Xia Bin left the shop, his mind elsewhere. He knew Zhao Xiangjun worked here, so he was no longer in a hurry.
He had more time to pursue her. Although he was usually impatient with girls, he was willing to change for her.
’Surely she’ll be moved when she finds out,’
Xia Bin thought to himself, unaware that if Zhao Xiangjun knew how narcissistic he was, she would probably be sick to her stomach.
Xia Bin wasn’t the only one who was out of sorts; so was Wang Hao.
Ever since he had taken Mr. Zhao, Mrs. Zhao, and their family to see the house at Hu Hai Manor, nothing had come of it.
Zhao Hui often didn’t answer his calls. On the rare occasions he did, he just told him to give up, saying his sister already had a boyfriend!
’How could she have a boyfriend? What about me?’
For the past few days, Wang Hao hadn’t been able to sleep at night or eat during the day. He paced back and forth at home, which made his proud father, President Wang, worried sick!
He repeatedly assured his son that he would ask an acquaintance to act as a matchmaker again. He couldn’t believe that with his family’s excellent standing, the Zhao Family would refuse.
Wang Hao, who had finally started to feel a bit better, went for a stroll that afternoon. When he came back, he was a complete wreck again.
He came back and threw a tantrum at Mr. Wang Sr. "You said you’d find an acquaintance! So where are they? Her boyfriend is going to their house tomorrow!"
Father Wang asked, surprised, "He’s visiting tomorrow? How do you know?"
"I was wandering around their neighborhood this afternoon and heard the locals saying that her dad spent the entire afternoon at the wet market. He was telling several fish and meat stalls to save their best cuts for him for tomorrow, saying he’d come first thing in the morning and pay extra for them!"
"I was curious at the time. With her parents being so frugal, why would they pay extra for groceries? Then I heard them say it was because Mr. Zhao himself had told them his daughter was bringing her boyfriend home tomorrow!"
"Ah, Xiao Hao, don’t be so anxious. She’s just bringing a boyfriend home, that’s all. What’s the big deal?"
"I have an old friend whose daughter brought home three different boyfriends. I heard she even had two abortions. In the end, none of them worked out, and she still ended up getting married through a blind date!"
Wang Hao immediately burst into tears. ’What the hell kind of comfort is that?’
Miss Xiangjun, the chaste and goddess-like Zhao Xiangjun, was bringing a boyfriend home. His heart twisted in agony.
「In Zhao Hui’s home.」
Mr. Zhao, Mrs. Zhao, and Zhao Hui sat gathered together, discussing Chen Xiao’s visit the next day.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhao had always been quite anxious about their daughter’s marriage prospects, but she was a very strong-willed young woman.
Plus, they felt guilty about not creating a good family atmosphere for her when they were younger, since they used to fight frequently. That was why, despite their anxiety, they never dared to pressure her.
Whenever they did bring it up, she would just reply, "I’ll just be single!"
This left Mr. and Mrs. Zhao truly worried!
They had never met Chen Xiao, but they had witnessed his generosity toward their daughter during the visit to Bihu Twin Seals.
From a parent’s perspective, a man willing to spend money on their daughter couldn’t be all that bad.
Later, Zhao Hui’s transformation made Mr. and Mrs. Zhao feel incredibly grateful to Chen Xiao.
Zhao Hui seemed to have been completely reborn lately. He used to be a loafer, living an aimless, hedonistic life!
Whenever he came home, he would just flop down like a lump of wet clay, completely lacking the sense of responsibility and ambition a man his age should have.
Ever since joining Yino Company, he had become a completely different person. Not only did he work hard, but he also spent a lot of time chatting with his parents and helping his child with schoolwork when he got home!
Seeing their son like this, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao were overjoyed. In their own words, they could now die without any regrets.
To their generation, a son was the continuation of one’s own life—he was everything. Having their son walk the right path was better than anything in the world!
And Chen Xiao was without a doubt the one who had changed all of this. Thus, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao felt indebted to him before they had even met.
Who would refuse a son-in-law who helped their prodigal son turn his life around and also doted on their daughter?
Mrs. Zhao peeled a banana and gave it to Xiangjun’s grandmother.
Zhao Xiangjun’s father had three brothers, and their mother now rotated living between the four of their homes. She had just been brought over yesterday.
Of all her grandchildren, the old grandmother doted on Zhao Xiangjun the most. It could be said that Zhao Xiangjun’s entire worldview had been heavily shaped by her grandmother’s influence.
In her youth, the grandmother had been a lady from a respectable family, with graceful and elegant manners. Back then, she was also known as the greatest beauty in the entire region.
Even at eighty-five years old, her posture was still ramrod straight, without the slightest hint of a stoop.
Her eyes were still bright and full of life, and there wasn’t a single white strand in her jet-black hair.
Zhao Xiangjun must have inherited her beautiful, raven hair from her.
The grandmother was a strong-willed woman who never liked to trouble others. Until this year, she had lived by herself in their old village home. Now that she was older, the family was worried about her being alone, so the brothers had arranged to take turns caring for her.
Mrs. Zhao was exceptionally good to the grandmother. According to Zhao Xiangjun, her mother would save the best food for her grandmother, even if it meant she didn’t get to eat it herself.
Her mother didn’t have much of an education, so she had never held a formal job. In her younger days, she liked to have fun and play cards.
Aside from that, she was a reasonable and honest person, just a bit stubborn. That was a trait Zhao Xiangjun had inherited from her.
Now that Mr. Zhao was older, he had lost his bad temper. He no longer fought with Mrs. Zhao every day and had learned to compromise on certain things.
The grandmother took the banana and sat in a corner, not saying a word.
She listened to her children and grandchildren’s discussion, feeling happy inside.
She would get to see her precious granddaughter tomorrow, the one she missed day and night. And from the sounds of it, her granddaughter was about to find a good match.
She was very good at controlling her emotions, but the corners of her mouth kept turning up, clearly revealing the joy in her heart.
"Ah Hui, you’ve spent time with Chen Xiao. What’s he like?"
Mrs. Zhao knew Zhao Hui had eaten dinner with Chen Xiao a few days prior, which is why she was asking.
That day at Celestial Star Pavilion, Zhao Hui had drunk too much and taken a taxi home. When Mrs. Zhao saw how drunk he was, she jumped, thinking he had driven home in that state.
He later explained that he had taken a taxi, which put Mrs. Zhao’s mind at ease. At the same time, she felt a pang of regret, thinking about how much the fare must have been for such a long ride.
When she learned it had cost 150 yuan, her heart ached. That was enough money to buy meat for the family for a week.
Zhao Hui knew her well. He explained that the company would reimburse him for it and that he’d also be taking a taxi to work the next morning, so he could expense both trips at once.
Only then did her face light up with a smile. She praised Zhao Hui’s workplace, saying it was a great company, so humane.
Zhao Hui laughed and said, "That’s only because I’m riding my brother-in-law’s coattails. You think it’s humane now! If it weren’t for our connection, what boss do you know who is actually humane?"
"That’s just how jobs are these days. You want their money, and they want your life!"
Hearing his mother’s question, and seeing that everyone from his grandmother and father to his own wife was looking at him expectantly, he carefully recalled the details of his time with Chen Xiao before speaking.
"My brother-in-law is a great guy, really easy to get along with. Even though he’s rich, he isn’t materialistic or vain. And he doesn’t throw his weight around!"
’No, wait,’ he thought. ’I guess I can’t say he doesn’t throw his weight around. What he did to Peng Yu was pretty much using his power to crush someone, wasn’t it?’