Chapter 210

"What he calls her doesn't matter." Zhou Weinan finally placed his teacup on the table, the bottom of the cup making a soft "tap" as it hit the surface. "What matters is whether he can genuinely treat Xiaojuan well in the future. Brother, don't forget, in this world, the more capable a young man is, the more likely he is to put on airs at home and create his own dictatorship." As he spoke, he gave his elder brother a meaningful glance. "I know this all too well from my own experience."

Zhou's father was speechless for a moment, opening his mouth but unable to say anything.

"Brother, this matter concerns Xiao Juan's future, you can't be careless." Zhou Weinan's tone softened slightly. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Giving him a good talking-to where he needs to be disciplined will also be good for him, to teach him to rein in his temper and not be so arrogant."

Looking into his younger brother's unwavering eyes, Zhou's father's last bit of hesitation vanished, and he could only sigh deeply, giving up in defeat.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Zhou was picking celery while listening to the sounds from the other room. Hearing this, she couldn't help but shake her head slightly. Her brother-in-law was the most successful member of the Zhou family, and also the one who had the final say.

……

Zhou Weinan strolled into the courtyard carrying an enamel mug. The red characters on the mug that read "Model Worker of the Ministry of Foreign Trade" were faded and worn. He had just finished a pot of strong tea, and the aftereffects were starting to kick in. He smacked his lips, and seeing that the guests hadn't arrived yet, he stood up and walked towards the public restroom outside the courtyard.

The curtain had just fallen and was still swaying slightly when Zhou Weidong, as if springs had been installed on a stool, sprang up with a "whoosh." He crouched low and nimbly slipped into the kitchen.

"Honey, come quick, come here!" Zhou Weidong lowered his voice and grabbed his wife, who was chopping vegetables, looking like they were having a secret rendezvous. "The second son's gone to the outhouse, just for a moment! We need to quickly go over the script. When that kid comes back, you'd better help me out. Don't let him put on his official airs and mess things up!"

Zhou's mother stopped wielding the kitchen knife and glared at him, annoyed. "What are you thinking about now? You know the second son's temper, why did you have to invite him?"

Mr. Zhou's face stiffened: "What do you know! Let me tell you, the way your second son questions people, he'll definitely start by asking what rank they are, how much they earn each month, and what their family's social class is. Once he starts talking like an official, he can ruin a good deal. Listen to me, if he starts interrogating you later, quickly refill his tea and offer him snacks to shut him up."

Zhou's mother smiled helplessly: "Okay, I understand."

Actually, Zhou's mother could more or less guess what her father was planning. Ultimately, she was worried that her daughter's fiancé's family was too well-off, and wanted her second son to come and make a good impression, so her daughter wouldn't suffer mistreatment in her husband's family in the future; at the same time, she also wanted to use her technician son-in-law to enhance her own prestige. Only now did she realize that perhaps inviting her second son to this occasion was inappropriate in the first place.

……

In the courtyard house where the Zhou family lived, a coal stove in the corner was emitting pungent blue smoke, mingled with the aromas of dinner from various households. Several teenagers were playing with picture cards on the ground, their hands covered in soot. Just then, the clear sound of a bicycle bell came from afar.

Liu Guangtian pushed a nearly new Forever brand bicycle into the yard. Zhou Juan was sitting on the back seat, and a bulging net bag was tightly tied to the back seat with a rope.

The neighbors chatting and the children playing in the courtyard all turned to look at them at once.

The news that Zhou's daughter was bringing her boyfriend home today had already spread throughout the neighborhood.

Zhou's mother waited at the courtyard gate early in the morning. When she saw the young man pushing his bicycle in the distance, the wrinkles on her face immediately smoothed out, and she quickly stepped forward to greet him: "Is that Xiao Liu? Come in and sit down!"

"Hello, Auntie."

Liu Guangtian parked the car and handed over the net with a smile:

"This is my first visit, and I have prepared some small gifts. I don't know if they will meet your expectations."

Zhou's mother reached out and caught it, her palm sinking down as she weighed the situation in her mind.

Inside the net bag were two bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), a carton of Daqianmen cigarettes, and a piece of steamed rice cake wrapped tightly in oil paper.

In today's world, this amount is considered a very respectable gift.

"You're wasting so much money, kid!"

Although Zhou's mother declined verbally, she caught the net steadily with her hands, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

Liu Guangtian followed her into the house, his gaze sweeping over her briefly.

A Butterfly brand sewing machine stood against the wall, and a Red Lantern brand radio with a shiny, polished casing sat on a wooden table.

These are all items that are currently in high demand among the "three turns and one sound" (referring to a watch, a revolving door, a radio, and a speaker).

It seems that the Zhou family's working-class lifestyle is more solid than outsiders imagine.

When Mr. Zhou saw the man enter, he immediately put on a warm smile: "Technician Liu, come and sit down, have some water."

He poured a cup of hot water and handed it over, chatting about the factory's production, but his eyes kept glancing towards the door, and he was secretly getting anxious.

The second child should be home by now; let's hope nothing goes wrong at this crucial moment.

While he was adding water, he nudged his wife with his elbow, giving her a look that said, "Do it the way we agreed."

------------------

No one noticed that Zhou Weinan, who had just come out of the public restroom and was about to walk home, suddenly stopped.

A black Volga sedan was driving towards us and came to a smooth stop outside the gate of the compound.

These days, bicycles are a rarity, let alone four-wheeled cars like these.

Neighbors passing by stopped and stared, their eyes filled with a mixture of surprise, envy, and speculation.

Those who can ride in this car are definitely not ordinary people.

But why would someone of such status come to their ordinary courtyard?

Zhou Weinan's eyelids twitched suddenly.

Having worked in the Ministry of Foreign Trade for so many years, he had developed a keen eye for people – the style of the car, the neat license plate number, even if it wasn't a leader directly under the ministry, it was definitely not far off.

The car door opened, and a young figure in a crisp Zhongshan suit stepped out, exuding composure.

Zhou Weinan stared intently at the man's face, finding it increasingly familiar.

A jumble of images flashed through my mind, and suddenly, a name and the face in front of me overlapped!

He was jolted.

Isn't this the industrial role model from the First Ministry of Machine Building who was promoted to section chief at a young age?

Liu Guangqi, Director Liu!

But how did he end up in this courtyard?

In the midst of the confusion, Zhou Weinan suddenly jolted awake—

Wait, Director Liu... his surname is Liu?

My niece Zhou Juan's boyfriend, isn't his surname also Liu? Although I can't remember his full name, I vaguely recall hearing he was a technician at the Red Star Factory…

Could it be?

A startling guess exploded in his mind: Could his niece's "Technician Liu" be from the same family as Director Liu?

Zhou Weinan felt a buzzing sound in his ears, as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer, and in an instant, he tasted a completely different meaning.

The next second, all the surprise and confusion on his face vanished, replaced by a radiant smile. He quickly stepped forward and extended his hands:

"Director Liu! What a coincidence! I never expected to run into you here!"

Liu Guangqi turned around at the sound and saw a middle-aged man who looked like an official warmly greeting him, so he politely extended his hand in return.

"Who are you?"

His face showed just the right amount of confusion, clearly indicating that he had no recollection of it.

"I am Zhou Weinan from the Trade Promotion Division of the Business Department of the Ministry of Foreign Trade!"

Zhou Weinan clenched his fists tightly, his back unconsciously hunching slightly:

"A few years ago, our director went to the First Ministry of Machine Building to discuss products for foreign exchange earnings. I followed along to learn from him, and I even had the honor of shaking hands with you!"

Having said that, Liu Guangqi still had no memory of it and simply nodded.

He had dealings with countless people, so naturally he couldn't remember them all.

However, since he works in the foreign trade department, it's not unusual for him to be recognized.

Zhou Weinan, surname Zhou...

And just then, they stopped outside the courtyard gate.

Liu Guangqi's mind stirred slightly, and he instantly grasped the deeper meaning.

Even if this person wasn't Zhou Juan's father, he must have been a very close elder to her.

Sometimes, the chance encounters in this world are just so coincidental.

Sure enough, Zhou Weinan couldn't contain himself any longer and immediately asked, "Director Liu, what brings you here today...?"

"My younger brother is dating a girl who lives in this courtyard."

"I've come with my parents today to visit the bride's family and discuss the marriage of our two children."

Liu Guangqi appeared calm and spoke in a peaceful tone.

Before he finished speaking, Liu Haizhong and his wife had already gotten out of the car.

Liu Haizhong stood tall and immediately noticed Zhou Weinan's respectful posture, which made him feel a little smug.

On Zhou Weinan's side, upon hearing the words "my younger brother," his heart nearly pounded out of his chest.

His smile grew even more earnest, and his voice trembled slightly.

"What an incredible coincidence!"

"Director Liu, your brother... could he be that Technician Liu from the Red Star Factory?"

Liu Guangqi nodded with a smile: "That's right, my second son, Liu Guangtian."

A sudden burst of joy swept over Zhou Weinan, and his legs went weak.

At that moment, he had only one thought—

From now on, things will probably be different for my brother's family.

The initial intention to put on airs has long since vanished.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the show he prepared was already over before it even began.

At this moment, Zhou Weinan was only glad that he had drunk two extra cups of tea, and even more glad that he had gone out at this time.

Otherwise, if they had truly embarrassed Zhou Juan's boyfriend in front of her family and ruined today's plans—

He dared not even think about the consequences.

Zhou Weinan's expression shifted dramatically, like a vibrant palette of colors.

Liu Guangqi watched quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips, but said nothing. After all, Zhou Juan was still her elder, and proper etiquette had to be maintained.

He then asked gently, "So, Zhou Juan is your...?"

Zhou Weinan snapped out of his daze, his face beaming with a warm smile: "Zhou Juan is my niece, I'm her second uncle!"

"So it's Uncle Zhou." Liu Guangqi nodded politely.

This form of address made Zhou Weinan even more flustered, and he quickly waved his hand, adopting a humble posture:

"Director Liu, please don't call me that, I really don't deserve it! If you think highly of me, just call me Xiao Zhou."

Looking at this scene from the side, Liu Haizhong secretly clicked his tongue, feeling that this posture seemed familiar.

Zhou Weinan steadied himself and smiled, "This is truly a matter of fate. Is this Director Liu's first time here? I know this area well, so why don't I lead the way—"

"No need to trouble yourself."

Before Liu Guangqi could finish speaking, Zhou's father had already walked out of the courtyard.

Seeing Liu Guangqi and Zhou Weinan chatting happily outside the door, Zhou's father was stunned and could hardly believe it:

"Chief Engineer Liu...?!"

Zhou's father had worked at the steel rolling mill for many years. Although he had never directly interacted with anyone there, how could he not know who the technical leaders were? He was already very familiar with the names on the radio.

Upon seeing his elder brother emerge, Zhou Weinan quickly stepped forward and warmly introduced him: "Brother, this is Director Liu!"

He then turned to Liu Guangqi: "Director Liu, this is my elder brother, Zhou Juan's father."

Before Zhou's father could recover, he looked at his younger brother's eager expression and then at the composed Liu Guangqi, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

My second brother was full of confidence before he left home, how come his attitude changed so drastically in the blink of an eye?

Fortunately, Mr. Zhou was not a dull-witted man; he quickly realized what was going on.

Chief Engineer Liu? Technician Liu?

It turns out they were all family.

Zhou Juan approached with a smile: "Dad, Second Uncle, so you two have known each other for a long time."

The most uncomfortable person was Zhou Weinan. He did know Liu Guangqi, but how could the other party have known him before? This acquaintance was only due to his niece's connection.