Cheng Su listened to her third uncle’s words, but she had never heard them before, so she asked, "This Great Great Grandmother, what kind of person was she? You seem to hold her in high regard."
Her third uncle just laughed, "In fact, I don’t have much of an impression of her either. Your dad probably remembers a bit. I’m just repeating what your grandfather told me."
Cheng Su was very curious, "Then, third uncle, you can also tell me about her."
"Your Great Grandmother was also born into a distinguished family. Although she was from a merchant background, she was a true lady of high birth. She was very familiar with the abacus since she was young, and as the eldest daughter, she was also very capable. I’ve heard that even before she got married, she often helped her father manage the family business and take care of her younger siblings!" Her third uncle spoke slowly, "After she married your Great Grandfather, she founded the Jade Palace, specializing in jewelry and jade. That’s how our Cheng family got its start."
"Your Great Grandfather died early, and the Cheng family could only rely on her, a woman, to hold everything together, managing the business, and caring for the children, all without relying on others. The business grew, life improved, and your grandfather received a good education, even learning to speak English! But later, the times turned bad, capitalists were criticized, revisionists and the common people shouted every day to overthrow capitalism, and our Cheng family was one of the first to bear the brunt, falling into decline. And your Great Grandmother, strong-willed all her life, ended up dying in desolation and sorrow, alas..."
Her third uncle blew a ring of smoke, sighing.
"Are there any photos left?" Qi Taiguo asked.
"Photos?" Her third uncle thought for a moment, then said, "I think there are. I’ll go look for them."
He went into the room, and Cheng Su cast a glance at Qi Taiguo, asking, "Why have you suddenly become interested in my Great Grandmother?"
Qi Taiguo said with a smile, "Didn’t your third uncle say that you resemble her the most? I just wanted to see!"
Cheng Su huffed, "Don’t flatter me. I’ve got scores to settle with you when we get back."
Qi Taiguo was about to speak when her third uncle came back with a yellowed photo album, saying, "Those years were very chaotic, with constant upheaval. We moved several times, and not many photos were left. There’s only one or two."
Cheng Su took it and flipped it open to the first page, where there stood a woman in a qipao with her hair in a bun, holding a tobacco pipe, her lips slightly upturned, her gaze proud, and her face somewhat familiar.
"Look, you do resemble your Great Grandmother quite a bit!" Qi Taiguo exclaimed first.
Cheng Su was also surprised. The person in the photo was only in her thirties, and she did resemble Cheng Su—at least a seventy percent likeness.
Cheng Su felt a surge of excitement.
Turning to another photo, it was Great Grandmother holding a child, her gaze soft and her expression even more tender. That child was probably her grandfather.
"It’s quite similar, isn’t it? Not only the facial features but actually now, your temperament is also similar to hers. Your Great Grandmother, she was so strong-willed. As a girl, it didn’t show much, but after marrying Taiguo, it’s as if you became a completely different person—strong-willed, smart," her third uncle said with a smile.
Cheng Su smiled awkwardly, too embarrassed to say that she had indeed become another person entirely!
"Third uncle, are you also considering going into business?" Cheng Su asked as she closed the photo album.
Her third uncle hesitated for a while, then said, "I’m already in my forties. Even if I do something, I don’t know what it could be, and I don’t have the capital for it."
Cheng Su pursed her lips, gave it some thought, and then said, "Third uncle, I think the real estate market will definitely develop greatly in the future. Why don’t you go into building materials and construction projects?"
She recommended Zhang Jisheng to do this because he was skilled at carpentry and would be able to learn and do it.
And the same went for her third uncle. Even if he didn’t have the skill, if he was willing to learn, he might well succeed at it in the future.