area51novel Chapter 188 Wang Jianjun
Chapter 188 Wang Jianjun
The cool breeze from the fan blew evenly over everyone in the room. Su Guohua looked at Wang Guoqing, whose features resembled his elder brother, and then at Su Wanrong, who looked reserved and slightly haggard. Overwhelmed with emotion, he began to talk nonstop.
He picked up the warm water on the table and took a sip. The warm water slid down his throat, allowing the words that had been pent up for years to finally be released.
He looked up at Su Wanrong, and said with a hint of regret in his voice:
"Wanrong, my second uncle's life has been quite tumultuous. After our family's land and property were forcibly divided, I left my hometown and made my way to Hong Kong. At that time, I didn't have much money and relied entirely on my adventurous spirit."
Su Wanrong listened attentively, leaning slightly forward with curiosity and concern in her eyes. Wang Guoqing also quietly raised his head, straining his ears to listen to his second grandfather's past, even stopping the way he was picking at the hem of his clothes.
"Fortunately, your grandfather sent me to school for ten years back then, otherwise I would have been ignorant and would have been destined to do hard labor even if I had gone there."
Moreover, at that time, Hong Kong's manufacturing industry was just beginning to recover. After observing the situation, I noticed that radios were a novelty, and every household wanted to own one. So, I pooled some capital, gathered a few familiar partners, and opened a small radio factory.
Su Guohua smiled, a hint of nostalgia for the past flashing in his eyes.
"At first, the factory was small, and I had to do everything myself. I was busy sourcing goods, overseeing production, and negotiating sales channels. Fortunately, I was blessed with talent, and the factory gradually grew, and I was able to put down roots in Hong Kong."
Su Wanqing sat to the side, listening to her father talk about his early struggles. Her eyes welled up with tears. She hadn't witnessed the hardships her father had faced when he ventured to Hong Kong alone, but she had gleaned some information from snippets of conversation from others.
Lin Zhou listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. His respect for his father-in-law grew even stronger. Back then, Hong Kong was full of opportunities, but also full of traps. It was truly remarkable that he could build a factory from scratch.
"I was thinking of just continuing like this, saving up some money, and one day being able to go back to my hometown to see you all. But I never expected that in 1966, a serious illness would suddenly strike."
Su Guohua's voice deepened, and the smile on his face faded slightly.
"The illness came on suddenly and I was bedridden for more than half a year. No one was in charge of the factory, so Wanqing had to come out of school to help. However, Wanqing was still young, and the factory's orders were decreasing. The workers' wages could not be paid, so we had to take out a loan to keep the factory running."
Even so, it didn't last long. Coupled with the large medical expenses, the factory couldn't hold on any longer. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and sell the factory, hoping to raise some money for medical treatment and save his life.
At this point, Su Guohua sighed, his eyes filled with helplessness.
"At that time, I just felt sorry that half a lifetime of hard work had been gone. I thought that was how my life would be. But I never expected that it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise."
He turned to look at Lin Zhou, a relieved smile on his face!
"The bank sold the factory's production line, and the person who took over was your brother-in-law, Lin Zhou. At that time, he was young, but he had a keen eye and was very steady in his work. He saw the potential of the radio production line at a glance and used it to produce air fryers."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhou nodded slightly and continued, "Back then, I had just entered the industry. I saw that my father-in-law's production line equipment was well-organized and the workers were all experienced, but they lacked some operational methods. So I thought I would take over and do a good job."
Upon hearing this, Su Wanrong was filled with surprise. She never expected that her second uncle's factory would eventually be taken over by her brother-in-law. What a coincidence!
Her gaze toward Lin Zhou held a newfound respect; someone so young to be able to take over a factory must possess genuine talent.
"It was around that time that I met Wanqing by chance. I saw that she was a top student from Hong Kong University, so I invited her to work at my company."
Lin Zhou looked at Su Wanqing beside him, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Wanqing is meticulous and thoughtful. She has helped me a lot. With her overseeing everything in the factory, I can be a hands-off manager."
Su Wanqing blushed slightly under her husband's gaze, gently pushed him away, and playfully scolded him:
"Why say all this?" But the smile in his eyes was undisguised.
Su Guohua, watching the two lovebirds, smiled broadly and replied:
"A few years later, the two got engaged and married, and I, as their father, was finally able to put my mind at ease."
Since their marriage, I've lived with my daughter and son-in-law. Lin Zhou has treated me like a father, taking care of everything for me. These past few years have been peaceful and comfortable.
He recounted the past years in a slow, gentle voice, stirring the emotions of everyone in the room. Su Wanrong looked at the smile on her second uncle's face and knew that although he had faced many hardships over the years, he had finally achieved his goals. She was happy for him, and her eyes reddened slightly. "Second Uncle, thankfully everything is over now. From now on, our family will be well."
"Yes, our family will be well from now on." Su Guohua nodded emphatically, his eyes filled with emotion. He raised his hand and patted Su Wanrong's hand. "The hard times are over. From now on, it will all be good days."
In this warm atmosphere, the door creaked open, breaking the tranquility of the room.
A tall figure walked in from outside the door. The man was about forty years old, wearing a polyester shirt with the cuffs rolled up, revealing his strong forearms. He looked tired, and there were fine beads of sweat on his forehead. He must have just finished get off work at the factory and rushed back.
After entering the room, he first glanced around and saw unfamiliar faces. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he subconsciously stopped in his tracks.
As soon as Su Wanrong heard the door open, she immediately looked up and saw who it was. Her restraint vanished instantly, replaced by joy.
She quickly stood up, walked briskly to the man's side, took the canvas bag from his hand, and said with a smile:
"My dear husband, you're finally back."
Wang Jianjun wiped the sweat from his brow, looked at the smile on his wife's face, then glanced at the others in the room, and asked in a low voice:
"Are you having guests?"
"Of course! They're family!"
Su Wanrong pulled Wang Jianjun by the arm and led him to the front of the crowd. She couldn't hide the smile on her face. She first pointed at Su Guohua, her tone full of affection and pride!
"Honey, this is my second uncle, Su Guohua, who came back from Hong Kong. He's a true member of our family!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Jianjun's surprise faded, replaced by solemnity. He stepped forward, bowed slightly to Su Guohua, and spoke in a steady and powerful voice.
"Second Uncle, hello, I am Wanrong's husband, Wang Jianjun."
He worked as a technician in a machinery factory for many years. He was straightforward and honest, but extremely polite in his dealings with others. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten the recommendation spot for the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University back then.
Su Guohua looked at his nephew-in-law, who was tall and had a kind face, and smiled with satisfaction. He quickly reached out to help him up.
"Okay, okay, have a seat. You must be tired after your long journey home from get off work."
Su Wanrong then pulled Wang Jianjun to Su Wanqing and introduced her with a smile: "This is my second uncle's daughter, Wanqing, my cousin. You can just call her 'little sister'."
"Hello, little sister." Wang Jianjun nodded to Su Wanqing with a gentle smile. Su Wanqing quickly stood up and replied, "Brother-in-law, no need to be so polite, we're all family."
Then, Su Wanrong pointed to Lin Zhou, her eyes filled with pride: "This is Wanqing's husband, Lin Zhou, my brother-in-law. He's now running a business in Hong Kong, and he's very capable." She then pointed to Lin Xiaofeng beside her, "This is their son, Xiaofeng, Guoqing's cousin."
Lin Zhou stood up, extended his hand to Wang Jianjun, and said with a gentle smile, "Brother-in-law, hello, I'm Lin Zhou."
Looking at his brother-in-law, who was young yet composed, Wang Jianjun felt a surge of goodwill. He quickly reached out to shake his hand, and as their palms touched, he could feel the other man's steadiness. He smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, I've heard so much about you. Wanrong told me you're doing great things in Hong Kong. That's impressive."
Lin Xiaofeng also stood up and greeted him in a clear voice, "Hello, Uncle."
"Oh, good boy." Wang Jianjun replied with a smile, raising his hand to pat Lin Xiaofeng's head, his eyes full of tenderness.
Wang Guoqing looked at his father and whispered, "Dad."
Wang Jianjun nodded, raised his hand and patted his son's shoulder. Although he didn't say much, his gesture carried a father's unique tenderness.
After introductions, everyone in the room was recognized. Wang Jianjun had just finished get off work and was still warm from the outside heat. Su Wanrong quickly pulled him to the fan to let him cool off, then turned to pour him some warm water, all the while saying, "Why did you go to the factory again today? Wasn't today your day off? Was the factory busy again?"
"Well, the factory got a new job and asked me to work overtime for a while." Wang Jianjun drank some warm water, feeling the cool breeze from the fan, and his fatigue dissipated a bit. He looked up at the people in the room and said with a smile, "It's rare for my second uncle, sister and brother-in-law to come over. We didn't have much to offer them, so I apologize for the neglect."
"Brother-in-law, what are you saying? We're all family, no need for such formalities." Lin Zhou waved his hand and said with a smile, "I'm already very happy to meet you and get to know you."
Su Guohua also smiled and said, "Yes, Jianjun, don't be so polite. We're all family. Being able to get together today is better than anything else."
Upon hearing this, Wang Jianjun's smile deepened. He was straightforward and not good with words, but he could still feel the sincerity and enthusiasm of this family.