"Thank you, auntie." Shen Yin suddenly felt that there might still be an opportunity to approach the auntie.
"Alright, thank you auntie. I'll put the things in the car." Shen Yin hadn't had water for a while and was a bit thirsty.
When she returned to the car and opened the trunk, she suddenly noticed that there were some tea leaves, a bottle of wine, and boxes of milk in the trunk. When had she put these things in the car? It wasn't there yesterday morning when she drove to the hospital. Suddenly she remembered something and smiled faintly, taking these items out.
After drinking some water, Shen Yin carried a box of milk in one hand and the tea leaves and wine in the other, entering the courtyard again.
"Miss, why are you bringing these things over?" asked the elder woman.
"I just noticed that my uncle seems to enjoy drinking tea." Shen Yin walked to the door of the cottage and put down the items.
"Take them with you when you leave. Your uncle probably won't want them," the woman said.
"Then I'll give them to you. I can't just have a meal for free," Shen Yin smiled.
Shen Yin was of the cool and reserved type, but she looked exceptionally beautiful when she smiled. Seeing how sincere and pretty Shen Yin was, the woman asked, "Miss, you look so young, you don't have a partner yet, do you? Let auntie introduce someone to you."
Shen Yin smiled again, "Auntie, I already have a child."
The woman was surprised and didn't quite believe it.
"Auntie, let me help you cook," Shen Yin had already decided to approach this auntie, so now she needed to extract information from her about why Kang Guopeng was unwilling to take on furniture projects.
"You know how to cook? There aren't many young ladies who can cook these days."
Shen Yin followed the woman into the kitchen, which was clearly kept tidy and organized by someone who knew how to manage a household.
There were already some chopped vegetables on the cutting board. Shen Yin volunteered to do the stir-frying, and the woman didn't stop her.
Everyone has their own cooking style, and Shen Yin had a talent for making simple ingredients appetizing.
"Miss, are you a chef? Not only does this meat dish look good, but it smells so fragrant too," the woman asked.
Shen Yin was reminded of her great-grandfather, who had spoiled her and cultivated her taste buds, allowing her to develop this skill.
"No, it's just because I'm a picky eater that I learned how to cook," Shen Yin replied.
The auntie burst into laughter. Shen Yin felt that she could proceed and asked, "Auntie, why doesn't Uncle Kang take on furniture projects anymore?"
The woman sighed and said, "Your Uncle Kang's family has a hereditary talent for woodworking. In the early years, he took on projects and earned quite a bit of money. But once he made a lot of money, someone grew jealous and accused him of plagiarism. They produced design drawings that were indeed very similar to your Uncle Kang's designs. After that incident, your Uncle Kang stopped taking on projects, saying he couldn't tarnish his reputation or lose face. But he also didn't want the family's skills to be lost, since there are few craftsmen nowadays, so he took on two apprentices."
Hearing this, Shen Yin felt a sense of pity, as it's hard to fathom people's hearts sometimes. She then changed the subject, chatting with the woman as the dishes were being prepared.
The woman brought the dishes to the living room. "Husband, it's time to eat."
Kang Guopeng came out and saw Shen Yin walking out of the kitchen. She turned on the air conditioning.
"Well, well, you're finally willing to use the air conditioning today," the woman remarked.
Kang Guopeng sat down.
"Miss, you come sit down too."
There weren't many dishes - two vegetable dishes and a plate of stir-fried chicken, all cooked by Shen Yin. The auntie had helped her in the kitchen. To be honest, Shen Yin was quite hot in the kitchen, but she persisted, thinking that all endeavors have difficult beginnings and that one shouldn't lose enthusiasm after just three minutes.
"These dishes weren't cooked by you?" Kang Guopeng turned and asked.
"They were all cooked by this young lady. See, I told you she's a great cook," the woman said, looking at Shen Yin.
After the woman sat down, the man started eating. Shen Yin was still confident in her cooking skills.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Kang Guopeng spoke up, "Is the furniture workshop yours?"
"Yes, Uncle Kang," Shen Yin felt that there was now an opportunity to negotiate.
But after saying that, Kang Guopeng fell silent.
"Miss, start eating. There are only three dishes, don't mind it," the woman said.
Shen Yin started eating too, but her mind was focused on Kang Guopeng, who did resemble her great-grandfather.
"Liang will be back on vacation soon," the woman said to Kang Guopeng.
"When?"
"This weekend. He told me that it's hard to buy tickets now because of the crowds, so he's not sure exactly which day he'll be able to come back."
From their conversation, Shen Yin guessed that this couple probably had a son who was studying at university.
After the meal, the woman cleared the table. Kang Guopeng sat on a wooden sofa with a small table next to it. Shen Yin felt there was still a chance, so she walked over and said, "Uncle Kang, I think we can continue to discuss this."
After some thought, Kang Guopeng said, "Tell me about your workshop."
Shen Yin felt there was still an opportunity, "The workshop has just been registered. I want to make high-end Chinese furniture. From my market research, I've found that Chinese furniture is either very expensive or low-quality. I have the designs, but I need funding and skilled technicians, so I want to hire you to make the furniture. I've also looked into this, which is why I think you're suitable since you have the skills."
"You mean I just need to follow the designs?" Kang Guopeng asked.
"That's right. And you can rest assured that my designs are original. The final profit will be split, 70% for me and 30% for you. You can also be assured that the furniture will definitely sell. I'm confident about that," Shen Yin said confidently. In this day and age, there was no shortage of wealthy people willing to pay hundreds of thousands for a set of Chinese furniture. With her designs and his exquisite craftsmanship, sales wouldn't be a problem.
Kang Guopeng could hardly believe it. A 70-30 split was like a partnership, and he wouldn't even need to do the designs, just the craftsmanship.
"Why me?" Kang Guopeng asked.
"Your exquisite skills and dedication to craftsmanship are valuable assets," Shen Yin replied.
"But I was accused of plagiarism before."
"I'm looking at your skills, and that doesn't concern me," Shen Yin said.
Kang Guopeng felt that this young lady spoke with a maturity beyond her years, with confidence and poise.
Seeing Kang Guopeng deep in thought, Shen Yin already felt she had succeeded. "I noticed the university admission letter for your son, Liang, to Rong City University over there. If you agree, I'll bring a formal contract in a few days, and we can discuss your work location then. I can also give your son a ride back."
Kang Guopeng was swayed. He hadn't had an income for years, and his son's tuition, living expenses, and housing fees still needed to be paid. He had been scrimping, even avoiding using the air conditioning unless there were guests, like today.
"Okay, I agree," Kang Guopeng said.
