Chapter 102: 2/2

In the preceding half-year, the economy on the island was not doing well, and Zhou Zhongcheng’s business was greatly affected. Not wanting to sit idly by, he turned his attention to the mainland.

In his view, the mainland offered a huge market and cheap labour, making it profitable to set up factories there.

After conducting investigations, he decided to open a food factory on the mainland, producing instant noodles.

Since he was planning to set up a factory on the mainland, he would definitely have to return. And since he was going back, he would naturally want to visit his hometown.

When Zhou Zhongcheng disembarked from the plane and set foot on his native land, tears welled up in his eyes.

After more than forty years, he finally returned.

Zhou Zhongcheng’s feelings were complicated. He missed his hometown; it was the place he longed for in his dreams. But he was also afraid of his hometown.

He had been away for too long and was somewhat hesitant to return.

But regardless, as an unfilial son, he had to pay respects at his parents’ graves.

Zhou Zhongcheng planned to stay in a hotel in Shanghai for a few days, handle some matters, and then set off for his hometown to celebrate the New Year there.

As Zhou Zhongcheng landed in Shanghai, in the neighbouring town of Hongxing, two men dressed in black coats, clearly not ordinary, arrived.

This was the second time Zhou Siguyi had come to Lutong. In early 1988, three years ago, he had come to visit his father’s hometown.

It was then that he learned that his father had married and had children here.

And his gentle mother and kind uncle had kept a big secret together.

His uncle was his father’s good friend, and his mother fell in love with his father after seeing him accidentally. Even though she knew his father was already married and had children, she refused to give up.

His uncle and grandparents scolded and interfered, but his mother was determined to marry his father.

Later, when his father went abroad, his mother even wanted to follow.

But his grandfather’s family was a prominent family with a reputation to uphold, and their daughter couldn’t possibly be someone else’s concubine.

Even if they managed to persuade his father to divorce and marry his mother… His father had a son!

And that son was the eldest!

His grandparents didn’t want their daughter to raise someone else’s child.

When his grandparents, uncle, and mother were in a dilemma, the situation changed. His father, unable to return to the country in time, asked his uncle to take his wife and children to Taiwan.

Seeing his restless sister, his uncle did something despicable.

He didn’t take the mother and son away, but he told his father that they had died in an accident.

At that time, his uncle actually wanted to get rid of the mother and son. But his uncle had once been a guest at his father’s hometown and had received warm hospitality from the other party… He ultimately didn’t go through with it.

Fortunately, even without his intervention, things later developed according to his uncle’s wishes.

After arriving in Taiwan, his mother married his father, and the couple has been living harmoniously for forty years.

If his grandfather still had his former power and his father was just a newcomer working at the embassy, even if his father found out what his uncle had done, it wouldn’t matter.

His mother had already given birth to two sons and a daughter for his father, so his father couldn’t possibly divorce his mother.

But forty years had passed, and the situation had changed.

Now, his grandfather’s family was not as influential as before, and his uncle’s development was limited. On the contrary, his father was getting richer by doing business.

His grandfather’s family didn’t want to offend his father.

So three years ago, when his mother pretended to be ill and persuaded his father to let him return to the village instead, his uncle found him and told him the whole story, then asked him to return to the village to see the situation.

If his father’s ex-wife had remarried and was doing well, he could be honest with his father about the past. In that case, even if his father blamed his uncle, considering their long-time friendship and the three nephews, his father wouldn’t take any drastic actions against his grandfather’s family.

However, if his uncle’s ex-wife and son were not doing well, he would have to find a way to conceal the truth.

After arriving in Lutong, Zhou Sigu quietly inquired about his father’s family and learned that his father’s ex-wife and son had both fallen ill and passed away.

His father’s ex-wife had vehemently refused to remarry when pressured by others.

Both of them had unfortunate fates. If his father were to learn about the hardships his ex-wife and son had faced, he would likely be angry.

Moreover, although his father’s ex-wife’s son had passed away, he had already been married and had a child before his death!

Zhou Sigu didn’t want this child to be recognized. If the child acknowledged his relationship with his father out of guilt, his father would undoubtedly give the child a substantial amount of money.

He didn’t want his father’s company to be divided among his siblings, let alone tolerate an unknown kid claiming a share.

So, he kept this information hidden.

However, he didn’t expect that after three years, his father would come back, and this time, they couldn’t dissuade him!

They didn’t actually oppose his father doing business in this area.

In the past six months, the economy on the island has been sluggish, and business has been tough. Meanwhile, this place offered a completely new and vast market.

Since they couldn’t stop his father from returning, what he needed to do was arrange everything here, making sure his father didn’t find out about his deceased elder brother, who had left behind a child.

This could be easily kept secret. Even if his father came back, he wouldn’t stay for long, and a few well-placed bribes would suffice.

His elder nephew, who had been taken away by his mother to remarry and had moved to a neighboring county, wouldn’t come before his father. Moreover, he heard that the stepfather treated him poorly, and he never had the chance to go to school, unable to make anything of himself.

Lutong Township was at some distance from Hongxing Township, not even in the same county, so information didn’t flow easily between the two sides.

If it weren’t for Zhou Qiaoxia’s family being in this area, he wouldn’t have been able to get information about Feng Yi in Lutong Township.

Last time Zhou Sigu came, he didn’t go to Hongxing Township and only inquired in Lutong. He was afraid that if Feng Yi knew about his existence, he would be like a persistent adhesive.

This time, Zhou Sigu still didn’t go to Hongxing Township. He found the person who had helped him last time and inquired about Feng Yi.

After learning the information, he furrowed his brow. “Feng Yi got into college?” Last time he came, they told him that Feng Yi hadn’t even finished elementary school. This time, they told him that Feng Yi had been admitted to college!

The three siblings had high levels of education, and although their children hadn’t gone to college yet, they certainly had the potential.

For him, going to college wasn’t a big deal, but he knew how challenging it must have been for Feng Yi, a young person forced to drop out, to get into college.

This also indicated that Feng Yi was exceptionally talented.

He couldn’t let his father know about Feng Yi’s existence!

Zhou Sigu started to make arrangements.

In Shanghai, Zhou Zhongcheng got into the car that came to pick him up.

Zhou Zhongcheng had come back with sincerity, planning to invest a substantial amount of money in building a factory on the mainland.

He had already contacted the local government, which warmly welcomed him. Naturally, they arranged for a car to pick him up.

As the car travelled through the best streets in Shanghai, the government official next to Zhou Zhongcheng quietly introduced the surroundings.

The car moved slowly, and on the way, Zhou Zhongcheng saw a hamburger shop named Chels at a street corner, with a long line of people waiting outside.

The government official proudly introduced, “In recent years, many Western restaurants have opened in Shanghai, including the famous KFC. This Chels hamburger shop was opened this year and is doing very well.”

Zhou Zhongcheng smiled without saying a word. Having frequently travelled abroad, he was aware that KFC was a well-known fast-food chain overseas, but he had never heard of Chels before.

Burgers and fried chicken weren’t considered rare in foreign countries, yet here on the mainland, people were fervently buying them.

In comparison to Western countries, the mainland was indeed far behind. However, it was precisely because of this lag that there were abundant opportunities here.

Zhou Zhongcheng checked into a high-end hotel and then began discussions with government officials.

He had some official matters to handle here before returning to Lutong in a few days.

In Chels Hamburger Shop, Feng Yi was at the cash register.

With an insufficient number of cashiers, he had to step in.

In the kitchen, Lu Haijun, Shao Chengdong, and two other young men were preparing fried chicken.

All four of them were college students, and despite their academic pursuits, they enjoyed working part-time at Chels.

Due to the busy season and the upcoming Chinese New Year, they earned 15 yuan per day for their part-time work!

This was a significant amount for them.

Working at Chels for a month would bring in 450 yuan. With this money, they could live quite comfortably in the next semester.

Importantly, it didn’t interfere with their studies.

Lu Haijun and Shao Chengdong were diligent students, waking up early every day to study and even reading books on the bus.

Now that there were only a few people left at school, joining them in part-time work allowed them to focus on their studies.

Having someone to study with seemed to enhance their learning.

They were quite satisfied with this arrangement.

If they went back home for the New Year, they would spend their days visiting relatives, but by staying in Shanghai, they could earn money and continue studying.

The time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the end of the year.

On New Year’s Eve, Chels Hamburger Shop closed its doors at 2 p.m.

At this time, people hadn’t started going to hotels for the New Year’s Eve dinner, and by 2 p.m., the streets were already deserted as everyone prepared to return home for the celebration.

Jiang Liyun thought that the business in her shop wouldn’t be too good on the morning of New Year’s Eve, but it turned out to be the opposite.

Many people came to her shop to buy fried chicken, preparing to eat it for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Of course, some bought hamburgers for lunch.

Jiang Liyun advised those who bought fried chicken for the evening: “When you eat this chicken later, fry it in oil before eating. It’ll taste better. Also, don’t seal it when storing, so it won’t get damp.”

People nodded. For the New Year, almost every family would fry some meatballs or spring rolls, so they planned to fry the chicken as well. It would surely be delicious.

At 2 p.m., Chels Hamburger Shop closed.

Everyone was delighted; they had finally finished the busy work and could rest properly!

At the same time, Zhou Zhongcheng arrived in Lutong Township.

His hometown had changed significantly from his memories.