“Everything is fine.”
Chen Lishu nodded. “Bring me the ledger.”
Zhang Li complied, retrieved the key, took the ledger from the cabinet drawer, and handed it to Chen Lishu.
“You carry on with your work. I have a wedding to attend later, and I’ll be leaving around nine.”
Chen Lishu finished speaking, her gaze fixed on the ledger in her hand, which she then began to flip through diligently.
Since hiring more workers after the new year, the two stores in the county town were completely self-sufficient. Although labor costs had increased, it had also lowered production and shipping costs, resulting in overall savings compared to before.
Before long, Sun Min and several other workers arrived. Seeing Chen Lishu busy, they greeted her with a smile and didn’t disturb her. Everyone then went to their respective workstations and began working earnestly.
Chen Lishu kept an eye on the time. After finishing the ledger, she returned it to Zhang Li, gave a few more instructions, and then left.
The Nan family held a considerable status in town. The wedding of their only son was naturally a grand affair, held at the best hotel in town.
Nan Haitao looked at the bride before him. Her pristine white wedding dress accentuated her delicate charm. Her eyes were cast down, her eyelashes fluttering, and a faint blush colored her round cheeks.
She was a shy, well-behaved, and extremely easily embarrassed girl.
Since she couldn’t be with the person she loved, Nan Haitao felt that choosing such a girl as his wife was the most suitable option. At least she was better than Zhou Xiaoqun’s overbearing personality.
“Dad and Mom are rushing us, let’s go out.” The girl saw him staring at her and her face burned. She felt both shy and sweet inside.
Her family’s financial situation was not excellent, yet marrying Nan Haitao felt like a dream.
“Let’s go.” Nan Haitao took her hand, and they walked out side by side.
When Chen Lishu arrived, Zhou Bin had also just arrived. They naturally sat at the same table.
Since Zhou Bin resigned from the Materials Bureau, he had been in the transportation business for the past two years. Before the new year, he bought a vehicle, and now he owned three trucks. With the reform and opening up, freight transport had increased, and during busy periods, he was almost working around the clock.
“I’m only two years older than Nan Haitao, and my son is almost in junior high. I got married confusedly back then, not knowing anything.”
Chen Lishu smiled. “Looking at it this way, Brother Zhou is the one who’s properly settled.”
“Hahaha.” Zhou Bin couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
Not long after, the wedding ceremony began, and Chen Lishu finally got a proper look at the bride.
She wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but she had a baby face that made her look very endearing.
After the ceremony, the bride changed into a bright red outfit, and the newlyweds began to toast each table.
When they reached Chen Lishu’s table, Nan Haitao’s smile became noticeably more genuine.
“This is my good friend, Chen Lishu, and Zhou Bin.” Nan Haitao introduced his wife.
“Congratulations, happy wedding,” Chen Lishu and Zhou Bin raised their glasses.
Nan Haitao tightened the fingers holding his cup, then relaxed them, and nonchalantly downed the wine.
The bride was about to drink as well, but Nan Haitao raised his hand to stop her. “You can’t hold your liquor well, no need to force yourself.”
At Nan Haitao’s protective gesture, the bride’s face instantly turned like a blooming peach, flushed with a layer of crimson. She said softly, “Since they are your good friends, naturally, we can’t be impolite. I’m fine.”
Saying that, she picked up her glass and took a small sip…
Gu Xingdong’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly when he received the report that their bid was unsuccessful.
The bid document for this project had been prepared by a specialist hired with Ding Chen’s help. Coupled with owning a steel processing plant, their raw material costs were lower than others, giving them a pricing advantage. Combined with Yu Guofeng’s attitude, he had assumed the bid was a sure thing. To his surprise, the result was a failure to secure the contract.
“I heard that the winning bid came from a company that was just registered not long ago. Their nature is the same as ours – privately owned. I heard early on that they had dealings with Director Du of the Construction Bureau. It seems they must have used some underhanded methods,” Gu Xingye said, angrily hitting the table.
Gu Xingdong looked up. “Since the matter is settled, there’s no point in dwelling on it now. I need to go to the army later. A batch of steel bars will arrive from Lin Qi this afternoon; go and supervise it.”
Gu Xingye asked, “Going to the army? For what?”
“The army needs to build two more family housing buildings and wants to entrust it to our company. I’m going to check it out.”
“Really?” Gu Xingye’s spirits lifted again. Although it was only two family housing buildings, which couldn’t compare to the West City planning project, it was a military project. If done well, there would be no shortage of projects in the future.
“Third Brother, you go ahead. I’ll head to the construction site now.”
Gu Xingdong nodded, stood up, and the two of them left the office together.
In Kyoto, when Zhu Shasha received news from Gao Mingyuan that the West City planning project had been successfully secured, she was overjoyed.
It seemed that choosing Gao Mingyuan back then had been a very wise decision.
Thinking that she hadn’t visited the He family for several days, Zhu Shasha looked at her son nearby and beckoned him over.
“Shall Mommy take you to Grandma and Grandpa’s house?”
“No.” Qing Qing was happily playing and pouted when he heard he had to go to his grandparents’ house.
“Why? Grandma and Grandpa love Qing Qing so much. They miss you. Didn’t I tell you? If you want your beloved toy car, you have to be sweet-mouthed and coax Grandma and Grandpa into being happy.”
Qing Qing said, “I don’t want a toy car anymore. A classmate of mine has an airplane, and I want an airplane.”
Zhu Shasha promised, “Okay, if you go with me to see Grandma and Grandpa, I’ll buy you an airplane.”
“What are you talking about?” He Zinian returned from outside and curiously asked, seeing mother and son together.
Qing Qing ran over. “Daddy, Mommy said if I coax Grandma and Grandpa into being happy, she’ll buy me a big airplane.”
Zhu Shasha’s smile froze for a moment before she resumed her usual demeanor. “Didn’t the properties the old man handed over years ago get returned to us recently? This is such happy news, our family of three should go and see them.”
He Zinian was also very happy to mention this matter.
That was a whole street of properties. The entire family had initially given up hope, but they didn’t expect them to be returned.
Among the three brothers in the family, the eldest brother and his wife were in the military and were not interested in these assets. The third brother, with his temperament, would definitely not be interested either. Only he was involved in business, and with Qing Qing, the only grandson of the He family, everything would eventually be handed over to him.
“You’ve considered it correctly. Why don’t we go home for dinner tonight?”
At this moment, in the He family residence, Old Master He glared at his younger son opposite him, his eyes practically bulging like copper bells, and he occasionally snorted through his nostrils.
“You quit your job for no reason, what’s with you, child?” Mother He sighed beside him.