After dinner, seeing that it was getting late, Gu Xingye and his wife Gu Xingmin left with their children.
“Did the second brother and second sister-in-law argue again?” Chen Lishu asked, wiping her hair with a towel after washing up.
“They said the second brother slapped her, and she’s been yelling about getting a divorce. Mom gave the second brother a talking-to.”
Gu Xingdong looked up from the book in his hands. “It’s hard for even an upright official to settle family disputes. I’ve already spoken to my second brother privately. Mom’s health isn’t good; she had surgery last year. I told him to stop causing unnecessary trouble that worries Mom.”
Chen Lishu nodded and turned to ask, “By the way, how are things going with the military museum you mentioned earlier?”
Gu Xingdong smiled. “It’s not that fast. Building a museum isn’t a small matter; the higher-ups will definitely need to conduct further qualification reviews.”
“The construction company has been developing well these past two years, constantly undertaking construction projects. Have you considered becoming a developer?”
Gu Xingdong completely put down his book and sat up straighter. “I’ve thought about this, but currently, I have the Xicheng planning project. If everything goes smoothly, the museum should also start construction after the new year, and I probably won’t have enough hands.”
“I heard that Ding Chen applied for married housing with his unit, but there’s been no news due to housing shortages at the unit.”
Chen Lishu paused before continuing, “Their unit’s benefits have always been good, but housing is still tight. This time I went to Kyoto, I found the situation there even more strained. Many people, across several generations, are squeezed into a small house of twenty to thirty square meters. Actually, their salaries are much higher than in our provincial capital.”
Chen Lishu had previously worked in the kitchen at construction sites, so she had heard many people talk about the development of the real estate industry.
The 1980s and 1990s were an era of rapid growth for the construction industry, especially after Deng Xiaoping’s southern tour and Shenzhen being designated a special economic zone, leading to the emergence of a property speculation craze.
Although Chen Lishu was eager to get a piece of the pie, she was unfamiliar with the area, and currently, the couple’s business focus was entirely on the provincial capital.
However, her trips to Kyoto on these two occasions made her feel that it was appropriate to gradually shift their focus towards Kyoto and Shanghai.
Kyoto aside, take Shanghai for example. Pudong was still a rural area then, and Lujiazui had not yet been developed. They had plenty of opportunities to seize.
Gu Xingdong understood the implication of her words and indeed began to think seriously.
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke. “The company is developing well in the provincial capital, but we are not familiar with the Kyoto market. The authorities are very strict about land allocation, and it’s unlikely to be easily achieved.”
Chen Lishu remained silent. What he said was indeed a headache.
Gu Xingdong added, “However, since taking on the Xicheng planning project, I’ve had more dealings with people at the higher levels, and I’ve noticed a pattern.”
Chen Lishu asked curiously, “What is it?”
Gu Xingdong: “Although the government strictly controls land, improving residents’ housing is an inevitable trend. Therefore, no matter where it is, old city renovation is a very good entry point. If we want to develop in Kyoto, the company can first undertake a couple of old renovation projects. Once we establish a foothold and build good relationships with the higher-ups, land allocation will naturally follow.”
Although Gu Xingdong’s decision was not wrong, Chen Lishu couldn’t help but sigh, lamenting, “Alas, in the end, development still relies on connections.”
Gu Xingdong smiled. “You’re so young, yet you sigh all day. Be careful, you’ll get wrinkles.”
Chen Lishu pouted. “There’s someone here who seems to be several years older than me.”
Gu Xingdong raised an eyebrow, his voice turning dangerous. “What, you think I’m old?”
Chen Lishu quickly shook her head and denied it. “No, no, I mean you’re strong and vigorous for your age.”
Gu Xingdong stood up, walked to her in a few steps, bent down, and scooped her up from the chair. “You’ve gotten brave, daring to make fun of your husband. Let me show you what it means to be strong and vigorous.”
Chen Lishu’s feet left the ground, and she was so startled that she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, then fearlessly said, “Hmph, who’s afraid of whom? Haven’t you heard the saying, there are only oxen that get tired, never land that gets ruined.”
Gu Xingdong’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he pressed his tongue against his back molars, then said with a half-smile, “I hope your mouth can be this tough in a moment.”
Looking at his chiseled jawline, Chen Lishu’s body trembled uncontrollably, and she whispered pleadingly, “Um, I take back what I just said. Can we just pretend I didn’t say it?”
Gu Xingdong lowered his head, scoffed at her retreating look, and said, “Too late.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Lishu was thrown onto the bed, and then a figure pressed down on her…
Time passed, and a week went by. Rui Rui had also finished his final exams.
When the grades were being distributed, the teacher specifically held a parent-teacher meeting.
This was her son’s first parent-teacher meeting, and Chen Lishu took it very seriously.
The teacher spoke for a long time on stage, mostly communicating with parents about how to improve their child’s academic motivation.
After handing out the report cards, the teacher specifically called out the parents of the students with the worst academic performance.
Teachers at this time were not as cautious as they would be later, needing to consider everyone’s feelings. A damaged sense of self-esteem could easily lead to running away from home or even suicide.
Problems were pointed out by the teachers directly and frankly on the spot.
Some parents even specifically instructed the teachers to discipline their children as they saw fit if they were naughty and troublesome.
Rui Rui’s grades had always been excellent, still a perfect score in both subjects. He was even praised by the teacher as a positive example.
Looking at the envious glances from other parents, Chen Lishu felt incredibly proud.
“Rui Rui’s mother, how do you raise your child? He’s so outstanding at such a young age. I always hear my son mention him; he scores a hundred points every time. How does he study normally?”
As soon as the teacher’s speech concluded, Chen Lishu was immediately surrounded by several parents.
To be honest, Chen Lishu didn’t manage Rui Rui’s studies much. But she knew that if she said that, other parents wouldn’t believe her and might even think she was just unwilling to share, potentially even affecting her son’s impression among his classmates.
So, she thought for a moment and said, “A child’s education should start from a young age. Cultivate his interests and hobbies, and start from areas that capture his interest…”
The parents felt they had learned a lot from her words and immediately decided to try her methods starting this holiday, resolving not to let their children run around wildly all day anymore.
“Rui Rui’s mother, please wait a moment. I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Just as Chen Lishu was preparing to leave, the homeroom teacher suddenly called her back.
“Teacher, is there anything else?”
The homeroom teacher said with a smile, “I’ve been teaching Rui Rui since he enrolled. Rui Rui is a very intelligent student; I can say he’s one of the most outstanding children I’ve taught in so many years. He has already mastered the knowledge I teach, and I’ve seen that the content of many of his extracurricular books has reached the level of fifth graders or even junior high school students.”