Chapter 241: Thoughts in the Dark

Li Zhaodi fell silent after hearing Su Ruo's words; she knew the master was right, but it was her first love, so making her give up was truly difficult.

Su Ruo also didn't urge her further; the two returned home in silence, and as soon as they got back Li Zhaodi locked herself in her room, needing some time alone to calm down.

Bai Xinya looked at Su Ruo with some worry; Su Ruo shook her head at her, some things Li Zhaodi must figure out on her own.

The atmosphere on Li Zhaodi's side was somewhat gloomy; at the same time, Yu Pengfei would also return home.

Upon seeing Yu Pengfei's clothes and watch, Yu's mother and the Yu sisters' eyes instantly lit up.

They gathered around him, sizing him up; they had thought Li Zhaodi had money, but didn't expect her to be this wealthy—spending a few hundred dollars as if it were nothing, without blinking an eye.

Yu's eldest and second sisters, full of envy, said, "If only your brother-in-law could have a set of clothes like this."

Yu Pengfei hurried inside to take off the clothes, saying, "If your brothers-in-law need them, feel free to take them anytime."

Yu's eldest sister quickly replied, "Your eldest brother-in-law just does rough work; he could never wear such fine clothes."

Yu's second sister rolled her eyes and said, "Since you, little brother, say that, I won't stand on ceremony—your second brother-in-law is worried he has no decent clothes; at work everyone looks down on him, so lending him this outfit for a few days would let those who judge by appearances see."

In fact, Yu Pengfei had never worn such fine clothes in his life, especially since this outfit was bought for him by Li Zhaodi, so he felt reluctant to part with it, but since his second sister had said that, he couldn't well refuse.

He could only do so perfunctorily, setting out the packed meals on the table and calling his mother and sisters to come eat.

By that time the Yu family had already eaten, but upon seeing the table full of dishes, Yu's mother and the three Yu sisters suddenly regained their appetites.

They immediately disregarded decorum, picking up chopsticks and digging in; after all, for their household, getting to eat meat was already rare, and the flavor of these dishes was in no way inferior to that of the head chef at the state-run hotel.

Seeing his mother and sisters eating happily made Yu Pengfei happy too; he smiled and said:

"I had a meal with Li Zhaodi's master; we ordered too many dishes, and Li Zhaodi was thinking of you, so I brought the leftovers back for you to eat."

At that moment, Yu Pengfei's eldest sister had just finished gnawing a large pork knuckle, wiped oil from her mouth, and while counting said, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—you four people having a meal actually ordered seven dishes.

"It's not that I'm criticizing your brother; we know Li Zhaodi can make money, but having money doesn't mean you should spend it like this."

Yu Pengfei felt his eldest sister's words were a bit harsh; he wanted to explain a couple of things for Li Zhaodi, but his eldest sister gave him no chance and continued:

"Brother, I say this for your own good; don't dislike my bluntness."

Upon hearing that, Yu Pengfei immediately said, "Eldest sister, how could it be otherwise? I certainly know you mean well for me and Li Zhaodi; we'll pay attention from now on."

In earlier years, Yu's mother was busy with work; Yu Pengfei and his two sisters were raised by their eldest sister, especially Yu Pengfei, who could say he grew up on his eldest sister's back; as the saying goes, an elder sister is like a mother, and Yu Pengfei holds his eldest sister in great respect.

Upon hearing her brother say that, Yu's eldest sister's eyes began to redden involuntarily: "You just need to know my earnest intentions.

"They say a man forgets his mother after marrying; as long as you remember my kindness to you and our mother, that's enough."

Yu Pengfei couldn't bear to see his eldest sister upset; seeing her like that, his eyes instantly reddened and he said:

"Eldest sister, rest assured—I will strive to give you and Mother a good life; in my heart, no one compares to you and Mother."

At that moment, Yu's mother looked at her son with a loving expression and said, "I know my little treasure Xiao Bao is the most filial; I'll be counting on you from now on."

A fervent light immediately ignited in Yu Pengfei's eyes; after years of family upbringing, making his mother and sisters live well had become an obsession in his heart.

As the most scheming person in the household, Yu's second sister, seeing that the sentimental talk had gone far enough, said: "Let me say, this young girl simply doesn't know how to manage a household—look at how our mother, on her own, raised us siblings with great hardship.

Now Li Zhaodi's business is good and she can earn money, but what if one day the policy changes and they forbid doing business?

I say, some things should be guarded against in advance; after you marry, you should still let Mother manage the household.

Otherwise, with Li Zhaodi's spending habits, even if the family had a mountain of gold, she would squander it all.

As for Li Zhaodi's clothing company, we should still assign someone trustworthy to oversee it; for accounting, just ask your second brother-in-law—he's kept books before and has experience in this area.

For procurement, ask your eldest brother-in-law; he's honest and will surely not cheat you out of your money—I tell you, the purchasing officers at that big factory can reap huge profits.

What originally costs one yuan can be reported as two yuan; if you don't find someone trustworthy, it simply won't do.

Upon hearing this, Yu's mother and eldest sister nodded repeatedly, saying, "Pengfei, you must take your second sister's words to heart; later talk to Li Zhaodi properly—these key positions must be handled by our own people to feel at ease."

Actually, Mother isn't that old and her health is sound; in the future she could oversee the workshop for you—rest assured, with her around, she definitely won't let those people slack off.

Moreover, your third sister—she at least graduated high school—I've heard Li Zhaodi's clothing factory has a promotion department; the work isn't heavy, and she could wear nice clothes every day, so she'd be the perfect fit there.

Yu Pengfei's third sister, who had stayed at home for several years after graduating high school, instantly lit up upon hearing her mother's words, feeling that no other job could suit her better.

Yu's mother and the others grew more excited as they spoke, already regarding the clothing factory as their own enterprise.

But upon hearing this, Yu Pengfei felt uneasy; he truly liked Li Zhaodi and secretly thought this arrangement was somewhat inappropriate.

At that moment, stared at by three pairs of eyes, he had no choice but to say, "Mom, that clothing factory isn't solely Li Zhaodi's—her master and friends have invested too; isn't it inappropriate for us to do this?"

Upon hearing Yu Pengfei's words, Yu's mother and the three sisters' formerly excited faces immediately sank.

Yu's second sister immediately slammed the table and said angrily, "What three-person enterprise? I think Li Zhaodi is just deliberately deceiving you.

"Look, the factory isn't even run by Li Zhaodi alone—her master and friends don't even go to the plant on ordinary days.

"If the factory really belonged to them, they wouldn't be so careless."

After the clothing factory stabilized, Su Ruo and Bai Xinya indeed rarely went there; Yu's second sister, because of this, thought Li Zhaodi said that only because she feared the Yu family would covet the factory.

Upon hearing his second sister's words, Yu Pengfei's face instantly darkened; he liked Li Zhaodi and naturally couldn't bear to hear his second sister speak ill of her.

Yu's eldest sister, who knows her brother best, immediately said upon seeing this, "Brother, although your second sister's words are harsh, they do make some sense.

"We know Li Zhaodi's character; she would certainly not deceive us, but the factory inside and out is run solely by Li Zhaodi.

"Having earned money yet wanting to split it three ways, we're also afraid Li Zhaodi might be cheated.

"After all, you can know a person's face but not their heart; you're young and don't know how treacherous people can be."

Seeing his most respected eldest sister say that, Yu Pengfei's slight dissatisfaction vanished instantly, and he indeed began to seriously consider what his eldest sister had said.

Seeing Li Zhaodi busy with factory affairs, sometimes unable to eat a meal, and then thinking of Su Ruo and Bai Xinya, who gain money without doing anything, he suddenly felt his eldest sister was right.