Neither one of them brought up anything that they had talked about the night before. They chitchatted randomly about other random things and the mood was very light and cheerful.
"My daughter is three years old this year, same as your son. You should bring your kids with next time. My daughter has been home all the time and doesn't have any friends. She'll be happy to meet your daughter." Hu Ruixue seemed to be in a much better state that she was previously.
"Sure. Why don't we have an outing next weekend?" City Nan wasn't all that great right now. Many of the well-known tourist spots in the future were still bare land right now.
"Mmm, the weather has been nice lately. An outing is not a bad idea." When Hu Ruixue smiled, her eyes would curl like moons and she looked very pretty.
That made Shu Yan wondered. The original owner was ugly and not cultured, so Ye Zhiqiang went for a younger, prettier, and more cultured college student. That made sense. Why did Zhang Baizong looked for one that didn't measure up to Hu Ruixue in every aspect? Was that due to his inferiority complex? He was seeking his male ego from Le? What a scum.
The dishes were served one by one and Shu Yan felt that she was surrounded by aroma. She picked up a chopstick-full of food and placed it inside of her mouth. She squinted a little. Even though Shu Yan ate City Nan cuisines but she much preferred local cuisines of her home town. Today Shu Yan learned that the type of cuisines didn't matter as long as they were delicious.
When they were almost done eating, Shu Yan picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. "Have you looked into Zhu Hung's husband yet?"
Hu Ruixue mimicked Shu Yan and leaned against the chair. She didn't feel that sitting that way was very lady-like but it was certainly very comfortable. She then, too, picked up her cup of tea and sipped relaxingly.
"Yes, I have already sent someone to look into it. It was certainly a miracle Zhang Baizong was able to keep the business running up to this point. Of the 40 people at the factory, 10 of them were managers, 7 of them got in through string-pulling – sisters, brothers, brothers-in-law. O yeah, uncles from both sides of the family. All of them occupying important positions. Almost the entire management was relatives." Even though Hu Ruixue had never been in business herself, but she had heard and learned a lot though passing and has a basic understanding. A factory liked like was certainly an eye-opener to her. "Most importantly, his relatives are not competent people and didn't know the first thing about management. Putting them in important roles made the factory a mess."
There were many family businesses in China, but very few would do what Zhang Baizong had done. Either relatives went into business together or one person had expanded their business enough that they could help a few relatives out by giving them a job. But never putting them in important positions.
Shu Yan, on the other hand, had experienced that first hand herself. Her first job back at her home town after she had graduated college was at a small company similar to Zhang Baizong's factory. All of the management was the owner's family members. Many of the employees quit after a few days. Long story story, when she left her home town, the company had already gone out of business.
"There are a lot of issues with the factory's finances. I have hired a few experienced accountants to look though the books as we speak. The clothing factory had been mostly hollowed out by these parasites by now. Mainly just left with a shell. I must have been blind back then to have married such a man who was only pretty on the outside but rotten on the inside. Wait, that's not right. He isn't even pretty on the outside." With the veil called "love", Hu Ruixue couldn't find anything good to say about Zhang Baizong.
There were many things that Hu Ruixue wouldn't share with others; that included her parents and many of her friends from the past. But she was willing to share with Shu Yan. Probably because she felt that Shu Yan had similar experience as herself and could relate. That and she wasn't worried that Shu Yan would look down on her.
"What are your plans for these people?"
"I've already called the cops." None of them were going to get away, especially the relatives of Zhang Baizong. They were never that close to begin with and even Zhang Baizong had run off, Hu Ruixue definitely wouldn't care about them.
"Oh yeah, have you given my proposition from yesterday more thought? Now that I have cleaned out the factory, it's just a shell left. There are still a few of skilled old-timers left. All things considered, it's not worth a lot. You come in with your shop and we can start our own brand. Look at all the name brands out there right now. They are all foreign brands. Our country had been around for a long time and has a lot of culture. We should have our own brand." Hu Ruixue did a lot of research ever since she has decided to start her own business.
"I have thought about your suggestion. Truth be told, I am very tempted. But my two children are too young and I might not have a lot of energy to get involve in the management of a factory." Shu Yan finally picked her children over her career.
Her career could wait but her children were only young once. Just a few more years. Once Tianbao started grade school, life would be much easier.
Hu Ruixue has children herself and could relate to Shu Yan's concerns. She was here in City Nan alone with nobody else to help her. She has a lot more to worry about.
"That's alright. My invitation will remain open. You come look for me when you are reading to work together," said Hu Ruixue with a smile.
As the two of them were enjoying their meal over here, Zhu Hung wasn't doing too hot. She felt like a cat on a hot tin roof right now.
"What's the matter? We have covered our tracks so well. How were they able to find out? I've told you to quit, quit, and you kept saying that it would be fine. Look at it right now!" Zhu Hung had told Li Jianguo to quit the day Le was targeted. Li Jianguo, who had always listened to her, was abnormally stubborn this time and refused to quit no matter what she said.
"I have told you we shouldn't do things like this. We shouldn't. But you insisted on swapping out the merchandize. Look what's happening now?" Li Jianguo was also complaining to Zhu Hung.
"Who did I do that for? I did it all for our family. If it wasn't for me, you are still a working bee right now. You think you'd become a manager? Had I not done that, would we be living in this large house right now? Would our son be attending that good school that he is right now? Why do you think you are able to have meat and wear suits every day? All because of me. Now you blame me when sh*t hit the fan? Why weren't you more careful?" Zhu Hung's bluster had immediately overpowered Li Jianguo.
"What do we do now?" Li Jianguo, sitting on the couch, was unable to think.
Zhu Hung gave him a look of disgust. Useless! All he could do was ask what to do when things come crashing down. She let out a few breaths and sat down on the other end of the couch. "Can you push the responsibilities on someone else? Didn't you say that Zhang Baizong's relatives were doing the same thing? Can't you push everything onto them?"
Li Jianguo rubbed his hair and said, disheartened, "That's not going to work. Your brother was the one who picked up the merchandises and we have been selling them out of your shop. Those are not difficult to find out."
"Then what should we do? Does that mean my brother and I will in dragged into this too? We will have to go to jail too?" Now Zhu Hung was truly frantic.
Li Jianguo looked up at Zhu Hung and his eyes reddened. All she could think about at this point in time was whether she could stay out of it all? Would she really be able to take care of the family after he went to jail? He thought about his son who had just started grade school.
"Don't worry, I will take all the blame and not drag you into this."
Zhu Hung walked over to Li Jianguo, put her arms around his waist, and said in her tenderest voice, "I'm sorry, my husband. I just wanted what's best for this family. I didn't think this will happen. Don't worry. I will take good care of the family and wait with our son for your return."
Li Jianguo didn't say a word. He walked over to the bedroom and gathered the deed, the bank deposit book, and household register before he said to Zhu Hung whose inside of the kitchen, "I am going to run an errand. I'll be back shortly."
"Dinner is almost ready. Where are you going?"
"I suddenly remembered that I have a friend who works at the station. I am going to see if he knows anything."
Zhu Hung was unsuspecting. Mainly because Li Jianguo had always been obedient. She didn't think he'd pull any stunt at this point.
After he walked out of the house, Li Jianguo touched the documents in his chest. His hands were shaking a little.
The house that they have rented to Shu Yan belonged to his parents. After he married Zhu Hung, she had always wanted to have the deed transfer over to their names. Father Li didn't care one way or another, but Mother Li objected to it the entire time. Finally, they moved it under his son's name. This current house that they have bought was under their names but Zhu Hung would not be able to sell it without the deed or the household register. They have 70,000 yuan in their bank account and he was going to bring the deposit book over to his parents. At this point in time, they were the only ones that he could trust.
When he arrived at his sister's place, they were just cleaning up after dinner. Seeing the discomposed Li Jianguo, his sister sneered and was about to send him on his way with her broom.
"Mom, Dad, I was wrong. I am really done for this time," said Li JJiangao as he dropped down onto his knees. Everybody was stunned by his action. His brother-in-law pulled his sister inside. As bad as Li Jianguo was, he was still the son of his in-laws. They wouldn't be mad at him forever.
"What's done for? What happened?" Father and Mother Li had made up their mind not to have anything to do with this son anymore but, seeing him like this now, their hearts ached again.
"I might be going to jail." Li Jianguo slapped himself on his face and told them everything. "Mom, I worry that Zhu Hung would not be able to hold out on her own so I want to give these to you for safe keeping. And your grandson, don't ever let him change his surname."
Hearing that her son might be going to jail, Mother Li almost fainted. The rest of his words brought tears to her eyes. "I told you that Zhu Hung was a bad one but you wouldn't listen to me. See what happens now? Zaizai is the Li's descendent, of course he won't change his surname. If Zhu Hung dare to get remarried with him, I will kill her and then commit suicide."
"Why are we talking about these right now? What's important was to figure out how to get our son out of the current situation." Father Li was the calmer one. "Go make a confession right now. Tell them the truth and hope for a lighter sentence."
"What have I don't wrong?" Mother Li patted Li Jianguo on his back as she cried. "Your dad and I have been law-abiding citizens our entire lives and have always taught you and your sister to be upstanding people. And now you dare to commit such a crime just for money?" She sniffled and said, "Xiao mei, xiao mei, pack our things. Your dad and I are moving back to the back alley. Your brother is so pitiful to have married such a wife. I need to go back to take care of zaizai, my poor grandson!"
His sister, who was hiding behind the bedroom door, gritted her teeth in anger. "He's the son after all. Nothing will ever change no matter how familial I am!"