vrcanaries Chapter 124 The Gift
Chapter 124 The Gift
As Lin Zhou's taxi drove into the mountain road, a touch of orange-red sunset hung in the sky, dyeing the lush trees along the way a crimson hue.
The black taxi smoothly turned a corner, and the familiar villa came into view.
The lawn in the courtyard was neatly trimmed, and several ornamental trees planted just two years ago were emitting a faint fragrance.
After paying the fare, Lin Zhou opened the car door, watched the taxi leave, and just as he turned and stepped onto the steps, the gate to the courtyard was opened.
Su Wanqing wore a moon-white dress with a few sparse orchids embroidered on the hem, which accentuated her slender figure and gentle features.
Behind her, her four-year-old son, Lin Xiaofeng, was standing on tiptoe, his little face full of excitement. The moment he saw Lin Zhou, he broke free from his mother's hand and rushed over like a little cannonball: "Daddy! You're back!"
Lin Zhou bent down to catch the little one who jumped into his arms. The warm little body smelled of milk, and he couldn't help but kiss his son's soft cheek, his voice full of laughter: "My good son, did you miss Daddy?"
"Yes!" Lin Xiaofeng hugged his neck, nuzzling his head against it. "Daddy, was the place you went fun? Did you bring me a present?"
Su Wanqing stepped forward and reached out to straighten Lin Zhou's slightly disheveled collar, her eyes filled with a faint smile and a hint of barely perceptible concern: "You must be tired from your journey. Come in quickly, I've asked the kitchen to keep the soup warm."
Lin Zhou, carrying his son, followed Su Wanqing into the living room. Warm yellow light poured down, enveloping everything in the living room in a cozy glow.
A soft cashmere blanket was draped over the European-style sofa, fresh fruit was laid out on the coffee table, and a record player in the corner was playing soothing jazz music—everything was exactly the same as when he left.
"Of course I brought you gifts." Lin Zhou sat down on the sofa with his son in his arms and pulled the suitcase next to his feet over. "I saw a lot of good things on this trip to Beijing, and I brought you and your son a lot of gifts."
As he spoke, he opened his suitcase. On top was a silk cheongsam made by an old craftsman in Beijing, which he had bought for Su Wanqing, along with several bolts of plain-colored silk, all made by Ruifuxiang, a time-honored brand in Beijing, which felt delicate and smooth to the touch.
Su Wanqing picked up a cheongsam and a piece of silk, her fingertips brushing over the delicate patterns on it, her eyes full of joy: "This material is really good, I'll make two more cheongsams later."
"Here's something else for you." Lin Zhou took out a tin box from the trunk, inside which was an exquisite model pistol made of wood and painted red.
"Dad saw a carpenter make this when he was wandering around the hutongs of Beijing, and then he bought it for me. Do you like it?"
Lin Xiaofeng's eyes lit up, and he quickly took it, clutching the wooden toy gun in his little hand, jumping excitedly on the sofa: "Thank you, Dad! I like this the most!"
Seeing his son's happy expression, Lin Zhou couldn't help but smile.
As he recounted his experiences in Beijing to Su Wanqing, he subtly glanced around at his surroundings out of the corner of his eye.
The servants in the living room were busy serving tea and water, and no one noticed his actions.
He quietly immersed himself in his personal space, where on the dining table were two roast ducks he had specially brought back from Beijing—wrapped tightly in oil paper, their skins still glistening with oil, a signature dish of Quanjude.
There was also a large bag of donkey rolls, glutinous rice cakes, and pea flour cakes, all famous snacks from Beijing, neatly packed in a cardboard box.
He casually moved these items from his spatial storage to the bottom of his suitcase, then said, "Oh, right, I also brought back some food, all local specialties from Beijing. You guys should try them."
As he spoke, he bent down and took out an oil paper package and a food box from the box. As soon as it was opened, a rich aroma of roast duck wafted out, and Lin Xiaofeng immediately leaned closer, sniffing the air: "It smells so good!"
Su Wanqing was also pleasantly surprised: "This is Quanjude roast duck, right? I've heard of it, but I've never had the chance to try it."
"That's right," Lin Zhou said with a smile. "I queued for more than half an hour to buy it. I'll have the kitchen heat it up later, and we'll have this for dinner."
Su Wanqing smiled and agreed, then asked the maid to take the roast duck and pastries to the kitchen. She then said softly to Lin Xiaofeng, "Don't bother Dad anymore. He's tired from the journey. Let him rest for a while."
Lin Xiaofeng nodded obediently, then ran off to play in the yard with his wooden toy gun.
Only Lin Zhou and Su Wanqing remained in the living room, and the atmosphere became quiet. Lin Zhou looked at his wife's gentle profile, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
Over the years, he has worked his way up in the Hong Kong business world, transforming from a mainlander who illegally immigrated to Hong Kong to a business tycoon who now heads the Chung Wah Group. This transformation is inseparable from the support of Su Wanqing.
She not only managed the household impeccably, but also single-handedly led the company's senior executives to manage various business operations while he was a hands-off manager.
You might call her a strong woman, but that doesn't quite feel right. Yet, she manages Zhonghua perfectly.
"Oh, right," Lin Zhou said, remembering something, "I met a lot of leaders from the mainland and visited many places during my trip to Beijing."
The blast furnaces of Shougang Group, the research institutes in Zhongguancun, and the highways under construction on the outskirts of the city—everywhere is a scene of bustling activity. The development potential of the inland areas is truly limitless.
Su Wanqing picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and looked up at him: "From what you're saying, you're planning to invest in mainland China?"
Lin Zhou nodded: "I have this idea, and it involves a large investment."
Su Wanqing's eyes flickered slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back and just sighed softly.
Lin Zhou saw this but didn't say anything. He stood up and stretched, "I've been traveling a long way and I'm covered in dust. I'll go upstairs to take a shower and change my clothes."
Su Wanqing quickly got up: "I'll go run you a bath."
"No need, I can do it myself." Lin Zhou waved his hand with a smile and turned to walk upstairs.
Back in the bedroom, Lin Zhou took out his change of clothes from the room and put them away neatly before going into the bathroom.
Warm water poured down from the showerhead, washing over his tired body and making his mind clearer.
This trip to Beijing further solidified his determination to invest in the mainland.
In the 1980s, mainland China was like a rough, unpolished gem, full of opportunities.
Infrastructure, manufacturing, real estate, catering, tourism... every sector has enormous potential for development.
After taking a shower, Lin Zhou changed into a comfortable cotton pajama set and went straight to the study instead of returning to the bedroom.
The study door is made of solid wood; as soon as you push it open, a faint scent of ink wafts out.
The room was large, with a row of tall bookshelves against the wall, filled with all kinds of books, from business management to history and literature.
A large mahogany desk was placed by the window, with a table lamp and several thick stacks of documents on it.
Lin Zhou walked to his desk, sat down, and turned on the desk lamp. The warm yellow light illuminated the desktop. He took out a stack of white paper and a fountain pen from the drawer.
Then I closed my eyes and immersed my mind in the space. This method was developed in the last few years. I can't just keep disappearing, right?