16: Chapter 16 Helping Xu Mengjie Through Her Difficulties

"I told you, I ran into that Zhao family member on the street today. They spoke to me in such a snide, sarcastic way."

"They said, 'Your daughter's company is in trouble. What a bunch of ingrates! Back when you two got married, that Zhao guy said his family had put their money into the investment, so there was no money left for a wedding.'"

"In the end, we had to pay for the wedding ourselves, not to mention the bride price. I told you back then, that little white face didn't look like anything good."

"Today on the street, she was mocking me with such cold sarcasm that I was so furious I almost reached down, grabbed something, and threw it right in her face to ward off the bad luck. It was just so damn infuriating."

"Mom, can you please stop talking about this?"

"Alright, alright, Mom will stop. Mom won't say anything else. Just get back as much money as you can from your side. As for the rest of the debt, we'll figure it out as a family. It's no big deal; at worst, we'll just work a few more years."

Hearing her mother say this, Xu Mengjie felt even worse.

Because her father had done such heavy labor when he was young, he had injured his lower back, and now it would ache terribly whenever it rained.

Her mother's legs and feet weren't very nimble either.

"Mom, don't worry, I'll figure something out myself. You don't need to worry."

"Alright, regardless of what happens, life still has to go on. Don't do anything foolish over there. I'll come visit you with your dad and your younger brother in a few days. Your brother has been pestering me, saying he hasn't seen you in a long time and wants to visit."

"Okay, Mom."

With that, Xu Mengjie hung up the phone.

Suddenly remembering something, she sent her father five hundred yuan with a note: [Dad, Happy Father's Day. Wishing you good health.]

Only then did she put down her phone, and Xu Mengjie's mood began to improve.

No matter what happened to her, parents were always a harbor for their children.

Buzz! Buzz!

Xu Mengjie picked it up and took a look.

It was her father, Xu Dongjian.

"I've received your gesture, but I'm sending the money back to you. Eat well and drink well over there. If you don't have money, tell your dad. In a few days, your mom, your brother, and I will come stay with you for a few days to take care of you."

"Also, don't blame your mom. She just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Your mom has always cared for you deeply; every day she nags me about going to see you."

After reading the message, Xu Mengjie replied.

"Dad, I know. I don't blame Mom; it's just that I'm not good enough."

"Alright, don't think about it anymore. I'm still working, so that's all for now. Take good care of yourself over there. When we arrive, we father and daughter can have a good talk."

"Okay, Dad, you go ahead and get back to work!"

Li Luo, sitting in the front, had been listening for so long that he had figured out most of the situation.

It seemed her company was in trouble, and her mom had mentioned something about a little white face and a wedding.

It was probably that she wanted to marry the little white face, but her parents didn't approve.

Li Luo felt that there was nothing wrong with liking a little white face; it was just like how men would always like eighteen-year-old girls.

As long as you keep the initiative in your own hands, things are easy.

Of course, if you let others control you completely, you only have yourself to blame—he himself was a living example of that.

However, he vaguely heard something about money being taken out to start a company, and the bride price money being gone.

That must have been a small company. If they had the money to start a company, the bride price couldn't have been that much.

Xu Mengjie had just wiped away her tears and was applying makeup in the mirror.

After all, she was going to the company soon, and her image in front of the employees was still very important.

Li Luo thought for a moment.

"Is your company having problems?"

Xu Mengjie was a bit dazed.

"How did you know I run a company!"

"Weren't you just on the phone with your mother? Your voice was so loud, and I'm not deaf. Didn't you say you were betrayed by your partner?"

Xu Mengjie originally didn't want to talk about company matters with him, but this driver seemed like a decent person.

Besides, it wasn't even certain if she would still be working at this company in a few days, so there was nothing she couldn't say.

Thinking of this, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, Master, but I'm about to be kicked out of my own company."

Li Luo was stunned upon hearing this.

"It's that serious? Listening to the tone of your phone call, you must be one of the founders of this company, right? Since you're a founder, you should have shares. Didn't you find a lawyer?"

Xu Mengjie was silent for a while before saying.

"Master, you don't understand. We were college students who graduated together and then started this company. At the time, we just wanted to work together to make the company strong and successful. We didn't have so many ulterior motives. Who would have known that once we entered society, things would turn out like this."

Li Luo understood after listening. Society is a big dyeing vat; no matter who goes in, they will get stained with pigment, it's just a matter of how much.

He could only smile and console her.

"In this society, it's all about interests. Even brothers must keep clear accounts. As the saying goes, don't look at how people call each other brothers or sister; try borrowing money from them and you'll find that those who offer help in times of need are rare, while those who make things worse are a dime a dozen."

After her parents knew about the situation, Xu Mengjie's mindset completely relaxed, and hearing this, she couldn't help but joke.

"I've really been taught a lesson, Master. Listening to your words makes me feel like I've wasted ten years of schooling."

She paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"I've already made up my mind. When the time comes, I'll sell my shares, go back to my hometown in Gangcheng, find a good job, and work peacefully. It would be nice to just accompany my parents on my days off."

"Going back to your hometown?"

Li Luo looked a bit confused.

"Then are you planning to sell your place at Jinmao Mansion?"

"Jinmao Mansion?"

Xu Mengjie rolled her eyes at him.

"How could I possibly afford to buy a house there? I'm just renting a place there."

Li Luo looked at her in surprise.

"You say you have no money, yet you rent such a nice place."

Xu Mengjie said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"That house was the bridal home I rented when I married my ex-husband. Even though the money went into the company, we couldn't be too shabby for the wedding, right? But the lease is almost up—only one month left."

"Ex-husband, is that the little white face your mom was just scolding?" Li Luo asked, puzzled.

"Yes. My mom didn't agree with me marrying him back then. Now that we're divorced, she says I didn't listen to her at the time and insisted on going my own way."

"From what you're saying, your husband also put money into the startup and was your partner?"

"Yes, we only divorced after we had conflicts."

There was no need to talk about family matters, especially in front of an outsider.

Xu Mengjie mainly felt this driver was a good person, and she wanted to find someone to vent to and complain a little.

Most of the things she talked about were related to the company.

Plus, she was about to exit the company soon, so chatting about it didn't matter. What was there to talk about regarding her family affairs with an outsider?

Li Luo nodded in understanding, then asked curiously.

"What kind of business does your current company do?"

"Clothing. Why?"

Xu Mengjie saw that this driver seemed quite interested in her company.

"How are the annual earnings?"

"They're alright. Our company mainly deals with mid-to-low-end brands, focusing on volume. The earnings are decent."

"I see."

Li Luo had originally intended to chat for fun. This small company didn't make much money; it might not even make as much as his ride-hailing car gig.

Before, when he heard she was married, he hadn't had any ideas.

Now that he suddenly heard she was divorced and single, thoughts began to stir in his mind again.

On one hand, this small company wouldn't cost much, and besides, money wasn't what he was lacking most right now.

But this top-tier young married woman was rare, and she was even better at taking care of people.

Xu Mengjie saw him suddenly stop talking, but didn't pay it any mind.

They had chatted about enough. Although she planned to sell her shares, she still wanted to see if there were any other turning points.

[Today happens to be Father's Day. Yun Fan wishes every reader's father peace, good health, and happiness.]