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Upon hearing his son’s comments, Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but chuckle. “Mingyuan, try having meat for all three meals a day. You’ll probably get tired of it after half a month. A change in meat occasionally is good enough. I dream about your mom’s delicious stir-fried vegetables. I long for them even in my dreams. You all truly don’t realize the blessing of having tasty food. People in that region are accustomed to their diet; we outsiders find it hard to adapt. I’ve been eating it for almost half a year now. Your Uncle Gao and I have agreed to eat vegetables every day once we’re back home, saving the meat for you all.”
Wang Qian playfully stuffed a piece of cheese into Zhang Lan’s mouth. “Mom, try this local delicacy.”
After tasting it, Zhang Lan understood why her husband had made those comments. She also found the taste challenging, a bit too pungent. However, Wang Qian enjoyed it thoroughly; the nutritious, uncontaminated food was a delight for her.
Seeing his sister relish the food, Mingyuan tasted it and frowned. “Wow, this is really bad. Dad, I understand how you feel now. But I think this beef jerky isn’t bad.”
Wang Zhenhe reached into his bag and pulled out an item to give to Wang Qian. “Daughter, this is something a villager from where I stayed gave me. He didn’t know what it was and had no use for it, so he passed it to me. I know you enjoy peculiar things, so keep this for your collection.”
What Wang Zhenhe handed her was an unremarkable stone, or at least it appeared to be a stone. Its material was indiscernible, with a dull black appearance that could be mistaken for coal, but not quite. Its color was similar, dark and rich, making it difficult to identify.
Since she couldn’t figure it out, Wang Qian decided not to dwell on it and kept it as a curious item. Who knows, it might come in handy in the future. After stowing away the stone, she prepared to join the others for dinner.
True to her word, Zhang Lan had prepared a variety of vegetable dishes. Wang Zhenhe enjoyed the meal, savoring the flavors of the vegetables. He devoured almost all the vegetable dishes, leaving only a bit of meat for the mother and children. Strangely, at that moment, the meat dishes failed to pique their appetites.
Wang Qian opened a bottle of homemade juice. “Dad, try this. It’s our own product. How does it taste?”
Wang Zhenhe took a sip as suggested and nodded with a smile. “Not bad. Although it doesn’t match up to your skills, it’s the best juice I’ve had besides yours. It’s just the right amount of sweetness, suitable for most people’s tastes.”
Upon hearing Wang Zhenhe’s insightful praise, the siblings beamed with joy. “Dad, you know what? We use spring water for our juice. It just tastes better than others.”
Mingyuan astutely revealed the secret, then proceeded to recount their journey to Wang Zhenhe in detail. Hearing how they managed to make money by selling a batch of televisions and reinvesting it, even Wang Zhenhe marveled at the resourcefulness of the three. If he had been home at the time, he might have hesitated about buying fifty televisions. Surprisingly, the bold decision paid off, with several people in the small town willing to purchase them. It seemed that wealth indeed attracted buyers.
“Kids, didn’t you consider keeping one for our own home?” Wang Zhenhe teased, glancing at his children. Mingyuan gave him a look that said, “I don’t know you.”
“Dad, it would’ve been crazy to spend so much just to snatch those TVs. In a couple of years, there will probably be more and at a cheaper price. Why rush to buy now? Besides, as my sister said, if necessary, we can always buy a black and white TV for now. We’re pretty busy every day; we don’t have time to watch anyway,” Mingyuan explained.
His son’s words truly pleased Wang Zhenhe. His children were so sensible. In another family, there might have been a quarrel over keeping one TV. However, considering the high cost of color televisions at the time, Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but feel a pinch in his heart.
Zhang Lan explained with a smile, “Zhenhe, none of our relatives have bought a TV, not even a black and white one in our village. If we had one at home, it would attract attention. It’s better to be modest. Our daughter says we should quietly make our fortune.”
Wang Qian chimed in, “Dad, just think about Grandma. If you brought a TV home, she’d be dying to watch it. What would you do? It’s not just about a TV; it could lead to unnecessary trouble. We’d feel awkward. Given how expensive it was, if she treated us better, maybe we’d consider it. But with all the shady things she’s done to Mom over the years, I’m not that naive. Instead of giving in to her demands, it would be better to sell it and use the money to buy Mom some good food.”
Wang Zhenhe nodded in agreement. “Alright, I’ll follow your lead. We’ll postpone buying one for now. Even if your grandma insists on having one, it’s not just my responsibility. We’ll all chip in. If things really change for the better, we’ll reconsider.”
Mingyuan glanced at Wang Zhenhe, knowing him all too well. If Grandma had wings, she’d fly away. Trying to change her ways would be futile.
“Let’s not mention your grandma. Just the thought of her brings bitterness. Your dad rushed all the way here by train. Let her have a nap,” Zhang Lan suggested.
Understanding her children’s feelings towards Zhu Qiyu, Zhang Lan knew they couldn’t bear to harm her, but any remaining emotions had been worn away by Zhu Qiyu’s actions.
Wang Zhenhe slept the entire afternoon, only being woken up by Wang Qian for dinner.
Remembering a task he had forgotten, Wang Zhenhe hadn’t visited Uncle Zuo due to his haste in returning. He had left gifts for them with his daughter (Wang Xuan) to pass on. After dinner, Wang Zhenhe accompanied his wife and children to the factory and called Uncle Zuo in the capital. Old Zuo shared news that a special economic zone was being established in the area where they had bought the house, Old Zuo jokingly remarked, “Zhenhe, it looks like you made the right choice with this house.”
Although Wang Zhenhe didn’t quite understand the concept of a special economic zone, he made a mental note that he had made a good decision in buying the house.
“Qianqian, your Grandpa Zuo mentioned that the place might become an economic special zone. He praised us for making the right choice with the house. Do you think we should consider buying more properties there?” Wang Zhenhe asked his daughter.
Wang Qian merely smiled at the news, as it was already within her expectations. People’s understanding of economic special zones was limited at the moment, but she knew that awareness would increase in the future.
“Dad, it’s perfect that you’re back. I was discussing with my brother the idea of partnering with Zuo Yu for business,” Mingyuan explained the situation to Wang Zhenhe. “Dad, we currently lack manpower. Why not bring Zuo Yu on board? You and Mom can focus on starting the fresh fruit juice business in the south, creating a synergy between our operations. With Zuo Yu’s help, we can achieve more with less effort.”
Both Mingyuan and his sister knew Zuo Yu’s capabilities well. His initiative in starting a business at this time indicated his strategic thinking and potential.
Wang Zhenhe found the suggestion logical. He needed an assistant, and although Zuo Yu was still studying, he was nearby. Moreover, Zuo Yu is part of the family, and having family support would be advantageous.
“I agree. Your uncle’s son can definitely lend a hand. Let’s discuss the details once they arrive,” Wang Zhenhe concluded.
In the evening, Wang Zhenhe asked his daughter to keep the jade stones he brought back, as he liked a few and wanted to keep them for making jewelry for their family in the future.
The couple observed their fruit trees laden with ripe, red fruits. They harvested all the mature fruits to sell.
“Honey, if we set up a factory in the south in the future, we might need more help here. What do you think about having your brother-in-law come over to help manage?” Wang Zhenhe suggested.
Zhang Lan hesitated, glancing at her daughter beside her. Wang Qian pondered her father’s words, but she didn’t believe that running a factory required their family members to be involved. There were things that Qu Cungen was not as good as Song Jun and the others.
Sharing the same thoughts, Zhang Lan understood that while their relationship with relatives was good in normal circumstances, involving financial interests could strain the bond, leading to conflicts she wished to avoid.
“Mom, what do you think about Song Jun and Qian Jin?” Wang Qian suddenly asked, catching Wang Zhenhe off guard as he wasn’t familiar with these individuals thus he can only look at his wife. Zhang Lan pondered for a moment before responding, “Honestly, setting aside their past, both Song Jun and Qian Jin show good capabilities. They have been performing well recently, demonstrating sharp thinking. From what I’ve observed, their character seems good, and their past actions may have been driven by circumstances beyond their control.”
Zhang Lan’s impartial assessment provided Wang Qian with some insight. She had also been observing these two individuals recently and found them to be quite impressive.
“Dad, how about we have Song Jun and Qian Jin manage the factory? We can ensure we have full supervision, accounting, and cashier support in place to prevent issues. Tomorrow, let’s discuss this with Uncle Yang and the others. With all of us heading south and the business to attend to, we need someone to take charge. If both of you are gone, our shop will be a problem. My brother and I are also in school, so we can’t leave Grandma to handle everything here alone,” Wang Qian proposed.
Wang Zhenhe agreed with his daughter’s reasoning. It was essential to plan things carefully. Informing both families was crucial to avoid potential issues, as there were also others with vested interests.
The following day, which was Sunday, Wang Zhenhe and his family visited the families of Cong Yang to discuss future arrangements, bearing gifts as a token of gratitude.