Perhaps it was her daughter's persistence and her husband's approval that made Wu Yi temporarily accept Yang Jian, not being overly resistant to him.
As for the procedure of sending a matchmaker to the door, Wu Yi wanted to wait until her son, daughter-in-law, and Chen Xiaoli's eldest and third uncles returned before discussing it. Chen Xiaoli's marriage would be deliberated at a family meeting.
Yang Jian also knew that this prospective mother-in-law was not very satisfied with him, but there was nothing he could do to change it, so he could only leave it to fate.
Upon returning home, he explained the situation to his parents. Yang Shuanglin and his wife could only refrain from seeking a matchmaker for the time being.
Having driven for two or three consecutive days, Yang Jian was quite tired and rested at home for two days before going out.
He first went to his elder sister's house to repay the money. Gao Daqiang's repair shop seemed to be doing poor business, rather quiet.
As the car pulled up to the shop, Gao Daqiang thought it was a customer for repairs or a car wash and quickly ran over to inquire. The moment the car door opened, he froze.
"Damn, Er Jian, is that you? Bought a new car again?"
"Yes, brother-in-law. How is this car?"
Yang Jian looked smug. Young people are all about appearances. Seeing the envious gazes of his brother-in-law and a few apprentices, his vanity was greatly satisfied.
Gao Daqiang, naturally knowledgeable about cars, said, "This car must have cost over three hundred thousand after all expenses. You've only been gone for half a year and made this much money? Did you buy it on loan?"
"Paid in full. It was three hundred and twenty thousand after all expenses."
Yang Hui then came out, "Second brother, when did you get back? And why did you buy another new car?"
"Sister, I got back the day before yesterday. I haven't had this car for long. I'll go to the bank later to return that hundred thousand yuan to you. Let's move the things down first."
Yang Jian had bought quite a few toys and gifts for his two little nephews when he arrived.
While moving the items, Yang Hui complained, "Why did you buy such a nice car again? Aren't you planning to build a house? The land here is getting more and more scarce. Many people are asking us to buy land foundations. We refused them all, thinking you wanted to develop it when you got back. Business at the shop isn't good, and my in-laws' medical expenses are piling up. If this continues, I'll have to sell a few land foundations."
"Sister, give me half a year. Within half a year at most, my funds will be recouped."
Yang Jian calculated that not counting profits, his investments in Baoping Power Plant, including the meal tickets, had already reached over seven hundred thousand yuan. Retrieving this money would be enough to start the development here.
"Alright, if you return this hundred thousand yuan, I'll have enough for now."
"Brother-in-law, business seems a bit slow."
"Yeah, this place is still a bit remote. People in the city get their cars repaired in the city. In the countryside, it's mainly motorcycles. Once there are more cars in the countryside, my business will pick up."
"Then you can only wait patiently. By the way, are there any more disturbances?"
"No, people who come to buy land are all polite. Your reputation in Chengguan is still quite useful."
"As long as no one bothers you, that's good. I'll go to the bank first, then handle some matters. I might come over for lunch."
Yang Jian said goodbye to his sister and brother-in-law and drove to the bank. He transferred a hundred thousand to his sister and thirty thousand to Liu Yong. Liu Chao's words had created a rift between him and Liu Yong. The fact that his cousin was a drug addict was a very serious matter. He would have a good talk with him when he returned for the New Year, but the construction site's operations still needed to be maintained.
After completing the transfers, he called Yu Feng. He intended to get the million yuan from Lu Feng first, and then visit Lu Feng's parents.
"Sister Feng, it's Yang Jian. Where are you?"
"Oh, Yang Jian, are you back?"
"I got back two days ago. I'm in Chengguan now. Is there time to meet?"
"I can't. I'm in Hancheng now. If you have anything, say it over the phone."
Without Lao Gui's threat, and with the unpleasant conversation last time, Yu Feng's tone towards Yang Jian had become much colder.
"When are you coming back? Some things are difficult to explain over the phone."
"I can't say when I'll be back. You know it's nearing the end of the year, and construction companies have the hardest time. I have to stay here and collect money from the clients, otherwise, we won't even be able to pay the workers' wages."
Yang Jian could tell Yu Feng didn't want to meet him and didn't care much, "Alright, I'll be brief. Do you still owe Lu Feng a million yuan? When do you plan to pay it?"
"When did I owe him a million?"
Yang Jian was stunned. Yu Feng's answer surprised him. "Sister Feng, are you planning to embezzle that million yuan?"
"Yang Jian, don't talk nonsense. What's your business with Lu Feng? He's a wanted criminal now. Getting involved with him isn't a good thing. Sister advises you not to wade into that muddy water."
Yu Feng's voice was clearly a little flustered.
"Sister Feng, stop with the useless talk. I'm just asking you one thing: are you going to pay that million or not?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry, I'm very busy right now. We can chat later if there's time."
"You can hang up, but have you considered the consequences? Have you forgotten how Lao Gui died?"
Hearing this, Yu Feng dared not hang up. "Yang Jian, what do you mean? Are you threatening me? I treated you well before, didn't I? If I hadn't helped you with connections, you might still be in there."
"Sister Feng, I'm not falling out with you. I remember your help, but one thing is one thing. It's really not me threatening you. Lu Feng is still out there. Aren't you afraid he'll come back and find you himself?"
"Lu Feng is in contact with you?"
"Sister Feng, it's not convenient to say over the phone. I'll be going away again in three days. You decide for yourself."
Yang Jian hung up the phone after speaking. He really couldn't understand why Yu Feng wanted to embezzle Lu Feng's money. A million yuan wasn't much for her, and besides, it was pooled by three people, so she didn't have to bear it alone.
It seemed he wouldn't get the money anytime soon. Yang Jian decided to visit Lu Qian first. He went to the mall and bought two good brands of cigarettes and some good tea. He knew Lu Qian smoked and liked tea.
He bought two boxes of health supplements and some fruit for Lu Qian's mother, then headed to the Teachers' Village.
The Teachers' Village was next to District No. 1 Middle School, located on the northern outskirts of Chengguan, a bit far from the main urban area of Chengguan. It was connected by a tree-lined avenue called Xuefu Road. During class or holidays, this road was very quiet, with not many vehicles or people passing by, mostly faculty, staff, and their families living in the Teachers' Village.
As Yang Jian turned onto Xuefu Road, his car couldn't move. About twenty meters ahead, a group of people seemed to be arguing, completely blocking the entire road.
After waiting for a few minutes, there was no sign of the road clearing. Yang Jian had no choice but to get out and walk over to see what was happening.
As he approached the crowd and inquired, he learned it was a traffic accident. A young girl riding a scooter had hit a young man, and it seemed to be quite serious.
Yang Jian squeezed his way in and was instantly struck by her beauty. The girl riding the scooter who caused the accident was stunning. She was about 1.7 meters tall, with a slender figure, neither too fat nor too thin. She wore a white down jacket on her upper body and jeans on her lower body, with her hair tied in a ponytail. Her oval face was as delicate as fine jade, with a rosy complexion that seemed to glow, more captivating than movie stars.