Tang Xinlan came to hide from Su Peng.
This guy has been acting strangely lately, buying her roses to confess his love, baking her a cake by hand, and even offering to buy her a big villa in the provincial capital, saying that the villa for their wedding was prepared by his mother and didn't show his sincerity... Tang Xinlan isn't stupid, but it was precisely because she realized Su Peng was serious that she panicked. She didn't even eat breakfast that morning and drove to her best friend's place for refuge.
In fact, her and Su Peng's "joint venture to raise children" has been going smoothly for the past few years. The two treat each other with respect, and the children can grow up in a complete family. Except for the lack of love, their marriage is simply a model of marriage for contemporary young people - they have never even quarreled since they got married!
So much so that Tang Xinlan sometimes feels like she's dreaming, always sensing that an invisible hand is lurking in the darkness, waiting to tear apart the illusion of this beautiful life at any moment...
There's a saying, "What you fear most is what happens." The good times hadn't even lasted a few years before Su Peng couldn't hold back any longer.
To be honest, you can't really blame Su Peng for this. He knew before the wedding that his wife had a best friend he grew up with. If they weren't both girls, they might have been betrothed long ago, and he wouldn't have had a chance! He was only able to be with Tang Xinlan because of her gender!
But as the two children grew up, Su Peng began to panic.
The Tang family already has a child, so his biggest advantage has essentially disappeared.
Trying to win her over with money? Leaving aside the fact that Tang Xinlan herself is a wealthy woman, Su Peng believes that even if Tang Xinlan went bankrupt and was penniless, Zhang Jiahui, that woman, would only happily take his wife back and support her. Want to be a hero and save the damsel in distress? That's not even his chance!
After much thought, the only way was to break through this barrier and find a way to get Tang Xinlan to accept him, not as a partner, but as her husband.
Mr. Su is a man of action, but given his lack of experience in dating, he decided to spend money and create a paid Q&A platform on Zhihu (a Chinese Q&A website).
Q: I've been married to my wife for many years but we have no feelings for each other. I want to win her back. What should I do? (Note: We already have twins, and we stayed together for the sake of the children.)
Goodness! This question immediately conjured up eight hundred episodes of a melodramatic soap opera about arranged marriages among the wealthy!
"I get it instantly! The poster must be rich, right? Arranged marriage, no feelings for his wife at first, now he's developed feelings and wants to make it real? What a jerk!!"
"If it's a wealthy family, that's easy. Just spend money, bro! Trust me, there's no affection that money can't buy. If there is, it's because you haven't spent enough money!"
"I suggest you go and read some old sweet romance novels about arranged marriages that blossom into love. Memorize all the 'wife-chasing-after-the-crime' plots and use them as a way to avoid these pitfalls."
"It smells like an old-fashioned story about a wealthy family getting married first and then falling in love... Is the poster actually a screenwriter for a certain Taiwanese TV station?"
Some people saw the post and complained, while others succumbed to the temptation of giving tips. Gradually, a bunch of "dating experts" came to the thread to give this poor rich young master advice. The most common advice was to send him flowers and bags, followed by buying him a house, a car, and a yacht. The most ruthless one even tried to persuade Su Peng to use "scientific methods."
"Women are reluctant to divorce once they have children, brother, trust me! Find a way to get your wife pregnant as soon as possible! Ideally, have two children in three years. Based on my experience, even for the sake of the children, women won't easily divorce."
"Then you'll be a little gentler and more considerate, like changing the baby's diapers, applying stretch mark cream to your wife, and then make an excuse that she had a hard time giving birth and take her on a belated honeymoon! Trust me, when you come back from your honeymoon, that's when you'll be officially recognized as a wife!"
Su Peng scoffed at the first part of the answer, but the second part gave him a small inspiration. Although there was no time to change diapers, he volunteered to take the child to and from school and even secretly learned to bake cakes…
Being overly attentive will only scare your wife away.
Young Master Su: "Zhihu is full of liars!"
"Hmph, childish!" Zhang Jiahui coldly retorted.
She never had a good opinion of the marriage, or rather, she never dared to give the man even the slightest bit of trust.
Don't be fooled by Su Peng's current pursuit; it's because he hasn't truly won Tang Xinlan's heart yet. Besides, Tang Xinlan is currently young and beautiful. In another ten years or so, when she's old and faded, Su Peng will be at the peak of his wealth and charm. At that time, young and beautiful girls will flock to him, and she doesn't believe Su Peng will be able to resist then!
However, she did not speak ill of Su Peng at this time.
Zhang Jia Hui knew perfectly well what it meant to make things worse. The more Su Peng pressed on, the more he would scare away Tang Xin Lan, that coward. "Hmph, that fool!" she thought. "When Tang Xin Lan finally reaches her breaking point and wants a divorce, I'll definitely take her good friend in without hesitation..."
Thinking of this, Zhang Jiahui even praised him in return: "Although he is naive, he is sincere towards you."
"True sincerity is the most terrifying thing! I don't even dare to hurt him anymore..."
Sure enough, Tang Xinlan was completely distraught when she heard the word "sincere".
She wasn't afraid of Su Peng's malicious schemes, nor was she afraid of his ill intentions. To put it bluntly, to deal with a bad person, you just need to be worse than them. But what could she do with someone who genuinely cared for her? She couldn't truly give her heart away…
Ugh, this is so annoying! Why can't there be a purely joint venture relationship for raising kids in this world?
She remembered the old romance novels she read when she was in junior high school, where the domineering CEO would casually toss a supplementary credit card to the female lead and then coldly say: "Remember, we're just employer and employee. Just do your job as a **wife! Don't even think I'll fall in love with you!"
When Tang Xinlan was a child, she wanted to curse on the spot whenever she saw this. Now, all she wants to say is, please God give her a domineering CEO like him!
She really doesn't want to be in a relationship; she just wants to be a happy and wealthy married single woman!
Feeling utterly hopeless, he lay sprawled on the Zhang family's sofa for a while before receiving a call from Jiang Xiaoman: "Sister Lan, we've arrived. Shall we wait for you in President Zhang's office?"
"No need, no need. Do you see that beige apartment building next to the factory? Take the elevator to the top floor and that's their home. We're having dinner at Mr. Zhang's house today, we can chat while we eat."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Xiaoman gave her uncle a strange look. Sure enough, the old man was the most thoughtful.
On the way here, Jiang Baichuan glanced at the time and figured he'd definitely be having lunch at their place. If he were coming to discuss business, arriving empty-handed wouldn't be a problem, but getting a meal was a different story. In the countryside, arriving empty-handed and asking for a free meal would be a laughingstock. So, Jiang Baichuan stopped his tricycle halfway through the journey, found a supermarket by the roadside, and bought a case of milk and a case of oranges. These were common items; even if Zhang Jiahui didn't eat them, they could be given to the factory workers.
Jiang Xiaoman used to think he was being nosy, but now he just wants to say that Uncle Baichuan is indeed his uncle!
Zhang Jiahui's family still lives on the top floor of the factory's apartment building. It's not that they can't afford a villa in the provincial capital; it's just that their two children usually board at school there, while Zhang Jiahui is busy at the factory every day. Living at the factory is the most convenient option compared to commuting between the two places. However, although the hallway looks quite ordinary, once you open the door, the interior is warm and tastefully decorated.
It was exactly the kind of apartment building in the city that Jiang Xiaoman had always wanted to build for her father!
It was almost noon when they arrived. Tang Xinlan gave a brief introduction, and Zhang Jiahui invited them to sit down and eat first, saying that they could talk about anything else after they finished eating.
Zhang Jia Hui is a very good cook. Knowing that guests were coming today, she specially bought some good dishes. On the table was a clay pot of old hen soup with only a few mushrooms to enhance the flavor, which was light and delicious. There was also a dish of sweet and sour pork with pineapple, fried dough sticks with crispy meatballs, stir-fried duck with ginger, steamed sea bass, and steamed clams with eggs. The vegetables were simply water spinach with minced garlic and a cold salad.
"I just made a few simple home-style dishes, eat more!" Zhang Jiahui served Jiang Xiaoman and Jiang Baichuan a bowl of chicken soup, and then asked Jiang Baichuan if he drank alcohol. Knowing that he did not drink alcohol, she gave all four of them freshly squeezed orange juice.
Summer oranges in this season still have a slightly sour taste. Juice them, add some honey and passion fruit, and you'll immediately get a different flavor—slightly sour and refreshing, very delicious.
After dinner, Jiang Xiaoman showed Zhang Jiahui some good videos she had taken on her phone, as well as detailed pictures of the embroidery.
Zhang Jiahui took his phone, looked at it carefully for a long time, and then returned it to him with a smile: "I heard from people in Banligou that people in the mountains used to be able to embroider very beautiful Langshan embroidery. In recent years, young girls have all gone out to work, and no one is willing to learn this craft. I thought this craft had been lost, but I didn't expect you to find it."
“Xiaoman, you may not know this, but in recent years, many young people in rural areas have chosen to go out to work, and many folk cultural traditions have been lost. Your sister Lan and I have set up a foundation specifically to explore and preserve these folk cultures, and we have also received support from several universities in the province.”
"Langshan embroidery is not as famous as traditional crafts such as Suzhou embroidery, Sichuan embroidery, Hunan embroidery, and Hangzhou embroidery. However, as the saying goes, things are valued for their rarity. It is precisely because it is about to disappear and there is no successor that it is even more precious."
"How about this? Let's put aside the monetization of art for now and first explore the cultural heritage of Langshan embroidery to see if there's any possibility of applying for projects. If we can apply for intangible cultural heritage protection and have official endorsement, we can enjoy this benefit for a long time. What do you think?"
Jiang Xiaoman looked up at Zhang Jiahui, then at Tang Xinlan, and tried to suppress her excitement as she spoke, "Uncle Shanrong told me that Sister Lan and President Zhang are both very capable people, and that I must learn more from you. President Zhang, regardless of whether this business deal goes through or not, I am willing to accompany you to explore the cultural heritage of Langshan embroidery. This kind of learning opportunity is too rare, and it's free. I would be a fool to refuse."
Chatting with smart people is so much easier!
Zhang Jiahui nodded in satisfaction.
In fact, Jiang Xiaoman had already prepared two plans. First, if Jiang Xiaoman was also short-sighted and only knew how to make money, then out of respect for the old village chief Shan Rong, she would ask him to be in charge of managing the embroidery procurement business for her. His annual salary plus commission would definitely be enough for him to live comfortably in his hometown and even live in a big villa.
Secondly, if Jiang Xiaoman has a long-term vision and wants to promote and develop the Langshan embroidery craft, then she wouldn't mind giving her a push. Exploring and promoting traditional culture requires a native-born representative. Originally, a girl with a good appearance would be more suitable for embroidery, but upon seeing Jiang Xiaoman, Zhang Jia Hui instantly changed her mind!
While others use female embroiderers as their representatives, Langshan Tuxiu takes a different approach, appointing Jiang Xiaoman, a local young man who grew up in Langshan, as its spokesperson and inheritor. Isn't that more appealing?
After all, people still value appearance in today's society. The Langshan embroidery, which is about to be lost, combined with a handsome young man who returned to his hometown to start a business after graduating from university, is sure to be a refreshing combination!
Thinking of President Su, who was still desperately trying to find a partner, President Zhang smiled slightly and pointed to Tang Xinlan sitting next to him: "I'll help you with product promotion, but for personal accounts and brand incubation, you'll have to go to her. The people under her are all professionals!"
Seeing Jiang Xiaoman's bright eyes as she looked at Tang Xinlan, Zhang Jiahui nodded in satisfaction to herself: Married women should go out and meet young, handsome men more often so they can realize that there are many gentle and good men in this world, not just the old, unattractive husband at home...
He made an appointment with Jiang Xiaoman. He would go back first, and tomorrow Zhang Jiahui would take the designer to Langshan Village to find him. They would then go to Jiangwan Village and several nearby villages to look around. It would be best if they could invite some local embroidery inheritors like Grandma Cuiping to tell them the stories behind the craft so that they could refine and package it.
In recent years, the country has attached great importance to the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, especially Langshan embroidery, a relatively niche folk craft that is on the verge of being lost due to a lack of successors. She has a premonition that once they find something that can interest the industry, this craft may really bring new development opportunities to the closed and backward Langshan!
Jiang Baichuan listened in stunned silence.
He originally thought he was just accompanying his nephew to sell things, how did it all turn into intangible cultural heritage? And, judging from what this Mr. Zhang said, their local embroidery is actually quite valuable.
Thinking of this, Jiang Baichuan slapped his thigh: "President Zhang, I have a set of auspicious quilts, sheets and pillowcases with the theme of 'a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons,' would you like them?"
Chapter 43
Speaking of this wedding quilt, Jiang Baichuan felt quite emotional. It was the last memento or obsession his mother left him. But ever since he decided to give up the wedding, this wedding quilt had become a hot potato. Jiang Baichuan dared not face this wedding quilt, just as he dared not face his mother's scolding and accusations.
Back then, Jiang Baichuan's family was considered very well-off in the village. During that war-torn era, his father made a fortune by chance. Although the years went by in turmoil, his father was very low-key, so this fortune was never discovered. Otherwise, Jiang Baichuan, as a farmer's son, would not have been able to afford to attend a teachers' college.
After his father passed away, the family ran out of money. Even so, his mother gritted her teeth and sold a pair of gold bracelets to hire the best embroiderers from the surrounding villages to prepare betrothal gifts and wedding items for him. It is said that it took more than half a year to embroider this Langshan embroidery quilt alone, and the materials used were the best satin fabrics available on the market at that time.
"Uncle, you can't sell this!" Jiang Xiaoman panicked as soon as he heard this. His uncle wasn't even married yet, and he was already selling the wedding quilt that the family had prepared. It would be so unlucky if word got out.
There's a custom here: when the groom's family gets married, you can tell how much they value the bride by what kind of wedding quilt they're willing to prepare. If it's just a ready-made one bought from the market, then it goes without saying that they're just trying to appease the new bride. Only a wedding quilt like the one Jiang Baichuan's mother made, which involved hiring an embroiderer, buying old-fashioned satin fabric, and spending more than half a year meticulously crafting, is considered the most respectable thing for the bride in her husband's family.
Jiang Baichuan's biological mother has passed away. If this wedding quilt is sold, no one will be able to prepare a new one for him. What will he do when he gets married? What will he use to make a good impression?
"Forget it, your uncle doesn't plan to get married in this lifetime. This wedding quilt has been made for almost twenty years. If I don't sell it now, it might not last long. Keeping it will only let it get eaten by insects and ruin this good thing. I might as well sell it for some money." Jiang Baichuan shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Which man doesn't want to get married? He does too, but he only has a fixed salary, and he's not cut out for business. He can't make big money, and he has to help out poor students at school from time to time. Where would he get the money to find a wife?
Actually, it's not that there's no chance of getting married.
I remember when he first came back to be a teacher, countless people from all around introduced him to potential partners. He did date one, but when the girl heard that he lived at the school, that his family couldn't afford to repair their old house, and that he couldn't even come up with the 20,000 yuan dowry, she naturally refused. The girl's family wanted to save up a dowry for their son after their daughter got married, and since he couldn't afford it, they naturally wouldn't agree.
Later, when he became a primary school principal, more people started trying to arrange marriages for him. After all, a principal is an official position, and it's a secure job. If he marries into that position, he'll have someone to rely on for the rest of his life.
The problem is that Principal Jiang Baichuan not only doesn't make money, but he also has to lose money.
Locals, even those with relatives who have school-aged children, would know without even asking that this principal doesn't earn money for his family; almost his entire annual salary goes to the school. And it's said that's not enough; he also spends his winter and summer vacations clearing land to grow potatoes and vegetables, raising pigs, and running the school cafeteria… To put it simply, marrying another man would mean taking care of the elderly and children in your own home. But marrying Jiang Baichuan means becoming a free babysitter for dozens of students at the entire school.
In rural areas, girls marry for the sake of a man who can earn money to support the family. No matter how prestigious the title of school principal is, if Jiang Baichuan can't bring money home, who would marry their daughter into such a family to suffer for a hollow title?
Perhaps it was because he understood this that Jiang Baichuan never mentioned marriage to his family again after taking over as principal and shouldering this heavy responsibility.
Having figured this out, Jiang Xiaoman felt extremely distressed. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but even after racking her brains for a long time, she still couldn't find any words to comfort him.
Advise Jiang Baichuan not to empty his savings for the school? Someone advised that twenty years ago, but it was completely useless!
Should we advise him to find a partner before he gets too old? Let's not even talk about whether anyone would be willing to marry him. Even if there were, given Jiang Baichuan's personality, he probably wouldn't want to be a burden to the girl.
No wonder he sold that wedding quilt; keeping it was truly a painful thought.
Jiang Baichuan insisted on selling, and Zhang Jiahui had no choice but to agree to let him go to the school to check on it the next day.
After finishing their meal, Jiang Xiaoman and the others followed the truck back home. Only then did he understand why Tang Xinlan had told him, "The truck can leave whenever it wants"—they were actually riding in a truck belonging to Zhang Jiahui's factory!
When the driver heard they were from Langshan, he immediately laughed: "Then maybe our ancestors were related! My maternal grandmother's surname was Lang! Are there a lot of people with the surnames Jiang and Lang where you live?"
“Yes, my surname is Jiang. In our village, everyone has the surname Jiang or Lang. Further into the mountains, there are quite a few people with the surname Shan. My dad told me that our ancestors were all mountain people. If that’s the case, our ancestors were really related.” Jiang Xiaoman laughed.
Lang is a common surname in Langshan, but Jiang Xiaoman has been living at school since she was very young and is not very clear about her family relationships. On the contrary, Jiang Baichuan gradually became very enthusiastic in his conversation with the driver. He visits students' homes every year and has heard a lot of gossip about their relatives. The two chatted all the way without stopping.
Jiang Xiaoman felt uncomfortable sitting in the back row, so he simply lay down on his side and edited the video he had filmed yesterday. No matter how busy he is, he still maintains the habit of updating 1-2 videos every day. Fortunately, his videos don't pay much attention to lighting, color tone, or angle; they are almost all from a first-person perspective, and the editing is very fast.
It's not that no one complained that his videos were too rough, but Jiang Xiaoman only agonized over it for a couple of days before forgetting about it.
He discovered that there were some people in the comments section who were quite professional at making videos and were also "eager to teach," and they couldn't stand his "hopeless" state. They specifically followed him and would come over almost every episode to give him hand-in-hand guidance on where he was shooting poorly and where the angles needed to be adjusted... They practically wanted to teach him how to make better videos through the screen.
In short, although Jiang Xiaoman is still a newcomer on the entrepreneurial path of short video shooting, he has been lucky enough to grasp a "fan-attracting secret"—imperfection.
Just like his uncle always "pays special attention" to students who are lagging behind in the class, netizens are also particularly prone to feeling "disappointed" with inexperienced short video bloggers like Jiang Xiaoman, and wish they could come and watch him every day to see if he has made any progress.
Did "Rural Xiaoman Brother" make any progress in today's filming? No? Great! Check back tomorrow!
Jiang Xiaoman thought that this was probably what was called "the joy of nurturing a child"?