Wang Dazhu thought for a moment, "The old lady?"
Li Weimin shook his head, "Wrong."
Wang Dazhu waited for him to continue.
"As the saying goes, the youngest son is the grandson, and the old lady's lifesaver. Moreover, the old lady has no son left, so the person she cares about most now is this grandson..."
Zhang Xue had class in the afternoon, so Chen Lishu went home with her after lunch.
Chen Guoping gave her the definitive news two days later.
"I've already made inquiries at the Industry and Commerce Bureau. Just bring all your documents and go there directly."
Chen Lishu hadn't expected him to have already spoken to the Industry and Commerce Bureau. She thanked him repeatedly before hanging up the phone.
That afternoon, she went to the Industry and Commerce Bureau with all her documents.
Since she already knew Han Shengquan and Chen Guoping had put in a good word for her, she obtained her business license the very next day.
"Let's take the children to the amusement park this weekend. Once the factory is busy, who knows when we'll have the time? I won't feel at ease if Mom and Sister Yue take the three children out alone." Da Feng Fiction Network
"Alright, I'll arrange my work for the next couple of days. By the way, you'll need staff for the factory, right? I'll tell Xiao Li to help you plan it out."
Xiao Li was an engineer Gu Xingdong had hired at a high price. He was not only technically proficient but also skilled at drawing blueprints.
Chen Lishu smiled, "I was just about to mention that to you, and you've already brought it up. Honey, you're so good."
Gu Xingdong crossed his left leg over his right, a slight smirk on his lips and a hint of roguishness in his eyes, "No need for thanks. I prefer to express myself through actions."
Chen Lishu: "..."
Liu Yuemin pulled the remaining basket of green vegetables under the counter and put it away. She straightened up and wiped the sweat from her forehead. There was still a large bag of potatoes and squash in the aisle. She turned to find Gu Xingmin, but he had vanished at some point.
When she laboriously dragged the bags into the counter area, she was so hot it felt as if she had just been in a sauna. The collar of her gray short-sleeved shirt was already soaked with sweat, turning a darker shade of gray.
Zhang Xiaoju sealed the mouths of all the seasoning bags, then picked up the bags from the table. After pulling down the iron shutter of the shop, she took her daughter Gu Pan's hand and walked towards the market entrance.
It was Saturday today, and the two families had agreed to take their children to Gu Xingdong's house, and to visit his mother, Li Xiulan, along the way.
As the mother and daughter emerged from a side shop, they saw Gu Xingmin standing with a woman not far away, speaking softly.
Zhang Xiaoju recognized the woman; she was another stall owner selling fruit in the market.
Zhang Xiaoju didn't think much of it. Just as she was about to call out to him, she saw Gu Xingmin take out a wad of money from his pocket and hand it to the woman. The amount wasn't large, mostly small bills.
Initially, the woman refused. After a brief tug-of-war, the woman blushed and accepted the money.
Zhang Xiaoju's gaze flickered. She pulled her daughter forward a few steps and called out nonchalantly, "Second Brother."
Gu Xingmin turned, his smile freezing for a moment. "Why is it just you and your daughter? Where's the fourth?"
The woman standing opposite Gu Xingmin glanced at Zhang Xiaoju and said nothing before turning to leave.
"He went to order materials. He should be back soon."
Gu Xingmin nodded, and they walked towards the shop entrance together.
"The moment there's work to be done, you disappear. I've done all this by myself. Those three little brats have run off somewhere to play, and not one of them cares about me. I'm just destined to work hard..."
Liu Yuemin was lowering the shutter when she saw him and immediately put on a sour face to start complaining.
"I told you to wait for me to do this. Come here, let me see. Your hands are all red." Gu Xingmin stepped forward with a grin and took her hands to blow on them.
All of Liu Yuemin's anger dissipated under his breath.
She gave him a sidelong glance and her gaze fell on Zhang Xiaoju.
"Fourth sister-in-law, what are you carrying?"
Zhang Xiaoju smiled, "Since I was passing by, I brought some seasonings for Third sister-in-law and the others. This should be enough for a while."
Seeing that she had brought something, Liu Yuemin's smile became a little awkward. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I've already locked up. Otherwise, I would have brought some vegetables too."
Gu Xingmin said, "The remaining vegetables aren't very fresh. I just saw the fish stall is still open. How about you give me two yuan, and I'll go buy two fish?"
Liu Yuemin was displeased, "We sell vegetables ourselves, why buy fish? Besides, Mom and Third sister-in-law aren't stingy people. And I only gave you two yuan yesterday; where has it gone so quickly?"
Gu Xingmin didn't want to explain in front of his sister-in-law. Just then, Gu Xingye came in from outside, and the matter of buying fish was dropped.
"Daddy." Seeing her father's figure, Gu Pan immediately let go of Zhang Xiaoju's hand and ran towards Gu Xingye.
As the two families arrived, Chen Lishu and Zhao Qiuyue were cooking. With the addition of several older brothers and sisters in the house, Xiaobai and Xiaochengzi were overjoyed. The children's chirping and clamor almost seemed to lift the roof.
"I think Linlin seems to have lost weight recently. He talks less than before. Don't just focus on your business; pay more attention to the children." Li Xiulan said to Gu Xingmin and his wife while looking at her grandson, whose chin had become noticeably sharper.
Gu Xingmin shoveled a large mouthful of rice and said dismissively, "The child is growing, and besides, what could happen at school? Mom, you worry too much."
Gu Lin's face was almost buried in his bowl.
After dinner, everyone sat around chatting, while the children talked in the upstairs room.
Gu Ming envied, "Fourth Brother, your home is so nice. Not only is there good food, but you can also watch TV as you please. I don't want to leave."
Rui Rui was the fourth among his uncles and cousins.
Rui Rui replied, "My mom won't let me watch TV until I finish my homework, and there's a time limit. She only allows me half an hour each day. Watching too much is bad for my eyes."
"I don't want to go to school anymore," Gu Lin said suddenly, lying on the bed with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
Rui Rui frowned, "Why?"
Gu Lin explained, "My classmates all laugh at me for being from the countryside, and the teacher sides with them. It's clearly their fault, but I'm always the one they scold. They even make me apologize to them. The city isn't good at all."
Gu Ming sniffled, "My classmates also laugh at me, but I'm good at playing marbles, so they're happy to be on my side."
Rui Rui frowned, "If it's not your fault, why should you apologize? Your teacher is wrong."
Gu Lin rolled over, "Next time they dare to mock me, I'll beat them until they're spitting teeth."
Before they left, upon hearing Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong mention taking the children to the amusement park, Liu Yuemin decided to leave her three children behind.
"We're busy at the shop and don't have time to take the children out to play. Third sister-in-law, you don't have any objections, do you?"
Looking at the children's eager eyes, Chen Lishu nodded and turned to Zhang Xiaoju, "Fourth sister-in-law, why don't you leave Panpan too? You can pick them up tomorrow evening."