“The bonfire festival that our guesthouses collaborated on before was very successful,” He Liang said. “It can be considered as having contributed to boosting the tourism industry of the small town.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian nodded.
He Liang had already stood up, ready to leave, but he started to ramble on again.
“We can continue this kind of cooperation in the future,” He Liang said. “We can only make more money by working together.”
“Boss He has a point,” Chen Jian continued to nod, and moved towards the side door. Although he was trying to hurry the guest out, he didn’t forget to add, “That’s what we think too. We are not just competitors, but more like partners…”
This line was copied from Shan Yu’s “thesis.” The guesthouses in the small town shouldn’t just be in simple competition. By changing the mindset of only looking at immediate benefits, they could achieve a win-win situation by becoming partners…
“Right, right!” He Liang nodded, finally reaching the door.
Chen Jian pulled the door open. The cold wind that instantly rushed in hit He Liang in the face. He finally said his closing words, “We’ll talk more in detail at dinner tomorrow.”
“Mhm, okay,” Chen Jian smiled. “Let me see you out.”
“No, no need,” He Liang said. “It’s just a few steps, no need to see me out.”
After seeing He Liang off, Chen Jian returned to the first floor. Everyone had finished their performance and gathered at the front desk.
“Are you guys having dinner with the guesthouses from inside tomorrow?” Chen Erhu asked.
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded. “We’ll eat at Liangye.”
“Then are we hosting President Liu and Professor Shan for dinner?” Sanbing asked with some concern. “Will we be poor hosts?”
“If it’s poor, then it’s poor,” Chen Jian said. “I don’t think they’ll mind…”
“After all, we haven’t seen much of the world. They’re used to high-end places,” Lao Wu lamented. “No matter how well we do, it probably won’t seem very thoughtful in their eyes.”
“Don’t deflate our own morale!” Lao Si shouted in a gruff voice.
“It’s ‘prestige’,” Chen Erhu said.
“That’s right, we have a lot of prestige!” Lao Si said.
“It’s ‘boosting others’ morale while deflating our own prestige’!” Chen Erhu looked at him.
“Oh,” Lao Si nodded and slammed his fist on the front desk. “So we can’t deflate our morale!”
Chen Erhu fell silent.
“Didn’t you say you were going back to your maternal grandmother’s? You took leave today,” Sanbing said. “Go back.”
“Dinner is about to be served,” Lao Si said.
“For the sake of a meal…” Lao Wu lamented.
“You’re not doing it for a meal, so you go back!” Lao Si said.
“I’m really not, I just want to stay at the shop!” Lao Wu said.
“You have no money on you. Where can you go if you don’t stay at the shop!” Lao Si said.
“Say that again!” Lao Wu’s eyes widened.
“One more time! One more time, one more time! Two times, three times!” Lao Si also raised his voice.
“Oh my,” Hu Pan propped her elbows on the desk and pressed her temples. “I can’t take it anymore.”
“Two fools arguing over a meal,” Sun Nana said.
“Get out and argue,” Chen Erhu’s voice dropped.
Lao Si and Lao Wu immediately turned and walked out together.
“Have they gone upstairs?” Chen Jian looked around, not seeing Shan Yu and his family.
“Mhm, they went up a while ago,” Hu Pan nodded. “Touring, you know. We do have some things to see here, like the library, the gym, the viewing terrace, the boss’s office…”
“Oh,” Chen Jian responded.
Everything else was fine.
They’re touring the boss’s office too?
That was normal too. Of course, they had to see their own son’s office.
Liu Wu was even going to stay in the office’s bedroom… the bedroom!
Chen Jian felt his pupils must have contracted in that instant.
“I’m going up to take a look,” he said and hurried towards the stairs.
“Dinner is almost ready. Tell them they can come down,” Sun Nana said.
“Okay,” Chen Jian responded.
He didn’t know if Shan Yu had tidied up the bedroom.
With Shan Yu’s ‘I don’t care if you die, as long as I don’t’ personality, it was really uncertain.
The bedside table, the bedside table, the bedside table…
The boss might not really care, but the manager did.
It’s Chen Jian who dies, not Shan Yu!
Chen Jian shot up to the fourth floor like the wind. On each floor, he pricked up his ears to listen for any sounds, but heard none. It wasn’t until he reached the top of the fourth-floor stairs that he suddenly heard Professor Shan’s voice, “This terrace is a sunroom…”
Chen Jian came to a screeching halt, leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs, listening to the conversation over there.
“It’s useful when the weather is cold. The guests like to sunbathe here,” Shan Yu’s voice trailed off, sounding like he had entered the terrace area.
After a while, all their voices went inside.
Chen Jian ascended the last step of the stairs at a calm, unhurried pace. He glanced over; no one was there, they had all gone in.
Then he quickly jogged over to Shan Yu’s office.
The office door was still ajar.
He pushed the door open and went straight for the bedroom, whose door wasn’t even closed.
His first glance was at the bedside table, and sure enough!
Everything was still as it was.
He went over, pulled open the bedside table drawer, and swept everything from the top into it.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
As he was leaving the bedroom, he closed the door behind him.
Just as he was about to leave the office, he heard voices from the hallway.
Was that viewing terrace so small?
Not even enough for you to wander around for two minutes?
How did you come out just after going in for a spin?
If he went out now, he would run right into them. It seemed a bit awkward.
What was the manager doing in the boss’s office for no reason?
The key was, the boss wasn’t even there.
Hide? The office was so small, there was really no place to hide such a big person.
Pretend to be feeding Erge?
Chen Jian quickly walked to Erge’s tank. Just as he was about to grab some mealworms, he stopped again. He could clearly hear the voices from the hallway here. If he heard the boss coming and was still standing here feeding the gecko, wouldn’t that be too fake?
So he stood still for two seconds, then turned and walked towards the door. To hell with it.
Why act like I’m the only thief when everyone else is laughing?
Why be so awkward?
As he took two steps towards the door, the office door was pushed open, and Shan Yu walked in.
Chen Jian instantly froze in place.
“Looking for me?” Shan Yu was clearly a bit surprised, but he asked the question in a very normal and natural way.
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded, glancing at President Liu who was following behind him. “Auntie Liu, how was the tour?”
“Very good,” President Liu smiled. “You usually manage this shop, right? Shan Yu is not clear about many things. He doesn’t know the answer to anything I ask.”
“That’s normal,” Chen Jian said without hesitation. “When guests ask, he answers the same way.”
President Liu smiled and glanced at Shan Yu.
Hey? That’s not right.
I shouldn’t be undermining him.
“But he has to handle all the important matters,” Chen Jian said. “The bonfire festival, and this time when the city’s culture and tourism bureau came, it wouldn’t have happened without him. As for us, when we run into trouble with the other guesthouses… we’re not good at cooperation like that either.”
Shan Yu smiled.
“That’s true,” Liu Wu’s mother nodded. “That shrewdness, that brain, he gets it all from his mother.”
“Did you get another gecko?” President Liu asked, walking over to Erge’s tank.
“Chen Jian gave it to me,” Shan Yu said.
“It looks a lot like your old one,” President Liu bent down to look. “Just a bit smaller.”
“Is it the one that Little Wu raised to death?” Liu Wu’s mother also went over to look. “Oh, it really is. This one is cute too.”
“These two windows probably give a full view of the front yard, right?” Professor Shan stood at the window, looking down.
“Yes, I often stand here to watch,” Shan Yu said.
“Like your high school homeroom teacher,” Professor Shan said.
Shan Yu clicked his tongue.
“Then you can continue the tour with Uncle and Auntie. I’ll go down first,” Chen Jian said to Shan Yu. “The food is ready. You can come down to eat in a bit.”
“Let’s go down together,” Liu Wu’s mother said. “We’ve seen pretty much everything. It’s not good to just wander around in the boss’s office.”
“Your son is not just wandering around, he’s going to live here,” President Liu said.
“Is that the bedroom?” Liu Wu’s mother asked, pointing at the bedroom door.
“Yes,” Shan Yu responded, glancing over there, then turning to look at Chen Jian, a faint smile on his lips.
What are you smiling at? You can still smile!
When going downstairs, Shan Yu didn’t take the elevator but walked down the stairs with Chen Jian.
“Do you know what’s on your bedside table?” Chen Jian asked in a low voice.
“I know,” Shan Yu said.
“And you still brought people to the office?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“They wouldn’t have gone in,” Shan Yu said.
“You didn’t even close the door. They don’t need to go in. They can see it just by glancing from the doorway!” Chen Jian said.
“I didn’t close the door?” Shan Yu thought for a moment. “I thought I did.”
“You didn’t!” Chen Jian shouted in a low voice.
Shan Yu suddenly started laughing, put his arm around his shoulder, and shook him. “Hey, I thought you were one of the extras. It’s a good thing we have our manager, so meticulous.”
“Don’t flatter me,” Chen Jian said.
“So elegant?” Shan Yu said with a laugh.
Lunch was still quite relaxed. It was a casual meal with dumplings, a large bowl of salad, and some marinated beef.
Plus, everyone was familiar with each other, and Shan Yu’s family really didn’t put on any airs. Hu Pan and Sun Nana were saviors; one was talkative, the other could hold her own. Add to that the chatterbox Liu Wu and Sanbing, who had to rise to the occasion because of Liu Wu’s excessive talking…
Lunch was casual and relaxed.
After lunch, everyone went back to their rooms. Liu Wu’s mother had a habit of taking an afternoon nap. Although it was already past the time, she still had to take a short nap.
Professor Shan was going fishing, President Liu was going to visit the “Air Force,” and Liu Wu’s father was actually going to the village with Chef Chen to look around, just because he had heard Chef Chen mention that there were many stalls selling mountain goods in the village. He wanted to go buy some.
“Should I accompany Professor Shan for fishing?” Chen Jian asked.
“You can help him find a fishing spot,” Shan Yu said. “Aren’t I the one who knows nothing?”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian nodded, then thought for a moment and looked at him. “Are you going?”
“Nonsense,” Shan Yu said. “If I don’t go, I’m afraid you’ll pass out before you even get to the river. My dad is a scholar who can’t even find his own shoes. He can’t carry you.”
Chen Jian started laughing. “It’s not that bad. I’m used to it now.”
“Then I’m not going,” Shan Yu said.
“Don’t mess around,” Chen Jian said. “I can’t take a joke right now.”
Shan Yu laughed for a long time.
His dad took Liu Wu’s dad and set off for the village on Chen Jian’s motorcycle.
Shan Yu drove the car, taking President Liu and her husband to the river. For fishing, they couldn’t go to the barbecue area section. They had to drive along the riverbank to the edge of the woods at the end of the village.
Just as they were about to arrive, Shan Yu’s phone rang.
Lu Jun’s dog had arrived.
“I’ll go pick it up in a bit,” Shan Yu glanced at Chen Jian in the passenger seat. “And then come back.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded calmly, but still tried to struggle a bit. “Do you know the way? If not, I can go pick it up.”
“I know the way,” Shan Yu said.
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded.
When they arrived, the group got out of the car. To save time and get back quickly, Shan Yu didn’t even get out of the car. He just did a U-turn and drove away.
Chen Jian picked up Professor Shan’s fishing gear bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“I can carry it myself,” Professor Shan said.
“It’s fine,” Chen Jian said. “This path isn’t easy to walk.”
“I sometimes go to the river…” Professor Shan didn’t finish his sentence before he stepped on a round rock and slipped. He looked down. “Okay, thank you for your hard work.”
“Up ahead by the edge of the woods,” Chen Jian said, holding back a laugh. “There’s a backwater bend there, there are fish. Xiao Dou’er’s grandfather always fishes there. He goes to feed them when he has nothing to do.”
“The scenery here is really nice,” President Liu said, looking around. “Did Little Chen grow up here?”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian nodded. “I only went to the city when I started junior high.”
“Are the kids in the shop all locals too?” President Liu asked.
“Except for the two girls, Chen Erhu, Sanbing, and the others are all from our village,” Chen Jian smiled.
“None of them thought of going out to work?” President Liu asked again.
They reached the spot. Chen Jian put the fishing gear bag on the ground and moved a large rock to the water’s edge for Professor Shan to sit on.
“For me… my situation didn’t allow it,” Chen Jian said, standing next to President Liu. “As for them… if it weren’t for Shan Yu, they would probably still be messing around in the small town.”
“Is that so,” President Liu nodded thoughtfully.
“Those few all respect Shan Yu, and only Shan Yu was willing to give them a chance,” Chen Jian said. “Not just them, even the few bosses from inside are convinced. It’s not just one kind of respect.”
“How so?” President Liu asked with a smile.
“Chen Erhu and the others admire him,” Chen Jian thought for a moment. “The few from inside were beaten into submission.”
“Beaten?” President Liu raised an eyebrow.
“Not literally beaten,” Chen Jian said quickly, gesturing with his hands. “It’s a metaphor.”
Chen Erhu and the others were the ones who were actually beaten.
“I see,” President Liu started laughing, then said with some emotion, “I didn’t expect… he’s doing quite well here.”
“Extremely well,” Chen Jian said.
“He hasn’t actually beaten anyone, has he?” President Liu asked. “That’s not his style.”
Was this something he could talk about?
Chen Jian glanced at President Liu. It seemed President Liu didn’t have a big problem with Shan Yu getting into fights.
“Well…” Chen Jian hesitated, then said cautiously, “He has.”
“I knew it,” Professor Shan said, sitting on the rock and baiting his hook. “With his personality, he would probably beat someone into submission rather than talk them into it.”
“Beating is more efficient,” President Liu said.
Isn’t that a bit too much doting… It’s fighting! He’s been to the police station and hospital countless times because of fighting, President Liu.
“But he doesn’t fight anymore,” Chen Jian said.
“The things he’s doing now can’t be solved by fighting,” President Liu smiled. “Different things require different methods.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian nodded.
“You two should be quiet for a bit,” Professor Shan raised a hand to signal them. “I feel the fish are coming.”
“If we’re really quiet, you won’t have an excuse if you don’t catch anything later,” President Liu said.
“There’s a fish boss in the village,” Chen Jian said. “If you really can’t catch any, you can go to his place to buy some…”
“Hm?” Professor Shan turned his head to look at him.
“How did you know?” President Liu suddenly laughed. “Did Shan Yu tell you?”
“No, what?” Chen Jian was a bit confused. “I mean, if you want to eat fish, you can go there to buy some.”
“Let’s go, let’s go,” President Liu patted his arm. “Let’s give him some space. He has to buy fish in secret.”
It was only after Chen Jian had followed President Liu back for about twenty meters that he reacted. “Oh!”
“Got it now?” President Liu said.
“…Got it,” Chen Jian started laughing. “You should be able to catch something there. I even caught something there, and that was the only time I’ve ever fished…”
“Can’t let him know about that,” President Liu said, waving her hand with a smile.
The two walked along the riverbank for a stretch onto a small path. President Liu didn’t speak, and Chen Jian couldn’t find a topic of conversation for a while.
He wasn’t very talkative to begin with. Finding topics was difficult. When he was with people he didn’t know well, he was mostly silent. The few times he had managed to chat with President Liu were all initiated by her.
Now that President Liu was silent, he also had nothing to say.
“Little Chen,” President Liu finally spoke again. “Auntie should thank you.”
But he didn’t know how to respond to that.
“Huh?” he responded.
President Liu looked back at him, didn’t speak, but just smiled.
