Chapter 1732 — The Gains Don't Cover the Losses
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"I once heard a saying — I don't know whether it holds true — that in business there are never any real rivals or real friends. So long as there is a common interest, even a rival can become a friend," Tang Zhi said. "I wonder whether that's how it is with Uncle Chu."
"It must be. Daddy is rather remarkable when it comes to business." Gu Mengyao nodded. Cases like the one Tang Zhi described were all too common — companies suing and undercutting each other one moment, strategic partners the next — so the cooperation between Gu Pengzhan and An Mingyue came as no surprise.
"Let's wait and see. Uncle Chu knows what he's about," Wei Zhao said.
Gu Mengyao nodded and said nothing more.
Once they were home, the group set about packing to accompany Wei Zhao back to West Star Mountain Village — and naturally, before departing, there had to be a frenzy of shopping. As the saying goes, before troops and horses move, provisions go first; that was the principle of it.
Gu Mengyao planned to buy a few things and mail them ahead, so as to spare them the awkwardness of arriving with nothing at all.
It was still early, so Gu Mengyao and the others headed for the supermarket.
In the supermarket, Tang Zhi grew a little anxious, feeling rather like an ugly daughter-in-law about to meet her parents-in-law. She had been with Wei Zhao for so long and had still never paid a visit to his elders. Would Old Man Wei — the man Wei Zhao said had raised him — take a liking to her?
And she wanted to buy some gifts but had no idea what. Taking Gu Mengyao's hand, she asked hesitantly, "Yaoyao, what do you think I ought to buy? Wei Zhao says I needn't buy anything, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it? If I really turn up empty-handed, won't they think I'm clueless?"
"Well... of course you have to buy something, but as for what, I can't really say either, because I don't know what Grandpa Lin likes, I don't know what he's fond of..." Gu Mengyao was equally at a loss.
"Old men — nine times out of ten it's liquor and the like. How about we buy some good wine and take it with us?" Shen Yushu suggested. "My grandpa loves his drink..."
"That works. When you go to see your elders, it's usually this sort of thing..." Gu Mengyao said. "Every time Daddy visits Grandpa's house, he takes this sort of thing too..."
"Then let's buy wine... but what kind should we get?" Tang Zhi hesitated, unsure what would be best.
"Why don't we just ask Wei Zhao? He knows best," Gu Mengyao said at last, unable to make up her own mind either.
Wei Zhao had not gone shopping with the women. The honorable task of bodyguard had been handed to Wu Chengtian, who had only just returned to Songshan City, while he himself went to the place where the orphanage was now living.
It was an old-style residential district, very much like the place where Chen Xi's family lived: the top floor of each building was that sort of six-storey-plus-a-seventh attic room. It looked like a duplex, but in truth, because the buildings were so old, conditions in those top-floor rooms were dreadful — leaks were an everyday affair, and the landlord, since the rent was cheap, would take no responsibility for repairs.
Seeing these conditions, Wei Zhao shook his head inwardly. It was hard indeed on the children — and on that miser Yu Xiaoke as well. Yet miserly or petty though she might be, she lived in the same sort of place, for she could not bear to spend a great sum on building up the orphanage: spend the money, and how would they live then?