Chapter 802
Shi Changliang's Dilemma
Xu Bo'an had already asked Shi Changliang to help modify many of these small gadgets before. Shi Changliang also knew that Xu Bo'an had a special fondness for these miniature gadgets, so it was not surprising that he liked these miniature agricultural machines.
However, Xu Bo'an's set of miniature agricultural machinery is too comprehensive, including those specifically for mountainous and hilly areas, as well as those for plains areas. In short, it has all kinds of agricultural machinery that you can think of and can't imagine, that you've seen and haven't seen before. That's why Chang Liang asked this question.
Xu Bo'an sensed Shi Changliang's curiosity from his question, so he casually made up a story: "Yes, your brother Xu has a special fondness for these miniature items, I like almost all of them!"
Upon hearing Xu Bo'an's words, Shi Changliang's eyes lit up, and he said to Xu Bo'an, "I share the same hobby as you, Brother Xu, and I also can't resist these miniature things!"
Xu Bo'an said, "That means your shop isn't unpopular. Keep up the good work! Just modify these agricultural machinery gadgets according to the previous requirements to make them safe and easy to operate!"
Shi Changliang said, "Okay, just let me know when you need me to get it done for you!"
Xu Bo'an said, "It's not too urgent, but the sooner the better!"
Shi Changliang said, "I need to go to my girlfriend's house again in the next few days, which may take some time. Would about a week be okay?"
When Xu Bo'an heard that Shi Changliang was going to his girlfriend's house, it proved that Shi Changliang and his girlfriend's relationship was very stable and they were about to get married. He couldn't help but feel happy for Shi Changliang.
He said to Shi Changliang, "Congratulations, Xiao Liang! It looks like I'll be able to eat your wedding candy soon. This is a major event in your life, so don't let me modify my little things delay your plans. I'm not in a hurry for those things; ten days or half a month is fine!"
Upon hearing Xu Bo'an's words, Shi Changliang's expression instantly darkened. He said, "Brother Xu, things between Shu Yu and me aren't actually going that smoothly. We're still a long way from getting married!"
Seeing the calm expression on Shi Changliang's face, Xu Bo'an said, "You've already reached the point of meeting each other's parents, which means your relationship is very stable. Why do you look so unhappy?"
After hearing Xu Bo'an's words, Shi Changliang sighed deeply and said to Xu Bo'an, "There is indeed no problem between Shu Yu and me. I have already been to her house once. It's just that her parents feel that I don't have a stable job and income and am not good enough for Shu Yu. So this matter is a bit difficult to handle."
After hearing Shi Changliang's words, Xu Bo'an finally understood why Shi Changliang had sighed earlier and asked him, "So what are you thinking?"
Shi Changliang said, "There's no other way. I'm just thinking of going to her house again in the next few days to try and get her parents' consent."
Based on Xu Bo'an's long-standing understanding of Shi Changliang, he knew that Shi Changliang was not a good talker. If the situation was as Shi Changliang described, then even if Shi Changliang went to Qin Shuyu's house this time, it would not solve any problems, and might even make things worse.
After spending so much time together, Xu Bo'an had long regarded Shi Changliang as his younger brother. Seeing that Shi Changliang was in trouble, he, as the older brother, certainly couldn't stand idly by.
He then said to Shi Changliang, "Xiaoliang, don't think I'm being nosy, but based on my experience, I want to tell you that you've already been to Shuyu's house last time. Since her parents have already made it clear that they're not satisfied with you, going again this time won't change anything. On the contrary, it might make them even more disgusted with you and think we're the kind of people who are persistent and clingy! Tell me in detail what the situation is like at Qin Shuyu's house, and I'll give you some advice!"
In Shi Changliang's heart, Xu Bo'an was not only their family's benefactor but also his close older brother. Moreover, Shi Changliang thought Xu Bo'an was a very capable person, so he truthfully told Xu Bo'an the story: "Qin Shuyu's family is from a small county town under Dongjiang City. Her parents are both migrant workers. She has two older brothers who don't have stable jobs and work away from home year-round. Because Qin Shuyu is the youngest in the family, you can tell that her parents love her very much. It's not the kind of family that favors boys over girls."
Shuyu's parents, having experienced firsthand how arduous working was from their own and their two sons' experiences, and more importantly, how unprofitable it was with little financial security, felt that my income was unstable and that Shuyu would suffer with me in the future after learning that I owned a small shop. Therefore, they were quite resistant to me.
After hearing Shi Changliang's words, Xu Bo'an could understand Qin Shuyu's parents' mentality. After all, in most people's minds, especially in the minds of the older generation, having a stable job is extremely important.
After all, a stable job leads to a stable income and a more secure life. Especially for an ordinary family like Qin Shuyu's, having a stable job is priceless. This is a normal thought for almost all ordinary people and the most correct way of thinking.
To be honest, Xu Bo'an thought the same way. The reason he dared to resign from his stable and high-paying job in such a grand manner was because of the confidence that Bonsai World gave him.
If it weren't for the enormous resources that Bonsai World could provide him with, giving him such confidence, how could he have possibly resigned from such a stable, high-paying job that many people couldn't even dream of? So much so that many people found it hard to believe when they heard the news of his resignation, and some even tried to use this as an opportunity to do things that were detrimental to themselves.
Xu Bo'an dared to resign and embark on the path of entrepreneurship only because he owned Bonsai World and had a wealth of resources, and had already achieved financial freedom. Otherwise, he would not have dared to challenge the arduous and uncertain path of entrepreneurship.
Later, Xu Bo'an dared to let his relatives and friends work with him because he was confident that they could earn more money by following him.
If Xu Bo'an wasn't sure whether they could make money, he would never have encouraged them to work with him.
The risks of starting a business are not something that ordinary people can bear. If he fails, his relatives and friends will blame him if they don't make money with him. In severe cases, he could be drowned in everyone's spittle. Therefore, Xu Bo'an would not do such a thing without being absolutely certain of success.
Even a young man like Xu Bo'an is so resistant to starting his own business, so it's understandable that the older generation is more conservative and prefers stable jobs over entrepreneurship. Thinking of this, Xu Bo'an said to Shi Changliang, "Actually, we can understand Shu Yu's parents' feelings. After all, they're all laborers, and it's not easy for Shu Yu to have a stable job in a state-owned enterprise. The whole family inevitably has high expectations for her, feeling that since she's finally escaped the grind, they definitely won't let her marry someone like them who doesn't have a stable job."
After listening to Xu Bo'an's analysis, Shi Changliang nodded and said, "Brother Xu, you're right."
“Although I think your little shop is very good and has a bright future, the older generation won’t understand. So I don’t think going to Qin Shuyu’s house this time will change anything. It might even give them a bad impression of us!” Xu Bo’an said.
After listening to Xu Bo'an's analysis, Shi Changliang felt that the problem was even more complicated. He frowned and said to Xu Bo'an, "Then, Brother Xu, what do you think I should do to get Shu Yu's parents to agree to us being together?"
Xu Bo'an said, "If you don't want to change your job, then we'll have to let Qin Shuyu talk to her family first!"
Shi Changliang said, "Making miniature gadgets is my specialty and my favorite job. Although my profession is relatively niche and many people don't understand it, I believe that with my persistence and passion, I will be able to attract more people who like miniature gadgets to my shop. Then I can both make money and shine in the industry I love. I really don't want to give up my beloved profession. As for letting Qin Shuyu persuade their parents, that would make me seem too irresponsible. That's why I thought I would go to Qin Shuyu's parents' house to talk to them myself!"
After hearing Shi Changliang's words, Xu Bo'an felt that although Shi Changliang was very manly, his methods were not advisable.
However, back when Xu Bo'an was Chang Liang's age, he would definitely have done the same in such a situation. But having had a marriage experience and as he grew older, Xu Bo'an realized how foolish it was to do such a thing.
After all, if two people feel that they are right for each other after they start dating, they still need to work together when they encounter such obstacles. If the woman's parents disagree, then the woman should persuade her parents herself. If the man's parents disagree, then the man should persuade his parents.
While it's true that statements from both the man and woman to each other's parents can have some effect, in reality, this effect is almost negligible.
Parents disagree because they are afraid their children will not have a good life in the future, not because they have a problem with their children's choice of partner. As long as the children personally explain the matter to their parents and express their firm stance, most parents will eventually agree because they love their children.
And if any misunderstandings arise during the persuasion process, they can be explained to their parents in a timely manner.
However, if one of them is asked to persuade the other's parents, things are not so simple. After all, they are not related by blood, and people are prone to impulsiveness. If one of them says something inappropriate during the conversation, it can easily lead to misunderstandings and escalate the situation, making it difficult to salvage the situation later.
This is similar to how, if people want to ensure that their two families get along well after marriage, both husband and wife must speak well of each other in front of their own parents in order to leave a good impression on the other's parents.
To put it bluntly, the best approach is for each person to address the issues stemming from their own family of origin, thus preventing unnecessary conflicts between them.
However, people don't understand these things when they are young or before they get married.
Therefore, it's perfectly normal for Chang Liang to feel embarrassed that Qin Shuyu, a grown man, would try to persuade her parents, as it would make him seem like he lacked any sense of responsibility as a man.
Xu Bo'an said to Shi Changliang, "Xiao Liang, since you don't want to make any changes to your career, then we can only let Qin Shuyu work on her parents' mindset first. If Shuyu truly wants to be with you, I believe she will do so."
You're young, and you might feel that doing this as a man makes you seem irresponsible, but that's not the case at all. Based on my experience, this is the most suitable and appropriate solution right now. After all, you know your parents best, and communication will be smoother. It will be much more effective if you wait until Qin Shuyu has convinced her parents before going to them! I believe that if Qin Shuyu truly wants to be with you, she will do this!
Xu Bo'an gave Shi Changliang advice for two reasons: first, he treated Shi Changliang like his own younger brother; second, he felt that Shi Changliang and Qin Shuyu were both very good people and that they were a good match, which is why he reminded Shi Changliang.
If it were someone of questionable character or whose temperaments were completely incompatible, Xu Bo'an certainly wouldn't have gone to such lengths.
Most importantly, Xu Bo'an now possesses formidable strength, and he treats Shi Changliang like a younger brother. He is certain that he will recruit Shi Changliang, this technical talent, into his own ranks in the future. This is because the bonsai world needs many reliable people like Shi Changliang to do many things. If Shi Changliang works for him in the future, he is confident that Shi Changliang will definitely not be bad off. If Qin Shuyu marries Shi Changliang, their lives will only get better and better. It is precisely because of this confidence that Xu Bo'an dares to persuade Shi Changliang in this way.
Having known Xu Bo'an for so long, Shi Changliang was well aware of Xu Bo'an's remarkable abilities. He found Xu Bo'an to be exceptionally talented in medicine, career, and interpersonal relationships. Shi Changliang now deeply admired Xu Bo'an, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Xu Bo'an was now Shi Changliang's idol.
Although Changliang felt a bit awkward about having Qin Shuyu persuade her parents, since his idol, Brother Xu, had said so, there shouldn't be any problem.
Thinking of this, Chang Liang said to Xu Bo'an, "Alright, Brother Xu, you're experienced and know how to handle things, so I'll listen to you. I'll talk to Shu Yu about this properly later!" (End of Chapter)