A few days later, Gu Xingdong took on the project, and the bank loan was a subsequent matter.
Zhu Shasha watched the man chatting happily with Mayor Yu not far away, her smile unchanged, but her fingers clenched tightly under the table.
The couple was indeed quite troublesome.
…
“I wonder what the boss is like now. I suffered a lot under him back then. I can hardly imagine he’s transitioned from military service to doing business.”
A middle-aged man in tattered clothes looked at his companion opposite him, his eyes filled with nostalgia and a hint of excitement.
If one looked closely, his empty sleeve hung down by his side.
“Hongyu, I heard Brother Kuo say the same thing. Is that person really that formidable?”
The man called Hongyu suddenly smiled as he recalled something, “Wang Kuo was a troublemaker back then. He didn’t like the boss and gathered us to form a clique, vowing to embarrass the boss. As a result…”
“What happened?” his companion asked, his eyes lighting up.
“We’re nearing the station, everyone check your luggage,” Wang Kuo suddenly opened his eyes, which had been closed near the window, and said.
Li Hongyu gave his companion a look and whispered, “He’s probably too embarrassed to say. Let’s pack our things first. I’ll tell you more next time.”
Soon, the train arrived at the station, and the four of them got off, carrying or shouldering their luggage bundles.
Seeing Gu Xingdong’s figure from afar, Li Hongyu quickly shouted, “Boss!”
Gu Xingdong looked over in the direction of the voice. When he saw his former comrades, his dark eyes instantly lit up.
He quickened his steps and walked over, “Why are you only arriving now?”
As he spoke, he reached out to take the luggage bundle from Li Hongyu’s hand, but the latter dodged it.
Li Hongyu grinned, “Brother Kuo became a father! It’s a hefty baby boy weighing eight jin. We went for the wedding banquet, and that’s why we’re here now.”
Gu Xingdong patted Wang Kuo’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Impressive!”
Upon hearing about his son, a hint of tenderness appeared on Wang Kuo’s usually stern face. As he walked forward, his body unconsciously leaned to one side, clearly indicating that one leg was not functioning well.
Seeing his condition, Gu Xingdong’s eyes darkened. Wang Kuo had been full of spirit in the army. Later, he was shot in the leg during a mission, resulting in a permanent disability and forcing his retirement.
Soon, Gu Xingdong led them to the company, arranged their accommodation, and explained the precautions.
“Just one rule: all actions must follow orders. As for anything else, someone will make specific arrangements. Do you understand?”
“Yes!” All of them instinctively stood at attention and saluted.
A smile flickered in Gu Xingdong’s eyes, “This is not the military, so relax. Pack your belongings first, and I’ll take you out for a meal later as a welcome.”
Li Hongyu immediately grinned, “I knew following the boss was the right choice.”
…
Zhang Qin and Wu Chunmei left on the third day after Chen Lishu’s confinement period ended.
“If it weren’t for being busy at home, with the autumn harvest coming up, and the little ones starting school, I’d really be reluctant to part with these two children, Mom.”
Wu Chunmei looked at the two babies in the crib again and couldn’t help but wipe the corners of her eyes.
“These two children are truly endearing,” Zhang Qin felt a bit reluctant too, but Gu Xingguo was home alone with three children, and she was truly worried.
“You can come again after the autumn harvest when things aren’t so busy,” Li Xiulan added.
With three children at home, Chen Lishu still needing to attend school, and Zhao Qiuyue being alone, she definitely wouldn’t be able to manage. Moreover, Gu Xingye’s current condition also required care, so she wouldn’t be returning with them.
When the children are a little older, Gu Xingye’s injury heals, or Chen Lishu graduates and has more time, it wouldn’t be too late for her to return then.
“Mom, Sister-in-law, thank you both so much for your care this past month.”
Chen Lishu said this as she took out two bags she had prepared earlier. “I haven’t prepared much, but I’ve made a set of clothes for each of my younger sisters and Xiao Song.”
Zhang Qin accepted the bags a little shyly, “Sister-in-law, you’re too kind.”
“Yes, why are you being so polite with the family, dear?” Wu Chunmei chimed in.
Chen Lishu smiled, “Since you’ve made the rare trip to the city, you must bring back some things so the children aren’t disappointed.”
“I’ll take Mom and Sister-in-law, you stay home,” Gu Xingdong said, bending down to pick up their luggage.
After sending off Wu Chunmei and Zhang Qin, Chen Lishu went to report to the school and officially resume classes.
Gu Xingdong’s side also proceeded smoothly. This time, they secured a bank loan of 600,000 yuan. After deducting the initial investment of 200,000 yuan from Longteng Company and including the final payment of 80,000 yuan from the feed mill, the company had a total disposable capital of 480,000 yuan.
The company currently had thirty-seven employees. Later, Gu Xingdong acquired a batch of equipment from Longteng Company at a low price, and soon officially entered the construction phase.
“Brother-in-law, for the raw materials, cement, bricks, and sand are being supplied normally. It’s only with the steel. Besides the Materials Bureau, we’ve also inquired with two other factories, and the situation is similar. Even if they can supply us, the quantity is not much. Moreover, I heard that they will be reducing supply in the next two months. Not only will the cost be high, but we might also face shortages,” Lin Qi reported with a frown.
Ding Chen thought for a moment and added, “Last year, the city built a new prefabricated component factory. It can significantly speed up construction and save on steel usage. Overall, the cost has not increased, and it can even save construction time.”
However, it is currently used by fewer people and production is not large. But some companies are already using it, and he thinks it is worth considering.
Gu Xingdong nodded, “In that case, you two go and negotiate with the prefabricated component factory. And for the steel, Lin Qi, you need to keep a close eye on it.”
…
Li Xiulan had just lulled the child to sleep. Seeing that the time was about right, she was about to go downstairs to help Zhao Qiuyue with dinner when she suddenly felt dizzy. In a daze, her foot slipped, and she tumbled forward, falling all the way down the stairs.
Gu Xingye, who was practicing walking downstairs with his crutches, heard the sound and turned his head. He saw Li Xiulan rolling down the stairs and his face turned ashen with shock. He frantically threw away his crutches and rushed over, “Mom!”
Zhao Qiuyue, hearing the unusual sound, also ran out of the kitchen to check. Upon seeing the scene before her, she exclaimed, “Auntie?!”
By the time Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong rushed to the hospital after receiving the news, Li Xiulan had already woken up and was clamoring to go home.
“I just didn’t sleep well last night and missed a step on the stairs. It’s really not a big deal. The children are still at home. Xingye is a man, and his legs aren’t good. Let’s go home quickly.”
Chen Lishu anxiously stepped forward, “Mom, how are you feeling? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”
“Lishu, Mom is fine. Xingye is the only one at home. If Xiao Cheng and Xiao Bai wake up, he won’t be able to handle them. Let’s hurry home.”