Mr. Zhao gave Zhao Hui a helpless look.
Zhao Hui screamed internally, ’Uncle, for the love of God, shut up! There’s no comparison!’
Chen Xiao could only murmur a noncommittal "mhm." Sensing the awkwardness of the conversation, Zhao Xiangjun walked over.
"What are you guys talking about?"
Her uncle said, "I was asking Xiao Chen about his job. Turns out he’s about the same as your cousin—though his job is a little worse."
Zhao Xiangjun rolled her eyes. "So he’s not as good as my cousin. Can you guys talk about something else? All you do is talk about work, day in and day out. Don’t you ever get tired of it?"
Her uncle laughed and said to Chen Xiao, "See? Xiangjun is the princess of our family. When she speaks, none of us dare to disobey!"
Zhao Xiangjun said, "What Uncle means is that I have the ’princess attitude’ without the ’princess life’."
Her uncle shot her a look, as if to say, ’We’re trying to talk you up here.’
’He really overthinks things,’ Zhao Xiangjun thought. To the others, she said, "If you’re all so bored, go play Guandan! We’ll be eating soon."
"After lunch, I’m taking Grandma to get her hair washed and have a bath, so you can continue your chat then."
Everyone readily agreed to her suggestion. No one dared let the conversation continue; it was making the entire Zhao family a nervous wreck.
When they started playing Guandan, her uncle wanted to be Chen Xiao’s partner. Zhao Hui absolutely refused, terrified that Chen Xiao would play a wrong card and their uncle would criticize him.
At lunch, Grandma was supposed to take the seat of honor. However, she felt she was too old and that her presence would make the young people feel restricted, so she refused to sit at the main table. In the end, the other women and Zhao Xiangjun ate with her separately.
Mr. Zhao, Zhao Hui, the uncle, and Chen Xiao ate at the main table.
When Zhao Hui opened the bottle of Maotai, his uncle’s eyes lit up with greed. Most of the luxuries he had enjoyed in his life were thanks to his niece.
Zhao Hui filled his glass and said, "Uncle, feel free to drink up, but don’t overdo it!"
He was genuinely afraid their uncle had no sense of propriety. Although Chen Xiao acted very easygoing, in Zhao Hui’s experience, every rich and powerful person had a temper.
The uncle’s eyes widened. "Ah Hui, you don’t trust my tolerance for alcohol? I can drink a thousand cups and still be standing!"
Great. Now that he’d said that, Zhao Hui felt even less confident. His hand trembled as he poured the liquor.
Mrs. Zhao was an excellent cook. Chen Xiao finally understood where Zhao Xiangjun had inherited her culinary skills from.
Perhaps it was because the ingredients were carefully selected, but the dishes were actually no worse than those at Old Jia Restaurant. He ate with great relish.
Meanwhile, the uncle was stuffing his face while constantly trying to get Chen Xiao to drink with him.
Watching him, Zhao Hui and Mr. Zhao felt their hearts were about to give out. They were already on edge, and with their uncle carrying on like this, they couldn’t even taste the wonderful meal in front of them.
Fortunately, Zhao Xiangjun came over midway through the meal, covered Chen Xiao’s glass with her hand, and gave him a bottle of fruit juice.
"Uncle, that’s enough for Chen Xiao to drink today. You should drink a little less, too. You can take a case home with you later to enjoy at your own pace."
The uncle beamed when he heard this. His niece really did care about him. He stopped pestering Chen Xiao to drink and turned his attention to his brother-in-law and nephew instead.
After the meal, the uncle had to be carried home. At first, Zhao Hui was just supporting him, but he struggled to turn back and say to Chen Xiao, "Xiao Chen, you should talk more with my boy later! Your jobs are similar, so you’ll have a lot in common!"
Hearing this, Zhao Hui quickly called for Mr. Zhao’s help. The two of them half-carried, half-dragged their uncle out the door.
Chen Xiao had heard Zhao Xiangjun tell many stories about her eccentric family, but only now, having experienced it firsthand, did he realize just how lively it could be.
Mrs. Zhao and his sister-in-law went to the kitchen to clean up, while Mr. Zhao and Zhao Hui took the uncle home. Only then did Chen Xiao have a chance to go and talk with Grandma.
Except when she was eating, Zhao Xiangjun held her grandmother’s hand the entire time she sat beside her.
He had never seen this kind of attachment from her before. When he first met her, she seemed to keep everyone at a distance.
Later, when he saw her with Xu Jia, he discovered she had a playful, childlike side that she simply didn’t show to just anyone.
Today, seeing her with her grandmother, he realized she was even more unable to suppress that childlike affection.
Grandma didn’t ask him anything. She just kept watching her granddaughter’s expression as she looked at Chen Xiao, and from that, she knew her granddaughter’s heart belonged to him.
If her granddaughter liked someone, then she liked them too.
Chen Xiao was very respectful toward her, because whenever Zhao Xiangjun mentioned her grandmother, she became very emotional. It was different from how she felt about her parents and brother.
Toward her grandmother, she felt respect and gratitude. She loved her grandmother.
Toward her parents and brother, it was mainly a sense of duty; her love for them was nowhere near as deep as her love for her grandmother.
In the afternoon, Zhao Xiangjun took her grandmother for a bath. Since it wasn’t very convenient at home, she took her to a nearby bathhouse.
Chen Xiao knew it was a place she frequented, so he wasn’t worried. She had told him before that her grandmother loved it most when Zhao Xiangjun scrubbed her back and washed her hair.
She wouldn’t let any of her other granddaughters touch her, which was why Zhao Xiangjun came back every so often to take her grandmother out.
During the afternoon, Chen Xiao drank tea and chatted with Zhao Hui about his recent work situation.
Chen Xiao had noticed the change in Zhao Hui. As long as Zhao Xiangjun’s only brother worked hard, he would definitely give him his full support.
"Brother Hui, keep learning as much as you can. There are many opportunities waiting for you down the line. And don’t just limit yourself to the contractor side; you should also learn about how the client side operates."
Zhao Hui was smart, and his heart skipped a beat. He knew Chen Xiao was having Junxiao Capital acquire Jiangzhou Wansheng Square. ’Does he want me to get some experience on the client side?’
Of course, he was willing. With Chen Xiao’s help, as long as he had the skills, a higher position would be waiting for him.
His most urgent task now was to learn as much as possible.
"Okay, President Chen!"
Chen Xiao waved his hand. "We’re at home. Just call me Chen Xiao."
"Uh, um, okay!" But calling him by his first name... he was so used to the formal address that he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
"The acquisition of Jiangzhou Wansheng is more or less confirmed. When it’s done, you can transfer over. Working on the client side gives you a much broader perspective than being a contractor! The pay is higher, too!"
’So that’s what he’s planning.’ Zhao Hui didn’t know what position Chen Xiao had in mind for him, but he could feel Chen Xiao’s intention to mentor him.
He said emotionally, "I’ll definitely work hard and not let you and Xiangjun down. My life, Zhao Hui’s life, is yours!"
Chen Xiao laughed, recalling what Zhao Xiangjun had said about how many people Zhao Hui had already pledged his life to...
"I was just thinking, it’s inconvenient for Xiangjun to take Grandma out for a bath every time she comes back. Why don’t you see if the neighbor’s house is for sale? I’ll buy it, renovate it, and build a large bath inside."
Zhao Hui was stunned. He knew Chen Xiao was rich, but buying a whole house just to build a large bath was something else entirely.
"Let’s buy a minivan, too. You go pick one out and let me know which one you choose. It’ll be more convenient for taking the kids and the elderly around."
Zhao Hui said in a low voice, "How could we use your money for that!"
Chen Xiao waved his hand dismissively. "This is for Grandma’s convenience, a small token of my affection. It’s not for you."
"You’ll have plenty of room to grow in the future. When the time comes to upgrade your house and car, you’ll have to earn it yourself."