Chapter 74 Beneath Song Zhao's calm exterior lies immense...
In the place where Song Zhao was sent down, he suffered a lot of hardship and injustice, but he also received kindness. However, in that environment, kindness was present but not much, and it could not offset his rejection of Qingshan Village.
But his dad wanted to go, and Qingqing was willing to go with him, so let's go.
Just as I arrived back in my hometown, Tangyuan called and asked, "Dad, Mom, are you going to revisit these places? Aren't you taking us with you?"
Nie Qingqing: "You're really well-informed. It's not some tourist destination. It's the village where your dad and grandpa were sent down to. If you want to play, go play with Xiaoyuan and Tanggao."
Tangyuan became even more curious: "Then I'm even more determined to go! When are you leaving? Xiaoyuan and I will wait for you at the transfer station."
Nie Qingqing, holding the phone, asked Song Zhao, "What should we do?"
Song Zhaozheng wanted to be confident, with a good wife and promising children, to show those people from back then that he was doing well now.
He strongly agreed: "If they want to go, why shouldn't they?"
...
Fortunately, Song Zhao's father had made arrangements in advance, and the village arranged for them to stay temporarily at the brigade headquarters, which was enough for the whole family.
When traveling far away from home, one is always happy. When Song Zhao’s father recalls these memories with his children, all he does is find joy amidst the hardships in the countryside, without a single complaint.
Song Zhao turned his back to the children before speaking to Nie Qingqing: "It wasn't as easy as Dad said. The educated youth who went to the countryside all suffered, let alone us who were sent down. I don't even want to think about it now."
Suffering was one aspect, but what Song Zhao didn't want to think about was the destruction of his inner self-esteem.
Nie Qingqing hadn't experienced it herself, but she understood it very well. Along the way, she held Song Zhao's hand and said to him, "Think about it now. The hardships of the past seem much more blurred now. Your mindset when you go back now is definitely different from before. We have nothing to be afraid of."
The mindset was indeed different. At first, Song Zhao accompanied his father to the countryside, thinking that the father and son could rely on each other and get through it. Later, he had to ask for help everywhere. There was no food, no clothes, no medicine when he was sick, and he was met with contempt and difficulties. It was a hopeless situation with no end in sight. But he still made it through until his father was exonerated. He remembered that on the day he left, he never looked back. He never wanted to see this place again.
But looking back now, there were indeed many small acts of kindness that sustained him and his father until they reached hope.
...
After seeing the green hills and clear waters, Tangyuan was in a great mood and asked Song Zhao's father, "Grandpa, you've always had a good attitude and talked about good memories along the way, so why does my dad keep looking so stern?"
Song Zhao: "Where am I frowning?"
Song Mingli ignored his son and only said to Tangyuan Xiaoyuan, "It means your dad is not satisfied with his current life. If he were satisfied, he wouldn't feel that the hardships of the past were hardships."
Song Zhao said helplessly, "Dad, people are different. I'm just petty and can't forgive people who have hurt me. That's only human nature."
Song Mingli glanced back at his son. His business had grown big, but to take another step forward, he needed a broad mind. In terms of magnanimity, his son was not as good as his daughter-in-law. Look at the difficulties Yuanda had faced and how it had been maliciously targeted by its competitors. If Qingqing had been petty and vindictive, how could Yuanda have gotten to where it is today?
Song Mingli said, "Alright, stop explaining. Don't you want to see how the people who bullied you are doing now?"
Song Zhao turned her head away: "I don't care. How they live is none of my business. I'm happy, and that's enough."
Song Zhao's father smiled, speaking magnanimously, but he was actually still concerned. He didn't blame him; it was only human nature.
...
After changing buses several times, we finally arrived at the small mountain village where we had been sent down. Qingshan Village was also affected by the reform and opening up policy. Along the way, several village-run factories were set up around the village office to process local specialties such as canned goods and mountain products. The village has been thriving ever since.
Song Zhao never expected that the sales channels for the village's processing plant's products were actually introduced to the village by his father.
However, the village chief had long been replaced by one of the few people who had taken care of him and his father.
The village chief and village officials warmly welcomed the benefactors of the village and took them on a tour of the factory. The village is really doing very well now.
Tangyuan was very curious and asked, "Uncle Village Chief, your village is really farsighted. You know how to set up a collective factory and lead the village to prosperity."
The village chief was full of gratitude: "Even if a factory is set up, it needs a market to survive. Thanks to your grandfather's guidance and help these past few years, the factory in the village has been able to operate, and every household can get some money and do odd jobs in the village. Life is much better than before."
Song Zhao couldn't calm down. He felt that Qingshan Village was different from what he remembered. The people were kind and warm, and they were nothing like the mean and sarcastic people he remembered.
Nie Qingqing whispered to him, "As living conditions have improved, people have become more generous. Moreover, Dad has been helping to find sales channels for several years, and the whole village has benefited. Of course, they give us smiles."
...
In the evening, the village chief slaughtered chickens and geese at his house, and the meal was very plentiful. After dinner, many villagers came to the village chief's big tile-roofed house to see the guests from the city.
Nie Qingqing didn't know any of them, but Song Zhao knew most of them. When he spoke, he only introduced his wife and children:
“My wife is better than me. She has been interviewed and featured in newspapers. She is in real estate development, and the company she manages has an unparalleled reputation in the local area.”
People can't help but show off. When Nie Qingqing heard Song Zhao praising his family, she didn't dare to laugh at him for showing off. She felt ashamed of being praised by the villagers.
Tangyuan noticed that there was an older-looking woman who looked back and forth in the crowd several times; she must know Grandpa and Dad.
He quietly asked, "Grandpa, did you notice that woman with deep wrinkles between her eyebrows? She walks with a slight limp. Did she bully you back then? Otherwise, why doesn't she dare to come over and talk to you?"
Song Zhao did notice it, but it was dark and he couldn't see it clearly, and he couldn't run up to see it like Tang Yuan did.
His father recognized her and asked the village chief for confirmation, "Wasn't the one who came just now the niece of the former commune director?"
The village chief sighed, "That's right. Later, she married into a worker's family who worked at the grain station. She lived on government-subsidized grain for more than ten years. But her son and daughter-in-law were strong-willed and didn't want to live together, so she went back to Qingshan Village."
After confirming the matter, Song Mingli explained it to his grandsons, which also helped to resolve Song Zhao's inner conflict.
“Your father was good-looking. Even though he was sent down to the countryside, there were families willing to take him in as a son-in-law. But your father refused to agree and was determined to wait until the day he could return to the city. One year, the commune organized people to go up the mountain to look for a lost cow. Everyone else came back, but your father did not. The commune arranged for people to go again, but the commune director disagreed and said to wait until dawn. It was only after the village chief found some relatives to accompany me that we finally found your father.”
The events of that time were far more serious than they are described in this brief account. Song Zhao did not get lost for no reason. After he refused the marriage proposal, his nephews and cousins from the commune formed a group and went into the mountains, leaving him stranded deep in the mountains. How could a person from out of town who had been sent down to the countryside possibly find his way out of the mountains? He almost died in the mountains.
Song Zhao recalled what happened back then, saying, "Actually, I knew they didn't want me to refuse and wanted to team up with me. I thought they might insult me or at most beat me up, but I never expected them to abandon me in the deep mountains. That was too cruel."
Nie Qingqing felt heartbroken upon hearing this; if Song Zhao hadn't been lucky, he wouldn't have made it out.
Tangyuan gritted her teeth and asked, "Uncle Village Chief, those people, are they still living a good life?"
The fact that they were able to do such outrageous things back then suggests that they all had some major character flaws that they couldn't change. Especially after the reform and opening up, they acted like tyrants in the village, but who would tolerate them in the city? They were bound to run into trouble eventually; they couldn't always have it easy.
The village chief, unwilling to discuss unpleasant matters in front of the guests, laughed it off and said, "No matter what they do, they can't compare to your family. Don't worry about it. I'll show you where you'll stay."
...
The night sky in the mountains is exceptionally clear, dotted with stars. The village office, which the village chief had his wife clean up, is spotless. The night breeze in the countryside blows away the anxieties of the city, leaving one feeling refreshed and clear-headed.
With his hands behind his back, Song Mingli looked up at the starry sky and asked Song Zhao, "How do you feel when you see those who bullied you back then not doing well, growing old beyond their years?"
How do I feel? Surprisingly, I don't feel much joy. Something I've remembered for so long, besides making me feel bad, doesn't actually have much impact on other people's lives.
Song Zhao said, "Before I came here, I thought that they were definitely not as good as me now, and that is indeed the case. But when I actually saw it, I was not as happy as I had imagined. I hated them for so long, but it turned out that it was meaningless. Now I have a family, a wife and children, and my own happiness is the most important thing."
He said those words to comfort himself before, but after coming to see me, he completely let go of the past. Now that he says it out loud, Song Zhao's father believes him.
Song Mingli said with relief: "Actually, I've come back every two or three years over the years. But now my health is getting worse every year, and I can't run around as much. So I thought I'd bring you back to see me. If I don't clear up the knot in your heart, you'll be thinking about it for the rest of your life. You can't let go of the past. Coming back to see me makes it all worthwhile, right?"
Yes, I've come all this way and finally said goodbye to the past that I couldn't let go of.
...
With Song Zhao's inner conflict resolved, Nie Qingqing treated the trip as a leisurely stroll, and didn't forget to give Tangyuan Xiaoyuan a summary:
"Do you understand what Grandpa means? No amount of hatred is as important as your own happiness. Don't let the past become a psychological burden that hinders your progress."
Tangyuan laughed in a very unserious way: "Mom, I'm not used to hearing you say that. Why are you acting like a spiritual mentor? You can just discipline people with a stick."
Nie Qingqing was really about to slap him. She chased him to the outer edge of the foundation, when Tangyuan suddenly whispered, "Mom, that auntie today, she's the same age as Dad, but she looks so much older than her age. Are you happy about that?"
Nie Qingqing gently tapped him on the back: "Don't say that. Worrying makes you look old. Those wrinkles are from the burdens of life. Who can guarantee that everything will always go smoothly? Never laugh at other people's suffering."
Tangyuan quickly assured him, "I understand. No wonder Grandpa said you're more open-minded than Dad, and you'll definitely do even better in the future."
Fearing there might be snakes in the grass in the countryside, Song Zhao chased after them, saying, "There are a lot of mosquitoes and snakes by the pond. Let's go back inside and talk."
Nie Qingqing was terrified of snakes and hurriedly ran back with Song Zhao, not forgetting to call out to Tangyuan, "Don't stay by the pond so late at night."
Tangyuan: "Uncle Village Chief said he set up shrimp traps, and if we're lucky, we might catch eels."
Nie Qingqing quickly turned back: "Really? Then will we be lucky?"
Song Zhao found it amusing. He dragged his wife and son back to the quiet countryside. With the kerosene lamp, the evening breeze, and the croaking of frogs, he slept exceptionally well that night. Unexpectedly, he had another dream that night.
...
In Song Zhao's dream, a series of major events occurred. First, the impending financial crisis in Hong Kong affected Lawyer He and Mr. Zhong's business, forcing them to divert funds back to maintain operations. Times Square, such a profitable shopping mall, was sold off. Then, Yuanda was also affected, losing a large portion of its shares in this upheaval.
Attorney He is no longer a major shareholder of Yuanda, and Qingqing's 12% stake is insufficient to support her continuing as Yuanda's general manager.
After Yuanda changed its owners, like most real estate companies, it expanded wildly by relying on bank loans.
Qingqing was unwilling to continue working for such a company and resigned from her position. Although she could continue to receive dividends, Song Zhao did not want the things in her dream to happen.
The Yuanda brand was established by Qingqing. If it's handed over to someone else, it won't be the Yuanda that originally insisted on quality! Those people will ruin Yuanda's reputation sooner or later, and Song Zhao can't let that happen!
After waking up, he didn't mention the dream. Instead, he observed the situation to see if things would develop as they did in the dream.
...
Nie Qingqing never imagined that there would be a financial crisis like this. Lawyer He needed funds to turn over, and as the general manager of Yuanda, she naturally cooperated fully.
All the available funds on the books have already been withdrawn. With no idea when the financial crisis will end, Attorney He doesn't want to give up the empire he and Mr. Zhong built, so he has no choice but to sell Times Square.
Nie Qingqing didn't try to dissuade him, but encouraged Lawyer He: "My vision isn't as far-sighted as yours. Besides, Song Zhao is mobilizing all the funds available at the electronics factory to buy up some stocks in Hong Kong. I think he's optimistic about the future economy, and things will definitely get better!"
Attorney He hurriedly asked, "You actually agree? Do you know how serious the financial crisis is in Hong Kong right now?"
Nie Qingqing didn't understand finance, but she understood Song Zhao: "I tried to persuade him, saying that as long as we didn't mess around with our savings, we would have no worries about life. But he insisted that I trust him this once, so I will trust him. At worst, we can go out to work together again."
Attorney He was somewhat relieved and made up his mind: "When will Song Zhao take action? Let me know if you need help."
For things like opening an account, Attorney He's help is definitely needed. Nie Qingqing knows that Attorney He wants to see when Song Zhao will act. When Song Zhao buys at the bottom, that's when the turning point is about to arrive.
...
Song Zhao bought two stocks that had fallen to rock-bottom prices. After he bought them, they continued to fall slightly for a while. Nie Qingqing was so worried that she couldn't relax.
She comforted herself, since she hadn't used any leverage or taken out any loans, and had already supported him, so she shouldn't say anything discouraging.
She remained cheerful every day until the mainland also felt the impact of the financial crisis. Broad Group had already withdrawn its funds, and now it tightened its belt even more. Some people felt that Broad Group had no future, and there was a high turnover of project staff.
The real estate industry has always had a high turnover rate, but Yuanda had a strong sense of cohesion. Now the situation is different. People naturally choose places with better development opportunities when they want to work and earn money. She was not surprised that some people left.
...
The news of Yuanda's staff turnover spread quickly throughout the industry. Lu Chenguang called to inquire, "Manager Nie, we've had a steady stream of Yuanda employees applying for jobs these past few days. What's going on with you?"
Nie Qingqing explained the current situation of Yuanda: "Yuanda is not in trouble. It is Attorney He who needs funds, so we can only prioritize her side."
She even vouched for those who left Yuanda, saying, "If you hire someone who stays at Yuanda for three years before leaving, you won't lose out, but you'll have to offer them good benefits."
Lu Chenguang joked, "The person I most want to hire is your assistant, Shi Fangyan. Can I poach her?"
Back then, others were able to poach Nie Qingqing, and now Chenguang can poach Fang Yan. It's reasonable for good companies to want to poach talented people.
Although Nie Qingqing wasn't very happy, she still said, "Sure."
...
Recently, some people left Yuanda, but not as many as Nie Qingqing had thought. She decided to issue a notice that if anyone wanted to leave, they could let her know in advance so that both the company and the individual could prepare. If they decided to weather the storm with Yuanda, they should also let her know in advance.
Before the regular meeting on Monday morning, she received several resignation letters. None of them were the ones she least wanted to lose, which made her quite happy. She quietly told them that she would stay after get off work and go out to dinner together.
Nie Qingqing toasted them and said to each of them, "Fangyan, Chenguang is offering you quite a good deal. Aren't you tempted?"
She was tempted at first, but looking back at Yuanda's reputation, Shi Fangyan suddenly realized that she would not be happy outside of Yuanda's fertile ground. She couldn't stand those who cheated and embezzled from projects.
She took a deep breath and said, "Manager Nie, whether it's running a company or being a person, there are ups and downs. I've learned a lot from you, and I want to learn from you how to get through the lows and difficulties the company faces. I'm leaving now, and I'll leave when Yuanda is at its most glorious."
That's very well said. Nie Qingqing has confidence in Yuanda. As long as Yuanda's brand and foundation remain, she is confident that she can catch up with it at any time.
"Great! Yuanda will surely have its glorious days again!"
Nie Qingqing then asked Lu Qingfeng, who had trained several project managers for Yuanda, and why he had brought two project managers with him this time.
She toasted Lu Qingfeng: "Brother Lu, how did you convince your family not to leave? The shares offered from outside are real, tangible profits."
Lu Qingfeng smiled. "Are shares so easy to get? Especially phantom shares. They have plenty of ways to take them back at any time."
Moreover, he knew in his heart that it was because of the excellent environment of Yuanda that he was able to achieve such good results. If he were in another real estate company, his personality would not be good at flattery, and he might not be able to gain the boss's favor.
Lu Qingfeng took the wine glass handed to him by Nie Qingqing, drank it down, and said, "At my age, I can't adapt to going out like a young person. I'd better stay here. As long as Yuanda exists, I'll stay."
Nie Qingqing was very moved. As long as there are people around, Yuanda can continue to develop; it just needs an opportunity.
She then asked Lou Xiaoyan, who surprised her the most, "Xiao Lou, Yuanda can no longer satisfy your ambitions, why don't you find a better platform?"
Lou Xiaoyan hurriedly pledged his loyalty: "Manager Nie, as long as you are still with Yuanda, I will have hope for Yuanda. My parents are unable to make a comeback, and I want to see if you can lead Yuanda to surpass Shihua and Chenguang again. Besides, with my terrible reputation, no one wants me."
Fangyan nudged him, exposing his true colors: "Alright, stop being modest. Longchen Real Estate, which was just established after you left Chenguang, offered you a high salary to join them. How could no one want you?"
Lou Xiaoyan slammed his fist on the table: "I won't go to those people who steal resources from their former employers and betray their promises. Wait, Fangyan, don't try to trap me. I won't go to anyone who tries to trap me!"
Everyone burst into laughter, the atmosphere was just right, and by the time Song Zhao came to pick her up, Nie Qingqing was already a little drunk.
She leaned back in her seat and, emboldened by the alcohol, mocked Song Zhao: "My career luck is so strange. I just acquired shares in Yuanda, but Yuanda has stagnated. If I don't develop a new project soon, how am I going to support all these people who are willing to work together?"
While waiting at the red light, Song Zhao touched her burning face. Despite her outward appearance of strength, she was still upset inside, otherwise she wouldn't have taken the opportunity to get drunk today.
Song Zhao assured, "Every cloud has a silver lining. Let's wait and see; the storm will pass."
...
The situation is improving. The most direct manifestation of this is that the stocks that Song Zhao bought at the bottom have soared in the month before New Year's Day, multiplying several times. This stock market is too exciting, the upward trend is so frightening. She asked Song Zhao several times if they should sell them.
"That's about enough, it's impossible for it to go up any further. We should be content. How about we sell half of them first and get our principal back?"
Actually, Song Zhao felt it was a pity that he didn't dare to borrow money at the time, as it was just working capital for the electronics factory. However, Qing Qing insisted on not borrowing or leveraging. Now the price has increased, but if it doesn't increase several times more, it won't be enough later.
Song Zhao remained calm: "I know what I'm doing. Let's wait and see."
...
Before Song Zhao could sell his continuously rising stocks, Attorney He returned to discuss the matter with Nie Qingqing: "Qingqing, Xianzong and I need Song Zhao's stocks to exchange for something due to some business dealings. We don't have enough cash flow, so we're considering exchanging Yuanda's shares with you. What do you think?"
Nie Qingqing's first thought was about Attorney He's predicament. Without thinking too much, she quickly said, "It doesn't matter if we don't have enough funds. Mr. Zhong lent money to invest in the electronics factory before. How can we take advantage of his misfortune now? Take the shares of the company he bought at the bottom of the market."
Song Zhao remained expressionless and silent, but he was extremely anxious inside. His honest wife had bought those stocks at rock-bottom prices to help her purchase Yuanda shares. Why would she borrow them? If Attorney He accepted, he would definitely find a reason to refuse.
...
Attorney He was genuinely touched. She hadn't expected that Qingqing held a position in her heart like family, so she couldn't take advantage of her.
She said, "The economy is improving, and opportunities are fleeting. I need a large amount of capital now, and I must sell my shares in Yuanda. I calculated for Song Zhao that the stocks he bought at the bottom this time are just enough to buy more than half of Yuanda's shares. If you are willing to take them, that would be great. I hope that the Yuanda brand can be maintained in your hands."
Nie Qingqing looked at Song Zhao: "Are you really willing to use all that money to buy shares in Yuanda for me?"
Song Zhao: "Is that even a question? Qingqing, how could you ask such a thing?"
Because that's a huge sum of money. Even if you're a married couple, you can't just do that without hesitation, right?
Nie Qingqing quickly dismissed her wild thoughts. In the future, whenever Song Zhao needed her, she would definitely not hesitate to help him!
No one knew that beneath Song Zhao's calm exterior lay immense joy. He had changed the course of his dream; Yuanda had not changed hands, and Qingqing not only continued as Yuanda's general manager but had also become Yuanda's largest shareholder.
...
After completing the procedures and signing the contract, Nie Qingqing now holds a total of 55% of the shares, including the previous ones, making her the largest shareholder of Yuanda.
Now, she doesn't need to report any of Yuanda's decisions to anyone. She is not only Yuanda's general manager, but also Yuanda's true boss.
Although the cash on hand is still tight, there is no debt, the brand is still there, the staff is still there, and if we find another piece of land to develop, the funds will start circulating again.
She is very confident that she can lead Yuanda and everyone who has never abandoned her to a successful turnaround.
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