Parents' Business

Living under someone else's roof was never pleasant, especially when that person was a relative.

Now that they could afford it, Zhang Yang wholeheartedly supported his father striking out on his own.

"If it really comes to it, I can give you some money to open a little restaurant. With your cooking skills, Dad, being your own boss has to be better than working for someone else, right?"

"I have been thinking about it." Zhang Zhaohai smiled sheepishly.

Parents always wanted to save face. They were more than happy to give their children money, but asking their children for money was another matter—unless they had no other choice.

As they talked about it, Zhang Zhaohai couldn't help telling Zhang Yang how things had unfolded.

"We might as well cut ties with them, then." Zhang Yang felt a surge of displeasure as he listened.

A few years ago, when his younger maternal uncle had just opened a restaurant, several relatives had pooled their money to support him. Back then, housing prices were still at a low, and the family had planned to put down a deposit on a home for Zhang Yang. But lending money to his uncle had delayed those plans.

The money had eventually been paid back, after much stalling, but by then housing prices had already climbed.

The sort of place they could have bought back then by scraping together a down payment and paying off a mortgage was now out of the question. After all, they'd have been paying it off for decades. Just thinking about it felt like facing a mountain.

Did he regret it? Absolutely. But what could he do? He had swallowed his frustration because they were family—his own maternal uncle.

Damn it. When he thought about it, his uncle had made every excuse under the sun when Zhang Yang's family tried to borrow a little money from him.

"Cut ties? I don't mind, but what about your mom? That's her younger brother." Zhang Zhaohai shook his head helplessly.

A few generations down the line, relationships naturally faded. But this wasn't just any relative. He was Zhang Zhaohai's brother-in-law, Song Wenqin's biological younger brother, and Zhang Yang's own maternal uncle.

"My mom? She and my uncle are siblings, but she's not related by blood to my aunt." Zhang Yang brushed it off with a smile.

They were all married now, after all. Each family had to look out for itself.

Father and son chatted all the way home. It was the middle of the afternoon, and it felt like it had been a long time since they'd had such a heart-to-heart.

"Why buy so many expensive cigarettes and liquors? Your old man's a wild boar who can't stomach fine grain." Zhang Zhaohai laughed at himself.

"If other people can enjoy them, then my dad can too." Zhang Yang glanced at him.

His old man had really let himself go. His hair was so thin now, and he'd gotten so old.

"You're wasting money." Zhang Zhaohai smiled and scolded him, deeply gratified. He felt that raising this son had truly been worth it.

A little after two in the afternoon, Zhang Yang drove home.

The apartment had three bedrooms and two living rooms, with a floor area of 120 square meters. It looked quite spacious, but the building was old.

After parking and going inside, he heard someone moving around in the kitchen.

"Mom, what are you busy with?" Zhang Yang asked as he walked over.

Song Wenqin turned around and her eyes widened. "Are you my son?"

"What kind of question is that?" Zhang Yang replied with a helpless laugh. No matter how much he'd changed, surely his own mother could still recognize him. Mom, you're being mischievous again.

"Oh, my goodness!" Song Wenqin beamed. "I never dreamed my son would be this slim and handsome."

In her eyes, Zhang Yang was tall and well-proportioned, with a good bearing and a lively, energetic look. If that wasn't handsome, what was?

Zhang Yang stood obediently as his mother circled around him, looking him over.

Zhang Zhaohai carried the cigarettes and liquor into the house with renewed vigor. Seeing case after case of Wuliangye and Moutai—his son's thoughtful gifts—left the old father at a loss for words.

"Huh? Where did this liquor come from?" Song Wenqin quickly spotted the odd one out among the fine cigarettes and liquor.

"Your younger sister-in-law insisted I take it," Zhang Yang said.

"She gave it to you?" Song Wenqin said indignantly. "Put it in the garage later. We'll take it to their place for New Year's."

Father and son exchanged a glance, each seeing the amusement and understanding in the other's eyes.

"Mom, don't be upset. Look what I brought you." Zhang Yang took out the bracelet he'd bought for Song Wenqin. It wasn't the finest piece around, but at over a hundred thousand yuan, it was more than enough to make her the envy of her circle of friends.

Song Wenqin eagerly held out her hand and tried it on, her eyes full of delight.

"It wasn't cheap, was it?" She turned her wrist this way and that, admiring it from every angle.

"Mom, let's not talk about that." Zhang Yang waved a hand. "Dad told me you're thinking of opening a little restaurant?"

"It's true. Your dad's already found a place." Song Wenqin looked at Zhang Zhaohai and nodded.

"Then let's get it done while I'm home these next few days." Zhang Yang smiled.

The family of three talked it over for a long time.

Song Wenqin naturally wanted to use the money to buy a home first. Owning a home would make her feel secure.

But how could she know Zhang Yang's real situation? Why rush to buy a home? He'd finally gotten a sizable amount of cash from gambling on jade stones, and of course he wanted to put it to the best possible use. Some would go toward opening a restaurant for his parents, and some he'd keep on hand in case of emergencies.

Besides, keeping some money on hand would save him a lot of explaining the next time he showed his parents how well-off he was.

In this family, Song Wenqin seemed to be in charge. But when it came to buying a home, if Zhang Yang—the one directly involved—didn't agree, it simply wouldn't happen.

In the end, Song Wenqin couldn't talk Zhang Yang out of it, and they decided to open a restaurant.

It wouldn't be anything large, just a small eatery serving set meals, with a few private rooms and several tables.

But even though the business would be small, it meant a great deal to Zhang Zhaohai and his wife.

After spending most of their lives struggling, they were finally taking the first step toward making a living on their own and becoming their own bosses.

"Mom, Dad, I think you can do this. It may be just a little restaurant now, but who knows? Maybe one day it'll grow into a restaurant, then a big one. Look at Flavor Seek in Yinghai City. Years ago, it was just a little shop. Now it has seven or eight branches and is a major restaurant." Zhang Yang kept painting them a rosy picture.

"I wouldn't dare dream of that. Your dad and I would be perfectly content if we could make it as big as your uncle's place." Song Wenqin beamed.

"Your uncle's place?" Zhang Yang smiled but didn't comment.

Today was the last day of the month. Tomorrow was May Day.

Zhang Yang's fitness quest had already been underway for most of its thirty days. And since it was the last day of the month, judging by how hard he'd worked this month, his body fat should have met the target too. He had to claim those five experience points first.

That evening, the family of three enjoyed a good meal at home.

Whenever his parents felt like cooking up a storm, Zhang Yang was guaranteed a feast. That was the benefit of having chefs in the family.

Dish after dish came out as Zhang Zhaohai showed off his skills and Song Wenqin helped him out.

Tonight was both a welcome-home celebration for Zhang Yang, who rarely came back, and a celebration of the fresh start their family was making from this day forward.

"Cheers!" Zhang Zhaohai poured himself a full glass of Wuliangye and drank it with gusto.

Zhang Yang held back from drinking. He still had to go to a local gym later and continue his fitness quest.

He didn't dare skip even once. Missing one day of training would cost him sixty times as much.