The phone rang, Zhou Chen put down the pancake in his hand and answered the call.
"Say, okay, I understand. Since there is no problem, let's follow the normal process."
"Charity gala? You can go there for me. I'm taking a rest. If you don't have anything important to do recently, don't call me. Hang up."
Xu Hongdou gently stirred the coffee in the cup and said, "You are quite busy."
Zhou Chen said: "It's not too busy, just a phone call or two occasionally. But you, now that you have resigned, you are relaxed and at ease."
"But I have no money. I feel comfortable now, but I will still have to work hard to find a job and make money in the future."
"Then why do you have to find a tiring position? You can find a relaxing position."
Xu Hongdou sighed: "But I can't make any money in an easy job. The consumption in the capital is so high. I have to eat, drink, and rent a house. The salary is so low that I can't even support myself."
Zhou Chen asked: "Then you haven't thought about changing places or going back to your hometown. There must be less pressure in life there, right?"
Xu Hongdou looked at the cake on the plate: "I really haven't thought about going back to my hometown. The main reason is that I have been working in the capital after graduation and I am used to it. If I go back to my hometown, I don't know what I can do."
"There is another reason why you are not willing to go back. When you are young, you always want to conquer the world with your own hands. Even if you fail, you are not willing to go back to the past. Is this the truth?"
"What you said makes sense. Maybe I also have this mentality. Alas."
Xu Hongdou sighed heavily. After all these years of work, she certainly felt tired and tired, but she saw that the people around her were also similar, so she had long been used to it.
This visit to Yunmiao Village was entirely because of Chen Nanxing. If nothing had happened to Chen Nanxing, she would still be working hard in the hotel.
"What are you talking about, you guys?"
Xie Zhiyao suddenly sat down next to Zhou Chen and asked curiously.
Zhou Chen looked at him and asked: "Mr. Xie just had a blind date, how do you feel? I think that girl is quite beautiful, and she is a perfect match for you."
"What a good match. In my current situation, I'm heavily in debt, so I'd better not burden others with it."
Xie Zhiyao shook his head: "That means Xiaochun has to ask me to come, otherwise I won't come at all."
"These are all excuses. I think you just don't like her. If you did, I guarantee you wouldn't consider all these things and just lick your face and get close to her."
Zhou Chen looked disdainful. He was here and could see Xie Zhiyao's thoughts at a glance.
Xie Zhiyao said with the same disdain: "What qualifications do you have to say to me? We are the same age. You are not married and have no girlfriend. I can still excuse myself by saying that I am poor. As for you, you have everything you want. Why don't you?
marry?"
When Xu Hongdou heard this, there was a ripple in her heart. She also raised her head and looked at Zhou Chen curiously. She was also curious about the reason.
Zhou Chen said: "I'm not married because I haven't met the right one. I'm different from you. I'm a loner with no father, mother or relatives. I have higher requirements for my girlfriend and marriage partner. I don't want to be married again."
I lost my loved one, so I want to find someone who can spend the rest of my life with me and never leave me, instead of marrying just anyone, do you understand?"
Xie Zhiyao looked embarrassed: "I'm sorry, Zhou Chen, I don't know..."
Zhou Chen shrugged and said indifferently: "It's okay. Over the years, I have long been accustomed to being alone, but when it comes to marriage, I really want to find a partner who is willing to spend the rest of my life with me."
While saying this, his eyes swept over Xu Hongdou inadvertently, and happened to meet Xu Hongdou's eyes. Xu Hongdou was so shocked that he turned his eyes away in panic.
Xie Zhiyao chuckled and said, "How about I help you talk to Xiaochun and ask her to help you find someone to go on a blind date?"
"You should still care about yourself." Zhou Chen said angrily.
Xie Zhiyao said a few words and then stood up: "I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
Zhou Chen asked Xu Hongdou: "Have you decided where to go this afternoon?"
"No, I'm just going to walk around and see the scenery here."
"Do you need me to be your tour guide?"
"No need, I'll just walk around and see wherever I go."
"Okay, then you can go shopping by yourself. I'll go to the wood carving workshop in the afternoon."
After lunch, Zhou Chen left the tavern and went to the woodcarving workshop. Xu Hongdou did not leave immediately, but chatted with Nana.
When we arrived at the wood carving workshop, it was another deserted day, and only Xie Xiaoxia was left practicing carving there.
Xie Heshun originally had several apprentices, but these apprentices have become fewer and fewer. In recent days, one after another has stopped coming.
Xie Heshun was anxious and angry every day, but there was nothing he could do. He was just his apprentice, not his worker. If he didn't want to learn, he couldn't control him, so he could only be sulking at himself.
Zhou Chen studied wood carving with Xie Heshun for more than half a month, and also understood this person's character, which is stubborn, old-fashioned and strong.
He has nothing to say to his apprentices, and he will teach them all the skills that need to be taught. But when he encounters dissatisfaction, he will really yell at them and even get violent. However, if he meets a genius apprentice, he is very kind.
Just like Zhou Chen, after studying with him for more than half a month, he was almost never scolded by Xie Heshun. Instead, he was very valued by Xie Heshun.
"Xiaoxia, master is not here?"
"Brother Zhou, master has gone back to eat and rest."
Zhou Chen walked behind Xie Xiaoxia and looked at the live broadcast on his mobile phone. There were only a few people chatting with him.
"Why are you so listless?"
Xie Xiaoxia put down the tools in her hands and turned off the live broadcast, her face slumped.
"Brother Zhou, do you think I can make money in the future if I learn woodcarving every day? You see, the business of our woodcarving workshop is getting worse day by day. Sometimes we can't sell one piece for a week, and there aren't many tourists. So
If we go down, does the woodcarving workshop still have a future?"
"So, you want to give up wood carving?"
"Brother Zhou, you can see that I don't want to give up wood carving. I just feel that if I stay in the village and learn wood carving, I have no future at all and I can't make any money. I'm not young anymore, I'm twenty-two years old.
, I can’t always stay at home and grow old.”
Zhou Chen patted Xie Xiaoxia on the shoulder and said: "I understand what you are thinking. I can also see the business of the wood carving shop. It is not easy for you to persist until now. However, the craft of wood carving relies on technology.
and qualifications, it is really difficult to make money in the early stage, and machine carving is everywhere now. Most people rarely choose artificial wood carving. It is time-consuming and expensive. Even if someone chooses artificial wood carving, they will choose those masters. Young people
It’s hard for an apprentice to get ahead.”
"Today's life is too fast-paced, and it is a money-oriented society. Even if you insist on inheriting craftsmanship, you still need financial support."
Hearing what Zhou Chen said, Xie Xiaoxia suddenly became interested.
"Brother Zhou, I heard Brother Ayao and my sister say that you are a big business person. You are different from us. You learn wood carving for fun, but we do it for life. Your vision must be extraordinary, even
Now that you've said that, doesn't it mean that there is no future for wood carving?"
Zhou Chen said: "Whether wood carving has a future is another matter for us to decide. Since you have such an idea, tell me what you think you will do if you don't learn wood carving?"
Xie Xiaoxia said weakly: "I haven't thought about it either. I just feel that there is no future in learning wood carving in the village. If I go out and try my luck, there might be a way out."
Zhou Chen knew why Xie Xiaoxia had such thoughts, and also knew that he would be defrauded of money when he left the village to go to the magic city, but he did not attack Xie Xiaoxia. Who doesn't encounter setbacks in life?
"Xiao Xia, let me tell you this, if you stay in the village, you may not be able to make a lot of money, but with your master here, food and clothing will definitely be no problem; but if you want to go out and have a try, everything will have to be
It’s not easy to work alone in a different place on your own.”
But Xie Xiaoxia, who had never left the village, was a simple person and could not hear Zhou Chen's warning at all. Instead, she became more curious about the outside world.
"Brother Zhou, you and Nana are both from Magic City. What is Magic City like? Is it like on TV? It's very prosperous and there are many rich people."
"Compared to other cities in the country, Magic City is indeed one of the most prosperous big cities, and there are many rich people. However, there are many rich people, which does not mean that anyone who goes to Magic City can make money."
Xie Xiaoxia asked: "Brother Zhou, do you think I can make money if I go to Shanghai?"
Zhou Chen smiled and gave him an answer.
"I won't starve to death anyway."
After saying that, he stopped talking and walked aside to start carving on his own.
Xie Xiaoxia scratched his head and felt very dissatisfied. What did he mean by not starving to death anyway? He felt that he was not that bad.
Xu Hongdou found that her phone was broken when she came yesterday and she had no money on her, but she still managed to survive two days smoothly. One meal was invited by Zhou Chen, one meal was free, and both meals were eaten in the small courtyard.
, I feel a little ashamed just thinking about it.
"I have to go to the ancient city tomorrow to find a place to repair my mobile phone."
The afternoon passed quickly. Xu Hongdou walked around Yunmiao Village for a while in the afternoon, and then went back to the room to rest in the evening.
After Zhou Chen had dinner, he used the computer to search for the latest domestic and foreign news, and then looked at stock funds.
Chenxing Capital is a profitable company under him with many employees. Three years have passed and now, although Zhou Chen is not needed in most cases, he still needs to personally handle some important investments and so on.
To be continued...