Free Web NovelChapter 603: Chapter 224: The Su and Qin Families to Cooperate on a New Era Franchise Store
On the first day back home, Su Zelin went to bed particularly early.
He washed up and went to sleep after dinner.
He texted Nanaz for a while in bed; she was still on the train.
At this time, green trains were especially slow, not just in speed, but they also often turned to small transfer stations, winding around in detours. It took most of a day for Jianglan to reach Lin’an, and a thousand kilometers could take a whole day and night.
Lin’an is about seven hundred kilometers from Rizhao. Ding Linna boarded the train in the afternoon, and she wouldn’t get home until at least the next morning.
They chatted until past ten, yawning, and Nanaz was also tired, so they said goodnight to each other.
The night passed without a word.
The next morning, Su Zelin woke up feeling refreshed.
He got up to go for a morning run.
Busy with staying on campus during winter break, he almost hadn’t exercised at all and needed to catch up.
He ran around along the river and returned to the lane. The sun was already up. ƒreewebɳovel.com
It was a good winter’s day, and many residents of Willow Branch Lane were out early to bask in the sun.
At the entrance of the lane sat a group of elderly men and women, playing chess, teasing birds, walking dogs, chatting and boasting...
Many college students who returned home were actually most afraid of this kind of scene. If they passed through with their heads down, the elders might secretly say this child doesn’t know manners, doesn’t even greet people.
If they went over to say hello, they wouldn’t know what to say.
If it were Lu Haoran, he would detour from afar upon seeing them. If he couldn’t avoid them, he’d rather wait until they dispersed.
But Su Zelin didn’t have this worry because he wasn’t a shut-in, but a social butterfly, speaking to different people in different ways.
He could strike up a conversation with anyone from eight to eighty years old, and he was particularly bold, having mingled with the folks of Willow Branch Lane since he was a child.
In fact, he quite liked this vibrant community atmosphere, where many elders later moved to new apartments with their children, yet felt ill at ease. In those buildings, neighbors seldom interacted to the point of being strangers, and they preferred returning to their old homes for this reason.
It was lively. Neighbors could gather with chairs anytime, never feeling lonely.
The Empress Dowager and the Qin family mother and daughter were also there.
So Su Zelin walked over to greet the neighbors one by one.
At this time, asking if they’ve had breakfast is enough,
which, when you think about it, is quite simple and not embarrassing at all. However, for some reason, some young people still can’t bring themselves to do it.
He went over to the Empress Dowager, also greeted a few women chatting with Zhao Lixia.
"Look at Zelin, such a sensible child. Our son doesn’t even know how to say a word when he sees elders, totally lacking people skills. No matter how many times I tell him, he doesn’t change. I’m really worried about him getting by after graduation!"
"Ah, isn’t it the same with my daughter? All she does is stay in her room, and when relatives visit, it takes forever to get her to come out. It’s so embarrassing! If only she could be half as friendly as Zelin, I’d be content!"
"Well, Zelin is already an executive in a big company, can converse with provincial officers, and be on TV. How can it be the same?"
"This kid Zelin was bright since childhood. I always knew he’d do great things!"
"Anyone who can stick to exercising in this cold is surely determined!"
"Lixia, with a son like this, you must be relieved!"
"..."
In recent years, the neighbors’ attitude towards Su Zelin visibly shifted, turning from a troublemaker in high school to the prodigy he once was.
Even a morning run could now earn him praise.
When Su Zelin used to jog on his school breaks, no one would specifically commend him.
So, once you’re successful, everything you do is right.
Zhao Lixia couldn’t stop smiling.
This holiday, her son once again became the highlight of Willow Branch Lane.
Getting on television with provincial officers is a big deal anywhere, and even more so in Jianglan, a small city where it became a hot topic. Among neighbors, it’s even more so.
The day after Su Zelin appeared on TV, Zhao Lixia made a point to visit every neighbor, proudly spreading the news. Having an outstanding child to boast about is the greatest joy for a middle-aged woman.
Liu Sufen was envious. There was a period when her daughter momentarily took over as the highlight among young people in the lane, but it didn’t last long. After university, the neighbor’s kid reclaimed his rightful throne, shining even brighter than before, making her daughter nearly invisible.
Speaking of which, there’s indeed a gap in social skills between Shiqing and Zelin.
Although Shiqing is polite and greets all the neighbors and elders, it stops at politeness—it lacks finesse.
The neighbor’s kid, on the other hand, is charming in every direction. He even dares to appropriately joke with elders, bridging the gap.
There’s a reason he became an executive in a big company!
It’s not just studies that decide fate, but character too!
Moreover, Zelin doesn’t slack off in his studies; whenever the school sends his report card during holidays, he often has several subjects with full marks, outshining even our daughter.
Which young person around can compare to such a child?
But it doesn’t matter because Zelin will eventually be our Qin family’s son-in-law.
Being proud of my future son-in-law means I should also be happy as the future mother-in-law.
With this thought, Liu Sufen was at ease.
After keeping her mother company for a while, Zhao Lixia urged her to return home.
After his morning run, Su Zelin was only wearing a thin tracksuit, which was obviously not enough for the cold. Even with the sun out, the Empress Dowager was worried her son might catch a cold, especially since he hadn’t had breakfast yet.
