Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 073

Chapter 73 ☆, An Unsuccessful Start.

Theoretically speaking, Xin Xin’s parents’ values ​​were very positive and reasonable.

Xin Xin’s parents even had very progressive views on love, which was what young people often said now: find a soulmate to marry or be single rather than settle for less.

Xin Xin once regarded these words as golden rules.

Zheng Zaochuan’s unstable personality and his fearless attitude even when he had nothing made Xin Xin feel very uncomfortable.

But love was irrational. No matter how long you struggled or how many times you told yourself it was not right, your heart would make a choice without you even realizing it.

She very cautiously introduced Zheng Zaochuan’s family: “Actually, I don’t know the specifics very well. His parents divorced when he was young. He’s very capable. He was already trying to start his own business when he was in college. He’s also a well-known entrepreneur in Haining.”

This time, the worry on my parents’ faces was even more obvious, to the point that they were even somewhat disapproving.

Lin Fang tried to be as tactful and gentle as possible in reminding him, “How long have you known this young man? Do you know him?”

Xin Xin had mastered the narrative method of “derived from life, but transcending life,” and said sincerely, “You still don’t trust me. We have known each other for six or seven years. He’s one of my clients and has helped me a lot. I know him very well. He’s a workaholic, loves his work, has no romantic relationships or scandals, and is an honest and upright person.”

Xin Zhihe lit a cigarette, smiled kindly, and said, “Since the young man will be here, let’s meet and talk. Baby, the one you like is definitely not bad, but you need to think it through. Families that run large businesses are very complicated. Perhaps marrying him will indeed give you a better material life, but a happy life is not entirely made up of material things.”

In fact, Xin Xin had thought about all of these things her parents mentioned, and even more. She wondered if Zheng Zaochuan would get tired of her after a while, and if after they got married and had children, he would hate her for being confined to the mundane routine of everyday life and abandon his wife and children without a word.

To be honest, it was not like he was incapable of doing something like that.

But Xin Xin was still trying to comfort her parents, saying, “He founded his company from scratch and just happened to catch the wave of opportunity to grow it. But actually, the shares are not all his; he probably holds about 30% of the shares right now. As for his family, his biological parents are probably struggling financially; they are not the kind of rich second-generation you might be thinking of.”

Lin Fang found a new angle: “Even self-made bosses are not necessarily a good match for you. You’ve never experienced hardship growing up, while they’ve weathered many storms. The little things you encounter might not seem like a big deal to them. Some people may seem glamorous, but remember Aunt Zhang, my friend? Her husband’s business is huge, but she’s had another family since she was young. She may be rich, but she’s always living a quiet, lonely life; her life might not be easy.”

Xin Xin was speechless.

It was true that her parents were open-minded, but it was also true that their words revealed their disapproval.

Seeing Xin Xin remain silent, Lin Fang forced a smile. “We were just saying, thinking about some risks beforehand. But we know you’ve always been very sensible and smart. You see further than your parents do, so just do what you like.”

Xin Zhihe nodded. “Bring him over tomorrow; let’s have dinner together first, and then we will meet the young man.”

Xin Xin had actually anticipated her parents’ attitude. When she was in college, her parents had discussed their ideal partner for her: a respectable school, a respectable job, and a comfortable family background.

But Xin Xin also felt that at least her parents would not embarrass Zheng Zaochuan in person, and that if they looked into it, they would find that everything was alright, so she became optimistic again.

“Okay, I will pick him up tomorrow.”

Before going to sleep, Xin Zhihe could not help but ask again, “You used to have a boss named Zhao Xi, that young man. I thought he was pretty good, but you two did not really develop a relationship?”

At this moment, Xin Xin had no choice but to sacrifice Zhao Xi in order to rescue Zheng from Zhao’s siege. He quickly betrayed Zhao Xi and exaggerated Zhao Xi’s situation.

“You’ve only met him once; how could you tell? That young man was secretly married; I did not even know before. I only recently heard from someone that he got divorced, and his ex-wife works at our company.”

Upon hearing this, Xin Zhihe emerged from the bedroom. “When I visited you before, I thought that young man was treating you quite well. I never imagined it was all the tricks of a married man. My daughter’s truly amazing; she will not be fooled by such sweet talk.”

Xin Xin smiled and said, “Yes, luckily I was not fooled. Go to sleep now. You will see when you meet him that Zheng Zaochuan’s not the kind of businessman who only thinks about money.”

However, the next day, before Xin Xin could even pick up Zheng Zaochuan, he had already come to visit.

At the same time, and very unfortunately, Zheng Zaochuan arrived at the door carrying expensive cigarettes and alcohol, dressed in a fine suit.

This perfectly matched Xin Xin’s parents’ stereotype of a young man with a strong “streetwise” air.

“Uncle and Aunt, I’m Xin Xin’s friend; my name’s Zheng Zaochuan.” Zheng Zaochuan smiled and combed his usually messy hair until it was shiny.

Xin Xin, wearing brightly colored floral pajamas, stared in disbelief.

“Were you not arriving this afternoon?”

Zheng Zaochuan put on an act, saying, “How can I let you pick me up during the Lunar New Year? I changed my flight.”

Xin Xin felt a pang of sympathy. She suddenly realized that last night, after she told Zheng Zaochuan that she had already told her parents, he had said mysteriously, “I will give you a surprise tomorrow.”

Perhaps in Zheng Zaochuan’s eyes, the surprise was “to comb his hair like an adult,” making himself look at least five years older, thus achieving a mature and composed effect.

After hearing what their daughter said, Xin Xin’s parents comforted each other in bed that night, believing that although their daughter had found a businessman, he was probably a bookish young man with gold-rimmed glasses.

Looking at it today, every accessory, from head to toe, practically screams, “I’m nouveau riche.”

Xin Xin could not understand why Zheng Zaochuan, whose aesthetic sense was usually on point, would falter at such a crucial moment, especially since he was wearing a Rolex on his arm.

Xin Zhihe looked Zheng Zaochuan up and down and had already made up his mind.

Inappropriate.

However, Xin Xin’s parents were still very welcoming and let Zheng Zaochuan into the house, where they made tea for him.

Because of the urgency of the situation, Xin Zhihe, who originally planned to show off his skills by making some Northeastern specialties, had to abandon the fancy appearance and return to simplicity to strive for authentic taste.

Zheng Zaochuan had never experienced such a major event as meeting the parents during the Lunar New Year before, so he was inevitably a little reserved. But in order to project a relaxed, natural, and generous demeanor, he chatted warmly with Lin Fang, asking, “Auntie, does Uncle usually cook?”

Looking at Zheng Zaochuan’s unruly demeanor, Lin Fang already felt that he would bully Xin Xin. This attempt to start a conversation made her feel like it was a warning shot.

“We don’t have the custom of girls cooking here. Xin Xin has never been able to cook.”

Before Xin Xin could even reply, Zheng Zaochuan subconsciously said, “No, Xin Xin’s cooking’s pretty good.”

He was just making conversation, but he managed to to say something that implied he not only made Xin Xin do the work but also complained that she did not did it well enough.

Lin Fang sneered, “Then we are sorry to have wronged Xiao Zheng. We’ve never eaten Xin Xin’s cooking before.”

Seeing that her mother was already angry, Xin Xin was both amused and exasperated and quickly explained, “Zheng Zaochuan’s a good cook; I will have him make one for me these next couple of days.”

Lin Fang glared at her. “They are just clients. How can you expect them to cook?”

At this point, Zheng Zaochuan could tell that Lin Fang was angry. However, he had no experience in dealing with elders and no normal parent-child relationship to refer to. The more nervous he became, the more mistakes he would make, so he fell silent.

Xin Xin was put on the defensive.

Her initial thought was that Zheng Zaochuan was good-looking, with a delicate and youthful appearance. She believed that her parents’ initial aversion to him would be lessened upon seeing him.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Zaochuan overdid it, perfectly replicating the image of a gangster boss from Northeast China.

Xin Xin had considered all possibilities, but she never expected the scene before her.

However, that was not all. During the subsequent meal, Zheng Zaochuan once again made Xin Xin understand what it meant to “step on landmines from all sides.”

While Xin Xin and the other two were having an awkward chat, Xin Zhihe prepared several dishes and brought them out.

“Come on, try my specialty dish.”

Zheng Zaochuan and Xin Xin stood up together to help serve the dishes.

After the four of them sat down, Xin Xin exaggeratedly praised, “My dad’s sweet and sour pork is really good; you should try it.”

Xin Zhihe was very pleased with himself and began introducing Northeastern Chinese cuisine to Zheng Zaochuan. The delicious lunch managed to salvage the tense atmosphere somewhat.

Amidst the cheerful atmosphere, Zheng Zaochuan took the initiative to pick up the wine, saying, “Uncle, come on, I brought some good wine; let’s have a drink together.”

Xin Zhihe asked with a smile, “Little Zheng, you have a good alcohol tolerance.”

Xin Xin knew that Zheng Zaochuan’s alcohol tolerance was not bad, but it was just average. Aside from daily work and social interactions, he rarely drank on his own initiative.

But to everyone’s surprise, at that moment, he said very proudly, “Uncle, don’t worry, I can drink a pound and a half without any problem.”

Xin Xin’s vision went black again, and she was once again subjected to Lin Fang’s silent attack.

The condemnation.

That evening, Xin Xin was subjected to a double interrogation by her parents.

“He has no taste, no manners; how could you fall for him? Just because he’s rich? Let me tell you, baby, we’ve seen it all over the decades. People in business can easily fool you.” Lin Fang’s impression of Zheng Zaochuan was probably no better than that of a petty thug.

Xin Xin spoke hesitantly, “You might not believe it, but he’s not usually like this.”

“He’s not usually like this?” Lin Fang said, heartbroken. “You two are not even married yet; you are just dating. And he’s already telling us your cooking’s not good. When has my daughter ever suffered like this?”

Xin Xin was speechless. “Actually, he’s the one who usually does the cooking.”

“Baby, you need to think this through.” It was Xin Zhihe’s turn to speak. “He just arrived, and he was already telling his elders that he can drink and loves to drink. You will suffer a lot in the future with a guy like that.”

Xin Xin was in agony and fled in panic. As soon as she got back to her room, she sent a message to Zheng Zaochuan.

“Where did you get this outfit? And where did you learn all these talking techniques?”

Zheng Zaochuan replied instantly, and she could feel his grievance even through the screen.

“To make a good impression on them, I even watched a classic Northeastern TV series recently to get a feel for what real Northeastern men are like.”

Xin Xin laughed in exasperation, “What TV series?”

Zheng Zaochuan sent the link to Xin Xin, and when she saw it, she almost fainted.

The webpage opened and prominently displayed “Twenty Years of Gangster Chronicles in Northeast China.”

Zheng Zaochuan retorted confidently, “Just tell me, aren’t you from Northeast China?”

Xin Xin rolled her eyes and replied with a single word, “Get lost!”