Chapter 113 Arrival in Jinling
"You scoundrel, you really do eat wherever you go! How did you even find such a remote place?"
In a small restaurant in Liuhe District, Nanjing, Zhuang Rui put a piece of pig's head meat into his mouth and looked at Liu Chuan with a joking expression.
"My friend travels the world and eats wherever he goes. If you weren't with me, you wouldn't be able to enjoy this food, right, brother-in-law?"
Liu Chuan looked smug, but when he turned his head and saw his little black lion, his face immediately fell.
Zhuang Rui named his snow mastiff White Lion, but Liu Chuan simply named him Black Lion. However, this little guy couldn't eat meat yet. Whenever he was with White Lion, he would always watch it pitifully as it ate meat. His pitiful appearance always made Liu Chuan's heart ache.
Besides Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan, Zhuang Rui's brother-in-law Zhao Guodong and one of his apprentices were also present. Zhao Guodong had resigned from his job a few days ago, along with two apprentices who had been with him for four or five years. Both were skilled mechanics, and upon hearing from their master that he was going to open a repair shop and even get a share, they also resigned.
Originally, Zhao Guodong was unremarkable at work, and no one paid much attention to him. His resignation went smoothly, but as soon as he resigned, several vehicles in the team broke down. No one but Zhao Guodong could fix them, which worried the leaders greatly. They personally went to invite Zhao Guodong back to the unit, but Zhao Guodong was determined to work independently this time and refused on the spot. The leaders could only leave disappointed. If you don't burn incense in ordinary times, you only pray to Buddha when you need it, of course it won't work.
Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan's mastiff kennel officially started construction, but they didn't need to supervise the site. They only left Zhou Rui behind; Liu Chuan gave him a cell phone for easy communication. As for the pet shop, he didn't need to worry about it either. And it's true, Da Xiong and Monkey really know how to make a living from this; they've attracted quite a few elderly people from the park. Some people are lonely after retirement, and keeping a cat, dog, fish, or insect can help pass the time. These consumers are quite wealthy, and as a result, the pet shop's revenue has skyrocketed in the past few days.
Seeing that everything at home was arranged, the car dealership in Nanjing called to tell Liu Chuan that the Hummer had arrived. Zhuang Rui had three more days of leave left, so the group drove to Nanjing. Of course, Zhuang's mother was inevitably a little sad when she left, but the fact that her daughter had moved in with them comforted her a lot.
From Pengcheng to Nanjing, it's only a little over 400 kilometers along the highway. The group set off at seven in the morning, and now, just past eleven, they've already arrived in Nanjing. Zhuang Rui had been wondering why Liu Chuan had arranged to meet Lei Lei in the afternoon, but now they were sitting in this small restaurant. He finally understood—it turned out the guy was just craving something delicious.
Nanjing needs little introduction. Located in the hilly area of Ningzhen in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it has been the capital of six dynasties since ancient times. It is also one of my country's four famous ancient capitals and historical and cultural cities. It is surrounded by rivers and mountains, with Zhongshan Mountain resembling a dragon and Shitou Mountain resembling a tiger crouching. The scenery is beautiful.
The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, the tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and Empress Ma, along with numerous other scenic spots and historical sites such as Chaotian Palace, Qixia Mountain, Yuhuatai, Xuanwu Lake, Yanziji, the Twelve Caves of Yanshan, and the Qinhuai River, make this ancient city a popular destination for tourists year-round. As early as the 1930s, the famous writer Zhu Ziqing, after visiting Nanjing, wrote the following comment in his essay "Nanjing": "Visiting Nanjing is like browsing an antique shop; everywhere you look, there are traces of the erosion of time. You can ponder, you can reminisce, you can leisurely imagine..."
Of course, Liu Chuan didn't care about whether Nanjing was famous or not; the food on the table was the main reason he changed his route to Liuhe.
The braised pig's head meat from Liuhe, Nanjing, is famous far and wide. It has a reddish-brown color, a fragrant and rich aroma, a perfect balance of salty and sweet, and is fatty but not greasy. Zhuang Rui doesn't usually like greasy food, but he was eating with gusto, devouring almost a small bowl of braised pig's head meat. The four of them ate it all up.
In addition, there is Nanjing salted duck. The owner cut it up, plated it, and brought it to the table. The duck skin looked white and the meat was tender. Zhuang Rui picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. He immediately felt that it was fragrant, fresh and delicious, the meat was tender, and it also had a very special aroma.
After hearing the owner's introduction in Jianghuai Mandarin, the group realized that the salted duck they were talking about now was not the most authentic. The salted duck made around the Mid-Autumn Festival each year had the best color and flavor because the ducks were made during the osmanthus blooming season. Therefore, the salted duck was also known as Osmanthus Duck.
"You rascal, when I see Lei Lei later, I'll definitely praise you in front of her. You lied to her and said you only arrived in Nanjing this afternoon so that she would treat us to a good meal."
Zhuang Rui picked up a duck leg and tossed it to the little white lion crawling at his feet, while teasing Liu Chuan.
"Dude, we're not afraid anymore, hehe, Woody, we've already got you. How about you? Want me to help you out and end your virginity sooner?"
Liu Chuan gave a sinister smile and answered nonchalantly.
"Get lost! Who's the one who's been behaving like a cat in front of Lei Lei?"
Zhuang Rui hadn't expected Liu Chuan and Lei Lei to progress so quickly. But thinking back to how the two of them were inseparable in Tibet, and even more so in Lhasa, he wondered if they might have actually done it. Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel a little resentful. It wasn't pleasant to be constantly talked about as a virgin.
"Alright, you two stop arguing. Let's get down to business. Da Chuan, if you give this Toyota to a repair shop, what will you drive when Zhou Rui takes his Hummer to Tibet?"
Zhuang Rui's brother-in-law, Zhao Guodong, interrupted their bickering. He also knew some plumbing and electrical work, and the mastiff kennel would be handled by him. Therefore, he was quite familiar with the situation at the mastiff kennel. Liu Chuan had already agreed to let the repair shop use the Toyota with the fake license plate, which would make it convenient for him to travel between the two places.
“It’s simple. So many of us squeezed into one car. I just want to buy another one to drive back. I’ve been using that car for several years and it’s time to replace it. Hey, Wood, why are you glaring at me? I didn’t say I’d use the dog kennel’s money to buy it. Can’t I just pay for it myself?”
After hearing what Liu Chuan said, Zhuang Rui felt that he should probably buy a car too. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient to take his little white lion around. Even if his boss could help him get a city dog license, he couldn't possibly take the white lion to work on the subway.
"You rascal, if I were to buy a car, what kind would be the best? If I don't take this little guy with me to work, he'd probably cause a huge ruckus at home."
Zhuang Rui asked Liu Chuan a question, and as he spoke, his desire to buy a car grew stronger. Although he had a car to drive during this time, it wasn't his own. Once the idea of buying a car took hold, he couldn't suppress it anymore.
"You're buying a car too? Yeah, I usually drive back to Pengcheng on the highway, it only takes eight or nine hours, much faster than taking the train. But Mu Tou, with your terrible driving skills, you should just buy an Alto. You don't even need to repair it after a crash, you can just throw it away, it's much easier."
Liu Chuan chuckled, not forgetting to give Zhuang Rui a jab.
"Get out of here, give me some advice, or I'll drive this Hummer to Zhonghai. I own a stake in this car."
Zhuang Rui threatened upon hearing this.
"Xiao Rui, why don't you just buy a minivan? Those kinds of cars have a lot of space. Fold the middle row of seats down to the back, and even when this little guy is fully grown, that car can fit him."
Zhao Guodong gave Zhuang Rui an idea. Zhuang Rui thought about it and nodded. He had seen that golden mastiff king before. It looked like a calf. A regular sedan really couldn't fit it. Even a Hummer, unless it was a six-wheeled Hummer, could probably only carry two at most.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui slapped his forehead. It has to be said that neither of them had much experience, and they had actually forgotten about the transportation issue at the last minute.
"Hey, stop eating, we forgot something."
Zhuang Rui snatched the chopsticks from Liu Chuan's hand and said, "You rascal, I think you should buy a minivan too. We've been oversimplifying things. This time, when we go to Tibet to pick up Brother Renqing Cuomu, I'm afraid you'll have to come along too. Otherwise, a Hummer can only bring back one or two adult Tibetan mastiffs, which is of no use to our mastiff kennel."
Liu Chuan nodded without speaking. Clearly, Zhao Guodong's words had made him think of this problem as well. Now that the weather was gradually getting warmer, driving a minivan and a Hummer together wouldn't be a problem if the vehicles broke down on the way. If the two vehicles could bring back one male and three female Tibetan mastiffs, then the mastiff farm could temporarily keep running.
Tibetan Mastiffs are different from ordinary dogs. While a typical dog can produce four litters a year, the saying "cats three, dogs four" does not apply to Tibetan Mastiffs. Tibetan Mastiffs only have their estrus cycle in December each year and will only produce one litter per year. However, a Tibetan Mastiff litter usually produces at least five or six puppies, and if there are more, it can produce up to ten or more. So as long as they can get through the year, the kennel can have an income.
Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan target the high-end market, catering to customers of considerable status and position. Therefore, they price each Tibetan Mastiff puppy at over 500,000. If the coat is pure and the physique is good, the selling price will certainly not be lower than the price Liu Chuan sold to Song Jun.
Many Tibetan Mastiff kennels now advertise purebred Tibetan Mastiffs for 10,000 or 30,000 to 50,000 yuan each. However, those in the industry know that those so-called purebred Tibetan Mastiffs are actually mixed breeds. Neither of their breeding partners is purebred; they are merely offspring of Tibetan Mastiffs with some diluted Tibetan Mastiff blood. A truly purebred Tibetan Mastiff cannot be bought for 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, let alone 30,000 to 50,000 yuan.
However, these Tibetan Mastiff kennels can only fool ordinary Tibetan Mastiff enthusiasts. Some circles in China are well aware of these things. Otherwise, Song Jun would not have offered 500,000 yuan to have Liu Chuan travel thousands of miles to Tibet to find a Tibetan Mastiff puppy.
Therefore, once Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan's Tibetan Mastiff kennel is established, they won't have to worry about sales. With Song Jun's circle alone, selling a hundred or two won't be a problem. Song Jun once joked that when their circle gets together, the whole place will turn into a Tibetan Mastiff exhibition.
Chapter 114 Seeing Qin Xuanbing Again
Nanjing is a sub-provincial city and a national comprehensive transportation hub. It is also an important national central city connecting the east and west of the Yangtze River Delta. Its economic status and strength are naturally second to none in Jiangsu Province. If Liu Chuan wanted to buy a Hummer, he would have to wait at least a month if he ordered it at Pengcheng Auto Market, but in Nanjing, it would arrive in just over a week.
After having dinner in Liuhe, Zhuang Rui, Liu Chuan, and others drove directly to Daming Road in the south of Nanjing. This is the most concentrated and advantageous area for the Nanjing car market. Liu Chuan ordered his Hummer from a dealership here.
"Wow, there are so many rich people these days."
Liu Chuan parked his car in front of a car dealership. He and Lei Lei had agreed to meet there, but after looking around, he couldn't find Lei Lei or Qin Xuanbing. Instead, he saw that the dealership was bustling with people, as if some kind of car show was being held.
Actually, it wasn't just in Nanjing; the car markets in cities across the country were bustling with activity, all because of January 1st of this year. Imported car tariffs dropped from 52.5% last year to 43.3%, and the government introduced over a hundred industry policies related to automobiles, including raising the upper age limit for applying for a small car driver's license from 60 to 70 years old, and the introduction of the Z-type driver's license. All of these greatly stimulated people's desire to buy cars, making 2003 a year of explosive growth in domestic private car purchases.
Liu Chuan found a parking space and parked his beat-up car. After getting out of the car, everyone stretched. Actually, the car wouldn't be crowded with four people, but with the two mastiffs, the space felt cramped. Liu Chuan's black lion was fine, but Zhuang Rui's little white lion had grown to thirty or forty pounds. Judging from its size, it was about the same size as a typical German Shepherd. It had been lying on Zhuang Rui's lap the whole way, but now that it was out of the car, it started running around happily.
"Xiao Rui, you and Da Chuan go look at cars. We'll go to the auto parts market next door first. We'll probably drive back to Pengcheng tonight. If you're driving back to Zhonghai, please be very careful on the road."
Zhao Guodong had been here a few times before and knew that the car market and auto parts market were connected. Pengcheng's auto repair shop was already under renovation, done by Boss Qi's construction team. The work was simple: just building a fence and making minor modifications to a warehouse. It would be completed in three to five days. Zhao Guodong's other apprentice was handling the paperwork, which would be done in a few days. Therefore, Zhao Guodong was in a hurry and said goodbye to Zhuang Rui after getting out of the car.
Zhuang Rui was taken aback when he heard this. It was almost 2 p.m., and if they bought the things and went back to Pengcheng, they probably wouldn't get home until midnight. He couldn't help but advise, "Brother-in-law, there's no need to rush. Stay overnight and leave with Da Chuan tomorrow morning."
"No need. We're currently renovating the warehouse, so building a paint booth is easier. It'll be more troublesome once the renovations are finished. I've already arranged for them to send people over tomorrow. Okay. It's fine. Da Chuan, give me the car keys."
"No, brother-in-law, we won't be short of a day. Besides, I'm going to buy two cars this time. If you two leave, how am I going to drive them back by myself?"
Liu Chuan disagreed. Three people and three cars were just right. If the master and apprentice ran away, he would have to find a driver, which would be too much trouble.
Zhao Guodong had obviously not thought of this either. He slapped his forehead and said, "I forgot about that. Okay, let's go together tomorrow. We'll call you after we finish our business tonight."
A couple of days ago, Zhuang Rui went to Liu Chuan's house and gave Zhao Guodong a cell phone that Liu Chuan had just replaced last year, so it's now easy for the group to contact each other.
Zhao Guodong had a lot to do in the afternoon, so after saying goodbye to the two of them, he hurriedly left with his apprentice.
"Hey Wood, your brother-in-law's gone now. I'll get you a private room tonight. Whether you can lose your virginity or not is up to you. Hey, hey, don't bite me! I just bought these pants, and I didn't bring any spares."
After Zhao Guodong walked away, Liu Chuan put his arm around Zhuang Rui's shoulder and said with a lewd grin, but before he could react, the little white lion bit his trouser leg and started tearing it. Liu Chuan didn't notice at first, but when he heard the sound of his trousers tearing, he realized that his neatly pressed trousers had one leg that was almost turned into a cheongsam.
Zhuang Rui burst into laughter, reached out and beckoned the little guy over, affectionately rubbing its big head. Ever since he had warned the little white lion not to bite familiar people, Liu Chuan had started to dare to touch Zhuang Rui again. However, this little guy was a bit too clever; he wouldn't bite people, but he could tear your clothes. Liu Chuan's pants gloriously became the first victim.
The white lion looked at Liu Chuan with its pure, innocent eyes, as if it hadn't done anything wrong. This left Liu Chuan feeling angry but unable to vent his frustration. He looked down at his trouser leg, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"Alright. Take my pants and change into them first, otherwise when Lei Lei and the others arrive, there will be some laughs."
As Zhuang Rui spoke, he took out a pair of his own pants from his backpack and tossed them to Liu Chuan, telling him to hide in the car and change. However, Zhuang Rui was slightly shorter than Liu Chuan, so the trousers that had been loose on Zhuang Rui became tight-fitting on Liu Chuan.
"Wood, let's go. I heard there are a lot of beautiful women at the auto show. Let's go and have a look before Lei Lei and the others come."
Liu Chuan was carefree and didn't care whether the pants fit or not. He whistled, called out to his black lion, and headed towards the car dealership's showroom.
Although 4S stores were gradually introduced to China from Europe starting in 1998, they have not seen much development due to the sluggish car market. This car dealership is a case in point. Although it carries the sign of a 4S store and claims to integrate car sales, repair, parts and information services, Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan both saw that this store represents no fewer than 10 car brands, making it impossible for it to fulfill the service promises of a 4S store.
A genuine 4S car dealership typically consists of one store per brand in one region, or several dealerships at relatively equal distances. They are built according to the manufacturer's unified interior and exterior design requirements, involving huge investments, often tens of millions of yuan. They are luxurious and impressive. This particular dealership is indeed quite luxuriously decorated, but it's a bit messy. Many sales staff are holding their own promotional brochures, trying to attract customers. The huge showroom is a chaotic mess.
"Damn it, that kid Da Xiong lied to me. He said he saw a car dealership in Tianjin where all the women were beautiful young women with bare legs and shoulders. There's no such place here. I'll settle the score with Da Xiong when I get back."
As soon as Liu Chuan entered the exhibition hall, he started looking around. Zhuang Rui originally thought he was checking if Lei Lei had arrived, but it turned out he had such a dirty idea in mind. He couldn't help but kick him in anger. Just as he was about to speak, Zhuang Rui suddenly laughed.
Liu Chuan thought Zhuang Rui was making fun of him, so he raised his voice a few decibels and said unhappily, "What are you laughing at? Let me tell you, I looked it up online. They're called car models, you know? They're just like those clothing models, all dressed very scantily. Forget it, I missed out this time. I'll take you to see them next time I go to Beijing."
Zhuang Rui smiled and shook his head, saying, "I'm not going. You should go by yourself, but I doubt you'll have a chance to go anyway."
"What are you talking about? I can go whenever I want. Oh, who is it, Leilei? When did you arrive?"
Liu Chuan was waving his domineering aura with great vigor when he suddenly felt a numbness in his ear. Then he was lifted up, and the excruciating pain made him cry out. He forced himself to turn his head and saw that the curse he was about to utter was swallowed back down. Instead, he put on a fawning smile and his voice became extremely gentle.
"Liu Chuan, I thought you were a real man, but I never expected you to be so shameless as to come here to look at women. I've been standing here for ages, are you deliberately not seeing me, or are you just trying to annoy me?"
Lei Lei's voice wasn't loud, but her clenched teeth made Liu Chuan's heart tremble. When he went to talk to Zhuang Rui on her behalf, he found that Zhuang Rui and the little white lion had disappeared from his sight.
"Xuanbing, Dachuan is just like that, not serious. It's not what you think. You should explain to Lei Lei later, so that things don't really escalate into a conflict."
At this moment, Zhuang Rui was with Qin Xuanbing, standing in a relatively quiet corner of the exhibition hall.
"Are all men like this? If you hadn't seen us, were you going to go with Liu Chuan to see the Beijing car models too?"
Qin Xuanbing was dressed very brightly today, wearing a white Adidas tracksuit and flat sneakers. Although she was already 1.7 meters tall, she didn't look inferior at all standing next to Zhuang Derui.
"Dude, you don't need to go that far to see women. You can see them naked in no time."
Zhuang Rui thought to himself with a hint of resentment, but his eyes followed his thoughts and fell on Qin Xuanbing's high breasts. Qin Xuanbing's slender waist made the two peaks appear even more proud and upright.
What are you looking at?
When Qin Xuanbing noticed Zhuang Rui's gaze fixed on her chest, she felt a rush of heat to her face, and her cheeks flushed unnaturally.
"Look at the mountains, oh no, look at the great rivers, they're coming."
Zhuang Rui almost blurted out the words "look at the mountain peaks," but luckily Liu Chuan and Lei Lei came over at that moment and quickly gave him a way out. Qin Xuanbing knew that Zhuang Rui was lying, but she was too embarrassed to ask any further questions. She bent down and went to tease the little white lion that was circling Zhuang Rui's feet.
Liu Chuan, however, walked to Zhuang Rui's side with a bitter face, clearly unaware of the numerous unequal treaties he had signed with Lei Lei.
Chapter 115 Buying a Car (Part 1)
With Liu Chuan and Lei Lei arriving, the awkwardness between Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing eased, and the four of them walked together towards the second floor of the car dealership. Liu Chuan's Hummer was an order and wouldn't be displayed in the showroom below.
The car dealership showroom was full of handsome men and beautiful women, but they all paled in comparison to Qin Xuanbing and Lei Lei. Many men who brought their wives to look at the cars pretended to keep their eyes straight ahead, but once their wives weren't looking, their eyes would unconsciously drift to Qin Xuanbing and the others. As for what they would do if their wives found out, whether they would have to kneel on a washboard or face the wall at home, that was anyone's guess.
Liu Chuan had never been to this car dealership before; Song Jun had introduced him to it. After they went up to the second floor, Liu Chuan asked someone for directions and headed towards an office marked "Manager's Office."
After knocking and entering, they found only a middle-aged man in his forties inside. Upon hearing that Liu Chuan had been introduced by Song Jun, his attitude immediately became warm and welcoming. He led them to the sofa and personally poured them a glass of water.
Taking the business card from the man, Zhuang Rui glanced at the name and nearly spat out the water he had just drunk. The card clearly read: Sales Manager of XXX Car Dealership: Zhu Yiqun. Manager Zhu, seeing everyone's expressions, didn't seem to care and said with a smile, "When I was a child, my family was poor. The only pig we raised died when I was born. My father swore that he would raise a herd of pigs, and that's how I got this name. Everyone can laugh if they want, haha."
Manager Zhu was good at setting the mood, and his words immediately made Zhuang Rui and the others feel more favorably toward him. However, the task of buying cars today had changed at the last minute. After a few polite words, Liu Chuan said directly, "Manager Zhu, it's like this, the Hummer we originally ordered may not be enough to meet our company's needs. Now we need to buy two more commercial vehicles or SUVs with more space. Do you see if the dealership has any in stock right now?"