"Dad." Just as Li Yongjin was humming a little tune with his eyes narrowed, a voice startled him out of his leisurely contentment.
He opened his eyes and looked. Wasn't this his daughter-in-law, Su Xueting?
"Su, is something the matter?" Li Yongjin asked in puzzlement.
"Dad, my dad is coming to visit you today." Hearing his daughter-in-law's answer, Li Yongjin was puzzled at first, then understood.
This in-law, who had never visited his home in the dozen-plus years since his son's marriage, suddenly wanted to visit him. It surely had to do with building the ancestral hall. He remembered that this in-law seemed to run a construction company, so there was no need to guess: his purpose was the same as that of the people who had brought gifts these past few days-to land this project worth tens of millions.
But this in-law would probably be disappointed. He had no authority to decide which company would build the ancestral hall. Everything had to be decided through bidding.
Still, they were in-laws, after all. He couldn't very well tell her not to come, could he? His daughter-in-law was a good woman, a devoted wife and loving mother, and he didn't want to put her in a difficult position between them.
With that thought, Li Yongjin agreed. "All right, tell your dad to come over. You've been married for over a dozen years, and I can count the times your dad and I have met on one hand. It's time we saw each other again."
An hour later, Su Yinshan arrived outside Li Yongjin's home. From far away, he called out to Li Yongjin, who was reclining in a rocking chair by the entrance, "My dear in-law! My dear in-law, hello!"
His enthusiasm left Li Cong and Su Xueting, who stood nearby, utterly stunned. A stranger would surely have thought the two men were old friends, but the couple knew that Su Yinshan had opposed their marriage over a dozen years ago and looked down on the Li family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have even skipped their wedding.
Li Yongjin's face was also plastered with a false smile. He knew perfectly well why this in-law had come, but they were in-laws, after all, and appearances still had to be maintained. He likewise spoke with a broad smile.
"What a rare guest you are! You've come a long way. Come, come, please come inside." For his daughter-in-law's sake, he hadn't refused this in-law's visit, but Li Yongjin did harbor some resentment toward an in-law who had always looked down on his family.
"Heh, heh, work has kept me busy, so I haven't come to visit all these years. I hope you'll forgive me." Su Yinshan was an old hand with over twenty years in business, and naturally heard the sarcasm in Li Yongjin's words. But with a project worth tens of millions at stake, a little sarcasm didn't matter as long as he could land it.
"I understand, I understand. You're a big boss, unlike a farmer like me. Day after day, I have all the time in the world."
"Heh, listen to you. You're hardly just some farmer, are you? I've heard your clan is building an ancestral hall worth fifty million. I've run a construction company for over twenty years, and I've never seen spending on such a grand scale anywhere in our county."
"What brings you here today? Whatever it is, just say it." Li Yongjin was a farmer, after all, and had made his living farming all his life. He really wasn't used to this sort of conversation; it was exhausting. He went straight to the point.
"Heh, you certainly speak your mind. We're all family, so I'll just say it. Your clan needs an ancestral hall built, and I happen to run a construction company. As the saying goes, rich water shouldn't flow into outsiders' fields. What do you think...?"
"You may think too highly of me. I'm just an ordinary old farmer. My nephew thought enough of me to let me take part in building the ancestral hall, but I'm only responsible for keeping the accounts."
"As for who will do the construction, after discussing it, the clan decided to hold bidding tomorrow. Whoever offers a reasonable price will get the job. If you're interested, you can submit a bid tomorrow." Watching Su Yinshan's smile gradually disappear, Li Yongjin grumbled inwardly, What an old bastard, his eyes light up at the sight of money.
Su Yinshan was indeed a slippery old hand. His ugly expression lasted only an instant before turning back into a broad smile. "Of course. Rest assured, I've run my construction company for over twenty years and handled countless projects. I'm absolutely confident I can do the best job on your Li family's ancestral hall."
"Heh, heh, naturally, I trust you in that regard." He was his daughter-in-law's father, after all. Even if he wouldn't honor the monk, he had to honor the Buddha. However much he disliked Su Yinshan, he couldn't openly fall out with him. As for the project, everyone would be treated equally.
Su Yinshan knew that going through the back door with this in-law wouldn't work, so he stopped pressing. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, he pulled Su Xueting aside for a private conversation. Li Yongjin and his son said nothing. She was his daughter, after all. What could they say about a father and daughter having a private chat?
"Xueting, what exactly is going on with the Li family?" Hadn't the Li family been nothing but poor farmers before? How had they suddenly gained the means to spend so much money building an ancestral hall? A string of questions came raining down on Su Xueting.
Looking at her father, who cared for nothing but profit, Su Xueting felt helpless, too. But what could she do? He was her father. She then told Su Yinshan, bit by bit, about the changes in the Li family over the past few days.
To Su Yinshan, hearing about the Li family's recent changes was like listening to a mythical tale.
A poor student, just three years after graduation, had returned home driving a supercar, with dozens of bodyguards in tow, and casually put up fifty million to build an ancestral hall. Even the county's bank president had personally come to deliver cash. Someone as important as the county bank president was beyond his reach even when he wanted a meeting. Just who was this younger cousin his daughter spoke of?
Although what his daughter said sounded like a mythical tale, those were the facts, and Su Yinshan's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He had run his construction company for over twenty years, but it was in a small county town, after all. Most of his projects were villagers' self-built homes. With profits and losses over those twenty-plus years, he had really only earned around ten million. What did that count for in the eyes of someone who could casually put up tens of millions to build an ancestral hall? This was definitely a mighty thick thigh to cling to. He had to seize the opportunity, and naturally, his daughter would have to be his way in.
"Xueting, bring Cong and the children home for a visit sometime. Your mom misses you very much. I've been so busy with the company these past years that I haven't shown you enough care. You don't blame me, do you?" Su Yinshan's face was full of guilt.
An outsider would surely have seen at a glance that his supposed guilt was an act, but Su Xueting's eyes instantly grew wet. Perhaps she, too, could see that the guilt was feigned and simply didn't want to believe it. Or perhaps it came from her guilt over not having fulfilled her filial duties all these years. In any case, Su Xueting was willing to believe that Su Yinshan's concern was genuine.
"Dad." Su Xueting threw her arms around Su Yinshan. He was, after all, one of her closest kin. Her embrace and tears sent a shudder through this profit-driven man, and a trace of genuine guilt flashed deep within him. She was his daughter, after all. What exactly was he pursuing profit so relentlessly for?
The guilt flashed past. He had been poor since childhood, so poor he hadn't had enough to eat, and no one had thought anything of him. From childhood, he had understood one thing: as long as you had money, you had everything. That had also shaped his profit-driven way of doing things.
"Xueting, this seventh younger brother in your clan is an important man. You have to help your dad. Help me make that connection, and I won't have to work so hard going around begging people for construction jobs."