Chapter Thirty-Two: Amending the Agreement

When Liu Jianmin’s brother-in-law answered the phone, his wife was sitting beside him watching TV. After he hung up, she casually asked what the call was about and saw her husband smiling and shaking his head.

“It’s still about little sister. She took Xiao Song’s words seriously and now she’s gone to her parents-in-law, trying to get them to invest in Xiao Song’s project. Her father-in-law originally favored another investment, wanting them to earn a bit together, but now he’s caught in the middle, getting blamed by little sister for siding with outsiders against the family. Jianmin said his mother was furious, for the first time ever lost her temper at the couple. He’s heading to work for overtime; little sister will probably go home and complain to Mom and Dad, so he called to ask me to help explain things to them.”

His wife laughed after hearing this. “Your little sister is spoiled, that’s all. The Liu family’s old couple have treated her well enough—even though she hasn’t had children, they never said a word. Now she’s really overstepping; if her in-laws start to take offense, she’ll be in for it. You’d better warn Dad early. Mom is soft-hearted and dotes on her daughter; it wouldn’t do for her to take it out on Liu Jianmin. That would really be trouble.”

After discussing it, his wife added, “Xiao Song is just a smooth talker. That so-called project is nothing but empty promises. How can little sister be so convinced she’ll make money? By the way, do you know anything about that person Uncle Liu introduced to the couple? Should I look into it?”

She worked at the police station, handling household registration, so it was easy enough for her to check up on someone.

“Jianmin gave me her name and address. Go ahead and ask, but mind your tone. From what Jianmin says, the Liu couple trust this woman deeply. Even if she turns out not to be reliable, just let Jianmin know privately.”

“I understand, don’t worry. I’ll look into it tomorrow.”

The next morning, Liu Chunyan and her husband went to her parents’ home together. Her husband was an honest man, listened to Liu Chunyan in everything, and respected her family greatly. After arriving, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work, cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, and all the corners the elderly couple found hard to manage, stocking up on rice, flour, grains, and oil.

Grandpa Liu had initially looked down on this son-in-law, but now he felt that as long as he treated his daughter well, that was enough, and occasionally would strike up a conversation. But the man was always a bit slow-witted, so Grandpa Liu’s interest never lasted.

Liu Chunyan didn’t mind her brother and sister-in-law, feeling that everyone just had different perspectives. If they couldn’t see eye to eye, there was no need to force it. But she would never invest her money in her cousin’s project. Her money didn’t come easy; at least Chen Xin’s project was real, formal contracts were signed, and the equity distribution was fair and notarized. That so-called Song’s project was nothing but a pie in the sky, with not a single tangible thing—pure empty talk.

In the afternoon, Grandpa Liu and his wife stayed out of sight, while Liu Chunyan and her husband went to the appointed place. As they arrived at the entrance, they happened to meet Chen Xin and Cheng Jie. The four greeted each other, and Liu Chunyan introduced her husband, exchanging a few words. Though he wasn’t talkative, he had an eye for people, and both Chen Xin and Cheng Jie seemed solid and trustworthy.

Before coming, he’d asked his colleagues at work, who said such cafés were common along the coast, with mixed success, but rare in the provincial capital—it all depended on how the owners ran things. Still, he was willing to take a chance; after all, if you only watch and never act, money won’t fall from the sky. Even if you lose, at least you gain experience, and next time you’ll be wiser. Moreover, the colleague mentioned the property was legitimate, so if you could get a share, the odds of making money were over seventy percent.

They hadn’t sat for ten minutes when Liu Jianmin and his wife arrived. Liu Jianmin’s wife wanted to say something to Liu Chunyan, but Liu Chunyan didn’t give her the chance.

“Brother, sister-in-law, here’s the money you originally gave Chen Xin, and this part is your accrued profit up to now—I added ten percent extra, consider it a service fee.”

“Chunyan, are you sure about this?”

“Of course. I wanted to talk to you about it before, but Mom said to get your opinion first. Dad called early this morning saying you needed the money urgently, so Old Zhang and I rushed over. Sister-in-law, count it, and let’s sign an agreement.”

Liu Jianmin’s wife felt her good intentions had gone unappreciated, and with resentment, she counted the money, using a calculator to check the totals. In the end, the amount Liu Chunyan gave was a bit more than her calculations. Liu Chunyan said the extra was for the opportunity, and no need for siblings to haggle over every penny.

Liu Jianmin looked at Chen Xin and Cheng Jie sitting nearby, then at his sister and brother-in-law across from him, feeling a little distressed. But since things had come to this point, it was best to finish the matter quickly.

The contract signing and amendment went smoothly. The contracts were formal, with details appropriately explained and modified. Once all three parties signed and sealed, the matter was settled.

Just after the signing, Liu Jianmin exchanged a few polite words with his sister, then saw his wife, clearly displeased, wanting to leave. The sum involved wasn’t small, and they needed to deposit it before the bank closed, so after a few words and a nod to Chen Xin and the others, he hurried after his wife out of the notary office.

“Alright, let’s sign our cooperation agreement now. I brought the deposit; the rest of the payment will be transferred to your account in March, once my funds are released,” Liu Chunyan said.

Cheng Jie reviewed the notarized contract and their equity distribution agreement, confirmed everything was in order, signed the initial draft, and would sign the formal contract after Liu Chunyan’s funds were received. Then, they would be truly in partnership.

Meanwhile, Liu Jianmin and his wife queued at the bank to deposit the money. No sooner had they entered than his brother-in-law called. Upon hearing that they’d received the money and amended the contract, the brother-in-law sighed, saying they’d let a rare opportunity slip. But losses were losses, and with their salaries, they could well afford family expenses.

After listening, Liu Jianmin said nothing, nor did he show any dissatisfaction toward his wife. Even when she asked, he only mentioned he’d asked his brother-in-law to look into Chen Xin’s background.

Liu Jianmin’s wife trusted her brother’s abilities, and with the money returned plus extra interest, she had little to complain about, except for Liu Chunyan’s lack of consideration. Still, she felt less kindly toward her in-laws.

“Are you heading back to work or home? Our office is moving back, so things are hectic—I’ll likely be working overtime for three or four days. If you find it too lonely at home, why not stay at your parents’ place for a couple of days?”