“Damn, that young man is really something, carrying on like that right at the dinner table! How shameless!” The speaker was Third Uncle Xu’s underling , entrusted with the task of keeping a vigilant eye on Chen Yanran. Third Uncle Xu, in turn, had been asked by Xu Ying to monitor Chen Yanran, knowing that desperate, morally bankrupt individuals could resort to terrifying acts when cornered. Xu Ying merely wished to observe Chen Yanran’s self-destruction.
“Girl, is this Captain Xu’s home?” Secretary Yang, having reached his destination, looked at Xu Jingjing, who stood at the doorway, her intelligent eyes turning to meet his gaze. Suddenly, his breath hitched, and a flush crept across his face.
“You’re looking for my uncle? What’s the matter?” Xu Jingjing asked, her curiosity evident as she regarded Secretary Yang.
“I, I’m from a textile factory. Our factory director sent me this time to inform your uncle to start recruiting people for production. We’ll send sewing machines right away,” Secretary Yang stammered, mentally cursing his own ineptitude. He was utterly useless, unable to articulate anything coherent.
Just then, Father Xu returned from the workshop, overhearing Secretary Yang’s words. A wide smile spread across his face. His daughter truly had foresight, initiating recruitment so early. Ever since the village workshop began production, his daughter had urged him to expand. This girl was truly incredible; she predicted everything!
“I am Captain Xu. What do you need from me, young man?”
Secretary Yang startled at Father Xu’s voice. He turned to face an old man with a commanding presence. His nervousness intensified. “I am the secretary to the director of the textile factory. My name is Yang Jun.”
“Ah, Secretary Yang,” Father Xu replied, his hands clasped behind his back, his demeanor as confident as any high-ranking leader. “Our recruitment is complete, and the production site has been found. Now we’re just waiting for your factory to send the sewing machines and fabrics.”
Secretary Yang, seeing Xu Jingjing and realizing Father Xu was her uncle, felt his composure unravel further. Damn it, he’d actually fallen in love at first sight! And she was Designer Xu’s sister! He couldn’t afford to be criticized by Designer Xu.
“What are you looking at me for!” Xu Jingjing, noticing his persistent gaze, flushed and stomped her foot. She glared at him and spun around, running off in a huff. Lecher!
Father Xu’s eyebrows shot up, and he frowned disapprovingly at Secretary Yang.
Secretary Yang, desperate not to leave a bad impression on her elder, quickly explained, “I just thought she resembled Designer Xu a bit, so I couldn’t help but take a few more glances.” He then glanced at Father Xu, feeling a pang of guilt. He shouldn’t have implied a romantic interest in Designer Xu. “No, I just think she’s pretty, no! I…” The more Secretary Yang tried to explain, the more muddled he became. He stood there, tears of frustration welling in his eyes. He wished he could slap himself. Beauty truly was misleading!
Father Xu’s frown deepened.
However, Xu’s mother, who had apparently been standing by for some time, looked at Secretary Yang with a knowing smile. “I’m not bragging,” she chirped, “our Xu family’s children are already destined for beauty. No wonder you’re so captivated. Don’t you think our Jingjing is beautiful?”
Father Xu’s aged face registered shock. How could his wife speak like this? Did she not see how indecent this man was, staring nakedly at his niece? As a man, he understood the man’s intentions. His niece was like his own daughter, and the thought of her being coveted by others made him seethe.
Xu’s mother, however, thought beyond her husband’s immediate anger. Girls eventually marry. She’d noticed Jingjing’s mother worrying about her daughter’s marriage recently. And Secretary Yang, she thought, seemed quite decent. To be the factory director’s secretary at such a young age meant he had to be intelligent. She looked at Secretary Yang with renewed curiosity. “Secretary Yang, how old are you? Are you from the county? Who else is in your family? How old are they? What do your parents do?”
Secretary Yang was no fool. He understood Xu’s mother’s probing questions and answered carefully. “My family is from the county town. I am 25 this year. My parents both work in the county; my father is a workshop director in a bakery, and my mother is a manager on the first floor of a department store. I also have a younger sister, eighteen years old, who works in a department store.”
Xu’s mother listened, finding his conditions quite acceptable. But he was still so old and unmarried! “You’re already twenty-five? Other people your age have children already! Why don’t you even have a partner?”
Secretary Yang managed an awkward smile. “I don’t like blind dates, and I’m capable at work, but when I meet a young lady, I get nervous and can’t speak.”
Xu’s mother scrutinized him for a moment, then, satisfied that he wasn’t lying, nodded. “You’ve completed your errand . Go back!”
Secretary Yang breathed a sigh of relief. “Then I’ll leave first, ma’am.”
“HmHm.” Xu’s mother waved him off with a dismissive flick of her hand. This kid is too timid, and he doesn’t even pursue the girl he likes. But, it all depends on fate. Sometimes, what’s yours will always be yours, even if it takes a winding path. If it’s not yours, even if you’re together, you’ll still separate!
“Why are you talking so much to that kid!” Father Xu grumbled, clearly displeased.
Xu’s mother snorted. “Isn’t it the same as how you were before, leaning on me?” She remembered being the village belle. Father Xu had noticed her, fallen in love at first sight, but had been too shy to approach. Xu’s mother, with her keen eye, had recognized him as a good man and initiated the conversation, setting the “hook.” It was then, she recounted, that Father Xu had truly pursued her. Recalling those youthful days, Father Xu’s lips curved into a nostalgic chuckle.
“Dad, I never realized Mom chased you back then!” Sister-in-law Xu walked over, playfully teasing.
“It would be great if your mother chased me!” Father Xu corrected, his eyes twinkling. “Your mother just came up and talked to me, and set a hook for me. It was your father , I who chased your mother later!” He spoke as if reliving his youth, his face full of longing.
Xu’s mother smiled. “If I hadn’t set a hook for you, you wouldn’t have dared to chase me. And if you didn’t chase me, how would we have a daughter?”
Sister-in-law Xu, now a firm believer in Xu Ying’s abilities, chimed in with praise. “That’s right! Without my little sister, everyone in our village would be crying themselves to death. My little sister is the lucky star of our village, and my father and mother are the ones who created her!”
Xu’s mother beamed, her happiness so profound she couldn’t stop smiling. Father Xu felt her words were a bit over-the-top, but still, his capable daughter made him immensely proud.
Secretary Yang, meanwhile, hurried away from Xu’s house, walking a considerable distance before regaining his composure. He nervously wiped sweat from his forehead. “Worthless!” he muttered to himself.
Just then, Xu Qingqing happened to pass by and overheard his muttering. She had heard rumors about the factory’s large-scale recruitment and that the director’s secretary had just visited her cousin Xu Ying’s house. That alone made her uneasy. Xu Ying had always been at odds with their side of the family and was now clearly causing trouble. Sensing an opportunity, Xu Qingqing quickly made up her mind to report this to the secretary herself.
After all, she had a junior high school education—wasn’t she just as qualified to become a small leader? Why should other Xu family relatives climb the ranks while she was left behind?