Chen Yang's heart skipped a beat. Looking up, he saw a slender figure enter. The girl wore a beige knitted short-sleeved top and black flared straight-leg pants. Her face, like a sculpted jade, displayed perfect facial curves, and her delicate nose was slightly upturned. She exuded a tranquil, scholarly air. It was Fang Qiao, Chen Yang's cousin from his previous life.
Before coming to the door, Chen Yang had imagined countless times what it would be like to reunite with his cousin in this world. After the disappointment he had just experienced, he never expected that their reunion would unfold so unexpectedly.
Fang Qiao bent down to pick up her shoes and put them in the shoe cabinet. Straightening up, she immediately saw Fang Hongda, a look of surprise on her face. Smiling, she said, "Hey? Secretary, did the sun rise in the west today? You actually have time to eat at home!"
Chen Yang's position was blocked by the screen partition in the entryway. Fang Qiao took two steps forward before seeing him, paused for a moment, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Oh, we have a guest!"
"How dare you talk to your father like that! No manners!" Qu Jing rolled her eyes at her daughter and muttered, "Aren't you going to wash your hands? You really know how to arrive at mealtimes, treating the house like a restaurant!"
"I'm just busy with work," Fang Qiao said with a grin, affectionately putting her arm around Qu Jing's shoulders. "Mom, you've worked so hard!"
Qu Jing irritably brushed Fang Qiao's hand off her and said,
"Just busy with your lousy photography studio? I really don't understand you. You gave up your deputy director-level research position at the Provincial Party Committee Policy Research Office to quit and start this studio..."
Seeing her mother start nagging again, Fang Qiao felt a headache coming on. She quickly left her mother and went into the living room to say to Fang Hongda,
"Dad, we have guests. Why haven't you introduced them to me yet?"
Fang Qiao originally had a deputy director-level position at the Provincial Party Committee Policy Research Office. Although it was a low-level position, it was stable. In Qu Jing's opinion, girls didn't need such high-ranking positions; a stable job and finding a suitable husband and mother would be enough. But Fang Qiao had her own ideas and secretly resigned without telling her family. Seeing Fang Qiao avoid the topic again, Qu Jing was furious, but because there were guests, she couldn't lash out. She glared at Fang Qiao and turned to go to the kitchen to serve the dishes. "Chen Yang, this is my daughter, Fang Qiao," Fang Hongda said with a helpless shake of his head. "Qiao Qiao, this is Chen Yang, Elder Bai's last disciple."
Chen Yang, suppressing his excitement, stepped forward and extended his hand, smiling as he said,
"Hello, Sister Qiao!"
This address to Sister Qiao came naturally, as that was how he had addressed her in his previous life.
Fang Qiao smiled faintly, elegantly extending her hand to lightly shake Chen Yang's, and said with a smile,
"Hello, Chen Yang! Welcome to my home!"
Aside from occasionally showing a touch of naivety in front of her mother, Fang Qiao was always elegant and poised in public, exuding the intellectual beauty of a cultured young woman.
"Come on, let's eat!" Fang Hongda greeted with a smile as Guan Weiping brought over the wine.
Fang Hongda took the lead and sat in the center of the table, while the others sat on either side. Although it was called a family dinner, the dishes were few and mostly home-style fare. However, Chen Yang found the taste quite unique. In his previous life, Chen Yang had often freeloaded meals at Fang Hongda's house. Now, reborn, tasting Qu Jing's cooking again, Chen Yang was filled with mixed emotions.
For health reasons, the doctor had forbidden Fang Hongda from drinking baijiu (Chinese liquor), and even red wine was limited to a small glass per day. But today, Fang Hongda made an exception, bringing out his treasured Moutai and pouring himself a glass. Guan Weiping noticed this unusual behavior and couldn't help but glance at Chen Yang a few more times.
Guan Weiping didn't understand why Fang Hongda was suddenly treating Chen Yang differently, but from this small detail of drinking, he could tell that Chen Yang held a significant place in Fang Hongda's heart. Guan Weiping also reassessed Chen Yang in his mind.
Fang Hongda raised his glass and said,
"Come, everyone, let's raise a glass and welcome Chen Yang to our home!"
Chen Yang was slightly surprised to see Fang Hongda drinking baijiu. He knew Fang Hongda's habits well; he rarely drank unless there was something particularly joyful.
Was it merely because he was Master Baiyan's disciple? Chen Yang himself felt this reason was a bit far-fetched. Although Master Baiyan had a deep connection with the Fang family, and Chen Yang, as the master's newly accepted disciple, was studying in Rongcheng where Fang Hongda served, it was somewhat reasonable for Fang Hongda to invite him to his home for a meal to strengthen their relationship. However, it was hard to imagine that Fang Hongda, a high-ranking official, would disregard his health and break his rule to drink for him.
Chen Yang never imagined that all of this was because of his mother. Fang Hongda, upon seeing the child of his childhood playmate whom he hadn't heard from in decades, was so excited that he offered to have a drink.
However, Chen Yang didn't show his doubt on his face. Instead, he quickly raised his glass and politely said,
"Thank you, Uncle Fang, but baijiu (Chinese liquor) is too irritating to the stomach. You'd better drink less."
Fang Hongda suffered from severe stomach ulcers due to years of busy work and irregular schedules, which was why Chen Yang reminded him.
Hearing Chen Yang's words, Fang Hongda was taken aback. He hadn't expected Chen Yang to know so much about his condition. But then Fang Hongda thought about it again. It was probably something Guan Weiping had revealed during a casual conversation. Guan Weiping was always meticulous and cautious in his work, and it was highly likely that he had told Chen Yang some basic information and precautions beforehand. Fang Hongda smiled and said,
"It's alright, I'm happy today, I'll just have this one drink! Weiping will drink with you afterwards, I won't drink anymore."
Qu Jing frowned imperceptibly, but being a very traditional woman, and with guests present, she didn't say anything more. Everyone finished their first drink together, even Fang Qiao drank a glass of red wine with them.
"Come on! Chen Yang, eat! Don't be shy, make yourself at home!" After putting down her glass, Qu Jing warmly placed a braised prawn on Chen Yang's plate.
Chen Yang quickly said, "Thank you, Aunt Qu!"
Fang Hongda kept his word. After finishing his drink, he cleared the glass away, scooped up a bowl of rice, and ate heartily. Guan Weiping was clearly not a stranger to Fang Hongda's house, and didn't seem reserved. Although Fang Hongda wasn't drinking anymore, he still frequently raised his glass, drinking several glasses with Chen Yang and Fang Qiao.
Fang Hongda ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then suddenly asked with interest:
"Chen Yang, what are your plans after graduating from university?"
Chen Yang put down his chopsticks, sat up straight, and replied:
"Before my teacher returned to Beijing, he told me to pursue his graduate studies. However, I'm still considering it. I personally want to further my studies in calligraphy and painting, but Beijing is too far from Southeast China, and I'm a little worried about my mother being alone here."
Fang Hongda nodded and said:
"Calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting are the essence of traditional Chinese culture, and your teacher, Mr. Bai Yan, is a leading figure in the calligraphy and painting world..." "Chu, if you can continue your studies under his guidance, you will definitely benefit greatly. I don't think you need to worry too much about your mother's situation. Firstly, she's not old enough to need you to take care of her. Secondly, didn't you already buy a house in Rongcheng? Your family's financial situation will only get better and better."
Chen Yang nodded and replied:
"Yes, Uncle Fang, I also plan to try starting my own business during university to improve our financial situation as much as possible, so I won't have any worries when I go to Beijing to study."
Fang Qiao, hearing that Chen Yang wanted to start his own business, perhaps resonated with him and also became very interested. Asked:
"Oh? Have you decided what you want to do?"
Chen Yang nodded, confidently stating:
"My initial consideration is the cultural and creative industries. Our Southeast Province is at the forefront of reform and opening up, and the people's living standards are generally high, so their demand for spiritual enrichment will inevitably grow stronger. Moreover, since 2008, tensions have greatly eased; the clouds of war over the Taiwan Strait are gradually dissipating. It's foreseeable that in the next five years, the entire Southeast Province will enter a period of rapid development, and exchanges between the two sides will become increasingly close." "As the former frontline of the war, the development of Southeast Province was affected by objective conditions. However, this disadvantage is now precisely Southeast Province's most advantageous factor, because it is a bridgehead for cross-strait exchanges. It's important to know that the cultural industry on the other side is quite prosperous, and with the deepening of cross-strait exchanges, it will inevitably drive the development of our province's cultural industry. Therefore, I believe now is the best time to enter this industry."
Upon hearing this, everyone at the table showed surprised expressions. Chen Yang's words were grand and insightful, directly addressing the issue from a strategic perspective of the entire province and even the whole country, and his analysis was very logical. Fang Hongda was particularly moved, as Chen Yang's views coincided with his own. Fang Hongda was currently vigorously promoting the establishment and approval of the Cross-Strait Cultural Industry Creative Park in the province.
Fang Hongda's current term has two years remaining. To advance his career, he needs not only strong control over the province but also outstanding achievements. After successfully launching the Pingtan Island Comprehensive Experimental Zone, hailed as a "mini-special zone," this Cross-Strait Cultural Industry Creative Park is precisely the star project that Fang Hongda wants to focus on developing in the next two years. Therefore, after hearing Chen Yang's words, Fang Hongda became very interested and said:
"Chen Yang, continue!"
Encouraged by Fang Hongda, Chen Yang nodded and said:
"The cultural industry offers unlimited business opportunities. Southeast Province has all the advantages of favorable timing and location. If we can focus on cross-strait relations and establish a cultural industry park, once we achieve economies of scale, Southeast Province could very well become a new cross-strait cultural industry center."
At this point, Chen Yang smiled and said:
"That's a bit of a stretch..."
Fang Hongda looked at Chen Yang with encouraging eyes and said with a smile:
"No, no! Your words have given me a lot of inspiration! Chen Yang, I didn't expect you to have such insight at such a young age, it's truly remarkable!"
Chen Yang humbly said:
"Uncle Fang, you flatter me. I'm just talking theory. As for myself, I haven't really decided what I want to do yet, but it will definitely be related to traditional Chinese culture, such as combining traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy with animation to create truly high-quality domestic animation. Of course, at this stage, it's only..." "You can start small, but without sufficient funds, everything else is meaningless."
Chen Yang thought for a moment, then added:
"Actually, I really admire Sister Qiao for starting her own business. A photography studio is part of the cultural industry! It's quite trendy. Many young people nowadays don't like going to photo studios; they prefer studios. If Sister Qiao focuses on high-end photography, her future development is very promising. Famous photographers are highly sought after abroad!"
Fang Qiao smiled upon hearing Chen Yang's words, raising her eyebrows smugly at Qu Jing, and said:
"Mom, did you hear that? Don't keep saying I'm not doing my job properly!"
After saying that, Fang Qiao took out a business card and handed it to Chen Yang, saying:
"Chen Yang, feel free to come to my studio sometime. If you get into animation, we'll be in the same industry!"
Chen Yang smiled and took the business card, putting it in his jacket pocket. He remembered Fang Qiao's contact information perfectly without even looking at it, but having her business card made contacting her legitimate in the future. Chen Yang was a guest, so Qu Jing didn't say much. Fang Hongda, however, happily said,
"Great! Chen Yang, your idea of starting a business is good. If you encounter any difficulties, just ask Weiping. If he can't solve it either, I'll step in and help you!"
As a provincial party secretary, Fang Hongda's words meant that Chen Yang's business ventures in Southeast Province would be completely unimpeded by official channels.
Chen Yang quickly stood up and said,
"Thank you, Uncle Fang!"
Everyone ate and chatted for over an hour, enjoying themselves immensely. To avoid disturbing Fang Hongda's rest, Chen Yang sat for a short while after the meal before taking his leave.
Guan Weiping had the driver take Chen Yang back to school, but he stayed behind. He needed to consult with Fang Hongda about tomorrow's schedule and some major tasks.
Fang Hongda sat quietly on the sofa in the living room, his right index finger unconsciously tapping on the armrest. Guan Weiping brewed a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Fang Hongda, then sat down on the sofa to the side. He knew Fang Hongda was deep in thought, so he didn't interrupt.
After a while, Fang Hongda finally looked up and said,
"Weiping, I've decided to attend the unveiling ceremony of the modern agricultural demonstration park in Songping City at the end of the month."
Guan Weiping was taken aback. Fang Hongda had previously stated he wouldn't attend this event. His sudden change of mind meant many arrangements needed to be readjusted, involving a lot of coordination work. However, Guan Weiping didn't ask any further questions, simply nodding in agreement, then took out his notebook and jotted it down. Adjusting the secretary's schedule was a major matter; Guan Weiping would need to coordinate with multiple units after starting work tomorrow, and he also needed to promptly notify Songping City to avoid them being overwhelmed.
The modern agricultural demonstration park was located in Nanpu County, Songping City, which was Chen Yang's hometown…