chapter 42 Supporting the high and suppressing the low, the black sheep

During dinner, Nohe Bao and Nicole Bian still didn't dare to drink at the same table as Stanley Du. Those who were on good terms with Nohe Bao also didn't dare to belittle Roy Yang or flatter Nohe Bao in front of Stanley Du. As the meal wound down, it was time for the guests to give their gifts. Rural people also have several traditions when it comes to giving gifts. The bride and groom don't receive gifts directly. Instead, unmarried siblings or cousins collect them. And the collector announces each gift loudly, a practice known as 'singing the gifts'. Wendy Yang, the sister of the groom Lope Yang, was naturally in charge of this. "Thank you, Uncle Wang, for the generous gift of 1000 yuan in a red envelope." "Thank you, Auntie Lee, for the generous gift of 666 yuan in a red envelope." "Thank you, Uncle Xu, for the generous gift of a cedar wardrobe and a camphor wood double bed." The first few dozen guests gave cash or furniture, ranging in value from 500 to 2000 yuan. When Wendy Yang announced Nohe Bao's gift, the atmosphere livened up. "Thank you, Uncle Nohe Bao, for the generous gift of 6666 yuan in a red envelope." "Wow, Brother Nohe is so generous to his niece, giving her so much money!" "Cut it out, Nohe Bao's son-in-law is the richest man in Qutang Town! 6666 yuan is just a drop in the bucket for him." "He's really showing off." Hearing these comments, Stanley Du and Roy Yang couldn't help but want to laugh. Giving 6666 yuan is showing off? You're underestimating real tycoons. And there was Nohe Bao, looking smug as can be. Then, Wendy Yang raised her voice, "Thank you to my uncle, Mr. Roy Yang, for the generous gift of 9999 yuan in a red envelope." The announcement caused a stir. "Wow, 9999 yuan, just one yuan short of 10,000!" "Roy Yang is trying to be auspicious. Otherwise, he would have given 10,000." "Roy Yang is the real deal. Nohe Bao can't compare." "Please, Nohe Bao isn’t all that. If Nicole Bian weren’t his son-in-law, do you think he would have given 6666 yuan?" Hearing these remarks, Nohe Bao was furious. These villagers are nothing but fair-weather friends! They praised me as the richest father-in-law in Qutang Town earlier. Now, because Roy Yang gave 3,333 more in gift money than I did, they're elevating Roy Yang to the skies, pushing me into the mud. After the gift announcements, Lope Yang and Avalon Ma specially thanked Roy Yang. Avalon Ma was Lope Yang’s wife. Moreover, Avalon Ma was Nohe Bao's niece. Avalon Ma and Lope Yang were having their official wedding banquet the next noon. As close relatives of the bride and groom, Roy Yang and Nohe Bao were expected to join the wedding toast. Therefore, Roy Yang and Stanley Du, as well as Nohe Bao and Nicole Bian, were staying overnight in Lope Yang's courtyard. Sherod Yang and Lope Yang gave the best room to Roy Yang and Stanley Du since Roy Yang gave the most generous gift. Nohe Bao and Nicole Bian's accommodation was slightly inferior to Roy Yang's but better than Sherod Yang's. Though Nohe Bao was uncomfortable, he couldn't fault Sherod Yang. Late at night, around 10 p.m., as Stanley Du was about to sleep, someone knocked on his door. "Wendy Yang, why are you still up so late?" Stanley Du opened the door to let Wendy Yang in. "We have lots of mosquitoes here, so I brought you and Uncle some mosquito coils." "Wendy Yang, you're so thoughtful, truly grown up," praised Roy Yang. After thinking for a bit, Stanley Du said, "Wendy Yang, come with me." "So late? Where are you two going?" Roy Yang asked casually. "To the kitchen. I want to teach Wendy Yang how to make a few special dishes that are good enough for a banquet." "Ah, Stanley Du, are you going to pass on your cooking secrets to Wendy?" "Uncle, does Brother Stanley really have some special cooking secrets?" asked Wendy Yang, half in doubt. "Naive girl, your good luck has arrived." Roy Yang laughed, "The owner of Harmony Restaurant, Ina Yao, offered 30 million to buy Stanley Du's cooking secrets, but he refused to sell." "Wow, is Brother Stanley's cooking really that amazing? Even better than the chefs at Harmony Restaurant?" Wendy Yang was almost speechless with surprise. Harmony Restaurant was famous throughout province A, and being from there, Wendy Yang had certainly heard of it. "Hmph, those chefs are nothing compared to Stanley Du." Roy Yang boosted his son-in-law's reputation, "Ina Yao from Harmony Restaurant wanted Stanley Du to teach their chefs, offering a salary of two million a year for two hours of teaching daily. But Stanley Du firmly refused." Wendy Yang was completely stunned. She looked at Stanley Du with admiration, "Brother Stanley, so Harmony Restaurant has been seeking your help all this time. Why didn’t you reveal this earlier today?" After a pause, she continued, "If you had said this, Nohe Bao wouldn't have dared to bully you." "I and my father-in-law really don't want to show off in front of him. It's not interesting to put down someone like him." Stanley Du spoke truthfully, "If he hadn't pushed me too far, I wouldn't have thrown wine at him." "I don't like Nohe Bao either, and his son-in-law Nicole Bian is even worse." Wendy Yang whispered, "He wanted me to be his secretary, heh-heh, he's already slept with several secretaries. I wouldn't dare get close to him." "Really? Is his reputation that bad?" "In Qutang Town, he's notoriously bad. If it weren't for his position in Heaven & Earth Corporation, and his wealth and power, the families of those women would have killed him long ago. Plus, he always pays off his misdeeds with money. Some women just endure it for the sake of money." Hearing Wendy Yang's story, Stanley Du frowned. Nicole Bian was like a modern-day Ximen Qing. Keeping him would only tarnish the reputation of Heaven & Earth Corporation. "Let's go to the back kitchen. I'll teach you a few special dishes. Practice well, and when you're ready, call me. I'll recommend you to work as a chef at Harmony Restaurant." "Thank you, Brother Stanley." When Stanley Du returned to his room, it was almost 1 a.m. His father-in-law was sleeping deeply, snoring loudly. Stanley Du sent a text message to Ulysses Zhang, "Help me check out this person, Nicole Bian. He seems to be a sales manager at Heaven & Earth Corporation." Ulysses Zhang quickly replied, "Yes, he's in charge of the pharmaceutical sales in Qutang Town." Stanley Du continued texting, "This man has a bad reputation locally, harming many women and severely tarnishing Heaven & Earth Corporation's image." "Understood, boss. I'll inform HR to fire him tomorrow." "Okay. How's the business going lately?" "The business is booming. Heaven & Earth Corporation has investments in many companies. The group's market value has reached six billion." "You're doing well. From tomorrow, your salary will double." "Thank you, boss."