CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: YE QIAN STAYS

"Mom and Dad, I have something I want to discuss with you."

Gu Yi took advantage of everyone being in the kitchen to say this.

When the rest of the Ye family heard, they all looked at her, waiting for her next words.

"Li Yitian just called me; he’s the one Qianqian and I worked for a day at Ye Hao’s place last time. He asked me to help again. I want to go again, and see if Ye Hao is available for a visit."

After Gu Yi finished speaking, she looked at the others.

"Sister-in-law, then I’ll go with you."

As soon as Ye Qian heard, she offered to accompany her.

"Mm, let Qianqian go with you."

Ye’s mother thought it would be better for Ye Qian to go along, so there’s someone to look out for each other on the road.

Ye Fu nodded in agreement as well.

"Mom, Dad, Qianqian, really, there’s no need. While I’m out, the store will rely on you and Qianqian. Qianqian has gotten the hang of things now, and if we both leave, you and Dad will be too busy."

"Your dad and I can manage, at worst, we’ll just do a bit less."

Ye’s mother thought that if it didn’t work, they could just earn a bit less.

"Mom, Dad, I know you’re worried I might run into some trouble on the way, but really, it’s fine. I traveled this route once already and will be cautious, plus I won’t be carrying as much money this time."

"Let’s go with what Yiyi said; Qianqian will stay with us at the store."

Ye Fu thought Gu Yi made sense, and since she’s going to Ye Hao’s place, it might be inconvenient for Ye Qian to come along.

"Alright then, Sister-in-law, be careful on the road. When you arrive at my brother’s, spend quality time with him without worrying about the store. Just leave it to me and Mom and Dad."

"Alright, then let’s prepare extra ingredients these days so it’ll be easier for you afterward."

Gu Yi’s trip is settled, and she plans to arrange everything clearly before leaving.

So for the next few days, they not only did business but also prepared ingredients whenever they had time, mainly making dumplings and sticky rice dumplings.

When they were almost ready, she went to the station to buy the ticket.

Upon returning home, she called Li Yitian, informing him of the time.

Upon receiving her call, Li Yitian felt as if a savior had arrived and enthusiastically said he’d go book a hotel right away.

"Could you please book a hotel that’s closer to Ye Hao’s military school?"

Although Gu Yi felt a bit embarrassed, she decided to risk it to be closer to Ye Hao.

"Of course, no problem, that’s no trouble, I get it."

Li Yitian had a tone that implied he understood without needing further explanation.

Gu Yi heard his tone and pretended not to catch on to what he meant.

"Thanks a lot, let me know the address once you book it, and I’ll get there myself."

"How could I let you go alone? I’ll pick you up, and once I book the place, I’ll call you so you can let Brother Ye Hao know promptly."

Gu Yi knew he was teasing her.

"That would be great, I’ll hang up first."

After speaking, she didn’t wait for Li Yitian’s response before ending the call.

Though Li Yitian was imprudent in his speech, his actions were reliable. The next day he called Gu Yi to inform her that he’d found a place right next to Ye Hao’s school.

Gu Yi, having learned the location, called Ye Hao in the evening.

She told him about Li Yitian asking for help and that she was heading there soon. She also asked if he’d have time to meet up.

Ye Hao said that military training was about to end and they’d be starting academic classes soon, so he should have time to meet.

"Yiyi, is Qianqian coming with you?"

"Qianqian is busy with the store, so I didn’t ask her to come. I can handle it myself."

"Then be extra careful on the road. I’ll request leave to pick you up on the day you arrive."

Ye Hao was slightly worried about Gu Yi traveling alone but couldn’t say much more, so he just reminded her to stay safe.

"No need, Li Yitian said he’d pick me up. If you have time, just meet us at the hotel; it’s right next to your place."

Gu Yi gave the hotel name to Ye Hao.

"Alright then, I’ll come to accompany you in the evening."

They chatted for a bit longer before ending the call.

After hanging up, just as she was about to leave, the phone rang again. Gu Yi thought Ye Hao might have forgotten something.

She answered, asking, "What’s up, did you forget something?"

"This is Liang Yesheng, were you just on the phone with your husband? No wonder the line was busy after several tries."

Liang Yesheng, without asking Gu Yi about her marital status, knew from Ye Qian referring to her as "sister-in-law" that she was married, with her husband away.

Gu Yi’s tone had been especially gentle earlier, very different from her typically courteous manner with him, making him feel a bit envious of her husband.

"Yes, it was. Did you need to discuss something?"

"I’ve been thinking about what you mentioned last time, about finding influential retailers in certain regions, but I’m unsure about many details and would like your input."

Liang Yesheng quickly explained why he called.

"I don’t know a lot about this, but I overheard someone say that to grow a business, product quality is paramount. For promoting new products, you could advertise and find strong distributors, perhaps approaching big retailers or directly their suppliers."

Without interruption, Liang Yesheng listened attentively to Gu Yi’s analysis.

Her words confirmed to him that Gu Yi’s claim of just overhearing was untrue.

If she had overheard it, she wouldn’t remember so much or have such unique insights.

Maybe it was because Liang Yesheng remained silent.

"Are you still there?"

Gu Yi paused and asked over the phone.

"I’m listening, I’m considering the feasibility of what you said."

"In practice, there will definitely be many challenges, but I believe in your capability to handle them well."

This was the first time anyone had acknowledged Liang Yesheng’s ability.

From when he started to establish Good Taste Food Co., Ltd, no one in his family supported him.

They thought he was merely playing around, even his sister advised him it was a difficult and unrewarding path.

Because of this, he worked harder than others.

Later, as the company steadily grew, his cousins wanted a share, offering investments.

He refused all of them. His father even called him back to the United States to give him a severe scolding over this.

However, ever since Gu Yi knew his name, she seemed convinced he would succeed, as evident from her wanting a stake in the company.

"Thank you for believing in me. I’d still like to have a face-to-face discussion with you. Do you have time to meet?"

Although the contract allows them to seek advice from Gu Yi anytime, he believed mutual respect was essential for a lasting partnership.

"I’m heading to B City soon; if you’re available, you can meet me there."

Gu Yi shared her schedule and hotel address with him.

"Great, then I don’t need to make another trip. See you then."

They settled on a time to meet and ended the call.