Chapter 451: Laying the Cards on the Table

Chapter 451: Laying the Cards on the Table

“Ask me what? Why sneak off from everyone?” Chen Jinye took the cigarette and pulled a lighter from his pocket out of habit as he spoke.

Wu Dahai patted his own pockets for a lighter. He hadn’t brought one.

“It’s just…” He glanced back over his shoulder.

In the living room, Wu Chen and Li Ruobing had gone over to the dining table to help carry dishes and set out bowls and chopsticks. Wu Jiao and Chen Xue had come out of the bedroom too…

“Here.” Seeing the unlit cigarette between Wu Dahai’s lips, Chen Jinye raised the lighter.

Wu Dahai tilted his head.

Chen Jinye lit his cigarette, then his own.

Wu Dahai smoked Liqun, a little over ten yuan a pack. Not bad, not especially good either. Chen Jinye usually smoked the same. He’d smoked it so many years that he was used to it, and only switched to Zhonghua now and then when he went out on business.

“What is it, Old Wu? Out with it…” Chen Jinye pressed. Wu Dahai’s brows were faintly knitted, as though he’d run into some serious trouble.

“Whoo…” Wu Dahai slowly let out a stream of smoke, glanced inside once more, and lowered his voice. “Old Chen, that… Bingbing. Li Ruobing. Are you close with her?”

“Boss Li? How could I be? If I were close with her, I’d have hit the big time long ago. If I couldn’t make a few hundred million off a connection like that, I’d be a damn failure… She probably doesn’t even remember me. I only saw her once, at her factory, the year before last…”

“Old Wu, you really are blessed. That son of yours… I never saw it coming. Never in a million years…”

“If Boss Li becomes your daughter-in-law, you and your wife can retire. You’ll never have to lift a finger again. Spend whatever you like, eat whatever you like, travel wherever you like. Just enjoy life…”

Chen Jinye was getting carried away again. The moment Li Ruobing came up, he couldn’t help himself.

“What kind of talk is that? Living off our daughter-in-law? Wouldn’t that make my son a kept man? Where’s his self-respect? Besides, nothing’s settled yet. Don’t go spouting nonsense…”

“No, Old Wu, that’s not what I mean. I’m saying… with a daughter-in-law like that, forget Boss Li herself giving her father-in-law money out of filial respect. Just think how many people would come sucking up to you once they knew she was your daughter-in-law. You couldn’t spend all the money they’d throw at you if you tried…”

Chen Jinye didn’t mince words.

They had been brothers for decades. There was no need to be tactful with Wu Dahai.

But it only made Wu Dahai more worried.

“Last time Jiaojiao came home, she said Xiaochen’s girlfriend has a company…” He took a drag and exhaled. “From what you two were saying just now, it’s called Huancai, right? Jiaojiao said she’s worth over a hundred million?”

“Over a hundred million? Not even close,” Chen Jinye said, his lip curling without his meaning it to.

“Then how much?” Wu Dahai asked.

“She’s got to be worth at least…” Chen Jinye paused. In truth he didn’t know how big Huancai Fashion’s assets actually were. It was all hearsay. “Boss Li makes cosmetics. Just the factories, she’s got two. And they’re not little operations like mine. They’re big factories…”

“I’d guess at least two or three billion.”

“Two or three billion?!”

“Sure. I can’t say exactly, but it’s got to be at least that. And I’ve heard lately her company’s getting ready to go public…”

“They only just held that launch event, and sales are great. If the company lists successfully on top of that, Boss Li will be worth four or five billion at the very least…”

Chen Jinye was talking her up more than a little.

People were like that. When they thought someone was impressive, they couldn’t stand anyone thinking otherwise, and with so many rumors floating around, they naturally passed on the biggest ones.

Wu Dahai was even more worried now.

Shaken, even!

“She’s only twenty-seven. What does her family do? How could she…”

“Her family… I’m not really sure. I’ve heard they’re powerful. Her father’s chairman of something… Oh, right. She’s got a younger brother named Li Ruotai. People call him Young Master Li of Donghai.”

“Young Master Li?”

“Right, Young Master Li. He’s even more of a big shot. In Donghai, what he says goes. No matter how rich you are, you show Young Master Li some respect. If your family isn’t worth a few billion, you can’t even get a word in with him. In all of Donghai, he’s right up at the top!”

Chen Jinye held up a thumb as he said it.

“Anybody who can get even a little connection with Young Master Li, people will bring money to his door while he sits at home.”

The more fantastical Chen Jinye made it sound, the tighter Wu Dahai’s brows drew together.

He understood now that his old friend probably only knew bits and pieces himself. Circles that high were beyond his reach, so there was little substance to what he said.

Only that they were powerful. Very powerful!

Wu Dahai took several quick drags.

“What’s the matter, Old Wu? How come you don’t look happy?” Chen Jinye didn’t get it.

Today was supposed to be a great day. His son had handed him such a huge surprise. Why wasn’t he happy?

“Old Wu, if you’ve got some problem, just tell me. If I can handle it, I will. If I can’t, tell Boss Li, or tell your son. Whatever it is, they’ll take care of it for you, no problem,” Chen Jinye added.

“Ah…” Wu Dahai sighed.

“What is it? Old Wu, are you sick?” Chen Jinye’s heart gave a jolt.

“Can’t you wish me something good for once?” Wu Dahai rolled his eyes at him.

“If you’re not sick, then what’s with all the sighing?” Chen Jinye relaxed again.

“Ah…” Wu Dahai sighed again.

Creak!

The balcony door slid open. It was Zhang Xiujuan.

“What are you two hiding out here talking about? Smoking again. Can’t you cut back even one day? Dinner’s on the table… everyone’s waiting on you. Put those out…” She had come to call them in to eat.

Wu Dahai stubbed out his cigarette and motioned to Chen Jinye.

The Wu home had no separate dining room, but the living room was big enough that the end by the kitchen served as one.

The dining table had been pulled out from the wall and fitted with the large round top they only brought out at Lunar New Year. Ten dishes covered it, every one of them looking, smelling, and tasting wonderful.

Wu Dahai was a cook himself, a noodle chef who made stir-fries at the shop all day, so at home he didn’t care to cook. Zhang Xiujuan had always done most of it.

Wu Chen and Li Ruobing sat side by side. Both turned their heads as Wu Dahai and Chen Jinye came in from the balcony.

Li Ruobing looked back and exchanged a glance with Wu Chen.

Sharp as they both were, they could easily guess what the two men had been discussing.

“Judging from Uncle’s face, he probably knows now,” Li Ruobing murmured, tilting her head toward him.

“It’s fine,” Wu Chen said with a smile.

Wu Dahai and Chen Jinye washed their hands and took their seats.

Seven people around one table wasn’t too crowded.

“Have a drink?” Chen Jinye looked at Wu Dahai.

“Sure, a little.” Wu Dahai agreed, but glanced at his wife.

Zhang Xiujuan said nothing. Their son was bringing a girlfriend home for the first time. It was no ordinary day, and a little drinking was only natural.

“Uncle, I brought some wine,” Li Ruobing said, getting to her feet.

Dinner began.

So did the drinking.

They opened both baijiu and red wine. Chen Jinye and Wu Dahai drank baijiu, while Zhang Xiujuan, Wu Chen, and Li Ruobing had the red.

The meal went on for over an hour. Zhang Xiujuan talked with Li Ruobing a good deal, though mostly about the ordinary things a prospective mother-in-law and daughter-in-law discuss on first meeting. She didn’t dare probe too deeply.

Both of Wu Chen’s parents treated Li Ruobing a little gingerly.

And with Chen Jinye calling her “Boss Li” and addressing her so respectfully all through dinner, Zhang Xiujuan came to understand a little more of the situation.

Wu Jiao and Chen Xue finished first and went back to the bedroom.

A little after seven, Wu Chen and Li Ruobing finished too and moved to the living room to watch television.

Wu Dahai and Chen Jinye kept drinking and talking until about seven-thirty.

Then Chen Jinye called for Chen Xue and left first. Before going, he made a point of coming over to the sofa to say a few words to Li Ruobing, and shook her hand on his way out.

Wu Dahai and Zhang Xiujuan cleared the table and did the dishes. They wouldn’t let Wu Chen or Li Ruobing help.

Normally Zhang Xiujuan cooked and Wu Dahai washed up.

They seldom did the work together. This time they not only cleared the table together but shut the kitchen door while they washed the dishes.

In the living room.

Wu Chen lay sprawled on the sofa watching television.

Li Ruobing had relaxed completely inside, but she wasn’t about to be impolite in front of his parents, so she still sat a little primly. Only after the kitchen door had been closed for a while did she glance over and finally lean back.

“What do you think your parents will say about us?” she asked, resting against his shoulder and turning slightly toward him.

“That you’re outstanding.” Wu Chen turned his head with a smile and put an arm around her. “That I’m not good enough for you. They’ll worry you’ll dump me, and then I’ll sink into a funk and do something stupid…”

“Then what do we do?” Li Ruobing’s brows drew together slightly.

“Lay our cards on the table,” Wu Chen said with a smile.

Ten-odd minutes later.

Wu Dahai and Zhang Xiujuan came out of the kitchen.

“Son, come give me a hand with something,” Wu Dahai called.

“Coming, Dad.” Wu Chen got up, gave Li Ruobing a smiling look, and went over.

Wu Dahai went into the bedroom, and Wu Chen followed.

The bedroom door closed behind them.

“Bingbing, have some fruit…” Zhang Xiujuan had washed fruit in the kitchen earlier. She brought it over and set it on the coffee table.

“Auntie, please don’t trouble yourself. You’ve been on your feet since I got here. Sit down,” Li Ruobing said with a smile.

Zhang Xiujuan sat and took her in again from head to toe.

Every mother hoped her son would find a good girl. Character mattered, and beauty and money were certainly points in a girl’s favor. But a girl who was too beautiful and too rich could make a family uneasy instead. When you lacked confidence in your own circumstances, it was hard to feel secure.

“Bingbing, it’s your first visit, and we don’t really have anything special to offer you…”

“Auntie, this is already lovely.”

“Bingbing, you studied abroad?”

“Yes. I studied overseas for a few years.”

“What made you come back to build your career here?”

“Well… things are good here now, and there’s more potential…”

They chatted for a while.

It was mostly empty talk, but it was also a way of getting to know each other.

“Bingbing, you see… our circumstances are what they are. Xiaochen grew up right here in this county and hasn’t seen much of the world… His father and I make a hundred, two hundred thousand a year. We’re better off than some, worse off than others, but of course we can’t compare with you. What you do is big business…” Zhang Xiujuan finally came to what she really wanted to say, beginning to lay it out plainly.

“Auntie,” Li Ruobing cut in. “I’m pregnant.”