1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 204 Father's love is as solid as a mountain, yet he still harbors some resentment about what happened back then.
A bizarre thought involuntarily popped into Fu Zheng's mind: if his younger brother spoke, he would lose his son, and Xiao Rui Rui would abandon him without hesitation and throw herself into the arms of him and his wife.

"It seems I don't need to say anything more."

Gu Bin patted Rui Rui's head and smiled with exceptional kindness: "Rui Rui has already given the answer herself."

"whee."

Little Rui Rui chuckled and snuggled closer to her father, escaping his clutches.

Fu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief; at least his son was still his, and hadn't been taken away by anyone.

-

When the old man passed away, not only the eldest brother returned, but also the father of the two brothers.

After five years apart, Gu's father was as energetic and imposing as ever. Upon seeing his youngest son, whom he had not seen for a long time, his usually stern face showed a rare hint of tenderness.

“I’ve heard about what happened to you in Shanghai. Here’s 100,000 yuan. Take it first. If you need more, just let me know. Xiyu is a teacher, and her salary isn’t high. As her husband, you can’t just do nothing and let your wife support you.”

"I am capable of earning money and do not need your help."

Gu Bin looked at the brown paper bag handed to him, feeling a mix of emotions.

He took all of his parents' savings from before their divorce to the United States to pay for his mother's medical treatment.

Soldiers don't earn much money. Even though my father is a regimental-level officer, it's not easy for him to come up with 100,000 yuan at once.

This money is probably all the savings he has right now.

Despite his father's love being as strong as a mountain, he still felt uncomfortable and harbored resentment towards his father's past heartlessness.

“What you earn is yours; this is Dad’s thoughtfulness.”

Fu Zheng, wanting to ease the tension between the father and son, accepted the gift on his behalf.

"I don't need the money."

Gu Bin tried to refuse, but before he could finish speaking, Fu Zheng had already shoved the brown paper bag into his hand.

"You two brothers chat, I'm going to check on your grandma."

Gu's father didn't give him another chance to refuse. He patted Fu Zheng on the shoulder and strode into the mourning hall.

Gu Bin had imagined many times what it would be like for father and son to meet again, but he never imagined it would be like this.

The 100,000 yuan brown paper bag weighed heavily on his heart, leaving him with a complex and difficult feeling.

Where is Xi Yu?

Seeing his dejected expression, Fu Zheng changed the subject, asking, "Why didn't I see her? Didn't she come back with you?"

"I've gone back to my parents' home."

When his beloved wife was mentioned, Gu Bin's eyes lit up: "I told her to go back and say hello to her family first, and then visit her in a couple of days after Grandpa's funeral."

Fu Zheng looked worried: "Her family doesn't know you're back yet?"

"They didn't say it before, but they should know now."

Gu Bin smiled wryly: "It probably didn't go well, otherwise, with her cheerful personality, she would have called to boast about it long ago."

"what's your plan?"

Fu Zheng patted his shoulder reassuringly: "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"no need."

Gu Bin didn't want to involve both families: "Let's talk about it after Grandpa's business is over. I'm not in the mood to deal with them right now."

"Just let me know if you need anything."

Fu Zheng smiled knowingly and said no more.

-

No. 1 Xigengdao Street.

Wu Meng racked her brains, trying to alleviate her friend's depression by talking about buying a house: "Even if I don't buy in Jinan, my parents want to buy one. Let's settle this as soon as possible. While you're still in school, let's look around Jinan, choose a suitable property, and buy two adjacent houses. It will be much more convenient for us to go back to our hometown for holidays. We can just take a taxi together after getting off the train, and we won't even have to go through any detours."

"You're shopping too?"

Lin Xiyu looked surprised: "Our school starts late, aren't you going back to work? Taking too much leave will get you docked pay, right? Be careful, or your boss might fire you if he's unhappy."

"Let's open it then."

Wu Meng didn't take it seriously: "His company is a mess, I quit a long time ago."

"If you don't want to work for him, where do you want to work?"

Lin Xiyu sighed and rubbed her forehead: "Foreign companies have the best benefits these days. Many people are desperate to get in, and you still want to quit?"

"Hey, Xiyu!"

Wu Meng's eyes darted around, and she tentatively asked, "Gu Bin is quitting being a lawyer, is he going to start his own business?"

"What do you want to do?"

Lin Xiyu raised an eyebrow and glanced at her with some surprise.

"I am an accountant."

Wu Meng volunteered, "He owns a company, which would be a good help. I've had enough of working for a foreign company, so I might as well quit and work for him. With your connection, I'm sure he won't treat me unfairly."

Lin Xiyu suddenly realized: "Your little scheme is almost backfiring on me."

"If you don't object, it means you agree."

Wu Meng, fearing she might say no, spoke up again.

"Gu Bin did mention wanting to start his own business, but I don't know exactly when."

Lin Xiyu sighed and rubbed her forehead: "How long are you going to wait for him to start a company? Maybe by the time you get there, he'll still be resting at home."

"Won't."

Wu Meng was certain: "Gu Bin isn't the kind of person who'll be idle. Even if he says he'll stay home with you, he's just moving his work location from the office back home. Being at home won't affect his work."

"You seem to know him better than I do?"

Lin Xiyu was stunned for a moment, then smiled leisurely: "The way you are makes me have to re-evaluate your relationship."

"Uh."

Wu Meng was embarrassed and subconsciously explained, "Don't misunderstand, I have absolutely no private dealings with him."

"Why can't I believe what you say?"

Lin Xiyu didn't believe her and looked at her suspiciously.

"Cough cough."

Wu Meng gave an awkward laugh and was about to explain further when her cousin called, rescuing her from the embarrassing situation.

Sister Leilei is such a good person!
Good man rewarded.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and abundant wealth!

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and casually gave her cousin a "good person" card.

"Xiyu, I heard from Grandma that you're back from Shanghai? Why didn't you tell me? Your aunt and uncle want to meet you. My brother and sister-in-law are home too, so let's have lunch together. I've already booked a private room. It'll be at 11 a.m. at Luyuntang Old Jinan Shandong Cuisine Restaurant in Xianxi Alley."

As always, her older cousin cared about her younger sister and called her immediately upon hearing the news.

"it is good."

Lin Xiyu didn't want to refuse her cousin's kindness, so she looked up at the clock on the wall, estimated the time, and smiled as she agreed.

"Sister Leilei is treating you to dinner? How wonderful!"

Seeing that she had hung up the phone, Wu Meng grinned and said, "She's a rich woman now, isn't she? She's making a killing with her own company."

"It's not an easy job for them either."

Lin Xiyu knew perfectly well: "The construction industry is full of debts, and there are quite a few people who are owed money for their projects. The closer it gets to the New Year, the tighter the cash flow becomes. The company has dozens of employees, and they all depend on her for their livelihood. Before the New Year, when we were trying to collect the debt, my cousin led a group of people to block the other party's gate. I heard that it was quite a scene. The workers were banging gongs and shouting slogans, demanding that they pay. Police cars even came to maintain order, for fear that a fight would break out and someone would get killed."

"Sister Leilei is so fierce?" Wu Meng was stunned.

“It won’t work this way!”

Lin Xiyu sighed softly, "Do you think making money is easy? Those in the construction industry are most afraid of being owed money. These days, when they do renovations, they have to pay upfront. For a single building, they have to pay at least a hundred thousand or two. If they don't get their money back, how can they not be anxious and upset?"

"hiss?"

Wu Meng gasped, her heart pounding in shock: "They're putting in so much money upfront? Why do they have to renovate an entire building? Can't they just do residential renovations?"

"I'm quitting the home renovation business."

Lin Xiyu smiled wryly: "Home renovation maintenance is very troublesome. Some people have been renovating for several years, and when problems arise, they still find fault. If their own water pipes leak and the walls get wet, they insist that the renovation was not done well and demand compensation. My cousin tolerated it at first and let the workers fix it for them, but after a while, she got annoyed and simply withdrew from the home renovation market to focus on taking large orders and renovating large buildings."

Wu Meng was unfamiliar with the market and a bit confused: "It's just renovating a building, there shouldn't be that much work, right?"

"Of course not."

Lin Xiyu smiled good-naturedly and patiently explained, "Haven't you heard the saying in the antique business? 'No business for a year, but when you do, you can live off it for a year.' It's the same in the renovation business. Renovating one building a year is enough to keep the company running normally."

"Xi Yu, I've discovered you know so much!"

Wu Meng realized: "You're so good at business. Why don't you just quit your job and start your own business? I have faith in you."

What good is it if you think highly of me?

Lin Xiyu laughed when she heard this: "I don't even think I have the courage to give up a stable job and live a life where I don't know where my next meal will come from."

"Being a teacher is a stable job, but the salary is too low."

Wu Meng works for a foreign company and is used to job hopping. She has her own set of insights: "Especially in Shanghai, a little over 3,000 yuan a month is not enough to live on. After deducting rent and utilities, there is not much money left. So it seems that working for a foreign company is more promising. At least the pay is higher and life is not so tight. For this reason alone, I can tolerate any dirty tricks."

"Gu Bin wants to start his own business, and I can't keep messing around with things."

Lin Xiyu had a plan in mind: "At least one of us needs to have a stable job so that we can have security."

Wu Meng didn't take it seriously: "With property values ​​appreciating so fast these days, if you two buy a few more, the rental income alone will be enough to live on for a lifetime."

You're dreaming.

Lin Xiyu shook her head: "Life is long, and no one knows what will happen. Besides, starting a business requires capital, and the initial investment is considerable before any results are achieved."

"Didn't you also sell clothes with your aunt?"

Wu Meng added, "Selling clothes can earn you ten or twenty thousand a year, so why would you need to worry about money?"

"The little money we make is just small-scale."

Lin Xiyu joked, "In the eyes of the big boss, it's not even enough to fill a gap between his teeth."

Without thinking, Wu Meng blurted out, "The big boss you're talking about must be someone like Wang Fan, right?"

Lin Xiyu's pretty face darkened, and she stopped smiling.

"Ugh, look at my mouth!"

Wu Meng regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth: "Why did I bring him up? He's a menace, hated wherever he goes."

"Is your cousin still in contact with him?"

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed displeasure, which made Wu Meng's heart skip a beat again.

"Ah? You know?"

"Do you think Gu Bin would keep this from me?"

"Uh"

Wu Meng was embarrassed, her heart pounding wildly.

Fearing that she might reveal the truth about her secret dealings with Gu Bin, and that the siblings had ulterior motives and had done many things behind her back.

"Forget it, Wang Fan was in the wrong, so I won't blame him."

Fortunately, Lin Xiyu did not expose her little scheme. Seeing that she was frightened and looked flustered, she couldn't bear it and did not blame her anymore.

"Xi Yu, it's me."

Wu Meng looked conflicted, hesitating whether or not to tell the truth.

With a woman's sixth sense, she felt that Lin Xiyu seemed to know something, and her gaze was full of meaning.

"It's getting late, I have to go."

Lin Xiyu did not pursue the matter further and let her off the hook once again.

Clever as she is, how could she not notice her friend's unusual behavior?

Wu Meng's interactions with Gu Bin were obvious to her; she could guess the underlying meaning without even needing to guess.

Each test was merely an attempt to give her a way out.

As for the deal between Zhao Yuncheng and Wang Fan, Gu Bin didn't actually mention it.

She would know because she didn't sleep well on New Year's Eve and vaguely heard a few words.

Gu Bin didn't want her to know, so she didn't ask.

Pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth is simply because you don't want to affect your relationship with someone unrelated to you.

-

"You're dressed too lightly, you don't even have a coat. Put on my coat."

Seeing that she was really leaving, Wu Meng hurriedly tried to be attentive and took out her own coat from the wardrobe.

Her coat was scarlet, a bit too bright.

Lin Xiyu glanced at it, her brows furrowing slightly.

Grandpa Fu just passed away, it's inappropriate for him to wear such bright colors.

"Do you have any black ones? I'm going back to the military compound this afternoon to keep vigil for Gu Bin."

"I don't have one, but my mom does, though the style is a bit outdated."

Wu Meng belatedly realized what was happening and slapped her forehead in frustration.

"fine."

Lin Xiyu didn't have time to be picky: "It's good enough that you have it. Can I borrow it for a couple of days?"

"Okay, I'll go find you something more suitable."

Wu Meng lifted the curtain and went to the outer room. After a while, she came back in with a short, pure black down jacket that looked like a blazer: "This is a new one my mom bought. She hasn't worn it much. Try it on."

"it is good."

Lin Xiyu didn't hesitate and took the clothes.

The short down jackets of the 1990s were fluffy and baggy, with the hem tied at the waist, making the wearer look bulky and like a loaf of bread.

Therefore, ordinary people jokingly call it "bread clothes".

Lin Xiyu looked in the mirror and thought she looked a bit ridiculous in the outfit.

"Hey, hey."

Wu Meng laughed awkwardly, "I told you my mom's clothes were a bit old-fashioned, why don't you wear my coat instead?"

"No, this one will do."

Lin Xiyu turned up the hood of her down jacket, put it on her head, and then zipped the front of the jacket all the way up, revealing only her delicate, fair face.

Do you need a scarf?

Wu Meng very attentively handed over her scarf: "Cover your face too, so no one will recognize you."

"I'm not a thief."

Lin Xiyu smiled and playfully scolded, "Why are you covering yourself up so thoroughly?"