Chapter 68. She was busy here until morning, her heart...
Not long after Nie Qingqing left, Xiaoyin came with her younger siblings to pick up Feng Hensheng.
Feng Hensheng was very reserved, barely daring to look at them. He had been to prison, and people would avoid him like the plague. Perhaps they didn't really want to see him? He couldn't control his wild thoughts.
Tangyuan, ever the friendly one, hooked his arm around Feng Hensheng's shoulder, pointed at Xiaoyuan, and said, "My younger brother just came to our house. He's about as timid as you. My sister, brother, and I aren't actually related by blood. We became family because of Mom. My mom adopted you as her godson, so you're like family. If you ever need anything, just come to me."
Tanggao pouted: "What's the use of asking you? Ask me instead, I'm from the police academy!"
Upon hearing about the police academy, Feng Hensheng dared not look at Tang Gao any longer and lowered his head.
Tangyuan put her arm around his shoulder to comfort him: "What are you so ashamed of? Everyone knows you went to jail because your uncle's family deliberately framed you. You're so naive. If only you had met me sooner."
He was filled with resentment, staring at the glutinous rice balls, unable to ask a question, and with no paper or pen at hand.
Xiao Yuan understood his expression and added, "Tang Yuan means that if you had met him earlier, he could have given you advice, and you wouldn't have ended up in jail."
Feng Hensheng nodded, understanding.
Xiaoyin checked the time and said, "Alright, now that we've all met, we've got several places to visit today, let's chat on the way."
...
They took Hensheng to Nanjing Road, up the Oriental Pearl Tower, and overlooked the Huangpu River. The vast view and the relaxation of being with peers made Hensheng even unconsciously hum in response to Tangyuan's question, which was a great improvement.
We definitely had to go to the fried chicken restaurant. This was also Hensheng's first time eating fried chicken and hamburgers. Don't let his thin frame fool you, he can eat a lot. He ate three different kinds of hamburgers by himself, which scared Xiaoyin into stopping him, afraid that he would overeat.
Everyone treated Hensheng very well, except for Xiaoyuan, who had a vague worry: "Mom is really going to have another son."
Tangyuan laughed: "What are you worried about? He's my godson. Because he's an outsider, that's why Mom told us to take good care of him. In Mom's heart, he can't get past the two of us. But we can't let him feel that he's pitiful. If he's treated unfairly at this time, Mom is afraid that he'll become psychologically twisted."
Xiao Yuan nodded emphatically: "Pretend you didn't hear what I just said, and forget about it."
Tangyuan patted Xiaoyuan on the shoulder: "Children raised by their mother are kind-hearted. If my sister and I hadn't watched our mother do things since we were little, haha."
Xiao Yuan: "What are you laughing at? Do you think you'd dare do something bad?"
Tangyuan: "No, but we won't be kind either."
"My sister would never do that!" Xiao Yuan couldn't agree with Tang Yuan this time.
"Okay, okay, I misspoke." Tangyuan wasn't going to argue. Only a fool would argue with his own people. He didn't say anything; he understood in his heart.
...
Nie Qingqing came here with the idea of letting Hensheng interact with people his own age to relax and clear his mind, which would be good for him. Her children are all warm-hearted and can take good care of Hensheng.
Midway through, Tangyuan called the project team and said that Hensheng was very relaxed and had eaten three hamburgers. Xiaoyin didn't dare to give him any more, so everyone took him to the zoo to help him digest.
She was relieved. After the project meeting, she asked the supervisor to take her to the construction site.
Everyone at Yuanda knew Nie Qingqing's work style. The project supervisor led the way, telling Nie Qingqing about the progress, while Chenguang's people followed behind, asking Yuanda's deputy supervisor, "Why is your Yuanda's general manager personally involved on the construction site?"
The supervisor from Yuanda laughed: "Of course the previous big boss wouldn't have done that. Manager Nie said that she's just like us, a higher-level employee. She has to oversee the project well in order to give the boss an explanation. So, believe me, she's very meticulous about projects. You should tell your subordinates that as long as Yuanda's work is done well, they'll get paid on time. A job that pays is a good job, and there are plenty of people lining up to participate."
The Chenguang representative said, "But ultimately it all comes down to sales. Everyone at Chenguang is holding their breath, waiting to see how sales go next month. Manager Nie must be under a lot of pressure, right?"
“How could it not be big?” Yuanda’s supervisor said, “So today, after she inspected the site, she made some very strict demands, and everyone has to grit their teeth and complete them. When she gets angry, she can be quite fierce.”
...
When Nie Qingqing arrived at the project site, she found that the demonstration area had already reached the stage of planting flowers, grass, and trees.
She ordered people to measure the diameter and height of the most prominent trees that had just been delivered. The trees haven't been planted yet; they're on a large truck. If they don't meet the standards, they'll be towed away on the spot.
The driver was also a seedling supplier. It was still cold in March, but he kept wiping away sweat. Fortunately, everything met the standards. But why did Manager Nie's eyes look so unfriendly?
The supervisor from Yuanda gave him some pointers: "Manager Nie often tells us that in business, letting customers get a good deal will definitely pay off. If you're so capable, why don't you send one or two trees that exceed the standard? You have to make sure every tree is within the standard, as if you're afraid we'll get a good deal?"
The nurseryman hurriedly said, "I understand. The next batch of flowers, trees and shrubs will definitely satisfy Manager Nie."
...
With only half a month left until the opening, Nie Qingqing was at the construction site, emphasizing to the various construction teams: "The flowers, trees and shrubs must be planted according to the construction drawings. They can be better, but they can't be worse. The opening is in April. As required by my drawings, we must plant those that can bloom in the current season to ensure that the demonstration area is full of flowers in the days leading up to the opening. A few days before the opening, I will be here to keep an eye on it. If any flower or tree doesn't bloom, you have to dig it up and replant it."
The nurseryman, having received instructions, came over and assured him, "Manager Nie, don't worry. We know the rules of the trade. We guarantee that the final product will look even better than the drawings."
Nie Qingqing nodded: "I know you don't understand why I'm so particular about a tree or a cluster of flowers. For you, this is just a project, and it's hard to say whether it will be successful in the future. But for Yuanda and Chenguang, it's the first project we've worked on together, and for Yuanda, it's a project that can't afford to fail. If we work hard and the project sales meet our expectations, your subsequent second and third phases and final payments will also be settled smoothly."
That's the truth. Even if Yuanda has principles, if the houses can't be sold and the money can't be recovered, where will the money come from to pay the construction companies and suppliers?
Based on that statement alone, everyone should work hard.
...
After inspecting the construction site and explaining the precautions, Nie Qingqing returned to the engineering department.
She's been working in the engineering department lately, staying in a hotel every night, and only when she sees the results on the opening day can she finally relax.
I had just picked up my water glass and hadn't even had a chance to drink it when the supervisor from Yuanda came running over again: "Manager Nie, there's a lady outside who introduced herself as Xu Jianchun. I noticed that she's dressed quite differently, but her attitude is bad. She said she's very busy and was trying to barge in, but I stopped her and kept her outside."
Xu Jianchun actually came. It must be Uncle Feng's family who told her about Hensheng. It wasn't enough that she caused Hensheng to go to jail, she chased him all the way to Shanghai. What does she want to do?
Nie Qingqing gulped down the water before putting down the cup and saying, "Thank you for your hard work. I'll make a call; please bring the person in ten minutes later."
...
She needs ten minutes, but she's unsure how long it should be; she needs to discuss it with Attorney He.
Attorney He said on the phone, "Look, we're just wondering where she went. You can say whatever you want about her, it doesn't matter. I'll have Xianzong tell his older brother about this now."
Nie Qingqing hurriedly asked, "Are you sure you want to go this far? Then you'll be making enemies of Xu Jianchun."
He Shunyi said, "You have to offend someone eventually. Xianzong didn't hesitate to offend his sister-in-law. With his personality, he's just looking for trouble. If he insists on talking, then let him talk."
"Okay, then I have no more concerns."
After hanging up the phone, Nie Qingqing straightened her clothes, recombed her hair, and then waited to see Xu Jianchun.
...
When Xu Jianchun came to see Nie Qingqing, he was already in an unequal position, looking down on her and not taking her, the general manager of Yuanda, seriously.
She didn't even respect Mr. Zhong or Attorney He, let alone a high-level employee hired by Yuanda.
She instructed Nie Qingqing in the tone of a subordinate: "You've been keeping Feng Hensheng by your side, so you should know about his background. No matter what my father told you, and no matter how difficult it is for you, you must immediately, without any involvement in Feng Hensheng's affairs. Let him fend for himself!"
This was the first time Nie Qingqing had ever looked down on someone so much. Yuanda belonged to Attorney He and Mr. Zhong, not the Xu family.
She didn't mince words: "Even Mr. Zhong and Attorney He speak to me with utmost politeness. Where do you get the confidence to think I'll listen to you?"
Xu Jianchun sneered: "This project that's going to launch in a few days is very important to Yuanda. I have many ways to make you mess it up. All your efforts at Yuanda will be in vain. Why ruin your career for a worthless bastard?"
She's really awful; the more she acts like this, the less Nie Qingqing will compromise.
She thought, thankfully, she has plenty of options: Song Zhao, the children, Shumei, Lehan, her brother, sister-in-law, and mother. Look how rich she is; she's really not afraid.
Nie Qingqing laughed: "It's not me protecting this child now, it's Mr. Zhong protecting his grandson. Also, think about it carefully. If you mess with Yuanda, you're messing with Mr. Zhong's business. Knowing his personality, he won't let you off easy. He'll stab you in the back ten or eight times. Yuanda is just a job to me. I can just leave and find another job. Your losses are much greater than mine. If you really want to go all out, I have more confidence than you. So do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Xu Jianchun was furious. Nie Qingqing was indeed eloquent and lived up to her reputation. He couldn't win an argument with her.
She really couldn't understand it and asked, "Feng Hensheng is not related to you at all, why did you do this?"
Nie Qingqing said, "Feng Hensheng is the child your husband had before he met you. Don't drag him into your grievances. If you have the ability, take it out on your husband, not on a child who can't fight back. That's not a skill."
...
Xu Jianchun became enraged, slammed his fist on the table, smashed a cup, and hurled very offensive insults at Nie Qingqing, telling her to be careful about the opening of the market next month.
Nie Qingqing immediately called security and said, "She's not leaving until she pays for the broken cup."
Hearing the commotion, Lu Chenguang was worried that something might happen on the opening day, so he came over to ask Nie Qingqing: "Manager Nie, do you need any help? Chenguang may not be good at anything else, but we are capable of not letting anyone bully us."
He coldly stared at the woman, who was now furious at his humiliation, and sneered, "Out of town? Trying to mess with Chen Guang? Not so easy."
Nie Qingqing was equally disdainful: "She's just making empty threats, she can't scare me. It's fine, I'll let her know if I need to."
She was very confident. It was easy for him to throw a tantrum here, but it would be difficult to explain when Xu Jianchun returned home. She wouldn't say anything to Mr. Zhong, and Mr. Xiao Zhong wouldn't give her the energy to cause trouble for Yuanda.
...
Xu Jianchun returned empty-handed. Nie Qingqing told someone to go out first, appearing calm and collected on the surface, but actually quite gossipy inside. She made a phone call to the electronics factory and told Song Zhao about it.
"Has Xu Jianchun gone mad? With her making such a scene, Hensheng could find out about his true parentage at any moment!"
Song Zhao thought for a moment and said, "She probably thinks that this time, for the sake of his family's reputation, Mr. Zhong will still find a way to satisfy both sides and send Hensheng far away. If he is sent abroad alone, she will have more room to maneuver."
So that's how it is. Nie Qingqing thought to herself, how could the couple be so incompetent as to have driven Mr. Zhong away?
...
After hanging up the phone, she was at the project site, barely catching her breath for an hour, when Le Han called to gossip and urge her to go back.
“Auntie, Xu Jianchun came to my hotel and checked in. He even asked the front desk for your room number. He had an ulterior motive. I’m afraid that when Tangyuan and Hensheng come back and meet him, Hensheng’s background will be exposed.”
Nie Qingqing hurriedly asked, "What did you guess?"
Le Han chuckled: "Hen Sheng looks too much like Mr. Zhong. Even if he's not Mr. Zhong's illegitimate son, he's still of their bloodline, right? Otherwise, why would you take him in as your godson? I won't ask about his background, but now that Xu Jianchun has come looking for him, he's definitely going to do something bad to Heen Sheng. You're his godmother, come back quickly."
Nie Qingqing once again shared Xu Jianchun's actions and Song Zhao's speculations with Attorney He.
Attorney He said they would make arrangements, and if she was interested, she could go back to the hotel to watch the show.
That depends. Nie Qingqing was just looking to vent her anger, but she also had to be careful that Tangyuan and the others might return to the hotel at any time and run into them.
...
Gu Lehan, who also loved watching the excitement, waited at the hotel entrance and whispered to Nie Qingqing, who had rushed back, "Auntie, Mr. Zhong called and said that after you come back, you should call him and then go and ask his sister-in-law to come down and answer the phone."
The phone in the hotel room couldn't make calls to Hong Kong, but the front desk could. Nie Qingqing notified Mr. Zhong, and then said to Le Han, "You're in the service industry, don't go looking for trouble. Which room is she in? I'll go get her. I've already offended her, so I'm not afraid."
...
Nie Qingqing knocked on Xu Jianchun's door.
Xu Jianchun was still furious. She was no fool, and she immediately realized what was going on and pressed on: "This hotel actually leaked customer information to you. I'm going to file a complaint!"
Nie Qingqing: "What are you complaining about? There's a phone number for you in the lobby. I just happened to overhear it and am calling to let you know. Go answer it quickly."
Xu Jianchun: "What are you up to? I'm not going."
Nie Qingqing said, "I knew you weren't going, so I got your phone number and asked you to come over because your child is sick."
Xu Jianchun didn't believe it, but she was worried about her child and wouldn't feel at ease if she didn't go.
She gave Nie Qingqing a cold look: "If you dare to lie to me, I won't let this go."
Nie Qingqing snorted dismissively and went back to her room to rest.
The call for Xu Jianchun came from the nanny she trusted most in the family. The nanny said the child was sick and sounded very anxious.
Without a second thought, Xu Jianchun immediately packed his bags and left Shanghai.
...
When Tangyuan and the others returned, Xu Jianchun had already been gone for quite some time.
We had dinner in a private room at the Lehan Hotel restaurant that evening. Tangyuan chattered on and on about the things we did that day. She stayed at the hotel to spend some more time with Hensheng.
This one day together was better than a month of being with Nie Qingqing; Hen Sheng was clearly much more relaxed.
While Hensheng was taking a bath, Tangyuan sneaked over to Nie Qingqing, determined to get to the bottom of things.
"Mom, Hensheng is taking a shower. I said I didn't want to wait in line, so I'm borrowing your bathroom to shower. Please give me five minutes to shower, so please stop beating around the bush and tell me what's going on with Hensheng. He looks like Uncle Xianzong. Are they half-brothers? If so, then you've taken him in as your godson. The generational relationship doesn't make sense."
Nie Qingqing had a headache. How did everyone figure it out? If Le Han could, and Tang Yuan could too, then others would be able to figure it out in the future, including Hen Sheng himself, unless he was prevented from seeing the Zhong family.
You can keep it from others, but you can't hide it from Tangyuan because of his personality. If you don't tell him, he'll have to find out for himself.
Nie Qingqing said, "Hensheng's father is Zhong Xianzhu, and he is Mr. Zhong's grandson. Now his father wants to acknowledge him, but his stepmother is firmly against it. Heensheng's imprisonment was also his stepmother's doing. In short, the situation is very complicated, and I don't know how much of his background can be hidden. Before Heensheng is mentally prepared, you should help cover for him."
Tangyuan was very excited to hear such big news, but Nie Qingqing didn't know what was so exciting about it.
"What are you doing? Don't get any bad ideas," she warned.
Tangyuan: "No, I'm just expressing my feelings. I hate that I was born into this family. His life is just as bumpy as the protagonist in the martial arts novels I read. He will definitely have a great future!"
Nie Qingqing laughed and scolded, "You should read less novels. Aren't you going to take a shower? Hurry up, or Hen will become suspicious."
...
The next morning, Xiaoyin went back to work, Tanggao, Tangyuan, and Xiaoyuan went back to school, and Nie Qingqing took Hensheng to the construction site.
Sometimes when she was too busy to pay attention, Hensheng would follow behind the supervisors, quietly watching them do their work, remembering everything in her mind, and never causing any trouble for anyone.
Everyone knows he is Nie Qingqing's godson, and they treat him very well.
...
Meanwhile, when Xu Jianchun returned home, he found that the children were all fine and had not been sick at all.
The nanny said nervously, "Madam, it was the master who told me to say that."
Xu Jianchun confronted her husband, but Mr. Zhong grabbed her by the neck and threatened her: "Hensheng is my son. You hurt my son, and you expect me to be polite to you?"
Xu Jianchun was somewhat afraid and unwilling: "Why do you value a child born out of wedlock more than your own three children?"
What Zhong Xianzhu said was actually quite hurtful: "Because he is my eldest son, you should also understand that if it weren't for him, my mother would have been forced to leave back then and I wouldn't have been able to find her, and we would never have gotten married."
Xu Jianchun sneered: "She's dead, but if she were still alive, seeing you searching for one woman after another, she'd probably name your child 'Hateful Life' just the same, wouldn't she?"
Zhong Xianzhu released his hand, his heart unwavering: "In everyone's life, there are no 'what ifs.' Don't think about those things, and don't dwell on hatred."
...
How could Xu Jianchun possibly obey? He called his uncle, Xu Guanhai, and asked him to help deal with Feng Hensheng.
Xu Guanhai refused to help her with such things again and said firmly, "I am your uncle, not your henchman. The child born is from before you married Xianzu. You either accept it or get a divorce. Stop thinking about those crooked ways."
Having nowhere to vent her frustrations, Xu Jianchun fired the nanny who had lied to her over the phone.
Mr. Zhong, being well-informed, gossiped with He Shunyi within two days: "Wife, do you know where the nanny who got fired from my brother's house is now?"
By asking this, he must know that He Shunyi has changed a lot since then. Following his interest, he asked, "I can't figure it out. Do you know because you're so resourceful? Seeing how happy you are, she must be in a place you'd really like to see."
Mr. Zhong proudly shared his inside information: "After he was fired by his sister-in-law, his older brother arranged for her to take care of another woman. That woman is pregnant and will give birth in a few months."
...
Nie Qingqing had done everything she could to prepare for the opening.
The advertisements were placed two or three months in advance, and the old customers of Yuanda Shanshuiju were also contacted to inform them that Yuanda had opened a new property development. They were also told that if any of their relatives or friends were interested in buying a house, they could come and take a look, and there would be gifts to receive.
The gifts prepared for the opening day were plentiful, and the demonstration area was even more beautiful than the blueprints showed. We're all waiting for the results of the opening the next day.
On the first night after the market opened, Nie Qingqing rested at the hotel after get off work to make sure she was well-rested, so she went to bed early.
The supervisor on duty at the construction site suddenly called the hotel, waking her up. She looked at the phone and realized it wasn't even eleven o'clock yet.
Nie Qingqing panicked and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
With an incredulous excitement, the supervisor said, "Manager Nie, there are already people lining up outside the sales department with stools and bedding!"
Nie Qingqing snapped out of her daze, quickly dressed, and rushed to the sales office with Hensheng.
Sure enough, with more than nine hours to go before the market opens at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, there was already a queue of more than a dozen people, and more people were coming to queue up one after another.
She quickly had someone call to notify a few sales staff to come over, pour hot tea for those in line, open the restrooms in the sales department, and get all the preparations done in advance.
She didn't go back herself, but stayed on site chatting with everyone, asking them why they came to queue up in the middle of the night, and how this sense of urgency was created.
Those who line up have a strong desire to buy and want to arrive early to get a better number so they can choose their preferred apartment type.
After chatting with them, I learned that those who were queuing up all had relatives or friends who had bought houses developed by Yuanda.
“We had heard about Broad Group’s reputation a long time ago. When we visited our relatives’ homes, the quality of the houses was impeccable, and the flowers, trees and shrubs in the community were incredibly beautiful. They were always being maintained and kept getting better and better. We were always envious when we visited. This time, Broad Group opened a house that ordinary people like us could afford, so we came to queue up early.”
Nie Qingqing was delighted that the positive word-of-mouth from Yuanda Group would have such a good effect. People felt even more respected seeing her, a general manager, accompanying them.
Because we didn't expect so many people to come, we didn't arrange a lottery; it was first-come, first-served for choosing a house.
She was busy here until morning, feeling warm inside and not cold at all.
...
At eight o'clock in the morning, the first batch of customers were led by sales staff to visit the demonstration area and model rooms. After seeing how the finished product actually looked, the potential customers didn't hesitate much. With the sales staff's enthusiastic and energetic introduction, the conversion rate was very high.
There were too many people queuing up, so they could only let people in one batch at a time. Those at the back of the line were getting impatient, worried that they wouldn't be able to choose their preferred apartment.
Nie Qingqing and the project supervisors quickly reassured everyone, showing them information about another development that opened in June, saying, "If you're interested now, you can reserve a number first. If you're not satisfied with the location of the development that opened in June, this development will open again in August. At that time, you can choose your apartment in advance according to the number you received today."
This reassurance worked very well; everyone said that if Broad Group takes them seriously, the quality must be excellent.
Buyers who had viewed the demonstration area and placed deposits emerged with beaming smiles, extremely satisfied with the park's scenery. This only fueled the eagerness of those queuing behind them, making them even more impatient to go inside and take a look.
The initial launch not only far exceeded expectations, but also registered many potential customers, which boosted confidence for the second launch.
With the initial success, Chenguang was completely relieved, and the people at Yuanda were even more proud. The hard work of the past six months had paid off, and the year-end bonuses would be substantial.
...
The first project jointly developed by Yuanda and Chenguang has achieved results far exceeding expectations, and everyone is extremely excited.
Lu Chenguang wanted to invite Nie Qingqing to dinner, and said with a smile, "Manager Nie, don't be in such a hurry to leave this time. I've arranged a dinner party this weekend for everyone to get together. I guarantee there will be some people you wouldn't expect to come."
Nie Qingqing asked curiously, "Who is it? Tell me first!"
Lu Chenguang insisted on maintaining a bit of mystery: "I just can't tell you yet, there will be a surprise when we meet!"
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