As everyone sat down in the living room and the servants brought tea, Cheng Su asked Old Master Cheng, "What’s bothering you?"
"They’re just making a fuss. It’s nothing, just a bit of wheezing, no problem!" Old Master Cheng waved his hand and then started coughing again.
Cheng Su replied, "It’s already April, and the South is quite humid and hot. But this April weather can sotis have big temperature differences, so you shouldn’t be too careless with the cold, sir."
"I know, I know," Old Master Cheng replied with a cheerful smile and asked, "Didn’t I tell you all, if you want to do business, look for our family’s second son! So why haven’t I seen you go? Could it be you think this old man is a con artist? Let tell you, I was an old Red Army soldier!"
Cheng Su quickly said, "It’s not that we don’t believe you. We’ve just been busy out there running the market these days, and for now, we don’t need any help."
"Really?"
"How dare we lie to you? I’m just afraid that the old Red Army soldier who once wielded a big cannon would fire a shot at !" Cheng Su joked.
Old Master Cheng burst into hearty laughter.
Cheng Yaozong then said, "I understand your company makes jam and has even won awards. Are you here in Guangcheng to pursue this?"
"If possible, I’d like to establish a branch here, or set up an agency, counters, things like that. After all, there are many opportunities in Guangcheng, and we want our business to grow," Cheng Su responded.
Cheng Yaozong nodded in agreent.
"If you are thinking of setting up counters or display cases, our departnt store might have opportunities for cooperation, and we could provide you a spot," Cheng Yaozong said.
Cheng Su was montarily stunned, then stood up and bowed to him, saying, "Thank you so much in advance!"
"No need to thank . We are both Chengs; we’re family and should help each other!" Old Master Cheng said with a hearty laugh.
"Yes, who else is in President Cheng’s family?" Cheng Yaozong asked again.
"I’m already married and living with my partner in the military," Cheng Su replied.
"What about your own family?"
Cheng Su’s eyes flickered, recalling what Cheng Yaozong said yesterday, realizing they wanted to know if her family was connected to any of their old friends.
She hesitated a bit and said, "I still have my parents at ho. Our Cheng family, several decades ago, was capitalists, the ancestors all lived in Qing City. Later, we were overthrown and fell. Great Grandmother was quite a business-savvy woman."
"What was your grandmother’s na?" Old Master Cheng pressed.
Cheng Su thought for a mont and then replied, "My grandmother’s na was Chen Xiang."
Old Master Cheng fell into a lancholic silence, his eyes dimming.
"Old Master, I heard from Mr. Cheng that I resemble one of your old acquaintances. Is that right?" Cheng Su hesitated for a mont before asking.
"She was my younger sister," the old master sighed and said, "In those days, I joined the army to fight the Japanese, and she, talking about her patriotic spirit, wanted to protest against the Japanese. How could I let her go? We had a big fight, and I locked her up so she couldn’t leave. But she ended up picking the lock and running away. I had to set off for the military and couldn’t find her after looking for days. With no other choice, I left for the military campaign. After the liberation, I ca back and searched for her like crazy, but all these years, I’ve never found her, not knowing if she’s dead or alive."
Cheng Yaozong handed over a photo, and Old Master Cheng, with reddening eyes, handed it to Cheng Su.
Cheng Su took a look and said, "I don’t really look like her!"
"No, you don’t, just have a similar aura. She, like you, was sweet-talking, stubborn, and once determined to do sothing, not even nine oxen could pull her back!" Old Master Cheng chuckled and sighed, "It’s just a pity that after all these years, I’ve still never found her!"
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