YA Ch44: The Family Business

Lu Yu ultimately brought the supplements and merchandise to the Ming family. Although he was in a hurry, it was more important to win over his future in-laws.

The two of them drove to the Ming family’s place, and when they arrived downstairs, Mother Ming, who had received the news, came down to greet them. “You should’ve told me in advance that you were coming so I could prepare some nice dishes.”

“Auntie, even your plain noodle soup is top-notch,” Lu Yu said as he got out of the car, carrying large bags of items.

“Xiao Yu, you really know how to talk.” Mother Ming was amused by his words, smiling as she saw the pile of merchandise. She immediately picked up a chibi Hua Wenyuan’s pillow  and exclaimed, “Oh my, it’s so cute! I’m going to put this by my bedside.”

Lu Yu carried the items upstairs, put down the supplements, and looked around. “Where’s Uncle?”

“He’s at the workshop; he hasn’t returned yet,” Mother Ming said casually as she placed the Hua Wenyuan pillow carefully in the house, then came out and tied on an apron, telling them to wait a moment before they could eat.

“No rush, Auntie. We have other things to do, so we won’t be eating at home. We’ll pick up Uncle on our way back later,” Lu Yu tugged on Ming Yan, signaling him to follow him downstairs.

Mother Ming chased after them from the kitchen, “Oh, you don’t need to bother with him. Once he’s at the workshop, who knows when he’ll finish? You should eat first before you go.”

“Don’t worry, Auntie. We’ll finish our errands and check the time before contacting Uncle.” Lu Yu waved his hand as the elevator doors closed.

“Weren’t we going to have a meal?” Ming Yan asked, confused, as he was pulled back into the car.

“If Mom is home alone, she’ll probably just have a simple meal. If we go up, she’ll be busy preparing more dishes,” Lu Yu said as he turned the car around. He was the one driving to his future father-in-law’s house today to make a good impression. “Besides, I also want to check out the workshop.”

Ming Yan was puzzled, “Why do you want to visit the workshop?”

Ming’s Watchmaking Factory had ceased operations, leaving only the high-end handcrafted watch workshop, which was still running, supported by funding to keep a group of master craftsmen employed.

Lu Yu replied confidently, “To inspect our Ming family’s business, of course. I’m Mrs. Ming, after all; I’ll be running the household in the future.”

Ming Yan laughed, “Alright, let’s go have a look, hahaha.” He then continued to laugh for a while.

The handmade watch workshop of Ming’s Watchmaking is housed in a refined old Western-style building that retains the early 20th-century style, hidden within the green trees and stone walls of the old city district.

Ming Yan got out of the car and looked at the building, which had a nostalgic charm. He took a deep breath and smiled, “To be honest, this is the real ancestral property of the Ming family. If the family ever goes broke, selling this old building could still bring in some startup capital.”

Lu Yu locked the car, took Ming Yan’s arm, raised his chin, and assumed the posture of a proper wife. “Young Master, let’s go inside.”

“Hahaha,” Ming Yan couldn’t help but laugh, letting Lu Yu, who was half a head taller, lean on his arm. He whispered in Lu Yu’s ear, “This building still holds some rare items, precious materials used in watchmaking.”

Lu Yu was surprised. He widened his eyes and looked at Ming Yan, “Why are you telling me this?” This was a big secret of the Ming family—the real foundation of the family’s wealth.

Ming Yan pressed a fist to his lips and lightly coughed, “Mrs. Ming should know about these things.”

Lu Yu was stunned for a second, then a look of indescribable joy gradually spread across his face. “Yes, I am Mrs. Ming.” With that, he let go of Ming Yan’s arm and marched proudly toward the building.

Ming Yan watched Lu Yu’s excited back and thought he should treat him better.

Inside the workshop, long wooden tables were arranged neatly, with many tools and materials on them. Everything was orderly and well-organized, as meticulous and precise as the watches themselves.

Father Ming was dressed in a vintage suit, standing upright in the center of the room, looking like an old gentleman from a century ago, gracefully selecting a gold-cased pocket watch in a watch shop.

A master craftsman, dressed in a leather apron with neatly rolled-up sleeves, was holding a wooden box and showing it to Father Ming. Though he was proud, he couldn’t hide a trace of excitement. “Sir, take a look.”

Father Ming didn’t reach out to take the item from the box but instead looked toward the door when he heard them coming in. “What are you two doing here?”

Ming Yan quickly spoke before Lu Yu could, “Lu Yu just dropped off some supplements for you. When he heard you were here, I thought I’d bring him over to take a look.”

This explanation was well-crafted, highlighting Lu Yu’s effort in delivering the supplements while attributing the reason for visiting the workshop to himself. Father Ming was indeed pleased, and he beckoned Lu Yu to come over.

Lu Yu eagerly approached to look at the item in the box and exclaimed, “What a beautiful pocket watch!”

The master craftsman glanced up from behind his thick, old-fashioned glasses at Lu Yu, whose clear eyes didn’t seem to belong to an expert. “And who is this?”

Lu Yu grinned as he introduced himself, “I’m Ming Yan’s wife.”

Father Ming’s mouth twitched.

Unexpectedly, the master craftsman took it in stride and even smoothly continued, “Ah, so you’re the young madam. This is something we’ve just finished making; the young master hasn’t seen it yet. Please take a look.”

Young madam…

Ming Yan rubbed his throbbing temples. He had tried to correct this form of address, but the craftsmen weren’t happy about it. They felt that calling someone “sir” or “young master” was more ceremonious. With this traditional mindset, the watches they crafted carried a sense of history and craftsmanship.

“Wow!” Lu Yu picked up the heavy pocket watch and slowly examined it, expressing his amazement.

“At first, I was reluctant when the young master asked us to make a pocket watch. The Ming family has always made wristwatches, and although we did make pocket watches during the Republic of China, that technique was lost long ago,” the master craftsman said with great pride. “Luckily, the young master insisted, and we modified a wristwatch dial to create this pocket watch. It’s truly beautiful, and none of our skills were wasted.”

Lu Yu carefully examined the watch in his hand. It was indeed crafted with great precision.

It was slightly larger than a typical men’s wristwatch but smaller than a standard pocket watch, making it look very delicate. The dial featured a deep blue starry sky, with starlight shimmering as the hands moved. The back of the watch was inlaid with layers of petals shaped like a flower, made of mother-of-pearl, giving off a dazzling array of colors under the light. The design was both elegant and luxurious.

“What’s this watch called?” Lu Yu asked as he fondly stroked the watch, clearly liking the design.

The master craftsman smiled and said, “It doesn’t have a name yet; the young master designed it.”

Lu Yu was suddenly inspired. “It should be called ‘Fallen Flowers Stir the Milky Way’.”

“Brilliant!” The master craftsman said excitedly. “Young madam, you recognized the fallen flowers! This is a great name. The young master originally wanted us to create a starry sky, with the back showing flowers blooming to their fullest.”

Lu Yu, full of pride, looked at Ming Yan and said, “Of course. I understand your young master best.”

Ming Yan’s eyes softened, and he smiled.

When they returned to their home, Lu Yu was still immersed in the excitement of inspecting the Ming family’s business. “You’re truly a genius. If watches don’t sell, we can sell pocket watches instead. This watch is so beautiful; we can promote it during live broadcasts. Hmm, Hua Wenyuan doesn’t quite match with modern mechanical products. If he tries to sell it, it would seem more like a toy, lacking in style. We should let Shen Baishui sell it instead, as it fits better with a CEO’s accessory. We could even give him a new setting, and all future merchandise could feature a pocket watch.”

Ming Yan shook his head, “We can’t produce them in large quantities anytime soon. The pure handmade watches are too expensive, and the costs are high. I plan to sell some of the workshop’s collections to buy suitable materials and first make a few pure handmade ones to sell to wealthy buyers. Once they become popular among the upper class, we can restart the factory for mass production.”

“No!” Lu Yu immediately objected. He grabbed Lu Dongdong and fiddled with it for a moment, then heard a ding from Shen Baishui’s side.

The CEO balloon rolled its eyes and said, “You’ve received a personal transfer from Lu Yu to your bank account.”

Ming Yan checked the amount and frowned, “Why did you transfer so much money to me? What’s this for?”

Lu Yu raised his chin. “It’s my royalties. You can use them first.”

“Nonsense. How can I take your money? That’s your personal income from writing,” Ming Yan said as he pulled Shen Baishui closer to transfer the money back.

Lu Yu snatched the second balloon and tucked both balloon figures under his arms, looking like a silly monkey hugging two large coconuts. “The royalties after marriage are part of our joint property. Use them to buy materials for the handmade watches. Don’t sell off our family heirlooms; they need to be passed down to our children. If necessary, just treat it as my investment. Once the watches sell, you can share the profits with me.”

Ming Yan pursed his lips, feeling touched, but suddenly something seemed off. “You’ve three cyber sons; what would they need heirlooms for?”