Chapter 712: Success Breeds Arrogance

At Yan Bugui's house.

Yan Jiecheng stared intensely at Yan Jiekuang: "Lao San, did Liu Haizhong really earn fifty thousand yuan?"

Yan Jiekuang said disdainfully: "Nonsense! That kid Liu Guangfu talks without a filter, but Liu Guangtian generally doesn't lie. Besides, their family spent over eight thousand just to install a telephone, and three thousand more on furniture. Could they be so generous if they hadn't made money? You didn't see it, but their eldest son, Liu Guangqi, has even started coming home to see his mom and dad!"

It would be a lie to say Yan Jiecheng didn't regret it at all. Yan Jiekuang had asked him to invest before; if he had invested, he could have made a fortune this time too. It was just a pity he didn't trust Xu Damao. "Cough! If we had invested too, even if we didn't make fifty thousand, making twenty thousand would be fine..."

Yan Jiekuang teased: "Brother, do you know what a Simmons mattress is? That bed is as soft as cotton, a hundred times more comfortable than sleeping on a kang! The two rooms used by Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu both have Simmons mattresses!"

Yan Jiefang curled his lip: "What Simmons? It's just a steel wire bed! And it's produced in Si Jiu Cheng, they just gave it a foreign name. Don't just envy others; don't see the thief eating meat but not see the thief getting beaten. Making money today doesn't mean you won't lose it all tomorrow. That Xu Damao is black-hearted, and with Li Huaide added to the mix, you guys can't beat them at all."

Yan Jiekuang was unconvinced: "Second Brother, what am I supposed to say about you? Do you think Xiaomei is the best businessperson in the world? If you ask me, she's really not as good as Chen Xueru. Look at her, even after leaving Xueru Clothing, she still runs the Street Office factory with great success; it's not any worse than yours now, is it?"

Yan Jiefang's face darkened, and he cursed: "Lao San, are you sick? Spending my money and still lecturing me?"

Yan Jiekuang retorted stubbornly: "Second Brother, Xiaomei is quite capable, but it depends on who you compare her to. She can't beat Chen Xueru, and she certainly can't beat Li Huaide. That man was an Executive Deputy Factory Director of a factory with tens of thousands of people; he's no simple character!"

Yan Jiefang sighed, his voice dropping: "Lao San, stop taking your anger out on me. Xiaomei said she absolutely won't let me get involved with Xu Damao. She said if she finds out I'm doing business with Xu Damao, she'll divorce me, and I have no choice!"

Yan Jiekuang's eyes rolled: "Second Brother, can you lend me some money?"

Yan Jiefang spread his hands: "Ever since I told her about Xu Damao, Xiaomei has taken all my money. I don't have more than ten yuan on me right now."

Yan Jiecheng interjected: "Lao San, you don't have a single cent, why are you meddling? If you lose it, what will you use to pay it back?"

Yan Bugui pondered for a moment and said: "Eldest, why don't we pool some money together and buy a share?"

Yan Jiecheng thought for a long time, then gritted his teeth: "Dad, I'll put up thirty thousand yuan."

Yan Bugui's eyes crinkled into slits: "Eldest, you've only been working for two years, and you've earned this much?"

"It's all from saving up by working early and staying late."

Yan Bugui comforted him: "Eldest, don't be afraid, the Liu family really did make money. I've been to their house several times; there are four or five kinds of fruit on the table, plus all sorts of nuts. That old guy Liu Haizhong really knows how to enjoy life."

Yan Jiefang stood up: "You guys keep talking, I'm leaving." After saying this, he took off running.

After Yan Jiefang was far away, Yan Jiekuang cursed bitterly: "What is wrong with Second Brother? He married a wife and treats her like an ancestor to be worshipped."

Yan Bugui said slowly: "To each their own; if someone doesn't want to do it, don't force them. You know what kind of relationship Xiaomei had with Xu Damao before, don't you? Isn't it awkward to keep trying to push them together!"

In the East Cross Courtyard, ever since He Yuzhu stopped working, he had set up a large pot and a barbecue grill in the courtyard, making delicious food with new variations every day.

Several people in the courtyard who were close to the He Family—Qin Huairu's daughter Li Tianzhen and son Li Guoqing, Zhao Yingzi's Jia Dang and Jia Huaihua, and Wang Shucheng's son Wang Yong—ran to the East Cross Courtyard every day to mooch food and drink.

Among this group, there were both children and adults, ranging from ten years old to their early twenties; they came whenever they were hungry, without any hesitation.

He Yuzhu also showed off his culinary skills again, grilling skewers today, little lobsters tomorrow, and switching to spicy hot pot the day after; he experimented with new styles every day, and everyone in the courtyard drooled just smelling the aroma.

At dusk, Chen Xueru returned with He Zheng and He Jia, only to see the area under the pergola filled with people, old and young huddled together, drinking beer and eating skewers—a lively scene.

Chen Xueru was both annoyed and amused: "Zhuzi, are you running a buffet? When will this end? Many people in the courtyard have complaints about you."

He Yuzhu grinned: "In half a month, I plan to open ten barbecue restaurants."

Chen Xueru frowned: "Are you serious? You're not a big factory director anymore, you're becoming a restaurant boss; isn't that losing face?"

He Yuzhu patted his chest: "Earning my own living, how is that losing face? I've already asked Sister Daya to help me find a location. One of them will open right next to Yan Jiecheng's restaurant to run him out of business!"

Chen Xueru glared at him: "You are so petty. Didn't he just mock you for being unemployed?"

"I just want to let him see how capable this 'unemployed person' is." He Yuzhu laughed even more happily.

He Jia chimed in from the side: "I think my dad is doing the right thing. Yan Jiecheng bought a cheap suit in Wangfujing, which cost at most a hundred yuan, but he brags every day that he spent six hundred. The only place in Si Jiu Cheng that sells six-hundred-yuan suits is the Friendship Store, and since he doesn't have foreign exchange certificates, how could he possibly have bought it there?"

"You don't know, that wife of Yan Jiecheng's is sarcastic every time she sees me, saying my skills were all given by the state! Well, I'll show her what real strength is; within a month, I'll make her regret saying that."

Chen Xueru pushed him: "Zhuzi, why are you acting like a child? A real old child. Let me tell you something, Xiaomei called me yesterday and said their clothing store's domestic sales aren't very good right now, and the orders for Liushi Trading Company have all gone to Guangdong... She really wants me to go back."

He Yuzhu shook his head and said seriously: "It won't be easy to bring Xueru Clothing back to life. Guangdong Province has already formed an industrial chain; it's hard to compete with them."

Chen Xueru was anxious: "But she came to me for help, and I can't just ignore it. Besides, the people under her were all trained by me; what will they do if they really lose their jobs?"

He Yuzhu sighed: "I know you have a soft heart. Tell her: you need to make T-shirts now, the quality must be good, and the colors must be bright. For pants, make all kinds of jeans—tight-fitting, straight-leg, and bell-bottoms—and the quality must be top-notch. For the next five to ten years, it's a price war; if the price doesn't come down, you simply can't compete with the south."

Chen Xueru hurriedly wrote these points down one by one, then said: "Zhuzi, when you have time, help her design a few styles."

He Yuzhu nodded: "I suggest you buy both the Street Office factory and Xueru Clothing; if they won't sell, then buy a share."

Chen Xueru's eyes lit up: "I had the same thought. But it's unlikely they'll sell."

He Yuzhu admired Chen Xueru's vision and said: "You must buy a share, otherwise we can't help too much; if you can buy a share, then build a brand and open a chain."