novelraw Chapter 456 "This is an overt conspiracy"
Chapter 456 "This is an overt conspiracy"
Chapter 456 "This is an overt conspiracy"
Qiao Hui looked at Lin Zhao and Yao Bao, who were snuggling together and talking, and smiled.
Yao Bao waved to her, "Aunt Qiao, stop what you're doing and let's chat. Aren't you curious about my office environment?"
"Sister Qiao, come on, take a break. The house is cleaned every day, there's not that much dust. You should rest when you need to," Lin Zhao also advised.
Qiao Hui is destined to be a workaholic. Despite earning a high salary, she feels guilty towards Zhao Zhao if she stops for even a second.
She washed the rag, hung it out to dry, took off her apron, and sat down.
"Okay, I'll take half a day off today."
Yao Bao looked at her affectionately, "Aunt Qiao is not lazy at all. Aunt Qiao is the most diligent person in the world."
Even ordinary people have their shining qualities.
Qiao Hui was overjoyed. "Yao Bao's mouth is so sweet."
"Our Yaobao has a likable personality and a smart mind. She's sure to shine on the radio. Nobody will dislike you." She started praising her without hesitation.
Gu Zhiheng: That's an exaggeration. Sometimes, the malice from others comes out of nowhere.
He hoped he would never meet Yao Bao.
Even if they run into each other, it's fine; he'll make sure the other person knows what happens when they mess with his sister.
As they were talking, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Gu Zhiheng stood up first, "Let me go see who came to our door."
Before long, he returned, followed by a dark-skinned, muscular young man.
"Aunt." Upon seeing Qiao Hui, his eyes lit up with joy, and he called out loudly.
"Dashan!" Qiao Hui was also delighted and hurried to greet him, "What brings you here?"
"I've come to see my aunt," Dashan said, carrying a sack full of things for her. "Aunt, you didn't go home for the New Year, and my grandma was worried about you, so I came."
"When did you arrive? Are you hungry?" Qiao Hui asked with concern, holding her nephew's hand and looking at his face.
"I arrived yesterday. I found a small hotel to stay in, took a shower, and slept before coming here." Da Shan was afraid of embarrassing his aunt.
"Silly boy, why didn't you just come directly? Your Aunt Lin doesn't look down on country folk." Qiao Hui felt a pang of sadness as she thought about how much the capital had changed and how she had stumbled and struggled to find a place in the mountains.
“Everyone comes from the countryside,” Lin Zhao said. “Dashan, next time you want to see your aunt, just come directly. If you’re shy, go to your aunt’s place…”
She didn't finish her sentence, feeling that the joyous news of buying a house should be announced by Qiao Hui herself.
Qiao Hui didn't mind, smiled at Lin Zhao, and then said, "Let's go to Aunt's own home."
Da Shan asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
He never dared to imagine his aunt buying a house in the capital; the concept simply didn't exist in his mind.
Qiao Hui said, "Auntie bought a house, not far from here. I'll take you to see it later. Don't stay in any small hotel, just stay at Auntie's place."
"Auntie bought a house?" Qiao Dashan was shocked. "Auntie, where did you get the money?!"
Qiao Hui glanced at her nephew and said, "Your aunt has been busy all these years and has earned a lot of money, which she has used to buy a house."
Qiao Dashan gave a thumbs up, his eyes devoid of greed, genuinely happy for his aunt. "Auntie is amazing! I never thought the most successful person in our family would be you. Grandma would be overjoyed if she knew. Can we tell the others?"
"Sure. I'd like to bring your grandma over," Qiao Hui said.
Even the youngest daughter, Yao Bao, is working. She only needs to clean, do laundry, and occasionally cook. She doesn't have much to do and can do what she wants.
"Bring my grandma to the capital?" Qiao Dashan was taken aback. "Auntie, do you have the energy to take care of my grandma? She's doing quite well back home, and my mother is taking good care of her..."
Qiao Hui said, "I was born to your grandmother, so your grandmother is also my responsibility. I've been away from her for so many years, and it pains me. I want to bring her here to take care of her."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Dashan immediately said, "Alright, if my grandma is willing, I'll go back and bring her back."
He didn't rush back this time; he came to find a way to make a living. His aunt said that the capital was developing rapidly, and he wanted to look around to see if there were any ways to make money.
There are opportunities to make money in his hometown, but his aunt lives in the capital, and he wants to stay there to take care of her in her old age.
Qiao Dashan had earned quite a bit of money over the years; enough to start a business.
Qiao Hui smiled, as if she could see her mother, and her whole body was filled with joy.
She and Qiao Dashan didn't stay long. They made an excuse that they needed to show their nephew around the neighborhood and then said goodbye.
Lin Zhao asked Zhiheng 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 going on at home, so don't rush back."
Qiao Hui was delighted. "Okay, thank you."
Qiao Dashan smiled happily.
He's unfamiliar with the area and needs his aunt to show him around.
He visited his aunt in the capital a few years ago. The visit was brief, but seeing that his aunt was doing well, he was relieved and embarked on his journey home.
This time I came, and the capital has changed so much; there's not a trace of what it used to be.
Qiao Dashan followed Qiao Hui to a small hotel to collect their luggage. After checking out of the hotel, the aunt and nephew went to the house that Qiao Hui had bought.
"This is it. It's not very big, but it's big enough." Qiao Hui took out her key, opened the door, and led her nephew into the house.
I turned on the light without thinking.
Qiao Dashan looked around and smiled, "Not bad, Auntie, you bought a good house. Everything is around here, it's very convenient."
Seeing the television in the living room, he exclaimed with delight, "Auntie, you even bought a television!"
Televisions are very expensive, and the Qiao family couldn't afford them. Qiao Dashan usually mooches off the villagers.
Qiao Hui said, "I didn't buy it. This thing costs several hundred yuan. I can't bear to spend that money. After Yao Bao's college entrance exam results came out, Zhi Heng bought a new color TV for the family. Zhao Zhao gave this TV to me."
Even after many years, this TV still looks brand new.
"The Gu family is really generous." Qiao Dashan thought that if it were him, he wouldn't be able to afford it.
"Yes, they're very kind and open-hearted to their own people," Qiao Hui said gratefully.
She will always remember that Lin Zhao was her benefactor.
Qiao Dashan laughed.
Qiao Hui led him to the guest room. "You can stay in this room. The bedding was just aired out recently, and the wardrobe is new too. If you need anything, just tell me, and I'll get it for you."
"It's already very good, much better than the hotel I stayed in." Qiao Dashan's money was hard-earned, so when he was looking for a hotel, he compared prices at several places and found the cheapest one.
Cheap goods are often of poor quality, and the conditions are naturally bad. Not only is the market a mixed bag, but the hygiene is also unsatisfactory.
"You should have told me before you came so I could have picked you up and saved you the trouble," Qiao Hui said, feeling sorry for her nephew.
Qiao Dashan scratched his head. "No trouble at all, everything went smoothly. Besides, Auntie, you're busy too, I can manage on my own."
Qiao Hui knew her nephew's personality; he was always afraid of causing her trouble.
"Did you come here intending to stay, or...?"
Qiao Dashan looked serious and said earnestly, "Auntie, I'd like to stay and give it a try."
Hearing this, Qiao Hui was overjoyed. "You've finally figured it out! Let me tell you, there are plenty of opportunities here. You can even make money selling tea eggs. In Zhao Zhao's words, everything is in need of rebuilding. As long as you're hardworking and willing to put in the effort, life won't be bad."
She had just bought a house and sent a letter home, inviting her eldest nephew to come and develop his career in the capital. Dashan had been busy and couldn't come, but now he was finally here.
In fact, the Qiao family knew that Gu Zhiyao had a job and her life was more relaxed, which is why they sent Qiao Dashan.
He wanted to take care of her and also find opportunities for development. Qiao Dashan was essentially paving the way; if he could establish himself, the Qiao family would gradually come over.
"Auntie, my parents all say that my tea eggs are delicious. Do you think it's okay for me to sell tea eggs?" Qiao Dashan asked uncertainly.
“Give it a try,” Qiao Hui said.
That day, Qiao Dashan used the seasonings he brought to make a pot of tea eggs. The aroma wafted upstairs and downstairs, making the children cry with envy.
There was a knock on the Qiao family's door.
"Excuse me, I think I smell tea eggs. Could you sell me a few? My kids are making a fuss." The aroma was even stronger when the door opened, and even a neighbor, an adult who was used to good food, couldn't help but swallow hard.
Qiao Dashan looked at his aunt with a joyful expression.
It became.
Qiao Hui nudged her nephew with her elbow, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go pack the eggs for your sister-in-law."
As they were talking, he took the lunchbox from his neighbor and handed it to Qiao Dashan.
"Yes, yes!!" Qiao Dashan responded excitedly, took a few steps, then stopped and turned back to ask, "Sister-in-law, how many do you want?"
"Six, I guess." The neighbor had only planned to buy one for her little glutton, but after smelling the aroma, she decided to buy several more.
Qiao Dashan's eyes lit up with surprise. He went to the kitchen, counted out six tea eggs, and neatly arranged them in the lunchbox.
One tea egg costs two cents, so six would cost one dollar and twenty cents.
The neighbor thought to himself, "That's really expensive. I hope the taste is worth the price."
When I got home and tasted it, a deep sense of regret overwhelmed me.
You didn't buy enough!
"Auntie, you really know how to make money." Qiao Dashan said excitedly, "Auntie, when I make a lot of money, I will buy a big house like the Gu family's, and then I will bring my family over. You can move in too, and we can all live together as a family."
Qiao Hui thought to herself that distance makes things better, but proximity makes things worse. She decided not to be disliked and that living in a house with her own name on it would be much more comfortable.
She didn't discourage her nephew's enthusiasm, saying, "Work hard and try to earn enough money to buy a house as soon as possible. House prices have been rising every year these past few years, so it's better to buy sooner rather than later."
Qiao Dashan pondered for a moment, then decided to make buying a house his top priority.
He didn't know how much his heeding advice would help him later in life, a fact that he would often remark in his old age, "I have such a good life all thanks to my aunt. If it weren't for her support, I might still be living in a small building without a toilet, still paying off a mortgage like a young person..."
Qiao Hui always thought of Lin Zhao's family. After tasting the tea eggs her nephew made, she immediately said, "I'll send some tea eggs to Zhao Zhao and the others. Da Shan, your cooking skills are really good."
Qiao Dashan immediately went to pack the food into a box, washed the lunchbox twice, and filled it with tea eggs.
He answered Qiao Hui's question: "I learned this from someone in the shed. That person said her family was a family of imperial chefs and gave me a few recipes. I was too poor to try them before, but after I became better off, I tried them and found that they tasted really good, so I had the confidence to come to the capital to make my way in the world."
If he hadn't been holding several precious prescriptions, he wouldn't have come to the capital; his presence would only have caused trouble for his aunt.
Qiao Hui glanced at her nephew and said, "It's because you're kind-hearted that you deserve this opportunity."
Qiao Dashan chuckled, clearly pleased by his aunt's praise.
Looking at him like this, Qiao Hui felt as if she were seeing the little kid who had grown up following behind her.
"Silly boy." Qiao Hui patted her nephew's head, took the lunchbox, and left.
Qiao Dashan couldn't rest, so he cleaned up the kitchen inside and out, and mopped the floor. Seeing that there wasn't much coal left for cooking, he asked his neighbors where he could get more. He then left home with his wallet and keys, and brought back a hundred honeycomb briquettes.
The space is too small; it can only hold this much.
……
Lin Zhao's eyes lit up the moment she tasted the tea egg made by the Qiao family.
"It tastes really good!" she praised.
"It's still early, the flavor should be even better by tomorrow! Sister Qiao, Da Shan has this skill, he's going to make a fortune!"
Qiao Hui smiled from ear to ear, "Making a little money is enough to get by."
"Dashan learned his skills from the descendants of the imperial chef. He can also make other things. If he makes something else, I'll bring it to you to try."
Lin Zhao laughed and said, "Okay, I'll be waiting."
Qiao Dashan is also a lucky man. As long as he doesn't become lazy, he will do well in the future and it will be easy for him to establish himself in the capital.
Qiao Hui left after delivering the tea eggs.
When Gu Chenghuai, a very busy man, returned home, he also tasted the Qiao family's tea eggs, and even he, who doesn't have much of a appetite, nodded in approval.
"Not bad, right?" Lin Zhao's clear and bright eyes smiled. "I specially saved two for you."
"My wife is still the best to me," Gu Chenghuai said seriously.
Lin Zhao laughed so hard she fell into his arms.
Gu Chenghuai raised his hand, afraid that his dirty hands would touch Zhaozhao and cause her to complain.
"Busy man, are you done with your work?" Lin Zhao casually pulled out a tissue and lowered her eyes to wipe the man's fingers.
"It's temporarily over." Gu Chenghuai looked intently at her profile and answered gently, not saying much more, as it was all confidential.
Lin Zhao didn't ask any more questions.
Gu Chenghuai looked at his daughter, who was sitting in the corner of the sofa, secretly amused. "Yaobao, how's it going to work at the radio station? Are you getting used to it?"
Yao Bao put her hands down, straightened her shoulders and back, and answered seriously, "I'm used to it. My colleagues are all very easy to get along with. I just started and I'm still getting used to it."
She glanced at Gu Zhiheng, moved closer to her father, and whispered, "Dad, my second brother insists on driving me to work tomorrow, and he's even driving me. I think it's too ostentatious. Could you talk to him and tell him not to do that?"
Yao Bao couldn't do anything with her second brother, so she learned to use his strength against him.
however.
Gu Chenghuai looked at Gu Zhiheng with admiration, "Zhiheng has considered everything very thoroughly."
"...?" Yao Bao was completely baffled.
“Dad, my second brother didn’t think things through at all.” She raised her voice slightly. “If our car is parked in front of the radio station building, everyone will think I’m putting on airs.”
"You are my and your mother's only daughter, it would be abnormal for you to be so arrogant." Gu Chenghuai said calmly.
It's not that he's trying to make a good impression; at his level, there aren't many people he'd dare to mess with or protect.
It's fine for him to be a little arrogant, as long as he doesn't commit any crimes, he's happy to let everyone know that Yaobao is his precious daughter.
This also prevents some clueless people from getting close.
This was Gu Chenghuai's calculated move to prevent anyone from pursuing his daughter.
Gu Zhiheng raised an eyebrow at his sister with a smug look.
...Mr. Gu never makes wrong decisions.
"Hmph." Yao Bao snorted at her second brother, completely giving up hope.
Her eyes darted around as she thought that as soon as she got off the bus the next morning, she would dash towards the office building. If she was fast enough, no one would notice her, right?
Yao Bao thought uncertainly.
Gu Zhiheng smiled.
Silly sister, your facial expression is so easy to read, how can anyone feel at ease?
He wouldn't feel comfortable going to Haicheng to do business until he had taken good care of Yaobao. Tsk.
As it turns out, Gu Zhiheng's high-profile farewell to Yaobao at work did have an effect—