Free Web NovelChapter 246: Chapter 246: Jealousy
After Gu’er finished speaking, everyone looked at her.
"How does your mind work? This idea is brilliant! It’s not just good for us, but for Uncle Lin too. Excellent, excellent. I’m sure it’ll work."
Li Zhi gave her a thumbs-up again and again. He had just impulsively blurted out an idea, not expecting Gu’er to have thought it through so thoroughly in the blink of an eye.
Dingzi said nothing, but his gaze held a trace of admiration. Gu’er was a girl, yet she was smarter than any of them.
Sun Jiaming watched Gu’er with a gentle expression. He would support anything she wanted to do, especially since this was a good thing.
"Gu’er, it’s a great idea, but even so, it’s going to cost a lot of money, right?"
Liu Yuan also thought Gu’er’s proposal was excellent, but he really didn’t have much money. He could probably scrape together a few hundred, but was this a matter of just a few hundred?
"Don’t worry, Brother Liu Yuan. If you’re short, we can cover your share for now. The rest of us won’t be around much, so even if we do this, everything from the renovations to the management will probably fall on you. You’ll have to work a little harder."
Gu’er had already thought it all through.
"What are you talking about? It’s not hard work. Never mind that you’re willing to give me a share—even if it were all yours, if you needed my help, just say the word and I’ll be there."
Liu Yuan was quite moved. These were friends worth having; they were true brothers.
"Great, then it’s settled. Gu’er, you should go back and tell Uncle Lin quickly. Lin Shan will definitely approve of something this good."
Li Zhi was incredibly excited. He felt like they were taking a huge step this time.
"Alright, I will."
Gu’er nodded, her heart also filled with anticipation.
Sun Jiaming walked Gu’er back to the Lin Family’s home. Chen Fengjiao watched Gu’er with a hint of resentment. ’She’s my own daughter, but she’s never home! Never mind her trip to the Soviet Union; now that she’s back, she spends all day at the Sun Family’s house. She’s not even married yet! Once she is, is she going to forget all about her own family?’
Gu’er, however, wasn’t thinking about any of that. The moment she entered, she excitedly called out for Lin Shan, then grabbed his arm and pulled him into her room.
Staring at the closed door, Chen Fengjiao felt extremely dejected. ’Aren’t daughters supposed to be their mothers’ little sweethearts? Why isn’t this daughter close to me at all? She gets along so well with Lin Shan, though. Is it because Lin Shan is useful, and I, her mother, am useless?’
Chen Fengjiao sighed and sat down in the living room. Lin Zheng was squirming restlessly on the sofa. He really wanted to go talk with Gu’er and Lin Shan, but he also knew his sister must have something important to discuss with their dad. He told himself he would go after they were done, but his anticipation made it hard to sit still.
"Have you got ants in your pants? If you don’t want to sit, go back to your room."
Lin Sui’er was also thoroughly miserable, so seeing Lin Zheng’s restlessness, she snapped at him.
"Sui’er, Xiao Zheng is still little. Why would you talk to him like that?"
Chen Fengjiao’s heart ached seeing her son’s hurt expression.
Lin Sui’er’s heart was also full of resentment. ’Why is this happening? Now Li Zhi doesn’t even come to the house anymore, not even to see me. He spends all his time with Gu’er and the others. School is so strict, and I can’t keep up with my lessons, so the teachers are always criticizing me. And my family doesn’t dote on me like they used to. I’m so sick of it all!’
"Xiao Zheng, go check on your dad and your big sister. Ask them if they want some water. If they do, I’ll make some tea and bring it in."
Chen Fengjiao sent Lin Zheng to find Gu’er and Lin Shan.
"Okay."
Lin Zheng was very obedient and stood up happily. He ran to Gu’er’s door, knocked, and went inside.
After he went in, Chen Fengjiao sat on the sofa, sipping water and watching TV, but her eyes kept darting toward Gu’er’s door.
"Mom, should I go in and check for you?"
Lin Sui’er understood what her mom was thinking. She wanted to know what her dad and Gu’er were talking about but was too embarrassed to eavesdrop, which was why she’d sent her little brother. But that kid had no idea what their mom really wanted.
"No need. If it’s anything important, your dad will tell me. I was just worried they might be thirsty. If they don’t need tea, it saves me the trouble."
Chen Fengjiao shook her head.
Lin Sui’er pouted. ’Mom’s tone is so sour. She’s just jealous of Dad’s good relationship with Lin Gu’er. It’s actually a good thing that Gu’er isn’t close to Mom, otherwise there’d be no place left for me.’
Lin Zheng came out.
"Well?"
Chen Fengjiao eagerly asked her son.
"My dad and my sister said they have water in there, so they don’t need Mom to make tea." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Lin Zheng answered Chen Fengjiao’s question honestly.
Chen Fengjiao was a little speechless.
"What are your dad and your sister talking about? Why have they been in there for so long?"
Chen Fengjiao asked again.
"I don’t know. Something about a building, and contracting something, and how much money... I didn’t understand it."
Lin Zheng shook his little head. He really hadn’t understood what his dad and big sister were talking about.
’A building? Contracting? Money? Why would Gu’er be talking to Lin Shan about these things? Is she stirring up some new kind of trouble? Lin Shan is someone who never discusses public business at home. Even when I have time to ask, he refuses to talk, saying some things are confidential and can’t be discussed. How come he’s so willing to talk about it with his daughter?’
Gu’er and Lin Shan were indeed discussing contracting a building. Gu’er had been reminded by Li Zhi’s comment earlier: if they were going to open a private department store, then contracting an entire building was the best way to do it.
Gu’er thought of a five-story building in Lin Shan’s Yonghong District. It wasn’t new, but it wasn’t old either, and it was in a good location. With a few renovations, it would be a ready-made department store. The spending power in that area wasn’t low either, so business was sure to be good.
Lin Shan frowned slightly. He knew the building Gu’er was talking about. Someone was running a business there now, but it was barely staying afloat and on the verge of closing down. The idea of contracting it out had been considered, but a five-story building was more than most people could handle. Besides, contracting it would be fraught with problems. It wasn’t something you could secure just by throwing money at it. If he contracted the building to Gu’er, even if she paid the standard rate, people would still accuse him, Lin Shan, of abusing his power for personal gain. They’d say Gu’er used her father’s influence to get the building at a low price, which would cause trouble down the line. If he was no longer in Yonghong District and someone came looking for trouble, he was afraid Gu’er wouldn’t be able to keep the business going.
"Dad, you don’t have to be the one to contract this building. You can mention it to the secretary, and then we can report it to the city."
Gu’er knew what Lin Shan was thinking.
Lin Shan raised an eyebrow. His daughter seemed incredibly confident. She even wanted to report it to the city leadership. How could she possibly persuade them?
"Dad, here’s my thinking. Besides paying the standard contracting fee, I can also help our city solve the employment problem for fifty workers. We can prioritize hiring these fifty people from Yonghong District. With fifty job positions on the table, I don’t think the secretary will refuse. The city leaders will probably agree too, right?"
Gu’er was indeed full of confidence. In this day and age, not every problem could be solved with money. Everyone had different needs. She needed a building to do business; Lin Shan and the Yonghong District secretary needed political achievements; the city leaders needed urban prosperity; and the workers needed jobs to support their families. Since she was offering to pay the fee *and* solve the employment issue for fifty people, they would be overjoyed.
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Finally finished writing. I can go put the kids to bed and get some sleep myself. Goodnight, everyone.
