Chapter 55 Mom, what a coincidence, you're here to buy some too...
Nie Qingqing returned the gift given by Miss Lian, and for several days, Miss Lian did not follow her around.
Fearing that people might misunderstand, she specifically explained to Ms. Lian: "Your gift is very beautiful, and I really like it, but company rules state that I cannot accept it. It's really not that I have a problem with you."
Lian Hongrui nodded hurriedly: "I know, I was being presumptuous and caused you trouble."
Nie Qingqing felt that Miss Lian didn't know and was probably just guessing in her mind. She had already explained, and there was nothing she could do.
...
With the initial launch of Shanshui Renjia being such a success, everyone is relieved. The subsequent progress is proceeding smoothly, and the processes are based on the experience accumulated from the previous projects, so Nie Qingqing doesn't need to worry about it much.
Attorney He asked her to accompany him to Haishi to check on the hotel's various bidding processes, intending to give her special treatment. He said, "Factory Director Song's sales staff from the new factory also went there to bid. Seeing you there might give them more confidence."
Nie Qingqing couldn't be happier. Every room in the hotel needed air conditioning, which was a huge purchase order. Whether she was there or not made a difference.
She could also visit Xiaoyin to see how her relationship with Meng Kaiyang was now, whether they had argued, and whether they could discuss their disagreements properly.
She immediately agreed, went home and told Song Zhao, and set off with Attorney He the next day.
...
The main structure of the Haishi Hotel has been completed, and interior decoration is about to begin. It is expected to open for business by the end of next year.
Therefore, various procurement and bidding processes are underway. In the air conditioning sector, several manufacturers submitted bids, and after comprehensive evaluation, Songjiaxin Factory won the bid.
Regardless of personal connections, as long as she won, that was all that mattered. Nie Qingqing was quite happy and called Song Zhao to tell him the good news.
Song Zhao was very confident in the product quality, but for this kind of project, people actually value price the most. They must have Qingqing's influence to choose their factory, and he knew that.
The new factory and such a large order are very encouraging. Song Zhao said, "Please treat Zhou Chengzhong and the others to a meal to thank them."
Nie Qingqing said, "You don't need to tell me that. I've already made plans to have dinner tonight."
At dinner that evening, Zhou Chengzhong didn't mention the matter of personal favors. He said that the hotel's standards were high this time, and the sample machine sent by Song Zhao's factory had fast cooling, low noise, low power consumption, and could provide customers with a better experience, be more energy-efficient, and have a longer shelf life, which is why they chose it.
Nie Qingqing was secretly pleased. Although she had connections, the product quality still had to be superior. Song Zhao was truly amazing and had foresight; he had divided up the factory before the new model was even launched.
Gu Lehan asked her, "We also need to purchase television sets. Should we place the order with the old factory?"
Nie Qingqing hurriedly said, "Song Zhao no longer holds shares in the old factory. No matter how much money he makes, it will all be taken back by Xu Cuilan's family under various pretexts. Let it go. You can continue to purchase as you normally would."
...
Attorney He was going to stay in Haishi for three or four days, so Nie Qingqing took some time to visit Xiaoyin at the school and arranged to have lunch at a small restaurant near the school.
Xiaoyin came alone and didn't see Meng Kaiyang. She said she had something to do and couldn't leave, which made Nie Qingqing worry.
She's not an unreasonable person. If there's really something wrong, it's okay. What I'm afraid of is just the two of them arguing and having a disagreement.
Xiaoyin noticed that her brows were furrowed with worry, so she decided to be upfront about it to avoid Aunt Qingqing worrying about her after she returned home.
She said, "Aunt Qingqing, I told you that Meng Kaiyang couldn't come because of something, and you're probably thinking all sorts of things. So let me tell you the truth: I want to go abroad for two years of further studies and then come back. Meng Kaiyang doesn't want me to go. I promised him that I wouldn't be unfaithful, but he said that's not the case. He said he's afraid that I'll be influenced by outside ideas and change, and that if our views are different, we won't be able to stay together. He said that he cares too much about our relationship, which is why he doesn't want me to go."
How could that be? They're not even married yet, how could she interfere with someone else's decision? Nie Qingqing became even more worried.
"So what did you tell him?"
“I told him that I am not someone who is easily influenced. Art knows no borders. I always want to go out and see the world.”
Nie Qingqing is reluctant to go out; she feels it's better to stay in a familiar environment. But young people have their own ideas. If Xiaoyin wants to go out and see the world, then let her go. Once she's seen it all, she'll naturally come back.
She supported him, saying, "If you want to go, don't change your plans for others. Don't worry about living expenses; your family will support you."
Xiaoyin was touched. It was her first year away from home, so she naturally needed her family's support. She didn't want to go to her biological mother, but preferred to accept the support from Aunt Qingqing.
She said, "Aunt Qingqing, I won't cause too much trouble for my family. I went abroad on a scholarship and will work part-time to support myself. If I need more, I'll ask my family for more."
Nie Qingqing retorted, "That's not right. A poor family should be prepared to travel with more money. You should bring more money when you go out, especially since you're going abroad. You can't just do whatever you want. You should talk to Meng Kaiyang properly. It would be even better if he could change his mind."
Xiaoyin nodded and assured him, "I will talk to him properly. If a relationship needs to be maintained through compromise, there will be countless times after the first time. In short, I will not compromise easily, so you and Dad can rest assured."
...
Nie Qingqing generally doesn't talk to Attorney He about these trivial family matters. He's focused on big things and big business, and talking about trivial things too much would be annoying.
She had been holding it in all the way home, and as soon as she got home, she told Song Zhao about Xiaoyin's argument with Meng Kaiyang.
Song Zhao himself had traveled abroad, and he believed that his country would one day catch up with and surpass developed countries. However, for now, there were things he needed to learn and things he needed to improve. Going out and seeing the world wasn't a bad thing. Meng Kaiyang's refusal to let Xiaoyin go was a bit unreasonable.
"Is it possible that Meng Kaiyang is worried that Xiaoyin is too outstanding and that he won't be able to keep up with her thinking after she comes back?"
Nie Qingqing said, "Can't he find a way to go abroad together and then come back together? Why do we have to stop him?"
Song Zhao thought for a moment: "Then I'll find an opportunity to talk to Meng Kaiyang?"
"Forget it. That child has been fostered by Meng Jinsi's family for several years. He must be fed up with the elders' lecturing. What if your nagging triggers his rebellious tendencies?"
That's true. So how do we solve this problem? What parent doesn't worry about their child? Song Zhao also suffered from insomnia and even regretted her decision.
"If we had known this would happen, we shouldn't have stopped Meng Kaiyang's sister at the station. If we hadn't reached an agreement back then, we wouldn't be in this mess today."
Look at this person, even they have moments of confusion. If they keep thinking about it, they'll easily get stuck in a rut.
Nie Qingqing advised, "What you said is wrong. The point of regret is different, and so is the mindset. If the two of them really didn't reach an agreement back then, no matter how many years pass, they will still have regrets in their hearts. But if it's because of today's incident, Xiaoyin will at least not regret it when she looks back."
After this analysis, Song Zhao understood that time would eventually resolve these problems.
He asked, "Will Xiaoyin come back for winter break?"
Nie Qingqing said, "She's busy preparing for going abroad, so she won't be coming over for the New Year. She'll spend it with my mom, brother and sister-in-law, and Tanggao, which is just as good."
...
The second half of the year went by too fast. It feels like I haven't accomplished much, and it's already time for winter break.
When Tangyuan Xiaoyuan enrolled, Nie Qingqing had arranged with the principal to renovate the dormitory. As the holiday approached, she went to meet with the principal again to confirm the construction team would start work on the day the students left for the holiday, hoping to finish as soon as possible.
The principal was very pleased to see that she kept her word, and thanked her on behalf of the students and teachers, and actively cooperated.
On the first day of the holiday, a few students who stayed at school to clean saw the construction team arrive. Upon inquiring, they learned that the team was there to renovate the student and faculty dormitories, repair the bunk beds that posed safety hazards, fix what could be repaired, and replace what couldn't be repaired. They also planned to do moisture-proofing on the floors and walls, repaint them, renovate the roofs, and install ceiling fans. Everyone cheered with joy.
To ensure the job was done well, Nie Qingqing had Supervisor Lu personally lead the workers.
Amidst the cheers, Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan recognized Lu Qingfeng and ran over to ask, "Uncle Lu, what are you doing at our school? How much do you charge for this job?"
Supervisor Lu shushed him and said, "This is your mother's donation for the school's renovation. You two shouldn't make a fuss about it."
Tangyuan is so proud that his mother actually managed to keep quiet for half a semester; it's really unexpected.
This time, he really couldn't understand: "Why didn't you say anything after doing a good deed?"
Supervisor Lu said, "Manager Nie said that when you do good deeds, you'll receive praise and jealousy. Both of these emotions will affect you. She doesn't want to give you too much attention. Do you understand her good intentions?"
Xiao Yuan figured it out: "We understand, we won't tell."
...
When Tangyuan got home, she asked Nie Qingqing about it: "Mom, how much did you spend renovating the school? How many dormitories are there, for male and female students and faculty? It must have been expensive."
This child always puts money first; we need to correct that.
Nie Qingqing said, "It's not like you have to pay for it, so why do you care how much it costs? Besides, even if it's renovated, you'll still be living there next year, right? The student dormitories have all been renovated, and the teachers work so hard, shouldn't their dormitories be renovated too?"
Tangyuan didn't mean anything by it, she just wanted to ask about the money, but her mother wouldn't tell her, so she let it go.
He laughed and coaxed, "I thank Mom on behalf of my classmates and teachers. Will our family have any surplus food this year? If money is tight, I have some here, take it out for the New Year."
Nie Qingqing smiled: "You still have money for the New Year. Keep your secret stash for yourself."
...
At the end of the year, Nie Qingqing received a bonus, and Song Zhao also received one. The new factory had only been established for half a year, and it was already good that it could break even. It was even a small profit at the end of the year, which was already very good.
Based on the current momentum, next year will definitely be better than this year. She has confidence in the new factory and in Song Zhao. Under his leadership, the old factory has improved year by year, and the new factory will certainly do the same.
But the year-end bonus at the old factory was actually less than last year. This is not surprising, since Song Zhao left and Xu's relatives were there, things were too chaotic there.
...
Xu Cuilan was puzzled and asked Factory Director Min, "Factory Director Song has already distributed the funds, so why is the money we received this year less than last year? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake somewhere?"
Director Min had anticipated that Song Zhao would cause a major disruption to the factory. Song Zhao was the factory's pillar of strength. With him gone, business operations, production innovation capabilities, and profits all declined significantly.
Factory Director Min said, "The factory's profits used to double year after year, mostly thanks to Factory Director Song. Now that he's gone, profits have naturally declined. I'll show you the factory's accounts. If you don't believe me, go check them yourself. I won't explain why, but you know the answer."
Sigh, Xu Cuilan had anticipated the situation before the factory was dismantled, but she didn't expect the decline to be so severe.
When she went to her parents' home, they were happy. Those who had entered the factory this year were all beaming with joy, and those who hadn't were being urged to join. However, her own family had so many fewer employees than last year, which made her very uncomfortable.
Since Director Song is so capable, Wei Jun should be able to get a pretty good share, right?
"How much money will Weijun receive this year?"
Factory Director Min was speechless. How could a factory that had only been operating for half a year possibly make money?
"What do you mean by that question? No matter how capable Director Song is, it's impossible for a newly established factory to be profitable in its first year, right? He's already very capable if he can maintain a balance between income and expenditure. You'd better not ask Weijun; the factory's finances are confidential."
Xu Cuilan ignored him and went to ask her son, "It's almost the end of the year, you also have shares, how much money did you get?"
Min Weijun had been warned by his father beforehand, saying, "Mom, this is a factory secret. I signed a confidentiality agreement. You'd better not ask and don't make things difficult for me."
Xu Cuilan was furious. From now on, she would never know how much money her son would receive.
...
At the end of the year, Nie Qingqing used her and Song Zhao's bonuses to pay the foreman who worked on the school's construction project, set aside money for New Year's expenses, and still had several thousand yuan left.
Now, when you go out to buy groceries, everyone is talking about prices, saying that the price of gold is going to rise. He Shumei had already made an appointment with her, saying that no matter whether it's true or not, we should follow the trend and buy some. If the price drops, we can save it, and if it goes up, we won't regret it.
Nie Qingqing thought the same thing. She decided not to save the several thousand yuan and said to Song Zhao, "I'm going to buy gold with Shumei. What do you think?"
Song Zhao agreed, saying that if there was surplus grain, it would be safer to buy some gold and store it as a hedge against risk.
He said, "Gold has always been a hard currency. We should buy some every year and save it for our three children in the future."
This was exactly what Nie Qingqing wanted to hear. She and Shumei made an appointment to go to the jewelry store early in the morning on the weekend to choose some jewelry.
He Shumei earned a good amount of money this year and brought 10,000 yuan to buy gold. She compared the necklace, bracelet, and earrings on herself one by one, and they all looked good.
Indeed, buying gold can make people happy.
...
Nie Qingqing was also choosing when she saw a necklace with gold petals and jade gemstones displayed on the corner counter, in the most inconspicuous corner.
She quickly leaned closer to take a look, and the necklace was exactly the same as the one Miss Lian had handcrafted, given to her as a gift, and then returned by her.
This beautiful necklace hasn't been chosen yet because it's priced several times higher than pure gold, which people think is too expensive, so it's been sitting here.
Nie Qingqing pointed at the necklace and asked the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, this necklace of yours doesn't even belong to any series. It's just sitting here all alone. Why is that?"
Upon seeing that a customer was interested in the flashy but impractical necklace, the shop owner quickly said, "This is a very creative necklace, designed and handcrafted by a designer based on inspiration. It's one of a kind and is being consigned to me. Isn't it beautiful? Do you want it? I can even give you a discount."
When He Shumei saw that her good friend had lost her mind and was going to waste money on a necklace inlaid with jade, which was not worthwhile, she quickly pulled her aside.
"Don't just look at how nice it is, buy pure gold, it holds its value!"
Nie Qingqing explained to Shumei, "This is a gift that Miss Lian designed and gave to me. I thought it was too expensive, so I returned it to her. It's now on consignment in the shop, and I happened to see it. It's fate. I like it too and want to buy it."
So that's what happened. It was something she wanted to buy. He Shumei was a master at bargaining, so she turned around and started haggling with the shopkeeper.
"Boss, who knows if the jade on your necklace is real or fake? Even if it is, the price varies greatly depending on the quality of the jade. Can you give us a discount and we'll buy it together today?"
Shumei had already bought about ten thousand yuan worth of gold. The shop owner didn't want to offend this big customer, so he gave Nie Qingqing a very reasonable price, which was exactly the amount of money she had brought today.
The boss was delighted, and Nie Qingqing was even happier. This was fate! The necklace was finally back on her neck. She was so happy; this trip hadn't been in vain.
...
The two people packed their belongings into their shoulder bags, placing the bags in front of them. The car was parked outside the store, but they still looked around to observe the surroundings. The police station was not far from the jewelry store, so it was relatively safe.
Because she was looking around, He Shumei first saw Yun Li's ex-husband, Ji Chengtian, who was with a girl, also choosing gold jewelry.
How could He Shumei not see this? She quickly tugged at Nie Qingqing's clothes: "Qingqing, look, isn't that Ji Chengtian? He's buying gold jewelry with a girl, is he getting married?"
Nie Qingqing looked in the direction she was pointing and saw that it really was Ji Chengtian.
Good heavens, how could we run into each other? If we weren't about to get married, why would we buy gold jewelry? That's what she was thinking too.
She had mentioned to He Shumei that Ji Chengtian had agreed to give the child to Yun Li and might find someone else. It's only been a year, and they're getting married already.
However, once they're divorced, it's perfectly normal for them to remarry; there's nothing to say about it.
Afraid of embarrassing others and making them hesitant to greet her, she pulled Shumei away.
...
Xu Lingzhi came out with her son this time to buy gold jewelry for her future daughter-in-law. Nie Qingqing could see them, and she could also see Nie Qingqing.
Ji Chengtian certainly wouldn't come over to say hello, but Xu Lingzhi wanted to say a few words, so she jogged over and called out to Nie Qingqing.
"Tangyuan's mom, what a coincidence, you're here to buy gold jewelry too?"
Shumei couldn't contain her excitement and was grabbed by Nie Qingqing.
Nie Qingqing quickly turned around and greeted, "Aunt Xu, your family is out too! And who was that person next to Brother Ji just now?"
Shumei's ears perked up; she was so curious. Was she right? Was she Xu Lingzhi's daughter-in-law? She was so young. Divorced men with some money always wanted to find young and beautiful women.
For some reason, Xu Lingzhi wanted to explain things to her son, so she brought up the matter of her future daughter-in-law.
"Don't laugh at me, but that girl was only in her early twenties. She grew up in an orphanage and started working when she was sixteen or seventeen. A few years ago, she worked as a day laborer at our family's small construction company. She was honest, hardworking, and quite pretty. But without family support, she was easily targeted on the construction site. One man after another tried to seduce her. Narita helped her chase away several men who made lewd remarks and tried to hit her. The girl secretly fell in love with him, but we didn't know it at the time."
“After Cheng Tian and Yun Li divorced, that girl came to my house several times to bring me shoes and socks she made, do some cleaning, and keep me company. I thought she was really nice. Since I wouldn’t have a family to take care of in the future, I asked Cheng Tian if he would like to give it a try.”
“Cheng Tian was heartbroken when he divorced Yun Li, and he came to terms with it. He said he was willing to get married, and I was really happy for him. We dated for a year and had a good relationship, so we were going to get married and live together properly.”
...
Oh, that's how it is. It's fine. After a divorce, everyone has the right to find someone else. It's a mutual consent between the man and woman, so there's nothing more to say.
Nie Qingqing and He Shumei exchanged a few beautiful words of blessing, which made Xu Lingzhi beam with joy. She felt that her son's life wasn't so bad after the divorce, and she left satisfied.
Nie Qingqing and He Shumei packed up the gold and left. They went to a restaurant for dinner and talked about the Ji Chengtian family's affairs, feeling quite emotional.
He Shumei sighed, "No matter how passionate a relationship was before, once people break up, they're done with it."
Indeed, Ji Chengtian and Yun Li are truly unexpected.
Seeing Ji Chengtian embracing another girl now, and thinking back to his ten-year wait, Yun Li's selfless devotion, her divorce to follow him, and now their separate marriages, it's all so poignant.
Nie Qingqing said, "When I see them, I think of Xiaoyin and Meng Kaiyang. The two of them used to be so close, but not long after, they had a falling out over whether or not to go abroad."
He Shumei defended her own: "Xiaoyin and Meng Kaiyang are in different situations. No matter how good Kaiyang is, he can't hinder Xiaoyin's development, right?"
Nie Qingqing nodded hurriedly: "After seeing Ji Chengtian and Yun Li, it turns out that a lifetime guarantee is useless. Even if Meng Kaiyang made a guarantee, we wouldn't dare to believe it. Xiaoyin's experience and knowledge from going out will not change. We will definitely choose the more reliable one."
Shumei agreed. She and her brother were partners and received dividends every year. Having enough money in hand to support herself and her children was her source of confidence.
...
The next day, Nie Qingqing wore the necklace she had just bought to the company. She wore it over her turtleneck sweater, and when she took off her coat, it looked exceptionally beautiful.
Upon seeing the jewelry, Attorney He recognized its quality and exclaimed, "This necklace is truly beautiful. It seems to have been specially designed to suit your style. Where did you buy it? What brand is it? I'm looking for some new jewelry for the New Year. Tell me quickly, and I'll go take a look later."
Lawyer He was right; this was indeed the gift Miss Lian had carefully prepared for her. Fortunately, by chance, she managed to buy it.
Nie Qingqing said, "Yesterday, Shumei and I went to a gold shop to buy gold. When I saw this necklace, I asked the owner and found out that it was consigned by Miss Lian. The owner didn't know its value, so he gave it a big discount in order to sell it. I thought it was such a good match, so I bought it. I couldn't accept gifts at the time, so I returned it to her. Luckily, the connection was still there, and it's back on my neck. It's really beautiful, isn't it? I love it so much."
"I see," Attorney He said. "Wow, I didn't expect Miss Lian to have this skill."
Nie Qingqing was talking to Attorney He when Lian Hongrui, who was delivering New Year's gifts, overheard them outside the door.
She quickly ran to the side, but she was very happy. Being able to make money from her hobby, no matter how much, gave her a great sense of accomplishment. What made her even happier was that she liked Manager Nie very much, which made her feel even more accomplished.
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