The Gu family was among the richest ones in City G and had engaged in trade for generations. They had an ancestral three-yard house outside the city. Born into such a rich and large family, younger Gus, in large numbers, had led an extravagant and idle life. When it came to Gu Nianbin"s grandfather, the Gu family was just an empty sh.e.l.l. And his granduncle, who was then obsessed with an opera performer, stayed in the theater all day and disregarded business deals. Afterwards, he even voluntarily gave up his right of inheritance.
His grandfather struggled to support the family business and pa.s.sed on it to his father. At that time, it happened to be the peak period of domestic investment. Thanks to the good foundation, the Gu"s company grasped the opportunity and rose gradually. At one time, it even matched the Jiang"s company—the leader in City G.
However, the Gu family was different from the Jiang family which had definite successor with only one heir for three generations. While the Gu family had so many descendants that they kept contending for power and wealth, making quite a scene among themselves. As the head of the Gu family, his father was too softhearted to constrain his brothers, sons, and nephews. Suffering from both internal and external conflicts, his father finally fell ill due to heart problems, and left him the rotten legacy.
At that time, he didn"t like the Gu"s company, so he didn"t hold any post in it. Instead, he intended to start from scratch and thus opened a small company with his schoolfellows. However, when his father fell ill, he had to take over the family business because he was the only male heir in the family. Gradually, he developed a sense of mission as a descendent of the Gu family. After all, the Gu"s company was a family legacy pa.s.sed down through generations. Even if he couldn"t make it flourish, he must pa.s.s on it to the next generation safe and sound. But who would be able to give him an heir?
Therefore, he made a five-year commitment to himself. If Xia Xiaowan didn"t return in 5 years, he would not wait any longer. As his father said to him, he had to be responsible for many people as the head of the Gu"s company. He was old enough to get married and give birth to a child as his heir. It wouldn"t matter if he loved the woman as long as she could be a virtuous wife to take good care of his family. Only in this way could he devote all his energy to work with no worries, so that the Gu"s company could flourish in his hands.
Nevertheless, he sighed. For him, the happy life he had been dreaming of might just be an unreachable dream.
When he was lost in thought, the phone rang. He glanced at it and then picked it up, "Mom, I"ve met her. Not bad...I"ve asked her for a date... Why would I lie to you? I know...I"ll hurry up. Okay. I see...Talk to you later...I"m busy now...I"ll come back at noon... "
Although Gu Nianbin had promised to go back at noon, he failed to do so for a temporarily arranged lunch, but he cancelled another invitation to a dinner party tonight. Now he was on the way home to have dinner with his parents and his sister who rarely returned home. After he took over the Gu"s company and Shanshan was transferred to another city, there were rare chances for them to have a reunion dinner.
As soon as the car went through the iron gate, Gu Nianbin saw a slender girl sweeping the ground with her body bent. She was too absorbed in to notice the car coming from behind.
Gu Nianbin asked Xiaoding to honk the car horn. At the sound of the honk, the little girl turned around and saw the car. She was scared out of her wits and immediately ran away dragging the big broom….