Chapter 294 - 292: A New Place to Go

Chapter 294: Chapter 292: A New Place to Go

As expected, dinner was a quiet affair on both sides. After finishing the first few courses at the Lin family’s home, she went over to the Ye Family’s, but they hadn’t started their meal yet. She was seated in the Ye Family’s side hall, where Gu Nuan Nuan could clearly see a separate table had been set up just for her. The only people there to keep her company were Mrs. Ye and the four wives of the Ye brothers. The moment they saw her, they all beamed like blooming flowers. Throughout the meal, they deferred to her constantly, racking their brains for topics to discuss, terrified of any awkward silences.

Gu Nuan Nuan found the situation mentally exhausting, but their hospitality was so effusive it was hard to refuse. Naturally, she wasn’t so tactless as to be ungrateful, so she showed no hint of impatience on the surface.

Fortunately, the food served was truly delicious. The chef’s skill was on par with, if not better than, Lin Qiao’s maternal grandfather’s. Gu Nuan Nuan had already learned from Cao Cao that the chef for her table was an old man, different from the chefs for the other tables, and she immediately understood what was going on. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t touched. She didn’t hold back, repeatedly praising how good the food tasted, which made her hosts from the Ye Family grin from ear to ear. The wife of the Ye Family’s third son "accidentally" let it slip, revealing their family’s thoughtful gesture to Gu Nuan Nuan. Naturally, Gu Nuan Nuan played along, acting touched. In the end, she even met this clan uncle from the Ye Family, whose culinary skills were extraordinary.

On the surface, it was a delightful meal for both guest and hosts.

When the banquet ended that evening, there was no need for Lin Qiao to see Gu Nuan Nuan off. Instead, Ye Laosan and her second uncle took her directly to the entrance of the villa complex on a tricycle.

Carrying the bamboo shoots from Lin Qiao’s family and seeing that it wasn’t too late, Gu Nuan Nuan took them directly over to her maternal grandparents’ villa. There were quite a few people in the living room; everyone except Song Yong, Zhang Su, and Zhang Kai was there, drinking tea and chatting.

"And you got a gift in return?" Wen Xiu asked with a smile when she saw Gu Nuan Nuan walk in carrying the bamboo shoots.

"Mhm, they’re bamboo shoots I dug up with my classmate. I’m putting them in the kitchen," Gu Nuan Nuan said, taking them straight there. She then washed her hands and rinsed her mouth before coming back out.

"Did you have fun?" Lin Qin asked, handing her a cup of tea. "Drink this. It’ll help with digestion."

"Thanks, Auntie. Yes, it was pretty eventful today." Gu Nuan Nuan took the teacup and had a sip, finding the temperature just right. When she noticed her aunt brewing a new cup of tea for herself, she smiled and thanked her again, then proceeded to recount the day’s events. She started by describing her encounter with Gu Lihuang, detailing the verbal sparring among his colleagues. Her story elicited both laughter and sighs from her audience. Zhang Wei Qiang secretly took note of the people Gu Nuan Nuan mentioned who had made an impression on him—from Chen Yisheng, who had a family member among his "confidants," to Chen Geng, the expert at defusing tense situations—but he remained outwardly impassive.

Finally, Gu Nuan Nuan brought up Lin Qiao. She explained how she had coaxed her into signing an "indenture contract," described her family’s situation, mentioned her promise to lend them money, and added that Lin Qiao’s father insisted on an adult from her family being present. After she finished, Zhang Minzhen laughed. "Your classmate’s father sounds like a decent man. He seems honest. Even if we lend them money and they can’t pay it back, it won’t be a loss."

"So, you’re already preparing for a rainy day by winning people over?" Zhang Wei Qiang chuckled, still not giving up on persuading her. "It would be so much better if you just came to the Zhang Group. It would save you the exhaustion of having to build up your own business from scratch later, right?"

Gu Nuan Nuan just smiled. "I’m not planning on making my business that big. I just want something to keep me busy in the future so people don’t think I’m idling my life away. Joining the Zhang Group is too much trouble; I like to keep things simple. Once a company gets big, the internal politics become complicated. All that drama just isn’t for me."

"You think there’s less drama just because there are fewer people?" Zhang Wei Qiang shook his head, his expression profound. "Wherever there are people, you’ll find conflict and intrigue."

"PFFT—Uncle, have you gotten into wuxia novels lately?" Gu Nuan Nuan laughed so hard she almost spat out her tea.

"Big Brother, just stop trying to persuade her," Zhang Minzhen said. "Haven’t you realized after all these years? Once Nuannuan really makes up her mind, who can change it? Besides, I think her plan is a good one." In truth, Zhang Minzhen no longer wanted her daughter to join the Zhang Group. Just as Nuannuan had said, when a business grows large, things inevitably get complicated. It was already like that now; it would likely be even more complex in a few years when her daughter was older. ’So, since she has no intention of taking over the Zhang Group, isn’t it better for her to stay out of it and just collect her dividends each year?’

"Whether you join or not, it’s up to you," Lin Qin chimed in, staunchly supporting Gu Nuan Nuan. "Anyway, just do whatever you want in the future. If you don’t want to do anything, that’s fine too. Whether you want to join the company or start your own thing, your auntie will support you. To be honest, our family is well-off. A girl doesn’t need to go out and work herself to the bone like a man. Even if you did absolutely nothing, you’d have more money than you could ever spend. Who would dare say a word against it? If anyone does, your auntie will be the first to set them straight." Of course, she was speaking her true feelings.

Then she added, "Actually, I agree with what your uncle said, too. If you’re really not interested in the business, you can just take a nominal position at the company later, like me. You can go to the office when you feel like it, and when you don’t, you can stay home or go shopping. Who would dare complain?"

"Sister-in-law, you always spoil her like this. Don’t actually spoil her rotten." Zhang Minzhen gave Lin Qin a playfully reproachful glance. Thanks to their frequent interactions and increasingly intertwined interests, the relationship between the two sisters-in-law was far from the lukewarm acquaintance of the past; it had grown much deeper. So, Lin Qin wasn’t the least bit upset by Zhang Minzhen’s comment. Instead, she laughed. "What, are you jealous that I dote on her? Haha—don’t worry. Nuannuan isn’t the kind of kid who gets spoiled."

The others laughed as well. Zhang Minzhen then said, "Song Yong is away on a business trip. Why don’t I go over to Lin Qiao’s house tomorrow and take a look?"

Zhang Dazhuang shook his head. "I’ll go. Didn’t you just say you, your mom, and your sister-in-law are going shopping tomorrow, and you’re making your big brother drive and carry your bags? All of you go ahead. I’ll make the trip. It’s a good chance to learn the way. These last few months since we moved have been killing me with boredom. I was just complaining about not having anywhere to stretch my legs, and now I’ll have a new place to go. Besides, it’ll be April soon. It’s fine. After September passes and I come back, I can even go help their family raise chickens and dig for bamboo shoots."

"Just let your dad go," Wen Xiu said with a smile. "He doesn’t like meddling in company affairs anyway, and he’s been idle these past few months, constantly muttering about how he wishes it were April so he could go back to Fish Spring to get busy. I haven’t told you all yet, but we’ve decided to live at Fish Spring from April to September this year. We’ll come back after the busy season is over. With the two of us there, Qiangzi just needs to make time to visit once a week. The rest of you can come whenever you like."

"Okay, that works. We’ll have Dad make the trip tomorrow." Zhang Wei Qiang and the others had all noticed how unsettled Zhang Dazhuang had been for the past few months. Thinking it over, Zhang Wei Qiang felt it was a great idea. At the very least, his father would have a new place to occupy his time, which was a win in itself.

Lin Qin and Zhang Minzhen both nodded in agreement.

The group chatted for a while longer before going their separate ways. On the way back to their villa, Zhang Minzhen stroked Gu Nuan Nuan’s head. "Are you really planning to start training an assistant this early? Hehe, it’s not a bad idea. Ever since Xiao Hu went to university, your uncle has been short-handed and completely swamped. He often says he regrets letting him go and wishes he’d been more selfish."

"Hehe, training someone certainly isn’t easy, which is why I have to start preparing for a rainy day now." As she spoke, Gu Nuan Nuan smiled and gave a pointed look to Cao Cao, who had, at some point, slipped out of the ’space’.

Cao Cao blinked, its face a picture of confusion. ’Why do I have a feeling the master wasn’t talking about Lin Qiao, but was saying that to me? It must be my imagination. It has to be...’