The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: ”Crooked Ways” Are Truly Useful

”Xiao Rui, let me tell you something, but keep it to yourself. Don’t go spreading it around.” Granny Cai feigned nervousness, glancing toward the door and lowering her voice.

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui perked right up, no longer sleepy in the slightest. ”Sister Cai, my lips are sealed. Don’t you worry.”

As Jinshan Bay’s ”senior intelligence officer,” Granny Cai always had the fastest and most accurate intel.

Granny Cai said in a low voice, ”Zhang Xiufang had a stroke and is paralyzed. Zhigang, being a benevolent man, isn’t holding her past tantrums against her. He even hired a physical therapist to come to their house for her rehabilitation. But Zhang Xiufang doesn’t appreciate it; she says it’s too tiring and refuses to move.”

”And then what?” Han Xiaorui blinked. ’That’s not surprising,’ she thought. ’There’s nothing strange about that. Zhang Xiufang was always lazy. Physical therapy is exhausting and painful, so of course she doesn’t want to do it.’

Now that she could get around with a cane and had someone to wait on her, Zhang Xiufang had started slacking off.

Granny Cai snickered. ”Zhigang couldn’t do anything about it. He tried to persuade her, but it was no use, so he gave up. But then he called Yang Jianming.”

Han Xiaorui was confused. ’Telling Yang Jianming wouldn’t do any good.’ ”Isn’t Yang Jianming busy with the paperwork to go abroad? Don’t tell me Uncle Yang wants him to take Zhang Xiufang with him? From what I know of Yang Jianming, there’s no way he’d take on such a burden.”

”Of course he’s not planning to take her abroad,” Granny Cai said with a playful chide. ”That boy, Yang Jianming, is full of clever little schemes. Since he couldn’t persuade his mom himself, he actually paid Zhao Cuilian to provoke her.”

Han Xiaorui was dumbfounded. ”Is it really that dramatic? I think I heard that Zhao Cuilian was Uncle Yang’s first love, but Zhang Xiufang stole him away, and they were forced to break up.”

Granny Cai nodded. ”That’s right, it’s true. I heard Yang Jianming paid a hefty price—a thousand a month—for Zhao Cuilian to hang around their house, or just wander by the front door. The idea was to provoke Zhang Xiufang, to make her think that if she didn’t focus on her rehabilitation, Zhao Cuilian would steal Zhigang away for good.”

”If Zhao Cuilian really went for it, even if Zhang Xiufang refused to divorce, it wouldn’t matter much since she’s immobile. This ploy of Yang Jianming’s worked like a charm. It provoked Zhang Xiufang so much that she started getting up before dawn to walk laps in the yard. Her recovery is progressing much faster now.”

Han Xiaorui shook her head and chuckled. ”Yang Jianming is a real piece of work, but he’s certainly full of twisted ideas. When earnest pleas didn’t work, he went straight for the underhanded tactics. A troublemaker like him should just leave already and stop plaguing Jinshan Bay.”

Liang Xiaoyu roared with laughter. ”Most people could never come up with a plan like that. Still, you have to admit, Uncle Yang is a benevolent man. Anyone else would have divorced her and washed their hands of the matter ages ago.”

Granny Cai sighed. ”It’s true. But it just goes to show you that no good deed goes unpunished, ending up with a wife like Zhang Xiufang and a son like Yang Jianming.”

”But at least Jianguo is reliable. And with his three granddaughters, he’ll have someone to count on when he’s old. He won’t have to depend on the unreliable Yang Jianming.”

Enjoying a meal seasoned with village gossip was always particularly entertaining.

After the meal, Liang Xiaoyu, Wu Jiao, and Wu Yao washed all the dishes, then took Cai Wenjun home.

After a midday nap, Han Xiaorui went to the ornamental fish farm. Chen Yishui had already delivered the beautiful deep-sea fish he’d caught.

There were three different color varieties of Golden Pineapples in total, all placed in their respective tanks.

Just as Han Xiaorui was observing the condition of the ornamental fish, Yang Jianguo walked in with a young man.

Han Xiaorui glanced over. The young man bore a slight resemblance to Uncle Xu, so she guessed he was probably his son.

Yang Jianguo made the introductions, and sure enough, he was.

”Mr. Xu, please, come in,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile. ”Brother Jianguo, you know the stock better than I do, so please show Mr. Xu around. I’ll be in the office. Once you’re done looking, we can discuss the price.”

”Okay!” Yang Jianguo agreed.

The moment Xu Cheng saw Han Xiaorui, he was quite surprised. ’No wonder Young Master Ye Feng is so taken with her,’ he thought. ’She’s truly beautiful.’

Initially, he had been dismissive of his father’s suggestion.

But his father had strongly recommended the ornamental fish business. So, he conducted research on Hong Kong Island, even flying to Southeast Asia, and then to Japan, South Korea, Europe and America. He discovered that there was indeed a massive market for ornamental fish.

The wealthy could buy large aquariums, while the middle class could afford smaller ones. They were beautiful home decorations, and some even believed they could ward off negative energy and change one’s luck.

”Thank you, Ms. Han,” Xu Cheng said with a grateful smile.

He had expected to see only a few varieties, but after a tour of the facility, Xu Cheng was utterly astonished. The selection was vast, and the fish were stunningly colorful.

Not only that, but they also offered specialized feed. Using this fish food meant you didn’t have to worry about the fish getting sick.

A short while later, they all gathered to discuss prices.

Different fish had different prices.

The beautiful and rare ones were more expensive, while the more common types were cheaper.

Chen Zhipeng provided the costs for ocean freight and other related fees, which were all factored into the final price.

Xu Cheng was very satisfied with the prices. They would be highly competitive once the fish were shipped to Hong Kong Island.

Once the quantities and prices were settled, Zhou Wei from the fish tank factory drove over to pick up Xu Cheng to discuss the aquarium business.

On his way, Xu Cheng passed by Han Xiaorui’s ornamental fish shop and was instantly captivated by the various small, adorable aquariums.

They were designed specifically for smaller species, and the crystal-clear glass made the colorful ornamental fish inside look even more beautiful.

He felt that no child or young woman could possibly resist such beautiful fish and such charming aquariums.

After his inspection, Xu Cheng rushed back to Hong Kong to begin setting up his company, renting a venue, a warehouse, and fish ponds.

Everything was set up according to the plans provided by Yang Jianguo, and the sanitation standards were copied directly from the farm in Jinshan Bay.

While Xu Cheng was back making these preparations, Han Xiaorui and Yang Jianguo went to attend a foreign trade fair.

The aquariums used for the exhibition were all custom-made by Zhou Wei. The lighting was set up perfectly, accentuating the fishes’ graceful movements and diverse colors.

At the trade fair, there were many foreigners, most accompanied by translators.

Zhou Wei’s booth was in a poor location, so he had his employees watch it while he stayed over at Han Xiaorui’s.

The booth for the Oriental Import & Export company had a lot of products and was surrounded by customers. However, these were mostly light industrial goods, which an aquarium could, at a stretch, be considered.

Because they contained components like heating rods and lights, and because Zhou Wei’s glass factory had spent a fortune to successfully develop perfectly clear and transparent glass, they fit the category.

The aquariums they made now were exceptionally beautiful.

They came in all shapes and sizes.

Many people passed by the booth, giving it a glance, but no one stopped to ask questions.

The morning passed, and Yang Jianguo started to get anxious. ”Xiao Rui, are we just wasting our time here?”

Han Xiaorui was dressed in a white blouse, blue trousers, and a pair of low-heeled leather shoes.

Her long, wavy hair was neatly combed and tied back into a low ponytail.

In contrast to Yang Jianguo’s anxiety, Han Xiaorui just smiled. ”Brother Jianguo, don’t be impatient! There’s plenty of foot traffic passing by, but many people don’t even give us a second glance, which just means they have no interest.”

”But I’ve seen quite a few people looking our way, and it wasn’t just a passing glance. Many of them seem interested.”

”Should we go over and talk to them?” Yang Jianguo suggested.

Han Xiaorui shook her head. ”No need. Most of these people have their own jobs and tasks to attend to here. Once they’re done, if they’re really interested and want to learn more, they’ll come to us. Just you watch!”