"This is Channel 6 News. Recently, CEO Ke Zhenshao from Ke Establishment has moved back to China and the sales shot up in the span of three days. In the interview conducted by Channel 6, CEO Ke stated that he is interested in having a partnership with Tang Corporation and Lu Group. Tune in at 8:00 to hear more news."
Tang Lin and Lu Shen were sitting on the couch, looking at the TV.
"What a coincidence. Our neighbor, Ke Zhenshao, is on the news. He wants to be partners with our family companies," Tang Lin mentioned.
"We should invite him over for dinner tonight and get to know him. Maybe it'll help us gain more connections for our companies," Lu Shen suggested.
"I'll go over right now."
Tang Lin got up and put on a jacket. She walked next door and pressed the doorbell and a person talked through the radio.
"Hello. Who is this and what is your business here?"
"This is Tang Lin. I'm your next door neighbor."
"Oh. Hello, Miss Tang."
The gate opened and a man in a navy blue suit came out.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tang. The rumors are true. You are a beauty in real life," he said as he shook her hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Ke. I came here to ask if you would like to join me and my fiancée for dinner tonight. We want to talk about company matters. Will you be able to come?"
"Yes. I will come, but right now, I have something to attend to, so I will head out right now. I'll see you guys later."
"Okay."
Tang Lin walked back to her house and put on casual clothes. Lu Shen and Tang Lin drove over to the grocery store and got out of the car.
"What are we making tonight?" Lu Shen asked. Tang Lin wrapped her arm around Lu Shen's as he pushed the cart.
"I don't know. Do you have any suggestions?" Tang Lin asked.
"Sweet and Sour Pork? Kung Pao Chicken? Dumplings? Mapo Tofu?"
Tang Lin was about to start drooling when he mentioned food.
"Let's make all!"
"Wait, I thought you said that you suck at cooking meals. What if you make our guest throw up?" This would make the companies rivals instead of partners.
"My mom already gave me basic cooking lessons and if I have any questions, she'll answer them for me. I'll have her on FaceTime while I cook, so she could see if I'm cooking right."
Lu Shen sighed in relief. He thought, 'Future mother-in-law, please teach her correctly. I don't my tastebuds to die because of her food.'
They walked through the aisles and Tang Lin would grab ingredients from the shelves as Lu Shen read the shopping list.
As they lined up near the cash register, Lu Shen asked, "Did you get tofu, yet?"
"Shoot! No, I forgot. I'll go right now. Just wait in line."
Tang Lin walked to the back of the store and saw a row of tofu. She grabbed three packs and was about to head back to her fiancée when she heard a child crying.
She turned around and saw a little boy being held by the hair by a woman.
"Ungrateful son! You dare ask for things here when I give you life! When I give you food and shelter!" The woman raised her hand and was about to hit her son.
Her hand was stopped because Tang Lin held her wrist.
"Miss, it isn't very nice to hit your child like that. Please refrain from using violence on your child, especially in public."
"Huh! If you care about that bastard so much, then just take him!"
The lady took the little boy's hand and threw him toward Tang Lin.
"Mommy..."
"I'm not your mother anymore! Get out of my sight!"
The woman walked off and took her cart somewhere else.
The little boy cried and leaned his head on Tang Lin.
"Are you my new mommy? Why did my old mommy leave me?! I was good!"
The boy's cheeks were red and his hair was disheveled. Surprisingly, the boy calmed himself down and got up from the floor. There was a pair of glasses near his feet and he put them on. They must've fell when his mother beat him. The little boy was wearing a school uniform and he had a bowl cut. He was skinny and despite the cut near his lip, he was very cute and adorable. He must've gone through a lot.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Wang Lao. I'm in Grade 2 and my parent's phone number is—"
"Hold on."
Tang Lin thought for a second. If she gave him to the police, he would either go back to his abusive mother, a relative, or an orphanage.
"Would you like to come with me for a while? I'll treat that wound on your face and give you something to eat. Are you okay with that?"
The boy remained silent and nodded. She took his hand and picked up the three packs of tofu that she put down earlier.
Tang Lin walked to the line with Wang Lao and when Lu Shen saw them, he looked confused.
"Lin, this is..?"
She whispered in his ear about the boy's abusive experience and he nodded.
"Are you sure this is okay? Would we get in trouble for bringing a random person's child home?" Lu Shen said to her in a low voice.
"It's the least we can do. We'll just treat his wound and feed him. I mean look at the kid! He looks horrible! Let me just take care of him for a little bit and decide what to do after. Okay?"
Lu Shen succumbed to her request and paid for the groceries.
The kid looked amazed when he went inside of the Lexus and saw the interior. He had never seen such expensive and high-quality things before. The couple was putting the groceries in the trunk.
They got in and Lu Shen started the engine. Wang Lao was sitting in the backseat, looking at Lu Shen and Tang Lin holding each others' hands and kissing them, as Lu Shen was driving. Even though the kid was still young, he envied their love and wished that his parents gave him something similar.
Lu Shen looked in the mirror and saw Wang Lao's face. He looked like he was about to cry because his bottom lip was sticking out.
"Wang Lao, do you have any nice relatives that you know of?"
"No."
"What about your parents? Are they nice?"
He shook his head and a tear fell from the side of his eye.
"Can you be my mommy and daddy? I don't want to go back home!"
He burst out into tears and sobbed.
"Pull over."
Lu Shen complied to her demand and Tang Lin went to the backseat and hugged Wang Lao.
"It's going to be okay. Don't cry. I promise that nobody will hurt you like that again. I promise," she said as she comforted him and patted his head.
Tang Lin made eye contact with Lu Shen and gave him a look as if she felt really bad for the boy.
Lu Shen drove the rest of the way home and they went inside of the house.
Tang Lin made Wang Lao sit on the couch as she went to go get the first aid kit. She came back and cleaned the cut with a cotton ball covered in alcohol. The little boy didn't cry or flinch when the alcohol stung him. Instead, he stared at Tang Lin admiringly and wished that she was his mother. When the blood was gone, she blew on it and put the kit away.
"Is it feeling better?"
"Yes."
His stomach growled and she laughed.
"You must be hungry. I'll start cooking right now. We are expecting a guest later, so I'll tell that mister over there to prepare another set of clothes for you."
Lu Shen heard their conversation from the other side of the couch and pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Who else?"
Tang Lin went to the kitchen and put on an apron.