"Third brother, we've come back this time not just to see you, but also to discuss something with you in person," Fang Ru interjected, trying to stop the brothers' back-and-forth.
Zhang Liunian raised an eyebrow and immediately cut her off, "If it's about the braised meat recipe, please turn back. I will not agree to give it to you."
Fang Ru was taken aback, then explained, "It's not for us, it's for my eldest sister. She will give you money. You get money, and we return a favor. It's killing two birds with one stone."
"Return a favor? Heh! Fang Yan is your own sister, do a family need to return favors? Even if you did, you don't need to use my recipe as a stepping stone, do you?" Zhang Liunian didn't believe a word Fang Ru said. Returning a favor? How was that possible?
Fang Yan and Fang Ru were sisters. They had helped each other before, so what need was there for favors? This kind of talk would only fool their parents, but it would never fool him.
The reason they wanted his recipe was purely to get it for free in exchange for benefits.
He was well aware of this, but he had never voiced it to his parents.
Some things he simply disdained to explain further.
"Anyway, your recipe is for making money. I'll have my eldest sister give you a higher price, won't that do?" If not for seeing that he didn't want to hand it over, Fang Ru wouldn't have even considered letting her eldest sister offer a high price.
"Your eldest sister asked me, and I told her she couldn't afford the price. I advise you to give up the idea of tricking me out of the recipe. I will not agree."
Zhang Liunian's discerning eyes, which saw through everything, looked directly at his second brother and sister-in-law.
Fang Ru was about to say something more, but Zhang Liuxing held her back.
"If that's the case, then forget it." Zhang Liuxing could see that his third brother had become smarter, and in a way that made him uncomfortable to look at.
Before, he could see through his thoughts with a single glance, but now he couldn't.
This third brother had changed too much, to the point where he barely recognized him.
"Second brother, when it comes to interests, even brothers have to be clear. There's nothing in this world that comes for free," Zhang Liunian, seeing that Zhang Liuxing was being somewhat sensible, couldn't help but remind him.
Zhang Liuxing felt stifled. Why did he emphasize that they were taking it for free? Hadn't they already agreed to give him money? He suppressed his anger with great effort.
"I heard Dad say you have a motorcycle?" Zhang Liuxing, though still angry, remembered that he had come here to see if his third brother truly had a motorcycle.
"Yes, I do. What about it?" He had never heard him express interest in motorcycles before. In his previous life, he had never owned one; he always rode a '28-inch' bike. This topic shift was too sudden, and Zhang Liunian was confused.
"Can I see it?" Zhang Liuxing's expression was a bit strange, a mix of shyness and embarrassment. Zhang Liunian couldn't quite grasp his mood.
"The motorcycle is in the next room." If he wanted to see it, let him see it. Zhang Liunian got up and led them to the adjacent room, where the motorcycle sat, untouched since the last time he rode it.
Zhang Liuxing followed Zhang Liunian to see the motorcycle. It was indeed the Honda he had been longing to get his hands on, but unfortunately, it belonged to his third brother, not him.
"Did someone give you this motorcycle?" Zhang Liuxing examined the motorcycle closely. The more he looked, the more he liked it, wishing he could snatch it away.
"My dry uncle gave it to me." Zhang Liunian noticed his interest in the motorcycle but pretended not to, not offering to lend it to him.
If it were his elder brother, he would definitely lend it, but not to Zhang Liuxing, his second brother.
"Second brother, second sister-in-law, please see yourselves out."
Zhang Liunian's voice came from behind them. As Zhang Liuxing stepped out of the educated youth's courtyard, his face immediately fell, as if someone owed him millions and hadn't repaid it.
Fang Ru's expression was equally unpleasant. In just a short while, she realized that her brother-in-law was truly living well. He had a motorcycle, hired people to work for him, and was operating as an individual business. He must be making a lot of money every day.
The most infuriating thing was that they hadn't gotten the braised meat recipe. Their clever plan was about to fail.
Were they just going to stand by and watch tens of thousands of yuan slip through their fingers?
No, she refused to accept it.
"Are we really not going to take the recipe anymore?" Fang Ru was unwilling to let such a large sum of money slip away.
Zhang Liuxing replied exasperatedly, "What else can we do? He won't give it to us, so what can we do?"
"Are you taking out your frustration on me because you saw that your third brother truly has a motorcycle, as well as Jiang Qingqing, and a child, and you're feeling resentful? Zhang Liuxing, I am not someone you can vent on," Fang Ru, having sensed that she was being dragged into his mood, stopped and turned to warn him.
She, Fang Ru, had her maternal family backing her and wasn't someone Zhang Liuxing could just scold.
Fang Ru's words choked Zhang Liuxing. He looked deeply at Fang Ru, then turned and walked away.
Returning to Zhang Liushui's house, they rested for a moment before going to Zhang Hao and Zhang Laoshi's homes.
Without exception, in their conversations, everything revolved around Zhang Liunian.
"Liuxing, it's good that you've come to see Liunian. It shows you care about this brother. You should get along well in the future and don't be like strangers," Zhang Laoshi said to Zhang Liuxing, starting to speak on Zhang Liunian's behalf.
"I'm naturally introverted and don't socialize much, but I'll interact more with Liunian in the future," Zhang Liuxing said outwardly, but inwardly he didn't want to. However, considering Zhang Liunian's current standing in the village, which had surpassed his own, he decided to interact more.
After all, knowing your enemy is the key to winning a hundred battles.
Zhang Laoshi thought he genuinely meant it and was comforted. "That's right. You brothers will each have a factory, one in Nancheng and one in the village, so you can surely help each other."
"A factory? Zhang Liuxing was a little surprised. "Third brother is going to open a factory? What kind of factory?"
"You don't know? He's going to open a food factory!"
"I didn't hear Third Brother mention it just now."
"..."
On the way back, Zhang Liuxing was so angry he almost kicked a tree and broke it.
Fang Ru, standing beside him, didn't console him; she just watched, because she was also very angry.
"I heard he's going to open a factory. Your father-in-law is in charge of industry and commerce. See if you can cause some trouble," Zhang Liuxing said, thinking of Zhang Liunian's matters after venting his anger.
Fang Ru's eyes lit up. That was right. To open a factory, one needed to go through the process of obtaining a business license and undergoing food safety inspections. Making things difficult for them would be a piece of cake.
"I'll go back to my maternal home tomorrow."
Zhang Liunian was unaware of these matters. After finishing dinner, he was talking to his wife about Zhang Liuxing.
"Liunian, did Second Brother and his wife really come back today just to see you?" Jiang Qingqing was quite concerned about this. She felt that if it were true, it would mean her second brother and sister-in-law still cared about them.
Zhang Liunian scoffed, stroked her head, and replied with a laugh, "How could that be? If they truly had such intentions, they would have returned countless times by now. They must have come back this time to inquire about the recipe."