Time passed day by day, and as the weather in Bianhe became hotter and hotter, the day for Chen Xingjie's college entrance examination slowly arrived.
The weather was not kind. Three days before the college entrance examination, heavy rain began to fall across Bianhe. The bad weather made all the candidates feel restless.
Fortunately, the house Wang Gang bought is not far from Chen Xingjie's examination room. It only takes fifteen minutes to walk there.
Gu Changshan and Na Cunhua were worried about Chen Xingjie and rushed to the city from the forest farm early in the morning, taking their three children with them.
Not long ago, the Gu family had another member. It wasn't that Cunhua became pregnant again, but that Gu Changshan adopted a little boy named Liu Ziqiang.
This Liu Ziqiang's father was originally a worker at a forestry farm. He was later arrested for reselling wild game and was found to be a fugitive murderer.
?Liu Ziqiang has lost his mother since he was a child, and now his father has been arrested again. He still doesn’t know if he can come out.
Gu Changshan saw that Liu Ziqiang was pitiful, so he took the initiative to take the child home.
At first, when Na Cunhua saw that her husband had brought back another child, she was so angry that she almost started fighting with Gu Changshan.
But Liu Ziqiang was really sensible. When he saw Cunhua, he knelt down and spoke like a mother, which made Cunhua's heart melt.
After Wang Gang learned what happened, he didn't know how to say good things to Gu Changshan.
The Gu family is not a wealthy family. They still have three children, two of whom are not related by blood.
?After Wang Gang went to the city to do business, his family's conditions were just a little better, but Gu Changshan took back Liu Ziqiang.
?Thanks to Cunhua's hard-spoken and soft-hearted attitude, Liu Ziqiang couldn't bear to be sent to an orphanage. If he had been an ordinary woman, he would have divorced Gu Changshan eight times.
Wang Gang also met Liu Ziqiang, who was indeed a miserable child. His father was arrested and he never cried once.
At first, Wang Gang thought that the child was born cruel, but after asking, he found out that Liu Ziqiang's father had already told Liu Ziqiang that when he came to Gu's house, he must be sensible, rush to do the work, and never cry no matter how hard or tired he was.
Wang Gang heard Gu Changshan mention that Liu Ziqiang only cried once, when he went to prison to visit his father. However, he did not cry in front of his father, but hid and cried secretly.
The Gu family showed the greatest kindness to this child who suddenly appeared. Not only Gu Changshan and Na Cunhua were very kind to him, but also Gu Zhaoxi and Liang Fengqin took good care of him.
Wang Gang had less contact with Liu Ziqiang because of his relationship in the city, but he just felt that he needed to buy another house.
The second branch of Gu Ji Braised Meat Shop opened, and Wang Gang personally took charge of the main store, slowly reducing the local product business.
In the past two months, with more and more people collecting mountain goods, the profits of this business have become thinner and thinner as Wang Gang expected.
He simply gave up mountain goods and concentrated on building a braised food restaurant.
Because Gu Ji braised food has a unique taste and affordable prices, business has always been good. There are long queues every day at noon and evening. Many people want to grab business, but they can't make the Gu Ji taste.
Wang Gang recruited three more helpers from the forest farm and promoted Liang Fengxia to the branch manager. He himself took charge of the main store and launched two more cold dishes.
Cold seaweed shreds and cold mountain mushrooms.
These two dishes are cheaper than braised pork, but the cost is lower. Once they were launched, they were very popular and sold better than braised pork.
The combined daily turnover of the two stores can reach about 5,000 yuan, and the net profit is about 1,000 yuan, which is 30,000 yuan a month.
In 1998, housing prices in Bianhe were not high. As a small northeastern city, the total price of a 70-square-meter house with two bedrooms and one living room would not exceed 100,000.
Wang bought a house as soon as he had some spare money. At this time, he already had three houses and a shop, one for his own use, one for employees as a dormitory, and one for his parents to provide for their retirement.
He began to build a house in a planned way. Who said that the room for house appreciation was huge? Even if he did not do business in the future, just sitting and collecting rent would be enough.
The day before the college entrance examination, Na Cunhua specially made Chen Xingjie a new suit of clothes so that he could go to the exam in high spirits.
In order to avoid being late, Gu Changshan also bought an alarm clock and set it forward by one hour.
Gu Zhaoxi and his three children have not made any fuss at home these two days. They want to give Chen Xingjie a good review environment.
Wang Gang was more practical. He handed over the store to his subordinates and prepared to send Chen Xingjie to the examination room in person.
At about eight o'clock in the evening, Liang Fengxia suddenly ran to the door, shyly called Chen Xingjie out, stood at the entrance of the corridor and gave him an exquisite sachet.
"Xingjie, I sewed this sachet myself and stuffed it with refreshing spices. You can bring it with you during the exam to prevent you from dozing off."
Chen Xingjie looked at Liang Fengxia in shock, not reaching out to take the sachet for a while.
"Fengxia, thank you, but you should take this sachet back!" Chen Xingjie gritted his teeth and said to Liang Fengxia.
Liang Fengxia felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and said foolishly: "Xingjie, don't you still know my feelings? Or do you mind the rumors in the village?"
Chen Xingjie shook his head and said: "I know that the relationship between you and eldest brother is just a boss and an employee. I also know how you feel about me, but I can't accept it."
"Why?" Liang Fengxia asked in confusion: "Do you like Director Lin's daughter?"
"Xiaoqing and I are just friends. I can't accept you, not because of her." Chen Xingjie said ruthlessly.
"Am I not good enough?" Liang Fengxia's face turned pale.
Chen Xingjie shook his head again and said: "Fengxia, you are very good, very good, but we are not suitable.
To tell you the truth! After the college entrance examination, I will go to a university in Guangzhou and Shenzhen to study, and I may not come back in the future."
Liang Fengxia was still a little puzzled.
Chen Xingjie continued: "My mother works in Guangshen, and I want to find her."
Liang Fengxia gritted her teeth and said, "I'll go with you. I worked in a braised food shop during this time and saved some money."
"No." Chen Xingjie refused: "I don't want to drag anyone down anymore. After arriving in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, I will learn to work hard on my own and strive to repay my parents and elder brother for their kindness. I will not consider personal matters for the time being."
Chen Xingjie said decisively: "Fengxia, I am not suitable for you, and I have always regarded you as my sister."
Liang Fengxia left lonely. It was raining heavily outside and she didn't even hold an umbrella. Wang Gang stood in front of the window sill and couldn't help but shake his head when he saw Liang Fengxia's back.
He had known for a long time that there would be no outcome between Chen Xingjie and Liang Fengxia. They were not on the same level in terms of ideology or knowledge. If they were forced to get together, there would be no good outcome in the end.
Those who can see this are Liang Fengxia's parents. The reason why they never want their daughter to have more contact with Chen Xingjie is because they know that sooner or later Chen Xingjie will leave the forest farm or even Bianhe. If their daughter follows him, she will suffer a lot in the future.
.
Not long after Chen Xingjie returned home, Lin Xiaoqing came to the door again.
"Brother Zhaocheng, is Chen Xingjie at home?" Lin Xiaoqing was wearing a white skirt, and the rain had wet half of her clothes.
"Xiaoqing, come in quickly, I'll bring you a towel to wipe you." Wang Gang asked Lin Xiaoqing to come into the room and brought her a new towel.
When Gu Changshan and Na Cunhua saw Lin Xiaoqing entering the house, they were very enthusiastic and poured her a glass of hot water.
"Xiaoqing, it's raining so heavily, why did you come here? Does Director Lin know?" Gu Changshan asked with concern.
"My dad asked someone to drive me here."
Lin Xiaoqing said with a smile: "My dad has a friend from the Meteorological Bureau. He said that it has been raining heavily for several days. Many road poles have fallen down and the roads are blocked. I am here to remind Xingjie to start early for the college entrance examination tomorrow."
"You can just make a phone call for this kind of thing, why bother to go there in person?" Wang Gang asked.
Lin Xiaoqing said: "I have called several times, but the line has always been busy."
"Busy?" Wang Gang was surprised. He picked up the phone at home and found that the line was indeed busy.
"It's been raining heavily for several days. Maybe there's something wrong with the phone line outside, so we can't get through," Wang Gang said.
"I brought the message. The car is still waiting downstairs. I'll go back first." Lin Xiaoqing waved goodbye to everyone.
"Don't worry!" Wang Gang said, "My home is very close to the examination room. Even if the road is closed, I won't be late."
"That's good." Lin Xiaoqing smiled cheerfully and left immediately. Chen Xingjie personally escorted her downstairs.
Halfway through, Lin Xiaoqing asked Chen Xingjie: "Xingjie, which school do you plan to enter?"
"I want to go to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, what about you?" Chen Xingjie asked.
"I haven't thought about it yet. Anyway, the college entrance examination will be next year." Lin Xiaoqing said nonchalantly.
"Don't you have any favorite school?" Chen Xingjie asked again.
Lin Xiaoqing thought for a while but had no answer. At this time, Wang Gang took an umbrella and chased her down.
"Xiaoqing, hold the umbrella, it's raining hard."
Lin Xiaoqing took the umbrella, smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Brother Zhaocheng."
Wang Gang smiled and was about to go upstairs when Lin Xiaoqing suddenly asked: "Brother Zhaocheng, which school do you think is better for me to get into next year?"
Wang Gang was stunned and said: "It depends on what major you are interested in, right? How do I know?"
Lin Xiaoqing didn't pay attention. After saying goodbye to Wang Gang, she walked out with an umbrella. The car stopped on the trail twenty meters away, waiting for her.
Chen Xingjie kept watching Lin Xiaoqing get into the car, and then he reluctantly went home.
?On the second day of the college entrance examination, there were indeed road closures around the examination room. Fortunately, Wang Gang and Chen Xingjie set off early and took a detour so they were not late.
