Chapter 8

Zhao Fusheng has never been the type to shirk responsibility, because he believes that as a man, one should be as good as one's word, and once a promise is made, it must be kept no matter what.

This is due to the influence of his father, who has always been like this.

However, when his father opened the door at noon, Zhao Fusheng said without hesitation, with a smile, "Dad, could you play with Beibei for a while?"

"Huh?"

Father Zhao looked puzzled, picked up Fan Beibei, and rubbed his stubble against the little one's face, making her laugh.

Then he looked at his son, "What's wrong with you?"

Zhao Fusheng looked bitter, "Well, she asked me what a brother-in-law is..."

Father Zhao burst out laughing, finding it amusing that his son could be stumped by such a question.

As they say, children speak without reserve. In the little one's mind, she probably didn't understand the difference between a brother-in-law and a pot. To her, Zhao Fusheng was the hero who could save her and her mother when they were in trouble.

It must be said that although he was a rough man, Father Zhao had a natural talent for comforting children. He quickly put Fan Beibei to sleep.

After placing the little one on the sofa, Father Zhao turned to his son, "Do you really like Baobao?"

No matter what, they weren't living in a feudal society where parents' commands and matchmakers' words were the final say. Although Father Zhao and Mother Zhao liked Fan Baobao, he didn't want his son to marry a woman he didn't like.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback but quickly understood. His father's words were quite clear. If he said he didn't like Fan Baobao, the Zhao family could easily ignore the debt. After all, they had different relationships with different people, and their ways of dealing with things would vary.

To put it bluntly, 50,000 yuan was no small amount. Father Zhao had largely refused Jiang He because he didn't want any unexpected issues with the money meant for his son's marriage.

Thinking about this, Zhao Fusheng hesitated but then nodded lightly, "Yes."

He had to say this. Since his father had asked, it likely meant that Jiang He had approached him again and tried to persuade him to ignore the Fan family's debt and invest the money in the stock market instead.

Sure enough, upon hearing Zhao Fusheng's answer, Father Zhao nodded, "If that's the case, I'll tell Uncle Jiang not to worry about it."

This morning, Father Zhao went to his workplace and signed the contract for early retirement. According to the accountant, he would receive the money within three days.

It was under these circumstances that Jiang He approached Father Zhao.

His idea was simple: since the Fan family's debt wouldn't be due for another month, Father Zhao might as well use the money to invest in stocks with him. It was a surefire way to make money, so why not do it?

Father Zhao was indeed tempted, but he had other concerns.

Fan Jian had taken out a high-interest loan. If he waited a month to pay it back, the 50,000 yuan could turn into much more. If he couldn't pay it back, he might lose his daughter-in-law, who was almost in the bag.

If that happened, Father Zhao would feel ashamed to face his son.

That's why he asked Zhao Fusheng if he truly liked Fan Baobao.

The saying that one's living conditions determine one's perspective is a painful truth. Sometimes, people can only watch helplessly as a close friend changes from being open and sincere to being cold and closed, with no way to stop it, because that's life.

Zhao Fusheng was the same. Although he knew what Jiang He was up to, he couldn't stop anything else from happening, because even if he tried, no one would listen to his advice.

As they say, truth is within the range of a cannon. Ultimately, one can only have a say when in a position of power.

Instead of worrying about others' lives, it's better to focus on one's own future.

"Dad, you must take care of your health. We rely on you," Zhao Fusheng quickly showed his filial piety.

Father Zhao patted his son's head and smiled, "Don't worry, I'm still waiting to hold a grandchild."

Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng's heart ached. For him, the hardest thing to let go of in this life might be his parents.

Breaking through the constraints of time, the memories in his blood, even though this world might seem unfamiliar and strange, as long as his parents were there, everything else didn't matter.

"Dad, rest assured, I won't let you down," Zhao Fusheng said seriously.

But then Father Zhao's next words instantly ruined the moment.

Looking at his determined son, Father Zhao hesitated but then lowered his voice, "Well, you and Baobao are still young, don't... you know..."

"Uh..." Zhao Fusheng felt terrible.

"Anyway, I'll go check on the child."

Feeling that the topic wasn't quite appropriate, Father Zhao found an excuse and left Zhao Fusheng on the sofa.

Zhao Fusheng watched his father's back, his expression not good. His father was getting old. At over forty, he wasn't old, but compared to the spirited young man he once was, the years had taken their toll. The white hair at his temples and the wrinkles on his face constantly reminded Zhao Fusheng that the father who had always been like a mountain, protecting him from the storms, was truly getting old.

Since his father was laid off, Zhao Fusheng was considering what to suggest he do next.

The new century was just around the corner, and in his mind, there were countless profitable industries suitable for his father. To put it vividly, Zhao Fusheng was like a dealer in a casino, with so many cards in his hand that he could easily give his father a winning hand.

The problem was how to make his father listen to him.

Sitting on the sofa at home, Zhao Fusheng fell into deep thought.

...

...

In the afternoon, a tired Li Yuan and Fan Baobao came back and took Fan Beibei with them.

Zhao Fusheng had wanted to ask Li Yuan some questions, but seeing their expressions, he didn't dare to speak.

After much thought, he decided he would have to find an opportunity to ask Fan Baobao when he returned to school.

When his mother came home from work, she bought some ribs, and Zhao Fusheng naturally went to the Fan family to invite the three of them over.

As Mother Zhao put it, they were all one family, so there was no need to be formal.

Both Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao wanted to curse, but unfortunately, no one dared to resist the enthusiastic Mother Zhao.

Life is like a forced marriage; if you can't resist, you might as well enjoy it.

So, Fan Baobao diligently ate the ribs and chicken wings in front of her, as if they were Zhao Fusheng himself.

Zhao Fusheng, on the other hand, looked innocently at the mountain of food in front of him.

All of it had been put there by Li Yuan.

As the saying goes, a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law and finds him more and more satisfactory.

In Li Yuan's eyes, Zhao Fusheng was undoubtedly the perfect son-in-law.

He was filial and sensible, went to a good school, and his family was well-known. Most importantly, he was good to Fan Baobao and didn't mind her and her younger sister being a burden.

For a moment, Li Yuan felt that even if she passed away, her two daughters would be fine.

If Zhao Fusheng knew what Li Yuan was thinking, he would be terrified. He admitted that Fan Baobao was beautiful, but the problem was that he didn't really have any feelings for her.

After all, he was mentally much older, and it would be ridiculous for him to suddenly develop feelings for a 20-year-old girl.

More importantly, he and Fan Baobao were more like childhood friends. Whether there was any romantic feeling between them, Zhao Fusheng couldn't say.

"Dad, what are your plans next?"

Zhao Fusheng asked his father while eating.

Father Zhao thought for a moment and shook his head, "Let's see. You and Baobao focus on your studies. The family matters are on us adults."

He said this to reassure Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao, as they were both in college.

Fan Baobao didn't say anything, her eyes slightly red, and she quietly ate, determined to work hard and earn money after graduation to repay Father Zhao and Mother Zhao.

After all, Zhao Fusheng was their real son, while she was just a potential "daughter-in-law" who hadn't even been officially recognized.

Father Zhao didn't expect that his words would make the atmosphere heavy, and he felt a bit awkward.

Fortunately, little Fan Beibei saved the day. The little princess pointed at the chicken wings in her bowl and ordered Zhao Fusheng, "Pot, Beibei wants to eat meat."

Zhao Fusheng laughed and, while cutting the chicken wings into small pieces for Beibei, said to everyone, "Dad, you don't need to worry. With so many people going into business now, and with your skills, you'll definitely find a job. If not, we can open a store."

The elders were taken aback, looked at each other, and suddenly felt that Zhao Fusheng might have a point.