After Cheng Ran's job at the research institute was settled, his parents finally realized that Jiang Wanqing hadn't abandoned them. So, under the guise of celebration and family dinner, she invited them back to the Cheng family home for a meal.
Jiang Jianguo and Xue He were also invited, but the couple did not want to have too much contact with the Cheng family elders, so they politely declined.
In the end, it turned into a dinner gathering for the five members of the Cheng family.
Cheng's mother finally slept soundly and ate well, and had no more worries in her heart.
She held her daughter on her lap and fed her bite by bite.
"Our little girl can finally live with her dad and mom for a long time from now on."
"Is it because Daddy came back?" The little girl blinked her round eyes.
"Yes, your dad will work right next to your house from now on, so you can see him every day."
"very nice!"
They were having a great time chatting, and Mr. Cheng smiled, but then he thought of another problem.
“Speaking of research institutes, I have an old acquaintance working there. Since you just started, go and pay him a visit on my behalf. It'll be good to have a connection.”
"Dad, do you know people at the research institute?"
“That’s right, hahaha…” Mr. Cheng said proudly, “His surname is Wang, and three generations of his family have been researchers. That’s amazing. Even if you don’t directly work in scientific research, it’s always good to know more people.”
With that said, Cheng Ran agreed. Jiang Wanqing calmly ate her food without interrupting. In the Cheng family, she maintained a habit of not speaking unless necessary, since she would leave after finishing her meal anyway.
As for the Cheng family's connections, that's even less relevant to her.
"Speaking of research institutes, if Wanqing had relied on Professor Xue's connections after graduation, she could have gotten a government job there. But she insisted on starting her own factory, which was tiring and kept her away from home. She really had to endure hardship without a reason."
When the topic came up, Cheng's mother steered the conversation toward Jiang Wanqing again. After finishing the last bite of vegetables, Jiang Wanqing wiped her hands with a handkerchief and chuckled softly.
"Now everyone is advocating stepping out of your comfort zone, and scientific research is my comfort zone. Are you saying this because you look down on my abilities, or do you think Professor Xue is blind?"
"you……"
"Mom, why don't you talk less? Do you have to find something to make you unhappy to feel comfortable?" Cheng Ran said unhappily.
After saying that, he got up, picked up his daughter, and the family of three prepared to go home.
"We've eaten, we've celebrated, and there's nothing else, so we're leaving. If you want to say anything nonsensical again, don't call us back."
Some things, when said by his son, are more damaging than when said by his daughter-in-law, Jiang Wanqing. That's why Cheng's mother didn't dare to utter a single word, only muttering under her breath.
"Who am I doing all this for? They're all so disheartening..."
Pretending not to hear, the couple left with their child. The Cheng family was a place with a lot of history, and there was always something new to discover every time they came. Only Jiang Wanqing's strong will and Cheng Ran's protection allowed her to escape unscathed from those two old men.
"From now on, don't come to my parents' place unless absolutely necessary. If they say anything unpleasant, tell me."
"I know, I'm fine. It's just that they're getting old. If they get stuck on something and get upset, you, as their son, have to be careful."
She patted his shoulder, half-smiling and half-talking, clearly not taking Cheng's mother's underhanded tricks to heart.
He took her hand, a slight smile playing on his lips: "I'll do whatever you say. Let's go home."
...
Two days later, Cheng Ran went to the research institute to report for duty. There were many female colleagues there, and he attracted most of their attention as soon as he entered.
The guide who showed him around the environment introduced everything to him.
“Cheng, this area is our usual office area, that's the laboratory, and the other side is the meeting room... Because there are too many people, I won't call everyone by name one by one. I'll just introduce you to everyone directly, and we can get to know each other gradually later.”
As he spoke, the guide clapped his hands, signaling everyone to stop what they were doing.
"Everyone, please be quiet. This is Comrade Cheng Ran, our newest colleague. I'm sure you've all read the documents that came down from above. He's a living hero. Let's all learn from him in spirit and continue to strive for excellence in our work. Come on, let's give him a warm welcome!"
Thunderous applause erupted, and Cheng Ran instantly became the center of attention. Whispers began to circulate as the women listened and discussed, their eyes all fixed on him.
"He's so upright, no wonder he came from the military."
"Yeah, he's really handsome. It's a pity he's already married and has kids, otherwise so many women would fight tooth and nail for him."
"I heard that his wife was a student of Professor Xue from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the kind of person who even impressed the great Professor Lin. She almost came to our institute back then."
"Really? That's amazing?"
Just then, an untimely, sarcastic voice cut in.
"What's so great about him? If he were truly capable, would he be a lowly businessman? It's all just bragging!"
“Hey, Comrade Wang, you can’t say that. Professor Xue’s choice of people can’t be fake.”
"Hmph, that's not necessarily true."
As they were talking, the woman surnamed Wang straightened her braids and clothes, adjusted her expression, walked up to Cheng Ran, and took the initiative to extend her hand.
"Hello Comrade Cheng, my name is Wang Yan. My father is Wang Duo. He said that the son of an old friend would be coming to take office. You must be the one. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Wang Yan's father is a leader at the research institute. Even though people despise her behavior, they don't dare to say anything to her face. They can only wink and whisper behind her back.
"Hello." Cheng Ran nodded in response to her greeting, but did not shake her hand.
She awkwardly withdrew her hand, and upon hearing someone laugh behind her, she immediately turned around and glared at them.
By the time she turned around to say something to Cheng Ran, he had already followed the guide to visit other places.
"What are you looking at! Get back to work!"
She was naturally annoyed by being treated coldly, so she took her anger out on people she didn't want to be involved with.
After touring the entire research institute, Cheng Ran was seated in a private office.
"Oh, by the way, Comrade Cheng Ran, considering that you're new to the institute and might not be very familiar with our situation yet, we're planning to assign you a temporary assistant before you get fully up and running. Would you like that?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ran thought about it seriously. He was indeed unfamiliar with the work here, so having an assistant would be helpful.
He nodded in agreement: "If it's not too much trouble, please arrange one for me."
"No trouble at all. We'll bring the person over to you as soon as we've finalized the selection in the next day or two at the earliest."
"Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome. There's one more thing... My colleagues and I are planning to go out for an activity in a few days. Would you like to join us? It would be good for everyone to get to know each other."
These things don't happen in the army. Comrades eat and live together, and you get to know each other in three to five days. But here...
While he was hesitating, the guide said, "You can bring your family members."
He raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Then I'll think about it."
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