bestfiction Chapter 304 Becoming an Elder
Chapter 304 Becoming an Elder
Chapter 304 Becoming a Senior
After buying the house, the next step was renovation. Lin Dongzhe personally designed the renovation plan and even sketched out the renderings, which amazed the renovation workers.
They'd never seen anyone so amazing! If they had that skill, they wouldn't have been asked to redo the work after finishing it...
The renovation plan was also discussed with Zhuang Xiaoting. Having experienced hardship since childhood, she thought that if she ever became rich, she would definitely live in a big house like a palace.
After showing the first draft to Zhuang Xiaoting, she promptly abandoned this foolish idea.
Lin Dongzhe knew that Zhuang Xiaoting didn't know much about these things, but he still patiently drew up many designs: pastoral style, Nordic style, Chinese style, industrial style, minimalist style, and finally, a war-damaged style.
Zhuang Xiaoting looked at the blueprints and felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but she still held onto the war-damaged blueprints, saying, "What's the difference between this and no decoration at all? Even a bare-bones house looks better than this!"
"I also think this one is ugly; it's just there to make up the numbers!"
Her small fists pounded loudly against Lin Dongzhe's chest. Lin Dongzhe hugged Zhuang Xiaoting, stopping her from continuing her violence.
Because money wasn't an issue, the process went very smoothly. In about two months, the renovation was nearing completion. By the time Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe graduated, the house was practically ready to move in.
Before the house was even finished being renovated, good news came from Tu Nan: Ke Hongxia was pregnant!
Zhuang Xiaoting was overjoyed; she was suddenly about to be promoted to a higher generation! She made a special call to Ke Hongxia and talked for a long time, but Tu Nan interrupted their long conversation and abruptly hung up the phone.
Not quite done enjoying herself, Zhuang Xiaoting looked at Lin Dongzhe with teary eyes and blinked.
Lin Dongzhe ignored it and instead picked up the phone to call Xiang Pengfei. He wanted to take this opportunity to have Xiang Pengfei buy a few houses! Xiang Pengfei had been crowding Zhuang Tunan's place, making things inconvenient for the young couple! Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken so long for her to conceive.
Although Suzhou does not yet have commercial housing complexes, many courtyard houses and tenement buildings are available for sale. Some people who leave Suzhou want to sell their houses and buy elsewhere.
Upon receiving Lin Dongzhe's call, Xiang Pengfei didn't waste the opportunity and quickly reported the progress to Lin Dongzhe. He wanted Lin Dongzhe to be informed of the company's situation before the opening.
Lin Dongzhe felt the time was ripe, so he nodded and told Xiang Pengfei to get ready. He even chose a special day, May 4th.
This year was a happy one for the Zhuang family. Ke Hongxia was pregnant for a short time when they secured a subsidized housing unit! Perhaps the bureau took into account Zhuang Tunan's urgent situation, or perhaps Ke Hongxia had put in some effort. A leader who was originally eligible for housing was taken away after an incident, so the house ended up in Zhuang Tunan's hands.
On Youth Day, Xiang Pengfei's supermarket finally opened for business.
Although Lin Dongzhe invested the most capital and offered advice in the early stages, he had no intention of participating in the actual management afterward, and even let Xiang Pengfei name it "Pengfei Supermarket".
Just then, the housing reform policy came into effect. The cotton mill wanted to sell a street-front building, which Xiang Pengfei negotiated at a reasonable price and transformed into a modern supermarket.
They spent a lot of money to buy six cash registers. Many people had never seen this kind of cash register before, and they tried it many times, resulting in them buying a lot of extra odds and ends.
Huang Ling and Zhuang Chaoying visited the supermarket together and were impressed by its bright interior and well-designed lighting, making it as bright as day. The floor was covered with gleaming marble tiles, which were specially treated to resemble a single slab of stone!
The supermarket shelves are neatly arranged, displaying a dazzling array of goods. All kinds of products are available, including home appliances, kitchenware, daily necessities, and cosmetics, making it difficult to choose. Each aisle between shelves is clearly marked, allowing customers to easily navigate.
Customers can easily move around and choose their favorite items, and if they have any questions, they can ask the staff nearby. The staff are all dressed in neat and uniform attire, appearing very capable!
Looking at the customers, the scene is even more delightful!
The supermarket was bustling with people, and some items were even being snapped up, simply because they were cheaper than outside.
There was a queue to get into the supermarket, with security guards maintaining order outside. Once inside, Zhuang Chaoying regretted it; they were just there to look around, not to actually buy anything, so they tried to squeeze out again.
They finally managed to squeeze outside, looking quite disheveled, and hid by the roadside, too embarrassed to go back in. Luckily, there was an ice pop vendor nearby, and Zhuang Chaoying asked, "Ah Ling, want one?"
Huang Ling nodded, "There were so many people inside, we were all sweating when we squeezed out!"
After buying the popsicles and just opening the wrapper, I saw Xiang Pengfei hurrying out.
Huang Ling called out to Xiang Pengfei, "Pengfei!"
Xiang Pengfei stopped in his tracks. "Auntie! Uncle! You're here too?"
"We came to see you. You had a perfectly good job, but you insisted on quitting to start your own business. We're worried about you." Huang Ling was very straightforward and made no attempt to hide her purpose.
Xiang Pengfei smiled brightly, "Thank you, Auntie. Please wait here for a few minutes. I have something to take care of. I'll take you to my office to rest later!"
Xiang Pengfei went out because the city sent someone to deliver congratulatory gifts. There was no ribbon-cutting ceremony, as Xiang Pengfei didn't yet have the connections for it, but because it involved a relatively large investment, the city felt they should express their congratulations and sent their secretary with belated well wishes.
He repeatedly invited the secretary in, but she insisted on refusing, so he had to give up. Xiang Pengfei returned inside with his blessings, and then led Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling back to the office.
The office was spacious, bright, and high-end, exuding a nouveau riche vibe.
But Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling only felt that it was impressive, "Your supermarket is really quite nice!"
Xiang Pengfei made tea for the two of them. "It was all Dongzhe's idea! He was the one who gave me the suggestion. I just felt that working in my old company was safe, but the salary was too low. I might never be able to bring my parents back to Suzhou, and I wouldn't have the money to support you two. That's why I decided to go out and try my luck!"
Zhuang Chaoying nodded. "If it were before, I would have advised you not to resign. Stability is the most important thing. But now it seems that we may really be getting old and can't keep up with the times."
Huang Ling agreed with this view, saying, "Times have really changed!"
The days of growing snake gourds in the yard are over! From now on, we'll be living in an era where we have to grow everything in our yards to eat with peace of mind.
After sitting for a short while, the two were about to get up. "We still need to go and check on your older brother. Hongxia is a good girl, but she has no experience. We're worried that she might get into trouble and hurt the child!"
Xiang Pengfei called over the driver, "Uncle, Aunt, let Driver Wang take you there!"
The supermarket and logistics were originally intended to start simultaneously, but Xiang Pengfei lacked practical management experience, and he was struggling to manage even a single supermarket. Lin Dongzhe promptly halted the logistics setup, prioritizing the supermarket's success.
Mr. Wang was hired as a driver for logistics, but for now he has to work as a deliveryman at the supermarket.
Unable to refuse, Huang Ling and the other woman were stuffed into a small box by Xiang Pengfei and slowly made their way to the compressor factory.