Chapter 414 - 409: Rare Companionship

Chapter 414: Chapter 409: Rare Companionship

"Dad, the production line isn’t what’s important. The brand is," Jiang Xia said as he filled his father-in-law’s glass.

The core of a toy race car is, without a doubt, a powerful motor. However, a toy company isn’t specialized in producing dedicated motors for race cars. That part of the job can be outsourced to partner manufacturers, while the company itself acts as the final assembler, focusing on quality control for the components.

Then, you just slap on the official brand logo. Let others make the small profits, and keep the lion’s share for yourself. Perfect.

Having worked in the toy industry for so many years, Lin Gaoyuan understood immediately. He knew all too well what branding meant. Out of the total retail price, perhaps only twenty percent was yours; the rest went to the brand owner.

And what Jiang Xia wanted to do was establish an official brand for the four-wheel drive race cars, making all others mere off-brands.

"Alright, I’ll follow your lead."

Lin Gaoyuan tilted his head back and drained his glass again. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. ’This son-in-law of mine... he’s a monster, a prodigy. It’s one thing for him to be good at animation, but to have such a keen eye for merchandise too...’

’If it weren’t for my younger daughter, I’d be tempted to just hand the factory over to him. I could retire early and spend my days fishing with my son-in-law’s father—my old classmate. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful, leisurely life?’

"There’s no rush. The Four-wheel Brothers animation project is still in the planning stages, and the car designs haven’t been finalized yet."

"Alright. When the time comes, just send me the designs and a list of the parts you need. That way, I can find the right suppliers to partner with ahead of time," Lin Gaoyuan said.

While the father-in-law and son-in-law drank and discussed the company’s future, Xia Shanshan, with a warm smile, asked her daughter-in-law about her year living in the Imperial Capital.

"Mom, if you and Dad are free during summer break, you should come visit us in the Imperial Capital," Lin Yanwan said with a smile.

"Oh no, we couldn’t. You two are so busy with work and your studies. We wouldn’t want to be a bother," Xia Shanshan said, shaking her head immediately.

"She said summer break. The kids will be on vacation, so what’s wrong with them inviting us over?" Jiang Wende mumbled while chewing on peanuts. "If we go, we can entertain ourselves. We don’t have to bother them."

"If you want to go, you can go by yourself."

"You really don’t want to see what our son’s company looks like?"

His words swayed her. After all, her son had built such a large company from scratch. Even if she, as his mother, wasn’t interested in business matters, she had to go see it for herself.

"Alright, we’ll go during summer break." After a pause, she added, "When they’re not busy."

Lin Yanwan chuckled and nodded. "You can come anytime."

She then turned to Ji Wanqiu. "Mom, would you like to come too? You could bring Xiao Man to the Imperial Capital for the summer break."

Ji Wanqiu glanced at Lin Gaoyuan, hesitating. ’I do want to go,’ she thought, ’but the company will definitely be swamped during the summer.’

"Since our daughter is inviting you, Wanqiu, you should take Xiao Man and go. It’s a good chance for you to get away and relax. Let Xiao Man see the big city. I’ll hold down the fort at the company, don’t worry," Lin Gaoyuan said with a smile.

During the financial crisis, the toy factory went a long time without a single order. The cash flow dried up, and they nearly went bankrupt. He had managed to pull through even those tough times, so he could certainly handle things now that business was better than ever.

"Mama, Mama, I want to see the Great Wall!" Xiao Man exclaimed, her big eyes wide with hope.

Ji Wanqiu gently stroked Xiao Man’s head and said teasingly, "You want to see the Great Wall, huh? Alright, if you can get first place on your final exams, I’ll take you."

"Is that all?" Xiao Man blinked. "I’m already first in my class right now. You can ask Mrs. Xia if you don’t believe me."

"Right now doesn’t count. Only your final exam scores will count."

"Hmph! I’ll definitely be first on the final exams, too! Great Wall, here I come!"

Watching the adorable exchange between mother and daughter, Xia Shanshan smiled without a word. ’This is great parenting,’ she thought.

"Brother-in-law, do we have to take a plane to get to the Imperial Capital?" Xiao Man asked, tugging on Jiang Xia’s sleeve and repeating a question she had asked before.

"That’s right. The plane flies really, really high," Jiang Xia replied with a smiling nod.

"Higher than a Ferris wheel?"

"Higher than the clouds," he said with a serious expression.

"Whoa!"

Xiao Man cupped her cheeks in an exaggerated display of awe. With her limited life experience, it was hard to imagine a plane flying higher than the clouds.

"I want to fly on a plane! I want to fly on a plane!" She quickly shoveled two more bites of rice into her mouth, then put down her chopsticks and ran toward her room.

"Xiao Man, aren’t you going to finish eating?" Ji Wanqiu called after her.

"I’m full! I have to go study! I have to get first place on my finals!"

Hearing her determined tone, everyone at the dinner table couldn’t help but burst out laughing. She was just too amusing.

The lively family dinner came to an end, and for the young couple, it made up for not being able to come home and reunite with their parents for the New Year.

"Are you staying here tonight, or are you coming back with us?" Xia Shanshan quietly asked her son.

Uh...

Jiang Xia subconsciously glanced at his fiancée. Technically, they were already engaged and had been living together for a long time, so sharing a room was perfectly acceptable.

But then he thought about how neither of them had spent much quality time with their own parents in a long while. He shook his head and said, "I’ll go home. I’m sure Yanwan has a lot to talk about with her parents, too."

Hearing this, a faint smile touched Xia Shanshan’s lips, and she was visibly pleased.

"Then let’s go home!"

At ten o’clock, the two families finally said their goodbyes. Jiang Xia found Lin Yanwan and said, "Honey, let’s stay at our respective parents’ houses for the next few days. You should spend some quality time with your mom and dad."

"Okay." Lin Yanwan nodded gently. ’That’s what I was thinking, too.’

After all, they slept in each other’s arms every night back in the Imperial Capital. A few days apart wouldn’t hurt.

She walked her parents-in-law to the garage. Jiang Wende had finally bought a Hyundai last year. To keep from getting bored, he usually only worked half-days. In the afternoons, he would drive out to go fishing, then head to the school to pick up Xia Shanshan when she finished work.

He lived an incredibly comfortable and leisurely life, much to Lin Gaoyuan’s envy.

With a son like that, he had no more pressure in life. He could just live happily however he pleased.

On the drive home, Jiang Wende asked casually, "Did you get your driver’s license at school?"

"I did. I also bought a cheap car to get around. It makes going between school and the office more convenient," Jiang Xia said, looking out at the night market.

"Hmm... You’re a busy man now. It makes sense that you’d need one."

He pursed his lips. "I’ve noticed housing prices are rising quickly. If you have the spare cash, have you thought about buying a place in the Imperial Capital? I’m guessing you and Yanwan won’t be coming back to our hometown to build your careers after you graduate."

Jiang Wende figured they would probably get married around the time they graduated. ’And how can they get married without a proper home?’ he thought.

"Dad, I’ve got it handled."