Chapter 2187

Du Chunlai chatted with people for a few more sentences, then entered the courtyard: "I have something to ask you."

"What is it?" Du Feng followed Du Chunlai back.

Du Chunlai asked while walking: "Is Xiulan home?"

"She's not home." Du Feng followed Du Chunlai into the house: "After eating, she went to find Old Yang's wife."

Du Chunlai sat on a stool on the ground: "Do you remember the piece of jade that Xiulan brought over when you got married?"

"Jade?"

Du Feng was stunned, thought for a while, and then vaguely remembered that there seemed to be such a thing.

"I don't know where it was put."

Du Chunlai didn't expect his son to know: "Go call Xiulan back."

"Okay!" Du Feng agreed and turned to walk out.

Du Chunlai took out a cigarette, lit it, then went out of the house and stood in the courtyard, looking at the construction site behind the winery.

He had three sons and one daughter. The eldest son, Du Man, graduated from technical secondary school and was assigned to the county statistics bureau, and the eldest daughter-in-law was in the county education bureau.

Although their units weren't the best, they were both civil service positions, and the work intensity was relatively low, and the work atmosphere was relatively relaxed, so Du Chunlai was very satisfied.

The second son was named Du Qiang. Unlike the honest eldest son, he was smooth and flexible. After graduating from junior high school, he was arranged to enter the winery, but he didn't do it after working for two years.

At that time, there was news in the county that the passenger transport market was open to private individuals, so Du Qiang partnered with others to buy a van and rented a route to run passenger transport.

In a few years, he really earned some good money, but as the passenger transport market continued to open up, more and more private individuals were running passenger transport, and money became harder and harder to earn, and even a price war started.

Originally, the full ticket price needed 3.5, but when the price war was most intense, the full journey only needed 1 yuan, and getting off halfway was 0.5. Du Qiang felt that the passenger transport market was too chaotic, so he decisively gave up passenger transport and turned to freight.

He took all the money he earned in a few years to buy a semi-trailer. At first, he drove the truck himself, and because the road wasn't very peaceful, he only ran within the province.

But even running within the province, he couldn't finish the work, and he bought another semi-trailer in the third year. Now, Du Qiang had five semi-trailers in his hands and also established a freight company.

And then there was the daughter, Du Min, in the nursing department of the county hospital, a career position. Last year, she resolved the deputy section-level treatment, and her husband was an attending surgeon at the hospital.

It could be said that the eldest, the second, and this daughter all had very good living conditions, and Du Chunlai never worried about them. But Du Feng, this youngest son, made him very worried.

He didn't have the honesty of the eldest brother, let alone the brains of the second brother, and couldn't compare with the eldest sister's intelligence. He was mediocre and had a relatively impulsive personality.

From childhood to adulthood, he didn't know how much trouble he had caused. He didn't even finish junior high school before running out to mess around in society. If Du Chunlai hadn't forcibly put Du Feng into the winery, under his own nose, he would have probably been shot in '83.

It wasn't until Du Feng found a partner and started a family that he settled down. As for the youngest daughter-in-law, she was also a winery employee. Because her grandfather's background was not good, her mother died shortly after she was born during those ten years.

Fortunately, she was young and didn't suffer much. And that piece of jade was her mother's dowry, which her father gave her when she got married.

Du Chunlai stood quietly in the courtyard, his gaze fixed on the family buildings that were half-built in the distance, and he couldn't help but show a smile on his face.

Since the winery was acquired, the factory had undergone earth-shaking changes. The wages of all employees had been greatly improved, and now the family buildings had been built. The good days for his youngest son had also arrived, and the smile on his face became more and more brilliant.

In the future, he wouldn't have to worry about his youngest son anymore, but as for the money to buy the building, judging from Du Feng's current economic situation, it was impossible to take out this purchase money. Therefore, as his father, he naturally had to take on this responsibility.

Of course, he had to balance the scales. He couldn't favor one over the other for the eldest, the second, and the daughter. As the saying goes, the palm and the back of the hand are both meat. He had to treat his children equally and must not have the slightest bias.

If it were in the past, he didn't have that ability. It would be good enough to support his youngest son, and he would be powerless to balance the scales for the eldest, the second, and the daughter even if he wanted to.

However, having said that, if it were before, he helped his youngest son, and the eldest, the second, and the daughter wouldn't blame him, because their lives were much better than their younger brother's.

But times were different now. Tens of thousands of yuan was just a year's salary for him. If he couldn't balance the scales now, the eldest, the second, and the daughter wouldn't say anything on the surface, but they would definitely be unhappy in their hearts, which would bury hidden dangers for family harmony in the future.

So, he thought, if the children all wanted to buy a house in the city, he would help pay the down payment, and let them pay off the remaining loans slowly themselves.

If they didn't want to buy a house in the city, then just give them the money directly and let them dispose of it freely according to their own needs. In short, it must be fair and just, and no one could be wronged.

Just when Du Chunlai was letting his imagination run wild, Du Feng and his wife Sun Xiulan returned.

"Dad!" Sun Xiulan shouted as soon as she entered the courtyard, and then walked over quickly: "Dad, do you want that piece of jade?"

"The chairman has been blessed with a daughter." Du Chunlai said with a smile: "I was worrying about what full moon gift to send, and suddenly remembered that you brought a piece of jade when you got married."

"So the rumor is true." Sun Xiulan followed with a smile: "I put the jade at the bottom of the box. I'll go find it for you."

"Beep beep beep..."

The sound of a car horn suddenly came from the gate. The few of them looked up and saw a Santana parked at the gate.

"Second Brother is here!"

As soon as Du Feng finished speaking, a man and a woman got out of the Santana. The man had a slicked-back hairstyle, leather shoes, tube pants, and a plaid short-sleeved shirt, and he was also tucking a genuine leather bag under his armpit.

The woman was very beautiful and dressed very fashionably. Big waves, short skirt, high heels, and light makeup on her face. She was Du Chunlai's second daughter-in-law, Yang Xiaojun.

Then, the back door opened, and a little girl and a little boy got out. The girl was thirteen or fourteen, and the boy was eleven or twelve.

As soon as the two children got out of the car, they ran into the courtyard, shouting while running.

"Grandpa, I missed you to death."

"Grandpa, I missed you too."

Seeing his granddaughter and grandson, Du Chunlai laughed until his face was full of wrinkles, spread his arms, and hugged the two children who threw themselves into his arms.

"You missed Grandpa, why didn't you go see me?"

"I just returned to school today." The little girl chattered: "My dad said he'll send me to the city tomorrow."

Sun Xiulan asked curiously: "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, how did you know Dad came?"

Yang Xiaojun said: "I went to the hospital with your brother. On the way home, we suddenly saw Dad's car, and we chased after it to know that Dad came to your place."

Du Chunlai asked suspiciously: "Who is sick, why go to the hospital?"

Du Qiang laughed and said: "Xiaojun is pregnant again."

"Ah?" Sun Xiulan was surprised: "Pregnant again? You still want to give birth?"

Yang Xiaojun blushed and glared at Du Qiang: "Your second brother said, since the child is coming to our family, it's fate. If we should give birth, we should give birth. It's not like we can't afford the fine."

"Grandpa!"

The little mud monkey was back, wearing a small pair of shorts, running over like a whirlwind.

"My God!" Sun Xiulan saw her son, who was gray and dirty, and was speechless.

Du Feng grabbed the little mud monkey and kicked him on his little butt.

"Hurry up and wash yourself clean, otherwise don't enter the house."

The little mud monkey patted his butt and shouted at his big brother and big sister: "Big brother, big sister, wait for me to finish taking a bath before playing with you."

Looking at her son, who didn't look like a human, and then looking at her niece and nephew, Sun Xiulan could only sigh.

"Dad, Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, let's go inside and talk."

A group of people entered the house, and Sun Xiulan started rummaging through boxes and cabinets, finally finding the piece of jade at the bottom of the box.

It was a circle larger than an adult's fist, half emerald green and half white, as if there was a dividing line, with distinct boundaries.

"Third Sister-in-law, you have such a good thing?" Du Qiang's eyes widened when he saw the jade, and he reached out to take it: "Sell it to me, I guarantee I won't treat you badly."

Sun Xiulan laughed: "Ask Dad if he agrees. If he agrees, I don't care."

Du Qiang couldn't put down the jade in his hand, saying very reluctantly: "Dad, what do you want this piece of jade for?"

Du Chunlai snatched the jade over: "This thing, you don't have the qualifications to buy it."

"Hey?" Du Qiang didn't pay attention, and the thing in his hand was snatched away, saying with dissatisfaction: "Old man, if I don't have the qualifications to buy it, who else has the qualifications to buy it?"

"Me!"

Du Chunlai looked at the jade in his hand, pondering who knew a jade carving master. Such a good thing couldn't just be carved by anyone.

Yang Xiaojun laughed heartily, mocking her man without reservation.

"How about it, you still want to rebel and challenge our dad?"

"..."

Du Qiang had to admit that the old man was indeed more awesome than him, whether in bloodline or social status, he had crushed him.

"What do you want this thing for?"

Du Chunlai came back to his senses: "The chairman has been blessed with a daughter. I want to find a jade carving master to carve a zodiac dog as a full moon gift."

"So that's what it is."

Du Qiang immediately stopped thinking about it, because he knew that even if he thought about it, it was useless.

Du Chunlai put away the jade and said to Sun Xiulan: "Xiulan, I'll give 10,000 yuan for this piece of jade."

"No need, no need!" Sun Xiulan said hurriedly: "You take it, it's useless for me to keep it."

This woman was very shrewd. Her father-in-law was a director of the Yugong Group, and his salary, bonuses, and stock dividends amounted to tens of thousands a year. Moreover, he not only had shares in the winery but also had shares in the Xurishang.

Although the attraction of this 10,000 yuan was great, she gathered her courage to refuse. But if she didn't want a penny and gave the jade to the old man for nothing, wouldn't he remember her, the daughter-in-law's, kindness?

Now the old man was a money tree. If she was generous this time, the benefits she could get in the future would definitely be more than this 10,000 yuan.

"Since you don't want it, then I won't give it." Du Chunlai said with a smile: "When your winery family building is handed over, I'll pay for it for you."

Sun Xiulan didn't expect the benefits to come so quickly, and the joy on her face couldn't be hidden at all.

"Thank you, Dad!"

Yang Xiaojun looked at Du Qiang. Although there was a smile on her face, her eyes were a bit drifting, obviously her mind was very active.

Du Qiang laughed, and Du Chunlai looked at him: "How about it, if you have anything to say, just say it."

"I have nothing to say." Du Qiang said with a smile: "The third one's condition is not good, it's only right for you, the father, to pay for the house."

"Humph!"

Du Chunlai snorted: "You really have no thoughts?"

"No!" Du Qiang swore: "What thoughts could I have if you buy a house for the third one? Maybe you won't believe me if I say it, but a few days ago I was discussing with your second daughter-in-law that when the third one's house is down, we'll pay for it."

Du Qiang didn't lie at all. The elevator building for the main factory employees was only 300-something per square meter, and the county winery family building must be cheaper.

Even if the price was the same as the main factory family building, a 100-square-meter house was only 30,000-something yuan, which was nothing for him to take out.

However, some things were just like this: don't worry about scarcity, but worry about inequality. When he got married, the old man didn't take care of anything, and he earned the bride price himself.

But when it came to the third one, a piece of jade was exchanged for a house. To be honest, he really felt uncomfortable in his heart.

"Originally, I planned to wait a while and find a suitable opportunity to have a good talk with you siblings."

How could Du Chunlai not see the hypocrisy of his second son? After all, no one knows a son better than his father.

"Speaking of which, the third one's economic condition is the worst among you siblings. But fortunately, you siblings have helped him a lot on weekdays, and I know this very well in my heart.

In the past, even if I, your father, wanted to balance the scales, I was powerless and really didn't have that ability."

Du Chunlai took out a cigarette, lit it, smoked it silently, and then continued.

"Seven years ago, I, your father, was unlucky and became the factory director, and also took over a mess. Two years ago, I, your father, turned my luck around and got on the fast train of the Yugong Group.

So, it's different now. I just thought that in the future, no matter what happens, I must balance the scales. This time I decided to pay for the third one's house, and I have to choose the largest 160-square-meter apartment type.

As for you three siblings, if you plan to buy a house in the city, I will pay the down payment for you, and you can pay off the subsequent loans slowly yourself.

Of course, if you haven't thought about buying a house in the city, I will give each of you 30,000 yuan, and how to use this money is entirely up to you.

Just at this time, Yang Xiaojun spoke first: "Dad, we accept your kindness, but we don't lack your 30,000 yuan."

At first, when she heard her father-in-law buying a house for the third one, she was indeed a bit uncomfortable. But now that her father-in-law had spoken, her heart immediately brightened.

For her, it didn't matter whether she wanted the money or not. She really didn't lack this 30,000 yuan, because what she lacked was fairness.