Chapter 18

Of course, the current Su Xinghui was the Su Xinghui after rebirth, and he would definitely seize this opportunity firmly.

Lu Xiaoya quickly carried the dishes to the living room, and Su Xinghui also entered the kitchen to help her carry the dishes. Soon, five dishes and one soup were placed on the dining table, and Lu Xiaoya was sweating profusely from the heat.

Su Xinghui quickly poured Lu Xiaoya a glass of cold boiled water and let Lu Xiaoya sit under the ceiling fan to cool off for a while.

Lu Xiaoya was wearing a casual short-sleeved home outfit, and her long black hair was tied into a long ponytail with a rubber band. She was covered in sweat, especially her chest, which had been soaked in two circles. After drinking the glass of cold boiled water, she went into her room to change clothes.

Just then, the door opened, and a middle-aged man and woman walked in together. Seeing Su Xinghui in the living room, they were both stunned. The middle-aged woman smiled, "Is it Xiao Su?"

Su Xinghui stood up and answered politely, "I am Su Xinghui. Hello, Uncle Lu! Hello, Auntie Song!"

Lu Xiaoya’s mother was named Song Qiaoli. She had a good impression of the polite Su Xinghui. She pressed her hand down and said, "No need to stand up, sit down, sit down."

Su Xinghui still didn't sit down, but waited until Lu Zhenghong and Song Qiaoli entered the room and sat down before he sat down.

Lu Zhenghong was a middle-aged man under fifty, of medium build, with a square face, a straight nose, and a square mouth, and had a very scholarly temperament. After sitting down, he said, "Where is Xiaoya? Why did she leave the guest alone in the living room?"

Su Xinghui quickly said, "She was cooking in the kitchen just now. The kitchen was too hot, and she might have sweated through her clothes, so she went into the room to change clothes."

Lu Zhenghong nodded and asked Su Xinghui, "I heard from Xiaoya that you are one year older than her and have started working now? Where are you working?"

After Lu Xiaoya returned home yesterday, she praised Su Xinghui. Lu Zhenghong was also a little curious about Su Xinghui. Seeing this young man today, his first impression was quite good, and now he wanted to know more about him.

Su Xinghui said, "I have just started working for less than a month, at the Meng Hu Ling Township Government in Xinhe County."

Song Qiaoli smiled, "I heard from Xiaoya that you came here this time to find a way for your township to get rich. The young man is really good. You have only been working for less than a month and have such insight. I have seen the bamboo weaving in your township, it’s not bad."

Su Xinghui said happily, "Really? That’s great! I have some samples here, let me show them to you."

Song Qiaoli nodded. Su Xinghui took out the bamboo weavings from his backpack and placed them on the coffee table for Song Qiaoli to see. She nodded repeatedly, and Lu Zhenghong also picked up a few with great interest.

At this time, Lu Xiaoya came out after changing clothes. Seeing that her parents were back, she called out, "Dad, Mom, let’s eat. Look at it after eating."

Lu Zhenghong stood up with a smile, put the bamboo weaving in his hand back on the coffee table, and said, "Okay, let’s eat. Our chef Xiaoya has spoken."

Song Qiaoli said to Su Xinghui, "Xiao Su, let’s eat first, and then look after eating."

Several people washed their hands and sat at the table. Lu Xiaoya helped her grandmother out of her room, let her sit on a rattan chair far away from the ceiling fan, served her rice, picked vegetables for her, and let her eat at a small square table in front of the rattan chair.

The others sat at the dining table under the ceiling fan to eat. In the summer of Jiangcheng, the temperature at noon was at least 35 degrees or more, and normal people couldn't stand it without a fan.

Su Xinghui tasted a few dishes and nodded, "Lu Xiaoya, I didn't expect your cooking skills to be really good!"

Lu Xiaoya said proudly, "That’s for sure. Every summer vacation, I cook, and my skills have been practiced for a long time."

Su Xinghui looked at Lu Xiaoya with admiration. Although Lu Zhenghong was now sitting on the cold bench, he was a person who had been a mayor after all. Lu Xiaoya grew up in such a family and had no arrogance at all, which was really rare.

Song Qiaoli’s eyes were full of smiles, "It’s good to learn to cook. You won't be unwanted when you find a husband in the future."

Lu Xiaoya was unhappy. She said shyly, "Mom, what are you talking about? Who wants to find a husband? Annoying!"

Song Qiaoli laughed, "Then you won't find a husband for the rest of your life and will be an old maid!"

Lu Xiaoya said, "If I’m an old maid, I’m an old maid. I’m not afraid. I’ll let you support me for the rest of my life."

Watching his wife and daughter joking, Lu Zhenghong laughed, looking very happy.

Su Xinghui understood why Lu Xiaoya had no arrogance. Growing up in such a family, her personality was cultivated very perfectly, and there was no spoiled temper at all.

And Lu Zhenghong, from mayor to director of the Party History Office, such a big gap seemed to be nowhere on his face. He was calm and composed about such a quiet and poor life. Such a mentality was really rare.

Su Xinghui’s face was full of smiles. Being a guest in such a family was really infectious.

The meal finished in a cheerful atmosphere. Lu Xiaoya went to clear the table, while Song Qiaoli and Su Xinghui went over to the coffee table to look at the bamboo crafts. Lu Zhenghong sat nearby, sipping tea and listening to their conversation.

Song Qiaoli said, "Little Su, your bamboo handicrafts are quite high-quality. Our shop can stock them, but I have a few questions. First, if we place a large order, can you guarantee the output? Second, can you guarantee the quality? Third, can you weave them according to the patterns we provide?"

Song Qiaoli was the manager of the handicraft shop, and it didn't seem like she relied on Lu Zhenghong's connections—besides, it was hard to say whether he could even help his wife right now. The fact that Song Qiaoli asked such pertinent questions proved that she was quite capable.

Su Xinghui said, "There isn't much farmland in the mountains, but there are plenty of bamboo forests. The women there have nothing if not time, so the output can be guaranteed. As for quality, please rest assured; there will definitely be someone specifically in charge of oversight. Weaving according to your patterns is no problem either; they can weave anything to look just like the model."

Song Qiaoli nodded and said, "If that's the case, then I'm relieved. However, I need to go to your place to take a look and see if the situation is really as you described."

Su Xinghui was overjoyed and said, "That would be wonderful! On behalf of the folks in Menghuling, I welcome you!"

Song Qiaoli smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will bring a contract when I go. As long as the situation is as you described, I will sign a contract with you."

Su Xinghui rubbed his hands together in excitement: "That's great, that's great! The folks in the mountains will definitely be grateful to you!"

Lu Zhenghong asked, "Little Su, is such a small matter really worth getting this excited about?"

Su Xinghui said, "Uncle Lu, this might be a small matter, but it is extremely important to the folks in the mountains. You might not know this, but our township is the poorest in the entire county; the lives of the villagers are truly very difficult."

"How poor is it? Isn't economic development quite fast right now?" Lu Zhenghong couldn't help but feel a bit interested.

Although Lu Zhenghong had worked his way up from the grassroots, that was over a decade ago. He had spent the last ten years in the city, and for the past three years, he had been in the idle department of the Party History Office, with no opportunity to go to the grassroots at all. Although he was very diligent about reading newspapers and studying, how much of the real situation could he actually see?