Chapter 114 Your Dream! I'll Make It Come True!
"What do you mean?"
Jiang Wu was completely bewildered by Qin Lie's nonsensical words.
Qin Lie reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his fingertips sliding from her smooth forehead to the tip of her upturned nose, finally resting on her soft lips.
His eyes were filled with doting affection and a hint of helplessness.
“What I mean is,” his deep voice, like a cello in the quiet night, “I’ve been waiting for you to speak.”
"Tell me, where does your restless heart want to fly to?"
Jiang Wu was completely stunned.
He...he figured it out a long time ago?
"I knew it from the moment you made your first dress from scraps of cloth on the island," Qin Lie said, chuckling softly as he looked at her shocked expression.
"You are not a woman who is content to stay in the kitchen and the yard."
“There is light in your eyes. That light is full of ambition and a longing for a wider world.”
"When you design clothes, when you dance, when you play the piano... you are radiant. That radiance is so dazzling that it makes me nervous."
Qin Lie withdrew his hand and held hers tightly.
Sometimes I selfishly think that I should hide you away, somewhere only I can see you. That way, no one can covet your beauty.
"But I also know that it will make you unhappy."
"The phoenix should soar in the heavens. To lock it in a cage is the greatest cruelty to it."
Qin Lie looked into Jiang Wu's eyes and said, word by word, "Wife, I love you. So I hope you can become anything you want to be."
"Instead of being bound by the identity of 'Qin Lie's wife'."
"So, I've been waiting. Waiting for you to be ready, waiting for you to come and tell me in person what your dream is."
Jiang Wu's tears, which she could no longer control, rolled down her cheeks like beads from a broken string.
She originally thought she would face her husband's doubts, worries, and even opposition.
She prepared countless reasons and excuses.
But what I received was such a heartfelt confession.
This man understood her and loved her far more than she had imagined.
He saw through all her pretenses, understood her deepest desires, and was willing to give everything he had to fulfill her dreams.
"Qin Lie..."
Jiang Wu choked back tears and threw herself into his arms.
"Thank you……"
“Silly girl,” Qin Lie whispered in her ear as he held her tightly, “we are husband and wife. Your business is my business.”
"I'll make your dreams come true!"
The very next morning, Qin Lie demonstrated his remarkable efficiency.
He said to Jiang Wu, "Wife, don't worry about anything these next two days. Just stay home and work on your design drawings and plan everything the store needs."
"Leave the finding of a storefront to me."
For the next few days, Jiang Wu truly lived a life of being waited on hand and foot.
She locked herself in her study, focusing intently on perfecting her business plan and the design drafts for her first batch of clothing items.
Qin Lie, on the other hand, used all his connections and influence as a deputy division commander.
When opening a store, the most important thing is location.
What Jiang Wu wants to do is high-end private customization, not the mass-produced goods sold on the street.
Therefore, the location of a store must be both convenient for transportation and provide a private and stylish environment.
In the capital city in the 1980s, this was almost an impossible task.
Good locations are either occupied by government units or old courtyard houses that have long been occupied by various government agencies.
Qin Lie drove his military jeep all over the streets and alleys of Beijing.
He first took a liking to a small courtyard near Houhai, a quiet and picturesque place.
Upon inquiry, it turned out to be an activity center for retired cadres under a certain ministry.
He then took a fancy to a two-story building in Dongjiaomin Lane, which had a Western style and was very unique.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that the property belonged to a foreign trading company that was about to move in.
For several days in a row, there was no progress.
Just when Qin Lie was about to lose patience, one of his advisors provided him with a clue.
"Chief of Staff, I heard that there is a courtyard that has been vacant for a long time on the east side of Qianmen Street, near the embassy district."
"That courtyard used to be the private residence of a wealthy family, but it was later nationalized. Because of some property disputes, it has been vacant ever since. It is under the jurisdiction of the Logistics and Equipment Department of our military region."
Logistics and Equipment Department?
Qin Lie raised an eyebrow.
He immediately drove over there.
It's a nice quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle.
The entrance leads to the bustling Qianmen Street, but turning into a quiet alley, a two-courtyard siheyuan with a vermilion gate comes into view.
Although the courtyard appears somewhat dilapidated due to long-term neglect, its main structure is well-preserved.
The window frames are carved, the bluestone slabs are polished smooth, and there is a large, leafy locust tree in the courtyard.
Qin Lie took a liking to this place at first sight.
This place is practically tailor-made for Jiang Wu's clothing studio!
He immediately turned around and headed straight for the logistics and equipment department.
However, things did not go as smoothly as he had imagined.
The head of the logistics and equipment department was a deputy minister surnamed Zhao. When he met Qin Lie, he was polite on the surface, but when the topic of that courtyard came up, he started to dodge the question.
"Oh dear, Deputy Division Commander Qin, why have you taken a liking to that courtyard?" Deputy Minister Zhao said with a troubled expression. "That courtyard... has a rather complicated situation. The property rights have not been clarified, so we can't just dispose of it casually."
"What's so complicated about it? Didn't you say it was under your jurisdiction?" Qin Lie asked in a deep voice.
“That’s true… but…” Vice Minister Zhao stammered, “To be honest, a couple of days ago, Vice Commander Lu also mentioned that he had other plans for that courtyard…”
Deputy Commander Lu!
It's the Lu family again!
Qin Lie's face instantly turned cold.
He realized that this was not a matter of overlapping property rights at all, but rather the Lu family causing trouble behind the scenes!
They must have heard something and know that I wanted to use this courtyard, so they deliberately came to intercept me!
"Minister Zhao," Qin Lie's voice was already tinged with coldness, "I'm making this clear today. I'm taking this courtyard."
"If you find this difficult, I'll go see Commander Liao right now. I want to ask him when the military region's assets became a tool for certain people to suppress their colleagues!"
Qin Lie directly invoked the name of Commander Liao, the highest-ranking leader in the military region.
Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Zhao broke out in a cold sweat.
On one side was his immediate superior, Deputy Commander Lu, and on the other was the newly promoted, high-ranking Deputy Division Commander Qin, whose background was unfathomable.
He can't afford to offend any of them.
"No, no, no!" Deputy Minister Zhao quickly waved his hand. "Deputy Division Commander Qin, please calm down. It's nothing serious. It's not worth alarming Commander Liao."
He gritted his teeth, as if he had made a huge decision.
"Okay, give me a day, and I'll try to coordinate it further. Don't worry, I guarantee I'll give you a satisfactory answer!"
Qin Lie snorted coldly, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
He knew his threat had worked.
Sure enough, the next morning, Vice Minister Zhao personally delivered the key to the courtyard to Qin Lie's office.
Qin Lie held the heavy bunch of brass keys, a cold smile playing on his lips.
The Lu family is just the beginning.
What you owe the Qin family, I will collect it all back, penny by penny, with interest!
That evening, Qin Lie returned home and, as if by magic, placed the bunch of keys in front of Jiang Wu.
"Wife, look, this is a gift for you."
Jiang Wu picked up the key, somewhat puzzled.
"This is……"
"The key to our future clothing store." Qin Lie smiled, took another document from his briefcase, and handed it to her.
"I've taken care of the shop for you. I've also found you a manager."
"Take a look, is it to your liking?"
manager?
Jiang Wu opened the document with a puzzled look.
The document contained a handwritten resume.
When she saw the name and photo on the resume, a hint of undisguised, immense surprise flashed in her eyes.
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