"I didn't expect Professor He to help at first. I originally wanted to save some money to take my mother to a better hospital, but Professor He heard about my family situation and said he knew a psychiatrist."
Xu Ning smiled at Chen Lishu as she spoke, "It's also thanks to your help that I can afford to get treatment for my mother. Lishu, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? Besides, those clothes would have been accumulating dust in the shop anyway, and you helped me out too, didn't you?"
Xu Ning smiled and didn't say any more polite words.
It was always easy to add splendor to a flourishing business, but difficult to send charcoal in the snow. To have met Chen Lishu and gained such a friendship was her good fortune.
After parting ways with Xu Ning, Chen Lishu returned home.
The next day, He Ziyu paid a visit.
"I heard you've been setting up a factory lately. Are you encountering any difficulties?"
Chen Lishu pursed her lips and stated directly, "The factory needs to import several pieces of equipment from abroad."
He Ziyu nodded, "It shouldn't be a big problem. Just give me a list of the equipment you need."
Chen Lishu glanced at his complexion and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, "You don't look too well. Haven't you contacted Ruirui's mother yet?"
He Ziyu pinched his brow.
Because of He Zinian's incident, Father He and Mother He, and by extension him, were implicated. When he found Rui Rui, he had called the other party immediately. After a pause, the other party had simply said, "I understand."
"Auntie knows that you weren't to blame for what happened back then, but... alas."
He Ziyu replied, "It was my fault for not taking better care of Wenwen jie."
"Forget it, it's all in the past. Wenxin is currently abroad. She's finally managed to move on from that relationship and has started a new life. We don't want anyone or anything to disturb her. Ziyu, do you understand what I mean?"
...
"She's abroad now, and I've already asked a friend over there to help me find out."
Regardless of anything else, Rui Rui had been found, and he hoped the other party would receive this good news.
In the evening, He Ziyu had dinner at the Gu family's home.
After dinner, He Ziyu played two rounds of Go with Rui Rui. The uncle and nephew were playing well, but they ended up parting ways over a single move.
"Once you've made a move, there's no going back. You can't regret it once it's played," Rui Rui said, his small face serious.
"Why are you so stubborn, kid? I'm your uncle. We both have the surname He, you know?"
Rui Rui stated matter-of-factly, "Didn't you tell me to call you uncle?"
He Ziyu felt a lump in his throat. Especially looking at the face that so closely resembled someone else, he couldn't afford to lose his temper.
He simply threw the chess pieces back into the box and threatened, "If you're going to be this pedantic, then this game can't be played."
He had intended to scare the child, but as soon as he finished speaking, the other party actually started putting the pieces away.
"I was going to read anyway, and I was tired of playing with you."
He Ziyu felt an even bigger lump in his throat this time.
Who was playing with whom? If he hadn't had something on his mind, would he have been careless enough to let this kid win?
Watching He Ziyu's huffing departure, Chen Lishu's gaze fell on Rui Rui, "Your uncle seems to have something on his mind."
"I can see that," Rui Rui pursed his lips. "It's no fun playing with someone who's distracted."
Chen Lishu: "..."
"Mom, I'm going upstairs to read. The final exams are coming up in a few days."
"Go ahead."
Watching her son's retreating back, Chen Lishu turned and nudged Gu Xingdong, who was watching television, with her elbow.
"Have you noticed anything unusual about our son?"
Gu Xingdong turned his head, "What's unusual?"
If she really had to say, Chen Lishu couldn't quite pinpoint it.
A small body suddenly climbed up to her feet. Chen Lishu looked down and met Xiaobai's grinning face as it looked up at her.
Chen Lishu's attention was diverted. She picked up the little one at her feet.
As soon as the child was in her arms, he began to wriggle towards Gu Xingdong, calling out, "Daddy, Daddy."
Chen Lishu: "..."
It seemed the wolf was not after the sheep, but the wine.
...
Nan Haitao's news arrived before He Ziyu's.
There was definite news about the sewing machines, and he then gave Chen Lishu the contact information.
"The other party's surname is Zhao. Mention my name, and he'll know."
Chen Lishu said, "Thank you so much this time. I'll treat you to a meal when I get back."
Without Nan Haitao's help, the matter of one hundred sewing machines wouldn't have been resolved so quickly.
Nan Haitao hesitated for a moment and then suddenly said, "I've given serious thought to what you mentioned last time."
Chen Lishu asked curiously, "Mentioned what?"
"The matter of investing."
Chen Lishu replied, "You're not actually planning to resign, are you?"
"Are you joking with me?"
"How could I?" Chen Lishu said quickly, "Have you discussed it with your family? This isn't a small matter, what if..."
Nan Haitao stated, "I'm serious, not acting on a whim."
Chen Lishu paused for a moment, her tone becoming more serious, "It's not convenient to discuss this over the phone. If you've really thought it through, let's talk about the specifics in person."
Nan Haitao had the same intention.
After hanging up the phone with Chen Lishu, he checked the time; it was nearing the end of working hours.
People in the office began to leave one after another, a silent understanding among them.
Nan Haitao got up and went home.
He was the only son, and he continued to live with his parents after getting married.
As soon as he entered the door, he smelled the aroma of food. His wife was busy in the kitchen, and his parents were sitting on the sofa. His mother said something, and the elderly couple both laughed.
"Haitao is back," Mother Nan said, stopping her conversation when she saw him.
"Dad, Mom," Nan Haitao changed his shoes and entered the house. He suppressed the words he wanted to say, deciding it would be better to speak after dinner.
His wife had finished cooking. Mother Nan got up to help, and soon the family of four was seated at the dining table.
After dinner, his wife got up to wash the dishes, but Nan Haitao stopped her.
"No rush, I have something I want to talk about."
His wife heard him and sat back down.
Nan Haitao's parents also turned their attention to their son.
"I've decided to resign."
His seemingly casual statement struck the family like a thunderclap.
Father Nan was the first to react, frowning and asking, "Why are you resigning out of the blue? Is someone at work giving you trouble?"
Mother Nan chimed in anxiously, "Yes, even though your father just retired, they still have to give him some face. They should at least show you respect."
Nan Haitao gave a wry smile, "Dad, Mom, you're overthinking it. Who can possibly give me trouble in my position? It's just that I've been working for almost ten years, and I find it boring. I want to do something for myself."
Mother Nan asked, "If you're doing well, why quit? So many people envy your job. If you do it yourself, won't that make you a self-employed individual? Why go through all this trouble?"
Nan Haitao explained, "There's been news recently that they're going to relax policies and allow employees to contract counters and be responsible for their own profits and losses. This kind of situation will become more common in the future."
His son had always been a decisive person. Father Nan didn't react with the usual scolding of parents. Although he was displeased, he still asked, "What are you planning to do after you resign?"