“I know you too well; your laziness is the reason Old Yang was right to discipline you.”
Gu Xingdong took out some tea from below the coffee table and brewed two cups for them. “Pu’er tea. Try it and see how it tastes. If you like it, take some back when you leave.”
Wu Zheng said, “Dogs grow horns, and you’re drinking Pu’er tea now.”
Gu Xingdong said with a forced smile, “I’ll go see Old Yang some day. This training volume surely isn’t enough for you to even chew on.”
Wu Zheng chuckled sheepishly, “Heh heh, a slip of the tongue. I was indirectly praising your refined taste.”
“Oh, by the way, Old Zhou is back and has taken over your position,” Wang Jianshe suddenly said.
“Really? That’s good. We’re all familiar with each other, so work should be easier to carry out.” Zhou Liang had gone to military school back then precisely to prepare for promotion. However, he must have some reservations now compared to his expectations.
As they were chatting, the children sleeping upstairs woke up. Chen Lishu went upstairs and, with Li Xiulan, carried the two children down.
“How did you get so accomplished in such a short time since we last saw you?” Zhao Guiying and Lin Xiaoyue rushed towards Xiao Bai.
Neither of them had daughters, and they absolutely doted on baby girls.
“Our Xiao Bai looks just like a doll from a New Year painting. Come, let Auntie hold you.” Zhao Guiying got to Xiao Bai before Lin Xiaoyue and took her into her arms.
Xiao Bai wasn’t shy at all and was quiet no matter who held her, just looking at people with her bright, round eyes.
“Come, let me cherish you too. I guess I’m not destined to hold a daughter in this life. Old Gu is so fortunate. Why don’t you marry Xiao Bai to our family? You can pick any of my three sons you like.”
Wang Jianshe was also full of longing. His own sons were very mischievous, but not as sweet and soft as this fragrant baby girl.
Wu Zheng immediately objected, “Hey, hold on there. I’ve already reserved this one from Old Gu’s family. Your three sons are too old and not suitable. My three are just the right age. Xiao Bai will be my daughter-in-law in the future.”
Gu Xingdong looked at his own daughter, who was as lovely as a piece of white jade, then at Wu Zheng’s skin as dark as charcoal, and then at Wang Jianshe’s long, narrow face. His expression immediately soured.
They say children resemble their parents. His two friends’ sons would surely be no different. His daughter was only a little over two months old, yet he was experiencing a sense of fatherly crisis for the first time.
Fortunately, he still had two sons. He’d have to keep them on a tight leash from now on.
Chen Lishu had almost finished preparing the dishes for dinner. Before long, the food was laid out on the table. She then called the children playing outside back in. The adults and children sat together, and the three families enjoyed a lively meal.
Since they had to drive, the men didn’t drink much. They chatted about everything under the sun for a while. The adults had to work the next day, and the children had to go to school, so the two families left around nine o’clock.
Wu Zheng and Wang Jianshe had driven over after work. When they left, there were more people, so Gu Xingdong drove them back. By the time he returned, the children were already asleep. Only Chen Lishu, having finished her washing, was waiting for him with the lights on.
“I think you’re very happy today.”
Gu Xingdong had been busy with matters during this period. It was rare for him to sit down and chat with Old Wu and the others. It felt as though life had returned to how it was in the military dependents’ compound.
Hearing her words, Gu Xingdong’s dark eyes paused, then he said with considerable smugness, “Look at those two rough guys, they were so envious of me having a daughter that their eyeballs almost popped out.”
Chen Lishu chuckled, “You’re already this old, and this is still something to be proud of?”
Gu Xingdong took off his outer jacket and went to the bedside, pulling her into his arms. “Why wouldn’t I be proud? I have such a capable wife, and you’ve made everything perfect. Our Xiao Bai is just like you, so beautiful. Sigh, I’m getting a bit worried.”
Although Chen Lishu was happy, she deliberately said, “Your words are so sweet today. Don’t tell me you have some ulterior motives?”
“You guessed right,” Gu Xingdong pulled the quilt over them, covering their heads. “We didn’t have enough last night, so you can’t back out halfway today.”
“Hiss, Gu Xingdong, are you a dog? Why do you always bite?”
“You figured that out?”
“Mmm…”
The next day, Chen Lishu woke up to find no one beside her. As soon as she sat up, the quilt slid from her chest, revealing scattered red marks on her fair skin. Thinking of the previous night’s wicked deeds, she gritted her teeth, cursed softly, and then got dressed.
The first thing she did was go to the next room to check on the children, only to find that neither of the little ones were there. She guessed they might have been carried downstairs by Li Xiulan and the others, so she went directly to the first floor.
Indeed, as soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the chatterbox Xiao Chengzi babbling, while Xiao Bai lay quietly beside him.
“Mom, where’s Xingdong?”
“He’s gone to the company. Said something about rushing the schedule, so go keep an eye on it early.” Li Xiulan pointed towards the kitchen. “The food is in the pot to be heated. Xiaoyue steamed some buns this morning.”
“Got it, Mom.”
Chen Lishu felt a bit embarrassed that she couldn’t have breakfast with everyone. Fortunately, Li Xiulan was understanding; other mothers-in-law might have said a lot more.
After eating, Chen Lishu glanced at the time and then headed to the shop.
She didn’t expect Zhao Xingwang to be there as well.
He had returned the previous night, rested at home for a night, and came to the shop today.
“This time, I’ve visited almost all the county towns below. I’ve received orders for a thousand items. This is the order situation from each store. Some of them are uncertain about sales, so they only ordered twenty or fifty pieces. Although the quantities are small, I didn’t refuse them. If they sell well, they’ll definitely prioritize us for future orders.”
Chen Lishu nodded, “You did the right thing. It’s a bit tough at the beginning, but it’ll be fine once the market opens up.”
Selling over a thousand items at once was indeed good news. Moreover, with these orders, the payment for the National Cotton Mill was basically settled.
“There’s a lot to do before the New Year, so please work a bit harder and make another trip to the north. We don’t have much raw material left. With a dedicated supplier, the quality of the raw material can be guaranteed, rather than us having to take whatever they give us.”
Yuan Lihua’s craftsmanship was excellent, and coupled with the scarcity of raw materials, the income from coats had been considerable in the past two years.
“Okay.” Zhao Xingwang readily agreed.
Chen Lishu’s method of combining a basic salary with commission greatly motivated the employees.
Zhao Xingwang had been out for nearly half a month on this trip and had brought back over a thousand orders, which translated to over a thousand in commission. His earnings from this trip alone were more than what everyone earned in a year. Although such opportunities didn’t arise often, Zhao Xingwang was full of drive.
He stayed home for another day and then set off the next day with a large bag of cashmere sweaters.