Chapter 43

Update Time: 2013-03-27

The door was opened by a woman in her forties, who glanced at Zhang Yang with surprise and smiled, saying, "Miss Hong, you're back."

Hong Yaqin introduced, "Aunt Wang, this is my friend."

Zhang Yang extended his hand and said, "Hello, Aunt Wang."

Aunt Wang shook Zhang Yang's hand and said, "Please come in quickly, the master and mistress have been waiting for a long time."

Hong Yaqin nodded and said, "Let's go!"

The two walked in, and Aunt Wang closed the door behind them. She glanced at the car parked in the courtyard, feeling a bit puzzled. Having been a nanny in the Hong family for so many years, this was the first time she had seen such an ordinary car. The least expensive car she had seen before was an Audi. She shook her head in amazement, thinking this young man's prospects weren't very promising.

As they entered the living room, Zhang Yang saw an elderly man with white hair sitting on the sofa. He had a round face and big eyes, exuding a commanding presence. Beside him sat a middle-aged woman with a kind and benevolent look, smiling at him. From her features, he could see a glimpse of what Hong Yaqin would look like when she was old. If he guessed correctly, these should be Hong Yaqin's parents. Although he was a bit puzzled by the significant age difference between them, Zhang Yang did not hesitate and said, "Uncle, Aunt, hello. My name is Zhang Yang, and I am Yaqin's friend."

Hong's mother smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Zhang. Please sit down. Old man, say hello!"

Hong's father, with a cold face, said, "If he's a boyfriend, just say it. Why be so coy?"

Zhang Yang didn't know how to respond. Although Hong Yaqin had already told him that her father had a bad temper, he didn't expect such a situation.

Hong Yaqin glanced at the awkward Zhang Yang, giggled, and sat next to her father, holding his arm and said, "You always tell me to bring my boyfriend home, but when I do, you act like this? If you keep this up, I won't tell you anything."

Hong's father glared at her and said, "You dare!"

"See if I dare. Zhang Yang, sit down. My father is just like this. He's angry at me, not at you," Hong Yaqin said.

Zhang Yang noticed that Hong Yaqin seemed to have become much younger when she returned home, acting like a little girl who hadn't grown up. She was nothing like the strong and shrewd woman he had seen in the restaurant. Her voice was much softer, and she kept acting coquettishly.

Zhang Yang shivered. A man in his twenties acting like a little girl, it was too cold.

Zhang Yang's behavior did not escape Hong Yaqin's notice. She glared at him, and he sighed inwardly, sitting down on the sofa. People do have two sides, and he had experienced it today.

The flirtatious banter between the two did not escape Hong's mother's eyes, and a smile flashed across her lips.

"Are you still angry at me? How long has it been since you last came home? You didn't even tell us you had a boyfriend. If I hadn't pushed you, would you have kept it a secret until you brought a grandson home to show us?" Hong's father said.

"Dad!" Hong Yaqin blushed.

Hong's mother nudged her husband and said, "Don't talk nonsense in front of Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang, come and have some fruit."

"Thank you, Aunt. I can do it myself," Zhang Yang said.

He stood up, picked a bright red apple, peeled it with a fruit knife, cut it in half, and placed it in the fruit plate, handing it to Hong Yaqin and said, "Yaqin, I've peeled it for you. Try it."

Hong Yaqin's eyes widened when she saw Zhang Yang like this. Was this the cold-blooded person? Look at his smile and his gentle actions. If it weren't for her parents, Hong Yaqin would have lifted Zhang Yang's face to see how many masks he had.

Hong's mother, seeing Zhang Yang's thoughtful behavior, nodded in approval. As a mother, she wanted her daughter to find a considerate and caring person. This young man was not bad.

Although Hong's father didn't smile, his expression was no longer as stern.

"Mr. Zhang, where are you from? What do your parents do?" Hong's mother asked.

Zhang Yang continued peeling the apple. Hearing Hong's mother's question, he put down his work and said seriously, "Aunt, I'm from a small county in Ji Province. My parents are ordinary workers."

Hong's mother looked at her daughter in surprise.

She knew what kind of person her husband was. If you put it nicely, he cared about matching families; if you put it bluntly, he was a snob. She thought that even if her daughter didn't bring back a son from a prominent family, he should at least be from the elite. She was worried about her husband's reaction, but seeing that his expression didn't change, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She changed the topic and asked, "Which university did you graduate from, and where do you work now?"

Hong Yaqin anxiously signaled to Zhang Yang, afraid he would say something unreliable and ruin the day.

Zhang Yang, however, ignored her and said, "Aunt, I started working after high school. I recently quit my job and plan to start a business in the capital."

Hong Yaqin covered her face in frustration. This was a disaster.

What was wrong with this guy? He had said everything was fine in the car, but now he was saying the worst things.

Hong's mother was also stunned, not expecting Zhang Yang to have such conditions. She looked at Hong Yaqin with some understanding. No wonder her daughter didn't bring her boyfriend home. With these conditions, even she would find it hard to accept.

Hong's father suddenly said, "What kind of business do you plan to start? Do you have a plan?"

Hong Yaqin and Hong's mother were surprised. They didn't expect Hong's father to ask about this. Based on their understanding, he should have been angry and kicked Zhang Yang out. They were puzzled by his behavior today.

"I haven't decided yet. The market in the capital is large, and there are many investment opportunities. I plan to do some research before deciding on a specific industry. Actually, I came to the capital for Yaqin. We've been dating for a long time, but we've only communicated by phone. I felt it was unreal, so I came to the capital," Zhang Yang said.

Hong's mother asked in surprise, "You've never met before?"

This was a pre-arranged script, and Hong Yaqin could only follow Zhang Yang's lead and said, "We are online friends. It's normal not to have met in person."

"Online dating?" Hong's mother blinked, thinking that her daughter, who rarely engaged in entertainment activities except for cooking, nodded in understanding. "I see. No wonder you always stayed in your room at home. It was because of online dating."

Hong's father cleared his throat and said, "Alright, go prepare the dishes. Mr. Zhang is here for the first time, and I want to chat with him."

Hong's mother nodded and led Hong Yaqin to the kitchen, where she had many things to ask her daughter.

When the two left, Zhang Yang sat up straight.

"Mr. Zhang, tell me about your business plans. I want to hear your thoughts," Hong's father said, avoiding any mention of their relationship or the significant difference in their backgrounds. Instead, he asked about Zhang Yang's business plans.

Zhang Yang was puzzled. He had prepared for a barrage of questions, but Hong's father didn't follow the script.

"Uncle, to be honest, I'm at a loss. I have some funds, but I don't know what project to choose. I've been in the capital for three days, and besides Yaqin's restaurant, I've spent my time reading newspapers, browsing the internet, and walking the streets," Zhang Yang said with a bitter smile.

"You have funds but no project," Hong's father said.

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "Yes, Uncle. Actually, with the money I have, I could live a comfortable life as an ordinary citizen. But I'm only twenty, and I can't just live like that. A person should leave something behind in life. As a man, I need to strive and prove my worth in society. Only such a man is worthy of a woman's trust."

Hong's father nodded in agreement and asked, "That's a good point. However, the market is already mature. Just having enthusiasm is not enough to achieve success. One wrong move could ruin everything. I advise you to be cautious when choosing an investment. Don't rush. Do thorough market research, just like preparing a meal. To serve guests, we need to know if they are from the south or the north, if they prefer sweet or salty, if they like seafood or meat. Only with proper preparation can you make a meal that guests will enjoy. Also, you should leverage your strengths and choose an industry you are familiar with. It's better to do what you know than to venture into something new."

Zhang Yang said gratefully, "Thank you, Uncle."

Since leaving Jin City, Zhang Yang had set a goal to earn enough money and have his own company, but he had no idea how to achieve it. His consecutive successes had made him arrogant, thinking that with funds, he could easily start a big company and count money effortlessly. Hearing Hong's father's advice, he realized he had become too impatient.

Without even deciding on an industry, he had rashly cashed out all his gold, which was not a wise choice.

Zhang Yang took this opportunity to ask Hong's father for advice on starting a business. Hong's father answered all his questions, helping Zhang Yang clear his doubts, and never mentioned anything about his relationship with Hong Yaqin.

After Hong's mother finished questioning her daughter in the kitchen, she returned to the living room and was surprised to see the two men chatting enthusiastically. She was puzzled. When did the old man become so热情?他不是应该板着脸训斥张阳吗？

“菜做好了？张阳，走，陪我喝两杯。”洪父看到洪母出来，站了起来说。

张阳急忙说：“伯父，我是开车来的，不能喝酒！”

“没事，这是自己家，又不是外面。喝多了，就在这里睡，房间多的是。”洪父不容拒绝地说。

于是张阳又一次华丽丽地喝多了。

等张阳被扶回客房睡下，洪母找到坐在客厅喝茶的老头子：“老头子，这是怎么回事？”

“怎么回事？”洪父说。

“张阳啊，以你的性格，不是早就该哄走他了。”洪母说。

洪父不悦地说：“我在你们眼里就是那么势利的人吗？不管怎么说，这也是女儿第一次带男朋友回来，总要给她一个面子吧。何况这个小伙子确实不错！”

看到洪母不明白，洪父说：“你没有注意到张阳身上穿的衣服吗？算不上什么大牌子，勉勉强强说得过去，看他自如的样子，不是第一天穿，也就不存在伪装的情况。手表我看过了，瑞士表，是真货值个几万块。这么看就说明他的经济条件还算不错，而且他是普通家庭出身，你想想一个普通家庭出身的人，没有读大学，没有外力帮助的情况下，完全通过自己的努力拥有这些东西，有多么不容易。”

洪母点点头说：“是啊，我光顾着问他的家庭了，没有注意到这些。可是他没有工作，也没有学历，还说创业，我怎么觉得这么不靠谱呢，像一个骗子？雅琴该不会被他骗了吧？”

“你啊你，光看表面，不了解情况就随意下决定。骗子？他能骗什么，雅琴是小孩子不成，没有自己的判断能力，何况还有你我在呢！骗钱的话，他手头的钱足够他生活了。偏色，他比雅琴还要小好几岁，说不准谁占便宜谁吃亏呢。”洪父说。

洪母气得给了洪父一拳说：“有你这么说自己女儿的吗？说起来这个小伙子给我的印象也很好，很真实，什么都不隐瞒，要是一般人看到我们这个家庭，一定会隐藏自己的出身，或者回避着问题。而张阳没有丝毫犹豫，并不觉得自己的出身有什么不好，比别人第一档，光是这一点就十分的难得。”

“我明白你的意思，不是就说我势利，总把门当户对挂到嘴边吗？其实我也只是那么一说，说到底我是什么出身，不就是一个厨子吗？我是为了女儿好，想让她将来过得幸福。不过真有合适的小伙子，他们情投意合，就算真是穷小子又如何。我老洪这辈子挣的钱足够他们吃喝了，这些钱不留给女儿，难道我都带走吗？不过这个张阳有野心，有抱负，虽然年龄不大，但是性格成熟，就怕雅琴未必能降伏的住啊！”洪父说。

洪父是活了很多年的老人精，自然不会像很多人那样只看表面，他又不是那种官宦子弟，不要联姻维持家族的势力，只要自己的厨艺能流传下去，女儿有一个幸福的婚姻生活他就满足了。

但是在刚才的聊天中，他感受到了张阳的野心，因此十分的担心。

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When the dishes were ready, Hong's mother said, "The food is ready. Zhang Yang, come and have a drink with me."

Zhang Yang quickly said, "Uncle, I drove here, I can't drink!"

"It's fine. This is our home, not outside. If you drink too much, you can sleep here. We have plenty of rooms," Hong's father said, not allowing any refusal.

So, Zhang Yang once again got drunk.

When Zhang Yang was helped back to the guest room and fell asleep, Hong's mother found the old man sitting in the living room drinking tea and said, "Old man, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Hong's father said.

"Zhang Yang, with your character, shouldn't you have already chased him away?" Hong's mother said.

Hong's father, displeased, said, "Am I that superficial in your eyes? No matter what, this is the first time our daughter has brought a boyfriend home. We should give her some face. Besides, this young man is indeed good!"

Seeing that Hong's mother still didn't understand, Hong's father said, "Did you notice what Zhang Yang was wearing? It's not a big brand, just passable. From his ease, it's clear he's not wearing it for the first time, so there's no pretense. I checked his watch; it's a genuine Swiss watch worth tens of thousands. This shows that his financial condition is not bad. And he comes from an ordinary family. Think about it, for someone from an ordinary family, without a college education and without external help, to achieve what he has through his own efforts, it's not easy."

Hong's mother nodded and said, "Yes, I was too focused on his family background and didn't notice these things. But he has no job, no degree, and talks about starting a business. I find it hard to believe, it seems like a scam. Could Yaqin have been deceived?"

"You, you only see the surface and make decisions without understanding the situation. Scam? What can he scam? Is Yaqin a child without her own judgment? Besides, we are here to protect her. If he were after money, he has enough to live on. And he's younger than Yaqin, who knows who will benefit more," Hong's father said.

Hong's mother, angry, gave Hong's father a punch and said, "Do you talk about your own daughter like that? To be honest, this young man left a good impression on me. He is very genuine and doesn't hide anything. If it were someone else, they would hide their background or avoid the question. But Zhang Yang didn't hesitate and didn't feel ashamed of his background. Just this point is very rare."

"I understand your point. I'm not that superficial, always talking about matching families. In the end, what am I? Just a cook. I want my daughter to be happy in the future. If there's a suitable young man and they are in love, even if he's poor, so what? I've earned enough money in my life to support them. I won't take it with me. But Zhang Yang has ambition and drive. Although he's young, he is mature. I'm just worried that Yaqin might not be able to handle him," Hong's father said.

Hong's father, being a wise old man, naturally wouldn't judge by appearances. He wasn't like those aristocratic children who needed to maintain family power through marriage. He just wanted his culinary skills to be passed down and for his daughter to have a happy marriage.

But in their conversation, he felt Zhang Yang's ambition and was very concerned.

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