Chapter 581: Second Brother’s Romantic Interest
An unnatural blush crept up Patrick Thorne’s face, and he turned away, pretending not to hear. But Tang Xiaonan pressed on, "Patrick, I’m asking you a question!"
Jim Thorne gave him a hard jab and barked, "Didn’t you hear Xiaonan? Is your classmate a boy or a girl?"
"None of your damn business!"
Patrick shot him an irritated glare, rubbing his side. ’Damn it,’ he thought, ’Jim’s getting way too strong. That jab nearly blew a hole through me.’ Jim pointed at Tang Xiaonan. "She’s the one asking. I couldn’t care less."
"So, Patrick, is it a girl?"
Tang Xiaonan watched Patrick with a sly grin. ’There’s definitely something going on. My brother is usually so stoic, but now even the tips of his ears are bright red. It has to be a female classmate, and maybe... just maybe, there’s a little spark between them!’
’Both of my brothers are pretty impressive. My eldest secretly managed to bring that academic genius home. Even though it’s just an act for now, who’s to say familiarity won’t breed fondness? The chances are pretty high, if you ask me.’
’And Patrick is even more impressive. He quietly managed to win over the daughter of the machine tool factory’s secretary. If they weren’t close, why would a secretary’s daughter help him with something worth over ten thousand yuan?’
’This is the seventies, after all. Ten thousand yuan back then was even more mind-boggling than a million would be decades from now. A casual friendship between classmates wouldn’t be strong enough for that.’
Patrick avoided his little sister’s piercing gaze. ’My usually ditzy sister seems to have gotten a lot sharper,’ he thought. ’That look in her eyes is like an X-ray, seeing right through everything.’
"A f-female classmate," Patrick finally confessed. "She sits behind me."
Now Jim and the others were intrigued. A female classmate... there was definitely something more to this story.
"Why would a female classmate go so far to help you? Patrick, are you two dating?" Jim asked bluntly, a suggestive grin spreading across his face.
Patrick lashed out with a kick, his embarrassment turning to anger. "Dating my ass! She just asks for help with homework sometimes, and she’s a very kind person. Say one more stupid thing and I’ll beat the crap out of you!"
"What are you so flustered about? Patrick, your reaction reminds me of that saying... what was it?"
Jim nimbly dodged away, grinning and teasing. Adrian Hawthorne decided to join the fun, adding, "A classic case of protesting too much."
"Yes, that’s it!" Jim exclaimed. "If you have a clear conscience, why are you so worked up? So, what’s my future sister-in-law’s name? What’s she look like? Maybe I should go pay her a visit next time..."
The more Jim talked, the more fired up he got, and a furious Patrick chased after him. The two brothers ended up wrestling on the ground. Tang Xiaonan watched them, laughing, but her interest in the secretary’s daughter was piqued. ’A classmate that nice would make a great friend, even if she doesn’t end up as my sister-in-law,’ she thought. The Vessaria Machine Tool Factory was the largest state-owned enterprise in Vessaria. She remembered that even in the future she came from, the factory was still going strong, though it had been privatized.
Adrian Hawthorne decided to make another trip to Capria. Over the past few days, he had secured a surprising number of orders for televisions and tape recorders around the city. It turned out there were quite a few wealthy people in Vessaria. Director Hughes from the movie theater, for instance, had asked him to bring back a 17-inch television. Adrian was only charging him 650 yuan for it, whereas he charged others 750. The 14-inch models went for 600 yuan.
He took stock of his recent earnings. Including the money from the TVs and tape recorders, he had close to 7,000 yuan. If Patrick’s deal went through, and he managed to sell a few more televisions and some ready-made clothing, he’d be right around the 10,000 yuan mark. If he could land a few more large orders, Adrian was confident he could earn 20,000 yuan—or even more—before the New Year.
"I’ll head out in a couple of days," Adrian Hawthorne said.
"Can I tag along?" Patrick Thorne asked. He wanted to get out and see a bit of the world.