sbdcsierra Chapter 1868 An Old Friend Visits
Chapter 1868 An Old Friend Visits
Chapter 1868 An Old Friend Visits
Lin Xiuqing was preoccupied with this matter and couldn't stay in bed any longer, so she quickly got up and urged Ye Yaodong to get up as well.
"Get up quickly! Don't you have to go to work this morning? It's already 9 o'clock. What kind of work are you doing? By the time you get to work, everyone else will have already left."
Ye Yaodong reluctantly crawled out of bed, shivering from the cold. "I'm the boss. I can start work whenever I want."
"I keep saying there's a lot to do at the end of the year, but you don't seem to have that much to do."
"No way, after working so hard, I need to sleep until I naturally wake up so I can be full of energy to continue fighting the next day."
He kept hissing and shaking his arms and legs, quickly put on his clothes and pants, and only then did he feel warm again.
"Getting out of bed in the dead of winter is really a difficult thing."
"That's how it is for lazy people, while diligent people get up early in the morning to go to work and find things to do."
"So lazy people are happier. You don't need to know too many things. The more you know, the more you can do."
The couple chatted idly for a while, then went to eat breakfast after washing up, and then one went to work or the other strolled around.
Ye Yaodong went to his office to handle some business. Lin Xiuqing had nothing to do, so she wandered around the factory. She wanted to say a few words to Lin Huixin, but seeing that she was at work, she didn't bother her.
However, instead of talking to Lin Huixin, I saw Ye Chengjiang coming down from the dormitory building near lunchtime.
“Ah Jiang.”
"Ah, Third Aunt? When did you arrive?" Ye Chengjiang greeted her with a smile, looking very energetic.
Lin Xiuqing walked beside him and casually asked, "Did you just wake up last night? Did you work the night shift yesterday?"
"Yes, I didn't get back to sleep until four or five in the morning, I just woke up."
"It's almost time to get off work. Should we go find Huixin for lunch now?"
"Yes, let's go wait for her to get off work and have lunch together. Uncle should be up by now, right?"
"He was in his office. You and Huixin were living together?"
Ye Chengjiang was startled by her sudden question and didn't know how to react for a moment.
"Huh? Uh-huh, ah, hehe." He mumbled in response, unsure of what to say, completely unprepared.
This wasn't just his aunt, but Lin Huixin's own aunt. How was he supposed to respond? What was he supposed to say?
Lin Xiuqing frowned and looked up at him, "You young people don't know what's important. How can you act so recklessly? You're not even married yet, you have to be careful."
"We'll get married when we go back home for the Chinese New Year. We've already agreed on it. I've also called my parents and told them to start preparing in advance. We'll get engaged and married together before the New Year. Whether you're rich or poor, getting a wife makes the New Year even better."
Lin Xiuqing felt relieved after hearing him say that. "That's good. I was just afraid that if you hadn't agreed on it, Huixin would have ended up with you without knowing why."
"I'm not the kind of person who starts something and then abandons it. I'll definitely take responsibility, Auntie. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with being with me."
“You two need to be more mindful of yourselves. You're not married yet, and living together can easily lead to gossip.”
"No, not many people know we live together, only her dorm knows. Anyway, we'll get married when we get back."
Lin Xiuqing didn't want to interfere too much, since that's what she'd said, so she didn't say anything more.
The two were thinking that they could get married as soon as they got back, so they quickly got their tickets.
Thinking about this made her worried. She didn't want her daughter to be tricked into marrying someone else before she was even married. It was one thing if it was someone else's child, but she would be furious if it happened to her own child.
After Lin Huixin got off work, she felt guilty and nervous knowing that she was going to have dinner with Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong.
Living together is fine, but it's always a bit awkward when family members find out and even witness it.
However, Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong didn't say much during the meal. They had already given Ajiang a heads-up, and girls are shy, so they should say less in front of so many people.
But after the meal, Lin Xiuqing still pulled her aside and whispered a few words to her, telling her to be careful not to get pregnant, as it wouldn't look good to get married with a big belly.
Her face turned bright red, down to her ears and neck, and she nodded and ran away.
Ye Yaodong watched curiously from afar, and when he got closer, he asked Lin Xiuqing, "What were you saying? You ran off without even turning your head."
"They didn't say anything, just told the two of them to go back and get married immediately."
"Then I can go to your parents' house for two wedding banquets during the Spring Festival."
"It's not just two events. We have to eat two when we move, two when we get married, and then there's our own family here. We'll be eating for many days straight during the Lunar New Year."
"My second sister-in-law can finally hold her head high this year. She's probably grinning from ear to ear. It's finally her turn to have a wedding banquet. She doesn't have to be busy for other people all year round, helping them get married and take care of their grandchildren."
Lin Xiuqing chuckled, "Every year during the Spring Festival, there's chaos and I have to curse Ajiang, but this year I finally don't have to."
"If she gets married while pregnant, my second sister-in-law will be overjoyed. It's like buying one and getting one free. She'll be able to hold her grandson soon after the wedding. She'll get everything done faster than everyone else."
"No way, it's not good to get married while pregnant. People will gossip and talk. A young woman should marry a respectable and innocent man."
"It's all the same anyway, everyone ends up getting married."
"What if your daughter gets pregnant without anyone noticing, and then insists on marrying a man..."
Ye Yaodong quickly stopped him, his face darkening. "Alright, stop making these ridiculous analogies. This isn't a good example to apply directly. My daughter is still in middle school, but you still need to keep a close eye on her. Girls mature early, and you don't want her to be led astray."
"No, they're picked up from school every morning and evening. They won't be left out in the dark. The two sisters go to and from school together, so they'll keep each other company. They can't hide anything from each other."
"Yeah, don't compare everything to your daughter."
Lin Xiuqing was innocent, but he did not refute it.
Double standards.
If Zheng Shuya were pregnant now, he would probably happily go to her door to propose marriage, and after the child is born, he would give her a big red envelope, a house, and a car.
However, she was unaware of the progress between Ye Chenghu and Zheng Shuya. Both of them were in college, and at most they would come back on weekends to catch up on their classes, stay for two nights, and then leave. She hadn't noticed anything.
Forget it, if I didn't see it, I'll pretend I didn't know anything. Anyway, no trouble was caused, so let them clean it up.
The two had just finished eating when Ye Yaodong's phone rang.
"Father! Mother went to see you yesterday but didn't take us with her! And she didn't even tell us she was going to see you."
Ye Xiaoxi's loud questioning came from the other end of the phone.
"I didn't even know you were back. My aunt said she went to Zhoushan. I was wondering why she went there when you weren't there."
"When I asked my aunt, she said she didn't know either. When I called her, she just said she would come to the factory to take a look."
"It wasn't until I received your letter this morning, and read that you estimated you'd be back in about two weeks, that it dawned on me. Judging by the time, you must have already returned, and she must have gone looking for you."
"She didn't even tell us you were coming back, and she didn't let us come with her. She just sneaked off on her own. That's too much."
Ye Yaodong listened to her rambling on and on, and said with a smile, "Aren't you going to have your final exams soon? Your mother wants you to stay home and study hard so you can get good grades. Anyway, it's only a little over a week until your final exams, so it won't make a difference."
"It's not a big deal if it's just a few days. Going to Zhoushan for two days won't affect our exams."
"How could it not have an impact? Your mother isn't staying for just two days; she'll stay for several more days. Who will take you back then?"
"She's going to stay a few more days? She's just leaving us behind to go find you, and she doesn't want to come back. I want to go too!" Ye Xiaoxi said, stamping her foot as she spoke.
"Come over when you're on holiday. Remember to prepare double the New Year's money for me then. We made a bet before I left. If I come back on time, you have to give me double the New Year's money. If I don't come back on time, I'll give you double. Remember that?"
Ye Xiaoxi's attention immediately shifted, and she stopped arguing about going. She muttered softly, "You still remember?"
"Of course, I keep my word. Now I'm not only coming back on time, I'm coming back early, so you have to prepare my New Year's money."
"Okay, then you wait."
"What about brother?"
"My second brother was pretending to be holding an English book, but actually he was listening intently to my phone call."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
The faint sounds of the twins laughing could be heard over the phone, along with Ye Chengyang's angry and embarrassed explanations and chuckles.
He took the phone from Ye Xiaoxi's hand. "Dad, when did you get back?"
"You're not pretending to read anymore?"
"No, I'm just waiting for her to finish before I answer the phone."
"I've only been back for less than a week. I've been busy lately, working until the wee hours of the morning today. You won't see me even if you come. Don't bother, just come over when winter break starts."
"We'll finish our exams and be on vacation in about a week."
"That will be soon."
Ye Yaodong chatted with the brother and sister for a while before hanging up, as he still had to go out to collect payments.
Lin Xiuqing, having nothing else to do, went along too. Since she could drive, it would be more convenient for her, and she could also accompany him to a business dinner in the evening and drive him home.
Ye Yaodong also avoided riding his motorcycle in the cold wind, and then drinking too much at night, leaving the motorcycle lying around, waiting for someone to pick it up the next morning.
With his wife around, Ye Yaodong felt much more at ease. It was easier for him to come and go as he pleased, and it was even easier for him to get home at night. He no longer had to worry about drinking himself to death and not being able to get home.
Lin Xiuqing handed over the matters in Shanghai to others and stayed a few extra days.
Before she was about to return to Shanghai, she unexpectedly ran into Chen Jianian visiting.
This person called Ye Yaodong in advance, and Ye Yaodong got up early the next day to receive him.
Ye Yaodong was also a little surprised. After Ye Yaodong helped Chen Jianian a few years ago and paid off the debts he had advanced, Ye Yaodong stopped caring about him. He was busy with his own affairs.
In the past few years, he spent most of the year at sea. He only went away from the sea briefly in the last two years, but he was busy developing the market and traveling around, so he didn't have time to pay attention to Chen Jianian.
All I know is that Chen Jianian has been focusing on running a shrimp processing workshop for the past few years. Now, after several years of development, the workshop has expanded into a small factory and is thriving.
It can be considered a remarkable turnaround.
It was a bit unexpected. Why did I suddenly contact him?
When I received the call yesterday evening, he was at a dinner party and didn't have time to say much. We just agreed to meet at the factory this morning, so we couldn't talk on the phone.
Lin Xiuqing was originally supposed to return to Shanghai early this morning, but she deliberately stayed an extra half day, so she was curious why she came to see her.
The couple drank too much in the middle of the night and couldn't communicate. They only managed to exchange a few words the next morning.
"He's never missed sending New Year's gifts, always delivering them to the gatekeeper, but I've never seen him come to visit. I wonder why he suddenly came this time?" Ye Yaodong asked, puzzled.
"Maybe it's someone delivering New Year's gifts again? They used to only deliver to the gatekeeper because they knew you were busy at the end of the year, so now they're thinking of coming over for a visit?"
"That's possible. They'll probably just send over New Year's gifts and then chat for a bit, right?"
"We'll find out when we get there. This guy is amazing; he went bankrupt twice, but he's back now."
"His life has been quite bumpy, with several ups and downs. I didn't expect him to be so lucky in his old age, starting to make a fortune again in middle age. Life is full of ups and downs."
Ye Yaodong was also a little emotional. He had a smooth life, but most people's lives were ordinary and uneventful. It was not easy to live a life with ups and downs.
"Indeed, most people would be finished after experiencing the first ups and downs, but he was able to experience it twice. Luckily, he met you, who gave him a hand, and now he can be considered successful in his middle age."
"So, your forties and fifties are the perfect age to work hard, and it's never too late to start a business."
"Come on, you're already thinking about retiring at 40, it's only because everything's going smoothly for you. Most people at that age are still working hard."
"Let's go, they should be here soon. Let's grab some breakfast first, then head to the office."
The two walked and talked, both about Chen Jianian.
Ten years ago, when Chen Jianian was fishing for jellyfish in Vancouver, his fleet clashed with local fishing boats, resulting in a gunfight with heavy casualties. Fortunately, he was detained by the local police, while he escaped with his family.
Unexpectedly, I ran into Ye Yaodong in Zhoushan. At that time, he had gone bankrupt and his goods were lost in a storm on the ship.
Fortunately, the person was unharmed and safe.
Ye Yaodong thought that when the other person was unlucky the first time, he had also been affected by some karma, and he wanted to repay that karma. So at that time, he gave him goods to offset the debt owed by other factories.
After he gradually paid off the debt, Ye Yaodong stopped paying attention to it.
The Chen family sends him New Year's gifts every year, so the two haven't seen each other much, but they still maintain a slight relationship through these gifts.
When they arrived, they had no idea what the other party wanted, so they waited in the office.
Around 9 o'clock, Chen Jianian arrived on time. He looked much older, but his spirits were still quite good.
Perhaps it's because he's achieved success in his career these past few years and has recovered, but he looks radiant.
Ye Yaodong greeted him with a smile and made him tea, saying, "Brother, you've made a fortune these past few years."
"Mr. Ye, you're joking. How can I compare to your booming business? I'm just making a living."
"It's not just about making a living, is it? I heard your factory produces a lot of dried shrimp every year, and it's all sold to Southeast Asia."
"I'm just trying to make a living. I came to ask when you're going back to your hometown, and I'd like to hitch a ride with you."
"Oh?"
He smiled bitterly and said, "I owe several lives and debts of gratitude, which I have to repay. Otherwise, I won't dare to close my eyes in peace for the rest of my life."
(End of this chapter)