"What?" Shi Lei asked.

Wen Qing stopped, lowered her head and remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Shi Lei and said, "Shi Lei, what if I don't have the kind of purity you once described?"

Actually, she wasn't quite sure whether Shi Lei meant "purity" in a physical or mental sense, but if Shi Lei immediately thought of it as physical, then it meant he cared about it extremely.

"What did you say?" Shi Lei asked in surprise.

Wen Qing didn't speak, but looked at Shi Lei.

Shi Lei looked at Wen Qing with disbelief and scrutiny, but Wen Qing calmly accepted his gaze. Shi Lei chuckled awkwardly, "You didn't mean that, did you?"

Wen Qing still did not answer.

Shi Lei read the answer from Wen Qing's expression, his smile instantly freezing on his face. He said, "How could you... how could you... how..."

Wen Qing smiled and said, "The bus is coming, I have to go now. See you again sometime." After saying that, Wen Qing turned and left.

Shi Lei stood there, his fists clenched. He couldn't accept it, he couldn't accept it. Wen Qing was so good, so very good, how could she be like this... He liked her so much, he liked Wen Qing so, so much.

As Wen Qing walked, her smile faded. She quickly boarded the bus, sat down, and rested her head against the window. She thought she would feel heartache and sadness, but she didn't. Instead, she felt guilty as she sorted out the events between herself and Shi Lei.

Initially, it was the village chief's wife who enthusiastically made the connection. However, if she were too aloof, it would make things difficult for my mother in the village. In addition, at that time, Fengqing's shoemaking business was just starting out.

Another reason she compromised was that she also wanted a different life. She didn't want to find a particularly capable man, nor a mature one. In this day and age, both types of men were either married or divorced. And what did she have to offer that made her worthy of even more capable, unmarried men? She might even encounter a mother-in-law like Liang Wenhua and a sister-in-law like Ji Ningzhi, constantly accusing her of being greedy for wealth. Besides, if she didn't now have the power to suppress the damaging public opinion against marriage, she would choose to live alone.

She then discovered that Shi Lei was really good—sincere, ambitious, and considerate—and he didn't feel intimidated or inferior because of Feng Qing.

However, she forgot how much of a scoundrel she was in her past life, a kind of scoundrel that 90% of men in this era could not accept.

Including Shi Lei.

As Wen Qing was thinking, he arrived in Wangcheng County and saw Wen Liang as soon as he got off the bus.

"Sister," Wen Liang called out.

Wen Qing got off the bus.

Wen Liang reached out and took the bag from her hand, asking, "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Wen Qing: "No."

Wen Liang handed over two steamed buns, and Wen Qing felt a warm glow in her heart. It felt so good to have family; whenever she was tired, sleepy, or in pain, she could lean on them.

"Was this bought specifically for me?" Wen Qing asked.

Wen Liang: "Mm."

Wen Qing laughed: "Liangliang, you're so good to your sister."

Wen Liang remained silent.

Wen Qing took a bite of her steamed bun and asked, "What are you doing in the county town?"

Wen Liang replied, “Yesterday, a batch of goods was to be delivered to Quanshui City in the neighboring province. The garment factory was negligent in its inspection and only discovered in the afternoon that a step was missing. Everyone was at a loss as to what to do. If the goods were sent out, it would definitely affect Fengqing’s reputation. If they were not sent out, the goods would not arrive on time, which would also affect Fengqing’s reputation.”

"Is that so?" Wen Qing was surprised; she had no idea. So she asked, "And then?"

“Then Master Yan and I had everyone work overtime to catch up on the work, and we arranged for a transportation company to send 5,000 sets to Nanzhou City where a state-owned garment factory helped us. That night, we finished the work on 10,000 sets, loaded them onto trucks overnight, and sent them to Quanshui City in the neighboring province. So, I slept at the garment factory last night. This morning, I was thinking that you would come back, and Mom would definitely come to pick you up. It's so hot, so I called her and told her to stay home while I came to pick you up,” Wen Liang said calmly.

Wen Qing looked at Wen Liang.

Wen Liang asked in a low voice, "Sis, you're not mad at me, are you? I thought you had to concentrate on your exam, so I didn't let them call you."

"I don't blame you." Wen Qing didn't expect Wen Liang to be so decisive. It must have been Wen Liang who made the decision, because he was the boss's brother, and no one else would dare to do it.

When Wen Qing recalled how Wen Liang dropped out of school early in her previous life to support the Wen family, she felt that Wen Liang's abilities were extraordinary: "I won't blame you, you're amazing!"

Wen Liang didn't expect his sister to praise him. He came to pick up Wen Qing alone, not letting Yao Shiling come, because he was afraid Yao Shiling would scold him. He wanted to apologize to Wen Qing alone: ​​"But, we lost more than eight hundred yuan yesterday."

Wen Qing laughed, reached out and patted Wen Liang on the shoulder, and asked, "Which is more important, eight hundred yuan or reputation?"

“Reputation,” Wen Liang said.

“So you did the right thing.” Wen Qing said with a smile, “That’s how business is. Ups and downs are normal. No matter whether it’s up or down, the foundation is the most important thing for a company. If you don’t touch the foundation, everything else can be reversed.”

Wen Liang stared at Wen Qing in disbelief. He thought his sister knew how to make clothes and how to manage people, which was why her business was getting better and better. He never expected her to have such profound thoughts. Wen Liang nodded repeatedly.

“Let’s go check out the garment factory,” Wen Qing said.

Wen Liang nodded: "Okay."

Wen Qing has always been a kind boss, and all of Feng Qing's employees like her very much, finding her gentle.

However, this time Wen Qing dismissed two quality inspectors because of "failure to pass inspection." Of course, out of humanitarian considerations, Wen Qing instructed the accountant to pay them an extra month's wages.

The two quality inspectors burst into tears.

All the employees in the garment factory, including Master Yan and Master Wang, were terrified. It could be said that Fengqing was the best company in Nanzhou City. The wages, benefits, and working hours were all excellent. You couldn't find a better job than them. If they lost this job, they would be devastated.

Everyone was terrified.

Wen Qing and Wen Liang held a meeting for all employees of the garment factory to address the mistake. Wen Qing looked serious on the stage, while all the employees below were uneasy.

Master Yan and Master Wang even took the initiative to admit their mistakes to Wen Qing and were willing to accept punishment. This was the first time that Feng Qing Garment had encountered a quality problem.

Wen Qing said expressionlessly, "The punishment will be severe."

Master Yan and Master Wang felt a chill run down their spines.

Then Wen Qing explained the pros and cons of the matter, gave a stern criticism, and then offered some encouragement to all the employees, leaving the employees of Feng Qing feeling uneasy and inexplicably a little afraid of Wen Qing.

Finally, according to the proportion of compensation for losses, the majority was borne by the company, and the minority was distributed among the employees. In addition to the three yuan deduction from the wages of Master Yan and Master Wang, the other employees each had one yuan deducted.

Although all the employees were reluctant to pay the fine, this punishment reassured them that at least they wouldn't be laid off, and it served as a warning so they would be more careful next time.

After the meeting, Master Yan and Master Wang spoke with Wen Qing separately to reflect on their mistakes.

Wen Qing softened considerably, reassuring the two and offering encouragement and thanks, which put them at ease, making them work even harder and more cautiously.

After staying at Fengqing Garment Factory for a while, Wen Qing and Wen Liang left with their bicycles.

As soon as Wen Qing and Wen Liang left, many employees wiped the sweat from their foreheads, terrified.

"I never expected the young boss to be so frightening when he gets angry."

"Yeah, her voice wasn't loud, but it was still kind of creepy. I always thought she was gentle."

"If someone is so gentle, they must have a temper to have built such a big business like Fengqing. This time, she lost nearly a thousand yuan before the goods were even shipped. How could she not be angry?"

"I'm definitely going to be angry. I was so scared just now, so terrified."

"Alright, stop talking and get to work. The boss is very generous; where else can you find such a good job? Work hard, and she won't treat us unfairly."

"Um."

"..."

While the atmosphere at Fengqing Garment Factory was heavy with somber mood, Wenqing and Wenliang were already pushing their bicycles toward the dirt road.

Wen Liang asked, puzzled, "Sis, if you're not blaming me, why did you criticize them at the meeting just now?"

Wen Qing said earnestly, "Liangliang, as Fengqing grows bigger, in addition to technical aspects, another extremely important factor in whether Fengqing is good or bad is management."

"manage?"

"Hmm." Wen Qing nodded, looking at the bicycle Wen Liang was pushing, and said, "For example, when riding a bicycle, you control the direction with your hands, manage the force with your feet, balance the whole body with your waist, and keep your eyes focused on the front, right?"

"yes."

"This is a kind of self-management. If you control these four points well, even if there are stones or mud on the road, you can ride slowly. If you don't manage one point well, you are very likely to fall and get injured," Wen Qing said.

Wen Liang was taken aback and looked at Wen Qing. His sister had explained management to him in such a simple and profound way. He nodded vigorously: "I understand. So, sister, you want Feng Qing to have a balance in all aspects, so that no matter what path she takes, she can get through it safely."

"right."

“When all points are stable, the speed will naturally increase, and acceleration will not be difficult,” Wen Qing said with a smile.

Wen Liang was quite excited by Wen Qing's words, feeling that Feng Qing's future was bright. He asked, "Sister, shall we become..."

"I'm going to establish the Fengqing Group, which will include Fengqing Garment, Fengqing Shoes, Fengqing Apparel, and Fengqing Transportation. Also, I want to buy a textile factory in Nanzhou." Wen Qing made no attempt to hide his ambition from Wen Liang. If Wen Liang was a little excited before, he was now extremely excited.

"Sister, I'll help you!" Wen Liang said.

Wen Qing smiled and said, "Okay, we can't let it interfere with our studies."

Wen Liang rarely smiled, because he often cut grass for the year and was a bit tanned. When he smiled, his teeth looked exceptionally white: "Don't worry, I'm better at studying than you."

Wen Qing laughed.

The siblings arrived at the dirt road as they talked. Wen Liang got on his bicycle, and Wen Qing sat on the back, clutching Wen Liang's clothes.

“Liangliang, I’m going to Nanzhou tomorrow to register for my driver’s license test. Once I get my license, I’ll drive you around,” Wen Qing said.

Wen Liang asked, "Is getting a driver's license expensive?"

Wen Qing said confidently, "I don't lack money."

"Then go ahead and take the test. When I'm old enough and have enough money, I'll drive a car too."

Wen Qing laughed.

The siblings soon arrived at Shuiwan Village.

Wen Qing didn't go anywhere. She just ate, drank, and slept in the air-conditioned room. She had been very busy with the college entrance examination and Feng Qing, and she probably hadn't rested well. She felt that she wasn't as energetic as before, so she needed to rest properly.

"Of course you should rest well after finishing the exam. You sleep well, and you can eat whenever you wake up tomorrow morning. I won't wake you up," Yao Shiling said with a smile.

Wen Qing nodded: "Mom, you're so good to me."

“The bad ones are other people’s mothers,” Yao Shiling casually remarked.

Wen Qing smiled.

Wen Qing slept well that night, but the next morning, she didn't get up early, but she still felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. She was shocked and wondered what was going on.

Wen Qing suddenly had a sense of déjà vu. Before she could think about it, she heard voices in the courtyard. When she got out of bed, she bumped into the table and made a creaking sound.

"Wen Qing." Yao Shiling called softly when she heard movement inside the room.

Wen Qing responded, "Mom."

Yao Shiling's voice then grew louder as she asked, "Wen Qing, you're awake?"

"Yes, you're awake. What's up?"

“The village chief’s family has come. They said they have something to ask you,” Yao Shiling said.

Wen Qing was taken aback. The village chief's wife? Could it be related to Shi Lei?