Chapter 48.1

On the first day of the new semester, classes began immediately. This semester had more courses, so Jiang Rou copied the class schedule, worried about cramming for the final exams as usual. She planned to memorize the content covered each day.

The next day was the Lantern Festival. Several class representatives used some of the class funds to buy snacks for everyone. The class monitor stood on the podium and said, “These snacks are quite expensive and taste very good. Since it is rare for everyone to celebrate the Lantern Festival together, we decided to buy some high-quality ones. The counselor even contributed some money. Let’s show our appreciation for the counselor’s care with a round of applause.”

The whole class clapped happily, creating a lively atmosphere.

The counselor smiled, waved, and left.

When the snacks were distributed to Jiang Rou’s desk, she discovered they were themed with the Twelve Zodiac Signs: a small bread roll, a pack of nuts, a pack of pork jerky, and a pack of duck necks. Each person received only these four items, which wasn’t much, but the packaging made it quite pleasing to the eye.

Jiang Rou heard two girls in front of her say, “I’ve seen these in the supermarket; they’re quite expensive, but I didn’t buy them. The packaging looks really nice.”

Another girl opened the pork jerky and said, “It tastes good; there’s a reason why it’s expensive.”

Jiang Rou felt quite happy upon hearing this.

After class, students who came back from the bathroom talked about how the neighboring class hadn’t bought any food, only postcards with written blessings. They knew Jiang Rou’s class had snacks and envied them greatly.

Jiang Rou went back and told Li Xiao about it. Li Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking quite pleased.

Li Xiao had already acquired the factory land in the suburbs, which was a bit far from their current location but still a reasonable distance from the new house. It took over half an hour to drive there. It was rumored that the area would be developed in a few years, though he wasn’t sure if it was true.

For now, the land was very cheap, so Li Xiao bought a larger plot, aiming to save funds. The factory’s construction was planned to be clean and spacious; aesthetics were not a priority. He intended to learn from the previous real estate companies and build a large building when he had more money in the future.

Because the land had been secured, Li Xiao was quite busy in the past few days. He took Zhou Jian and a few friends who were construction workers to visit other factories to get a general idea of how to plan.

Having previously worked in the real estate industry had its advantages. Li Xiao had made many connections, and Cao Wang had brought in some reliable former colleagues. Thus, the construction of the factory began.

Cao Wang was responsible for overseeing the factory’s construction, while Zhou Jian was tasked with sourcing food ingredients. This was crucial, as even small items like chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns had different flavors depending on their origin.

Li Xiao had instructed Zhou Jian that not only should their snacks have attractive packaging, but their taste should also be of the highest quality.

Li Xiao focused on finding connections to acquire machinery. He wasn’t sure how he managed to convince Boss You, but Boss You ended up investing another one million yuan.

Even Chang Yong had heard about Li Xiao’s recent association with a major investor and came over to inquire personally.

Li Xiao wasn’t afraid of his probing and explained the situation. He then added with a smile, “It was purely a coincidence. Jiang Rou told me that the man looked like a university professor. I thought it would be nice to build a good relationship, so I went over to thank him. We ended up having a good conversation. I found out he had a son about An An’s age, which made the conversation even more pleasant. We even agreed to have a meal together in the future.”

“But I only considered it a polite gesture. I didn’t expect that after we left, one of our factory employees suddenly called me to tell me that a Mr. You had invested in us. That’s when I realized he was actually a big boss.”

Chang Yong listened, showing an envious expression. “Your luck is really incredible. With the surname You, it must be Boss You. My brother-in-law mentioned him before. This person has a very keen eye. Every project and product he has invested in has been profitable. Since he chose to invest in you, he must see potential in you.”

Feeling a bit sour, Chang Yong had expected Li Xiao to face difficulties after leaving him, but he hadn’t anticipated such quick success. His brother-in-law had warned him last year to keep Li Xiao, believing that the young man had considerable talent.

When he learned that Li Xiao had left, his brother-in-law scolded him, saying he had a narrow view. Chang Yong had been reluctant to accept this criticism at the time, but soon after, he found work becoming increasingly difficult. The new assistant he hired couldn’t match even half of Li Xiao’s abilities.

When Li Xiao was around, he managed a large portion of Chang Yong’s work. In the face of unexpected issues, Li Xiao even handled them directly, usually resolving them by the time Chang Yong found out. All he had to do was give directions, and the work was both smooth and easy as if he was back to his temporary job at the factory. He only needed to follow the procedures and organize the products without worrying about other matters.

Now, however, even the smallest issues needed to be brought to him, and he was constantly stressed.

Li Xiao found it amusing. No matter how good his luck was, it couldn’t surpass Chang Yong’s. Who among the people who started from scratch in the circle didn’t envy Chang Yong for having a good sister?

The factory was still under construction, so Li Xiao told Jiang Rou to start decorating the new house and asked her how she wanted it to look.

Jiang Rou became excited about the topic. She put down her book, got out of bed, and started flipping through the pictures she had already designed for the new house. She brought the pictures to him and sat beside him, explaining how things should be done.

The floors would be all white, the walls painted in creamy white—warm-toned white without any complex patterns. She planned to install more cabinets, also in white. She had sketched out everything, from the smallest bathroom details to the design of the master bedroom.

Li Xiao looked at the designs and frowned. “Why is everything white? It looks so plain.”

“Where is it plain? White cabinets, if made from good materials, can have a high-end feel to it. Once we buy furniture later, it won’t all be white,” Jiang Rou explained.

She then couldn’t help but criticize, “I knew you’d probably like Chang Yong’s home decoration style. The European palace style isn’t really European at all. The colors are too flashy and it looks quite garish and mismatched.”

Li Xiao laughed and said, “Alright then.”

He thought that this style of decoration wasn’t really all that impressive either.

Jiang Rou was also enthusiastic about designing Zhou Jian’s home. The next day, when Li Xiao mentioned it to Zhou Jian, Zhou Jian agreed without even looking at the designs. He had immense trust in Jiang Rou and wanted his home to be just like his Big Brother’s without any hesitation.

Li Xiao smiled and chose not to comment further.

During the new house’s renovation, Jiang Rou made a point to visit every afternoon after school, often running into Dong Mingming. As they met frequently, they became familiar with each other.

Dong Mingming asked her why she hadn’t seen An An with her.

Jiang Rou smiled and said, “An An is with her father. I’m currently in school, so her father takes care of her during the day. I come over after school to check on the renovation because I’m worried it might not turn out well.”

Dong Mingming laughed, “When I was young, my dad took care of me a lot. He was so good to me, always taking me out to buy delicious food.”

When she talked about her father, her face was filled with happiness, with no trace of disappointment or resentment.

Seeing Dong Mingming so happy, Jiang Rou felt a bit strange. After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but add, “My husband and I only plan to have one child. We’re worried that having more might lessen our love and attention.”

Dong Mingming was puzzled by Jiang Rou’s sudden comment but replied, “One child is quite good. I’m an only child too, and my parents dote on me a lot. My dad is concerned about the family business since I’m studying traditional Chinese medicine. He worries there won’t be anyone to inherit it, so he’s been trying to set me up with blind dates recently. It’s becoming quite annoying.”

However, when she spoke about it, there was no significant sign of repulsion or anger on her face.

Jiang Rou looked at Dong Mingming with a bit of helplessness and fell silent for a moment. She had always thought her family situation was similar to Chang Yong’s. Both she and her mother were aware of her father’s infidelities and turned a blind eye to his actions, considering they were family. How could they not be aware at all?

But now, it seemed that Dong Mingming and her mother were not informed.

Jiang Rou felt uncomfortable and, after hesitating, tentatively said, “You seem so happy. Your parents must have a great relationship, right? Unlike me, my husband and I have a good relationship, but we always argue. Sigh, we both have bad tempers.”

Dong Mingming comfortingly patted her shoulder and said, “They argued when they were young too, but my mom was a delicate young lady. A little coaxing was enough. Now she’s in her forties but still acts like a little girl.”

She shook her head, looking helpless in the face of her mother’s behavior.

Dong Mingming spoke plainly, “I heard your husband runs a stall in the university town. His educational background isn’t high, so maybe that’s why you two sometimes have different views. It’s normal to argue a bit.”

Jiang Rou was unsure where Dong Mingming had heard about Li Xiao running a stall, and she felt a bit unhappy. She couldn’t help but explain, “He did very well academically and is very smart. He didn’t continue his studies because our family was too poor. He’s currently starting a business. He treats me well, but sometimes our lifestyle habits are different. We’re working on adjusting to each other.”

Dong Mingming nodded, “That’s good. My parents are also always adjusting. My dad has a very good temper. I hope to find someone who treats me like my dad treats my mom.”

“……”

Jiang Rou didn’t know how to respond. She even debated whether to warn Dong Mingming.

This kind of situation was the most difficult to handle. Warning her might mean losing a friend, but not warning her left Jiang Rou with an uneasy feeling, especially considering Dong Mingming’s earlier comment about her father pressuring her to go on blind dates.

Jiang Rou wasn’t trying to think the worst of the situation, but she had heard too many horrifying stories. Husbands marrying rich, cheating with nannies, causing accidents to their wives and children, or buying high insurance policies and then taking their families abroad for dangerous adventures…

Whether Dong Mingming’s father was genuinely trying to find a good match for his daughter or was trying to make way for a mistress’s son, it was hard not to speculate.

—o—o—o—