Chapter 59 Not two days after Nie Qingqing returned, Xiaoyin also returned…
I've been back in Shanghai for over a month, and the first round of sales is about to begin. Thanks to the pre-sale advertising, we registered over a hundred potential customers before the opening. To be on the safe side, we're launching three buildings with about fifty units this time, creating a sense of urgency. Let's see how many we can sell today!
My sister-in-law found a building and apartment layout she liked a few days ago. It's right behind the building where the model apartment is located, a lower-level unit on the corner of Building 2. She came to sign the contract today.
My sister-in-law, her brother, and her mother visited the demonstration area again and looked at the model house. They especially liked the Chinese-style decoration.
Tang Guizhi didn't like it; she preferred the decorating style of the upper-level apartment. However, she only whispered to Nie Qingqing once: "It's where your brother and sister-in-law live. They can decorate it however they want. Don't give any opinions later."
How could Nie Qingqing be so foolish as to point fingers at her sister-in-law's house? This isn't her hometown or her parents' house; it's a home her brother and sister-in-law built up after working hard. They can decorate it however they like, and she'll recommend a designer to them later.
After signing the contract, the sister-in-law was very satisfied. She said to Nie Qingqing, "I went to the bathroom just now and heard some gossip. They said you are cold-blooded and heartless, that you only wanted a model house and didn't help your own brother and sister-in-law. Do you know what kind of family members that person is? He must be a manager at Yuanda. Don't pay attention to these jealous words. Your brother and I are more than satisfied with this house we bought."
Nie Qingqing didn't care about those who made sarcastic remarks: "Let them say what they want, I won't take it to heart."
...
After seeing his brother and sister-in-law off, Meng Kaiyang arrived and asked Nie Qingqing if the model apartment in the lower section was for sale.
“Auntie Nie, my godparents’ family is also my boss. He’s about to retire and wants to buy a house for retirement. He visited Shanshuiju before and liked it very much.”
Nie Qingqing asked, "Did he come today? If you had told me earlier, I would have saved a number for you. Judging from the situation today, if he comes late, he might not be able to choose a unit he likes."
Meng Kaiyang also had the habit of speaking slowly and deliberately, and not getting to the point at the beginning, which clashed with Nie Qingqing's impatient nature.
What she said next surprised her.
"Grandpa Qi has his eye on the location of the model apartment building and the Chinese-style decoration of the lower-level unit. He really likes it. He wants to buy it and wait until he retires, which will coincide with the handover of the Shanshui Residence. He wants to move in as soon as he gets the apartment. So I want to ask if you still have those model apartments? If so, can I buy one?"
The model apartment will eventually be sold, but this favor isn't something Nie Qingqing can do for him.
The most inappropriate thing is that Meng Kaiyang shouldn't have come to his girlfriend's stepmother. He opened his mouth and did her such a big favor, and then Meng Kaiyang used the benefits to fulfill his filial duties. This is very inappropriate.
His current identity is Xiaoyin's boyfriend. If Xiaoyin knew this beforehand, she would tell Meng Kaiyang to shut up and not to open his mouth.
If Xiaoyin were there, she would help refuse and then let Meng Kaiyang leave.
But Xiaoyin was in a foreign country and unaware of the situation. Within seconds, Nie Qingqing had already thought of several ways to refuse.
...
Just as she was about to refuse outright, Mr. Zhong passed by and called out to her, "Manager Nie, is something urgent here? My wife has something urgent to attend to, could you come over here for a moment?"
Nie Qingqing felt relieved, now she had more time to think about how to refuse him.
She first responded to Mr. Zhong, and then said to Meng Kaiyang, "Okay, I understand your situation. Please sit for a while, I'll go see the boss."
Meng Kaiyang said gratefully, "Thank you, Aunt Nie, you've gone to so much trouble."
...
Attorney He didn't actually have anything to discuss with her. It was Mr. Zhong who happened to pass by and overheard Meng Kaiyang's request. He realized that Nie Qingqing was going to refuse, so he had a sudden idea and called her into his office to catch her breath and think about what to say before leaving.
Mr. Zhong said, "It's not like it's a gift. Whoever buys it will buy it too. Just give it to his leader."
Nie Qingqing quickly waved her hand: "No, if we open this door, there will be a second time. Next time, he'll come to our family and make some demands."
Attorney He said, "He was a bit abrupt, but he may have come after careful consideration. He probably felt that the cost of bothering you and making you feel uncomfortable was still worthwhile compared to the benefits he gained from helping his leader this time, so he came to ask for help."
Nie Qingqing was shocked: "He's only been working for a year, is his mind already this complicated?"
Mr. Zhong smiled, leaned back on the sofa, put his hands behind his neck, and said smugly, "Why is it a change? When the strength and the time are right, people will usually show their true nature."
Attorney He rolled her eyes at him: "Like you, right?"
Mr. Zhong: "Wife, I'm very honest. I never build my demands on the suffering of others, and I always pay people when I ask them to do things."
That's true. Compared to him, Mr. Zhong is much more open-minded.
Attorney He made the decision, saying, "Give him the model apartment, and I'll come when we sign the contract. We should at least get some favors in return."
...
Nie Qingqing was very grateful to Attorney He. Since he had agreed, she changed her attitude, came out with a smile, and asked, "Have you been waiting long?"
Meng Kaiyang quickly stood up and said, "No rush, Aunt Nie, is what we just discussed alright?"
Nie Qingqing said, "Originally, I needed to ask my boss before I could give you an answer. But coincidentally, she called me because she had something to discuss. After we finished talking, I mentioned it to Attorney He, who said she wanted to meet more people and make some friends. Since there are a lot of people today, you can bring them over another day. Attorney He will handle it for you personally."
Meng Kaiyang was still young and couldn't contain his joy: "Thank you, Aunt Nie. I'll go back now and tell Grandpa Qi the good news."
Nie Qingqing saw her to the door: "Drive carefully on your way home."
...
The day before the second weekend, Meng Kaiyang brought the Qi family, whom he called Grandpa Qi, to the sales department and signed the purchase contract and supplementary contract for the lower-level model apartment.
The contract stipulated that the model apartment could only be handed over to him after the entire development was sold out. The buyer understood, carefully read the contract, said there were no problems, and signed it.
Nie Qingqing did not appear in person throughout the entire process; she was received by Attorney He.
I've already done Attorney He a huge favor, so I should give her that connection too.
...
This round of sales was good, with 50% sold on the opening day. The momentum continued for more than a month afterward, and 90% of the first three buildings were sold out.
The first phase of Shanshui Residence's sales has been a resounding success, and the hotel that was previously invested in has also opened ahead of schedule.
Nie Qingqing owns a 5% stake in a hotel in Haishi. On the opening day, she went with Lawyer He to cut the ribbon and unexpectedly saw her upstairs neighbor, Wen Fangyan.
Wen Fangyan was also surprised. She came to Haishi to develop the liquor agency market. Both of them had been in Haishi for half a year, and this was the first time they had run into each other.
Wen Fangyan was pleasantly surprised, saying that her liquor had made its way into the hotel restaurant's bar area. It was for the opening, so she came over to deliver a flower basket and was invited to stay for dinner.
At the opening banquet, the two were not at the same table. After the banquet, Wen Fangyan invited her to a teahouse to have tea and catch up, talking about what had happened in the past six months.
Nie Qingqing was very curious: "You said before the New Year that you would start renovating after the New Year, but it's been half a year and there's still no news. I even told my family that if you ever start renovating, you should let me know."
Wen Fangyan was quite emotional. She had originally planned to renovate, but unfortunately, plans can't keep up with changes. She has come to terms with it and has focused her energy on the family's liquor business for the past six months. The results have made her forget about the events at the beginning of the year.
She said she was now in a more relaxed state of mind: "Some things happened, and my wedding was canceled."
...
In fact, Nie Qingqing had already guessed it over the past six months; she guessed that the bride's family had canceled the wedding after finding out.
She tentatively asked, "What is it? Is it convenient to talk about it?"
Wen Fangyan said, "Hey, it's nothing really. I was just worried people would make wild guesses, so I told them myself."
"After we went to see the house, Qiao Shizhan came to my house and confessed to me and my parents that before our two families decided to strengthen our ties through marriage, he had a girlfriend he had been dating since college. He was afraid his family would not approve, so they thought they would take the deed into the woods and even bought the house. Under the pressure of his parents and his own choice, he chose the latter, but he couldn't bear the inner torment and decided to confess. My parents were very angry, but because he confessed before the wedding, they didn't hold it against him and just canceled the wedding."
Nie Qingqing thought that Qiao Shizhan probably felt that if outsiders found out, it would be gossiped about, but she didn't expect that she hadn't mentioned it.
Regardless of the circumstances, things that have been done will eventually be known.
She pressed on, "Did he mention anything else?"
Wen Fangyan nodded: "He said that the house he bought with that girl is right downstairs from my house, so I've been feeling uneasy about it and haven't started decorating it yet. I told my dad that I wanted to come to Haishi to develop the market and make a name for myself to show him. Fortunately, I didn't disappoint him."
Nie Qingqing asked, "Is there anything else?"
Wen Fangyan was a little puzzled: "What else could it be? We've already said everything we needed to say, Sister Qingqing. Why don't you just tell us? Is there anything else you know that I don't?"
Nie Qingqing: "Didn't he tell you the details of returning the house?"
Wen Fangyan shook her head: "We didn't say that. We were too angry at the time to bother asking."
Nie Qingqing told her, "He came to check out of the house with his college girlfriend. I was the one who received him. That day I was moving, and you brought him and your parents. I recognized him. At that time, I didn't know about your family situation, so I didn't dare to say anything. I didn't expect him to confess to you so soon."
Wen Fangyan suddenly realized and slapped her forehead: "I thought his conscience was tormenting him, but it turns out he was exposed and confessed because he was afraid you would tell us! Luckily I met you today, otherwise he would always be a deeply affectionate and tragic man in my heart!"
Nie Qingqing immediately thought of Meng Kaiyang again. Both of them loved to weigh the pros and cons and liked to play tricks. As a son-in-law, she didn't want him, so she could understand Xiao Wen's parents' anger.
...
Nie Qingqing and Wen Fangyan are about ten years apart in age, but they get along very well.
After they got to know each other better, she started gossiping: "Did your ex get back together with his college sweetheart?"
Wen Fangyan said, "After he confessed to my family, his parents knew there was no way to salvage the situation, so they held a wedding for them in the first half of the year. I guess it's a case of lovers finally getting married. I've figured it out. If I don't commit that sin, I'm sure I'll meet someone suitable again."
It seems she's adjusted her mindset. Nie Qingqing was happy for her and insisted on paying the bill, promising to meet again when she returned home for the New Year.
...
There were many more dinner parties in the second half of the year. Attorney He and Mr. Zhong were out three or four days a week, dealing with all sorts of dinner parties.
Nie Qingqing would go once or twice occasionally; she didn't participate in such occasions often.
Attorney He insisted that she attend the dinner tonight, and mysteriously said, "Meng Kaiyang's godparent, that leader surnamed Qi, did me a favor by buying the model apartment, so he's inviting me to dinner. You have to go."
Nie Qingqing quickly said, "They thanked you, so I won't go and freeload off them."
He Shunyi laughed and said, "I had tea with Mr. Qi's wife once, and she said that she did have a very deep relationship with Meng Kaiyang's family. So I asked, why didn't Meng Kaiyang's parents entrust their child to them back then? Mr. Qi's wife said that this was because Meng Kaiyang's parents loved their son so much. No matter how good the relationship is, it will wear away after living together for seven or eight years. So they would rather entrust him to their neighbors across the street and keep the favor from the Qi family for their son's career. You see, how could a child raised in such an environment not be thoughtful?"
Nie Qingqing had indeed wondered about this issue, but she was too embarrassed to ask Meng Kaiyang. So that's how it is.
She said, "Even so, I don't need to go to the dinner party today."
He Shunyi said, "You are the mother of his girlfriend, but the Qi family knows very little about your existence."
"That can't be right." Nie Qingqing was puzzled: "He's already in a relationship with Xiaoyin, why didn't he explain his girlfriend's family's relationship to the Qi family?"
Attorney He shook his head: "I don't know. Go there tonight and see what's going on. We can't let that kid get away with it from both sides."
...
Mr. Qi also attended the dinner. Attorney He stepped forward to shake hands and greeted him with great tact. When introducing Nie Qingqing, he looked at Meng Kaiyang, who had come with Mr. Qi's family, and said with a smile, "Let Meng Kaiyang introduce the lady next to me."
Meng Kaiyang quickly said, "This is my girlfriend Xiaoyin's mother, who also works at Yuanda."
The Qi family was very polite and hospitable, saying, "Kaiyang is a very proper child. He said that when Xiaoyin comes back, the two families will meet more formally. I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence."
Xiaoyin wasn't home, and Nie Qingqing didn't want to see them yet.
She said just as enthusiastically, "The children haven't made up their minds yet, so there's no need for us to rush. Let's wait for Xiaoyin to come back, spend some time together, and see if either of them has changed."
Attorney He was very good at controlling the situation, and soon the Qi family looked at Nie Qingqing with much more respect.
...
This meal made Nie Qingqing's impression of Meng Kaiyang even worse.
She was staying at Xiaoyin's house and planned to call Song Zhao as soon as she got home, but unexpectedly, Song Zhao was waiting for her at the door.
Nie Qingqing hadn't seen him for over a month, and asked happily, "Why are you here? How long have you been waiting?"
Song Zhao calculated the train schedule carefully and arrived at night. After taking the train home, he knocked on the door but no one answered. He had been waiting for more than an hour.
He laughed and said, "It won't be long before you can surprise me, so why can't I surprise you? I came to Haishi to participate in the trade fair without saying anything, just to surprise you."
Fortunately, we finished our meal quickly today, before nine o'clock, otherwise Song Zhao doesn't know how long he would have had to wait.
Nie Qingqing opened the door. This was a house the family bought for Xiaoyin. It was Xiaoyin's home. She had come to live here this year, but she didn't stay in the master bedroom. Instead, they put the small bed in the small room.
She laughed: "Tonight, the two of us will have to squeeze into a 1.2-meter bed. It won't be big enough, will it? We'll move the bed to the living room and make a makeshift bed on the floor."
Song Zhao was willing to squeeze in, saying, "We'll deal with it if it falls to the ground. It's cold, squeezing in will keep us warmer."
...
With Song Zhao around, it was really warm to sleep at night. She couldn't wait to tell him about Meng Kaiyang:
“Meng Kaiyang didn’t mention me much in front of the Qi family. I thought about it the whole way. He might be being cautious. He didn’t want to introduce Xiaoyin to his family before she agreed to marry him. Thinking about it that way, I don’t care anymore. We’re not even related by marriage, so there’s no need to get to know each other.”
Song Zhao said, "We shouldn't have introduced them to the model apartment."
“I disagree. Attorney He said that Xiaoyin’s reason for breaking up cannot have any factor on my side. She can’t bear to see me suffer in the future.”
"No, Xiaoyin is the most reasonable person. She will only blame Meng Kaiyang."
"Yes, but Attorney He said that it doesn't matter who the house is sold to, she can just treat it as a way to build a relationship with the Qi family."
The two were deeply moved and decided to wait for Xiaoyin to return so she could experience Meng Kaiyang's changes for herself.
...
Song Zhao attended the three-day trade fair, looked at some of the latest products in the electrical appliance industry, and took some loose orders back with him.
Soon it was December, and there were still half a month until the New Year. The construction site was closed for the holidays so that the workers from other places could go home in advance. Nie Qingqing's ticket was booked for the 22nd of December, so she could still make it home for the Little New Year.
This year, she took the initiative to suggest bringing Song Zhao's parents and younger brother over for the Spring Festival.
“My family came over for the Chinese New Year last year, so let’s bring your family over for a reunion this year.”
When Song Zhao called home, his parents were reluctant to make the trip, but his younger brother Cheng Dong wanted to see how things were developing in Shenzhen. They kept trying to persuade him, and the family booked train tickets for the 27th of the twelfth lunar month.
...
On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, Nie Qingqing specially borrowed a car and went to the station with Song Zhao to pick up the whole family.
He Suwen looked around, nodding repeatedly, and said to Nie Qingqing, "You and Attorney He have been busy these past few years, and there have been benefits to it too."
Nie Qingqing said, "Mom, if you like it, stay a few more days before going back."
He Suwen has never lived with her eldest son's family, and she is not as close to her younger son. She felt awkward living with them for a long time, and her eldest son's family also felt awkward. It's fine as it is now.
"No, the plants at home are doing very well, I have to go back and take care of them. I'll go back with them on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year."
Nie Qingqing bought a wool coat for her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Wool is lighter than woolen, soft to the touch, and comfortable to wear.
My sister-in-law looked at herself in the mirror and loved it. She said, "This must be a new style that came from Hong Kong Island. It's so beautiful."
Song Zhao took his father and younger brother to the factory to take a look. The outside of the factory building was unremarkable, but inside was a brand new production line.
Song Zhao's father nodded repeatedly: "That's right. I always feel that the development in the past few years has covered the ground that took us decades to cover. Our country will only get better and better in the future. I'm really happy that you can see it with your own eyes."
Some things don't need to be said too explicitly. His father's health had been damaged during his early years when he was sent to the countryside for labor. Song Zhao felt bad when he heard this and said, "Dad, would you like to come and live here? We still have enough money at home to buy you a small retirement home."
Song Zhao's father smiled and waved his hand: "Big cities are good, but I'm old and just want to live in my familiar hometown. I'm already very satisfied that I can come and visit and stay for a few days. Seeing that you all have good development is enough for me."
...
The family stayed until the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. On the fifth day, Nie Qingqing took them to the station. She bought two large bags of local specialties and asked Cheng Dong to carry them.
Cheng Dong smiled politely and said, "Sister-in-law, look at us, we've come all this way, eating and taking things with us."
Nie Qingqing teased him, "Who told you to be so polite? You came with so many bags and packages. Get in the car and take good care of your parents on the way."
...
Because there were guests at home, Jun brought his little sister to pay New Year's greetings on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
Zhenzhen is already in the first year of junior high school, but she doesn't talk much, just like Xiaoyuan used to. Her parents fought for a month or so over selling the factory, and this has affected the girl.
After the Lantern Festival, Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan will start school, and Nie Qingqing will also have to go back to work in Haishi.
With only six months left until the college entrance examination in July, she repeatedly reminded them not to slack off during these six months, and the two of them patted their chests and promised.
Back at the project site in Haishi, we started preparing for the second phase of sales in March, and sales were much better than the first phase.
Then in June, all the remaining buildings were launched. After she was almost done with the work, she took a two-month long vacation that she had requested in advance to come back and accompany Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan to prepare for the college entrance examination.
...
Two days after Nie Qingqing returned, Xiaoyin also came back!
Now that the family was reunited, she was overjoyed. On a weekend morning, she was preparing breakfast for Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan in the kitchen when she suddenly saw a bright and pretty girl outside the window. Who was that but Xiaoyin?
She ran to open the door and called out to the father and his two sons who were trimming the flowers in the backyard. The family was overjoyed.
"Xiaoyin, why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" Nie Qingqing scolded, leading her to her room, which was already furnished. Tangyuan and Xiaoyuan followed behind, helping their sister carry her suitcase.
"I'm giving you a surprise, and I'm also cheering on my two younger brothers for their college entrance exams!" Once she got home, Xiaoyin finally felt like she wasn't alone anymore.
When she came back this time, she said she wouldn't go out anymore. Nie Qingqing told her not to think about work for now and to rest first.
Before returning home, Xiaoyin had already arranged interviews with companies, but the interviews were scheduled for August. She wasn't in a hurry and wanted to spend time with her family first.
After happily finishing breakfast, Nie Qingqing suddenly remembered something and asked, "Xiaoyin, does Meng Kaiyang know you're back?"
“He knows.”
After two years away, Xiaoyin has become more independent and mature. She wants to let her family know the most authentic situation, that she is capable of handling things, and that they don't need to worry about her.
"He wanted me to go back to Haishi, saying that the Qi family couldn't wait to see me. I found it funny. What does their eagerness have to do with me? No matter how close we are, they can't be closer than my parents and family. How can you not see your own family but go to a stranger's house to fawn over them?"
Hearing Xiaoyin's words, Nie Qingqing smiled with relief.
Song Zhao squeezed Qingqing's hand and said, "Xiaoyin is like me; she's clear-headed."
Tangyuan clapped: "Haha, Kaiyang must be furious, right? Serves him right, who told him to make such an unreasonable request?"
Xiao Yuan asked worriedly, "Sis, you're not going to say that outright, are you?"
Xiaoyin laughed: "Do I look like a fool? I told you that my two younger brothers are taking the college entrance exam, so I have to come back to be with them. We'll talk about it after you finish the exam."
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