Chapter 55 My Son is Amazing

Cheng Shi produced a sample of the raw material, a stainless steel ingot: "This is the raw material. Go to the steel mill and buy it for me. Make sure you get the highest quality stainless steel. Don't pay attention to those people trying to push cheap alternatives on you. Also, the more square and regular the shape, the less waste there will be during processing, so you need to be selective."

Yu Dadong: "How much do you need?"

Cheng Shi: "Since this is your first time going, just buy a few dozen first so I can inspect them. Once you have some experience, you can buy more."

Yu Dadong grinned broadly: "Leave it to me."

Cheng Shi: "By the way, ask around and see which other factories might have retired CNC machine tools. One is not enough right now. Very soon, many people will be coming to order parts. However, you must handle this through legal channels. As for inspecting the goods and negotiating prices, I will handle those personally."

Yu Dadong: "Of course, I wouldn't know the difference between good and bad equipment anyway."

Cheng Shi took out two hundred bills and handed them to Yu Dadong: "Here, sorry to trouble you. Go buy the steel ingots first."

Yu Dadong: "Why are you handing me so much money just like that? Aren't you afraid I'll pad the accounts or embezzle it?"

Cheng Shi rolled his eyes: "Are you out of your mind? How much is this even?"

Before their rebirth, they had a bond that transcended life and death, often tossing hundreds of millions back and forth to cover each other's working capital shortages.

Even adjusted for inflation, this amount of money would barely cover a bath at a bathhouse nowadays.

Yu Dadong's eyes reddened: "Aside from the factory director, you're the second person to trust me unconditionally."

Cheng Shi felt goosebumps erupt all over his body: "Damn it, why are you being so mushy? Hurry up and go, or don't bother coming to my house for dinner ever again."

Yu Dadong took the money and muttered, "I was just trying to say something nice, why are you getting impatient? Say whatever you want, beat or scold me if you like, but forbidding me from eating at your place is going too far."

----

Since there were many mouths to feed at home these days, Cai Aiping had gone to the vegetable market early in the morning.

Auntie Qian pretended to be picking out greens, but her eyes kept darting toward the entrance.

Catching sight of Cai Aiping's arrival, she hurried over: "Oh, what a coincidence, Comrade Aiping."

That overly affectionate form of address and flattering tone startled Cai Aiping into taking a step backward.

In the past, when Auntie Qian was in a good mood, she would call Cai Aiping "Cheng Shi's mother," and when she was in a bad mood, it was simply "Hey, you there."

Cai Aiping looked Auntie Qian up and down. No mistake about it, this was indeed the former second-floor neighbor.

Why was she talking so strangely today?

Auntie Qian: "I came to discuss Yingzi and Cheng Shi's marriage with you."

Had this woman lost her mind with a fever? Could someone change their tune on such a major matter from one day to the next?

Cai Aiping wore a puzzled look: "Didn't you say my Cheng Shi wasn't good enough for Comrade Qian Xiaoying?"

Auntie Qian blushed: "Oh, I was just joking."

Heh, my boy was right.

Sure enough, women were already starting to clamor to marry him.

Cai Aiping said coldly: "We certainly weren't joking with you. You were the one who forced us to break up back then."

Auntie Qian claimed: "I was just meddling out of turn. My Yingzi said she and Cheng Shi have deep feelings for each other, and that very evening she scolded me for running my mouth and talking nonsense to you guys. Now Cheng Shi is sulking with her, but since she's a young woman, she can't bring herself to lower her pride and talk to you elders."

Normally, Cai Aiping was constantly subjected to Auntie Qian's sarcasm and backhanded remarks.

Being talked down to was one thing, but that day Auntie Qian had even come over to find fault with Cheng Shi, which had made her furious.

If not for the sake of Cheng Shi's marriage prospects, she would never have swallowed her pride and acted so subservient.

Now, just a few days later, the tables had turned, and Auntie Qian wanted to fool her again.

Did she really think she was still easy to push around?

Cai Aiping slanted her eyes at her: "You were the one who said our family wasn't a match for yours, that our social standings didn't line up, and that you couldn't possibly let your Yingzi marry a good-for-nothing like my son. That's why you insisted on making a clean break—why are you dragging this back up now? My son Cheng Shi has both looks and capability. Back when he was with your Qian Xiaoying, I already felt he was being shortchanged, let alone now."

Auntie Qian was stung by having her own words thrown back at her to mock her. Losing face entirely, she grew furious out of embarrassment: "Hey, how can your Cheng Shi family be like this? The moment Cheng Shi gets a little money, he turns his back on the old times and chases the new. If he refuses to take responsibility, I'll go straight to the Public Security Bureau and report him for hooliganism!"

Cai Aiping's temper flared as well. She pointed straight at Auntie Qian's nose: "Back then, considering we were neighbors and thinking Qian Xiaoying and Cheng Shi were in a relationship, I put up with your nasty remarks. If you dare to spout nonsense again or slander my son, see if I don't slap you across the face! My son told both you and me to our faces that he doesn't like your daughter, and that he and Qian Xiaoying were just ordinary colleagues. You thought that was great at the time and said it was good to get everything out in the open to save trouble. Now that you see my son can make money, you regret your own blindness and want to muddy the waters."

"What do you take my son for?!! I advise you, instead of wasting time here pestering my family, you'd better keep a tight leash on your Yingzi and stop her from flirting with men everywhere. I've heard plenty of rumors about her loose morals. Just the other day, she was hanging onto Workshop No. 2's Engineer Zhang, walking back and forth downstairs. Do you take us for blind?!! You have the nerve to bring this up—your skin is even thicker than your daughter's! Go ahead and report him to the authorities if you want, and see if the police bureau doesn't turn around and brand your daughter a female hooligan instead."

In the past, Cai Aiping had been timid and accommodating, flashing smiles everywhere, which led Auntie Qian to believe she was naturally weak-willed and sweet-tempered. Only today did she realize how sharp Cai Aiping's tongue could be.

Stunned speechless by the scolding, Auntie Qian only snapped back to her senses after Cai Aiping had already walked a long way off. She jumped up and shrieked, "What's so great about your Cheng Shi? I'll just wait and see what kind of girl he ends up with!"

Someone nearby chuckled: "Look at that. Even a cornered rabbit will bite. Auntie Aiping is usually so gentle."

"That's not a cornered rabbit; it's just that they used to be poor. Now that there's money in their pockets and a backbone to match, they aren't afraid of offending people anymore."

After giving Auntie Qian a thorough dressing-down, Cai Aiping felt entirely refreshed.

Seeing Cheng Yongjin busy at the machine tool and realizing he had nothing better to do sitting around, Cheng Shi simply came out to help Cai Aiping carry the groceries.

Spotting Cai Aiping loaded down with bags in both hands from a distance, he quickly pedaled his bicycle over, loaded the items onto the back seat, and said, "Mom, when I have some free time, I'll build you a small cart. You've been buying too much food lately to carry by hand."

Cai Aiping wore a look of proud triumph and gently patted Cheng Shi's shoulder: "My son is truly wonderful."

Feeling slightly bewildered, Cheng Shi smiled and asked, "Mom, what's got into you?"

Cai Aiping: "Nothing at all. You've made something of yourself, so now your mother can finally stand tall."

A small sedan pulled up beside them, and Lu Zaixue's face appeared behind the lowered car window: "Mr. Cheng, what a coincidence. I was just heading to your company to find you. Let me give you a ride."

"Ms. Lu," Cheng Shi greeted, patting his bicycle, "I'll ride my bike over. Could I trouble you to take my mother and these groceries with you instead?"