1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 109 I want to say, you didn't give me a chance
"Cough cough."

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat when she heard the words "East Gate," and she coughed twice, covering her mouth.

Dongguan Street, also known as Laodongmen by the old residents of Jinan, is now home to a newly built small commodity wholesale market called Dongmen Small Commodity Wholesale Market.

What were you doing at the East Gate?

Auntie immediately sensed something was wrong, and her face darkened even more.

"Oh, Mom, what brings you here?"

My cousin was so startled by my mother's voice that she almost jumped up from the ground.

"Why are you so guilty?"

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Seeing her reaction, the aunt immediately realized something was wrong: "This is my home, can't I come here?"

“Who’s guilty?”

My cousin's eyes flickered slightly, and she stubbornly denied it: "I didn't."

"Xi Yu, tell me!"

The aunt didn't believe it and her scrutinizing gaze fell on Lin Xiyu: "What exactly happened?"

"Oh, I said, what did I say?"

Lin Xiyu was surprised that her aunt suddenly turned on her and targeted her.

Don't tell me you didn't know?

The aunt hit the nail on the head: "Those coughs you coughed just now were off. What kind of trouble are you two sisters up to now? Besides going to the night market to sell clothes, what else are you hiding from us?"

"Well, it's nothing really, it's just that my cousin quit her job."

Under her aunt's death stare, Lin Xiyu gritted her teeth, jumped up from the chair, and pushed her cousin to run outside.

"That brat, she dared to resign without even saying a word."

As expected, my aunt flew into a rage, grabbed a feather duster, and chased after him out of the house.

There was a commotion in the courtyard.

The two sisters tried to hide, and the sudden commotion alerted all the neighbors.

"What's wrong with Leilei's mom now?"

"What did the two kids do to make you angry this time?"

"She was fine just now, but she started making a fuss as soon as Leilei came back."

Grandpa Wang and his family, along with Zhang Dashan and his wife, all came out of the house.

"Grandma, um, I'm going out to take a look."

Gu Bin couldn't sit still any longer. He was about to get up from his chair when his grandmother pressed down on his shoulder and forcefully pushed him back down.

"Sit still."

Grandma smiled lovingly, completely ignoring the noise outside: "These two children are too willful and need to be taught a lesson."

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

The uncle was used to it. He put down his chopsticks and calmly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand: "That's just how my older sister is. She comes back when she's tired of fighting."

"It's going to rain."

My aunt also said, "It won't last long. Just listen to it and don't take it seriously."

Gu Bin's lips twitched as he looked at the calm and composed family, unsure of what to think.

-

"Boom."

Another clap of thunder sounded outside the window, and in an instant, a torrential downpour began, with large raindrops falling from the sky and pounding against the windowpane.

"It's raining, stop hitting it."

"You'll get wet in no time if you stay outside."

"Getting caught in the rain is bad for your health, you should go back now."

As expected, once it rained, even those trying to mediate the fight lost their appetite for watching the drama unfold.

The small courtyard was deserted in an instant.

Lin Xiyu and her cousin ran back soaking wet and hid behind their grandmother without prior arrangement.

My aunt came in afterward, and was about to pick up the feather duster and give it a couple more whacks.

"stop!"

Grandma's stern shout startled her so much that she trembled all over.

"Is it over yet?"

Grandma, the matriarch of the family, displayed her authority: "How can you make such a scene in front of outsiders? What kind of behavior is this?"

"Mom, this child is outrageous."

Auntie was still angry: "You dared to keep such a big thing as resigning from us."

"It was wrong of her to keep it a secret, but don't you, as her mother, bear any responsibility at all?"

Grandma scolded sternly: "Have you ever had a proper conversation with her? You never do what you want, you just hit or scold her. How can you expect the child to confide in you? Give her a chance and let her tell you."

"You talk as if you already know."

The aunt muttered indignantly, "She's been staying with you lately, and I haven't had a chance to see her at all."

"It's my fault, okay?"

Grandma laughed in exasperation: "Look at yourself now, how are you any different from Leilei? She learned it all from you. You're a bully at home, but a coward outside. All you do is cause trouble for your own family."

“I’m not like my mom.”

My cousin retorted, "I'm not afraid to fight with outsiders at all. If anyone dares to steal my husband, I'll smear their face."

"Listen to what she's saying!"

The aunt was furious that her daughter had reopened old wounds, and she was about to hit her again with a feather duster.

"Alright, that's enough."

Grandma's face darkened, and she sternly rebuked, "You two, neither of you should say another word."

"Grandma, can I say a few words?"

Gu Bin couldn't stand it anymore and tentatively tried to persuade him.

"You say it."

Grandma couldn't stand anyone at that moment, except for him.

I also know about Sister Lei's resignation.

Gu Bin calmly analyzed: "To be honest, I don't really agree with her continuing to work at the soy sauce factory. The soy sauce factory is not doing well, and it is very likely that in the near future, it will follow in the footsteps of other large state-owned factories, with employees having their seniority bought out and being forced to lay off. Rather than waiting until that time, it is better to plan ahead and look for better opportunities."

"Uh-huh."

These words really struck a chord with my cousin. Her eyes lit up, and she kept agreeing: "I just feel that the soy sauce factory has no future and I can't stay there for long, so I want to find a way out for myself."

"Is your current job satisfactory?"

The aunt couldn't stand her excuses.

"The home renovation industry has broad prospects."

Gu Bin has his own opinion: "With the rise of the real estate market and the continuous increase in residents' income, more people will have the need to improve their living environment in the future, from bungalows to apartment buildings, from small apartments to large apartments. The rise of the real estate market will definitely boost the decoration market."

"That's absolutely right."

My cousin quickly caught up: "A lot of new buildings have been built in the Qinglong Back Street area. I heard they are all commercial housing that can be bought and sold freely. Rich people who buy houses will definitely renovate them."

“Our renovation company hasn’t officially opened yet, but people have already come to inquire. Today I’ve received several groups of people who were very interested in the model room and left their phone numbers. These are all potential customers. If I persuade them a few more times, I’ll be able to close my first deal.”

-

"Are you relying on those few deals you negotiated to support a whole bunch of people?"

The aunt scoffed, "You'll be starving, and the company will go bankrupt sooner or later."

"Aunt."

Lin Xiyu glanced at Gu Bin and gave a wry smile: "You can't say that."

"It's understandable that my aunt has reservations because she doesn't understand the company's operating model."

Gu Bin smiled indifferently and gave her a reassuring look: "Let me explain. The decoration industry is very complex. The main costs are labor and building materials. Labor is easy to deal with. There are plenty of people waiting to do odd jobs at the labor market every day. You can find someone anytime."

“We also have an advantage in building materials. Wang Fan’s father is in the building materials business, so he can purchase goods at no cost and doesn’t even need to store them in warehouses.”

"Most importantly, the construction companies that do business with his father are long-term partners with mutual benefits. They give him some benefits and let him contract a few projects, which guarantees his annual income."

"I saw this advantage in him, which is why I invested in a partnership, established a renovation company with him, and started a business together."

His eloquence and insightful analysis are undeniable.

"So, according to you, you're making a clean profit from this!"

The uncle understood and exclaimed, "If there's business, we do it; if there's no business, we don't even need to support people. The building materials are all from Wang Fan's own family, and the renovation can even bring business to his father. It's a sure-fire way to make money."

"It's not that there are no costs at all."

Gu Bin patiently explained: "Currently, the company has not purchased the property rights to the leased shops, and we need to pay 20,000 yuan in rent per year. In addition, there is Sister Lei's salary, which is 1,000 yuan per month, plus her commission, all of which are included in the cost."

"Leilei gets a thousand a month?"

The uncle gasped, and the aunt looked on with envy.

"hey-hey."

My cousin raised her eyebrows smugly: "Otherwise, I'll quit my job. What future is there in working at a soy sauce factory? You'll never earn a thousand in your entire life."

"You're also involved with the renovation company?"

Hearing this, Auntie finally calmed down and smiled, saying, "Why didn't you say so sooner? If I had known it was you who owned the company, I wouldn't have been so anxious."

"That's what I wanted to say."

Gu Bin was both amused and exasperated: "You didn't give me a chance."

"Cough cough."

The aunt blushed and smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry you had to see this. I do have a bit of a temper."

"Mom, you're being a little too hasty."

My cousin rubbed the red marks on her arm and complained, "It's only because I'm tough that I can take a beating; otherwise, you would have beaten me to death long ago."

"What are you talking about?"

Grandma is old and can't stand the word "death": "What kind of child talks about death all the time?"

"It's you, you're always so irritating."

The aunt seized the opportunity to sow discord between her daughter and her husband.

"Okay, okay, it was my fault, alright?"

My cousin was speechless at her own mother's antics: "Grandma, don't be angry. I apologize to you. I promise I'll never say it again."

“That’s pretty much it”

Grandma was satisfied, her expression softening.

"I'm starving."

When my cousin saw that my grandmother was smiling, she started to act silly again: "I want to eat, turning my grief and anger into appetite, to comfort myself that I got beaten as soon as I got back, poor little heart."

"The fish is cold, let's heat it up again."

Grandma smiled kindly: "There are also vegetable pancakes and winter melon soup. They're all warm now. Let her eat something warm. She got chilled from the rain, so let her get rid of the chill."

"I'll go to the hot bar."

Although the aunt said she was disgusted, she really loved her daughter. Before the grandmother could finish speaking, she took the fish bowl and went out.

"Thank you, Mom. You're so good."

My cousin chuckled and spoke fluently.

"Hmph, just stop making me angry."

Auntie snorted, lifted the curtain, stepped out the door, and braved the rain to enter the kitchen.

-

The rain was getting heavier and showed no signs of stopping. Gu Bin glanced at the clock and decided to take his leave.

"Are you leaving now?"

Lin Xiyu saw through his thoughts and looked worried: "It's raining so hard, you'll get soaked in no time if you ride a bicycle."

"Getting caught in the rain in summer is no big deal; you can just take a shower when you get home."

Gu Bin didn't seem to mind: "Since you're not going to the night market because of the rain, there's no need for me to wait. You should get some rest too. Once you've bought your train tickets, I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

"I'll get you a raincoat."

Lin Xiyu wanted to get her raincoat for him.

"Need not."

Gu Bin grabbed her arm and said, "Your raincoat is too small; it doesn't fit me."

"My uncle has it."

"My uncle is shorter than me."

"You"

Lin Xiyu laughed in exasperation: "Why are you so stubborn? I'm just giving you a raincoat, and you're still complaining."

"Really, I don't need to wear a raincoat."

Gu Bin had his own reasons: "If I go back in the rain, Grandma will feel sorry for me. Wearing your raincoat will only make things worse and upset her."

"why?"

Lin Xiyu's heart sank: "Does your grandmother still not agree to us being together?"

"Just two more days."

Gu Bin smiled and reassured her, "She'll give up once she gets back from Beijing."

"Ugh."

Lin Xiyu sighed with feigned sorrow: "Dating you is harder than the eight-year War of Resistance against Japan."

"We will see the light of day soon."

Gu Bin's eyes were gentle: "Once you get to Beijing, it'll all depend on your performance."

Lin Xiyu felt a little flustered: "What if your sixth grandfather doesn't like me?"

He will like you.

Gu Bin encouraged him in his own way: "I believe in you, you can do it."

"You're not going to trick me again, are you?"

Lin Xiyu rolled her eyes inwardly: "Just like that time when we were filming at Daming Lake, you didn't even tell me beforehand, leaving me to face your grandfather's questions all by myself."

"Didn't you do a great job?"

Gu Bin smiled jokingly: "You conquered Grandpa's heart with your real talent and learning, making him admire your abilities and have to admit your excellence."

"When you see your sixth grandfather, you won't have to recite poems again, will you?"

Lin Xiyu let out a wail and leaned back, saying, "Let me faint for a while."

"Need not."

Gu Bin smiled and reached out to support her: "Just listen to me and do as I say."

"Can't you just stop keeping me in suspense?"

Lin Xiyu suffered a heart attack: "Give me a little inside information first, so I can have a general idea."

"Believe me."

Gu Bin smiled and advised, "If I tell you in advance, you'll feel guilty and act very unnaturally."

“It better be this way”

Lin Xiyu glared at him resentfully: "If you dare to embarrass me, I'm really not talking to you anymore. I have a lot of suitors. Even when I go out to buy groceries, someone will hit on me and want me to marry their son. If you dare to mess with me, I'll dump you and get engaged to someone else, just like Mengmeng did."

"You've grown temperamental, daring to dump me now?"

Gu Bin scoffed, then laughed in exasperation: "We need to have a serious talk about this. Who's the fool who dares to steal my girlfriend? I'll make sure he pays the price."

"They were just saying it, why are you scaring them like that?"

Lin Xiyu turned the tables on him, and seeing that his expression had indeed changed and he was no longer as calm and composed as before, she secretly rejoiced.

"You should have less contact with Wu Meng in the future."

Gu Bin narrowed his eyes, his long, narrow eyes slanting upwards, revealing a hint of threat: "You're such a flirt, always chasing after men, you've corrupted you."

"I'm not a fangirl."

Lin Xiyu spoke up for her best friend, saying, "Don't say such hurtful things."

(End of this chapter)