Dilemma

There were only two people left in the room. Li Guorong sat on Lin Shaocheng's lap and said, "How was it? I didn't embarrass you, did I? I know you're strict about discipline, so I'm definitely on your side."

Lin Shaocheng chuckled a few times, "The factory is in complete chaos, yet you seem unconcerned."

Li Guorong didn't see it that way. He could give her a large sum of money to spend every month, so how could it become a mess?

“Your second brother and sister-in-law told them to go out and start their own businesses. Your eldest sister can no longer handle personnel matters, so she should go to the university to recruit some professionals.”

Li Guorong pursed his lips. Was she looking down on her family for being uneducated? She might be uneducated, but the products from her factory were still being sold overseas, all thanks to her family working together with her.

Lin Shaocheng laid out the facts for her: "Your second brother and sister-in-law are ambitious. Now that you're earning so much money, if they only give you a little bit, they'll definitely have something to say about it. Your eldest sister is soft-hearted; she hires all sorts of relatives and friends who aren't suitable for human resources at the factory, so she's allowed to continue managing the production line."

Li Guorong bit his lip. "Let me think about it. Don't tell them yet."

Li Guorong and Cui Fanghua lay on the bed, their faces covered with thick mud masks, while two beauticians massaged their meridians.

Cui Fanghua asked, "You really aren't going to the dance hall?"

Li Guorong has been extremely busy these past few days, helping Lin Shaocheng with accounting and inventory checks. Lin Shaocheng also mentioned that he wants to go back to Chongchuan to check on the raw material production areas, as well as the medicinal herb park she mentioned earlier that he plans to build in Chongchuan. Lin Shaocheng has set up a company in Hong Kong, preparing to operate it according to the investment model of Hong Kong businessmen entering the mainland. My elder brother said that he heard some Japanese people want to go and take a look, and we can't let them get ahead of us.

Li Guorong couldn't help but roll his eyes under the cucumber slices, "Where would I find the time?"

Cui Fanghua's voice was laced with sarcasm, "I never expected our Factory Director Li to be such a traditional timid wife. There are women in Chongchuan who are so useless."

Li Guorong's face was burning, and even the cool face mask couldn't stop her. "Who are you saying is afraid? I'm just being chaste." Li Guorong felt a little uneasy. Several villagers had complained to her these past few days, and even her mother told her that Lin Shaocheng was a bit unreasonable. But he was doing it for the good of the factory, and she couldn't hold him back. She had been busy with work for several days and wanted to relax.

"After dancing at that dance hall, you can go to take a bath and then get a beauty treatment."

Li Guorong was very interested, but Lin Shaocheng was definitely not willing.

Cui Fanghua said, "Didn't we say last time that we were going to support Qian Mancang? You two can go and relax together."

After enduring for almost half a month, Li Guorong, wearing a floral shirt and a pencil skirt, grabbed Lin Shaocheng's arm and shook it vigorously that night, saying, "Come on, all the important people in the city are having fun there now, and you can even take a bath."

Lin Shaocheng stood up. "Let's go."

Li Guorong looked you up and down and said, "You're dressed like this, it's too embarrassing."

Li Guorong took out a sequined suit from the dressing room, "Change into this."

Lin Shaocheng looked unusually embarrassed. "This isn't really suitable for me."

With Li Guorong tucking his hands into his waistband, Lin Shaocheng had no choice but to surrender, taking his clothes into the changing room.

The dance hall was still lively today; the music inside could be heard across the street. The outdoor signs had also been upgraded, with colorful lights shining on the street outside, covering the faces of people coming and going with colorful patches.

Lin Shaocheng frowned as he smelled the cheap perfume and tobacco in the air. "There are also quiet bars in the city where you can drink and chat, which are quite nice."

Li Guorong shook her head. That place was just for drinking and listening to music, which she didn't like. She preferred dancing and lively atmospheres. She pulled the hesitant Lin Shaocheng inside.

Inside, the music was deafening, and men and women were dancing. Lin Shaocheng and Li Guorong sat on a leather sofa, with cocktails on the table and the fruit platter on the table being the freshest in the entire dance hall.

Qian Mancang's hair gel reflected a dazzling array of colors, and he wore ripped jeans, a popular style in Hong Kong. The three of them remained silent until Li Guorong spoke up to ease the tension, "Oh, thank you for what happened last time. Shaocheng and I are back together." He hugged Lin Shaocheng's arm, and the two looked very close.

Qian Mancang's eyes were full of fighting spirit. "Why don't we go to the dance hall and dance? It's not very interesting just watching others dance."

Li Guorong's eyes lit up. She had been so bored these past few days, and now she had a chance to have some fun. She stood up, and Lin Shaocheng also stood up, his eyes shining. Lin Shaocheng looked like a Hong Kong or Taiwan star. The regular customers had all looked at her man with envy. If she were dancing with Lin Shaocheng on the dance floor, they would be green with envy.

Lin Shaocheng whispered in her ear, "I can't dance disco, I can only dance ballroom dance."

Li Guorong shook his arm, "Don't be so distracted, you'll learn how to dance once you go inside."

Lin Shaocheng shook his head and refused. When invited to parties abroad, he never danced with other women; he usually just watched from the sidelines. Strangers of men and women were huddled together in the pool. "Let's go home and dance," he said.

Li Guorong shouted in Lin Shaocheng's ear, "I'm not going back. If you want to go back, go back yourself."

Li Guorong shook off Lin Shaocheng's hand and swam into the pool like a colorful fish. Her dance steps changed constantly, from bus stop steps to lock steps and Latin hapsodies, making her the focus of the dance floor.

Qian Mancang stood up and straightened the sleeves of his denim jacket. "Mr. Lin, aren't you going downstairs to play? Then I'll go down."

Qian Mancang pushed through the crowd and walked to Li Guorong's side, "Let's dance together."

Li Guorong shook her head. With Lin Shaocheng here today, she had to behave herself. Qian Mancang chuckled. She looked up and saw Lin Shaocheng shaking his wine glass and looking down at her, looking somewhat condescending.

Li Guojian then came over and said, "Have some fun! You're already here. If you're going to mind, brother-in-law, you can come down and dance with me in a bit. Wouldn't that be better?"

Li Guorong was also tempted when he heard this, "Then let's jump."

The two are indeed childhood sweethearts, sharing a tacit understanding as they grew up together. With strides, leg swings, waist twists, and hip swaying, their steps are synchronized, full of rhythm.

After finishing her dance, Li Guorong felt completely relaxed. She wasn't quite done yet. Lin Shaocheng and Li Xiangxi were talking, not glancing in her direction at all, as if she had lost her charm. She sensed that the men around her admired her, so how could Lin Shaocheng still be focused on his work? Thinking about this, she felt a tightness in her chest.

"Let's jump again!" the second brother and sister-in-law egged on from the side.

Li Guorong danced to the music once again, forgetting his troubles on the dance floor.

It was already past midnight. After taking a bath, Li Guorong felt refreshed. "You should really dance like me. All your troubles will disappear."

Lin Shaocheng didn't speak, but carefully examined the two documents, his expression somewhat grave. "Your second brother and sister-in-law might have some problems."

Li Guorong's mouth was wide open, and his eyes were barely open. "Let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm exhausted."

Lin Shaocheng unfolded the documents in front of Li Guorong, "Did you sign these documents? This order is for 5,000 cans of chili oil. Why was there no deposit and you shipped the goods directly? And this order for raw materials, you shipped the goods first and then paid, which is already several days overdue."

Li Guorong glanced at the contract quickly, showing no patience whatsoever. He leaned against Lin Shaocheng and said, "I'm sleepy, I miss you."

After Lin Shaocheng fell asleep, Li Guorong opened her eyes. It was still dark. She quietly picked up the contract, glanced at it, and ran downstairs. That was her second brother. She couldn't let him lose face. "Second brother, what's going on with the raw materials on the 10th and the shipping order on the 12th? This has resulted in a loss of 200,000 in cash flow."

A cheerful voice came from Li Guojian's end, "Don't worry about me. I've never had a problem handling things over the years."

Li Guorong gripped the phone without speaking. Logically, she should ask her questions properly, but this was her second brother, and she couldn't possibly betray him.

Li Guojian started rambling on, “Brother-in-law, aren’t you meddling too much? This small factory is yours, not his. When have you ever managed a traditional Chinese medicine factory? That Li Xiangxi is the deputy director of the traditional Chinese medicine factory. I’m just a sales and purchasing manager, and your sister-in-law is just a secretary. She’s always coming and going to check on things.”

Li Guorong thought that she never cared about the Chinese medicine factory, so why did Lin Shaocheng always interfere with the chili factory? Besides, Li Xiangxi was also the factory director.

Cui Fanghua chimed in, "Guorong, you don't know, all the accountants they're hiring are female college graduates, pretty and educated. What are they doing here? And the purchasing manager, he wants to select those people who are also educated. Why doesn't he look down on our bunch of peasants?"

Li Guorong bit her cheek. She thought that if all her subordinates were educated people, who would listen to her? Would she not understand what they were saying about her behind her back? Thinking of this, she became even more flustered. It was better not to let Lin Shaocheng manage the chili factory. She had worked hard and the factory was so big and strong. Lin Shaocheng's methods might not be suitable for her at all.

Li Guorong hung up the phone and lay down on the bed. Lin Shaocheng next to her was fast asleep. She was getting tired of him. Lin Shaocheng didn't like dancing, singing, racing cars, wearing gold and silver, luxury goods, or crowds. He liked reading, watching movies, skiing, and going to concerts. He didn't like what she liked, and she didn't like what he liked.

Regardless of her glamorous attire or her reminder to bring someone along because it wasn't safe, Lin Shaocheng was implying that she shouldn't dress so ostentatiously and that he didn't like her going to the dance floor.

She never stopped Lin Shaocheng from doing what he liked. If Qian Mancang were with her now, would things be different? Qian Mancang wasn't as handsome as Lin Shaocheng, but he liked to have fun more. Like her, he didn't have any pretentious hobbies, which made her seem vulgar in comparison.

Li Guorong tossed and turned, torn between her family and Lin Shaocheng. She really loved disco dancing, and now that she finally had money, she could spend it however she wanted. Should she just give in?

Lin Shaocheng hugged Li Guorong from behind, "Why can't you sleep?"

Li Guorong bit his lip. "My second brother explained it to me, so there shouldn't be any problem."

Lin Shaocheng's deep voice came through his body, "I'll go ask again. They've already found a new accountant and finance person for the factory. The purchasing and sales positions are being filled through a competitive process within the factory."

Li Guorong paused, sat up, and said, "Don't worry about this. I know what I'm doing."