"Right now, it's Li Si Si who really likes you. She's the one actively approaching and pursuing you. Do you still need to worry about whether you're good enough for her?"
He's right, Yi Anguo thought. What do I have to worry about? Even if it doesn't work out in the end, I won't have lost anything!
His third sister smiled at Li Si Si. "Si Si, you're here! Help yourself to any fruit you want. We're all family, so there's no need to be polite."
"And feel free to grab a drink if you want one. Don't be shy."
After saying this, his third sister turned to Yi Anguo. "Every time Si Si comes over, you have her help out. Do you have no common sense? We have enough staff in the store. You should take Si Si out for a walk, to the park, or something. Do you not even know how to court a girl or how to date? Does your older sister really need to teach you?"
They had known each other for a few months, but this was their first time going shopping together. Li Si Si was overjoyed. Holding Yi Anguo's hand, they strolled and chatted about their pasts, childhood anecdotes, memories, and families, deepening their understanding of one another.
Li Si Si was twenty-one years old, born in 1982. She was the eldest daughter in her family and had two younger sisters, a situation quite similar to Fu Huanhuan's.
Her parents had later moved to the city and opened a small restaurant. The business did fairly well, so they brought their three daughters to the city for their education.
As the eldest, Li Si Si matured early. After finishing her homework, she would help her parents with any chores she could. Starting in elementary school, she began assisting her father by washing, cutting, and preparing vegetables.
After entering middle school, she secretly started learning how to cook. One time, her younger sister came down with a high fever, and her parents rushed her to the hospital, leaving Li Si Si alone to manage the restaurant.
As it happened, a customer came in to order—a regular, no less.
Li Si Si showed off her cooking skills. The customer was extremely satisfied after the meal, remarking that the dishes were even more delicious than before.
When her parents returned and heard what had happened, they were overjoyed. Li Si Si's father proudly declared that he had a worthy successor.
Li Si Si was also very dedicated to her studies. Despite often helping her parents after school, her grades were outstanding, and she always ranked near the top in her school's exams.
Ultimately, her hard work paid off, and she was admitted to Shenzhen University.
Li Si Si's parents ran a small restaurant, and it wasn't easy to support the family and put three children through school.
Her father had always wanted to open a larger, better-decorated, and more upscale restaurant, as it would likely earn more money.
However, because they could never save up enough, his wish remained unfulfilled. With two children in university and one in high school, the tuition and living expenses were a heavy burden that left her parents breathless.
This time, however, Li Si Si had earned an amazing 300,000 yuan from her summer job, which naturally made her parents ecstatic.
With Li Si Si about to graduate and start working, the financial pressure on her family would be greatly reduced. With the 300,000 yuan, they could finally open a bigger restaurant.
Yi Anguo also spoke about his own parents, family, and experiences.
He was the youngest son, with three older sisters. The eldest sister had three daughters, the second had a son and a daughter, and the third had one son.
In truth, his parents had many children. Besides the four of them, four others had passed away. Having given birth to so many, his mother had never recovered properly during her postnatal periods, which left her with incurable chronic illnesses.
A few years after finishing middle school, at the age of sixteen, Yi Anguo started working away from home. He earned a good amount of money, but his mother had to undergo several surgeries before she eventually passed away.
A few years after that, his father fell ill. A lot of money was spent on his treatments, but he too passed away, leaving Yi Anguo with very little savings. Yi Xinyi's mother had also run off with another man.
After listening to his story, Li Si Si couldn't help but ask in astonishment, "Knowing you had no money, you still dared to buy property, and 1,000 units at that?"
"What's there to be afraid of? After buying the properties, I have money. If I hadn't bought them, I'd still be broke," Yi Anguo said with a smile.
"I now owe the bank five hundred million yuan. Are you sure you still want to be with me?"
"Of course. I don't want to be with you for your money. I'm willing to be with you whether you're rich or poor," Li Si Si said earnestly.
"So what if you owe the bank five hundred million yuan? If you had the guts to borrow that much, I believe you have the ability to pay it all back."
Yi Anguo gave a wry smile. "You have that much faith in me? What if I really can't pay it back?"
"If you can't, I'll pay it back for you. I'll help you raise your daughter," Li Si Si said decisively.
"Thank you for trusting me. I can only do my best not to disappoint you," Yi Anguo said seriously.
They looked at each other and smiled, their hands clasped tightly together as they strolled forward.
The National Day Golden Week soon came to an end, and Li Si Si had to return to university for her classes. Although her school was very close and she could have easily commuted every day, she felt it would be improper to stay out all the time. She treasured the remaining time she had left of her campus life.
Besides, distance makes the heart grow fonder. Being together constantly might lead to them growing weary of each other.
Yi Anguo also felt that their relationship had progressed too quickly over the National Day Golden Week, and it was probably a good idea to cool things down a bit.
The stock market remained lukewarm. The share price of the National Liquor company hovered above 21 yuan, typically around 21.50 yuan. It didn't rise much, nor did it fall much.
The unrealized profit in his stock account was always around one to two million yuan. While not a huge amount, it was still better than the interest he'd get from leaving it in a bank.
He didn't have many memories of the 2003 stock market, except for some stocks in the pharmaceutical sector, like those related to Isatis root and vinegar. They had soared on the back of the epidemic, but once it ended, they quickly fell from grace.
A lot of blue-chip stocks also hit rock bottom because of the epidemic.
He didn't remember the specifics, only that the National Liquor company's stock had fallen to its historical low, which was why he had dared to buy in so heavily.
Of course, many stocks bought now could lead to big profits later. However, he was only thinking of short-term gains, not long-term ones. His funds might be needed at any moment, so they couldn't be tied up in the stock market for years.
He chose the National Liquor stock because he knew it had bottomed out and wouldn't fall any further. This way, he could make at least a small profit whenever he decided to cash out.
The real bull market wouldn't begin until after 2005. The years 2006 and 2007 would be the craziest and most profitable times for stock trading. Randomly buying almost any stock was practically guaranteed to make money, with many soaring ten or twenty times in value.
But the stock markets of 2003 and 2004 had nothing particularly noteworthy, at least nothing he clearly remembered.
Stocks that couldn't even double in value within a year never really caught his attention.
However, he did remember several stocks from the period between June or July of 2005 and October of 2007 that had multiplied in value dozens of times, with three of them rising more than fifty-fold.
When the time came and he had money, he absolutely could not forget about them.
By then, real estate prices would also have risen. If things got tough, he could sell a few properties. The profits from stock trading would far outweigh any earnings from rising housing prices.
"What kind of person is your boss? Why is he so good to you? Easy work and good money!"
His third brother-in-law from the fruit store next door walked into Yi Anguo's rental management office holding two bottles of Coke. He tossed one to Yi Anguo as he spoke.
"The developer of Blue Coast is my boss. I just work for him," Yi Anguo replied with a smile.
Just as he was speaking, his phone rang. It was another call from Boss Zhuo.
After answering the phone, Yi Anguo said to his third brother-in-law, "See? My boss is calling me over again. He must think I'm having too comfortable a time and wants to assign me more work."