T.N: There’s another double release today! Annie is a little angel, so this is for you! Also, I know some of you lovely readers are disappointed about the fact that Shu Ran wants to keep their relationship a secret from his family but worry not! It’s coming! At least those who matter would know about it!
After Shu Ran left, President Wu immediately put down the work at hand and read the hot and fresh manuscript. He was very curious about what kind of story Shu Ran came up with this time. Was it still a mystery filled with suspense or something else?
Opening the book, Shu Ran’s calligraphy was as strong as ever, with lines that looked as strong as iron and hooks as smooth as silver. As for the title, it read… “The Lost Era. Part I”.
President Wu read the introduction that went something like this: One day, the protagonist of the book suddenly discovered that he was nothing more but a ball of data, controlled by a higher-dimensional civilization, with no free will, and living in a virtual world. The protagonist then embarked on the road to find the truth, meeting a group of like-minded awakened people on the road. They fought bloody battles, breaking through illusions time and time again, and finding the truth that was related to the survival of all mankind. Or… Was there even a “mankind” they could speak of?
Maybe that concept was also fake. Maybe even the awakening was fake, and everything was just another endless game they were bound to lose. So… What was the truth?
“Is there really no humankind?” President Wu got goosebumps after reading the introduction.
Why was that Shu Ran boy so good at creating an atmosphere?!
President Wu was amazed by such a weird premise, reading the full novel in just one sitting. But after reading it, he had the same reaction as Xu Shen… Staring at the last page in a daze… That’s it?! No more?!
“He…” President Wu stood up and glared at the pitifully thin manuscript, scratching the few hairs on his head, and accepting the fact that there was only so little.
“Hey! Why so little?!” He patted his thigh, full of the desire to rush to Shu Ran’s house immediately and ask: Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?!
Except for the relatively small number of words, everything else was good. The structure was grand, the plot was absurd, and it made people feel strangely immersed in it. It was so easy to deceive all book fans as soon as they published it but…
How many years and months would it take to read the entire story?!
Shu Ran, the writer whose conscience was eaten by a dog, was fortunate to live in a time when there was no Internet, otherwise, he might be bombarded with messages from his readers. It was only in the absence of the Internet and the scarcity of telephones that Shu Ran dared to do something like that.
However, it was indeed convenient to have a phone. For example, at that moment, he had no way of knowing which factory Jiang Fan was busy in. Since he had no shortage of money in his pocket, Shu Ran went to the relevant department and pulled a phone line in a fit of anger. It was already late in the afternoon when he took out the numbers he had written down before, sat leisurely on a soft chair, and called the factory offices one by one.
Jiang Fan would most likely not be at the old factory, so he called the three new offices first.
Shu Ran had just dialed the first phone number. After the call was picked up, a very familiar voice came to him: “Hello.”
Shu Ran laughed: “How come it’s you?”
Xu Shen was stunned when he heard Shu Ran’s voice on the other end. That could very well be the first time they spoke on the phone, making him smile: “Where are you calling from?”
“Home…” Shu Ran said lazily, his fingers clasping the table regularly: “After handing in the manuscript, I just went and pulled a phone line. It’s convenient.”
“Well, thank you for your hard work!” He had long wanted to install a telephone at home but was perpetually too busy to do it. Xu Shen chuckled: “Have you eaten?”
Shu Ran felt his ears itching. Hearing Xu Shen’s voice coming from a phone for the first time was really terrible. He didn’t know how Xu Shen felt about it, thinking that his own voice was quite nice, sweet, and spicy: “Yes. I casually dealt with a bowl of noodles on the street.”
Xu Shen, who was in the office, changed his sitting position, held the phone on his lap, and asked: “You didn’t call to talk with me? Then who do you want to speak to?”
“I want to find Brother Fan. Is he with you?” Shu Ran said: “If he is, please pass a message from me.”
“What message?” Xu Shen asked.
“Ask him to bring his camera to work tomorrow and take my photo.” Shu Ran said.
“Why are you suddenly taking photos?” Xu Shen was surprised. He didn’t think his wife was in the mood to stage a sexy photoshoot, but he still said: “I know, I’ll tell him.”
“The publishing house wants it.” Shu Ran’s fingers unknowingly wrapped around the phone cord: “President Wu plans to print my introduction on the new book.”
“Print your photo?” Xu Shen felt that the operation was quite coquettish.
“Why, you’re not happy?” Shu Ran laughed.
“Am I not?” Xu Shen asked himself. He wasn’t really unhappy, maybe somewhere between happy and unhappy? The thing is, he was not willing to share Shu Ran with others, but he also wanted the whole world to know that his wife was excellent, which was very contradictory.
“Actually, it’s okay to print it.” Xu Shen thought for a moment and said softly: “Let Jiang Fan take more pictures tomorrow and keep them as a souvenir.”
Since they were young and youth only lasted for that long, Shu Ran said: “Then you come too, I want to take a photo with you.”
“OK.”
Both of them hugged the phone and talked for a long time. The clerks in the office were surprised when they saw that behavior. After all, their impression of Xu Shen was that he was serious and restrained, unsmiling, and so dignified. No wonder he owned many factories at such a young age.
Now they overheard and saw Xu Shen talking on the phone with someone, looking like he had changed into a different person. He became gentle and warm for a moment, more friendly than the warm sun in winter.
Everyone was very curious… Who was on the other end of that call?!
Xu Shen hung up the phone call with his wife, quickly dialed another number, and said to the clerk who answered the phone: “Look for Jiang Fan.”
It turned out that Jiang Fan was not in that factory at all.
Photography was Jiang Fan’s side hustle and hobby. When he heard that Shu Ran needed him to show off his skills, he immediately agreed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll bring several papers to hand in tomorrow and take pictures until you’re satisfied.” Jiang Fan said.
“Well.” Xu Shen asked with concern: “How is your factory doing over there?”
Jiang Fan: “No big problem, it’s fine.”
After Xu Shen finished speaking, he hung up. The difference between his attitude toward his wife and his brothers was clear at a glance.
After that, he thought about it for a while. He needed to find a nice place to take pictures, such as a small Western-style house with a garden or something… So he called Jiang Fan back, asking him if he knew anyone who owned a small Western-style house for convenience.
“I’ll have to ask my eldest brother about this. My brother has many connections…” Jiang Fan said. “Don’t worry, he appreciates Shu Ran and will definitely help.”
“Your elder brother appreciates Shu Ran?!” Xu Shen thought… When did that happen?!
Jiang Fan said embarrassedly: “Well, you know… I just showed off a few times.”
“…”
Xu Shen could understand very well, after all, he himself also suffered from the embarrassing symptoms of showing off, but he still had to say: “It’s okay to tell your family, but talk less outside.” His wife liked to keep a low profile.
After getting off work, Jiang Fan went home and told his elder brother about Shu Ran.
A small mansion with a garden?
Jiang Hang thought for a while, picked up the phone, talked, and then said to Jiang Fan: “I agreed with a friend. You can go tomorrow. Maybe you need me to take you there?”
“Of course, it would be best if you were there to say hello.” Jiang Fan said.
“Okay.” Jiang Hang actually wanted to meet the friend his brother had always talked about and see if he was even more stunning in person than what he saw in the newspaper.
…………
Shu Ran knew Xu Shen’s arrangement and didn’t object, despite thinking that it was just as good to shoot in the factory. The focus was on the people rather than the scenery, and it could only be said that Xu Shen was really attached to the small Western-style mansions. The way he always spoke about it made Shu Ran think… Maybe, by the end of the year, Xu Shen might actually go behind his back and buy a small Western-style house to live in!
Shu Ran turned his head and glanced at Xu Shen who was reading next to him. He didn’t care about those material comforts because he had already experienced them, but it didn’t mean that Xu Shen didn’t care either. Let’s think about it that way…
However, what he didn’t know was that Xu Shen wanted a small Western-style mansion for him. In fact, he never paid much attention to clothing and accommodation. Xu Shen had a vague feeling that his wife should be a pampered young master for a very long time, and living in a small, foreign-looking building was just the standard he had to match.
Let’s wait until the end of the year… At the latest, Xu Shen would definitely give his wife a small Western-style mansion!1See, these two are really compatible. One of them dreams about Western-style mansions all day long, while the other’s life mantra is to “purchase houses with their eyes closed!” ╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭
Shu Ran got up in the morning, washed up, and opened the wardrobe. It was full of custom-made clothes from their garment factory, some for daily use and some for going out, all in duplicate. Since the two of them wore them on different days, there had been no troubles.
It was such a pity that they couldn’t wear a couple’s outfit while taking pictures… Shu Ran chose a very handsome casual suit for Xu Shen. In order to match the background, they had to dress more formally.
“Is this for me?” Xu Shen came out of the shower, kissed Shu Ran’s lips, picked up the clothes, and put them on. A complex feeling of both abstinence and coquettishness suddenly enveloped his body.
“It’s still the suits designed by you that are the most flattering…” Xu Shen straightened his collar in the mirror.
“Is not a standard classic suit, I improved it a little bit.” Shu Ran also picked out a formal outfit for himself. After putting it on, the two of them immediately looked gorgeous.
“Hey, I don’t even dare to stand next to you dressed like that..”
“What?” Xu Shen immediately frowned.
“No…” Shu Ran wanted to say that it was easy for people to get dirty thoughts about knocking him down when he looked like that. Of course, in that era, the probability of being knocked down on the streets was very low, and most people would not pair two men together: “I meant to say, I’m afraid that others will see that we are a couple.”
Xu Shen immediately laughed, a little bit startled. He thought that Shu Ran was going to praise him in an outrageous manner again but, surprisingly, he was quite… Tame?!
“Then let’s try and not let others see.” Xu Shen put his arms around Shu Ran’s waist and lowered his head to kiss him passionately, before finally letting him go. The two then went downstairs one after another and drove to the address given by Jiang Fan.
“All the rich people in Nanshi live here.” Xu Shen looked at the scattered small mansions at the end of his field of vision while talking to his wife.
“The environment is quite good.” Shu Ran also looked out the window: “Does the Yuan family also live here?”
“I don’t know.” Xu Shen took the trouble to clarify: “I’m not familiar with them!”
Shu Ran glanced at him.
In fact, Shu Ran didn’t really care, but Xu Shen’s approach still made him feel safe, fully embodying a good boyfriend with constant filial piety.
As the car drove to the entrance, Jiang Fan waved to them and then led everyone to the garden of a beautiful villa.
“My eldest brother and his friends are chatting upstairs, no need to say hello!” Jiang Fan patted the camera hanging around his neck: “Let’s just take the photo and wait for them to come out.”
Since Jiang Fan said so, they listened to him and first took the photo that Shu Ran wanted to submit to the publishing house in the living room.
“Just sit on a chair, right?” Shu Ran moved a chair and sat down, adjusting the angle himself: “Frontal light or from the side, do you have any requirements?”
“Sit down first and let me take a look.” Jiang Fan immediately became possessed by the spirit of a master, seriously thinking about it.
As for Xu Shen, he was thoroughly ignored by them and simply sat down to watch, his warm eyes following Shu Ran.
“Okay, the light from this angle is good, just this angle.” Jiang Fan fixed his position and squinted his eyes to adjust the composition: “Shu Ran, can you tone it down a little bit?! Your expression needs to be more modest!”
“…”
Shu Ran was wronged. “Do I look awkward? I have no expression on my face and I think I look serious enough!” After all, if he wanted to print it on a book, a playful smile would definitely not work.
“Why don’t you look in the mirror yourself?!” Jiang Fan raised his head and said.
Shu Ran looked at Xu Shen, who nodded to him.
“Damn it.” Even the magnificent living room of the villa could not suppress Shu Ran’s momentum.
“Then it’s better to laugh!” Shu Ran rubbed his face and looked at the camera with a smile: “How about this?”
Jiang Fan: “…”
“It’s very beautiful, but it may not be serious enough when printed on a book! It lacks style!”
Shu Ran’s smile froze on his face. What on earth was happening?!
“You…” Jiang Fan thought for a moment: “Just try to smile with your eyes but not your mouth so that you look softer.”
Ah, what did it mean to have smiling eyes but not a smiling mouth?!
Shu Ran tried it and felt that his face was cramping…
“Hahaha!” Jiang Fan and Xu Shen were both laughing.
“You two, shut up…!” Shu Ran was annoyed by the laughter and said to Jiang Fan: “If you laugh again, I will deprive you of the title of Soul Photographer!”
“Let me think about it.” Xu Shen stopped laughing and stood next to Jiang Fan: “Look at me and try.”
Shu Ran did as he was told, and soon heard Jiang Fan exclaim: “Yes, yes, that’s the effect, very good!”
In Jiang Fan’s lens, Shu Ran’s eyes were affectionate and soft. Even though his whole face was serious, he still looked very stylish, full of story, and perfect.
In front of the railing on the second floor, Jiang Hang and his friend stood there, quietly watching the group of young people taking photos downstairs.
“Those two are your brother’s friends?!” The owner of the villa was surprised. He didn’t expect that the guests who came to take pictures would be so good-looking: “They are all the best among the best!”
“Yes.” Jiang Hang smiled: “The one sitting on the chair is that writer named Shu Ran. His book is very popular among young people and has been spread all over Beijing.”
The friend nodded: “That’s great. Now you don’t have to worry about your brother.”
It was said that birds of a feather flock together, and people of the older generation believed that whoever you hung out with would eventually become the kind of person you are.
“They are also entrepreneurs.” Jiang Hang revealed: “They own the outstanding garment factory that everyone discussed last year.”
“Really? That would turn into a big deal sooner or later!” Jiang Hang’s friend continued: “To have such great momentum at such a young age, haha. I’m waiting for him to become a celebrity and bring glory to my house!”
“Haha.” Jiang Hang also laughed.
They did not go down to disturb the young people taking pictures, but let Jiang Fan know that when Writer Shu’s next book was published, they too wanted some copies.
Xu Shen noticed that someone was watching upstairs, and kept restraining himself from acting too aggressively. The few indoor photos he took next to Shu Ran ended up quite satisfactory. Shu Ran had no idea he was being watched from afar, thinking that people of that era regarded taking pictures like that, with a sense of respect and hospitality. In fact, he also liked that unique reservedness. The photos taken in that way were suitable for public display and family heirlooms.
Unexpectedly though, as soon as they went outside to shoot the outdoor scenes with no one around, Xu Shen hugged him and clasped his waist like a conjoined twin, desperately intimate.
“Can this even be sent to be developed?!” Shu Ran pushed him away with worry, thinking they were about to blind the clerk in charge of developing photos.
“Jiang Fan is a photographer.” Xu Shen hooked his arms and hugged his wife back, waist to waist, even closer than before: “If he doesn’t even know how to develop photos, can he even call himself a photographer?”
Shu Ran leaned against him and smiled: “What you said makes sense.”
Jiang Fan was already taking pictures. Oh my god, those two men made his teeth sore!
“Brother Fan turned into a mute… Is he that astonished by the two of us?” Shu Ran sat on Xu Shen’s lap while Xu Shen sat on a round stone, his long legs occupying the entire screen.
Xu Shen laughed: “I think so.”
Jiang Fan: “…”
Under his sore gaze, the two men in suits played with each other: Take a picture with one sitting on the other’s lap, a picture with a princess’s carry, hugging his wife on his back, etc.
In the early summer of 1984, Shu Ran was nineteen years old while Xu Shen was twenty-three2Oh, wow, this gave me goosebumps and a sour feeling of nostalgia. They are the same generation as my parents and I keep thinking about them :)).
…………
A few days later, Shu Ran got a thick stack of photos from Jiang Fan.
He took them home and looked at them with Xu Shen, feeling that every photo was taken well, and he and Xu Shen both had silly smiles on their faces…
“Brother Fan is very interesting. He also reshaped the photos so that they could be stored easily…” Shu Ran said: “If we store them properly, they can survive for forty years.”
“He also gave us the negatives, how do I preserve them?” Xu Shen held up one of them, and the clear outline could be seen through the light.
By keeping the negatives, they could develop them over and over again.
“Appropriate temperature, and don’t let it get wet…” Shu Ran scratched his face while thinking of a way… Of course, they could succeed if they were determined to preserve it.
The next day, Xu Shen went to work in the factory. Shu Ran, who was responsible for planning and coordination, rarely went to the front lines to work, so he had a bit of free time. He went to the street and bought a photo album and several small photo frames, selecting a few suitable photos to put on his desk and bedside table.
They also took a few pictures on Zhou Hui’s wedding day, but they were far too few. This time, he put all of them in an album together.
There were a couple of pictures that he particularly liked, and Shu Ran couldn’t stop himself from also writing the unique complaints of an artistic youth on their backside… Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Looking at Xu Shen and himself in the photo, Shu Ran thought about business matters. Currently, three new factories have been opened, and they moved all the original orders from the first factory to them. Since the original factory was staffed with their own people, Shu Ran wanted to prepare for their future and try his hand at direct domestic sales.
One of his dreams was to build his own brand and open a direct-operated store in the Capital. It was unthinkable before, but now it was completely possible.
After the first batch of goods from their three new factories was shipped, he and Xu Shen must immediately go to Beijing and check out some suitable locations. He wanted his store in the most prosperous shopping areas in Beijing and beyond.
Shu Ran’s blood boiled when he thought about it. He jumped up, picked up a pencil, and continued to search for fabrics in his mind that could be used. It was a mentally taxing job, even more taxing than coming up with new instances for his unlimited-flow novel.
Xu Shen said in the morning that he would come back for lunch. When he went upstairs, he saw Shu Ran slumped in a chair writing, with his hair scratched like a chicken coop, and also muttering: “It’s too difficult, it’s too difficult! Could it be that I have exhausted my talent so quickly?!”
“What’s wrong?” After Xu Shen heard him, he immediately went over to pick him up and let him lie on his shoulders for a while: “You are so talented, don’t scare yourself.”
“Designing is so difficult!” Shu Ran said, burying his face in Xu Shen’s neck. The weather had been getting warmer recently, and his man was wearing cool, airy clothes, making him feel comfortable whenever he wore them.
“Isn’t that normal?” Xu Shen held him while looking around the room, analyzing rationally: “You haven’t counted how many things you have done recently, have you? Working on a new book, organizing a new factory, and talking about orders… Three brains might not be enough, take a break and the inspiration will come back.”
It sounded reasonable, but Xu Shen didn’t understand. He originally had an anxious personality and although he was much better now, the sequel still remained!
“What if it can’t come back?!” Shu Ran hugged Xu Shen tightly and squeezed the other party with all his strength.
Xu Shen was suffocated by Shu Ran’s nervous embrace, having difficulty breathing. However, he realized that he was actually enjoying the moment, even wishing that Shu Ran could tighten the hug even harder and break his bones. He whispered: “Then it doesn’t matter, even if you don’t want to do anything anymore, I can still support you.”
Hearing that, Shu Ran felt miraculously relaxed. Indeed, Xu Shen was his trump card. No matter what happened, Xu Shen would definitely take care of him.
“I understand…” Shu Ran whispered. “Thank you.”
“Thank you.” Xu Shen raised his chin and kissed him hard. He was originally going to kiss him twice more, but a rumbling sound interrupted the harmonious atmosphere.
Shu Ran felt embarrassed for a while and touched his stomach: “I’m hungry…”
“Wait, I’ll cook for you right away.” Xu Shen put him down and turned to the kitchen.
It was said that shape made up for shape, and since Shu Ran had been using his brain too much recently, Xu Shen bought him a pair of pig brains to stew with medicinal herbs. Because it was already stewed, Shu Ran didn’t recognize it as pig brains. After eating a piece, he asked Xu Shen: “What is this slippery and tender thing? It’s quite delicious.”
Xu Shen knew that his wife was very picky about what he ate, so he thought about it and said vaguely: “Part of a pig…”
Shu Ran didn’t even think about it: “Which part?”
“It’s delicious anyway!” Xu Shen continued to muddle the waters. “Why do you ask so clearly? It’s rare for you to be confused.”
“???” Shu Ran touched his stomach and glared at Xu Shen: “Your uncle, Xu Shen, what on earth did you feed me?!”
This subtext was very scary, okay?!
Xu Shen looked at him and smiled guiltily.
“Speak quickly!” Shu Ran rushed forward and pressed Xu Shen’s shoulders, preparing to choke him if he didn’t tell the truth.
Under severe torture, Xu Shen had no choice but to confess honestly: “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you!” After a pause, he asked first: “Do you eat animal organs?” If the answer was no, he was dead set on changing his story and saying it was white fish… You can kill me, it’s white fish! Just white fish!
“Pig brains?” Shu Ran asked.
So smart?! He guessed it right away… Xu Shen nodded. “But it’s delicious, isn’t it? Hey…” He asked cautiously: “You don’t hate it, right?”
Damn! You’re the one who has a pig’s brain!
Shu Ran hadn’t eaten it before and even thought people who ate it were perverts, but now, well… He thought it was quite delicious.
“Shape makes up for shape… Maybe after eating two more pairs, the inspiration will come back.” Xu Shen said softly.3Damn, Xu Shen, how about walnuts?! They also have a brain shape and are very good for your brain! All the pictures I found about Chinese-style stewed pig brains look like… Zombie food
It turned out to be for that reason… Then just forgive him!
Shu Ran covered his heart and said: “I’m so touched.”
“Oh, who moved you so much?” The situation improved miraculously and Xu Shen began to babble.
Shu Ran knew what he wanted to hear, so he smiled and winked at him openly: “My husband.”
“Cough!” Xu Shen’s body felt so comfortable and he melted all over the floor. It felt very good… He was so happy that it looked like Shu Ran ate his brains and not the pig’s…
Shu Ran continued: “If I don’t eat it now, the pig might have a problem and come to haunt me tonight.”
“Oh.” Xu Shen then retracted his dishonest paws and planned to make another stew every now and then…
Maybe eating brains really worked. After resting for a week, Shu Ran felt that the inspiration that went on vacation was finally willing to come back home. While Shu Ran’s situation was gradually improving, the first batch of goods from the new factory was also about to be shipped out. Xu Shen was taking care of everything, and he had been very busy.
Many people were secretly watching their factories, wanting to know who they were doing business with. Now they finally saw truckloads of goods being pulled out, but they were transported directly to the provincial wharf and boarded the ship to the coast, heading straight overseas.
The people who were following them passed the news to their respective bosses, and finally, the bosses’ doubts were solved. It turned out that they were doing business with foreigners. No wonder the garment factory could become so big in Nanshi!
So doing business with foreigners was very profitable… But so what, they themselves didn’t know how to do it!!!
The phone in the office of “Tongxin Garment Factory” suddenly became a hotline. The clerks received several calls a day and all of them were asking for answers from their factory leaders.
Xu Shen himself answered several calls, all of which invited him to dinner and chat about business cooperation. He declined a few calls and then told his subordinates that in the future, any such calls should be answered with a bunch of simple words: The! Leader! Is! Not! Here!!!
Xu Shen knew that someone was keeping an eye on their factory, so he was very careful in everything he did. He would visit all the factories every now and then to check on things and send greetings, just in case there was any news that he wouldn’t find out until very late.
Especially when the shipping date was approaching, he was afraid that someone would report them and demand to check the goods, which would not only delay the shipment but also cause trouble.
Yuan Feng also heard that they were engaged in export sales, and immediately connected the clues. So that was it, now he finally understood. The leader of that silent rise was neither the Chen brothers nor Xu Shen, nor the uneducated young master of the Jiang family, but the man who answered his call that day. The owner of that voice was a young man from the countryside. Someone who was nineteen years old and claimed to have only received several years of schooling.
“It seems that export is the new trend…” Yuan Feng murmured: “We should hurry up.”
Just as the Yuan family began to reform their sales channels, Shu Ran was already on the road to building his brand and opening a directly operated store.
Even if the other bosses received the education to engage in export sales, they still had to pay some tuition fees for a while. It was only in the late 1980s that the entire market truly matured.
After receiving the payment for the first batch of goods from the new factory, Shu Ran and Xu Shen planned to take part of the money to Beijing and do some research, while Jiang Fan and the others continued to open new factories and raise funds.
Those details still needed to be discussed in a meeting.
Everyone had been very busy recently and they hadn’t had a party for a long time. After work, everyone went to buy groceries and dropped by Xu Shen’s house for dinner.
While the brothers were preparing food together in the yard, Shu Ran reported to them the amount of the payment: “In May, our four factories shipped a total of more than 1.3 million pieces of goods.” Shu Ran continued. “After deducting the cost, we still have a net profit of 560,000 yuan. After all, it costs money to build a new factory, so it’s still not enough.”
Everyone was still quite calm when they heard that number.
Shu Ran continued: “The number of shipments will increase next month, and the net profit will exceed one million.”
This time around, all of them started to have fun.
“Hey, I’ve been very busy these past two months!” Chen Kai sat on the ground peeling lotus roots while saying with high spirits: “At the end of the year, will each of us be able to get a million?”
“It stands to reason that that’s reasonable.” Shu Ran said, sitting next to Xu Shen and helping him peel the edamame. “But money will depreciate in your hands, so just keep something and put the rest on the market.”
“How to split it?” asked Chen Sen while dealing with a chicken.
“Part of it is to buy land and a house.” Shu Ran glanced at Xu Shen, who actually looked back at him and smiled: “The rest is to build our own brand.”
“Shu Ran and I will go to Beijing and look for a shop in two days.” Xu Shen took over: “Working for export is our most tiring and least profitable job. It’s not a long-term solution.”
“Opening a store in Beijing?” Jiang Fan asked: “Is the new factory going to be in Beijing?”
“No, it’s too easy to mess things up in Beijing. Nanshi is better.” Shu Ran counted on his fingers: “Land is cheap, labor is cheap, and we already have our relationships here. Becoming the leader of the market in Nanshi is just around the corner.”
If they moved to Beijing, let alone becoming the boss, they couldn’t even reach other businesses’ tails!
“Yes, let it be Nanshi!” Chen Kai sneered and said without knowing what he thought of: “Before I became the leader, I would fight here to the end!”
Xu Shen patted him on the shoulder, silently expressing support.
“Brother Fan.” Shu Ran looked at Jiang Fan: “When the direct-sale store opens, I plan to hire a group of models and run a monthly fashion magazine in China. Can you take the lead in photography?”
“No problem!” Jiang Fan raised his chin confidently.
After peeling the edamame for a while, Shu Ran raised his head and continued: “Then, after we go to Beijing this time, should each of us buy a courtyard house and become neighbors?”
“It’s all up to you.” Everyone nodded. Now the brothers were very convinced of Shu Ran, and even jealous of Xu Shen. He had such good taste in marrying a wife!
He didn’t marry a wife, he obviously married the God of Wealth! Tsk, tsk, tsk! They all wanted to work hard and secure a good life for that Buddha!
Xu Shen listened to them talking with a smile on his face. He and Chen Sen were both quiet people, so they just listened to Shu Ran and the other two chattering non-stop until the banquet was over.
Talking too much made Shu Ran’s throat tingle.
“I’ll make you some pear tea.” Xu Shen saw that there were pears in the things Chen Kai and the others bought, so he got up and went to make it.
“No need, I’ll just eat it like this.” Shu Ran said. It was nothing serious, and maybe he’d even be fine by tomorrow morning. There was no need for Xu Shen to go to such trouble.
“Gnawing it raw has no effect.” Xu Shen moved quickly and set up the decoction stove directly. “This stuff moistens the lungs and promotes body fluids. It’s not bad to drink it anyway.”
“Okay, Brother Shen… Such a warm man.” Shu Ran held his face in his hands. Recently, his boyfriend stewed brains and boiled pear tea left and right, making him feel very warm.
Xu Shen stretched out his long arms and took his wife into his lap. After a while, Shu Ran’s collar was spread out in a place that no one could see. On his white neck, bright red flowers started to bloom and spread to the depths of his soul.
“Hey, we’re in the yard…” Shu Ran finally couldn’t bear it anymore and pushed Xu Shen’s face away, jumped out of the man’s arms, grabbed the loose collar of his shirt, and went upstairs.
Xu Shen smiled while making pear tea. That night, the bowl of sweet and fragrant pear tea that Shu Ran swallowed comfortably came straight from Xu Shen’s mouth, making his wife feel puzzled. How could that man have so many tricks?!
…………
In the lazy and contented morning, a string of bicycle bells woke them up.
“Hey, uncle! Are you up?!” Zhang Yunsheng’s voice was full of joy and excitement, and it sounded like something good was coming.
“Here I come!” Xu Shen quickly went downstairs. From a distance, he saw Zhang Yunsheng’s face beaming with joy. He smiled: “Brother Yunsheng, what happy event happened?”
“Hey!” Zhang Yunsheng said excitedly: “Xiao Hui is pregnant! I came here to tell my brother!”
Xu Shen was startled, and then said: “Congratulations!” After thinking for a while, he exclaimed: “Then we’ll come right away! I’ll pack some things, you go back first!”
“No, no, no, I’ll just leave!” Zhang Yunsheng said quickly.
“You go back first!” Xu Shen ignored him, turned around, and went back upstairs, telling Shu Ran to stop being lazy in bed and get up to become an uncle!
Zhou Hui was pregnant?!
Shu Ran was sleeping in a daze, and when he suddenly heard the news, he was a little confused at first but then became very happy. Another new life was about to arrive. It would be the late spring of 1985 when they’ll be born.
He and Xu Shen packed up and drove to the shopping district to buy a bunch of things to send to Zhou Hui’s house.
Zhou Hui was already showing signs of pregnancy, making Zhang Yunsheng feel extremely nervous while asking her to lie on the bed and rest. All her sewing work also had to be postponed.
“You’re here?” Zhou Hui sat up and looked at her brother, whom she had not seen for several days, to see if he had gained or lost weight due to his recent busy work.
“Sister, your morning sickness isn’t serious, right?” Shu Ran also looked at her face.
“It’s okay, it’s not particularly serious.” Zhou Hui answered and said to her husband: “Brother Yunsheng, let me have a few words with my brother.”
“Okay.” Zhang Yunsheng immediately withdrew knowingly.
Shu Ran’s heart trembled, and he felt a little uneasy: “What’s wrong, sister? Is my brother-in-law bullying you?”
Zhou Hui glared at him: “I think you’re the one who was bullied!” Then she pointed at the inside of his collar angrily: “Don’t tell me! Is that an insect bite again?!”
Anyone who has ever been married knew whether it was a bug bite or not…
Shu Ran was startled and quickly pulled up his collar. He was in a hurry to go out in the morning and didn’t notice there were some marks left from last night. He shouldn’t be wearing clothes with such loose collars…
“I have found a partner.” Shu Ran simply admitted it, now that Zhou Hui had already seen the evidence. “I never found a chance to tell you because it’s not convenient to get married at the moment and I was afraid you would rush me to get married.”
There was silence in the room.
Zhou Hui looked at him with a complicated expression: “Such traces appeared on your body the night Brother Shen took us into the city. Don’t tell me you were already with him at that time!”
She wasn’t married back then and didn’t understand. Later, Xu Shen was unconditionally kind to them, even coming to send things over every now and then. Everything must be done for a reason.
Shu Ran said nothing.
“Don’t hide it from me, I’m not an unmarried little girl!” Zhou Hui looked at him with a sullen face: “I know you two are getting along well now, but what about the beginning? Did he force you?!”
“No!!!” Shu Ran immediately denied it. “I think he looks good and I like his face!”
Zhou Hui was speechless. “…”
How come she remembered, when her younger brother accompanied her to the blind date, who was the one who warned her not to look at a man’s face when choosing a husband?!
T.N:
Zhou Hui: Right in front of my salad?!
The author has something to say:
Shu Ran: I’m superficial! I admit it!
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