Chapter 400 - 202: Great Minds Think Alike

Chapter 400: Chapter 202: Great Minds Think Alike

"Society is always developing," Zhou Yan said casually. "Everyone’s wages will go up, but so will prices. Look at houses in Rongcheng—right now you can buy one for a few thousand yuan. In the future, you might not be able to get a house you like even for a million."

"A million?" Xiao Lei was dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me, kid?! What kind of job earns you a million yuan? If I had a million, why would I buy a house in the city? I’d go back to the countryside, build a nice two-story house, and that would be the life. I’d grow my own crops, raise some chickens, ducks, and geese, and when I’m free, I’d go into town to play cards. Now that’s living."

"You have a point, Master." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, deciding not to press the issue. Instead, he changed the subject. "So, will you be going to the United States?"

Xiao Lei thought it over seriously, then shook his head. "Forget it. I’m not going. My wife is terrified of sleeping alone. If I left, she’d be by herself with two kids, plus she has to look after the elders. I can’t imagine how hard her life would be."

"Great minds think alike," Zhou Yan said, also smiling.

’Middle-aged men have too much to carry on their shoulders.’ Zhou Yan figured that if his master were twenty years old this year, he would have agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

Before it got dark, Zhou Yan, Zhou Momo, Mrs. Zhao, and Comrade Zhou all got on their bikes and started the journey home.

The little one had eaten her fill and played to her heart’s content, and she chattered excitedly the entire way home, practically buzzing with energy.

"Brother, the face-changing today was so cool! SWISH, and he had a whole new face!"

"And the Sichuan opera was so pretty..."

Worried the cookies might get crushed, Mrs. Zhao held the beautiful tin box in her lap, watching the little chatterbox Zhou Momo with a fond smile.

It took them nearly an hour of cycling to get back to the restaurant, and by then, the sky was completely dark.

Zhou Yan parked his bike and bolted the restaurant’s front door from the inside before pulling the large red envelope from his breast pocket and setting it on the table.

"Boss Qian gave you a red envelope, too?" Mrs. Zhao’s eyes lit up. "It’s so big! How much money is in there?"

"A big red envelope!" Zhou Momo scooted closer and asked curiously, "Brother, is it the New Year already?"

"The New Year is still a long way off. This is a bonus from the host," Zhou Yan said with a laugh. "I haven’t opened it to see, so I have no idea how much is in it."

As he spoke, he tore open the red paper, revealing a thick stack of Great Unity bills. They were brand new, with sequential serial numbers.

Zhou Yan gauged the thickness of the stack with his fingers and said with a smile, "About five hundred."

"Whoa! That’s so generous! A five-hundred-yuan red envelope!" Mrs. Zhao exclaimed, both shocked and delighted.

Five hundred yuan was a fortune. The basic wage for a worker at the textile factory was just over thirty yuan a month.

Just two months ago, their family had been stressing over a debt of more than eight hundred yuan.

Who would have ever thought that today, Zhou Yan would receive a massive five-hundred-yuan red envelope just like that.

A look of delight also appeared on Comrade Zhou’s face.

"Wow! So much money! And it’s so new." Zhou Momo’s eyes sparkled. She reached out, picked up a Great Unity bill, and gave it a little shake. It made a crisp sound.

Mrs. Zhao grew a little worried. "Didn’t you say it’s tricky to accept money from Boss Qian? Now that his family reunion was a success, won’t people gossip if you take this?"

"It’s fine. I only took it after Master did. Besides, it’s tradition in the culinary world. You’re allowed to accept red envelopes from the host. It’s a sign of their approval for the banquet you prepared. The amount is just a reflection of their gratitude," Zhou Yan explained with a smile. "Of course, the five hundred is also Boss Qian repaying a personal favor. He’s going back to the United States in a couple of days."

The smile returned to Mrs. Zhao’s face. "Alright then. You put that money away safely. You can use it to buy a house later."

"Here, Brother, for you." Zhou Momo handed over the Great Unity bill she was holding.

"Thanks," Zhou Yan accepted it with a smile.

Smiles bloomed on everyone’s faces. Not only had they eaten well and had a great time today, but they had also come into a windfall. Needless to say, their spirits were high.

"Brother, I want to try one of the cookies before I go to sleep." Zhou Momo hugged the cookie tin and brought it over. "Can you open it for me?"

"Sure, let me open it for you." Zhou Yan took the cookie tin with a smile and set it on the table. He tore off the outer plastic wrap first. They were definitely imported, not from the United States, but from Japan. There was even an import label on it.

’He’d seen plenty of imported Japanese electronics at the department store last time—refrigerators, TVs—but he hadn’t expected to see cookies.’

The rectangular tin box was even fitted with hinges. Inside, individual cookies were nestled in neatly arranged plastic tray inserts.

It was a pretty big box, but there were only about thirty cookies inside.

’Classic over-the-top packaging!’

But it was undeniably exquisite. The cookies themselves were imprinted with a flower pattern.

"Those Little Japan are so sly. Such a big box for so few cookies. What a rip-off," Mrs. Zhao said, shaking her head repeatedly.

"That’s right! Shame on Little Japan!" Comrade Zhou added with a nod.

"Wow~~ They’re flowery cookies!" The little one didn’t understand any of that. Her eyes were already sparkling as she carefully picked one up. She examined it in her palm for a moment before offering it to Mrs. Zhao. "Mommy! You and Daddy have some flowery cookies, too~"