"These are mass-produced and not worth much, Mr. Zhuang, please don't be so polite. Xiao Zhang, go and get a few more hanging ropes. Mr. Zhuang, our hanging ropes are specially made; they're very durable and won't fade..."
Zhuang Rui sounded very familiar with Qin Xuanbing. Manager Wu didn't mind doing him a favor; after all, he was the top dog at this Beijing branch, and he could make decisions about such a small matter.
"Thank you, Manager Wu. I won't be polite then. Perhaps we can collaborate sometime in the future. Here's my business card. I have to catch my flight, so I'll take my leave now..."
Zhuang Rui admired the gentlemanly shop manager. The gift he casually gave away was nothing special, but it was exactly what he needed. He hadn't even thought of it before. This pendant had no cord, so it was impossible to wear.
As for the business card that Zhuang Rui took out, it was given to him by Old Master Gu. After all, Zhuang Rui is now a director of the Jade Association, which is a respectable title.
"Okay, Mr. Zhuang, welcome to visit our store again..."
Since it was clear that the other person wasn't selling the item, Manager Wu didn't press the matter further. He handed Zhuang Rui a business card with both hands and then saw the group out of the jewelry store.
"Hey bro, can I have one of your business cards?"
As soon as he got into the car, Ouyang Jun started making a fuss. However, after taking the business card Zhuang Rui handed him, he became even more curious about Zhuang Rui. Although being a director of the Jade Association wasn't necessarily a big deal, Zhuang Rui's age seemed incongruous with the position. He wondered how Zhuang Rui had managed to get in.
As Ouyang Jun was examining the business card, he suddenly felt a pain in his waist. He turned around, glared at the big star sitting next to him, and said to Zhuang Rui, "Hey bro, we only have my aunt and little sister at home. Could you spare one of your things for me? I won't take yours for nothing. I'll give you what you owe me."
Zhuang Rui had seen everything the two people sitting in front of him had done. After hearing Ouyang Jun's words, he said with a half-smile, "My mother and sister each have a pair of earrings. The other pendant is for my niece. What's wrong, Fourth Brother? You're even eyeing the little one's things now?"
Ouyang Jun felt a little embarrassed by Zhuang Rui's words, his face flushing red. He glared at the big star, thinking, "You have so much jewelry at home, yet you never wear it. Why did you have to make me ask? Isn't that embarrassing?"
"Hehe, Fourth Brother, put it down. I've partnered with someone to open a jade mine in Xinjiang. In a while, I'll find you something good..."
Seeing Ouyang Jun's embarrassed expression, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh. Since Ouyang Jun could find out about the jade mine later anyway, Zhuang Rui simply told him himself.
Do you still have jade mines in Xinjiang?
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Jun's eyes widened immediately. There are currently no explicit regulations from the state regarding the mining of Hetian jade, which means that all the jade mined belongs to private individuals. This is a business that can lay golden eggs!
In Ouyang Jun's circle, there were also people who had long coveted the jade mines in Xinjiang. However, the ethnic minorities there were very powerful, and they had no way to get involved. But they never expected that their little cousin would be able to get a share of the pie. Now they understood why Zhuang Rui was in such a hurry to go to Xinjiang. If it were him, he would also go as soon as possible.
However, he was wronging Zhuang Rui. Before going to Xinjiang, Zhuang Rui never imagined that he could find a jade mine for free. Besides, if he hadn't been able to come up with ten million in cash, and if he hadn't had the relationship between Old Master Gu and the Jade King, he wouldn't have gained any benefit from the jade mine even if he had discovered it.
"Well, I'll just take a small share and receive dividends. I won't participate in the actual operations..."
Zhuang Rui had been through a lot in Xinjiang recently, and he had already made up his mind that he would never go there unless absolutely necessary.
"Hey kid, you've really surprised me a lot. You're even fatter than me. Can't you buy some nice clothes and dress yourself up a bit so you can find a wife?"
Ouyang Jun's words carried a hint of envy. He knew that rare mineral deposits were the most profitable. Although he had a net worth of several hundred million, it was mostly in the form of shares in various companies or real estate. In terms of wealth, he was definitely not as good as his unassuming little cousin in front of him.
Zhuang Rui smiled but didn't speak. Having money was his own business; why should he broadcast it to the world? As for clothing, Zhuang Rui believed that as long as it was clean, presentable, and comfortable, that was enough. Bill Gates wore ordinary casual clothes bought online; did that mean he was poor? It's not that you have to wear designer clothes to have good taste. ...
"Fourth Brother, your cousin is quite something. He's young, rich, and doesn't flaunt his wealth. Have those old men in your family been secretly taking care of him?"
After seeing Zhuang Rui off at the airport, the big star said thoughtfully to Ouyang Jun that she had been studying film acting since she was a teenager and was quite confident in her judgment of people, but she had misjudged Zhuang Rui.
"Impossible. My father may know of his existence, but he definitely did not help him."
Ouyang Jun immediately dismissed Xu Da Mingxing's guess, because his old man's private matters were usually handled by Wang Da Mi. And Wang Da Mi's behavior last night and this morning clearly indicated that he didn't know Zhuang Rui.
Thinking of Zhuang Rui's achievements, Young Master Ouyang felt a little ashamed. His wealth was accumulated years ago by smuggling permits. Even his current club was built on the back of his family's influence. Otherwise, it would have been devoured long ago. Zhuang Rui, on the other hand, had achieved such success without any background. Ouyang Jun admired him greatly.
Putting aside Ouyang Jun and the big star's speculations about Zhuang Rui, Zhuang Rui, sitting on the plane at this moment, was also filled with thoughts. He was thinking about how to persuade his mother after returning home. Zhuang Rui knew his mother very well. Once she made up her mind, it was difficult for others to persuade her. Even if she was heartbroken, she would face it alone.
"Never mind, I'll discuss it with my older sister first."
Zhuang Rui thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a good idea. Anyway, there were still more than four months until his cheap maternal grandfather's birthday. He would wait until his mother was in a good mood before trying to find a solution.
Beijing is very close to Pengcheng. Zhuang Rui felt like the plane had only been off the plane for a short time before it landed at Pengcheng Airport. Before boarding the plane, Zhuang Rui had already called his mother. They would be going to the villa that night. After leaving the airport, Zhuang Rui took a taxi straight to Yunlong Villa.
"White Lion!"
When Zhuang Rui was still fifty or sixty meters away from his villa, he saw a white shadow dart out from the gate and run quickly toward him. When it got close, the white lion suddenly pounced forward, pinning Zhuang Rui to the ground and pressing its large head against his chest.
"Hey buddy, all better now?"
Zhuang Rui cradled the white lion's head, his spiritual energy flowing into its body. The white lion groaned contentedly, and the man and the dog lay on the grass in perfect harmony.
"Xiao Rui, I knew it was you coming back. Hurry up and come home. What are you doing outside?"
His mother's voice came from the front door. Zhuang Rui quickly jumped up, picked up his backpack, patted the white lion's head, and walked towards his home.
"You silly child, you've been gone for over a month, don't you want to come home?"
Seeing her son, who was much thinner and darker than before he left, Mrs. Zhuang felt a pang of heartache.
"I spent a few days in the mountains of Xinjiang, which took up some time. Mom, I'm not tired, I can carry it myself."
Zhuang's mother tried to help Zhuang Rui carry his things, but Zhuang Rui dodged her.
"The white lion waits for you at the gate of the yard every day, but it doesn't eat much. Next time you go out, you should take the white lion with you."
Zhuang's mother complained to her son, saying that she had watched the white lion grow up since it was a cub, always pitifully lying at the door waiting for Zhuang Rui, which made her feel sorry for it.
"Okay, I understand, Mom. Don't worry, I'll take you all with me when I go out again."
For the next few years, Zhuang Rui will likely be living in Beijing. He has already made plans in his mind: when he goes to Beijing again, he will buy a courtyard house, the kind with its own entrance, and it shouldn't be a big problem to keep the white lion there.
"You little rascal, you're talking nonsense. Mom is in Pengcheng, I'm not going anywhere, and I don't want to go anywhere else."
Zhuang's mother gently patted her son, but her eyes were somewhat glazed as she spoke.
"Mom, look at the Maitreya Buddha pendant I made for you. It was personally carved by Master Gu. Here, let me put it on you."
Seeing that his mother was in a bad mood, Zhuang Rui quickly changed the subject. Zhuang Min also came out of the villa to greet them. Nannan shouted and grabbed the jade from Zhuang Rui's hand. The once quiet courtyard suddenly became lively.
Zhuang Rui originally wanted to leave a pendant for Qin Xuanbing, but his older sister, who had only said she wanted earrings, saw the extra pendant and naturally snatched it away without hesitation. Zhuang Rui didn't care, as he still had a piece of top-quality red jade hidden away, and the material wasn't necessarily inferior to imperial green jade.
"Sis, I need to tell you something while I'm washing the dishes."
After dinner, Zhuang Rui stopped his older sister.
"Xiao Rui, come here for a second, Mom has something to ask you."
Originally, Zhuang Rui wanted to discuss the situation with Zhuang Min first, but before he could even speak, his mother called him into the study.
Chapter 284 The Knot in My Heart (Part 2)
"Mom, what do you want? Oh, right. I have to tell you, when I went to Xinjiang this time, we came across a Death Valley in the mountains. It was terrifying! The valley was filled with skeletons, and..."
Zhuang Rui was unsure of his mother's thoughts, and feeling a little guilty, he went into the room and started talking to his mother about mining jade in the Kunlun Mountains. His mother listened quietly, a smile occasionally appearing on her face.
"Are you tired of talking? Here, have some water. Tell me, what are you hiding from me?"
Mrs. Zhuang poured her son a glass of water and said with a smile, "Although this son doesn't cause trouble, he's been cunning since he was little. However, Zhuang Rui has a problem: when he does something wrong, he doesn't dare to look her in the eye when he speaks. That's why Mrs. Zhuang asked this question."
"Mom, what could possibly be wrong? I haven't even been in Beijing for very long."
Zhuang Rui realized something was wrong as soon as he said it, and his eyes darted away, avoiding his mother's gaze.
"Sigh, you child, you can fool others, but do you think you can fool me? Did you see someone from the Ouyang family?"
Since Zhuang's mother had agreed to let Zhuang Rui go to school in Beijing, she had somewhat anticipated this. However, she did not expect that Zhuang Rui would run into his own family members on his first trip to Beijing.
"Mom, I ran into... Uncle. Please, please don't be angry. They're the ones who brought me here."
Zhuang Rui mustered his courage, and after speaking, he looked up, only to find that his mother's eyes were filled with tears and her expression was somewhat dazed. This frightened Zhuang Rui, and he quickly went over to prepare to use his spiritual energy to help his mother calm down.
"It's alright, it's alright, silly son, sit there, Mom is fine."
Zhuang's mother pushed away her son's hand that was massaging her back, pointed to the chair in front of her, and gestured for Zhuang Rui to sit down and talk.
"Mom, are you really okay? Don't scare me. At most, I'll just ignore them from now on."
Zhuang Rui couldn't stand seeing his mother sad since he was a child. No matter how naughty or mischievous he was as a child, as long as his mother shed a tear, Zhuang Rui would obediently go and write a self-criticism.
"Mom is really alright, is your brother... alright?"
Zhuang's mother patted her son's hand and spoke almost to herself, her eyes filled with memories.
Ouyang Gang had four children in total. The first three were sons, so he doted on his daughter after she was born. In addition, she had three older brothers. Her childhood was like that of a princess. She was pampered and protected. Her childhood and adolescence were carefree.
But everything changed when the unprecedented movement that swept the entire country began. Her beloved mother was urgently evacuated to Fujian, and her brothers were scattered in various places. Only her father was still by her side. At that time, the naive Ouyang Wan did not doubt the movement, but instead treated it with a positive attitude.
At that time, Zhuang Rui's father, Zhuang Tianyu, appeared. He was a thin man, but a strong man. Back then, the saying was that if the father was a hero, the son was a hero; if the father was a reactionary, the son was a scoundrel. As the son of a "stinking intellectual," Zhuang Tianyu had to do more than ten hours of high-intensity labor during the day, but at night he would often walk dozens of miles to visit his father, who was imprisoned in a cowshed.
Ouyang Wan met Zhuang Tianyu around that time. She was deeply attracted by his strength and optimism. Later, they had more contact at his family's old house. Five or six years was enough for them to get to know and love each other.
Ouyang Wan knew that her father had arranged a marriage for her, but she took it as a joke her father made with his old comrades after drinking. In the circle where Ouyang Wan used to live, she could come into contact with many literary classics that were considered poisonous weeds at the time. The belief in pursuing her own love naturally took root in the girl's heart.
Her father's fury was something she hadn't expected. She couldn't understand why her father, who had always loved her so much, had become so domineering and unreasonable. The reason that led her to turn against her father was something Ouyang Gang said to Zhuang Tianyu.
After failing to reach an agreement with his daughter, Ouyang Gang went to Zhuang Rui's father and questioned him: "What ability do you have to support my daughter? Can you provide her with a good life? If you are a man, then don't stop my daughter from coming back to Beijing with me."
Ouyang Gang was unaware that his daughter had overheard his words outside the door, which led to his later decision to ask her to choose between returning to the capital or staying in Pengcheng. Ouyang Wan immediately chose the latter and said some rather harsh words, which enraged Ouyang Gang and escalated the conflict between father and daughter.
Actually, Ouyang Wan regretted saying those heartless words to her father at the time. When her eldest brother first found her, she was already thinking of finding an opportunity to apologize to her father. However, some things that happened later made her resent Ouyang Gang for decades.
Zhuang Rui's father was a strong-willed man. He was originally a teaching assistant at his father's university, but when the turmoil ended, many people were not able to get resettlement. Because of his father-in-law's words, Zhuang Tianyu did not let Ouyang Wan suffer any grievances. He worked hard outside, doing everything from hauling coal briquettes to loading and unloading goods.
However, Zhuang Tianyu's health was already weak, and he had suffered some hidden injuries during that turbulent era. This overwork caused him to fall seriously ill, and he passed away two years later when Zhuang Rui was four or five years old. This devastated Ouyang Wan, and she also harbored resentment towards Zhuang Tianyu's father for the past. This was the main reason why Ouyang Wan resolutely refused her elder brother's second attempt to help her.
Actually, there was some misunderstanding between the two sides in this matter. Ouyang Gang originally thought that his daughter would change her mind and apologize to him, so he would go along with it and agree to the marriage. After all, Zhuang Tianyu's father had gone through hardships with him.
To his dismay, the people he sent didn't hear Ouyang Wan's apology; instead, they made even harsher remarks, enraging him. His deep love had fueled his intense resentment. Ouyang Gang never imagined that his angry words from years ago would so deeply offend his son-in-law and prevent his daughter from ever forgiving him.
Of course, the parties involved could never know the misunderstandings involved. However, over the decades, Ouyang Wan's resentment towards her father gradually turned into longing for her mother and brothers. They had not done anything wrong, and her refusal of their help was actually a way of showing her father that she could live well without anyone's help.
However, when holidays come around, Ouyang Wan still thinks of her family, but she can't confide in her children. Especially in the past few years, she would occasionally catch a glimpse of her father's aged face on television, and her longing for him would intensify. But the resentment she felt gradually dissipated.
"Mom, my uncle is doing well, but he misses you terribly. Mom, are you listening to me?"
Zhuang Rui's voice snapped Ouyang Wan out of her reverie, her face already streaked with tears.
"I'm listening, Xiao Rui, how are your grandparents doing?"
Ouyang Wan mustered up her courage to ask the question. She hadn't heard any news about her parents for several years and was afraid they were no longer alive. She looked at Zhuang Rui with trepidation.
"My maternal grandparents are still alive, but their health is not very good. This year is their 90th birthday, but my uncle said that my maternal grandmother may not be able to live to see that day."
Zhuang Rui repeated Ouyang Zhenwu's words. He didn't want his mother to have any regrets, and it would be best to see her before her birthday.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Wan's face turned even paler, and she looked several years older. Her body swayed slightly as she sat in the chair, which frightened Zhuang Rui, who quickly supported his mother. He said, "Mom, don't worry, we'll go to the capital tomorrow. I guarantee that once the two elders see you, they'll be cured immediately."
Zhuang Rui's words made Ouyang Wan's eyes light up, but then they dimmed again. She said, "Your maternal grandfather is very stubborn. He always means what he says. Even if I go, he won't see me."
Zhuang Rui smiled wryly upon hearing this. What was going on? Why were they saying such things? So he comforted her, "Mom, Grandpa regrets it. He keeps talking about you. It's mainly because you refused to accept Uncle's help. He thought you were still angry."
Zhuang Rui's words were all nonsense; he just wanted to coax his mother to come to Beijing first. However, he didn't expect that what he said was not much different from Ouyang Gang's thoughts.
"Okay, okay, let's go to Beijing..."