Chapter 41 From now on, you are in charge of this project...
Nie Qingqing took Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan back to their hometown, and then went to see Xiaoyin. Mrs. Liang was there accompanying the twins during their training camp. Her boyfriend was also there, and he looked much better than before she met Mrs. Liang, appearing even more gentle and refreshing.
Mrs. Liang's boyfriend used to work odd jobs and send money home to support the children. Now he's out to spend two months with them, so it's likely that Mrs. Liang paid for it.
Nie Qingqing didn't ask about other people's private matters; it was Mrs. Liang who brought it up on her own initiative.
“I don’t ask him to do odd jobs anymore. He earns about a hundred yuan a month, which is enough for me to buy one less piece of clothing. I made him my assistant. He goes wherever I go. I pay him a salary of a hundred yuan, and he sends half of it back home. He can even save a little for himself. He doesn’t spend money recklessly. He even uses the money he saves to buy paints and brushes for Dalin and Xiaolin.”
As Mrs. Liang spoke these words, she had a smile on her face and her eyes shone with light; she felt that happiness was all that mattered.
Nie Qingqing asked, "Since you two get along so well, will you still pay him a salary after you get married?"
Mrs. Liang had made up her mind: "Then let's not call it a salary, let's call it household allowance. It sounds better that way. I have to pay for a part-time housekeeper, right? If he cooks and cleans at home, he's contributing to the household in the same way."
This sounds strange, yet it makes a lot of sense. Mrs. Liang's calculations are indeed correct.
"You two are doing great now. Does your family have any objections to him not working?"
"No, his expenses are really not high. I have someone with me, so my family feels at ease."
Mrs. Liang lowered her voice: "I'll tell you quietly, but don't tell anyone else, I'll feel more at ease knowing that he's actually not very promising or ambitious."
...
Nie Qingqing stayed for a meal at the cafeteria before heading back.
Among the dozen or so children in the training camp, there was a boy who got quite close to Xiaoyin, and they were about the same age.
Mrs. Liang had already noticed: "I've been observing, and that boy definitely likes your Xiaoyin. She's about to enter her senior year of high school, a crucial year. You should tell Xiaoyin not to date."
How could Nie Qingqing not know that the senior year of high school is crucial? But kids these days are very opinionated, and as a stepmother, she wouldn't dare ask Xiaoyin about such things.
Before leaving, Xiaoyin took the initiative to tell her not to worry: "Aunt Qingqing, I know he has feelings for me, but I have made it clear to him that he should focus on his studies in his senior year of high school. I also encouraged him to use this crucial time to pursue his dreams and not think about anything else."
Nie Qingqing felt much more at ease: "I knew that once you set your goal, you wouldn't be swayed or distracted by other things. I believe in you."
...
After seeing Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan off, and then seeing Xiaoyin, she had three days of annual leave left. Now she could finally have a good rest.
Song Zhao was going to pick her up at the train station, but Nie Qingqing stopped him and came back on her own.
Song Zhao got off work a little late because he was taking a three-day holiday starting tomorrow, and he needed to get everything sorted out today.
The house was quiet, unlike the quiet of the past few days when Qingqing and the children were not home. He knew she was home waiting for him today.
He opened the door, but no one came out to greet him. He walked to the doorway and saw Qingqing at her desk looking at materials and writing.
He stood at the door for a while, then suddenly remembered that Qingqing used to stand at the door like this, watching him work.
He once asked her what was so interesting about it. She replied that he looked good when he was working seriously.
Now, Song Zhao finally understood that Qingqing's work style was a different kind of beauty. He could do his own thing while watching her like this, and he could watch her all day long without any problem.
...
Nie Qingqing didn't hear any noise, so she turned around and saw Song Zhao standing there: "I was wondering why there was no sound. What are you doing there? What's so interesting?"
Song Zhao had asked this question before, but he asked it gently and with joy. Qing Qing didn't seem to understand his feelings at this moment. It's okay, we have three days to spend together, and I can talk things out with her properly.
Song Zhao sat down next to her and said, "I took three days off to stay home with you."
Nie Qingqing was truly exasperated: "Others take time off to handle business, while you take time off to sit around with your wife and let her be. Isn't that a waste?"
Song Zhao replied earnestly, "I took leave because I felt I didn't spend enough time with you. You don't need to take care of the kids or think about work for these three days, and you don't need to work either."
Nie Qingqing understood, and felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She then chatted with him about the children.
"I have something to tell you. Xiaoyin is getting older. Among the group of art students who went to the training camp, there's a pretty handsome guy who likes her. But our Xiaoyin has clear goals. She said that nothing can affect her exam right now."
Song Zhao was very open-minded; he believed that guidance was better than suppression, especially since the child himself understood the situation.
He said, "I know several couples who were high school classmates and have very stable relationships, but they only started dating after they reconnected. I don't want Xiaoyin to settle down too early. At her age, she hasn't figured out what she wants yet."
Nie Qingqing nodded in agreement: "But feelings at this age are the purest."
Song Zhao had wanted to ask this for a long time, and today was just the right time: "Did you have a crush on anyone during your student days?"
...
Of course! Who hasn't had a crush on someone during their school days? It's that kind of fluttering feeling where you get shy when you see someone, your heart races, and you don't dare to approach them.
When this was mentioned, she got excited: "Of course! Back then, I liked the boy with the best grades in the next class. I was bad at studying and too shy to talk to him. He got into the best high school and university in our area without any problem, and now he's in Guangzhou, which is right next door."
When Qingqing graduated from junior high school, she was at most fifteen or sixteen years old, and Song Zhao felt extremely envious.
Nie Qingqing thought it was normal. First of all, the marriage age was eighteen back then, and people were so innocent back then, it was just a secret crush, they didn't even dare to say it out loud.
Song Zhao insisted on asking, "How did you know he works in Guangzhou?"
Nie Qingqing laughed: "A classmate from Huazhi Lane got into high school with me. We talked about it when we visited each other during the New Year. I even asked him about it. He and his wife work in the same company, but in different departments. They have a son and a daughter and are living a very happy life."
Song Zhao is really petty, only arguing with herself: "Unrequited love is indeed the hardest to forget."
Nie Qingqing: "Stop being crazy. When you were in school, even if you didn't have a crush on anyone, someone definitely had a crush on you. What's the big deal about this?"
...
We had originally agreed that she would stay home for the next three days, and Song Zhao was going to take her to Guangzhou to eat delicious food.
Song Zhao said, "Our tastes are different from the children's. You can eat whatever you want this time, and you don't have to take care of anyone."
Actually, Nie Qingqing and Song Zhao have different tastes, but he always accommodates her. As long as it's something she likes to eat, he's happy to eat it too.
Guangzhou has a lot of delicious food, and it's close by by car. She and Song Zhao ate and drank along the way, and when they arrived at the food stall opposite the workplace of the boy from the next class she had a crush on during her school days, they ordered coconut stewed pigeon soup. It was sweet and delicious, and she loved it.
Only because Song Zhao indulged her did she dare to be so willful this time: "After so many years, I might not be able to recognize him."
Song Zhao became even more nervous, but didn't want to be seen through: "Why don't we finish the soup and then leave?"
"It would be too much of a loss to walk here," Nie Qingqing said, unwilling to leave. "We're on vacation, and we just happen to be passing by the workplace of our crush. They might not even come out. Why are you so nervous? You didn't start this, would I do something so pointless?"
Song Zhao was filled with regret. He shouldn't have been so jealous. What if a charming and refined man suddenly appeared as his secret admirer? Would he still have a good life afterward? He shouldn't have brought it up.
Nie Qingqing actually recognized him. She stared at the middle-aged, overweight man in front of her, unable to even drink her soup.
Judging by age, the other person is a few years younger than Song Zhao, but looks much older than Song Zhao. Is this really the classmate from the next class who she had a crush on when she was in school?
Nie Qingqing had no intention of recognizing the person at all. Fortunately, the other person didn't recognize her either. She went straight to a phone booth by the roadside and dialed a number.
"I have a dinner engagement tonight, so I won't be home for dinner. How can I get promoted if I don't cultivate interpersonal relationships? Okay, you decide what to do with the kids. We can talk about it when I get home tonight."
After hanging up the phone, the man stood by the roadside, lost in thought.
Nie Qingqing quickly lowered her head, afraid that the other person would recognize her.
Overjoyed, Song Zhao asked her for confirmation, "Is it him?"
Nie Qingqing nodded: "It's him. He's completely different from the one I remember. His face has become sharp and mean, and his temperament and personality are completely different from when we were in school. How could this be?"
Then Song Zhao was relieved. Even if that man was at the peak of his youth, in his twenties, he was nothing special.
Song Zhao thought to himself that Qingqing's judgment wasn't very good before she met him.
"Look, someone's come looking for him," Song Zhao reminded him.
Nie Qingqing glanced back and saw a woman several years younger than the man who questioned her upon meeting her and even issued an ultimatum.
"You can't keep dragging this on any longer. When are we getting a divorce?"
"I'll definitely get a divorce after the child takes the college entrance exam. You can wait a little longer."
The man coaxed the woman while putting his arm around her and they walked away.
This wasn't the end of it. The shopkeeper on the roadside couldn't take her eyes off the man. After he left, she picked up the phone in the booth and dialed again: "Juxiang, your man didn't go to the dinner party at all. He went with another woman. Hurry up and come over."
...
Nie Qingqing lost her appetite, paid the money, and left.
Song Zhao followed behind, apologizing repeatedly: "Qingqing, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ruined your beautiful crush."
Nie Qingqing quickly interrupted him: "Don't overthink it. I wanted to come here, and I'm not angry. I was just reflecting on things. People shouldn't dwell on the past. What you have now is the best."
...
During the three-day holiday, the two spent two days in Guangzhou and then rested for one day after returning home. They also enjoyed their summer job very much.
Just before the start of the school year, Song Zhao said he needed to take leave to pick up his child. Nie Qingqing's brother and sister-in-law called, saying they were coming to Shenzhen to handle the opening of their chain store and would be bringing the children with them.
Tanggao wasn't afraid of hard work, so she came along for a few days and stayed at my home.
Tangyuan didn't mince words when speaking to Tanggao: "Mom, I heard that Tanggao's mom actually didn't die, did you know that?"
Nie Qingqing was startled and quickly asked, "Where did you hear that?"
Tanggao chimed in, "Grandma told me this when she was sick. She also told me to be nice to my mom. I said I didn't care about that. Whoever raised me is my mom. My mom's name is Zheng Fanghui, and my dad's name is Nie Weibin. I have nothing to do with anyone else."
Hearing Tang Gao say this, Nie Qingqing was finally relieved. Now that the children knew, she would explain it clearly.
“Back then, our family was poor and we were almost starving. It was right after the reform and opening up, and the news hadn’t spread to our hometown yet. There weren’t many people determined to go out and make a living. Your mother was bold and had ideals, so she went out. Later, we heard that she had an accident and fell into the sea. In the end, they never found her body. That’s how it happened.”
Tanggao didn't show any emotion after hearing this: "Auntie, you don't need to comfort me or beautify it. She just ran away because she thought the family was poor and Dad was useless. I already have a loving father and mother, and you all. I am very content and happy. Let's not talk about these things anymore and live happily."
...
Seeing that Tanggao really didn't care, Nie Qingqing criticized Tangyuan: "Grandma is sick, why didn't you call to tell me?"
Tangyuan pleaded, "Grandma told me not to tell, but I'm all better now, and I'm even more energetic than before!"
Tanggao chimed in, "Grandma said you work very hard. If she had told you, by the time you made the trip back and forth, her illness would have been cured long ago."
Even so, Nie Qingqing was still upset. She called home and discussed it with Song Zhao: "How about having my mom and Tang Gao come over for the New Year this winter vacation? They can come as soon as the vacation starts. Do you think that's feasible?"
"It's just a matter of renting a bigger house," Song Zhao said. "I think it's fine. I'll arrange the house. We'll rent a bigger one and all of us can move in."
Tanggao raised both hands in agreement, but she had a different idea about accommodation: "I want to stay at Sister Lehan's hotel."
Tangyuan: "I want to too."
Xiao Yuan: "It's a bit expensive, I'll pay with my New Year's money."
Nie Qingqing: "Staying in a hotel for a month? That's too expensive."
Song Zhao mentally calculated the prices of renting a house versus staying in a hotel and said, "It's not impossible. We can negotiate the price for a long-term hotel stay. If we rent a house, even a short-term one, the minimum lease term is three months. If we rent a hotel for a month, we don't need to furnish it at all, and there's a big TV for the kids to watch. We can eat right downstairs. All things considered, even if it's a bit more expensive, it's still worthwhile."
Nie Qingqing thought for a moment. She and Song Zhao would both receive bonuses and dividends at the end of the year, so they decided to stay at a hotel to make the children happy.
"Okay, I'll talk to Lehan and ask her to reserve a large suite for us before winter break."
...
The Mid-Autumn Festival is just a month or so after the start of the school year. This year, Nie Qingqing bought mooncakes from Boss Yan's branch bakery.
Mr. Yan has a good business sense. He made mooncake vouchers, so that anyone with a voucher can go to the store to pick up mooncakes anytime before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
When picking up their orders, seeing the dazzling array of pastries in the shop window, people are likely to buy some other pastries for the holiday. The shop is bustling with people, and the more lively it is, the more people will come in to buy. This tactic is really clever.
Mr. Yan's family has launched a variety of mooncake flavors this year, with beautiful packaging. They also advertised more than a month in advance, making them a household name. I ordered them as a gift for the festival, which is quite prestigious. Moreover, Mr. Yan gave me a 15% discount, while other stores only offer a 10% discount for bulk purchases. It's a win-win situation.
The mooncake vouchers arrived, and she filled out a reimbursement form, asking the bakery manager to settle the payment with the finance department.
As a result, the finance department refused to settle the payment and accused her of abusing her position for personal gain, claiming that she must have received kickbacks privately, otherwise why would she order mooncakes from someone she knew?
Nobody in the company believed that. Why would they give up kickbacks from the material suppliers for a small amount of mooncake perks? It's not worth it.
Nie Qingqing found it even funnier. She had worked diligently, and this time she had finally been caught red-handed. She wondered if this accountant was one of Mr. Zhong's people.
She inquired carefully and a close colleague confided in her.
"The finance person is Mr. Zhong's aunt's person. His aunt follows the eldest son and grandson system and only favors Mr. Zhong. The people under her treat people differently. They can't touch Mr. Zhong or Attorney He. They're just using you, their confidant, to show off their power. It has nothing to do with the mooncakes."
Nie Qingqing understood, thanked them, and privately gave them a mooncake voucher.
...
Now that things are clear, it's easier to resolve. She already has a plan in mind: to retreat in order to advance, to push things along, and to see if she can help Mr. Zhong and Attorney He by creating conditions to fire the accountant left behind by her aunt.
She didn't offer any explanation, but simply wrote a self-criticism, saying that she hadn't avoided suspicion and hadn't considered things carefully. Her actions were quite perplexing.
It doesn't matter if others can't understand it, as long as Mr. Zhong and Attorney He can understand it.
Writing a self-criticism is easy, but she needs to find a place to resell these hundreds of mooncake vouchers. Mr. Yan gave her a 15% discount, so how could she possibly return them?
Why don't we contact the suppliers? They also need to give Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to their workers.
Song Zhao told her not to bother the suppliers, saying, "Those bosses are just looking for an opportunity to give you gifts. If you bring it up, they'll definitely agree, and people will say it's forced buying and selling."
“But I got it at an 85% discount, which is cheaper than if they bought it themselves. If I didn’t go through them, I wouldn’t be able to give away hundreds of boxes by myself.”
Nie Qingqing was worried, but when she looked at Song Zhao, her eyes lit up. Their electrical appliance factory was doing so well, didn't they give out employee benefits?
If we're sending them, it doesn't matter which brand of mooncakes we send, right?
"Then could you please talk to Factory Director Min and ask him to accept these mooncake vouchers?"
Song Zhao laughed: "You only think of me now? It's already agreed that I'll bring the mooncake vouchers over tomorrow, and you can have the bakery send someone over to settle the payment."
Nie Qingqing kissed him in gratitude: "You're the best. I'm loving you more and more."
Song Zhao was flattered by her praise. She didn't just say "like," she said "love." It was truly rare to hear such a thing. He had been waiting for this moment, and finally, he heard it.
...
This Mid-Autumn Festival perk is a mooncake voucher from another brand at the same price point.
No one in the company understood why Manager Nie didn't make a scene; he even wrote a self-criticism.
What's there to reflect on? Speaking of acquaintances, Attorney He even served as Mr. Yan's legal advisor.
Nie Qingqing wasn't angry at all; she acted as usual, buying cakes at her own expense and placing them in the tea room for everyone to eat.
When the company's newly purchased mooncakes arrived, she asked a few close colleagues, "The price of this new purchase is the same as the previous mooncake voucher price. How do you think they taste?"
The pastries in the break room have been very popular these past few days. When asked about them, a colleague said, "Mooncakes are just that, but Chunxi Bakery is advertised on TV, so it's impressive to give them as gifts. I really don't understand why the finance department insists on not using what you ordered."
Nie Qingqing was very direct: "Because it's targeting me."
"You knew?" the colleague exclaimed in surprise. "Then why didn't you ask Attorney He for help instead of putting up with this nonsense!"
Nie Qingqing said, "It's not worth it to ask the boss about such a small matter. They've heard the gossip for a while but haven't said anything. Maybe it's just not the right time yet."
...
Sure enough, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the accountant was fired and replaced with someone recommended by Attorney He.
Attorney He got his wish and took the initiative to talk to Nie Qingqing about the matter, asking with a smile, "You're really good at holding back. Why didn't you come to me in the first place?"
Nie Qingqing quickly said, "I can handle it myself. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the company used Chunxi Bakery's pastries for entertaining guests, and the same was kept in the tea room. Now, when other brands of mooncakes are distributed, I'm not the one who gets scolded. I'm actually quite petty about this little bit of revenge, and I'm afraid Mr. Zhong will be unhappy."
This suits Attorney He's temperament perfectly; an assistant who doesn't fight back after being hit isn't the kind of assistant she wants.
She will now explain the interpersonal relationships in the finance department.
"Xianzong is the kind of person who likes to watch the show from the sidelines. That accountant is his aunt's person, and he's wanted to fire her for a long time. During a holiday, there were dozens of complaints against the accountant, which gave him a perfect reason to fire her. I haven't said anything for the past two weeks. You must be feeling wronged, right?"
What kind of grievance is this? The trap that Nie Qingqing dug for the finance department is far more grievance-free than what the other party has given her.
She quickly waved her hand: "I've been outmaneuvering those suppliers, and I've hardened my heart. If it were before, I would have just laughed it off. But this time, I found out that the finance department isn't on your side, so I resorted to these little tricks. I know that if you're doing well, I can do well too."
Attorney He nodded with satisfaction. Qingqing herself didn't even realize that she had grown up without her noticing.
...
Mr. Zhong was very happy that the accountant had been replaced by someone recommended by Attorney He.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, he gave Nie Qingqing a red envelope and gave her a day off. Nie Qingqing happily went home to celebrate the festival.
...
Mr. Zhong has been living in mainland China for a long time. This Mid-Autumn Festival, his sister, Zhong Xiujun, came to spend the festival with him.
At the family dinner, Zhong Xiujun directly instructed Mr. Zhong: "Fire that woman in the purchasing department."
Zhong Xianzong was very unhappy with his aunt's tough stance, but no matter how unhappy he was, he had to give his father face during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
He feigned ignorance and asked, "Auntie, which woman are you talking about? Don't get it wrong."
Zhong Xiujun chuckled: "Isn't there only one woman in the purchasing department? Who else could it be?"
Zhong Xianzong suddenly realized: "You mean Manager Nie? She's my wife's woman, I don't dare to hire her. You should talk to my wife."
Attorney He kicked him under the table, refusing to take the blame: "I'm not the big boss of Yuanda Company, I can't make that decision."
Xiao Zhong smiled and looked at Mr. Zhong. He was the youngest son, so it didn't matter how incompetent he was: "A son should listen to his father. Dad, you make the decision."
...
Mr. Zhong personally brought over several mooncakes from Chunxi Bakery and asked Xiao Zhong to do the work: "You cut them open, and I'll taste a little of each flavor."
Xiao Zhong knew what was going on. He found it strange that his father was indeed exceptionally kind to Nie Qingqing.
He cut each mooncake into six pieces, placed them on a small plate, and arranged them like a flower.
Mr. Zhong pushed the mooncake in front of his sister and said very politely, "Sister, please have a taste."
Zhong Xiujun looked disgusted: "What kind of small factory makes this? Is it even clean? Eat what I brought."
Mr. Zhong said, “I understand if you don’t eat it. Different generations have different tastes. Young people respect you, and you should be tolerant of them. I think this mooncake is very good. The advertisements were everywhere before the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the sales have already surpassed those you brought. You can’t argue with that. I’ve stopped asking about company matters. If you want to cooperate on joint development, talk to Xiao Zhong.”
Zhong Xianzong was overjoyed, almost showing his smugness on his face: "Aunt, how do you want to negotiate? Our company has an audit department. If the profit is not right, even if you are my own aunt, I can't give you that kind of face."
...
Back at their home that evening, Zhong Xianzong was puzzled and asked He Shunyi, "Wife, have you noticed? Dad is very tolerant of Nie Qingqing. When did this relationship begin? I have no idea."
He Shunyi didn't want to delve into it: "It's probably some little thing that you and I don't know about. Don't take advantage of me and then cause trouble. Nie Qingqing is very important to me."
Zhong Xianzong leaned back comfortably on the sofa, very relaxed: "I have to thank my aunt for being able to fire her from the company's finance department this time. She's a real shrewd person; she could tell that we didn't get along with the finance department."
He Shunyi walked up to him, kicked him, and told him to put his legs down from the coffee table before sitting down.
"No one handles family matters as well as she does. In the beginning, she even got along well with Director Song's ex-wife. Otherwise, how could Xiao Yuan have lived in her house to go to school? Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about your aunt. Are you really planning to cooperate with her?"
"Dad's intention is definitely for us to cooperate with Aunt. He doesn't care about Aunt's favoritism, he only cares about our ability to do things. If we can't stand the way Aunt treats us, how can we stand the way others treat us?"
He Shunyi understood Zhong Xianzong's explanation and even gave him some suggestions.
...
Two days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mr. Zhong brought a bag of money and placed it in front of Nie Qingqing, saying it was payment for asking her to carry the load.
"We want you to be in charge of the Jinxiu Jiayuan project, which we are collaborating on with my aunt. This is a condition we negotiated with her, and she agreed to let you be in charge."
Zhong Xiujun was naturally against it, but Mr. Zhong acted arrogantly, saying he wouldn't cooperate if she didn't accept it. Mr. Zhong didn't even express his opinion, so Zhong Xiujun had no choice but to agree.
Mr. Zhong understood then that it was much more suitable for Nie Qingqing to fight his aunt than for him to do it himself.
Attorney He wouldn't force Nie Qingqing: "Qingqing, don't be fooled by the amount of money, and don't worry about saving face for me. If you want to refuse, then refuse."
Nie Qingqing's gaze remained fixed on the bag of money, unable to look away. Such a large sum of money was only for her to do something, and the thing she was doing was not illegal. She couldn't find a reason to refuse such a large sum of money.
She succumbed to the temptation of the money and said angrily, "You two are corrupting me like this."
Mr. Zhong laughed heartily, then returned to his serious demeanor.
"I'm not lying. There are a few reasons why I'm looking for you. First, my dad and my aunt have a very close relationship. If I directly refuse, it will damage my dad's impression of you. Second, I always feel that you have something to rely on with my dad. He has a high opinion of you. Even if there are many people stabbing you in the back, you can hold out with my dad for a while longer."
As expected, it was discovered, but this project shouldn't require using Mr. Zhong's personal connections.
She's doing business with the Zhong family; it wouldn't be worth it to use up her own personal connections.
Nie Qingqing sighed: "I'm just an ordinary person. When I saw this bag of money, I was tempted too. So I'll try to make it first. If I can't do it well, I'll return the money to you."
Mr. Zhong made the final decision: "Okay, from now on, you are the project manager for this project."
This time, Attorney He assured her again: "Xianzong will not overturn your decisions on the project. You have the final say. I am good at law and networking, and I will give you the greatest support. As I said before, you have a backup plan. If you say you can't do it well, we will find someone to take over, and you can go back to the purchasing department. Do you want to discuss it with Song Zhao before making a decision?"
"No need!" Nie Qingqing reached out to hug the bag of money, but couldn't lift it at all. She muttered under her breath, "If I want to carry it home, I'll have to ask Song Zhao for help."
...
Song Zhao came over to help Nie Qingqing carry the money; it was very heavy, and he had to carry it.
He said, "This isn't your pay for overseeing a whole project; this is your pay for fighting against his aunt."
Nie Qingqing knew, of course: "I know, he's just a conservative old man, what's there to be afraid of? Besides, I have a way out."
"Is it me, right?" Song Zhao said confidently.
"It must be you." Nie Qingqing was the best at coaxing people.
This time, her only way out wasn't going home, returning to the purchasing department, or repaying Mr. Zhong for that favor. The best way out was to do a good job on the project. However, with several backup plans, she wasn't afraid. She just needed to work hard.
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