The three accompanied Grandpa Zhan into the house. Jinzhi and Shishi heard their parents were back and also rushed downstairs.
Shishi, in particular, squeezed herself between her parents, "Daddy, Mommy, I'm so glad you're both okay. I was so worried when you weren't back."
Wei Yumeng stroked her daughter's head. "Aren't we back now? It's alright. Mommy promises you, I won't take on dangerous jobs like this anymore."
She had also come to a realization. No matter how important work was, family was more important. At the time, Zhan Mohan had advised her not to go, worried about the safety there. Although she had agreed, if she had insisted on not going when Zhan Mohan later gave his consent, this danger would have been avoided.
She finally understood what Grandpa meant by "family first." It meant that before making any decision, she should consider if it might cause any loss to her family. If so, she should decisively refuse.
She knew that now, no matter how successful her career was, if anything went wrong in her family, she wouldn't be able to bear it.
It wasn't that she was not independent in her personality or finances, but rather that she had an inseparable bond with everyone in her family, like the intertwined roots of a large tree; a tug on one would affect the whole. wΑp.kanshu伍.net
After another day of rest, they returned to their work. Because of her outstanding performance, the company made an exception and assigned an intern to Wei Yumeng.
Other employees usually had to have several years of work experience or been promoted a few times before they could mentor an intern. She was an exception.
As the saying goes, the workplace is like a battlefield. She had been at the company for less than two months and already received such special treatment. Naturally, those who were more senior and had worked there longer, but hadn't had this opportunity, became envious.
Her identity was something everyone tacitly understood, and they were naturally somewhat apprehensive about it. Therefore, most people only discussed it in private, and it eventually died down without any real repercussions.
Wei Yumeng wasn't unaware of these whispers. It was all about how she was using her position as Zhan Mohan's wife to do whatever she pleased at the company. She hadn't contributed much to the company, yet after a business trip where she encountered a mudslide, she received such preferential treatment. It was simply good luck.
Hearing these envious remarks, Wei Yumeng was unfazed. She didn't expect to make many good friends at the company; as long as she was happy, she didn't care what others said.
Besides, so what if she was relying on her husband's influence? It only proved how capable her husband was.
As she walked back humming a tune after leaving the restroom, she coincidentally ran into Huo Xiao, the intern she was mentoring, coming out of the men's room.
This young man was lively and a chatterbox. In his free time, he liked to chat with her, even when they bumped into each other at the restroom.
"Mentor, have you heard any rumors around the company lately?"
Wei Yumeng chuckled, "You heard them, so of course I did. Aren't they just saying I'm too inexperienced to mentor you? I know all about it."
"That's what you heard? Did you hear any other versions?"
Wei Yumeng's curiosity was piqued by the gossip about herself. "Other versions? Tell me about them."
To her surprise, Huo Xiao put on a shy expression. "I'm a bit embarrassed to say."
"Embarrassed?"
Wei Yumeng pouted disdainfully. "Please be normal. If you want to say it, say it. If not, I'm too lazy to listen."
Seeing her about to leave, Huo Xiao quickly caught up. "Alright, I'll say it. Aren't people saying that you're spending your husband's money and keeping a kept man at the company?"
"A kept man? Where?"
Wei Yumeng asked subconsciously, even looking around appropriately, which left Huo Xiao speechless.
"It's me, of course. Who else could it be?"
"You?"
Wei Yumeng's first reaction wasn't about the harm of gossip, but rather that the person in front of her didn't fit the description of a kept man at all. How could he be included in the category of freeloaders?
Huo Xiao clearly understood her implication and was somewhat displeased. "Mentor, what's with that reaction? By age, I'm younger than your husband. By looks, I'm more delicate than your husband. How can I not be considered a kept man?"
Wei Yumeng suppressed a laugh. "Give it up. It's true that you're younger than my husband, but you're not necessarily more delicate than him."
Huo Xiao was unconvinced. He was a senior in college, at the peak of his looks. How could he be inferior to an old man?
However, Wei Yumeng had always treated him like a child, so his remarks were dismissed as casual talk, which Wei Yumeng didn't take to heart at all.
"Alright, stop gossiping, especially about yourself. Have you finished the task I assigned you?"
Huo Xiao shook his head. "Mentor, aren't you angry at all? They're damaging your reputation."
Wei Yumeng showed no sadness or displeasure. Instead, she taught Huo Xiao a lesson.
"When it comes to making money, everyone is trying to get a piece of the pie. If you take more, others will have less. Those who have less will often lash out at you verbally. But this is the mildest form of retaliation in the workplace. The best attitude towards rumors is to do your own thing. Once their solo performance is over, your part will soon be forgotten."
Huo Xiao still didn't understand. "But aren't we too passive this way? We haven't done anything wrong, yet we're being gossiped about. They are the ones who are wrong."
"Everyone pays a price. If they are so brazen in slandering others, won't they lose the boss's favor? If you endure criticism without complaint and do your job well, promotion and salary increases await you. Once you climb higher, it'll be a piece of cake to crush those who bullied you before, won't it?"
Although the latter part was a bit like corrupting a child, that's how the world works. She could teach Huo Xiao to be kind, and even if he rose higher, to be merciful when possible. But too many people in this world didn't understand this principle. Kind people were soft-hearted and chose forgiveness over revenge, not because they lacked the ability or intention to retaliate.
She patted Huo Xiao's shoulder. "Kid, there are many things you don't understand yet, but you will. For now, focus on your work. Work is the foundation of everything."
She spoke earnestly for a few sentences and then left, returning to her workstation.
Huo Xiao watched her retreating figure, a smile playing on his lips. His mentor truly poured her heart into him. Looking at Wei Yumeng's back, his gaze unconsciously changed.
As for Wei Yumeng, she simply saw him as a young brother just entering society. Teaching him these things was not only fulfilling her obligation but also her genuine desire to help him grow.