Chapter 129: Everything is Changing

Driving into Pingyuan County Town, Cao Shujie took his wife and daughter directly to the parking lot of Wuxing Department Store. He noticed that today was National Day, yet the parking lot was not even half full.

Finding a parking spot was easy, which eased his concerns.

After parking the car, the family of three got out. Cao Shujie squatted down to carry Mengmeng into the mall.

Unexpectedly, the little one refused, kicking her legs vigorously in his arms and shouting, “Put me down, Daddy! I want to walk by myself.”

Cao Shujie pointed to the mall and said, “That’s the staircase to go up. Let Daddy carry you inside, and then you can walk on your own, okay?”

“No way!” Mengmeng glared at her father, drool dripping onto Cao Shujie’s clothes.

“Mengmeng, you’re such a mess!” Cheng Xiaolin said, amused by her daughter’s antics.

She quickly grabbed some tissues to wipe Mengmeng’s mouth and told her husband, “Honey, let her walk by herself. She’ll learn after a couple of falls.”

What else could Cao Shujie do? He let go, watching as Mengmeng dashed forward like a wild pony.

Though her steps were unsteady, she didn’t fall. Cao Shujie’s hopes of seeing her stumble were dashed.

When they reached the stairs, Mengmeng grabbed the railings with both hands, climbing sideways like a crab, steady as a rock.

Cao Shujie and Cheng Xiaolin watched in amazement. They had expected their daughter to ask for help, but Mengmeng’s skills were impressive!

“Honey, what are you standing there for? Let’s go!” Cheng Xiaolin urged him.

Cao Shujie snapped out of his daze and hurried to follow, staying close behind Mengmeng to catch her if she slipped.

While it took a normal person only a few seconds to climb a flight of stairs, Mengmeng took over a minute to reach the second floor. Despite this, both parents patiently followed, feeling proud.

Cheng Xiaolin remarked, “Did you notice, honey? Since Mengmeng came back, she’s been running around happily, eating more, and she’s stronger than before.”

Cao Shujie nodded, smiling, “I think this is better than sending her to a kindergarten class early.”

“Hehe, I think so too,” Cheng Xiaolin agreed.

As they exited the stairwell, the festive atmosphere of National Day was palpable.

Banners celebrating the holiday and various sales promotions were everywhere. Many shop entrances on the second floor were adorned with red banners wishing the nation a happy birthday.

Mengmeng’s eyes were drawn to a store entrance decorated with two red lanterns. She pointed and shouted, “Daddy, I want that.”

Before Cao Shujie could respond, Cheng Xiaolin playfully warned her, “Mengmeng, those belong to the store. If you take them, they’ll call the police to arrest you, and you won’t be able to go home with Mommy and Daddy.”

The little girl pondered this for a moment before saying, “Daddy can take them, arrest Daddy.”

Cheng Xiaolin burst into laughter, nodding, “Yes, arrest your Daddy.”

Mengmeng, ever so innocent, looked at her father with hopeful eyes, wanting him to take the lanterns for her.

Cao Shujie rolled his eyes at his wife, “You’re just looking for trouble, aren’t you?”

“Ugh, I’m not talking to you,” Cheng Xiaolin said, taking Mengmeng’s hand and continuing forward.

Despite the few cars in the parking lot, the mall wasn’t crowded either. Cheng Xiaolin speculated, “Do you think everyone else is out traveling, which is why the mall is so empty?”

“Probably!” Cao Shujie agreed with his wife’s reasoning.

But that didn’t concern them. Traveling during this time would be a hassle, and since neither of them had a fixed job, they could only rest during such times.

Cao Shujie thought about taking his parents on a trip once they had settled everything.

With this in mind, he whispered, “Honey, let’s discuss something.”

“What is it?” Cheng Xiaolin asked.

“I was thinking we should get a seven-seater car,” Cao Shujie suggested.

“Why? Those consume too much gas,” Cheng Xiaolin replied instinctively.

She paused, then asked, “You don’t mean a van for transporting goods, do you?”

“No, I mean a seven-seater SUV. When we’re not busy, we could take Mengmeng, her grandparents, and your parents on trips. Just once or twice a year to see the sights. What do you think?” Cao Shujie asked.

Cheng Xiaolin was tempted by the idea, but considering they were still in the early stages of their business, with most of their funds tied up in bank loans, buying a seven-seater seemed impractical.

She replied, “Maybe in a few years. My dad is busy making money outside when he’s not working on the farm. Do you think he’d want to go?”

“Honey, that’s just your assumption. I think you’re being too narrow-minded,” Cao Shujie began, but his wife had already taken Mengmeng into a nearby air conditioner store.

Cao Shujie glanced up and saw the word “Gree,” a reputable brand. That settled it.

A few minutes later, they exited the store, having purchased a standing air conditioner and two wall-mounted ones, enjoying a National Day discount of 25% off, supposedly the lowest promotional price from the manufacturer.

“Honey, we saved over four thousand yuan. It’s a great deal,” Cheng Xiaolin said excitedly.

Cao Shujie thought, you could have chosen a cheaper brand…

They also bought practical items like a washing machine, a gas stove, a refrigerator, and an electric water heater.

However, when it came to buying a TV, Cao Shujie hesitated. They rarely watched TV at home, and Mengmeng wasn’t particularly interested in it either.

“How about we skip the TV?” Cao Shujie suggested.

His wife was inclined to agree, but after considering it, she said, “If we don’t buy one, what will we do when guests come over? Just drinking tea and eating sunflower seeds seems a bit lacking, doesn’t it?”

As Cheng Xiaolin spoke, she hesitated and said, “Why don’t we just buy a bigger one? Our living room is so big, putting a small one there is as good as not having one at all.”

“Sounds good!” Cao Shujie didn’t argue this time, and the couple ended up buying a 55-inch TV.

Besides this size, there were two 70-inch ‘ultra-large screen’ TVs that Sharp had launched this year. However, after some thought, Cao Shujie realized that a 70-inch TV wouldn’t fit well in his space, so he abandoned the idea.

After finalizing everything and scheduling delivery with the stores, set to arrive at Cao Family Village the day after tomorrow, Cao Shujie finally called Cao Zhen to ask where he was.

“You guys are in the county town?” Cao Zhen asked in return.

After confirming with Cao Shujie, Cao Zhen mentioned a place. He hadn’t been working these past few days, as he was saying goodbye to friends in Pingyuan County Town. He was headed to Xinjiang to manage cotton planting. Although he could return anytime, only he knew the heavy responsibility of reducing raw material costs for the company. With a monthly salary exceeding ten thousand, could he really just leave Xinjiang’s affairs and come back whenever he wanted?

Though sometimes lazy in his tasks, Cao Zhen was quite the opposite when it came to responsibility.

Inside a building in the Mingshi Mingdu Residential Area, Lian Xuezhu was chatting with his nephew, Cao Zhen, discussing what he should do once he got to Xinjiang.

In this regard, Lian Xuezhu had great confidence in his nephew.

Seeing his nephew return after the call, Lian Xuezhu asked, “Zhenzhen, who was that? A friend?”

“Uncle, it was Shujie, the one who grows kiwi fruit back home,” Cao Zhen replied.

As soon as he said this, Lian Xuezhu remembered, “I remember him. We visited his place for a team-building event, and he had a lot to say to me and Old Liu.”

“Uncle, really? That’s surprising. He’s usually like a clam around strangers, hardly says a word,” Cao Zhen remarked.

Lian Xuezhu thought back to the situation and shook his head, “He didn’t seem like a clam to me. It was as if he had a lot he wanted to say to us.”

“Maybe it’s because he’s familiar with you, Uncle,” Cao Zhen guessed.

Thinking carefully, Lian Xuezhu suddenly said, “I also saw his dad at the orchard entrance that day, your Uncle Jianguo. Next time I visit your home, I’ll have to share a few drinks with him.”

Seeing how serious his uncle was about drinking, Cao Zhen didn’t interrupt his musings.

Fortunately, Lian Xuezhu remembered the main topic and asked, “Should we invite him over?”

“Uncle, let’s skip it this time. I’m leaving in a few days, and besides him, I’ve arranged to meet a few other childhood friends,” Cao Zhen said with a smile.

“Alright, then. Next time, when there’s a chance, invite him over for a meal,” Lian Xuezhu replied with a smile.

Cao Zhen nodded and said, “Uncle, there’s one more thing I need your help with.”

“What is it?” Lian Xuezhu was curious, thinking it must be interesting if his nephew mentioned it before heading off.

Cao Zhen explained, “Cao Shujie contracted over 100 more mu of land last month. Now, he’s got over 200 mu in total. I remember you mentioned a policy from the Ministry of Agriculture for those contracting over 200 mu of mountain land, right?”

After Cao Zhen finished, Lian Xuezhu nodded, “Yes, there is such a subsidy.”

Being familiar with this area, Lian Xuezhu said, “You’re talking about the ‘Vegetable, Fruit, and Tea Standardization Creation Project Subsidy.’ The minimum requirement is a facility scale of over 200 mu, or an open-air scale of over 1000 mu. It’s a build-first, subsidize-later policy, with a one-time subsidy of 500,000 to 1,000,000 yuan. Does he qualify?”

Hearing this, Cao Zhen was a bit confused, “I’m not sure about the details, but I know the land Cao Shujie contracted is for livestock, not fruit trees.”

“I see,” Lian Xuezhu thought for a moment, then said, “He can check with the Forestry Bureau to see which policies apply, or consult the Agricultural Bureau. I’ll mention it to Old Liu.”

“Alright, I’ll thank you on his behalf,” Cao Zhen said.

“You rascal…” Lian Xuezhu looked at his nephew seriously, “Take care of yourself out there.”

“Remember everything we talked about. Once you’re in Xinjiang, call me if anything comes up,” Lian Xuezhu said with determination.

…

Recently, a new hot pot restaurant called Doulao opened in Pingyuan County Town, modeled after another well-known hot pot brand.

The decor was particularly luxurious, making those unaware think they had walked into a KVT.

In the private room, there was a large round table, and each person had their own small pot, supposedly for cleanliness and hygiene.

Having lived in Beijing for a few years, Cheng Xiaolin chuckled softly at the setup, “They’re trying to imitate Haidilao, but it’s a bit of a poor imitation.”

Cao Shujie nodded in agreement, “I think so too.”

He added, “But I don’t see the point. The prices here aren’t low, how many people in Pingyuan County Town can afford to eat here?”

“Those who can afford it might find the decor ‘tacky’ and not fitting their status. Right, honey?” Cao Shujie asked his wife.

Cheng Xiaolin was already counting on her fingers how many months it could stay open.

Cao Zhen chose this place to treat them, partly to experience a restaurant that deviated from the usual dining habits of Pingyuan County Town, and partly because he could expense the meal, so he wasn’t worried about the cost. He wanted to see what high spending could bring.

While waiting, Cao Shuyang, Cao Shulun, Cao Fei, and Cao Tiemin arrived one after another.

The main guest, Cao Zhen, was the last to arrive. As he entered, he apologized repeatedly, “Sorry, guys, I’ve been swamped with handovers lately, even lost my National Day holiday.”

“Are you done with everything?” Cao Fei asked.

Seeing Cao Zhen nod, the others didn’t press him about work.

Cao Zhen called over the waiter to bring the menu and let Cao Shujie and the others order. Cao Shujie chose some shrimp balls and a serving of fresh duck blood, something his daughter could eat. As for him and his wife, they were easygoing and would eat whatever came.

After the menu made its rounds, it was Cao Zhen who ended up ordering a whole table of beef and lamb rolls, along with vegetables, meatballs, and more.

Cao Zhen grumbled, “I’m treating you to a meal this time, and I let you order, but each of you acts like a timid woman. It’s really not enjoyable.”

“Next time you want to freeload a meal off me, who knows when that will be, maybe in the distant future.”

“When are you leaving, Cao Zhen?” Cao Shujie asked him.

Cao Zhen waved his hand dismissively. “What, you planning to see me off? Forget it. Just pretend you don’t know. Who knows, I might wake up tomorrow morning and already be in Xinjiang.”

Hearing his boastful and carefree remarks, the others decided not to discuss it further.

During the meal, everyone took turns drinking with Cao Zhen, which made him rub his eyes and complain, “Damn it, this is supposed to be a good thing. I’m going to Xinjiang to gain experience and when I come back, I’ll at least be a department manager. The future is bright, but you all act like it’s a tearful farewell!”

“Cao Zhen, don’t talk nonsense. Sometimes the heavens are watching, and bad things can come true more easily than good ones!” Cao Shulun blurted out, immediately becoming the target of everyone’s scolding.

Cao Zhen shouted at him, “Cao Shulun, if you can’t say anything nice, just shut your mouth and don’t speak.”

(End of chapter)