Chapter 27: Su Heming
Chapter 27: Su Heming
With the mainland still closed off, it wasn't feasible to venture into tailoring suits and business attire, but shoes were a different story. Women inherently loved beauty, and if they could get their hands on stylish, warm, and waterproof winter shoes, they would be willing to splurge despite the high price.
On her way back, Lu Jiaxin contemplated the feasibility of making winter shoes. She could effortlessly sketch out dozens of fashionable designs, but she lacked the initial capital to get started.
If she had the funding, she could head to Pengcheng and have a factory produce the shoes. The pressing matter at hand was to gather the necessary startup funds. She had over nine thousand yuan in her passbook savings and a little over two thousand yuan on hand, but it was far from sufficient. If she was going to take on this endeavor, she wanted to go big. Otherwise, by the time her shoes hit the market, countless imitators would have already flooded the scene.
Seeing the furrowed brow and the conflicted expression on her face, Xue Mao couldn't help but ask, "Sis Jiaxin, are you still thinking about those shoes? If you really like them, let's go back and buy them, no matter the cost!"
He didn't understand the difference between lambskin and synthetic leather; all he knew was that they were expensive. But he couldn't deny that the shoes were indeed eye-catching.
Snapping out of her reverie, Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "It's not that. I was thinking about something else. Come on, let's head home."
While waiting for the bus, Xue Mao couldn't resist grumbling again, "If we had known, we could have ridden our bicycles here and saved the fare."
Lu Jiaxin understood that he had experienced poverty and hunger to the extent that frugality had become ingrained in his bones. She hoped that once they had more financial stability, they could change this habit.
"Let's go out for a meal at a small restaurant," Lu Jiaxin suggested as they returned home, her stomach rumbling in hunger.
Xue Mao hesitated, finding the idea too extravagant, "Sis Jiaxin, you go ahead. I'll just boil some noodles for myself."
Lu Jiaxin sighed in exasperation. She had planned to hire a housekeeper to take care of chores and cooking once they had more money, but with Xue Mao's attitude, she knew he would strongly object. Ah, in this era, diligence and frugality had become second nature to many.
"Come on, let's go. We can afford it," Lu Jiaxin urged.
However, Xue Mao stubbornly refused to budge, leaving Lu Jiaxin with no choice but to head to a small restaurant, where she bought a takeout portion of potato stew with chicken chunks, which she ate with noodles and vegetables.
Just as they finished their meal, there was a knock on the door. Lu Jiaxin was puzzled, as her brothers were all at work and wouldn't be dropping by at this hour.
Xue Mao answered the door to find a stranger standing there. "Who are you looking for?" he asked.
"I'm looking for Lu Jiaxin," the young man introduced himself. "My name is Su Heming. My aunt, Su Ya, was hospitalized recently and just received news of your move. She asked me to come and offer any help you might need. If there's anything, please let me know, and I'll do my best to assist."
"Su Ya? I don't know anyone by that name," Lu Jiaxin replied after a moment's thought, unable to recall anyone by that name.
Su Heming was taken aback by her response, "How is that possible? Your mother saved my cousin, and my aunt even helped purchase this house. Surely you must know her."
Lu Jiaxin had her suspicions about his identity, but she wanted to clarify a few things, "My mother told me that Mrs. Xie's name is Su Hongying."
Su Heming explained that Mrs. Xie's original name was indeed Su Ya, but she had changed it to Su Hongying due to certain circumstances. However, his aunt preferred her original name.
Once Lu Jiaxin confirmed his identity, she invited him in.
Xue Mao, however, couldn't hide his disdain for Su Heming's fashion sense—a floral shirt and flared pants. In his opinion, such a flamboyant outfit was unbecoming of a man.
Lu Jiaxin poured a cup of water for their guest and got straight to the point, "Mr. Su, could you please give me Mrs. Xie's phone number? I need to speak with her about something."
Su Heming held onto the edge of the table with his left hand and assured her, "My aunt is still in the sanatorium. If there's anything you need, feel free to tell me, and I'll do my best to help."
Lu Jiaxin glanced at the watch on his wrist; not only was this guy wealthy, but he also had the guts to flaunt it with a flashy diamond-studded gold watch.
When she remained silent, Su Heming asked, "Are you planning to teach that woman with the last name Ding a lesson? Don't worry, leave it to me."
Lu Jiaxin rolled her eyes, wondering if he was some kind of gangster. "No, I want to transfer my household registration here. But I only have the keys to the house; I don't have the property certificate."
Only with the property certificate could she prove that the house belonged to her, and then the neighborhood committee would provide her with the necessary proof of residence. Otherwise, the police station wouldn't accept her registration. Even if Su Heming hadn't come today, she would have gone to find Mrs. Xie. After all, she had entrusted the purchase of the house to her, so the property certificate was most likely in her possession.
Su Heming thought it was some major issue and said, "I'll give my aunt a call later. If the property certificate is indeed with her, I'll bring it to you this afternoon."
"Okay."
Su Heming asked Lu Jiaxin if there was anything else she needed help with.
The only problem Lu Jiaxin had at the moment was the startup capital for her business. However, she didn't plan to trouble Mrs. Xie with this matter; she wanted to save that favor for something more crucial.
Seeing that she didn't require his further assistance, Su Heming left soon after.
Xue Mao scoffed, "Sis, that Su Heming looks like some street punk. I don't know what Mrs. Xie was thinking, sending such an unreliable person to find you."
Still needing his help with something? Judging by his demeanor, it would be a miracle if he didn't cause trouble and drag her down with him.
"Perhaps there wasn't anyone else available," Lu Jiaxin mused.
She didn't know much about Mrs. Xie's situation, but she suspected that the woman might not be having an easy time either. Firstly, her health was poor, and she had only given birth to one child, which was considered a shortcoming in an era that valued large families. Secondly, her background wasn't ideal, and she had likely been a burden to her husband in the past.
An hour and a half later, Su Heming returned. This time, he carried a bag and was followed by two men who seemed to be his underlings.
Lu Jiaxin had been taking a nap and was rubbing her eyes sleepily when they arrived. If it weren't for the fact that Su Heming had brought the deed and land certificate, she wouldn't have bothered getting up—in her book, eating and sleeping comfortably took precedence over everything else.
Su Heming entered the main room and took a rectangular, deep brown wooden box out of his bag. The box had an antique look to it, adorned with intricate, old-fashioned carvings.
Just by looking at it, Lu Jiaxin could tell that the box was quite old and would likely fetch a good price in a few years.
Su Heming asked Xue Mao and the two underlings to wait outside before he opened the box. There were two pieces of paper on top, and underneath lay some jewelry.
Remembering what Liao Xiangmei had said, Lu Jiaxin asked, "Su Heming, were these pieces of jewelry left by my mother with Mrs. Xie?"
The jewelry was made of fine jade, but according to Liao Xiangmei, Lu's mother had owned a mutton-fat jade bracelet, a jade pendant, and an emerald necklace. None of those items were among the ones presented to her.
Lu Hongjun was a general manager who earned a high salary and enjoyed various perks. These visible assets were just the tip of the iceberg, and there were undoubtedly many more hidden ones. Therefore, Lu's mother would only buy and never sell.
Su Heming explained, "There are a few more pieces, but my little aunt said she'll give them to you when you come of age. Lu Jiaxin, don't overthink it. Valuable jewelry is safer in my aunt's hands."
Lu Jiaxin wasn't a child anymore, and she nodded in agreement. "I understand that Mrs. Xie is doing this to protect me. A child carrying gold in a bustling market not only risks losing their treasure but also their life."
Su Heming felt relieved to be dealing with someone as sensible as Lu Jiaxin.
(End of Chapter)
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