TL: Etude
At this juncture, Boss Jin could no longer hold back and broke his silence.
With a chuckle, he stepped forward and said, "Auntie, you must be joking, right? I know Master Chen well, his repair skills are truly remarkable. Your daughter will definitely lead a blessed life with him."
Chen Jianghai looked up at Boss Jin and, knowing the latter was speaking up for him, responded with a slight smile, expressing his gratitude.
Hearing that Boss Jin would speak on Chen Jianghai's behalf, Xue Chunli's eyes widened in disbelief.
She could have dismissed the matchmaker, Sister Sun's words, as something Chen Jianghai had orchestrated.
But Boss Jin?
What made Chen Jianghai influential enough to have him speak on his behalf?
Did he really have such clout?
Could it be that this so-called loser had truly gained some competence?
At this point, Xue Chunli was starting to believe what Lin Wanqiu had said.
"Boss Jin, what a coincidence to meet you here," said Chen Jianghai as he stood up and offered a cigarette.
He then distributed cigarettes to Lin Jianguo and Lin Jihua, who both accepted them.
"Why don't we all take a seat and chat?" suggested Chen Jianghai, gesturing towards the stools and speaking with ease.
At that moment, everyone present found no reason to refuse and took their seats, including his mother-in-law, Xue Chunli.
Watching Chen Jianghai, Boss Jin increasingly felt that this young man was someone noteworthy.
He had been silent before, but now, with just a few words, he had easily taken control of the situation.
Lin Jianguo and his wife Xue Chunli watched Chen Jianghai with wide eyes, feeling as if their son-in-law had become somewhat of a stranger.
Facing someone like Boss Jin, Chen Jianghai seemed not the least bit intimidated; on the contrary, he had seized the initiative.
Lin Wanqiu watched Chen Jianghai in silence, her eyes shining.
"Boss Jin, it turns out we are both sons-in-law around here," Chen Jianghai remarked with a smile after lighting his cigarette.
Boss Jin nodded in agreement, "That's right, it seems we could even be considered neighbors. How about it, have you given any more thought to my proposal last time?"
It seemed Boss Jin had not forgotten his previous suggestion.
Chen Jianghai waved his hand dismissively, "Boss Jin, your business is doing so well, there's no need to exert yourself over me."
Boss Jin replied earnestly, "Business is tough these days, and besides, it's not wise to put all eggs in one basket. Having an additional source of income wouldn't be bad."
Unable to contain herself any longer, Xue Chunli blurted out, "Boss Jin, you know him?"
"Know him? Of course," Boss Jin nodded, "Some time ago, the air conditioning in my shop broke down, and it was Master Chen who fixed it. Seeing how skillful he was, I wanted to start a repair shop with him, but Master Chen has high standards and he didn't agree."
Hearing Boss Jin say this, everyone present was surprised.
Was this the same worthless son-in-law that Xue Chunli spoke of?
Even someone like Boss Jin wanted to partner with him, which was sufficient to prove Chen Jianghai's capabilities.
Following along, Chen Jianghai added, "Boss Jin is just kidding. My small business doesn't need any partnership!"
After that, the two of them engaged in idle chatter, with Lin Wanqing occasionally adding a comment.
After all, having ventured outside for many years, she could be considered quite experienced.
Boss Jin, needless to say, had seen even more, having traveled far and wide in his younger years.
Yet, when chatting with them, Chen Jianghai not only dominated the conversation but also mentioned things that were completely new to them and seemed quite impressive.
Having lived through an era of an information explosion in his previous life, Chen Jianghai knew far more than either of them.
Even if there were two more Boss Jins, they would not match up to Chen Jianghai.
As for the other people in the room, they could only listen as the three of them spoke on a wide array of topics, without a chance to interject.
Now everyone realized that compared to these three, they were merely frogs in a well.
The conversation lasted over half an hour, during which Boss Jin and Lin Wanqing felt they gained much, deeming the visit well worth their time.
Chen Jianghai spoke of some marketing strategies that excited Boss Jin so much he wished he could return immediately to try them out.
As for Lin Wanqing, she too felt she had benefited greatly.
Unable to contain his admiration, Boss Jin exclaimed, "Young brother, I truly didn't expect you to know so much. Not to mention your skills, but with your extraordinary insight, you wouldn't have to worry about finding a means to survive anywhere."
Lin Wanqing didn't speak, but her heart was incredibly shocked at the moment.
A person with such insight surely wouldn't be incompetent and should be able to lead her sister to a good life.
In light of this, the promise he had just made likely wasn't an empty boast.
Chen Jianghai merely smiled faintly in response to Boss Jin's words, not taking them too seriously.
In his previous life, he had toiled his entire life as a laborer, and naturally, he would not start from there again in this life.
Lin Ji's plan to show off had backfired, never expecting that Chen Jianghai would steal all the limelight.
"Let's go, let's go, time to head home," Lin Ji, annoyed, got up and left.
Boss Jin, understanding his father-in-law's mood, cheerfully said, "Brother Chen, let's chat again when we have the chance."
"Of course," Chen Jianghai readily agreed.
As Lin Jihua was about to exit the door, he suddenly turned around with a smile, "Oh, I almost forgot something. The color TV my son-in-law bought for me is arriving this afternoon, come over to watch it tonight!"
His words were a blatant show-off.
Xue Chunli was so annoyed she didn't want to respond at all, while Lin Jianguo grudgingly agreed.
Only after seeing Lin Jianguo and his wife's displeased expressions did Lin Jihua leave contentedly.
"No matter how excellent your son-in-law is, he still isn't as wealthy as mine," he thought smugly.
After Lin Jihua and his group left, the room fell silent.
Lin Jianguo's family looked curiously at Chen Jianghai as if they didn't recognize him.
Everyone wanted to hear Chen Jianghai's explanation, but he returned to his previous silence and low profile, sitting honestly on the stool as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.
Lin Wanqiu was the first to break the silence, "Mom, Dad, I'll wash the dishes!"
"Wanqiu, rest. I'll do it!" Chen Jianghai quickly stood up and offered.
Xue Chunli and Lin Jianguo exchanged glances; this was not what they had expected.
How could Chen Jianghai truly have become a different person?
...
Originally, Chen Jianghai and Lin Wanqiu were planning to go back in the afternoon, but as soon as they brought it up, everyone objected.
Xue Chunli's reason for objecting was simple: Chen Jianghai was acting too strangely.
Were they in a rush to go back because they feared being exposed if they stayed too long?
Xue Chunli's ability to make connections was indeed strong.
But there was no helping it, since Chen Jianghai had always acted too 'useless' in the past, and today's changes were too out of the ordinary for Xue Chunli to accept at once.
A lazy person suddenly turning over a new leaf and even learning a profitable skill, starting to change his life?
Xue Chunli would never believe it.
Of course, Xue Chunli's attitude was also changing, from previous disdain to now being full of doubts.
Moreover, if Chen Jianghai went back now, it would be harder to bring up divorce in the future.
Xue Chunli wanted Chen Jianghai to stay a few more days; if everything today was a facade, he would surely slip up.
Yes, they couldn't let them go!