Chapter Thirty-Three: No Playing with Schoolgirls

  Xu Yijie and Liu Xiaomei returned home to help pack things up, as the whole family was going to the provincial city. Some furniture would not be taken along, Han Qing'e suggested leaving them at home, thinking that they might return someday, besides, every year when they came back, there would be a place to stay. Xu Shaojie disagreed, thinking that his mother would generally not come back, and the furniture that could be given away should be sent out, while the rest should be disposed of. The family's opinions were not unified.

  At night, Xu Shaojie found that his mother had not slept late and was still in the living room. He discovered that his mother seemed to have shed tears. At this moment, Xu Shaojie knew that his mother was still nostalgic for her hometown and it was hard for her to leave her native land.

  All the clothes were taken away, and Han Qing'e had arranged with the financial department of her work unit to send her salary to the provincial city. When the family set out, many relatives did not know about it.

  The study in the fourth year is much easier, most of the courses have been completed, and the school's management of the fourth-year students is also different, relatively more relaxed. In the dormitory, some brothers have indeed talked about girlfriends, but Ma Jianhua, Du Yuxin, and Sun Yong did not talk about girlfriends. They remembered Xu Shaojie's words: when conditions are not mature, they will not talk about girlfriends.

  Xu Shaojie summed up his life in the third year of high school, personally nothing was missing, family matters were settled, and during this time he gave Zhang Shaocai a lot of advice, all based on his own understanding. Occasionally Xu Shaojie would think of Tang Wanyu, who had vanished into thin air without leaving any trace. Sometimes Xu Shaojie thought about going to the Public Security Academy to find Tang Wanyu and express his gratitude for teaching him how to drive in the village, but he couldn't get a driver's license in exchange. However, Xu Shaojie ultimately restrained himself from finding someone to say thank you to, as some things were done willingly by others, and this kindness was remembered in his heart, waiting for an opportunity to repay it.

  After Zhang Shaocai and Yan Yuhuan got married, there were some changes. They spent more time in the provincial city. Now, Zhang Shaocai's business has grown bigger, very different from when he first met Xu Shaojie. There are many construction projects in Huaiyang City, and Zhang Shaocai relied on Ding Yuan's connections to secure some large projects there. He had neglected this side of the province for a while, but now Zhang Shaocai is back in the provincial city, solidifying some relationships and continuing to look for more projects to work on.

  Xu Shaojie discovered that Zhang Shaocai usually didn't bring Yan Yuhuan with him, which wasn't a normal situation. In the past, the two were always together. Xu Shaojie had asked Zhang Shaocai about this before, and he would always say that the construction projects in Huaiyang City were huge and required Yan Yuhuan to stay behind and manage them, while he himself was going to the provincial capital to build relationships and find new projects. The two of them needed to focus on different things.

  Xu Shaojie relied on his intuition to feel that Zhang Shaocai was hiding something from him. Finally, one day, Xu Yijie told Xu Shaojie that in today's construction industry, bosses liked to compare themselves with each other, not just in terms of their abilities, but also the women by their side. Some bosses' projects were getting bigger and bigger, and the women beside them were getting younger and younger.

  Nowadays, there was even a new trend: some rich bosses could find "student sisters" (young female students). The highest level was university students, who had culture and high taste. Next were high school students, who loved vanity and indulgence. Both parties were willing, and behind the financial transactions, there were also fleshly transactions.

  Xu Shaojie's heart began to sink, he knew Zhang Shaocai, Zhang Shaocai was a capable person, especially righteous, but also had shortcomings, still read fewer books, these years business grew bigger, developed, with some showy taste, many things did not want to fall on others' shoulders, as if this was the embodiment of face.

  "Big brother, I have some things I'd like to discuss with you."

  "Oh, it's Shaojie, I'm busy right now, I'll call you back later. Oh, forgot you don't have a cell phone. Okay, call me in half an hour."

  Xu Shaojie knew that Zhang Shaocai must have been holding a brick-like mobile phone and running around everywhere. Nowadays, mobile phones are fresh goods and expensive, but many construction bosses are equipped with them because they are symbols of identity. Xu Shaojie had suggested that Zhang Shaocai be equipped with a pager, as there were many public telephone booths. Of course, Xu Shaojie also thought that a 20,000-yuan mobile phone was too expensive and using it was almost like burning money. Zhang Shaocai's change was also one of the things Xu Shaojie suspected. Zhang Shaocai used to be different, with two packs of cigarettes on him, smoking cheap ones himself. This simple character wouldn't easily throw away. Although people can change, it wouldn't happen so quickly. Moreover, Xu Yijie spent most of his time following Zhang Shaocai, and Xu Shaojie hadn't heard his brother mention any significant changes in Zhang Shaocai.

  "Shao Jie, I'm at the tea house now, yes, xx tea house. You come over directly, I'll be waiting for you here."

  Xu Shaojie didn't want his brother to send him, he drove himself. After senior year, Xu Shaojie rarely drove anymore. For some reason, whenever he drove, he would always think of Liu Hong and Zheng Yuxin. Wealth and privilege were all things that only the children of officials had, ordinary people in this era still couldn't afford cars. Xu Shaojie didn't want to be seen as a spoiled rich kid.

  As Xu Shaojie went upstairs, he brushed past a young girl who looked somewhat delicate with an innocent expression. The girl was still a student, either in high school or just entering college.

  "Big brother, how can you have time to drink tea?"

  "Hehe, Shao Jie, I've been busy these days, finding time to adjust myself. Besides, didn't you have something to ask me?"

  Xu Shaojie smelled a unique fragrance that belonged to a young girl, a scent he had smelled many times in school. Xu Shaojie smiled slightly and slowly began to speak.

  "Big brother, is someone drinking tea here alone?"

  "Uh, of course, I just got here, Shao Jie, didn't you say you wanted to find me for something?"

  Xu Shaojie looked at Zhang Shaocai with a smile on his face and remained silent for a long time, making Zhang Shaocai feel somewhat uneasy.

  "Shao Jie, what are you looking at me like that for? If there's something on your mind, just say it quickly. I have things to attend to soon."

  "Big brother, I want to hear the truth. Just now, I saw a little girl hurry away. Do you know that girl?"

  Zhang Shaocai's face turned slightly red, and his expression was not good-looking.

  "Big brother, I know you're not feeling comfortable in your heart and think this is a personal matter. Since it's just the two of us here today, I'll say some unpleasant things, hoping you can consider them. Nowadays, rich people have some bad habits or showy attitudes, which are publicly displayed because they have money and can do many things, such as keeping mistresses, raising second wives, etc., using their own money, and no one can interfere. I don't think that way. From the many books I've read, true capitalists, those who become big bosses or merchants, did whatever it took during the initial accumulation stage, but once they developed, they paid great attention to their reputation, constantly doing good deeds, and paying attention to their social influence. Why do they do this? I think it's for the development and growth of their enterprises, considering not just a few years or decades, but long-term benefits and sustainable development. Big brother, you're from a rural area and know how hard life is. You once taught me to pay attention to many problems, but since this year, I've noticed some changes in you, although they're very subtle, they can add up and become significant if not addressed. I heard you say that some bosses in the construction industry like young girls, university students are best, followed by high school students, and even have a competitive mentality. I think, big brother, you might also have such thoughts."

  Zhang Shaocai opened his mouth slightly, wanting to say something, but didn't say it.

  "Big brother, I once suggested that you don't need to bring a mobile phone. Maybe it was my limited vision, but using a mobile phone is convenient for contacting people and discussing business properly. So now I won't say anything more about this. However, if big brother wants to find a young girl to show off in front of colleagues, I absolutely will not agree."

  "It's not as serious as you think, Shao Jie."

  "Big brother, you don't understand what I mean. Now that you're relying on Secretary Ding, your business is going smoothly. You must be clear about what kind of person Secretary Ding is. In my opinion, most administrative officials won't like those businessmen with bad habits. If they find out or hear rumors, they won't say anything, but they'll definitely slowly distance themselves from you. When that happens, you'll pay a huge price for your recklessness. I don't want this situation to happen. Moreover, after some time, Sister Yan will definitely find out, and when that happens, big brother, who knows what kind of problems and troubles will arise? Those university students and high school students have very high demands - either they need to get a lot of money or they think they can become your official wife. Big brother, you may not be able to handle it. So, you can't let this happen. Even if I were an administrative official, big brother, if you got into trouble, I would try every means to protect you, but would others do the same? Now that business competition is fierce, and everyone says so - I've heard you say it more than once. Since the competition is fierce, taking some abnormal measures will inevitably happen. Big brother, you can't have any problems or troubles now."

  Xu Shaojie finished speaking, Zhang Shaocai felt a bit embarrassed, scratched his head and chuckled.

  "Shao Jie, I knew you were capable. These days, you've been paying attention to my whereabouts, and I sensed that something was off. Just now, I actually wanted to clarify things with him, but nothing has happened yet, we just had dinner together twice. However, if you don't speak up, it's possible that something might really happen. This phone, I actually don't need it either, why don't you use it first?"

  "Big brother, what are you kidding me? I'm a student, what would I use a mobile phone for? Who's going to call me, and who am I supposed to call?"

  "Don't worry, Shao Jie, I'll be careful from now on and these things won't happen again."

  "Big brother, I'm not expecting you to do nothing. Reading books is one thing, but doing business is tough, I know that too. Sometimes for social events, you don't want to show your face, so it's always you who goes and runs around, it's very tiring. Unfortunately, I can't help."

  "Shao Jie, what are you talking about? You're not someone who does these kinds of things. You're meant for greater things."

  "Big brother, don't say that. No one is born to do great things. First, we must do small things. If you can't sweep your own house, how can you sweep the whole world? If you don't do small things, you won't be able to do big things."

  "Shao Jie, I know, you came looking for me today, is it just about this matter?"

  Xu Shaojie nodded.

  "I understand, Shaojie. Tomorrow I'll return to Huaiyang City and may not come back to the provincial city for a while. The focus of our business will also gradually shift to Huaiyang City. Yijie can stay in the provincial city; he's a management staff member, so even if there's nothing to do, the company will still pay his salary, and life won't be a problem. The conditions in Huaiyang City are slightly worse compared to the provincial city, and besides, mom lives in the provincial city where the conditions are better. Xiaomei is already pregnant and about to give birth, so she can't move around easily. When Lanlan is on vacation, she returns to the provincial city, which is very convenient for transportation. Also, your distribution problem needs to be considered; don't underestimate this matter, it's crucial. You need to make plans in your heart, I won't interfere, and you have to rely on yourself. I'm not familiar with the subtleties of eating public food."

  "Uh, I'll consider it, big brother. You must take good care of yourself. There are some things that you can't avoid doing, but now our family doesn't have any background or powerful connections to rely on. If something happens and we can't find anyone to depend on, sometimes it's better to earn a little less money in order to ensure one's own safety first."

  "Hehe, I know this, nothing will happen."

  Zhang Shaocai went home for lunch in the afternoon and rested at home in the evening, didn't go anywhere. The next morning, he directly headed to Huaiyang City. The highway had been fully open to traffic for a long time, and transportation was still very convenient.

  Xu Yijie is not stupid, seeing such a situation, he secretly asked Xu Shaojie. Xu Yijie had actually discovered some clues earlier, but he wouldn't say it out loud and didn't dare to say it either. Only Xu Shaojie could say something like that. Currently, Xu Yijie's main focus is on completing several small projects left over. Zhang Shaocai has already told him that in the future, there will be fewer projects in the provincial city, and the construction team will slowly move to Huaiyang City. Xu Yijie stays in the provincial city as a high-level manager of the Zhangshi Construction Group Company, but his main focus is temporarily shifted to his family. After the child is born, there will be many things to do, and his wife alone cannot handle it all. Xu Yijie understands what Zhang Shaocai means, although he is not willing, reality is like this, and he has no choice.

  Xu Shaojie didn't say anything, only that his older brother Zhang Shaocai would gradually shift his focus. In the future, the main development will be in Huaiyang City. Xu Shaojie wanted to tell his brother that he would still find other things to do in the provincial capital, but considering the current situation, he didn't say it out loud. Xu Yijie's monthly salary was 800 yuan, which was enough for him to support his family. Adding his mother's salary, their life was not a problem. The rent was taken care of by the group company, and as the liaison point of Zhangshi Construction Group Company in the provincial capital, the daily expenses such as water, electricity, and heating were not high. Maybe after the birth of his nephew, the expenses would increase somewhat, but it wouldn't be a big problem.

  Han Qing'e's main energy is focused on Liu Xiaomei, who is about to have a grandchild. Han Qing'e is very excited and accompanies Liu Xiaomei to the hospital for every check-up. She is more anxious than anyone else, but fortunately, Liu Xiaomei has been very safe since she became pregnant. Since then, Han Qing'e has not allowed Liu Xiaomei to do anything. The whole family lives comfortably in the provincial city, and Liu Xiaomei's hometown is far away from the provincial city, so there are few people coming to visit, and there is no need for a lot of travel expenses.