Chapter 454

Qiao Hui looked at Lin Zhao and Yaobao, who were huddled together talking, and the corners of her mouth curled upward.

Yaobao beckoned to her, "Aunt Qiao, stop busybodying, come chat with us. Aren't you curious about my office environment?"

"Sister Qiao, come on, take a break. The house is cleaned every day, there isn't that much dust; you should rest when you can," Lin Zhao also urged.

Qiao Hui was a workaholic; she felt she was letting Zhaozhao down if she stopped for even a second while earning such a high salary.

She washed the rag clean, hung it out to dry, took off her apron, and sat over.

"Alright, I'll steal half a day of laziness today."

Yaobao looked at her with an affectionate gaze, "Aunt Qiao isn't lazy at all; Aunt Qiao is the most hardworking person in this world."

Even small, ordinary people have dazzling, shining points.

Qiao Hui was overjoyed, "Yaobao's mouth is truly sweet."

"Our Yaobao has a likable personality and a sharp mind; she will definitely be able to shine at the radio station. No one could possibly dislike you." She opened her mouth and showered her with praise.

Gu Zhihang: That's an exaggeration. Sometimes, other people's malice comes for no reason at all.

He hoped Yaobao would never encounter it.

If she did encounter it, it wouldn't matter; he would let the other party know the consequences of provoking his younger sister.

As the few of them were talking, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Gu Zhihang stood up a step ahead of the others, "Let me go see who has come to the door."

Before long, he returned, followed by a young man with dark skin and a sturdy build.

"Aunt." Upon seeing Qiao Hui, joy appeared in his eyes, and he shouted loudly.

"Dashan!" Qiao Hui was also delighted and hurriedly went to greet him, "Why did you come?"

"I came to see you, Aunt." Dashan said. He was carrying a sack in his hand, all things he had brought for his aunt, "Aunt, you didn't go back for the New Year, and Grandma was worried about you, so I came."

"When did you arrive? Are you hungry?" Qiao Hui held her nephew's hand, looking at his face, and asked with heartache.

"I arrived yesterday. I found a small inn to stay in, took a bath, and slept before coming here." Dashan was afraid of embarrassing his aunt.

"Silly boy, why didn't you come directly? Your Aunt Lin doesn't look down on country folk." Qiao Hui thought about how much the capital had changed and how Dashan must have stumbled around looking for a place, and her heart felt a pang of bitterness.

"Who isn't from the countryside?" Lin Zhao said, "Dashan, in the future, just come directly to see your aunt. If you feel embarrassed, go to your aunt's..."

She didn't finish the second half of the sentence; she felt that the happy news of buying a house should be told by Qiao Hui herself.

Qiao Hui didn't mind; she smiled at Lin Zhao and then said, "Go to your aunt's own home."

Dashan was puzzled, "What does that mean?"

He hadn't dared to imagine his aunt buying a house in the capital; he didn't have that concept in his mind.

Qiao Hui said, "Aunt bought a house, not far from here. I'll take you to see it in a while. Don't stay in any small inn anymore; just stay at Aunt's place."

"Aunt bought a house?" Qiao Dashan was full of shock, "Aunt, where did you get the money?!"

Qiao Hui rolled her eyes at her nephew, "Your aunt hasn't been idle all these years; I've earned quite a bit of money, and isn't it all being used to buy a house?"

Qiao Dashan gave a thumbs up. There was no greed in his eyes; he was genuinely happy for his aunt, "Aunt, you're amazing! I never thought the most successful person in our family would be you. Grandma would be overjoyed if she knew. Can I tell the others?"

"Yes, you can. I even want to bring Grandma over," Qiao Hui said.

Even the youngest, Yaobao, was working now. She only needed to clean, wash clothes, and occasionally cook; there wasn't much to do, and she could finally do what she wanted.

"Bring Grandma to the capital?" Qiao Dashan was stunned, "Aunt, do you have the energy to take care of Grandma? Grandma is doing just fine back home, and my mother takes good care of her..."

Qiao Hui said, "I was born by Grandma, and Grandma is also my responsibility. I haven't been by her side for so many years, and my heart aches. I want to bring her over to take care of her."

Hearing this, Qiao Dashan immediately said, "That's fine. If Grandma is willing, I'll go back and bring her over."

He hadn't been in a hurry to go back on this trip; he had come to find a way to make a living. His aunt said the capital was developing fast, and he wanted to look around to see if there were any ways to make money.

There were opportunities to make money back home, but his aunt was in the capital, and he wanted to stay to support his aunt in her old age.

Qiao Dashan had brought the money he had earned over the years; it wasn't a small amount, enough to start a business.

Qiao Hui smiled, as if she saw her old mother coming, and a layer of joy permeated her whole being.

She and Qiao Dashan didn't stay long, and using the excuse of taking her nephew to get familiar with the area, she proposed to leave.

Lin Zhao asked Zhihang to prepare some things for Qiao Hui to take back, saying, "I'll give you three days off to take your nephew around. There's nothing urgent at home, so don't be in a hurry to come back."

Qiao Hui was delighted, "Okay, thank you."

Qiao Dashan also smiled happily.

He was unfamiliar with the place and really needed his aunt to take him around.

He had come to the capital to see his aunt a few years ago. That trip was hurried, and seeing that his aunt was doing well, he set his mind at ease and started his journey home.

This time, the capital had changed so much that not a single trace of the past remained.

Qiao Dashan followed Qiao Hui, first went to the small inn to pick up his luggage, then checked out of the room, and the aunt and nephew arrived at the house Qiao Hui had bought.

"This is it. It's not very big, but it's enough to live in." Qiao Hui took out the key to open the door and brought her nephew into the house.

She turned on the light as she went.

Qiao Dashan looked around and laughed, "Not bad. Aunt, you bought this house well; there's everything around here, it's convenient."

Seeing there was a television in the living room, his tone was surprised, "Aunt, you even bought a television!"

A television was very expensive; the Qiao family couldn't bear to buy one, and Qiao Dashan usually just watched at the villagers' homes.

Qiao Hui said, "It's not that I bought it. This thing costs several hundred; I couldn't bear to spend that money. When Yaobao's college entrance exam results came out, Zhihang bought a new color TV for the house, and this TV was given to me at Zhaozhao's suggestion."

Even though it had been used for several years, the TV was still very new.

"The Gu family is really generous." Qiao Dashan thought that if it were him, he wouldn't be able to bear it.

"Yes, they are very sincere to their own people, very good indeed," Qiao Hui said gratefully.

She would always remember that Lin Zhao was her benefactor.

Qiao Dashan smiled.

Qiao Hui took him to the guest room, "You stay in this room. The bedding was just aired not long ago, and the wardrobe is also new. If you need anything, tell me, and Aunt will get it for you."

"It's already very good, much better than the inn I stayed in." Qiao Dashan's money was hard-earned; when looking for an inn, he compared three shops and found the cheapest one.

Cheap goods are never good; the conditions were naturally poor, not to mention the mixed crowd, and the hygiene was also unsatisfactory.

"You should have told me before you came, so I could have picked you up, to save you the trouble." Qiao Hui felt heartache for her nephew.

Qiao Dashan scratched his head, "It wasn't trouble, it went very smoothly. Besides, Aunt, you're busy, I can manage on my own."

Qiao Hui knew her nephew's personality; he was always afraid of adding trouble to her.

"Did you come this time wanting to stay or...?"

Qiao Dashan's face was serious, and he said earnestly, "Aunt, I want to stay and try."

Hearing this, Qiao Hui was overjoyed, "You finally figured it out! Let me tell you, there are many opportunities here; even selling tea eggs can make money. In Zhaozhao's words, everything is waiting to be done, as long as you are steady and willing to endure hardship, life won't be bad."

She had just bought the house and sent a letter home, the content of which was to let her eldest nephew come to the capital to develop. Dashan had things to do then and couldn't come, but he finally came now.

In fact, the Qiao family knew that Gu Zhiyao had started working, and her life had become a bit more leisurely, which was why they let Qiao Dashan come.

Firstly, to take care of her, and secondly, to find development opportunities.

Qiao Dashan was considered the vanguard; if he could stand firm, the Qiao family would come one after another.

"Aunt, my dad and mom both say that the tea eggs I make are delicious. Do you think I can sell tea eggs?" Qiao Dashan said without confidence.

"Try it," Qiao Hui said.

That day, Qiao Dashan used the seasonings he brought to make a pot of tea eggs. The fragrance spread upstairs and downstairs, making the children cry with hunger.

The Qiao family's door was knocked on.

"Sorry to bother you, I seem to have smelled the scent of tea eggs. Can you sell me a few? The child at home is crying incessantly." Once the door opened, the fragrance became even stronger. The neighbor, an adult who was used to eating good things, couldn't help but swallow saliva.

Qiao Dashan looked at his aunt, his face full of joy.

It worked.

Qiao Hui nudged her nephew with her elbow, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pack eggs for the eldest sister-in-law."

While speaking, she took the lunch box from the neighbor's hand and stuffed it into Qiao Dashan's hand.

"Hey, hey!!" Qiao Dashan responded excitedly. He walked a few steps, then stopped, turned back and asked, "Eldest sister-in-law, how many do you want?"

"Six, I guess." The neighbor had originally only planned to buy one for the little glutton at home, but smelling this fragrance, she decided to buy a few more.

Qiao Dashan's eyes were pleasantly surprised. He went to the kitchen and counted six tea eggs, placing them neatly in the lunch box.

One tea egg was twenty cents, so six was one yuan and twenty cents.

The neighbor thought to herself that it was really expensive, hoping the taste would be worth the price.

When she got home and tasted it, deep regret filled her heart.

She bought too few!

"Aunt, it really can make money," Qiao Dashan said excitedly, "Aunt, when I earn big money, I'll buy a big house like the Gu family's. Then I'll bring the family over, and you can move over too, and our whole family will live together."

Qiao Hui thought that distance makes the heart grow fonder; she'd better not make herself unwelcome. How comfortable it was to live in a house with her own name on it.

She didn't dampen her nephew's enthusiasm, "Work hard, strive to earn enough money to buy a house soon. Houses have been rising every year these past few years, so it's better to buy early."

Qiao Dashan was thoughtful. Hmm, then he would make buying a house his primary goal.

He didn't know how much his willingness to listen helped him later on, making him mutter repeatedly in his older years, "I have such a good life, all thanks to my aunt. If it weren't for my aunt's support, I might still be living in a small building without a toilet, and living like the young people, paying off a mortgage..."

Qiao Hui thought of Lin Zhao's family in everything. Tasting the tea eggs her nephew made, they were indeed delicious, so she immediately said, "I'll send some tea eggs to Zhaozhao and the others. Dashan, your craft is really good."

Qiao Dashan immediately went to pack a box, washed the lunch box twice, and filled it with tea eggs.

He answered Qiao Hui's question, "I learned this from a person in the shed. That person said her family was a family of imperial chefs and gave me a few recipes. We were poor at home before and didn't have a chance to try. After I had some spare money, I tried it and found the taste was indeed good, which is why I had the confidence to come to the capital to venture out."

If he hadn't held a few precious recipes in his hand, he wouldn't have come to the capital, and coming would only have been adding trouble to his aunt.

Qiao Hui looked at her nephew and said, "It's also because you have a kind heart that you deserve this opportunity."

Qiao Dashan laughed out loud, obviously pleased by his aunt's praise.

Looking at him like this, Qiao Hui seemed to see the little brat who grew up following behind her.

"Silly thing," Qiao Hui patted her nephew's head, took the lunch box, and left.

Qiao Dashan couldn't rest. He tidied up the kitchen inside and out, mopped the floor by the way, and seeing that there wasn't much honeycomb coal left for cooking, he asked the neighbor where to get some, left the house with his wallet and keys, and pulled back a hundred pieces of honeycomb coal.

The place was too small, only enough to hold that many.

Lin Zhao tasted the tea eggs produced by the Qiao family, and the moment she tasted the flavor, her eyes brightened.

"The taste is really good," she praised.

"The time is still short; by tomorrow, the flavor should be even more authentic! Sister Qiao, with this craft, Dashan is going to make a fortune!"

Qiao Hui smiled from ear to ear, "Making a little money is enough to get by."

"Dashan learned this craft from the descendants of imperial chefs. He also knows other things. If he makes anything else, I'll bring it for you to taste."

Lin Zhao smiled, "Okay, I'll wait."

Qiao Dashan was also a person with good fortune. As long as he wasn't lazy, he wouldn't be bad in the future, and standing firm in the capital would be very easy.

Qiao Hui left after delivering the tea eggs.

Gu Chenghuai, the busy man, returned home and also tasted the Qiao family's tea eggs. He, who didn't have much of an appetite, also nodded.

"Not bad, right?" Lin Zhao's clear and bright eyes brimmed with smiles, "I specially saved two for you."

"My wife is still the best to me," Gu Chenghuai said solemnly.

Lin Zhao laughed and fell into his arms.

Gu Chenghuai raised his hands, afraid that his dirty hands would touch Zhaozhao and provoke her complaints.

"Busy man, are you done?" Lin Zhao pulled out a piece of paper and lowered her eyes to wipe the man's fingers.

"It's come to a temporary pause." Gu Chenghuai looked at her profile with focused eyes and answered softly, not saying too much, as it fell under the category of confidentiality.

Lin Zhao didn't ask again.

Gu Chenghuai looked at his daughter, who was stealing joy in the corner of the sofa, "Yaobao, how is it working at the radio station? Are you used to it?"

Yaobao put down her hands, straightened her shoulders and back, and answered with a serious expression, "I'm used to it. My colleagues are all very easy to get along with. I just went, and I'm still adapting."

She glanced at Gu Zhihang, moved to her father's side, and whispered, "Dad, Second Brother insists on taking me to work tomorrow, and he wants to drive me. I think it's too high-profile. Can you talk to him and tell him not to do this?"

Yaobao couldn't do anything about her second brother and had learned to borrow strength to strike.

However.

Gu Chenghuai actually looked at Gu Zhihang with appreciation, "Zhihang's consideration is very thorough."

"...?" Yaobao's head grew big.

"Dad, how is Second Brother's consideration thorough?" Her tone rose slightly, "Our family's car parked at the entrance of the radio station building, everyone must think I'm putting on airs."

"You are the only daughter of your mother and me; it would be abnormal if you didn't put on airs." Gu Chenghuai's tone was flat.

It wasn't him gilding his own face; at his level, there weren't many people left who could provoke someone he was protecting.

It didn't matter if she put on airs; as long as she didn't break the law, he was happy to let everyone know that Yaobao was his precious pearl.

It also saved some people without eyes from coming over.

This was Gu Chenghuai's open strategy to prevent anyone from chasing his daughter.

Gu Zhihang raised his eyebrows triumphantly at his sister.

... Little President Gu never makes wrong decisions.

"Hmph." Yaobao snorted at her second brother, completely giving up hope.

Her eyes flickered, thinking that if she jumped out of the car tomorrow morning and dashed into the office building, as long as she dashed fast enough, no one should be able to notice her, right?

Yaobao thought uncertainly.

Gu Zhihang curled his lips.

Silly sister, the expression on your face is so easy to understand, how can anyone feel at ease.

If he didn't arrange Yaobao well, he wouldn't feel at ease going to Haicheng to handle business, tsk.

Facts proved that Gu Zhihang's high-profile delivery of Yaobao to work was still useful—