Xu Qian led the way to the second floor.
She was just about to take out the key to open the door.
But the door opened on its own.
Standing inside the door was Lu Xinyao, who greeted them with a smile.
Xu Xiuwen stepped into the entrance, looking at the clean and tidy floor, feeling a bit troubled.
The girls had cleaned the floor so well that it seemed inappropriate for him to walk on it with his shoes.
Lu Xinyao noticed Xu Xiuwen's hesitation.
She immediately opened a nearby cabinet, took out a brand new pair of men's slippers, and placed them in front of him.
Xu Xiuwen was taken aback, "Why do you have men's slippers?"
Lu Xinyao smiled and explained, "We were worried that you might visit someday, so we prepared a pair in advance."
"I see." Xu Xiuwen nodded and said no more.
He put on the slippers and went to sit on the living room sofa.
The three bedrooms were already occupied, so Xu Xiuwen naturally didn't go inside.
After Xu Qian came in, she went to the kitchen to make tea for Xu Xiuwen.
Lu Xinyao also went to help.
Soon, the two of them came back with a cup of tea.
Xu Qian placed a cup in front of Xu Xiuwen, "Mr. Xu, have some tea."
Xu Xiuwen looked at the tea in front of him and chuckled, "Do you guys have a habit of drinking tea?"
Xu Qian shook her head.
Lu Xinyao explained, "Mr. Xu, none of us drink tea. This tea was specially prepared for you."
Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but laugh, "You three girls live here, and I don't visit. There's no need to prepare slippers and tea just for me."
He thought to himself: Do not plant melons under a melon field; do not adjust your hat under a plum tree.
Although he rented the house, three women, all quite attractive, lived there now.
To avoid suspicion, Xu Xiuwen never planned to come frequently. There was no need to prepare slippers just for him.
But the three women not only prepared slippers but also bought tea for his visits.
As if he would visit often.
Lu Xinyao smiled gently, "Mr. Xu, you might not come, but we can't be unprepared. It doesn't cost much anyway."
Xu Qian sat on the sofa with a serious face, "Mr. Xu, I need to thank you. And thank you, Xinyao, for calling Mr. Xu."
Xu Xiuwen took a sip of tea and said, "It's nothing, it's what I should do."
Lu Xinyao laughed and said, "It's nothing."
Then she asked, "Qianqian, who was that man earlier?"
Xu Xiuwen didn't speak but also put down his cup and looked over.
Xu Qian hesitated with her head down but finally said, "Our dads are colleagues. I've known him since childhood, and we were in the same class until high school."
Lu Xinyao nodded and said softly, "Childhood sweethearts, no wonder."
Xu Qian, worried that Xu Xiuwen might misunderstand, quickly waved her hand, "It's not like that. Though I've known him since childhood, our relationship is just average. I didn't know he liked me. After I came to Jinling for school, we met by chance, and he started pursuing me. I've rejected him many times, but he kept pestering me. I moved here to avoid him, but he still followed me."
Lu Xinyao asked, "Did you ever think about calling the police?"
Xu Qian shook her head, "He's been pestering me but hasn't done anything harmful. Tonight, he might have seen Mr. Xu and felt provoked, so he acted that way."
Lu Xinyao was curious about what "that way" meant but decided not to ask since Mr. Xu was there.
She planned to ask Xu Qian in private later.
Xu Xiuwen suddenly asked, "If you rejected him, why did you go downstairs to see him so late?"
Xu Qian looked up at Xu Xiuwen's calm eyes and felt a bit wronged.
She explained, "I said I wouldn't go, but he threatened to knock on the door if I didn't. I didn't want to disturb Xinyao and Xiaomi, so I went downstairs. I didn't want to see him."
Lu Xinyao asked curiously, "Qianqian, why didn't you tell your dad? Didn't you say your dads are colleagues?"
Xu Qian replied, "It wouldn't help. My dad and his dad are colleagues but not close. Besides, Qiao Dong's dad is the factory director."
Hearing the term "factory director" again, Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but ask, "What factory?"
Xu Qian looked at Xu Xiuwen and said, "Mr. Xu, you should know Guangming Distillery, right?"
Xu Xiuwen nodded.
Guangming Distillery was a well-known distillery in Xu Xiuwen's hometown. The name itself indicates its location in Guangming. It was once a famous distillery in China.
In the 1980s, Guangming Liquor was almost a household name in Anhui Province, reaching its peak of glory and becoming famous nationwide.
At that time, there were many popular sayings: "Traveling across the country, Guangming Liquor is the best," "A glass of old Guangming, a lifelong bond," and "Smoking the Dajiang brand, drinking Guangming Liquor," etc.
These well-known rhymes are enough to illustrate the prominent position of Guangming Liquor in the 1980s.
However, the good times didn't last long. Entering the late 1990s, Guangming Distillery suffered from severe internal strife and poor management, leading to operational difficulties. The situation worsened, and the debts increased day by day.
Finally, at the end of 2005, the distillery declared bankruptcy due to policy reasons. It was then acquired by a group from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, but still failed to develop. Ultimately, it was taken over by a leading liquor enterprise in the province.
Xu Xiuwen was well aware of the development of Guangming Distillery since it was a hometown enterprise.
Xu Qian said, "Qiao Dong's father is the director of Guangming Distillery, and he has always had immense power there. My father is a small manager in the distillery, and I don't want to cause him to lose his job."
Lu Xinyao sighed and said, "Qianqian, you are so pitiful, I really feel sorry for you."
Even though Xu Qian wasn't too upset when almost being forcibly evicted, hearing Lu Xinyao's words made her feel wronged.
She burst into tears.
Lu Xinyao was surprised but immediately sat over, hugged Xu Qian, and comforted her gently.
Xu Xiuwen suddenly said, "Xu Qian, if I remember correctly, Guangming Distillery declared bankruptcy last December, right?"
Xu Qian replied, "Yes."
"I recall it was sold to a big group from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. Didn't they replace the director with their own people?"
Xu Qian was taken aback and asked, "What big group? No, I heard from my dad that last September, the distillery workers agreed to bankruptcy restructuring, and the government has been cooperating with attracting investments, but no one is willing to take over. So the distillery hasn't been sold. The situation is very bad, and many people haven't received their wages for a long time, including my dad."
After hearing Xu Qian's words, Xu Xiuwen's eyes widened.
"Did I hear you right? You said the distillery hasn't been sold since declaring bankruptcy?"
Xu Qian nodded and said, "Yes, that's right."
"Are you sure?"
Xu Qian said, "I'm sure because a few days ago, I heard my dad saying at home that no one is willing to take over the distillery, and it hasn't been paying wages. Many workers have gone to protest."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiuwen fell silent.