Do you remember when Grandma took us to visit someone during the New Year?" Lin Ying reminded him, and Zhou Jiye suddenly realized that he hadn't thought of that.

The two couldn't help but feel grateful and kept Fang Manxia's kindness in their hearts. They knew that such kindness needed no words of thanks; they would simply remember it and repay her in the future.

After finishing that, Zhou Jiye suddenly remembered something else and told Lin Ying that he had obtained a Hong Kong ID card and had asked Uncle Zhang to help him buy an apartment. Although he didn't know when he would have the opportunity to go to Hong Kong, he knew he might need these things someday.

"You bought a house? How big is it? Where is it located?" Lin Ying immediately perked up and asked hurriedly.

"It's close to Causeway Bay, about 1,000 feet... oh, that's a little over 90 meters, and it cost 380,000."

"This location is great, and it's quite cheap too. This house will be worth a lot of money in the future." Lin Ying's face lit up with a smile, and she patted her belly happily, saying, "Son, your father has prepared a house for you in Hong Kong. You'll own property now, aren't you happy?"

As they were talking, Lin Ying suddenly cried out in pain. Zhou Jiye was startled and quickly asked what was wrong.

Lin Ying frowned slightly but quickly smiled again: "Your son glared at me excitedly when he heard that you had a house, hehe."

"This brat! Come here, let me hear it..." Zhou Jiye couldn't help but laugh, squatting down and pressing his ear against Lin Ying's belly, listening intently to the sounds coming from her stomach, his face full of happiness.

(End of this chapter)