"What can we do?!" Manager Zhou was furious at the thought of Manager Li's smug face on the other side of the river.
This guy became the scapegoat. "What are you standing here for, you good-for-nothing? Expecting me to serve you?!"
The waiter groveled with a fawning smile, "Hehe, boss, feel free to take your anger out on me... but the promised tip..."
He had just spent a considerable sum bribing the guy on the other side of the strait; if he couldn't recoup his investment, he would be at a huge loss... The guy's smile became even more obsequious.
Manager Zhou was furious at the moment and sneered, "A reward? Who told you there was a reward?! If you keep getting in my way, I won't even pay you... Get out of here!"
The waiter was furious but dared not speak out. He mumbled something, wanting to leave, but then he saw Manager Zhou's face change as he smiled and strode towards the door.
The shopkeeper was horrified. He saw two young men carrying large and small bags talking and laughing in the direction Manager Zhou had gone. They looked like a couple, good-looking and well-matched, but their clothes were plain and they didn't seem to be rich.
The shopkeeper has always disliked poor people like this. Has the sun risen in the west?
The waiter immediately lost interest, preoccupied with the unrewarded tip, and cursed at Manager Zhou's retreating figure, "You son of a bitch, Zhou the Skinflint!"
Gu Fengyan and Huo Duangang went to a real estate agency to ask someone to keep an eye out for suitable courtyards. Once they have more money, they can make a purchase with peace of mind.
Gu Fengyan kept rambling on about the plans, while carefully observing Huo Duan's expression.
But Huo Duan was distracted and just kept agreeing.
"Mr. Huo, what do you think would be a good plant for the garden?" Gu Fengyan asked with a smile as he turned around.
Huo Duan looked up and said, "Planting flowers or vegetables is fine, you decide."
Gu Fengyan paused for a moment, then gave a half-smile, "Oh right, President Huo is going back after completing his mission, so I shouldn't be asking you about this. Let me think... how about we plant a garden full of flowers..."
He gazed at Huo Duan with longing in his eyes, "When I marry my second wife in the future, we'll be together under the flowers and the moon, whispering sweet nothings to each other... Tsk tsk, how wonderful!"
As Huo Duan listened, the more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong.
Isn't this just bringing up a sore spot?
"No planting flowers!" Huo Duanchong shouted at Gu Fengyan. "If you do, I'll pull them all out!"
They were still whispering sweet nothings under the moon and flowers... Huo Duan was so angry he gritted his teeth.
Gu Fengyan's smile deepened. "President Huo, you still care about this? After you leave, everything will be mine. It's none of your business."
Huo Duan raised an eyebrow shamelessly, "What's it to you? If you dare to plant flowers, I'll pull them all out. I'll follow you wherever you go, and I'll spread rumors that you're a jinx so no one will dare to marry you!"
"Oh dear, Mr. Huo, did you smell anything?" Gu Fengyan asked mysteriously, his eyes crinkling at the corners of his mouth.
Huo Duan was racking his brains, trying every method he could think of to intimidate Gu Fengyan, when he finally stopped listening and asked, completely bewildered, "What's that smell?"
"That's the smell..." Gu Fengyan sniffed like a puppy, "It's sour, really sour, whose vinegar is this?"
Huo Duan immediately realized what was happening.
He was stunned for a moment before realizing he had fallen into Gu Fengyan's trap. His ears turned bright red, and his eyes darted around as he said, "Jealous? What am I jealous of... what do I have to be jealous of?"
"It's so sour!" Gu Fengyan ignored him completely, turning his head to the side with a smile.
Huo Duan continued to argue, "I'm not jealous!"
"Ugh, so sour, so sour, so sour." Gu Fengyan continued to watch him laugh.
Huo Duan immediately surrendered, dejectedly saying, "Yes! I'm jealous! So what! I'm not going back. I'll squat at the gate every day and see who dares to step into my Huo family's gate..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Duan noticed that Gu Fengyan was staring at him... His lips were slightly curved, but his eyes were bright and sparkling, like stars in the dark summer sky.
Huo Duan's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. "What's wrong?"
Gu Fengyan moved closer, "You..."
He had barely uttered a word when he was interrupted by a voice, "Gentlemen, please wait a moment." Manager Zhou of Yingchun Restaurant had a smile on his face, but his eyes revealed shrewd calculation.
Huo Duan ignored Gu Fengyan's words and, with a displeased expression, asked irritably, "Does Manager Zhou want to see us?"
Shopkeeper Zhou was used to being treated with great respect, and he thought that the two poor farmers would be extremely grateful if he showed them a little kindness. However, he did not expect that he would only make a fool of himself.
"Ahem..." For the sake of business, Manager Zhou decided to hold back. He smiled and said, "It's not convenient to talk here, why don't you come to the shop with me for a chat?"
As expected of someone who's good at flattering the powerful, his expression was as steady as a theatrical performer, leaving no room for doubt... Gu Fengyan raised an eyebrow.
Before Huo Duan could speak, he refused Manager Zhou, saying, "We are in a hurry to get home. Manager Zhou, please speak your mind."
Gu Fengyan had already guessed most of it... It was simply that he saw Dongfulou was doing well and wanted to partner with them.
"This..." Manager Zhou knew that the last incident had angered the two men, so he quickly smiled and said, "It's not convenient here. Why don't you two come upstairs with me? I'll treat you to good wine and food, and we can chat at our leisure."
They're just two poor farmers. Give them a little something, and they'll be swayed.
Manager Zhou appeared humble, but in reality he was disdainful and didn't take the two of them seriously at all.
Who are Huo Duan and Gu Fengyan? They are the kings of a business empire... They have seen the coldness of human relationships and the hypocrisy of being outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant since they were young. They can see through Manager Zhou's tricks with just one glance.
"If Manager Zhou doesn't want to talk about it, then forget it." Huo Duan raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh.
"No, gentlemen, please calm down!" Seeing that the two men were completely unmoved, Manager Zhou gritted his teeth and smiled ingratiatingly. "I was blind to your greatness last time, please forgive me."
He looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "I've come to see you two... I've heard that you've started a medicinal herb business and have exclusive secret recipes. I wonder if you could cooperate with Yingchunlou? Yingchunlou is willing to offer 20% of the profits!"
His 20% profit from Yingchunlou was enough to feed an ordinary farming family for two years... With such a huge benefit, he really didn't believe that these two could remain so calm.
Manager Zhou pondered for a moment, then glanced sideways at the two men. "What do you two think?"
Gu Fengyan smiled enigmatically, “Manager Zhou, you’ve seen it too. We two look shabby, like beggars who can’t afford to eat… Although we’re willing to cooperate with Yingchunlou, we’re afraid that our shabby appearance will tarnish Yingchunlou’s reputation. That would be a grave offense, how could we bear such a responsibility?”
His words, both overt and covert, were a veiled jab at Manager Zhou, perfectly capturing the essence of sarcasm and irony.
Manager Zhou's face turned pale.
While Huo Duan suppressed a laugh, Gu Fengyan secretly pinched his wrist, feigning anger, "What are you laughing at?"
"Young Master Gu has a really good memory; he hasn't forgotten a thing," Huo Duan said with a smile.
This meant he was petty and narrow-minded... Gu Fengyan finally understood. He reached out and pinched Huo Duan's arm hard. "You dare to insult me!"
Huo Duan gasped in pain, both amused and exasperated. "Heavens, I was just praising you."
Gu Fengyan just kept glaring at him.
The two whispered in each other's ears. Manager Zhou, standing to the side, turned pale and then flushed red. After holding back for a long time, he forced a smile and said, "Young man, you are too kind to this old man. Last time, I was blind to your greatness. You two can tell at a glance that you are no ordinary people. If you can really do this business, my Yingchun Restaurant will be honored."
Having been in business for many years, Manager Zhou was very tactful. Even after saying all that, he still had a smile on his face.
But that smile just looked so fake.
Seeing that the sun was getting higher, they were no longer willing to waste time arguing with Manager Zhou.
Gu Fengyan scoffed and said, "We both feel this is pointless. Manager Zhou, please don't waste your breath. You have keen insight, and I think there are other ways besides us to make Yingchunlou's business prosper..."
Upon hearing this, Manager Zhou became anxious and didn't even catch Gu Fengyan's sarcastic remark. He only tried to stop them, saying, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen, sigh—"
Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan had no intention of wasting any more time with such a profit-driven scoundrel, so they simply ignored him.
People around them pointed and whispered, casting curious glances.
Manager Zhou's eyes turned cold. "You two poor farmers really think you're big bosses. I'll see how capable you really are... We'll see!"
A note from the author:
There will be another update tonight! Hooray! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 23:59:07 on June 26, 2022 and 11:19:21 on June 28, 2022!
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 33
In the Huo family courtyard, Huo Xiuling and Jiang Xuerui, as usual, took out a table and ledgers to prepare for the acquisition.
"Aunt, Rui-ge'er." Gu Fengyan greeted her as she entered, carrying some things. "Why are you here so early? Have you had breakfast yet?"
Huo Xiuling was setting the table and, along with Jiang Xuerui, was taking the things from Huo Duan and Gu Fengyan and carrying them into the house. "Have you eaten? You went to the county again? Did you sell all the medicinal herbs?"
"Don't worry, Aunt. Business is good at Dongfulou. Yan'er and I are planning to buy a house in the county." Huo Duan took a melon and a bag of apples into the kitchen.
Huo Xiuling was somewhat shocked upon hearing this. She had never inquired about how much money Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan had earned, but she never expected that these two boys would be able to buy a house.
Soon, she was all smiles. "Great! Erdan and Yan'er are both promising. Your father has worked so hard for so many years, it's time for him to enjoy his retirement."
After arranging the things, Gu Fengyan smiled and said, "Aunt is right. Once the house is bought, Huo Duan and I will bring Father over to focus on his recovery."
"You and Huo Duan should discuss it together, but your aunt has to say something..." Huo Xiuling was happy, but then she felt that the two boys were too impulsive and wanted to remind them, "Once you have money, you and Erdan should also discuss saving some. Not to mention that your father is getting old, and you two are not young either. When you have children in the future, there will be bottomless pits that will eat up your money!"
Gu Fengyan suddenly felt a little embarrassed after hearing this. He really couldn't imagine what his and Huo Duan's child would look like.
"Ahem... Aunt is right, but there's no rush when it comes to children," Gu Fengyan said in a muffled voice. "Besides, Brother Dashan hasn't gotten married yet either..."
Turning the conversation to Jiang Xuerui, who was busy in the courtyard, she said, "And Rui-ge'er is about my age, but he's not in a hurry to have children either."
Huo Xiuling brought this up with the intention of giving a hint... It's been more than half a year since Yan Ge'er entered the family, but his belly is still not showing any signs of pregnancy.
Uncle Huo is a tough man, and a kind old man, so it's a bit inconvenient for him to bring this up.
Only she could worry about this.
"How can I not be in a hurry?" Huo Xiuling said angrily when she mentioned Ye Shan. "I can't control your brother Da Shan! I don't care what kind of goddess he marries, but don't be like him and become a loser!"
He then pulled Gu Fengyan aside and whispered, "Besides, the reason Rui-ge'er hasn't made a move is because Shen-xiaozi is often not home... You and Erdan are together every day, how can it be the same?"
"You need to be careful about this yourself, lest you get pregnant without even knowing it."
Gu Fengyan is usually full of witty remarks and makes wild claims, but in reality, he's just a paper tiger.
Huo Xiuling's words made his face burn with embarrassment... What did he mean by "what"? Although he and Huo Duan spent every day and night together, they must have done something unspeakable.
However, both he and Huo Duan were very innocent. Holding hands and hugging at night was the limit for them... They hadn't even kissed, so how could they have a child?
Gu Fengyan saw Huo Duan come out with the washed fruit and hurriedly said to Huo Xiuling, "Aunt is right, I will keep an eye on it myself."
"What's the use of just paying attention!" Huo Xiuling said anxiously, exasperated.
This topic is truly embarrassing.
Gu Fengyan wanted to get away with it quickly, so he forced a smile and said, "Huo Duannu and I will work hard, Aunt, don't worry."
Huo Duan was carrying fruit when he heard this conversation. Not knowing what the two were talking about, he asked, "What effort?"
Huo Xiuling stared at the two of them for a while, feeling pleased. Just as she was about to explain, Gu Fengyan quickly interrupted her, chuckling, "Aunt, judging from what you just said, does Brother Dashan have someone he likes?"
This method really worked. Huo Xiuling's face changed when he asked about it, and she sighed, "Yan-ge'er is smart. We're all family, so I won't hide this from you..."