Chapter 228

Gu Zhanwang finally got what he wanted and signed Xiao Roubao as the mall’s spokesperson. In the 1970s, not many people understood the concept of having a spokesperson, but with the rising popularity of “A Little Eight Route Army Man,” both Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan became widely recognized.

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the capital’s first jointly-owned state-owned and private enterprise, named “Guowang,” unveiled as the largest national mall. Xiao Roubao, no, Young Master Han Chen, stood on the stage as the spokesperson and special guest for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Before that, the successful businessman Gu Zhanwang had already appeared in the capital’s newspapers and on television.

Initially, Xiao Roubao thought that the agreement was just to take a few photos to display at the entrance. However, he soon realized he had been deceived. Sometimes, Uncle Gu pulled him to take photos for this or that, making Xiao Roubao increasingly annoyed. Ultimately, Gu Zhanwang appeased him with sunglasses, beautiful clothes and shoes, the world’s best chocolates, and numerous roast ducks and ice creams.

Now, with winter in full swing in the capital, the little guy who loved to dress up abandoned his warm cotton coat and insisted on wearing sunglasses, a striped overall shirt, and a suit jacket on stage for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Despite his cold shivers, he kept his lips pursed, not willing to reveal that he had recently lost two front teeth.

The uninformed reporters and the crowd who came to watch the scene kept shouting enthusiastically.

“Chen Chen is so cute!”

“Han Chen, give us a smile!”

“Chen Chen, give us a smile!”

Xiao Roubao reluctantly lifted the corners of his lips, and the enthusiastic crowd continued to shout:

“Chenchen is so cute.”

“Chenchen is the cutest kid in the country,”

Su Xiaoxiao and Fantuan, who were sitting in the guest seats, couldn’t help shaking their heads.

Su Xiaoxiao: “I guess Xiao Roubao won’t take any more of Uncle Gu’s offers in the future.”

Fantuan said, “Mom, it seems that you still don’t understand Xiao Roubao as well as Old Gu does. Xiao Roubao will dare to do it again next time because Old Gu will fire irresistible sugar-coated bullets to conquer him, and Xiao Roubao will surrender.”

Zhuzi added, “Aunt Su, I think Xiao Roubao actually enjoys it. It seems he has always liked being in the spotlight.”

Xiao Doubao also chimed in, “Yes, Mom, wherever there are many people, he likes to be there, and Uncle Gu loves to take him to crowded places.”

Su Xiaoxiao: “Okay, then let him figure it out himself.” As long as the kids walk on any evil paths, Su Xiaoxiao rarely interferes with her kids’ interests and hobbies.

Xiao Tangyuan, in Su Xiaoxiao’s arms, said, “Mom, I think Third Brother is very handsome today.”

Su Xiaoxiao kissed her daughter’s head: “Then why doesn’t Xiao Tangyuan want to stand on stage like Big Brother?”

Xiao Tangyuan wrinkled her nose and said, “Because I would feel like an animal being watched in the zoo, and Xiao Tangyuan doesn’t want to be watched by people.”

The whole family: “…………”

Su Xiaoxiao gently squeezed her daughter’s cheek: “Don’t mention this in front of your Third Brother, alright? He has his pride, too.”

Xiao Tangyuan shook her head and replied, “But Third Brother doesn’t mind. Every day, many people come to our classroom to see him, which makes him really happy.”

Well, indeed, Xiao Roubao didn’t mind at all.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, everyone gathered around Xiao Roubao. Gu Zhanwang picked him up, instructed several security personnel to clear a path, and then carried the little boy back to the car.

Gu Zhanwang truly proved himself a business genius. His timing for the grand opening was spot on, coinciding with the year-end festivities where purchasing demand peaked. Leveraging the established brand of Xiao Roubao and the popularity of the children’s comics. This approach satisfied everyone’s curiosity and garnered significant attention in an era lacking entertainment. As word spread, even more people came to witness the spectacle than today.

It’s somewhat unfortunate that the food court hadn’t opened yet. Combining shopping, entertainment, and dining in one location would have ensured a steady flow of money.

Nevertheless, money can’t be earned endlessly, so while it was a missed opportunity, Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t short-sighted.

Han Cheng traveled abroad as a scientific research representative for academic exchanges this winter vacation and will only return after the New Year. This marked the first time Han Cheng couldn’t spend the New Year with his family.

Coincidentally, a small courtyard in the alley in front of Su Xiaoxiao’s house was up for sale. Although the area was only about two-thirds the size of Su Xiaoxiao’s, the price had risen to roughly the same as what Su Xiaoxiao had paid for her courtyard.

Xiao Wu sighed, “You really had foresight. It hasn’t been that long since you advised me to buy a suitable courtyard quickly. How many years has it been? With more people buying courtyards, naturally, prices have soared. If I hadn’t listened to you, I probably wouldn’t have bought one yet.”

Su Xiaoxiao replied, “As the situation stabilizes and the economy improves, having a stable and happy life is everyone’s basic need. We’re far from reaching our peak. As I always say, investing in real estate with spare money is the most reliable.”

Xiao Wu nodded continuously. He now believed in Su Xiaoxiao’s words: “Yes, is that courtyard suitable in your opinion?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded: “Yes, my nephew will come to the capital for university in another two or three years. They’ve earned money through hard work, and I’ll help each of them buy a courtyard. It’s just right. If another similar one comes up for sale, please inform me.”

Xiao Wu took a sharp breath, “They can earn so much money through part-time work and studying?”

Su Xiaoxiao smiled, “It’s possible when they encounter generous employers. I’m just kidding. I could only say that they earned it all by themselves; otherwise, they wouldn’t accept it.”

Living in Beijing is not easy. Only those who have truly experienced rural life understand that even if they manage to get into college through their own efforts and move from the countryside to the capital city, without family support, they will need to struggle for many years after graduation to establish themselves. This is because housing prices and income are never proportional.

Therefore, Su Xiaoxiao had already planned to give them such a gift for their college admission, confident that Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and Yao Bao would undoubtedly make it into college.

Xiao Wu sighed: “How many lifetimes of cultivation must it take to have an aunt like you? I almost want to be your nephew.”

After he finished speaking, Xiao Wu felt something was wrong and touched his nose: “Just kidding, just kidding. So, are we really buying that courtyard?”

Su Xiaoxiao naturally wouldn’t argue with him and nodded, “Yes, I’ll leave the rest of the procedures to you.”

Sometimes, finding the right courtyard to buy was a matter of luck. Su Xiaoxiao had waited for two years to find such a suitable one. Who knew when the next opportunity would come? It was necessary to secure it now. Even if it wasn’t perfect, it could be considered an investment for future exchanges.

Li Yufeng knew that Han Cheng would not be home for the New Year, and she was concerned about her daughter returning alone with so many children. Since the family was handling the work responsibilities, no one would raise objections. She also wanted to see how her daughter was living now. Anyway, she decided to leave her husband and son at home for the New Year and bring the three Baos of the Su family to the capital to celebrate the New Year with her daughter.

To be precise, Da Bao and Xiao Bao brought her to the capital to celebrate the New Year.

Gu Zhanwang was exceptionally kind; Su Xiaoxiao had only asked Xiao Roubao to mention it to him, and he immediately bought plane tickets for them without a word of hesitation.

It was Li Yufeng’s first time taking a plane, and she was as curious as the three Baos of the Su family. She touched and examined everything like Granny Liu from the Dream of the Red Chamber. Everything she encountered was strange and new. While she hadn’t found Qingfeng Town particularly unusual, the capital city was different.

“Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and Yao Bao, you should apply to universities in the capital in the future. People need to reach higher and go farther to see more and achieve more. Working hard in Sujia Village and our county town, as your parents did, is fine, but it’s better to see more of the world and contribute more to the country.”

Li Yufeng had limited formal education, but her straightforward advice was grounded in sound logic. She and Su Weimin were more open-minded than many parents of their time.

The three Baos of the Su family nodded: “Grandma, we know, and aunt also told us.”

“Mom, Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and Xiao Bao, this, this way…”

“Grandma, grandma, grandma…”

Li Yufeng, at the exit, couldn’t see clearly who was waving, and was hugged tightly by several grandchildren.

“Oh, be gentle, grandma can’t breathe.” Li Yufeng smiled and hugged each of her well-behaved grandchildren.

Fantuan and Xiao Doubao took the luggage in their hands.

Li Yufeng looked at Xiao Doubao for a long time and couldn’t recover: “Xiao Doubao, how come you have grown so tall all of a sudden? You’ve even grown more beautiful than the little girls, and Grandma almost didn’t recognize you.”

Li Yufeng held Xiao Doubao’s hand lovingly. She remembered the first time she saw Xiao Doubao, and he was just knee-high and barely able to speak.

Xiao Doubao was indeed the one who had experienced the most noticeable growth in height among all the cubs. While Fantuan and Zhuzi had slowed down their growth, Xiao Doubao was still in the phase of rapid growth he had undergone over the past two years. This gave the impression that he had abruptly transitioned from a child to a young boy.

Xiao Doubao’s affection for Li Yufeng was even greater than for his own grandmother. Although he no longer carried the backpacks with little hen or big rooster motifs, the backpacks his grandma had sewn for him were still cherished in his little cabinet, his most precious childhood memories.

Xiao Doubao, who was already taller than Li Yufeng, hugged her: “Grandma, is it bad that I’ve grown taller?”

Li Yufeng smiled so hard that her teeth were showing: “Good, good, very good.”

Li Yufeng reached out to hug Xiao Tangyuan, “Xiao Tangyuan has grown taller, too.”

Su Xiaoxiao held her mother’s hand, “Mom, let’s get in the car first; we’ll catch up at home.”

Li Yufeng looked around, “Where are Xiao Roubao and Xiao Zhuzi?”

Su Xiaoxiao: “Xiao Zhuzi’s relatives came to visit, so he went back to their ancestral courtyard. Xiao Roubao is with his godfather.”

Li Yufeng was surprised, “Godfather? Since when did Xiao Roubao have a godfather? Why didn’t I hear about this from you?”

Fantuan explained, “Grandma, it’s not a formal adoption; it’s just that Uncle Gu forcibly wanted Xiao Roubao to call him godfather, and Xiao Roubao got used to it over time.”

Yes, the “cunning” businessman Gu Zhanwang used a box of hazelnut chocolates from some unknown country to deceive a godson who loved food. With their shared interests, the two of them spent a lot of time together. One tricked the other for food and drinks, while the other was more than happy to be deceived. In the end, both felt like they had struck a great deal.

Li Yufeng nodded knowingly; she knew Gu Zhanwang was the “big boss” who had bought their plane tickets. She was already thinking about what specialties to bring him as a thank-you gift from her hometown, not noticing that Su Xiaoxiao had taken the driver’s seat.

When the car started moving, she snapped out of her thoughts and widened her eyes, “Daughter, daughter, what are you doing? You, you can drive?”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao glanced at each other. Didn’t Aunt learn to drive the last time they came to the capital? Didn’t they tell Grandma when they went back? It seems that they didn’t.

Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her in the rearview mirror: “Mom, don’t worry, I got my driver’s license. If you don’t believe me, ask Da Bao and Xiao Bao.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao nodded, “Yes, Grandma, we forgot to tell you.”

Li Yufeng sighed, “Times have changed. Indeed, female comrades are holding up half the sky.”