Chapter 68 Don't Overthink It

"Alright, I get it!"

Chen Jianghai nodded and then walked into the warehouse.

Looking at the warehouse piled high with discarded and old electrical appliances, Chen Jianghai couldn't help feeling a bit overwhelmed. After all, he only had one pair of hands, and the current workload was simply too heavy, while the workspace was a bit too small. Expanding the premises was an absolute necessity!

Therefore, he planned to look around during the afternoon to see if there were any suitable storefronts available. Once the shop opened, he could find a couple of reliable apprentices to help out, which would make things a bit easier for him. After all, to truly grow a business, one needed a team of talented people!

"Brother Jianghai, you're here!"

Zhao Yuxi, who was furiously writing away, looked up and called out brightly.

"Yeah, Yuxi, busy studying?"

Chen Jianghai smiled and replied.

"I'll pour you a glass of water!"

With that, Zhao Yuxi walked quickly over to the doorway, picked up the kettle, and poured a large mug of plain cooled boiled water.

"Great, thanks a lot!"

Taking the mug, Chen Jianghai took a sip. After pondering his next steps, he rolled up his sleeves and resumed his assembly work. Meanwhile, Zhao Yuxi sat back down at the table with a slight smile, continuing to review her lessons.

Busy all the way until noon, Chen Jianghai finally found a moment to put down his tools. He called out to Changgui and Yuxi to join him for a casual meal at a nearby restaurant before hurriedly leaving.

When he arrived at the Zhongbai No. 1 Department Store, Lin Wanqiu was already standing on the steps at the entrance.

"Wanqiu, have you been waiting long?" Chen Jianghai locked his bicycle and walked up quickly, taking Lin Wanqiu by the hand as he asked.

Lin Wanqiu shook her head. "No, I just got here from the factory myself."

"Then let's go inside!" With that, Chen Jianghai pulled Lin Wanqiu along as they walked in.

Feeling Chen Jianghai holding her hand, Lin Wanqiu felt a bit shy. She wanted to pull away, but somehow couldn't bear to do so. In this era, holding hands out in public was already considered a relatively intimate gesture.

As they walked, Chen Jianghai asked, "Have a look and see what we need to buy."

"Mostly just a bed, a quilt, and some daily necessities will do," Lin Wanqiu said directly, clearly having thought about it beforehand.

"Right, and later we'll head to the vegetable market to buy some chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Since Mom and Dad are making the trip, we have to treat them properly. Oh, and we'll go to the provisions store to buy two bottles of good liquor and some quality cigarettes."

"Jianghai, don't buy anything too expensive. Ordinary ones will do!" Lin Wanqiu said with some hesitation.

Chen Jianghai waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine, leave it to me."

Seeing that she couldn't talk him out of it, Lin Wanqiu could only nod and say, "Alright, let's do it your way then!"

"Is there anything specific Mom likes?" Chen Jianghai followed up with another question.

Lin Wanqiu thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think my mom has any particular hobbies..."

"That makes it easy. Buying her clothes and shoes is guaranteed to be right!" Chen Jianghai declared immediately.

Lin Wanqiu was momentarily at a loss for words. It seemed to make sense, somehow...

Half an hour later, Chen Jianghai came out carrying large and small bags, his forehead covered in sweat.

Seeing this, Lin Wanqiu couldn't help complaining, "Look at you! I told you just to buy a quilt and some daily necessities. You bought so much stuff—are you planning to open a store at home?"

"Not much at all, aren't these all things we'll use? This way, they can feel completely at ease and reassured," Chen Jianghai laughed when he heard her exaggerated description.

Hearing him put it that way, Lin Wanqiu immediately understood. Chen Jianghai had probably already guessed the real purpose behind her parents' visit.

"Jianghai, don't overthink it!" Lin Wanqiu looked at Chen Jianghai somewhat awkwardly, speaking with cautious care.

Chen Jianghai said casually, "I'm not an idiot, am I? Ever since we got married, your parents haven't even come to visit you once. This time they're coming probably because they still don't quite trust me!"

"No, no, that's not it!"

Lin Wanqiu hurriedly shook her head to explain. "They... they just wanted to come see me, and drop by to see you too..."

As she reached the end of her sentence, she couldn't even convince herself anymore, lowering her head and not daring to look at Chen Jianghai.

Chen Jianghai put down the things in his hands, took Lin Wanqiu's hands, and said softly, "Wanqiu, you don't need to worry. I don't mean to blame them at all. It's good that they're coming; let them see that I haven't wronged their precious daughter."

"Don't worry, once they come this time and see the changes in our home, they definitely won't treat you like that anymore in the future," Lin Wanqiu said, lifting her head with a look full of confidence.

Chen Jianghai replied, "Wanqiu, what kind of talk is that? Mom and Dad have always been pretty decent to me; it was just that I didn't work hard enough in the past and let them down."

Hearing Chen Jianghai take all the blame upon himself, Lin Wanqiu felt both happy and heartbroken. This meant he truly wasn't angry. At that moment, her heart was filled with deep emotion. The man she was with now considered everything from her perspective, showing meticulous care in every possible way. She believed her parents would come to see him in a completely new light!

Shortly after, Chen Jianghai hailed a tricycle. He and Lin Wanqiu climbed aboard, surrounded by a mountain of packages. This time, Lin Wanqiu didn't fuss over the fare. What she cared about now was sparing Chen Jianghai from working so terribly hard. What did spending a little money on a ride matter? Her husband worked so hard, he deserved it!

The tricycle stopped in front of Grandpa Jiang's courtyard. Chen Jianghai opened the gate and began unloading the items. Lin Wanqiu wanted to step forward and help, but Chen Jianghai stopped her.

"Wanqiu, leave the heavy lifting to me. You go inside and clean up the rooms!"

"Oh, Little Chen, you're here! Is this your wife?"

At that moment, hearing the commotion, Grandpa Jiang walked out of his room and greeted them with a cheerful smile.

Chen Jianghai nodded. "Yes, this is my wife, Lin Wanqiu. Wanqiu, let me introduce you. This is Grandpa Jiang, the one I mentioned to you earlier. The place we're renting belongs to him."

Lin Wanqiu greeted him politely, "Hello, Grandpa Jiang."

Grandpa Jiang laughed heartily and gave a thumbs up. "Little Chen, you really have a way about you, managing to marry such a beautiful wife."

"Can't help it, when good fortune knocks, you just can't stop it!" Chen Jianghai replied cheerfully.

Hearing this, Lin Wanqiu couldn't help giving him a sideways glance. Even Grandpa Jiang looked at him with mild surprise, then broke into a knowing smile.

Far from minding, the expression on Chen Jianghai's face grew even brighter. Seeing the young couple's playful little exchange, Grandpa Jiang chuckled as well.

"Little Chen is being too modest. You rely on your own genuine skills, how can you call it just luck? If you didn't have ability, would that young lady's parents have entrusted their daughter to you?"

Hearing Grandpa Jiang say this, Chen Jianghai only smiled and nodded without adding anything further. But while the speaker had no ulterior motives, the listener took it to heart.

Lin Wanqiu looked at Chen Jianghai with a worried expression. However, noticing that his facial expression hadn't changed much, she relaxed slightly. Still, those words seemed to have planted a seed, and a lingering worry remained hidden in her heart.

"Grandpa Jiang, we're going to get to work now."

Seeing the troubled look on his wife's face, Chen Jianghai quickly changed the subject.

"Need any help?" Grandpa Jiang asked warmly.

Chen Jianghai shook his head quickly. "No, no, I can handle this little bit of stuff myself, no need to trouble you, Grandpa."

"Alright then, I'm off to play chess."

Grandpa Jiang didn't insist further, offering a cheerful parting word before preparing to head out.

"Alright, take your time walking."

With that, Chen Jianghai buried himself in moving the rest of the items, while Lin Wanqiu set to work cleaning the rooms.

By the time the two of them finished, the sky had already grown dim.

"Wanqiu, I'll go buy the groceries, you head back inside first!"

Chen Jianghai wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.

"Let's go together!"

Lin Wanqiu wrapped her arm around Chen Jianghai's, speaking with gentle affection.