Chapter 227: A Visitor Arrives (Part 1)

As the privatization of the *Nanhua Morning Post* was underway, Yan Wenhan had already taken charge of the newspaper. With 84.9% of the shares, Jiuding Media Corporation was the absolute majority shareholder, making it a natural step for them to take control of the company.

In the morning, Yan Wenhan reported a piece of good news to Xia Yu: several major newspapers in Hong Kong, which had previously refused to cooperate, were now actively seeking collaboration. Xia Yu only smiled faintly upon hearing this, showing no surprise.

The leaders of these major newspapers were intelligent people, and now was the time to secure favor by aligning with Jiuding Media Corporation. If they missed this opportunity, Jiuding Media Corporation would not have to worry about any future concerns.

Time flew by, and by evening, Xia Yu had gone home early due to family matters. On the way back, he made a special detour to buy some fine ingredients.

Tonight, Xia Yu's uncle and his family were coming over, and Xia Yu's mother, Chen Mei, had specifically called to tell him to come home early and buy some good food.

Sitting in the car, Xia Yu's gaze grew distant as his thoughts drifted to the past, reminiscing about his uncle's family.

His uncle, named Chen Liang, was Chen Mei's only surviving brother. Chen Mei, being the youngest, had two older brothers who died in childhood, leaving only Chen Liang. Later, Chen Mei's mother gave birth to her.

Chen Mei had never met her deceased brothers, but her only brother, Chen Liang, had always doted on her, saving the best things for her. These were stories Chen Mei had recounted many times to Xia Yu.

Xia Yu's maternal grandparents had passed away long ago due to old age, so the closest relatives on his mother's side were only his uncle Chen Liang's family.

Xia Yu remembered that when he was young and frail, despite many relatives on his father's side refusing to lend money, his poor uncle Chen Liang contributed the most and even gave Xia Yu a century-old ginseng to improve his health.

Unfortunately, when his uncle was younger, he worked as a laborer at the docks and was injured by a heavy object, which led to back problems and an inability to do hard labor. He also couldn't have more children, but he did manage to have one son early on.

Xia Yu had heard that his uncle Chen Liang was working as a security guard in a factory.

It is said that one is not truly a family if they don't enter the same door. Xia Yu's aunt, Tian Wenyu, had a personality somewhat similar to Chen Liang's and was good at preserving Chen Liang's face, but being a woman, she had her own little schemes.

However, as long as they were at home, Chen Liang had the final say. Even if Aunt Tian Wenyu had her own thoughts, she would keep quiet once Chen Liang gave her a stern look.

Xia Yu's cousin Chen Bin was now 22 years old, had never been fond of studying, and had inherited his father's honest and simple nature. Due to the family's poor situation, no girl would look at him. The main reasons were his lack of eloquence and his introverted personality, leading to him still being unmarried at 22, which worried Chen Liang and his wife.

As Xia Yu reminisced, the car entered the neighborhood and soon arrived at the front door.

Hearing the sound of the car, the door opened to reveal Xia Xiaomei's little head. When she saw Xia Yu get out of the car, she sweetly called out, "Big Brother, you're back."

"Dad and Mom, Big Brother is back."

Xia Xiaomei shouted inside and then ran out to help Xia Yu with his things.

As soon as Xia Yu entered the house, he saw his parents and his uncle's family in the living room.

Upon seeing Xia Yu, his uncle's family was no longer as casual as before, but rather a bit reserved, seeming to be mindful of Xia Yu's current status.

"Ah Yu, you're back."

Uncle Chen Liang's smile was somewhat awkward as he addressed Xia Yu.

Xia Yu warmly greeted them, "Uncle, Aunt, Cousin."

Seeing Xia Yu's warm attitude, Chen Liang smiled broadly and felt a secret sigh of relief. It seemed that his nephew's attitude was still the same as before.

Standing next to Chen Liang, Aunt Tian Wenyu's smile grew even brighter as she said with concern, "Ah Yu, it's been a long time since we last saw you. You look even more handsome now."

"Ah Yu."

Cousin Chen Bin called out to Xia Yu and wanted to say more, but didn't know what to add, so he fell silent, maintaining an awkward smile.

"Uncle, please sit down; don't just stand there."

"Mom, I've already bought the ingredients. Xiaomei just put them in the kitchen."

After saying this, Xia Yu sat down and poured tea for his uncle's family.

Seeing Xia Yu's actions, Chen Liang and Tian Wenyu's smiles grew even more, but they still seemed a bit reserved.

They were aware of Xia Yu's current status as a wealthy tycoon, and despite not having visited Xia Yu or seen him in person for months, they had kept up with news about him.

Even if they hadn't actively sought information, neighbors often spoke enviously about Xia Yu, hoping to gain some benefit through Chen Liang's connection.

Unfortunately, despite the months passing, Xia Yu hadn't reached out to his uncle, which left Chen Liang feeling uncomfortable. Others had noticed their unchanged situation and started to gossip, leading Chen Liang to question whether his wealthy nephew looked down on his poor uncle.

Thankfully, Chen Mei, Xia Yu's mother, frequently sent things, but she couldn't speak for Xia Yu. Xia Yu had been so busy that even relatives from his father's side hadn't visited, which made Chen Liang feel somewhat better.

Even so, despite his wife Tian Wenyu often urging him to approach Xia Yu, Chen Liang, who had a strong sense of pride, had refused. But now, due to his son's situation, he had come to seek Xia Yu's help.

Fortunately, Xia Yu's attitude was very good, so it seemed that his sister's words were true—that Xia Yu was just too busy with his career to visit relatives.

Then, Xia Yu and his family chatted with his uncle's family, while his aunt and mother prepared dinner, leaving the men to talk in the living room.

After dinner, everyone gathered around the tea table.

Xia Yu noticed that his aunt kept tugging at his uncle's clothes, while his uncle Chen Liang seemed troubled. Just as Xia Yu was about to speak, his mother, Chen Mei, who had received a signal from his father, Xia Dahai, spoke up: "Ah Yu, your cousin has found a girl."

Xia Yu raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at the embarrassed Chen Bin, smiling as he said, "Cousin, congratulations! When's the wedding? You must invite me."

Hearing Xia Yu's words, Chen Bin scratched his head and awkwardly smiled, "Definitely, definitely."

Chen Liang and Tian Wenyu, who were both anxious, also showed smiles, but Chen Liang's expression quickly became somber.

"Uncle, it's good news that Cousin found a girl. If there are any difficulties, just let me know. I'm your nephew; don't be too formal."

Xia Yu said with a sincere attitude.

"Ah Yu, Ah Bin found a girl with great difficulty, and the girl's family knew about him. Things were going well initially, but now there have been some issues, and the girl's family has raised objections. Forced to, your uncle had to lower his pride and seek your help."

Chen Liang sighed and said.

Xia Yu nodded lightly, understanding the situation.

Major life events often involve starting a family and establishing a career. Since this was related to his cousin's marriage, Xia Yu naturally wouldn't refuse. Moreover, his uncle had always treated their family well, and after his rise, he had never made excessive demands. Now, it was rare for him to seek help, so Xia Yu felt it was his duty to assist.

"Uncle, just tell me what the issue is. As long as I can do it, I will definitely help!"

Xia Yu said earnestly.

"Then I'll tell you."

"The main issue is related to work. Ah Bin used to work at the toy factory where I worked. But at the beginning of this year, the old factory manager's son returned from the U.S. and started reforms, which led to unsellable products. The old manager was so upset that he was hospitalized, and now the factory hasn't paid wages for a month and has shut down. Ah Bin has been looking for work but hasn't found anything. The girl's family is concerned about his unstable job and his ability to support a family."

Chen Liang said with a worried expression, then hesitated and looked at Xia Yu with pleading eyes, "Ah Yu, you have great connections and know many people. Do you know of any job openings that you could introduce to your cousin?"

Xia Yu listened quietly, feeling a bit dismayed. His uncle was being so indirect, knowing Xia Yu's capabilities but not directly asking for a position in his company. It seemed he was still being somewhat reserved or considerate.

However, Xia Yu also picked up on an underlying issue from his uncle's words. He furrowed his brow and asked, "Uncle, were you working at the same factory as Cousin? If that factory has shut down, don't you also not have a job now?"

"It's not important for me, as long as Ah Bin has a job."

Chen Liang said with a forced smile, not asking Xia Yu to find a job for

 himself. He couldn't bring himself to ask, and if it weren't for the fact that his son's relationship was at stake and his wife's persistent urging, he wouldn't have come to seek Xia Yu's help.

Xia Yu nodded lightly without making a clear statement, as he thought of more.

This favor was easy for him to grant, and he would definitely help, but he needed to find a way to address the subsequent issues.

Previously, due to some relatives from his father's side causing trouble, Xia Yu had mentioned at home not to readily agree to help relatives.

So for months, despite relatives trying to test Xia Dahai and Chen Mei, the couple had not budged, leading to some villagers saying that Xia Yu's family had forgotten their roots after becoming prosperous.