Wang Cheng turned the pork tripe simmering in the kitchen down to low heat, washed his hands, and came over to sit beside Papa Wang. He heard his father sigh, the sound carrying both helplessness and disappointment, which only made him more curious about what had happened.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Papa Wang jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. When asked, he insisted nothing was wrong, yet his face remained troubled. Wang Cheng would have to be out of his mind to believe him. After repeated questioning, Papa Wang finally revealed a little. The matter had to do with Liang Youshan.
Ever since Wang Cheng drove Liang Youshan’s wife, Madam Qi, away, she had said nothing to his face but secretly held a grudge against the Wang family.
After returning to Chengping, Madam Qi repeatedly complained about Wang Cheng’s family while chatting with other people. She said her husband had always worked diligently at the jam shop and had never slacked off. During the period when he had to go out making deliveries, he had worked even harder, sometimes not returning until seven or eight at night, yet someone who had started only a few days before him was paid more than he was.
She also complained about the new shop. In her view, her husband’s performance absolutely qualified him to be the store manager, but the Wangs had chosen someone else merely because that person was a relative. Later, she even brought up the incident where Wang Cheng drove her out of the apartment, though the upscale apartment became an ordinary rental in her telling.
Madam Qi did not dare say these things too bluntly, but she sighed and hinted often enough that it was almost impossible for people not to understand what she meant.
Madam Qi had originally been a widow. She had been married to her first husband for less than two years when he died in an accident. They had no children. Her mother-in-law, overwhelmed by grief over her son, died a few years later. Madam Qi lived alone for another two years before meeting Liang Youshan.
Liang Youshan was also on his second marriage. His first wife had divorced him in less than a year because she could not endure their poor life. She later left Chengping and never returned.
Perhaps their similar circumstances drew them together. No one knew exactly how they took a liking to one another, but they married less than half a year after meeting. Their life together was reasonably good. Still, because Liang Youshan’s first wife had left him over poverty, he had developed a certain fixation on money. Madam Qi was another reason.
Madam Qi was not particularly beautiful, but she had a good figure. She loved dressing up and enjoyed comfort and luxury. She also knew how to act spoiled and sweet, and Liang Youshan happened to fall for that sort of thing. The amount he spent on her every month was never small. So to some extent, Madam Qi’s behavior was also the result of Liang Youshan indulging and tacitly approving it.
Chengping was not Guanjia Village. If rumors like these appeared in Guanjia Village, they spread quickly. That was why Papa Wang had only learned about the matter today.
A friend of Papa Wang’s in Chengping had told him. The friend happened to visit the jam shop that afternoon and, seeing that Papa Wang seemed to know nothing, explained what was being said. Papa Wang thought of how Liang Youshan normally worked seriously and honestly. He could not understand how the man could be harboring resentment toward them. As far as Papa Wang was concerned, he had never treated Liang Youshan unfairly.
“Dad, there’s something I never told you.” Wang Cheng had originally decided that one less problem was better than one more. Uncle Liang still worked for their family, so there had been no need to mention what Madam Qi had done. But now she actually dared go around damaging his family’s reputation. Wang Cheng saw no reason to keep being polite.
Papa Wang was stunned after hearing the whole story. “Th-this Madam Qi has gone too far.”
“Madam Qi may be the one spreading the rumors, but Uncle Liang is probably responsible too. Dad, I don’t think we can keep letting this go.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Dad, tomorrow just go chat with Qiangzai’s grandmother. If she asks about any of this, tell her the truth.”
Qiangzai’s grandmother was extremely curious and had an even bigger mouth. Once something reached her, it would be common knowledge within a few days.
When Mama Wang and Wang Ziyu came back, Papa Wang had not wanted his wife and daughter to know. Wang Cheng figured Mama Wang would hear eventually, however, so he told them himself. To his surprise, Mama Wang was not especially shocked. It turned out someone had already mentioned the rumors while she and Wang Ziyu were out, and Mama Wang had lost her temper on the spot.
The next day, Papa Wang went to the jam shop as usual. Wang Cheng drove into the city. He did not tell his cousin or Uncle Liang that he was coming, so both were surprised when he appeared at the shop.
“Chengcheng, when did you get back?” Guan Jiahe asked.
“The day before yesterday. Xiaoyu started winter break, so I came back with her.” As Wang Cheng spoke, his gaze slid toward Uncle Liang.
When Liang Youshan noticed Wang Cheng looking at him, he guiltily turned his eyes away. Naturally, he knew about the rumors. Madam Qi had called him the first time she started saying those things. He had indeed felt somewhat resentful himself, which was why he had allowed her behavior. He had assumed Wang Cheng would not be back for a while and that Papa Wang was softhearted enough that, even if he heard about it, he probably would not confront him.
Wang Cheng pulled over a chair, sat down, and gestured for both men to sit as well. “I came over because there’s something I need to tell you. I’m going to return the apartment you’re currently living in to its owner. I’ll rent another place for you, but the conditions definitely won’t be as good as the apartment, so you should be prepared.”
“That’s no problem. Living in such a high-end apartment was already us taking advantage,” Guan Jiahe said, actually feeling relieved.
Liang Youshan’s expression was more uncomfortable. He could not tell whether Wang Cheng had heard something and was doing this because of it.
“There’s one more thing,” Wang Cheng said. “I looked at the jam shop’s revenue for this month. The numbers are very good. Our jam brand has started building a little reputation in Shanhai City, so I want to strike while the iron is hot and open another jam shop. Do either of you have suggestions about where?”
Guan Jiahe had spent plenty of time running deliveries and understood the area fairly well. In fact, he had already been planning to bring this up with his uncle. “The New District is pretty good. It’s only been developing for less than a year, but I heard the government intends to turn it into a second commercial center. The roads are finished and the surrounding area is under development. Growth is really fast. If we open a branch now, prices are still relatively low. Wait a while longer and they could easily double.”
“What do you think, Uncle Liang?” Wang Cheng looked at him.
Liang Youshan paused. “I agree with Jiahe. The New District is a good choice.”
“Since you both think it’s good, we’ll settle on the New District. New Year is coming soon, so I hope we can get it sorted as quickly as possible. I’ll let you know once I find a new place for you to live.”
After leaving the jam shop, Wang Cheng first drove to the New District. It was very close to the commercial center. If he drove himself and traffic was clear, the trip took only about ten minutes.
The New District really was developing rapidly. Plenty of farsighted businesspeople had already opened shops there. It was daytime, and although there were fewer pedestrians than in the commercial center, the area was hardly quiet.
This time, because he had experience, Wang Cheng looked at storefronts and then immediately began checking housing. Since he planned to open the shop in the New District, the ideal apartment would be somewhere between it and the commercial center, which gave him a fairly large search area.
Driving along, Wang Cheng found many residential buildings nearby. Advertisements were pasted on pillars and walls, offering both expensive and cheap rentals. He checked them one by one but was dissatisfied with all of them. The cheaper places were too crude, and the available units were on the eighth or ninth floor without elevators. Climbing up and down several times a day would be exhausting. The more expensive places were nicer, but he heard their security was poor and theft occurred occasionally. Finding the right place immediately was apparently too much to hope for.
Disappointed, Wang Cheng walked out of one complex and was preparing to head home and try again the next day when he heard someone call his name.
“Wang Cheng?” Fang Tian jogged over. He had not seen Wang Cheng for some time and had not been certain from a distance. Only when Wang Cheng turned around did he know it was really him.
“What are you doing here?”
“When did you get back?”
They spoke at the same time. Wang Cheng laughed. “I came back the day before yesterday. Are you out handling business? Oh, right. You should know this area pretty well. I’m looking for a place to rent. It doesn’t need to be especially nice, but it can’t be too bad either. Do you know anywhere suitable?”
“You asked the right person. The company recently took on a big project, and Brother Gao put me in charge of the research.” Fang Tian realized he was alone and checked his watch. “I’m almost off work. Why don’t we find somewhere to sit and talk? You’re not in a hurry to get home, are you?”
“That works.” Fang Tian immediately handed the pile of research materials he had collected to the coworker who had come out with him, told him to take everything back to the company, and asked him to let Li Yu know.
The coworker’s expression was slightly strange, but he did not dare say anything. Fang Tian was a veteran employee, unlike them.
The two found a fairly well-decorated café nearby and ordered two coffees along with some small pastries to tide them over.
“Looks like life at the company has been pretty eventful for you.” Wang Cheng’s words carried an implication.
“Eventful my ass. It’s just a bunch of people who don’t work hard all day and only know how to dream up nonsense. They never stop to think how much effort I put in to climb to where I am now.”
As the company grew, internal competition was unavoidable. Fang Tian had known that from the beginning, but experiencing it personally still made him look down on those people. They did not work hard yet wanted to replace him. They should be grateful he had not made their jobs harder in return.
“By the way, how is Cheng Cheng?” Ever since Fang Tian told him Cheng Cheng’s girlfriend had cheated, Wang Cheng had heard nothing about him.
Fang Tian grabbed a pastry and stuffed it into his mouth as he spoke. “Him? He came back to work ages ago, but he still looks half-dead. Sometimes he says things like maybe his girlfriend had some unavoidable reason. I don’t think he’ll give up until he sees the truth with his own eyes.”
“If he can still remember not to abandon his job while heartbroken, then he isn’t beyond saving. Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around eventually.”
“Tell me what you need in a place. I’ll have an answer for you by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s nothing. Why are you being polite with me?”
After they finished their coffee, all the pastries had ended up in Fang Tian’s stomach. Wang Cheng called the server over to pay. Fang Tian had originally wanted to treat him, but he had not brought enough cash.