Chapter 168: First Visit to the Jiang Family
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Zhou Chao drove out of the airport and passed by a large fruit supermarket. He couldn’t resist buying a bunch of fruits, which made Jiang Li both amused and exasperated.
Jiang Li watched as Zhou Chao practically bought every type of fruit. She couldn’t help but tease, “Chao, are you planning to buy the entire fruit shop next time?”
“If you enjoy eating fruits, I’ll establish a global chain of them. Every city will have one, and you can have whatever you want anytime!” Zhou Chao replied with a serious expression, causing Jiang Li to burst into genuine laughter.
“Hmph, spending money recklessly!” Jiang Li continued with her playful banter.
“In that case, how about you manage the finances in the future?” Zhou Chao grinned mischievously.
“Pfft, I don’t want to handle the money! You can do it yourself. I think you just want to be lazy!”
Zhou Chao chuckled and said, “Alright, my wife!”
“Oh, you’re quite mischievous, trying to seize every opportunity, even in your words. 1 might just think about having you sleep by yourself tonight!”
“Ah- I’m sorry!”
“I don’t believe you, admitting your mistake faster than making one!”
Soon, Zhou Chao arrived at the entrance of a large courtyard and was promptly stopped by security personnel.
However, as soon as they saw Jiang Li’s head peeking out of the passenger seat, they quickly opened the gate, allowing his vehicle to enter.
“Mom, I’m back! Come out and see your son-in-law!” Jiang Li shouted loudly as she entered, a tone she wouldn’t use under normal circumstances.
“Where’s Xiaochao?” Jiang Li’s mother, Li Ya, asked, noticing that Zhou Chao was missing from behind Jiang Li.
“Auntie, I’m right here!” Zhou Chao emerged from behind carrying several large bags.
“Young lady, you should have helped Xiaochao carry something!” Li Ya scolded Jiang Li gently, then walked over to take a few bags from Zhou Chao’s hands.
Jiang Li, feeling reproached by her mother, could only glower at Zhou Chao. As Zhou Chao passed by her carrying the bags, he leaned in and gave her a discreet kiss. Jiang Li reluctantly let him off the hook.
“Mom, where’s Grandpa and Dad?” Jiang Li looked around but couldn’t find the two of them, so she asked curiously.
“Your grandpa is at work; he’s been coming home late recently. As for your dad, he had a last-minute meeting this afternoon, so he might be home later than usual,” Li Ya’s voice came from the kitchen.
“Dinner might be a bit late tonight!” Li Ya’s voice resounded from the kitchen once more.
Zhou Chao got up and walked towards the kitchen. “Auntie, let me help you in the kitchen!”
“You go out and play with Jiang Li! It’s just some simple dishes. 1 can handle it!” Zhou Chao didn’t insist and nodded before turning to Jiang Li.
“Hehe, you got kicked out, huh? I had a feeling it would be like this!” Zhou Chao looked at Jiang Li with a puzzled expression.
Jiang Li glanced at her mother, who was cooking in the kitchen, and whispered in Zhou Chao’s ear, “My mom used to be a terrible cook. Whenever she cooked, everyone in the family found an excuse not to come home, claiming they were busy with work. Eventually, she even went to learn from a professional chef!” “Is that true?” Zhou Chao enjoyed a bit of gossip.
“Of course it’s true!” Zhou Chao seemed to have realized something and nodded knowingly.
“So, it seems culinary skills can be inherited, huh?” It took Jiang Li a while to catch on that Zhou Chao was indirectly commenting on her cooking skills.
“Oh, you big troublemaker, you’re in for it now!” Jiang Li playfully pounced on Zhou Chao, pretending to be a fierce little lion, and started lightly pounding his chest with her fists.
“Alih, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that about you!” Even though it didn’t hurt, Zhou Chao still played along with the act.
“Ahem, ahem! Shouldn’t you two be more mindful of the situation? Maybe you should go to your room!” Jiang Li’s dad, Jiang Youdao, suddenly appeared and spoke while holding a briefcase, observing the two of them playing on the couch.
“Ah- Dad, when did you come back? We didn’t hear any noise!” Jiang Li quickly got up from Zhou Chao’s lap as her father entered the room.
Jiang Youdao changed into slippers and said, “If there had been noise, I would’ve missed this entertaining show!”
“Uncle Jiang!” Zhou Chao stood up promptly and greeted Jiang Youdao, breaking the awkwardness.
“Dad, 1’11 go get some fruit for you to snack on!” Jiang Li went into the kitchen, leaving the two men some space.
“I didn’t expect you to be so good, young man! 1 could have enjoyed a relaxing day if not for that special steel project. 1 wouldn’t have had to attend a half-day meeting,” Jiang Youdao said as he placed his bag on the couch and started removing his overcoat.
“Has the finished product been delivered?” Zhou Chao was curious.
“Yeah, Peng City delivered it yesterday. It has been tested, and it indeed meets the world’s most advanced standards in all aspects.”
“That’s good news!” Zhou Chao said with a puzzled expression.
“It is indeed good news, but it might not be as good for you.” Zhou Chao was getting more confused, especially since he had received permission to build his factory.
“At first, the higher-ups believed that the production volume was low, and producing some more wouldn’t be a problem. However, Peng City’s report indicates that your production process for this special steel is even simpler than the existing one, resulting in not only a higher yield but also cost savings. Do you understand what 1 mean now?”
“Uncle Jiang, what do you mean?” Zhou Chao still lacked experience in this area and had some ideas but was unsure.
“Your project will remain yours, but it might not be feasible to have it in the Peng City factory anymore. It may be relocated to the Northeast region.”
“Will Uncle Ye agree to that?” Zhou Chao asked with hesitation.
“You mean Ye Zhengfeng? 1 don’t know how you managed to befriend so many influential people, but this idea was actually proposed by him. After all, setting up a facility on the coast has certain limitations for the development of special steel.”
Zhou Chao nodded as if he understood, even though his thoughts were quite muddled.
“Zhou Chao, don’t stress about it. We’ll monitor the situation closely. You can search for a suitable location in the Northeast to establish your factory. During the meeting, we discussed granting you sole ownership with approval from higher authorities. However, there’s a restriction – the special steel you manufacture can only be used internally, and exporting it is not allowed. 1 trust you comprehend this.”
“Don’t worry, Uncle. 1 understand that,” Zhou Chao replied, and they didn’t delve further into this topic.
“Dad, try some of the fruits Zhou Chao bought. He nearly cleaned out the whole fruit store!” Jiang Li had prepared a plate of fruits and brought it out from the kitchen.
“It’s a good thing you have a conscience and know to prepare some fruits for Dad!” Jiang Youdao happily accepted the plate of fruits from Jiang Li.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Li returned to the kitchen and came out with an even larger plate filled with a wider variety of fruits, heading towards Zhou Chao.
“Zhou Chao, come on, try these!” Jiang Youdao noticed the plate he held was smaller in comparison to Zhou Chao’s, and he suddenly didn’t find his own plate as appealing.
“Hey, now I know who is her new favorite.” After quickly eating a few jujubes from his plate, he got up and headed for the kitchen.
Leaving Zhou Chao and Jiang Li behind, moments later, their laughter filled the room..