Chapter 221

The youngsters were all proactive. At noon, Gu Zhanwang sent someone to a nearby famous restaurant to buy a heap of food. Although the most voracious one among them was absent, these half-grown kids still possessed formidable appetites. They swiftly swept off all the food and then spent the afternoon discussing the direction and themes of the comic with Gu Zhanwang. It took them the entire afternoon to finalize the plan.

Gu Zhanwang knew the skills of Fantuan and his brothers, so he had Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and Xiao Yu demonstrate their skills.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao’s skills were also beyond Gu Zhanwang’s expectations. Whether it was their calligraphy or painting skills, it was the kind of skill that had been trained from a young age through hard work. With Fantuan setting the story’s framework and character designs, they were able to create detailed characters based on this framework. Gu Zhanwang looked at the vivid sketches on the wall and felt reluctant to erase them.

It was truly a pleasant surprise, proving once again that they were children taught by Su Xiaoxiao herself.

As for Xiao Yu…

Never mind; after all, this child’s ambition is to become a regimental commander and a general. In the future, he will be someone who will defend his country; coloring and drawing simple things like flowers and grass shouldn’t pose much of a challenge to him.

Fantuan’s handwriting may not be the best, and his paintings may not be the most outstanding. In his words, these were merely their family’s basics—skills honed since childhood. However, Fantuan’s mind was indeed sharp and inventive, making him the soul of this group of children. Everyone instinctively looked up to him, and any discussion would ultimately defer to his final decision.

Fantuan glanced up at the high wall and said to Gu Zhanwang, “Old Gu, this wall is too high. It’s tiring to keep holding the paint while painting up there and standing on a ladder for long periods is dangerous. Is there a good solution?”

Gu Zhanwang said. “You don’t have to worry about that; I’ve already had a special scaffold made for painting murals. When you’re up there, not only can you sit down, but there’s also a place to put your paint. You can rest assured it won’t be tiring.”

Fantuan nodded. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

Gu Zhanwang said, “While you’re here with me, you came in whole and will go back whole. Let’s go; I’ll take you to eat roast duck. Tomorrow, you can run here and familiarize yourself. I’ll have someone set up the ladder, and we’ll start right on time after the scaffold is set up.”

Xiao Yu’s mouth started watering when he heard the words “roasted duck.”

Fantuan licked his lips and said, “Roast duck? It’s been a long time since I last ate it, but unfortunately, Xiao Roubao isn’t here. He loves roast duck the most.”

Gu Zhanwang said, “I’m not that stingy. Let’s pick them up and go eat together.”

Fantuan gave him a thumbs up: “Very generous, Boss Gu.”

……

Su Xiaoxiao had arranged everything before her vacation from school, obtaining the necessary documents to start learning how to drive this summer. She intended to get her driver’s license early so she could use it as soon as personal car ownership became allowed. After settling her four children at “Three Meals, Four Seasons,” she headed out to register.

In this era, there are very few people registering for the driver’s license exam, especially women. Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t find a single woman in the entire exam room—only male comrades recommended by their units to become drivers. The uncle in charge of the reception was particularly unfriendly towards her, showing disdain as he handled her introduction letter.

“I don’t understand what your organization is thinking. Women, by nature, are generally less skilled in this area compared to men. Why are you even learning to drive? Even if you manage to learn, you’ll be too afraid to drive on the road. Your organization might even send you back to relearn.

It’s not that we dislike you. However, if you can’t learn properly and the leaders from your organization call and reprimand our instructor for failing to teach you well, the instructor will get criticized and might take it out on us, blaming us for not screening the students properly. It’s really unfair to me. You should reconsider. Don’t waste your money. Even if you do learn, you won’t have the courage to drive on the road.”

Su Xiaoxiao felt awkward and embarrassed. She had already driven on the highway countless times, possessing a decade of driving experience, yet here she was being told she couldn’t handle the road.

However, being a driver in this day and age is a profitable profession, not just a personal skill. The rate of driver’s license ownership was far lower than in later years, with perhaps only one out of ten thousand people knowing how to drive, which was understandable.

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t make things difficult for him either. She simply said, “I’ve actually secretly learned from my spouse for a few days. I think I’m okay. How about this? Let the instructor teach me briefly. If the instructor thinks I have the talent, I’ll continue; if not, then forget it.”

Seeing her persistence and finding her appearance pleasing, the uncle responsible for admissions brought over the instructor to sort things out.

The instructor was also very surprised to see Su Xiaoxiao. This female comrade was quite attractive, but so petite—could she even see over the dashboard of a larger car? After his surprise wore off, he furrowed his brows disapprovingly and said to the uncle, “Why do you keep sending everyone to me? I’ve said I won’t teach women to drive. It’s a hassle! Comrade, I don’t mean you, but at your height, driving isn’t suitable for you. Please go back.”

In these times of scarcity and hardship, most people suffer from malnutrition. Although Su Xiaoxiao’s height might not be considered tall among female comrades, even in the 21st century in southern China, it was definitely not particularly short. However, in the 1970s, her height of just over 1.6 meters was actually discriminated against, which was quite speechless.

“Instructor, I do know how to drive. My spouse taught me. I’m here just to get a driver’s license. How about this? Let me try driving first. If it really doesn’t work out, I won’t trouble you further. Is that okay?”

The instructor rarely comes into contact with such a soft-spoken and delicate female comrade. Against his better judgment, he took Su Xiaoxiao to the training ground.

Once at the training ground, the instructor suddenly remembered his mother telling him, “Beautiful women are the best liars.” He felt embarrassed and annoyed as he looked at Su Xiaoxiao, wanting to back out. However, seeing her innocent appearance, he swallowed his harsh words and said sternly, “I don’t care if you can drive or not. I’ll only say this once: if you can’t remember what I teach you, just leave.”

In her previous life, Su Xiaoxiao’s instructor was particularly fond of swearing. Most students, from their ancestors to various body parts, had been cursed at, but he hadn’t really cursed at her much—probably because he liked her face.

After the instructor taught her once, Su Xiaoxiao sat down to familiarize herself with the gears, brakes, clutches, and throttle. As soon as she ignited the engine before the instructor even got in, she smoothly drove the car out.

Chasing after her while shouting, the instructor yelled, “Stop the car! Stop the damn car! I haven’t even gotten in yet!”

Su Xiaoxiao ignored him, shifting smoothly from first gear to second and third, circling the training ground three times before drifting to a stop beside the breathless instructor. She turned off the engine, released the clutch, pulled the handbrake, and stepped out of the car.

“How was that, instructor? I told you I could drive. I’m just here to get my driver’s license,” she said calmly.

The instructor, still recovering from the exhaust fumes, pointed at her and stuttered, unable to find words.

“You… you…” he started, but couldn’t continue.

Su Xiaoxiao said, “You just need to tell me the scope of the exam, and I can practice a few times before taking the exam. I won’t waste your time. Please, instructor, this certificate is really important to me.

The instructor said with a stern face, relented, “Fine, go register and pay the fee. I’m busy today. Come back tomorrow, and I’ll explain the test requirements. You only have one day to practice, and you can choose another time to take the exam.” 

He couldn’t understand how this female comrade had better driving skills than him. What was the point of teaching her?

Su Xiaoxiao smiled, showing her dimple. “Thank you, instructor. Thank you so much. I’ll go register right away.”

After completing the registration procedures, Su Xiaoxiao felt relieved.

This was originally something she should have done earlier, but it has been delayed until now. When Han Cheng was unavailable, she had to take all the children on the crowded bus to run errands or buy things, which was very inconvenient. Now that Zhuzi’s grandpa lived behind their house, she could borrow and drive the car anytime if she had a driver’s license, making outings much more convenient.

Su Xiaoxiao squeezed onto a crowded bus back to “Three Meals, Four Seasons,” where Gu Zhanwang happened to be returning with the eldest kids in his flashy SUV.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at his stylish off-road vehicle and pursed her lips, feeling a pang of envy. When she was allowed to buy a car, she would definitely get a more stylish one!

Fantuan was the first to jump out, and when he saw his mother, his eyes lit up. “Mom, Mom, Old Gu wants to treat us to a big restaurant for roast duck. Let’s go in and call Xiao Roubao and the others to join us.”

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, “Mom is very tired today. I’ll just grab something from the store. You guys take care of your siblings.”

Fantuan blinked his eyes and said, “Mom, are you okay? Did you catch a cold?”

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and told a white lie: “No, I’ve just been practicing driving for most of the day after applying for my driver’s license. It’s a bit tiring.”

Fantuan: “Driver’s license? So, you’ll be able to drive yourself like Dad and Old Gu in the future?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, “Yes, with a driver’s license, it will be much more convenient for Mom to take you out.”

Gu Zhanwang stepped out of the driver’s seat, adopting a capitalist tone as he asked, “What’s the use of having a driver’s license if you don’t have a car to drive?”

Su Xiaoxiao fell silent and decided not to talk with the capitalist. 

Gu Zhanwang chuckled. “I have a few cars under my name. If you really get your license, I’ll lend one to you.”

Su Xiaoxiao watched Gu Zhanwang warily, then glanced at Fantuan. “Big Brother Gu, tell me honestly, what did you make our kids do for you? Giving away a car just like that, their work must be worth quite a bit.”

Gu Zhanwang chuckled. “So Fantuan’s sharpness all comes from you, huh?”

He sighed. “It has nothing to do with them. I just want to please my future partner.”

Su Xiaoxiao became even more suspicious. “Partner?”

Fantuan piped in, “Mom, Old Gu said he wants to reserve the sixth floor of his mall for us to open a big restaurant, like a food court. His mall is really huge, the biggest we’ve ever seen, probably four or five times the size of Capital Mall. If our restaurant opens there, it’ll truly be a big deal.”

Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t sure if Western countries had combined malls and gourmet streets like this early on. In the 21st century, large malls typically integrated shopping, dining, and entertainment into one complex, and many malls had food courts on one floor.

Gu Zhanwang truly lived up to someone who had spent over a decade in developed countries; his thinking and foresight were far ahead of his time in many ways.

In any case, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t start a company in the short term. It was good to lean on a big tree for shade. She wouldn’t miss out on such a good opportunity.

After Su Xiaoxiao figured it out, she smiled and said, “Then I’ll thank Big Brother Gu first.”

Gu Zhanwang was momentarily stunned. “You’re agreeing?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded. “I won’t let a good opportunity pass by. I won’t disagree with good projects or money. I can’t think of any reason not to agree.”

Gu Zhanwang nodded with a smile. “Straightforward and decisive. The mall’s renovation will take a long time. We’ll discuss the details later. For now, let’s take this pack of little wolves out for dinner.”

When Xiao Roubao heard they could go eat roast duck, his head started bobbing like a chick pecking grains. Xiao Doubao wanted to stay with Mom for dinner and didn’t want roast duck, while Xiao Tangyuan also wasn’t interested. In the end, Xiao Roubao pulled Yao Bao away and followed Fantuan.

Before leaving, Xiao Roubao secretly told Su Xiaoxiao, “Mom, don’t worry, I will definitely bring back the fattest and most delicious roast duck for you to eat.”

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t particularly want a fatty roast duck; she could eat more if it was lean. But she couldn’t convince the kids and simply said, “Just enjoy yourselves. There’s plenty to eat at the restaurant. Don’t worry about us.”

With seven kids gone, the shop quieted down quite a bit, and customers started trickling in for dinner. Xiao Doubao rarely made requests, but now he did: “Mom, I haven’t had your sweet and sour spare ribs in a long, long time.”

Before the birth of the twins, Su Xiaoxiao devoted most of her energy to taking care of Xiao Doubao. Later, when the twins were born, she started taking the college entrance examination and went to university. Since then, she has been too busy. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Xiao Doubao now; it was just that she didn’t have as much time and energy as before.

Su Xiaoxiao patted the cub’s head and said, “There’s still some spare ribs in the kitchen. Mom will make some for Xiao Doubao later.”

Xiao Doubao had only mentioned the spare ribs because he saw them, but he was considerate and didn’t want his mom to work too hard. He shook his head and said, “Mom, it’s too much trouble for you. Uncle Yang and Aunt Lan’s cooking is also delicious.”

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, “It’s not hard. Mom’s just a bit busy now, and her memory isn’t great. In the future, if Xiao Doubao wants something or needs something, remember to tell Mom, okay?” She had said this countless times, but Xiao Doubao seldom made requests.

With his eyes lowered, Xiao Doubao nodded. “Mm-hmm, thank you, Mom.”

What a sweet child…

Su Xiaoxiao embraced Xiao Doubao. Of all the children, only Xiao Doubao would give up the chance to eat roast duck just to spend a bit more time with her.