Chapter 40. Mom, do you want to spend your life with Dad...?
The group of small business owners who gathered around included material suppliers and construction contractors, all of whom had previously provided supporting services for Mr. Zhong's Yuanda Real Estate.
Now that there's been a problem with substandard materials used in concealed engineering projects, the company wants to take a clean sweep and replace them all.
After hearing rumors, these small business owners, who felt they could still be saved, desperately sought help from Nie Qingqing and explained their predicament.
"The previous head of the purchasing department accepted gifts. We didn't give kickbacks, so we couldn't win the bids. This is an unspoken rule in the industry. If you want to make a living, you have to go with the flow."
"We're sacrificing our own profits; there's absolutely no cutting corners. If we're not allowed to handle the later stages of production, all the goods we've brought in will just be stuck in inventory. We'll really be jumping into the river."
Several suppliers were busy offering cigarettes to Song Zhao and trying to build a relationship with him; "Director Song should know that once this kind of trend takes hold in the company, we suppliers can only follow suit, there's nothing we can do."
"No, I won't smoke." Song Zhao politely declined. "No matter how innocent you all claim, my wife will still investigate personally. Since she's confident that the materials and construction are up to standard, let's go back and wait for news."
After listening for a while, Nie Qingqing understood. These people had all given kickbacks before; it was an unspoken rule, and they were forced to follow the crowd.
She collected the business cards one by one, saying, "My husband is right. I haven't even started work yet, and I don't know how to do my job or how to work. Let me figure it out first."
At least they didn't refuse, and the small business owners left, thanking them profusely.
...
After several days of meetings and getting familiar with the work, Nie Qingqing finally understood some of the situations. Several suppliers and contractors were indeed wronged. They gave kickbacks and squeezed their own profits, but they did not cut corners. The project was done well, and now it was stopped just like that, causing them great losses.
She went down to the supplier's production workshop and compared the inventory on the construction site with the inventory in the workshop. The quality was fine, the price was not higher than the market price, and the price was also fine.
So when she held the project meeting, she distributed the research report and explained the procurement department's decision.
“I can’t control how other departments arrange things, but our purchasing department has talked to these material suppliers and conducted on-site inspections. They made it clear that we don’t need to consider kickbacks, and they even lowered their supply prices a bit. The first building in the development used these brands, and changing brands now would have a negative impact, so I’ve decided to continue having them supply us.”
Before the meeting, she reported to Attorney He, who said there was no problem, so she dared to say it at today's meeting.
During the first month of the lunar calendar, Nie Qingqing took it upon herself to turn the tide and help the company maintain its credibility, making a great contribution. Now she is Attorney He's most trusted assistant.
Attorney Zhong has a good temper and listens to his wife in everything, so the management team doesn't object to him staying on this occasion.
...
However, there was one exception. Most of the people that Mr. Zhong had placed in the company were removed this time, but Chang Pinghai, Mr. Zhong's driver of more than ten years, continued to stay in the company as a consultant. It can be said that Mr. Zhong was worried about his sons and kept him to supervise the work.
Chang Pinghai objected: "At my suggestion, the construction partners have all been replaced. Your material suppliers also need to be changed, otherwise how can the project department maintain a consistent narrative to the outside world?"
Nie Qingqing didn't care about his opinion; no matter how strong the consultant was, he wasn't her boss.
She objected, saying, "The purchasing department agreed to let me manage it, but they disagreed after I took over. So why should I be in charge? Your title is consultant. I can ignore what you say unless you let Mr. Zhong make the decision."
Mr. Zhong acted as a peacemaker, advising Chang Pinghai not to get angry.
"Uncle Chang, my dad always said, 'Leave a way out for people when you're doing things, and don't cut off their livelihood.' The person who made the mistake this time has already been kicked out. As for the other suppliers and construction companies, we'll cooperate for a while and see how things go."
Chang Pinghai was embarrassed and couldn't help but say something excessive.
"Xianzong, do you really think a woman who knows nothing can be smarter than everyone here? Let's listen to her then."
Mr. Zhong smiled and said, "Uncle Chang, please call me President Zhong or Mr. Zhong at the company. If you don't respect me, how can I stand up in this company?"
...
Seeing this, Chang Pinghai got angry and tried to leave, but Nie Qingqing blocked the door to prevent him from leaving.
"Advisor Chang, I may not understand business, but I do know how to sow discord. What you've done is hold a meeting and say that everyone from the boss to the colleagues is inferior to me. This is just stirring up hatred against me. You are twice my age and more experienced than me. If you want to bully the younger generation, just curse them directly. Is it something someone of your status would do to stir up hatred with sarcastic remarks?"
Chang Pinghai laughed angrily. Who did she think she was? How dare she speak to him like that?
He was arranged by Mr. Zhong to look after the younger generation.
He said to Mr. Zhong, "Mr. Zhong, is it appropriate for you to hire a scoundrel for such an important position?"
Mr. Zhong hurriedly waved his hand: "Advisor Chang, look at you, you're making me angry again. She was recruited by my wife. I need to carefully consider your words and intentions. Are you trying to sow discord between my wife and me?"
He talks about feelings, but does he even have any feelings? Isn't his marriage with Attorney He a mutually beneficial arrangement?
Chang Pinghai couldn't hold back any longer, so he quit and gave Mr. Zhong a truthful reply.
...
Consultant Chang left, but Nie Qingqing's procurement decision was approved, and the construction team was also retained. The project is progressing according to the contract schedule without any delays.
The first phase of the work finally proceeded smoothly without any major incidents.
Nie Qingqing was in a great mood, but there was one thing that made her feel embarrassed. She said shyly to Song Zhao, "I was reckless today and said some inappropriate things. I guess all the middle and senior management in the company will laugh at me for being so tactless."
Song Zhao said, "Everyone has their own standards. Sincerity is the highest level. The way you speak and act is what Attorney He appreciates most. That's why she pays your salary. There's no need to take other people's opinions to heart."
Song Zhao was good at persuasion, and Nie Qingqing's inferiority complex vanished.
She said smugly, "I have a way out, so I'm not actually afraid, which is why I dared to say it."
Song Zhao assumed she was referring to Attorney He's promise and affirmed, "There's no need to doubt Attorney He's credibility. She said that if you don't do a good job, you can go back to be her assistant. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Nie Qingqing smiled at him, and Song Zhao realized he had misunderstood, so he quickly asked, "Am I wrong?"
Nie Qingqing hugged him and said reproachfully, "Although that was also a guarantee, the fallback I mentioned earlier is you and this family. That's my confidence, my real fallback."
Song Zhao was truly thrilled; Qing Qing had finally come to trust him.
Over the years, little by little, Qingqing finally felt that he was someone she could rely on and someone who gave her confidence. How could she not be happy?
Song Zhao said, "No wonder. The few material suppliers who stayed behind came to the factory to invite me to dinner and brought cigarettes, alcohol and tea, but I refused them all. I made it clear to them that if you want to do this job for a long time, don't do this. Otherwise, if someone has a handle against you, you won't last long."
Nie Qingqing nodded repeatedly: "You should explain it to them clearly, so I don't have to say it. I'm afraid that Chang Pinghai will go back and complain to Mr. Zhong, saying that Mr. Zhong and Lawyer He have no taste in hiring someone like me. I wonder what Mr. Zhong will think?"
Song Zhao told her not to worry: "Mr. Zhong only cares about the profitability of the project and the sustainable development of the company. He doesn't care about such trivial matters. He would only find it annoying to complain. Even the elderly around him would annoy him. Don't worry, Consultant Chang wouldn't be stupid enough to complain to Mr. Zhong."
...
After working in the purchasing department for a month or two, just as Nie Qingqing was getting the hang of things, Aunt Ling passed away.
Aunt Ling's family informed her of the death, and she quickly changed into plain-colored clothes and went over.
Mr. Zhong was also there; he was helping out as Aunt Ling's good friend. Nie Qingqing didn't join in.
She never mentioned it to outsiders. Aunt Ling transferred the favor to Mr. Zhong, who treated her with normalcy and kept his distance. Outsiders couldn't tell at all.
Uncle Gu arrived, and after paying his respects, he talked with Aunt Ling's two sons.
Nie Qingqing and Gu Lehan stood at the back of the crowd and talked about Ling Hongmian's life.
Gu Lehan sighed, "I've visited her several times with my grandfather. She told him she had no worries and thanked me."
Nie Qingqing felt ashamed to accept the offer: "I haven't done anything."
Gu Lehan wouldn't allow her to be modest: "If it weren't for your idea, Grandma Ling's two sons would definitely still be making trouble. Aunt Ling wouldn't have passed away peacefully. Grandpa and I know that if Grandma Ling could tell us, she must have told Mr. Zhong as well. You work for Mr. Zhong, so you don't need to worry about people talking behind your back."
Thinking about it this way, Nie Qingqing felt more at ease.
...
After the ceremony, Aunt Ling's eldest son, holding a box, waved to Nie Qingqing. Gu Lehan quickly pushed her forward, saying, "Auntie, he's here to see you. Grandpa and I are leaving now. We'll meet again later."
Nie Qingqing has left; only Aunt Ling's relatives and Mr. Zhong remain here.
The eldest brother, holding the box, handed it to Nie Qingqing and said, "This is my mother's last wish. She wanted to give it to you, saying that it was what you deserved, and that my brother and I would definitely give it to you in front of the funeral hall."
The second son handed the key to the box to Nie Qingqing and suggested, "Open it now, otherwise everyone will be curious about what my mother left you. Don't worry, even if my mother left you jewelry or gold, we won't be jealous."
Nie Qingqing would have to be crazy to believe he wasn't jealous.
Aunt Ling is really something else. She doesn't give gifts secretly. If you give them to her in public, would she dare to accept them?
Her family is doing well, so even if there were priceless jewels inside, she wouldn't want them. They might be rare, but she wouldn't take them; she understands that.
Nie Qingqing politely declined: "Aunt Ling can give it to me, and I can refuse. Aunt Ling's things belong to you two brothers, so you can divide them among yourselves."
The two brothers were a little polite: "We couldn't possibly refuse. My mom told us to give it to you, so we can't disobey her."
Look at how pathetic they are, no wonder Aunt Ling didn't want to see them in the end.
Nie Qingqing said, "It's alright. I said I didn't want it. Even if Aunt Ling knew in the afterlife, she wouldn't blame you."
...
After Nie Qingqing left, before all the guests had left, the two brothers asked Mr. Zhong to be their witness and couldn't wait to open the box and see what was inside.
The brothers made a pact: "No matter what's inside, we'll split the proceeds in half. That's the only fair way."
Mr. Zhong had no hope for the two brothers. No wonder Hongmian didn't ask him to take care of them before she died; there was really nothing worth taking care of.
The box was opened, and inside were more than a dozen old letters.
The boss didn't believe it; was this piece of scrap paper really worth locking up?
The eldest son opened two letters and read them; they were correspondence between his mother and Song Mingli, but he found them utterly uninteresting.
He wanted to open the rest of the letters to check them, but Mr. Zhong stopped him and advised, "These are your mother's letters to Song Mingli. They are open and honest, without the kind of private relationship you're thinking of. Please show some respect."
The eldest brother quickly explained, "Uncle Zhong, that's not what I meant. I was just checking if there were any letters between us, and I took them out to give to you."
Mr. Zhong said, "I have already taken those letters back with me as souvenirs."
The second son was disappointed and muttered, "Mom is too stingy. She only left a few letters. It's not presentable. How about we add a pair of gold bracelets and return them?"
The eldest brother agreed: "We'll each contribute one gold bracelet; that's fair."
...
If this were his own son, Mr. Zhong would have slapped him.
He said, "It should be what it is, no need to add anything extra. If you trust me, I'll give it to Nie Qingqing."
The eldest brother quickly said, "Of course we trust you. It's just a small matter. We'll find someone to deliver it."
Mr. Zhong shook his head: "A letter from home is worth a thousand pieces of gold. The old letters that you consider worthless are your mother's memories and friendships from half a lifetime. I think Nie Qingqing will cherish them."
...
Mr. Zhong called Nie Qingqing over and handed her the open box, saying, "Hongmian knows her two sons too well. Even if she only gives you a gold necklace, the two brothers will remember it for a lifetime."
There were sixteen letters in the box, between Aunt Ling and Song Zhao's father. In those days, this was such a precious friendship.
With respect, Nie Qingqing said, "These are precious memories that cannot be mailed. I will take them back to my father-in-law during the New Year. He will definitely cherish them."
Mr. Zhong was relieved; he hadn't misjudged the girl, nor had Hongmian.
He told her, “You can give the letter to your father-in-law, and you can peel off the stamps and keep them yourself. Hongmian has a habit of collecting stamps. Before she gave me her stamp album, she replaced the ordinary stamps on these dozen or so letters with valuable stamps. These stamps are what she really wanted to give you.”
Nie Qingqing was shocked and quickly examined the stamps closely. Sure enough, the postmarks on them didn't match. The stamps on the top few letters still had postmarks, but the stamps on the bottom ten letters were new and had no postmarks. No wonder Mr. Zhong didn't let Aunt Ling's two sons mess with these letters.
Her heart raced, and she hesitated, wanting to take it but not daring to.
"What if Aunt Ling's two sons find out and want to sue me to take it back?"
Mr. Zhong laughed heartily: "Don't worry, Hongmian gave me her favorite stamp album. I can't tell anyone about this. You got these dozen or so precious stamps, so you certainly won't tell anyone either. Who would know? This is Hongmian's kind gesture. Knowing her personality, if you don't accept it, she would rather throw the stamps away than take them back."
Nie Qingqing stopped being coy and took the box: "Thank you, and thank you Aunt Ling too. I will treasure it."
...
Nie Qingqing excitedly took the letters and stamps home, carefully peeled the stamps off the envelopes, and properly stored them according to philatelic standards, locking them in a box.
She was delighted and told Song Zhao, "Mr. Zhong also said that if we let these dozen or so stamps sit for a while, they will become more valuable. If we ever need to sell them in the future, we shouldn't go looking for random people. He will help us contact knowledgeable stamp collectors to buy them."
Song Zhao said, "If we really have to sell stamps, then our family will definitely need a lot of money. I hope we never have to use them in our lives. Let's keep them as souvenirs."
...
Nie Qingqing is in charge of the purchasing department. Many people want to bribe her, but they don't know where to start. The material suppliers can't lure her to karaoke bars or bathhouses, so they can't corrupt her. Even when they meet to discuss business, they do so in the company's meeting room, without the usual gift-giving or kickback practices.
Those who wanted to find fault with her had nowhere to start, and the atmosphere in the purchasing department gradually improved.
After several months, Consultant Chang finally found fault, saying that Nie Qingqing's procurement costs were too high and that the lowest bid was not used for procurement.
Chang Pinghai didn't mention it during the meeting, but rather spoke about it privately with Mr. Zhong and Attorney He in the office.
He finally got hold of Nie Qingqing's weakness: "I told you she couldn't manage the purchasing department. The total cost of this batch of doors and windows was more than 100,000 yuan higher than the quote from another company. I don't believe there wasn't some benefit involved."
Mr. Zhong really wanted to laugh at him, but he deliberately lured the old man into the game: "The manufacturers are different, the models are different, and the prices are different. This is normal. How can you say that they took a bribe? I trust my wife, and I trust the people my wife trusts."
Attorney He gave him a disapproving look, then, without keeping him in suspense, asked Chang Pinghai, "Qingqing has a detailed plan, Uncle Chang, haven't you seen it?"
Chang Pinghai scoffed: "What's the point of a business plan? It's just a door and window. Making a business plan is just a way to get you to accept the money."
After laughing for a while, Zhong Xianzong said, "Uncle Chang, you should still take a look. Manager Nie said that our building is a mid-to-high-end residential complex, but it faces the road and is noisy, which is very detrimental to sales. The newly purchased doors and windows have good airtightness and good sound insulation, which are the highlights of sales. It's worth the extra money."
Chang Pinghai was embarrassed: "Is it really soundproof, or is it just hype?"
Attorney He didn't want to tease this old hand. He might be a bit old-fashioned, but he was someone that Emperor Xianzong's father had used for more than ten years, so he had to give him some face.
"We've already tested the model room, and the sound insulation is excellent. We plan to replace all the doors and windows in Building 1 with those from the same batch."
Chang Pinghai was shocked: "Do you even know how to do business? How much will this cost?"
Zhong Xianzong laughed and said, "Uncle Chang, don't be in such a hurry. Rather than waiting for the owners of Building No. 1 to cause trouble in the future, it's better to change it now. We can also build a good reputation. Of course we're not stupid. The auditing department has calculated that the profit difference is actually not that much."
...
When Chang Pinghai returned, he didn't mention the matter of improving the quality of doors and windows. Instead, he brought up an incident to Mr. Zhong as a joke.
“I just went to Xianzong’s company. The HR department complained to me that they recommended several talents to the purchasing department, but Nie Qingqing rejected them all. The people used in the purchasing department were recruited by her. The two people she values most are a fifty-something old man who works on construction sites and a recent college graduate. What can these two people do?”
Mr. Zhong smiled knowingly: "The other day, Xianzong and Shunyi came to see me and talked about Manager Nie's recruitment theory. She said that the fifty-year-old was experienced, knew all kinds of building materials, and had no children. He just wanted to make a stable income so that he could retire with his wife. Such a person would not be greedy if given a high salary. The young man who just graduated did not know anything, but he had dreams. After working for a few years and gaining experience, his appetite and courage grew. He could be transferred to another department for a promotion, which would reduce the probability of the purchasing department extorting money."
Chang Pinghai's heart tightened. Mr. Zhong was already calling her "Manager Nie," so it seemed he was satisfied with her.
He quickly changed his tune: "The idea is good, but can it actually be implemented?"
Mr. Zhong said, "As long as the result is good, who cares how she does it? Xianzong is much more stable now that he's married, and he doesn't stick to any particular methods when it comes to hiring people. Manager Nie has a bit of a temper and isn't very tactful, but that's okay. As long as she can get things done, you might as well step down and take care of your grandson. Don't worry about this or get angry about it."
...
The advisor hadn't come for a while. With him gone, no one was using their status to nitpick, and Nie Qingqing's life became much smoother. She only needed to focus on the matters under her jurisdiction.
Having managed the purchasing department for over six months, Attorney He sent her a 1,000 yuan red envelope.
Nie Qingqing hesitated to answer: "Attorney He, aren't bonuses paid out at the end of the year?"
Attorney He smiled and said, "This amount isn't even at the end of the year. This is a special bonus for you."
Nie Qingqing was puzzled: "I didn't do anything special, did I?"
Attorney He was convinced, but if she wanted to take the money without worry, she had to explain her reasons.
"Your purchasing department has set a good example. Other departments have followed your model and reformed effectively. This reward is well-deserved. You're not busy lately, and it's summer vacation. Why don't you take some annual leave? Isn't your Xiaoyin coming over?"
Nie Qingqing quickly said, "Xiaoyin isn't coming this year. She went to summer training with last year's art teacher, Dalin, and Xiaolin."
It seems she's serious. Attorney He asked, "Is she really planning to apply to art school?"
Nie Qingqing was certain: "Xiaoyin was afraid that her biological mother would blame me later, so she didn't want me to ask too many questions, but she had made up her mind about this since the first year of high school."
...
With a holiday and a red envelope, Nie Qingqing was in an extremely good mood. When she got home, Tangyuan Xiaoyuan was already ready for the holiday.
She waved the red envelope in her hand and asked them, "Where do you want to eat tonight?"
Tangyuan was unusually serious and composed today: "Mom, let's eat at home tonight. We need to wait for the phone call."
"That's really strange," Nie Qingqing asked. "Whose call are you waiting for? You're not even going to eat."
Tangyuan said, "My sister called and said that Aunt Yunli wanted her to come over for the summer vacation, but my sister had to go to training camp, so she made an excuse to decline. She guessed that Aunt Yunli wanted to see Xiaoyuan, so she reminded us."
Nie Qingqing felt uncertain. Xiao Yuan had been with Yun Li since then, and her household registration had always been with Yun Li. Even when transferring schools, it was Yun Li who provided the documents and materials year after year. It was because she wanted Xiao Yuan, and Yun Li wanted to save trouble, that Xiao Yuan was able to stay here.
She said, "You kids can't possibly convince her. Let me do it."
Tangyuan disagreed: "Mom, you say it's inappropriate, but we don't want to cause you any resentment. Xiaoyuan and I have already figured out how to handle it. Just you wait and see."
...
As expected, Xiaoyin was the one who understood Yunli best.
Yunli called, and Tangyuan's voice was very loud. She even put it on speakerphone: "Aunt Yunli, hello. My mom is working overtime and isn't here. Xiaoyuan is here. I'll ask him to answer the phone."
The hands-free mode was on, but Xiao Yuan picked up the microphone, so now he couldn't hear anything from the other end of the line.
Tangyuan was exasperated, so Nie Qingqing pinched his ear and pulled him aside, not allowing him to disturb Xiaoyuan.
It must have been Yunli on the other end of the phone who stated her request. Xiaoyuan replied, "Mom, I have no problem coming over. Let's talk this out first. My brother is older now, and it hurts when he hits me. If he hits me again, can I fight back?"
After the other person continued speaking, Xiao Yuan was silent for a while, then said, "It was my sister who said that if my brother hits me, I shouldn't care who's older or younger. If I'm told to hit back, I want to hit back too. Is that not allowed?"
Nie Qingqing was shocked. Xiao Yuan rebelled and told Yun Li that he couldn't do it!
She was so happy. She had always worried about Xiao Yuan's soft-hearted personality. She just needed to learn to say no, and take it slow.
...
Perhaps Xiao Yuan's resistance angered Yun Li, who hung up the phone first. After a few busy tones, Xiao Yuan was clearly disappointed. Tang Yuan wanted to go over and comfort her, but Nie Qingqing pulled her back.
Nie Qingqing patted Xiao Yuan on the shoulder: "It's okay, she's your mother, she won't really be angry with you."
Xiao Yuan looked up at her. Aunt Qingqing wouldn't be angry with him, but his mother would. Since the last time his mother got angry, she made him and his sister come back. This was the first time she had asked him to come over on her own initiative.
He said, "Aunt Qingqing, what makes me sad is not that my mother hung up the phone, but that I didn't feel too sad when I heard what she said. Does that mean I don't love her as much as I used to?"
Nie Qingqing quickly comforted her: "No, you may feel that she is biased and you are angry, but I know that you and your sister both love her."
Tangyuan was silently angry on the side. Aunt Yunli was like that, and she still had people who loved her. His mother was like that, and well, she had even more people who loved her. Haha, thinking like this, Tangyuan stopped being angry and became happy.
Xiao Yuan said, "My sister said that since no one has ever given Mom a setback, she won't realize she's wrong. Now my sister and I are starting to reject her. My sister said that maybe one day, Mom will realize it."
Oh, Xiaoyin, so sensible and determined, she won't be coming this summer. Nie Qingqing really misses her.
...
On the other end, Yunli complained to her mother-in-law after hanging up the phone: "You told me to call first, and look, these two kids have the same personality as me. Xiaoyuan used to be more obedient, but now that he's older, he's more and more like his older sister. If he doesn't want to come, he doesn't come; if he does, he doesn't come. But if he does come, he gets angry."
Xu Lingzhi advised, "A family can't stay at odds forever. Can you afford to hold a grudge against the children?"
Yunli used herself as an example: "My mom also had a disagreement with me. I didn't take the initiative to apologize, nor did I ask Xiaoyin and Xiaoyuan to apologize."
Seeing that she couldn't persuade her daughter-in-law, Xu Lingzhi changed the subject: "I heard that Tangyuan's mother changed jobs and is now in the purchasing department of Yuanda. You've also heard about Chengtian, right?"
Ji Chengtian said, "Mom, I know what you're trying to say. We have projects in Shenzhen and connections in Shanghai. None of us in the family can go to Tangyuan's mother, or Yunli will lose face."
Yun Li said with relief, "That makes sense. Tangyuan's mother is in charge of the purchasing department, which is across departments from the project department. What's the use of asking her for help? Mom, don't go there on your own."
But Xu Lingzhi actually came. She felt really sorry for her. Who would have thought that Tangyuan's mother would follow such a good boss and actually get a job related to their business?
If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have distanced myself from this place because of Xiaoyin hitting her own grandson. Sigh, who could have imagined this?
...
Xu Lingzhi came, saying she wanted to explain to Xiao Yuan that his mother still loved him very much, and told Xiao Yuan to apologize to his mother next time, and the matter would be over. Then she asked about Nie Qingqing's work, bringing up the topic.
Nie Qingqing understood what she meant, and what she said was pretty much what Yun Li had expected.
“I’m only in charge of procurement. Construction contracting is handled by other departments. I don’t accept gifts or use back channels. I’m not well-liked in the company, so I have no say in other departments.”
Xu Lingzhi knew it was hopeless, so she said a few nice words and went back.
Tangyuan protested, "Mom, Grandma Xu hasn't given Xiaoyuan his living expenses in a long time, has she? She really doesn't give them out on a whim."
Nie Qingqing warned him, "You absolutely mustn't say this in front of your sister and Xiao Yuan."
Tangyuan chuckled: "I'm not stupid, but why do you have to take care of her feelings? Aren't you popular at the company? Everyone gives you face!"
Nie Qingqing: "Why would I show off? If I show off, I should be prepared to get into trouble, and I don't want that."
...
Although she was modest in front of the children, Nie Qingqing was very proud in front of Song Zhao: "I really didn't expect that Grandma Yunli would take the initiative to come to me one day. Her family cares about face, so I gave her a way out, and Aunt Xu didn't continue. But I don't understand, her family doesn't lack projects, so why would she come to me?"
Song Zhao analyzed: "I don't think this was Ji Chengtian and Yun Li's idea. It was Aunt Xu who made the decision on her own. You are in charge of the purchasing department. As long as the materials are qualified, the price is fair, the payment is fast, and there is no bribery or extortion, who wouldn't want to win over such a good client? She wants you to make connections and take over the project department's work. She is quite sensible and didn't bring it up directly."
Nie Qingqing sighed, "No matter how wealthy a supplier is, they still have to be careful in front of the client, and it's common for them to be mistreated. No wonder her purchasing department is so popular with suppliers."
She said, "These are all minor matters. Xiaoyin will be taking a professional exam in the first half of next year. If we keep it a secret now, Yunli will eventually find out. I wonder how angry she will be then?"
Song Zhao had confidence in his daughter: "Xiaoyin has already made arrangements since the first year of high school. She will handle things with her biological mother herself, so you don't need to worry."
...
Summer vacation has arrived, but Xiaoyin can't come because of her training camp, and Tanggao can't come alone, so Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan said they wanted to go back to their hometown for the summer vacation.
Tangyuan said, "No one is coming to see us off. We told you we could go back on our own, but you're probably worried."
Nie Qingqing immediately said, "I'll send you back to your hometown for summer vacation, and I'll take this opportunity to have two months of peace and quiet."
Tangyuan joked, "Mom, do you want to spend some time alone with Dad?"
Nie Qingqing spoke her mind, replying with a smile, "Splitting apart occasionally will actually strengthen your bond. When you come back after summer vacation, you'll find that Mom isn't nagging anymore, and you might even love Mom more."
Tangyuan immediately said, "That's not right, I will always love my mom the most!"
Seeing that Xiao Yuan didn't say anything, Tang Yuan nudged him: "Just keep it to yourself, let's see when you'll call me Mom."
Xiao Yuan's face turned red from holding back his words. He just couldn't bring himself to call out, and he didn't know why. But in his heart, he already considered Aunt Qingqing as his mother.
Nie Qingqing patted Xiao Yuan's head: "Don't mind him. What you call him is just a name. Just keep your feelings in your heart."
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