Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 372 The Banquet

Xiao Wei whispered, "Hey, are you planning to hang around my house forever? There are plenty of families over there, why don't you buy some land and build one too?"

Chen Hui said, "My family is discussing it. Xiaoxiao wants to buy a house in Riverside Garden, but my mom doesn't really want me to live outside. My dad hasn't said anything yet. What should I do? I've been asking around about land plots. If I find a suitable one, I'll build one too. I went to see your place. It's much better than those villas in Riverside Garden. This is what a villa should be."

Xiao Wei said, "With so many other people's land nearby, is it really that hard to buy?"

Chen Hui shook his head and said, "It's too small. I want to buy one that comes with the land, at least about the same size as yours, right? Damn, there are so few like that. If it's a little too big, it won't fit together. You got a really good deal, you know?"

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "I'm lucky."

Chen Hui punched Xiao Wei on the shoulder and said, "I'll book two rooms and I'll pay for the decorations."

Xiao Wei gave Chen Hui a disdainful look and said, "You're richer than me, aren't you?"

Chen Hui chuckled a few times and said, "I'll be rich next year. You've made this shop so much better than I imagined. You're really awesome. Oh, by the way, are you opening an Anton branch?"

Xiao Wei picked up another fried dumpling and said, "You should discuss this with Fifth Brother. We need to consider his ideas too. Also, about the apprenticeship—his apprentices should get a 10% share of the business they run. Only if he's satisfied and happy can our shop operate smoothly, understand?"

Xiao Hong had already eaten her fill; her little belly was the smallest on the table. Holding a glass of champagne, she sat there watching Xiao Wei and Chen Hui talk. Xiao Lu said to Uncle Wang, "Is this another boss? They seem to get along really well. It looks like he listens to your Xiao Wei."

Uncle Wang nodded and said, "Yes, Chen Hui is a bit older than you. They're partners here. The two brothers get along well. There's also Xia from Longcheng. You'll meet him later. Xiao Wei partners with Xia in Longcheng. It seems like Xiao Wei is the one who calls the shots among the three of them."

Xiao Lu asked, "Where did Xiao Wei graduate from?"

Uncle Wang almost choked on his drink, while Xiao Hong covered her mouth and laughed. Uncle Wang said, "Xiao Wei didn't even graduate from junior high school. He was still farming at home in '88. He only came here because Xiao Hong came to Fengtian to study. It's been like last year, from last September until now."

Little Lu's mouth gaped open so wide it could have swallowed his whole head: "Last September? That's only been eight months?"

Uncle Wang nodded and said, "Yes, I got to know Xiao Hui and Xia Xia after I came here. It seems like we started doing business around the end of October."

Xiao Lu closed his mouth: "Wow, amazing! He got a car worth hundreds of thousands in just six months. That's so discouraging."

Uncle Wang laughed and said, "It's alright. I'm smart enough, and I've made some money. Most importantly, I've made a lot of friends. When you're out in the world, you have to rely on your friends."

After finishing lunch amidst Xiao Lu's confusion and shock, the family left the restaurant and went home so Xiao Lu could familiarize himself with the place. Xiao Lu went back to his workplace, Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang rested at home, and Xiao Wei and Xiao Hong went shopping.

Xiao Hong went to Zhongxing Shopping Mall and New World but didn't buy much, but she was still very happy.

They found the bronze cannon-shaped lighter that Xiao Hong had mentioned in Zhongxing. It was actually the design of the French Napoleon eight-pound cannon. Xiao Wei ordered fifty from the mall. The retail price was 360 yuan, but the mall manager gave him 200 yuan for the fifty. The total cost was 10,000 yuan. He paid half of the deposit and arranged a pickup date.

As they left the mall, Xiaohong pouted and said, "It's so expensive. They must make a lot of money."

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "What can we do? They have the connections. We still need to go out and see the world. Our horizons are too narrow. When you have your vacation, let's go to eastern Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, eastern Guangdong, and Hong Kong Island for a trip to broaden our horizons."

Xiao Hong hugged Xiao Wei's arm and nodded quickly in agreement, her eyes crinkling with laughter. She was tired of hearing her classmates who had been outside often bragging about it in class. Even the most tolerant and good-natured person has vanity and a competitive spirit.

"Oh dear, Xiaoxiao gave birth in August, can we still go?" Suddenly, Xiaohong thought of Chen Xiao again and asked with some concern.

Xiao Wei said, "Go ahead, find Lao Xia to come with us. I'll talk to Chen Hui about it later, just don't let it slip beforehand." Xiao Hong nodded quickly, jumping up and down, "I'll bring Xiao Xiao lots of gifts so she won't be sad." She then giggled.

After strolling around, having some snacks, and watching a movie, the two of them held hands and went home.

At five o'clock in the evening, Xiaowei, Xiaohong, Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang came to the restaurant again. Chen Xiao came over with her pregnant belly and pulled Xiaohong aside to talk.

At 5:20, Old Chen brought Aunt Chen to the shop. This was the first time Xiao Wei and Chen Hui's mother had met. She had a perm and wore a beige overcoat. She was smiling and looked much younger than Old Chen. She was a very kind middle-aged woman who spoke softly. After shaking hands and exchanging a few pleasantries with Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang, she pulled Aunt Wang over to talk to Chen Xiao and Xiao Hong. She looked very happy to be a grandmother.

Old Chen and Uncle Wang sat on one side smoking and talking. Old Chen gave some pointers on his experience working in provincial government agencies. Don't underestimate these points. The ways of survival in government agencies at the township, county, city, and provincial levels are completely different. The difference between a small step and a huge difference is exactly what this means.

At 5:40, Director Wang and his wife entered the house. Director Wang's wife, surnamed Li, was practically a close friend of Aunt Chen. The old acquaintances naturally started chatting immediately. With Aunt Chen leading the way, Aunt Wang naturally joined in as well. At first, Aunt Wang was quite reserved, but she gradually relaxed and opened up. The three of them, gathered around Chen Xiao's large pregnant belly, had plenty to talk about regarding childcare.

The main guests arrived, and a group of people went upstairs to Anji's largest private room. It was also the most expensive.

Upon entering the house, Old Chen sat in the main seat, with Wang Ting and Uncle Wang sitting to his left and right. Then the three wives sat down next to each other, followed by the four younger relatives, Xiao Wei and Chen Hui. Wang Ting's children were away at home because they were in the army.

They sat down, had tea and cigarettes, and the woman continued to discuss her grandson, while the three men talked about their work.

Old Chen pointed at Uncle Wang and said to Director Wang, "He's a lucky man. Look at his daughter, Xiao Hong. She came from a small county to study at Northeast Institute of Technology. Isn't she promising? She's also pretty and has a good personality. She's truly blessed. But the most capable one is her son-in-law. Can you believe that there are still arranged marriages between children these days? This is one of them, and it's actually a marriage between them. Not only is the young couple very loving, but her son-in-law is also quite remarkable."

Director Wang turned to look at Xiao Wei, who was whispering to Chen Hui, and asked, "Xiao Wang, what's your son-in-law doing now?"

(End of this chapter)