Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 373 Blessings for Children and Grandchildren

Uncle Wang glanced at Xiao Wei and said, "Last year, he accompanied Xiao Hong to study here, and afterwards, the young men started a small business."

Old Chen laughed and patted Uncle Wang on the shoulder, saying, "Don't be modest with Uncle Wang, just exaggerate and make him jealous. Uncle Wang and I are comrades-in-arms, not from the same unit but we came back in the same year. We even spent some time together at the beginning. We're buddies, no need to be strangers."

Turning to Director Wang, he said, "He was too embarrassed to say, so I'll tell you. Last September, the young couple came to Fengtian and stayed downstairs from my old apartment. I don't know how they got to know Xiao Hui. There was also Xia Xiao at the time, who is Xia Xiaolan's nephew from Longcheng Chuanzhou. This year, Xia Xiaolan became the Party Secretary and was promoted to Deputy Director."

After that, the three brothers decided to go into business. Xiaowei and Xiaoxia partnered up to open a training center in Longcheng, a public institution under the Longcheng Labor Bureau. They also opened a restaurant. Now, the training center in Longcheng has several hundred students per term, and they've also opened a restaurant, a billiards hall, a karaoke bar, a dance hall, a food factory, a cake shop, and a pig farm. The pig farm was set up after they bought a bed sheet factory in Longcheng.

This restaurant over here was also Xiaowei's idea. Look here, all the planning and decoration details were decided by Xiaowei, including my pig farm and this century-old Anji family business. Xiaowei arranged everything. Isn't he capable? I told my husband Xiaohui, "You need to work with Xiaowei to make this business work. You're not cut out for it."

It took a lot of persuasion before Xiaowei finally agreed, taking 30%. To be honest, only then did I feel a little more at ease. Xiaowei is a loyal guy, he doesn't take advantage of his friends, and he's clear-headed and responsible. I heard from Xiaohui the other day that Xiaowei bought another shop in Andong, right? Over 1600 square meters, he's going to open that shop over there. He's ambitious! Even though he didn't have much formal education, he's very knowledgeable, understands social dynamics, and has great potential.

Wang Ting's expression was similar to Xiao Lu's at noon, a mixture of surprise and jealousy. This is the typical "other people's child"—a dragon that transforms into a dragon when the wind blows. In just half a year, not to mention anything else, how much is 30% of the restaurant right in front of us?

Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang were proud, and Xiao Hong was overjoyed. Xiao Wei, however, felt his face burning. He was a little embarrassed by Old Chen's praise and coughed, saying, "Why is the food taking so long? I'll go check the kitchen." He got up and went out with Chen Hui, and Old Chen laughed heartily.

Director Wang said to Uncle Wang, "Little Wang, we were one family five hundred years ago. I won't say anything behind your back. This is all you need in this life. Everything else is nonsense to you. Your daughter is successful and your son-in-law is capable. Good."

What are we striving for all our lives? When we're young, we're defiant, wanting to prove we're no less capable than others. And later, why? It's all about our children's success. We lay a foundation, hoping to see our children succeed and be more successful than us. But that's not something we can control. Our children and grandchildren have their own destinies; we can't actually change anything. You've got it all figured out.

Uncle Wang said, "This is something I never expected. Who could have imagined it? I always thought Xiaowei was a reliable and trustworthy kid, and the two of them got along well, so I just let things take their course. I never thought it would turn out like this in just over half a year. It feels like a dream."

Old Chen handed cigarettes to the two of them, saying, "Being down-to-earth is the key. Being down-to-earth is fundamental. This kid is quick-witted, willing to learn and think. He's only just gotten started. In a few years, when his horizons broaden, he'll be something else! Haha, my kid is slow, so he'll have to rely on you, his son-in-law, in the future."

Wang Ting lit a cigarette, glanced at Chen Xiao, and said, "Old Chen, you're not being fair. Your child's wedding is such a big deal, and you didn't even tell us. You don't respect your old buddies at all. What are we going to do about it?"

Old Chen laughed and said, "I just had sex, so it's not the right time yet. Let's wait until my grandson's one-month celebration. None of you can escape now, don't worry. Speaking of which, my daughter-in-law has to thank Xiaowei. It was Xiaowei and Xiaxia who brought Xiaoxiao and Xiaohui together. Xiaowei even told me that he'd already chosen a name for the baby, Chen Xiaohui. I agreed, that's what we'll call him, to share in Xiaowei's good luck."

Director Wang said, "You're so sure it's a grandson? What if it's a granddaughter?"

Old Chen laughed and said, "I like my granddaughter too. What difference does it make between a boy and a girl to us? We even have a girl's name, Chen Xiaohui, which sounds like 'Japanese Army Hui.' But even my college-aged son doesn't know what 'Hui' means. It was Xiaowei, a junior high school student, who explained it to me. When he came back and told me, Xiaohui's mother and I were speechless. Why is it that everyone else's child is successful?"

Director Wang shook his head and said, "Forget it, there's no use thinking about this. At most, we'll pave the way, but how they proceed is up to them. Xiao Wang's situation is stable, and yours is almost done. I'm still worried about this. Let's not talk about this anymore. Xiao Wang, be prepared. Come over and familiarize yourself with the job, help me carry some things. With you as my son-in-law, I don't worry about you asking for help. You can use me with peace of mind, haha."

Old Chen nodded and said, "That's right. I wouldn't dare say Xiao Wei makes a lot more now, but he earns over a million a year like it's nothing. He really doesn't care about those government-funded things."

Uncle Wang said, "I'll listen to my superiors. I won't be pretentious; I'll do whatever they tell me to do, and I promise I'll do it well."

Director Wang said, "First, get familiar with the situation and then promote me to a higher level. In the second half of the year, I'll be promoted to deputy director of the Urban Construction Bureau. The current director's term is almost up, and you'll be there to prepare to take over. This will relieve a lot of my worries. To be honest, there's too much going on there, and I can't feel at ease. If something goes wrong, it will be a big deal, and I can't shirk my leadership responsibility."

Uncle Wang was taken aback for a moment and said, "I just got here, is that alright?"

Director Wang laughed and said, "The work is all the same. There's no such thing as something that can or can't be done. We all follow the policies. However, your original rank was a bit low, so it's unrealistic to promote you to a department head right away. You can take over as a section chief for a while as a transition."

Uncle Wang laughed and said, "I originally thought it would be a deputy section chief. I'm happy enough to be a deputy section chief. I've only managed to get a section-level position all these years since I left the military. I'm not even considered a cadre."

Old Chen smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's different, it's different. It's all about fate. Starting from the same platform is so important. Back then, you were transferred from a battalion-level position. If you had gone directly to a provincial-level unit, you would at least be a deputy director-general now. There's no point in saying all this. Just work hard, it's not too late."

Director Wang nodded and said, "It's not late at all, and it hasn't been that long. Are you going back tomorrow? You have a meeting on Monday, so don't let it interfere. Have the personnel department handle the paperwork."

Uncle Wang said, "Go back and tell your workplace to bring some things over. Now that we're both here, we need to make some arrangements at home too."

Director Wang nodded, scratched his head, and said, "You have a place to live, right? Don't worry, I'll find you a decent place so you don't have to move again later. Housing is a bit tight right now. The higher-ups keep trying to cancel welfare housing, which makes things difficult for the lower levels; they're not allowing any more to build."

I've actually been wanting to write more and go all out, but honestly, subscriptions and donations aren't coming in, and my cervical spine is acting up and hurting terribly, so I really don't have much motivation. I've been forcing myself to write and update these past few days during the Lunar New Year holiday, and I really want to rest. I'm exhausted from the inside out.

(End of this chapter)