Shu Ran stayed in the car, eating the luxurious fried noodles that Xu Shen bought. The reason he thought it was luxurious was because the side dishes were quite exaggerated. It included eggs, meat, and mung bean sprouts, and the taste was not ordinary.
With the addition of the little stuffed pies, Shu Ran was full after eating only half of the fried noodles, and Xu Shen had to finish the rest. Then they took everything back to the hospital to find Wang Dong.
Giving birth for the first time was not that easy. After returning, the expectant mother in the delivery room was still working hard. Xu Shen pushed the bag of food to the nervous Wang Dong: “You eat something first, so you’ll have the strength to take care of my sister-in-law later.”
“Hey, thank you, Brother Shen.” With his well-wishes in mind, Wang Dong received his dinner and ate it hungrily.
Xu Shen and Shu Ran looked at each other, and neither of them said a word. They sat on the chairs and waited with Wang Dong in a tacit understanding. After Wang Dong finished eating, he noticed that they were not leaving, so he said quickly: “Brother Shen, Brother Dingzi, you can go back, you don’t have to wait here with me. You still have to go to work tomorrow.
“It’s still early, we’ll stay with you for a while.” Shu Ran glanced at his watch, seeing that it was only about eight o’clock. “I have nothing to do anyway. Right, Brother Shen?”
Xu Shen nodded: “Yes, there is nothing to do anyway.”
How should they put it? Giving birth to a child was a life-threatening matter for a woman. If something happened, they could help Wang Dong with anything, even if it was just someone to talk with.
“That’s good…” Wang Dong said calmly, with a grateful face, and looked at Shu Ran: “Well, I’m really sorry about my mother today.”
Shu Ran immediately said: “It’s okay.”
Wang Dong lowered his head and said with some emotion: “I’m very happy to see you protecting Brother Shen like that. Alas, I didn’t have the ability, but it’s better now… You are all so powerful.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Brother Dong, don’t say that.” Shu Ran took his hand out of his pocket and patted Wang Dong on the shoulder. “You’re very good too.”
Wang Dong scratched his head and smiled: “Really, I’m just so happy to see Brother Shen having his own home and someone to protect him.”
After hearing what Wang Dong said, Xu Shen also patted him on the shoulder without saying much, because it was not necessary.
Shu Ran leaned back in his chair and finally understood why Xu Shen never forgot to give Wang Dong a helping hand… Wang Dong was indeed a sincere person, but everyone had their own helplessness, and everyone was struggling in different dire straits…
Shu Ran felt that was why he should cherish the beauty that appeared in life. For him, Xu Shen was his beauty. For Wang Dong, it was his wife and children, and the happiness he wanted for the rest of his life. He may have to do his best to protect them. But…There was no turning back.
They waited with Wang Dong. Seeing that he was so restless, standing up and pacing from time to time while looking toward the delivery room, Shu Ran sighed with emotion. He and Xu Shen would probably never have the chance to experience Wang Dong’s mood in their life.
From the corner of his eye, he tilted towards Xu Shen and found that the other party was also looking at him. Such a coincidence? Shu Ran looked away as if nothing had happened. After a moment, he tilted his gaze again, and Xu Shen’s radar matched him perfectly once more.
“What’s wrong?” Xu Shen couldn’t help but ask with a smile.
Since that was the case, let’s chat and share our five cents.
Shu Ran sat a little closer and poked the other person’s arm. “Comrade Xu Shen, let me interview you. Are you envious that your brother is going to be a father?”
“…”
Xu Shen thought about it seriously and also leaned a little closer to him. “To be honest, I don’t envy him, do you?”
“I’m not envious either.” Shu Ran confirmed and affirmed all over again that he himself had no desire to be a father, but he still expressed doubts about Xu Shen’s answer. “You didn’t lie to me, right?”
“Why would I lie to you?” Xu Shen asked.
“Tsk!” Shu Ran covered his mouth with his hands and lowered his voice: “If you don’t want to be a father, why were you so anxious to get a wife in the first place?”
Xu Shen choked, then smiled bitterly. If Shu Ran wanted to settle that old score, he was afraid he couldn’t explain it. Who knew why he wanted to marry a wife in the first place?!
At that point, they had succeeded in interrogating each other’s souls. They both decided to go home and think about what answers they should put in that exam paper.
At about ten o’clock in the evening, Wang Dong’s wife finally gave birth to her child. Both of them were safe, making Wang Dong burst into tears of joy.
Shu Ran and Xu Shen said: “Congratulations on becoming a father! Take good care of my sister-in-law! Over at the factory, you can wait until she is out of confinement before coming back.”
Wang Dong was happy and told them to go back and rest quickly. He didn’t have to go to work anymore, but the two factory directors would continue to work tomorrow morning.
On the way back, Shu Ran was in a relaxed mood, with a faint smile on his lips. The birth of a new life made people feel happy, or at least that’s how it was for him. Turning his face to look at Xu Shen, he saw the same easy smile on his face.
He originally thought that Xu Shen would fall in love with that situation, but he was narrow-minded. Xu Shen was stronger than he thought.
But on Xu Shen’s side, what he was thinking at that moment was that since Shu Ran appeared in his life, everything around him seemed to be getting better and better, and he was so lucky that it was unbelievable.
“Hey, Brother Shen.” Shu Ran’s voice suddenly sounded.
“Huh?” Xu Shen immediately turned his face.
“Do you have an answer to your question?” Shu Ran had already thought about his answer but still wanted to hear Xu Shen’s before handing in his paper.
“Oh, the answer…” Xu Shen’s relaxed smile suddenly turned into a bitter one. Then let’s answer it properly… He still had to explain that matter, if not today, surely in the future. “Actually…”
“Actually?” Shu Ran listened attentively.
“Rather than saying I want to be a father… It’s better to say that I want to have a family. The prerequisite for a family is to have a wife and children, but I never considered who that should be.” Xu Shen paused and said uneasily: “So what I mean… Do you understand?”
“I understand, many men think the same way as you do.” Shu Ran thought of his parents. “Marriage is just an obligation, and children are a necessity. Let’s put aside whether there’s love or not since we can’t live by ourselves.”
Xu Shen felt that sentence contained sadness, so he reached out to touch Shu Ran’s hair: “But that’s a common situation. Not everyone is so lucky to be with the person they like.”
Xu Shen wanted to say: “Writer Shu, you are indeed a bit artistic, and your requirements for many things are very rational and very high.”
Shu Ran turned his head and kissed Xu Shen’s finger. Yes, that was a common situation. He was no longer so unworldly, and Xu Shen’s influence on his life was not insignificant.
“It’s your turn.” Xu Shen became serious, and his voice was low and deep: “Tell me, when did you fall in love with the romantic Brother Shen?”
“…”
That man! He was indeed romantic, but was there any reason to also be so narcissistic?!
Shu Ran rolled his eyes and said: “At least half of your suaveness is due to me. I gave you instructions.”
Xu Shen: “Isn’t there still half left? I have a good foundation.”
After a moment of silence, Shu Ran still didn’t speak. Xu Shen said: “Okay, if you want to say something, you can say it. If you don’t want to say it…”
“I have the right to remain silent, right?” Shu Ran joked.
“Yes.” Xu Shen nodded.
“Actually…” Shu Ran thought about it and decided to say it.
“Actually?” Xu Shen quickly glanced aside and waited patiently.
“I thought about it carefully and found that I can’t find an accurate time point for that matter.” Shu Ran laid the groundwork and just went ahead and said: “It seems like there is no data to track, Brother Shen. I just like you without even realizing it.”
Xu Shen felt his body rub against the ground, and the temperature rose visibly, making his head dizzy, with a whistling sound in his ears. However, the car was actually very quiet and the windows were tight, and all those feelings were just because Shu Ran said: “I just like you”.
“I like you too.” Xu Shen calmed down for a moment and opened the collar of his shirt that blocked his breathing, trying to let out the heat.
“Well…” Shu Ran swallowed and changed his sitting position. “Why aren’t we home yet?! It feels like we’ve been driving for a long time.”
Xu Shen laughed and coughed slightly: “I’m also thinking about that.”
He couldn’t wait any longer!
Shu Ran took a breath and opened the window a little, letting in the cool winter night breeze. The cold hit his hot and shameful “just finished confessing” face, cooling the surface of his skin. But it couldn’t extinguish the fire in his heart.
Sure enough, he was still too young, and he was ready to move after just a little flirting… Shu Ran didn’t believe he was the only one who had a dirty mind. He immediately reached out to feel Xu Shen’s current mood, and after hearing him gasp, he smiled with satisfaction. It turned out that he was not alone…
“We’ll get into a car accident if you do that.” Xu Shen said in a low voice.
“Bah!” Shu Ran reacted quickly, then hesitated: “Then… Should I take my hand back?”
“No, I’m trying to scare you. I’m good at driving.” Xu Shen didn’t let him retreat. Instead, he even covered his lap with a small blanket to prevent Shu Ran’s hand from being exposed to the cold. “Now the back of your hand won’t get cold. How long do you want to touch me? Take your time, we welcome it.”
Who the hell was “we”?!
Shu Ran couldn’t help laughing and hissed: “Yes… Otherwise, my palm will be hot, but the back of my hand will be cold…” That very well might be what the ancestors called the “Two Heavens of Ice and Fire”.
Xu Shen laughed, controlled his breathing, and sighed: “I just want to be with you, let me think. I love you, so you can do whatever you want.”
Shu Ran looked at him immediately: “Don’t you feel uncomfortable?”
“Fortunately.” Xu Shen said. “I’m easily satisfied. If you smile at me, I’ll be happy beyond your imagination.”
“That’s really hard to see.” In Shu Ran’s case, Xu Shen’s “big boss” filter was too thick.
“I can pretend.” Xu Shen blew himself up.
“That sentence is a lie. Your performance is not consistent with what you said.” Shu Ran complained.
“Oh, then there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re almost home.” Xu Shen held his hand and said: “I can only tell you what’s true and false in detail when we get home.”
Thinking of what was about to happen after returning home, Shu Ran’s neck immediately reflexively raised a layer of fine particles, making his whole body tremble.
The car drove into the yard and they locked the door and stumbled upstairs. Shu Ran used the small amount of water in the kettle again because he couldn’t wait to boil more. He needed it now, right away.
He began to miss the modern water heater. It was really nice to have a water heater when doing things in winter, and it was such a pity that he had to wait a little longer. The house was not cold, after all, the two stoves were burning together and the temperature doubled. It was just that boiling water was a tedious task that wasted a lot of precious time.
“Do you believe me now?” Xu Shen pressed his wife’s forehead and asked with a low smile.
“What should I believe…” Shu Ran couldn’t come back to his senses. It was really too difficult for him to think at that moment, and he just wanted to relax.
“Trust me, I can pretend.” Xu Shen kissed him, smiled lazily, and pulled up the quilt to wrap the two of them. “What you see, just multiply it by countless times.”
Shu Ran thought for a while, smoothed the hair on his forehead, and smiled with his heart pounding: “I understand, Comrade Xu Shen.”
He didn’t tell Xu Shen, but in fact, he was just as good at pretending… Cough!
…………
The novel “Stairway” was selling very well in Nanshi. Readers continued to promote it spontaneously, accumulating word-of-mouth, and sales steadily increased. When a fellow writer’s review of the book appeared in the newspaper, sales reached a small peak.
Around the same time, the bookstore from the next city called the publisher to ask if they could get a batch in stock, making President Wu exclaim: “It’s printing, it’s printing!!!”
He didn’t expect the book to sell well at first, and the printing volume was only average. However, on the second day after it was launched, President Wu already started arranging for additional printings.
It could only be said that the popularity of Shu Ran’s book was so strong and exaggerated that book lovers from all over the country wanted to see the true face of Mount Lu!1How should I explain this… There’s a famous Chinese proverb that goes something like “We cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because we are standing on top of it”, similar in meaning to the English expression “You can’t see the forest for the trees”. It means to be too caught up in details to see the bigger picture. Here, the readers express their desire to see the real face of Mount Lu, saying they want to witness the greatness themselves They couldn’t wait for their local bookstores to sell it, so they started asking people to mail a few copies to them.
The several writers who wrote to Shu Ran felt very sorry to receive his polite rejection. However, it was understandable that excellent writers who became famous in one fell swoop were arrogant at heart.
Others couldn’t stand the popularity of the book and openly stated that it was just a vulgar work that could be used to kill time while going to the toilet, but nothing worthy of elegance.
Or in other words, just a sensational work, fit for enjoyment and popularity, but without artistic value.
What was even more outrageous was that some people said that the pen name “Shu Ran” was actually the secret nickname of a certain writer who dared not announce his presence. Although they didn’t know whose nickname it was, they were definitely sure the writer was not a first timer.
When Shu Ran heard the news from the publishing house, he almost laughed out loud. As expected, literati were always so interesting no matter the time they lived in!
Harmony in difference, right?!
The world needed to be both high-spirited and down-to-earth. Shu Ran’s book was more attractive to young people and students living in big cities, those who were active in chasing trends.
Soon enough, Jiang Fan’s sister-in-law received a call from the capital. Her nephew asked her to mail a copy of “Stairway”.
What?! What stairs?! What?
Liu Li said at the dinner table: “Have you heard of the book “The Staircase” or something, written by a great author? My nephew said that it’s only sold in Nanshi and asked me to send it to him.”
Jiang Fan puffed out. He was drinking soup and quickly wiped his mouth: “I know it!” Turning around, he took out the “Stairway” from his room and placed it on the table: “This is the one you should be talking about.”
Liu Li was surprised: “You have it too?”
Jiang Hang glanced at the author’s signature and felt that it looked familiar. After briefly recalling, he suddenly realized something and then looked surprised: “It’s amazing, a book has actually been published!”
“Look!” Jiang Fan opened the title page, revealing the dedication signed by Shu Ran for himself, with a smile on his face.
Liu Li: “You even have a signed copy?!”
Jiang Hang looked at his wife and smiled: “Is not just an ordinary signature. Look at the content, it’s for a friend.” Seeing that his wife was still confused, he directly said: “This writer Shu Ran is Xiao Fan’s good friend.”
“Yes.” Jiang Fan nodded.
“Are you friends?” Liu Li was very surprised. After a moment of digestion, she continued: “Then…Can you ask your friend to sign a book? Xiao Hua wants a copy.”
Jiang Fan thought for a while. “Okay, let me ask.”
Liu Li laughed: “I’ll bother you then. I’ll buy it later.”
After coming back to her senses, Liu Li secretly sighed that her little brother-in-law had changed so much during a short period. She was surprised to realize that she had become more and more incomprehensible about him and no longer looked down on him as much as before.
When Shu Ran received Jiang Fan’s signature request in the factory, he was stunned. His book was already popular in the capital?!
“My sister-in-law’s nephew, if you like, please write two more words.” Jiang Fan said.
Shu Ran: “No problem.”
He heard that the other person was still a student, so he wrote about his academic progress, wishing him success in the upcoming exams.
In the evening, Jiang Fan took the signed book and went back to do business. The Chinese New Year was coming soon, and his brother and sister-in-law asked him what he had been busy with recently when he left early and came back late. Why not go back to Beijing to accompany his parents first?
“No need, I haven’t finished my work yet.” Jiang Fan refused. The goods were about to be shipped in the next two days. After that, Shu Ran promised them an annual party. It sounded very interesting and he couldn’t miss it.
Besides, his parents didn’t want him, and there were many children in his hometown, so it was best not to go back and act like the black sheep.
“Why?Aare you still afraid that others will laugh at you?” Jiang Hang sighed and looked at his younger brother: “It’s been so long… You have grown up now, and others are not so idle.”
Jiang Fan: “I’m really busy, brother. It’s not like I’m doing nothing.” As for what he was busy with, he just didn’t say it. After the New Year, their factory’s turnover exceeded one million.
“Okay, it’s up to you.” Jiang Hang thought about it. His brother has been very good for the past six months, and he already started to resemble a very good young man.
Two days later, the last batch of goods before the New Year was shipped out of the warehouse. Chen Sen took his share, doubled it, and used it to pay back the original loan he took from his mother.
“You made it back so quickly?!” Xue Feng was surprised, holding the money in her hands. When her son said he wanted to set up a factory, she never thought she would get her money back by the end of the year, let alone double the initial amount. “My dear, your factory is really that profitable?”
“Yeah.” Chen Sen nodded restrainedly but didn’t say much.
“That’s right, mother!” Chen Kai smiled so hard that one couldn’t see his eyes: “We can make money! You don’t have to worry about your family having no money in the future. Retire when it’s time to retire. We are here!”
The amount they invested a year ago has doubled, and now the two brothers had a lot of money in their hands.
During the last shareholders’ meeting, Shu Ran said that next year they would develop a new business plan and the rewards would be even greater! He was gearing up and couldn’t wait to get back to work!
“That’s good.” Xue Feng was very happy after hearing that and patted her youngest son’s head with a smile.
“Mom!” Chen Kai protested while avoiding her palm.
“You brat.” Xue Feng scolded with a smile. “When do you have a holiday? Let Xu Shen bring his wife over for dinner.”
“Soon.” Chen Kai said. “The annual meeting will be held the day after tomorrow, and we will have a holiday after everything is done.”
Chen Sen said: “Xu Shen is very busy and may not have time to come over.”
Actually, he was not busy, but even if he had time, Xu Shen didn’t want to take Shu Ran to hang out under the eyes of his elders. That would be too uncomfortable.
After the goods were shipped, the entire factory staff spent most of the day doing hygiene work, setting up the venue for the annual meeting, and happily waiting for the party to begin.
After Shu Ran and Xu Shen finished their work, they took a nap at home and woke up at around four o’clock in the afternoon.
Shu Ran said: “I would like to invite my sister and brother-in-law to come too. Anyway…Brother Dong and his family are not coming so, if we don’t say anything, no one will know that she’s my sister.”
“Okay.” Xu Shen said. “I support it.”
Anyway, the annual meeting was all about eating, drinking, and drawing raffles. The more people there were, the more lively it became.
“Hey…” Shu Ran looked at Xu Shen and suddenly said: “How about you announce your divorce at the annual meeting speech?”
Xu Shen also looked at his wife with hot eyes, nodded cheerfully, and agreed: “Okay!”
“?”
Shu Ran was impulsive. He said it mainly because he hoped that Xu Shen could persuade him against that idea. After all, Xu Shen was older and more mature and stable than him.
Well, he overestimated Xu Shen.
“Hey!” Shu Ran held his hand and clasped his fingers. “You are divorced and I am no longer your brother-in-law, but our relationship is still so good. Do you think others would suspect it?”
“What’s the point?” Xu Shen also clasped Shu Ran’s hand, his fingers entwined: “Can’t you be my brother?”
And so, Shu Ran rested his head on Xu Shen’s shoulder, quietly enjoying the time cuddling together. After lying down for a while, Shu Ran gave Xu Shen a little kick and said: “Then get up and go to your brother-in-law’s house.”
“Okay.” Xu Shen said, but continued to lie down: “I’ll stay here for a while.”
Shu Ran glanced sideways in surprise: “You also like to stay in bed?!”
“Why not?” Xu Shen stretched out comfortably and said with a smile: “I have nothing to do. I am lazier than you.”
“Tsk, I heard you…” Shu Ran hit him with his knee in advance: “Okay, just beat around the bush and say I’m lazy!”
“Ah…” Xu Shen called out, and it reached Shu Ran’s heart. He was intoxicated for a while, and then he couldn’t forget it.
“That sounded so good! Say it again?” Shu Ran wanted to continue teasing Xu Shen, but the other party rolled over and out of the bed as if he was running away.
Xu Shen glared at Shu Ran resentfully while getting dressed, not giving the other person a chance to tease him: “Ahem, I’m going out.”
“Go.” Shu Ran hugged the quilt and smiled evilly.
It was extremely cold outside, and the warm sun was already gone at four o’clock in the afternoon. Xu Shen wore thick cotton clothes, a scarf, and gloves. Before he went out, he came over and kissed his wife.
“Go early and come back early.”
“Um.”
Xu Shen rarely went alone to Shu Ran’s sister’s house, so he stuffed a lot of things into the car, including food and clothing. Anyway, he was showing off his generosity. After thinking about it, he also picked up Doctor Hu’s New Year’s gifts and put everything in the car.
At the end of the year, each unit brought some things back, and Zhang Yunsheng’s unit also distributed items. Zhou Hui looked at a large amount of canned fish and meat and also wanted to share some with her brother.
“It’s inconvenient for two men to prepare food. Canned food can be eaten as soon as it is heated.” Zhou Hui looked at it and saw that there were also canned fruits, which didn’t spoil easily.
Zhang Yunsheng nodded: “Okay, I’ll go visit them after you finish sorting it.”
But as soon as he said that, Xu Shen came over and also brought a lot of things. He couldn’t even carry them all with both hands, looking quite shocking.
“Brother Shen, why did you bring so much?!” Zhou Hui and her husband rushed to help… There were boxes of fruits, gift boxes, and even living animals… The key point was that there were quite a few things!
But it was not surprising when they thought about it. Xu Shen was already generous, and his business had been doing well that year.
“Not much, you can eat it all during the New Year.” Xu Shen said simply, and then conveyed Shu Ran’s intention straight to the point, asking the couple if they had time to attend the factory’s annual meeting: “Just eat, drink, and draw a lottery. Everyone is happy.”
Zhou Hui thought: “Should I go?”
Xu Shen nodded: “Sure, why not? Wang Dong’s wife has given birth and has gone back to her hometown, so no one in the factory knows you.”
They could simply say they were some friends who came to join in the fun.
“Then let’s go have fun.” Zhang Yunsheng said with a smile: “With brother Xu Shen’s good luck, maybe I can get a promotion next year.”
Zhou Hui smiled: “Then we’ll go.”
“Well, by the way.” Xu Shen informed them: “I may also announce the divorce then, otherwise everyone will want to see the factory director’s wife.”
“Oh.” Zhou Hui also thought that should be the case. Anyway, they had already passed the bumpy road at home. Once Xu Shen announced it again, the relationship between them would be clear, and Xu Shen might as well talk about finding another wife in the future…
After Xu Shen had a cup of tea, he said he was leaving because he still had to send other New Year’s gifts. Zhou Hui quickly brought the canned food to him.
“Okay.” After all, it was Shu Ran’s sister’s wish, so Xu Shen happily took it.
After he left, Zhou Hui looked at the gifts dropped all over the place and sighed: “Brother Shen is so nice, I really didn’t expect it.”
Zhang Yunsheng helped his wife sort out the pile of things, but he murmured with some confusion: “Why didn’t my brother come as well? Isn’t it inappropriate to let brother Xu Shen come alone?”
“Hey…” Zhou Hui complained to her husband every time she thought about that matter: “My younger brother used to be a very hard-working person. Ever since he came to the city and met Brother Shen, he has become a god! He doesn’t do this, and he doesn’t do that…” Zhou Hui smiled bitterly: “It’s not like I didn’t scold him, I told him every time!”
Zhang Yunsheng nodded. He was also present once for the scolding and even said a few words for his brother-in-law.
“He’s so good now, asking Brother Shen, a big boss, to run errands for him. Are you his brother-in-law or Xu Shen’s brother-in-law?!”
Zhou Hui nagged.
Zhang Yunsheng paused while packing the things and looked for a reasonable explanation: “Haha, my brother is very popular. If he asked me to do something, I would also do it.”
Zhou Hui: “You are his brother-in-law, so it makes sense!”
Zhang Yunsheng no longer knew what to say, so he changed the subject: “How about we go to the factory tomorrow, pick up your sister for a couple of days, and then send her back?”
Zhou Hui thought about her little sister’s situation at home and nodded: “Well, we haven’t talked for a long time.” Now that there was a sister-in-law at home, she wanted to teach Zhou Lan some ways to take care of herself. The first point was to not give them all her salary!
No amount of subsidizing your family was enough, but she still had to think more about herself.
Shu Ran had already considered that aspect for Zhou Lan, and the Zhou family had no idea how much Zhou Lan’s salary was. In addition, he usually deliberately gave her something, so that Zhou Lan could save some private money as soon as possible.
When Xu Shen came back from delivering New Year’s gifts, Shu Ran had already gotten up and was preparing food at home, with a charcoal basin at his feet. He asked: “Did Sister say anything?”
“No, she didn’t.” Xu Shen sat down next to him, and his tall body immediately made the space seem cramped.
“Oh.” Both of them had long legs, so they surrounded the small charcoal basin tightly. Shu Ran continued: “I guess you didn’t even leave the room before my sister started complaining to my brother-in-law that I was lazy.”
He should indeed have gone along to give the New Year’s gift, but after being busy for so long, he felt relaxed and didn’t want to move.
Xu Shen warmed his hand before reaching to hold Shu Ran’s hand: “It’s okay, you don’t live with them, so you don’t need to care about them.”
Yes, Shu Ran smiled and ignored it.
He had almost finished cooking the rice and was waiting for Xu Shen to come back to stir-fry it with some bacon and lettuce. The lettuce was already washed, but he didn’t dare to cut the bacon. In terms of knife skills, Xu Shen was the best and could cut it as thin as a cicada’s wings.
Thinness or thickness really affected the taste. After Shu Ran tried it once, he didn’t want to give in. After all, professional things should be left to professionals.
…………
The annual party was an exciting program for the factory’s workers. They had never heard of any company that treated everyone to a meal before the holiday and also raffled off gifts. How much money would that cost?!
In fact, it was not that bad, just seven or eight tables. The shareholders had made enough money in the past year, so even if they took out a little, it was still enough for the workers to have a good meal and some household items and small appliances. The atmosphere would definitely be good.
Zhou Hui and her husband came as promised. They looked at the dishes on the table and couldn’t help but secretly smack their lips… Ah, Xu Shen really made a lot of money!
Some prizes were of high value. Not to mention the workers who wanted to win, Zhou Hui also wanted to win when she saw them, but she didn’t know if she had such luck.
They were sitting at the main table. Zhou Hui asked her brother in a low voice: “Is the winning rate high? Your brother-in-law and I also want to draw one.”
Shu Ran also whispered: “The chance of 1 in 4 is quite high. There are four people in our family and we can’t fail to win something.”
Zhou Hui smiled: “That’s right.”
Shu Ran murmured in his heart, there were actually five people, so someone had to win something, right?
When the meal was three-quarters over, the two clever partners Jiang Fan and Chen Kai went up to serve as masters of ceremonies and began to draw prizes for everyone.
The workers’ mouths were full of oil after eating, and they had to pay attention to whether their numbers had been drawn. Those who heard their numbers laughed so hard that they quickly wiped their lips and went on the stage to receive their prizes.
Some people took away tape recorders, some won household hair dryers, and someone even took away a bicycle after winning the jackpot.
The four members of the Zhou family, including their brother-in-law, have been waiting for the lottery. Finally, Zhou Hui won a flashlight, which was also very practical, and her younger sister Zhou Lan won a small alarm clock.
Shu Ran and Xu Shen held their chins up and watched helplessly as even Chen Sen won a prize, while they didn’t.
Shu Ran looked at his own number. That number was the lucky number he specially selected using his authority!
“Oh, it’s all fate…” Xu Shen sighed and comforted himself: “It’s okay. If nothing, there’s still the consolation prize under the chair.”
Well… That was Shu Ran’s idea. In the context of a lottery, some people must be happy and others sad. To make up for someone who didn’t win a prize, he thoughtfully prepared a consolation prize.
Unexpectedly, both he and Xu Shen were comforted…
Sticking to the bottom of the chair were two pairs of thick cotton socks for everyone to wear during the Chinese New Year and keep warm. After everyone got under the chair and received the consolation prize thoughtfully prepared by Director Shu, Shu Ran kicked Xu Shen and asked him to take the opportunity and perform. Oh no, it was time to announce it.
Xu Shen nodded, poured himself a glass of white wine, and stood up. His charisma was still good, and everyone was as respectful of him as they were of Chen Sen. The scene suddenly became quiet.
Xu Shen raised his cup and smiled: “Thank you for your hard work, next year will be better.” He raised his head and drank it, while everyone applauded him. They were very happy, but then he suddenly announced: “By the way, let me tell you something. The thing is, I got divorced and am now…Single.”
There was silence.
Nobody reacted for a moment. Wait! What?!
“I’ve been divorced for a while.” Xu Shen continued. “I’m sorry, I only announced it to you today because I haven’t found a good opportunity before.”
The applauding brothers were immediately dumbfounded, with smiles frozen on their faces. After all, divorce was a big deal back in those days and it usually meant something bad.
“What’s with your expressions?” Xu Shen laughed angrily and quickly explained to them: “This is a good thing. I was immature at first and rashly chose a blind marriage. Later I still felt that free love was better, so both parties chose a peaceful divorce! It’s not a pity at all.”
Everyone looked at each other, perhaps not expecting that the reason for Xu Shen’s divorce was so fashionable. Wasn’t boycotting arranged marriages the slogan of the avant-garde?!
How many of them really wanted to get divorced?!
In short, it had nothing to do with ordinary people, but Xu Shen actually got divorced and suddenly became a trendy person just because he said “Let’s boycott arranged marriages!”
There was nothing left to say… He was worthy of being Brother Shen!
Xu Shen sat down, put his hand on Shu Ran’s shoulder next to him, and said: “Look at how well we work together and you’ll know it was an amicable divorce. Otherwise, could we still have dinner together?”
That was true. Xu Shen and Shu Ran never blushed and were polite to each other. Then… Everyone thought, let’s just forget it, it’s only a divorce! Everyone was making money together, which was good!
Shu Ran cleared his throat and felt that he needed to also say a few words: “Yes, Brother Shen is right. Although we are no longer relatives, our friendship is still there.” He then glanced at his neighbor and tried to be as candid as possible. “We’ll still work together to make money in the future and help everyone live a better and better life.”
Since the establishment of the factory, Shu Ran’s ability had been obvious to everyone, and they were all convinced by him, so Li Jie took the lead in applauding and supporting them. Although everyone was really surprised, Xu Shen was already a divorced man, it was just that they didn’t know it. Alas, that news was quite outrageous!
When the applause subsided, Xu Shen concluded: “Then this matter is over. Don’t ask me again why my wife doesn’t show up, or when I’ll become a father.” At that point, he took a deep breath and said helplessly: ” You don’t know how annoying you are.”
“Hahahahaha…” All the big guys laughed.
Xu Shen also laughed, glancing at the smiling Shu Ran. After saying that, he felt indescribably relaxed.
