Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Update
When Lin Wan heard the man mention the words of their first kiss, she became dazed. When she came back to her senses, Fu Xiuhuai had already lowered his head and approached, only a few inches away from her.
Their lips seemed to be touching, their breaths were already entangled, until suddenly there was the startling sound of a car passing by the door of the villa.
The car lights swept ahead, not far from Fu Xiuhuai's Santana, startling Lin Wan so much that she pushed the man away.
Perhaps it was the allure of the night, or perhaps it was the man's eyes that made it difficult to struggle, but Lin Wan regretted not pushing him away immediately and almost got embarrassed outside when a red Xiali taxi passed by.
Someone came back in a taxi late at night, and the person who got off was none other than Fu Mingjun.
Fu Mingjun paid the fare and turned to head towards the gate of the Fu family villa. Lin Wan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his figure disappear.
For some reason, I feel guilty at this moment, my heart is beating fast and out of control.
However, Lin Wan's heart, which had just settled down, suddenly jumped up when she saw Fu Mingjun turning and walking towards the parking space.
The sky was dark, with thick ink covering the horizon. Fu Xiuhuai had already turned off the car, so people outside probably couldn't see what was happening inside the car.
Lin Wan was still a little nervous. Even though she hadn't done anything, she felt guilty and could only clench her fists tightly...
In the darkness, Lin Wan felt her hand being caressed by the man's broad palm. She loosened her fingers little by little and held it tightly with his, their palms touching, a transmission and blending of each other's unfamiliar warmth.
Lin Wan didn't move at all, just staring at the black figure of Fu Mingjun in front of her. She saw that he just looked at the parking space curiously for a few times, didn't see anything, and then turned and left.
After a while, the villa door opened and closed with a pleasant sound.
call...
Lin Wan breathed a sigh of relief, but she heard a man's chuckle in her ears.
"Wanwan, we are legal." Fu Xiuhuai held her hand and gently stroked the back of her hand. "It doesn't matter if he sees it."
Lin Wan cursed Fu Xiuhuai in her heart. Who said it was okay to be seen? It was so embarrassing.
After this interruption, Lin Wan had a completely different understanding of Fu Xiuhuai. She vaguely felt that this man was not just considerate and thoughtful as he had been in the past two months. Behind that appearance, there seemed to be a more real him.
However, after this day, Lin Wan was surprised to find that Fu Xiuhuai had changed a little.
Every morning before going to work, there is always a kiss on my forehead.
At this time, Lin Wan was either sleeping in a daze and unclear about her consciousness, or she was already awake. Even if she subconsciously wanted to hide and stubbornly covered her forehead with the back of her hand, the man would kiss her palm, and she would shrink her hand back because of the heat.
Fu Xiuhuai said in a very high-sounding manner: "Wanwan, since you have forgotten a lot of things and said that we are not familiar with each other, then we really need to cultivate our relationship more."
For the first time, Lin Wan felt that this mature and steady boss was a bit shameless.
In December, Lin Wan was already 29 weeks pregnant, and her belly became more and more obvious. Fortunately, the baby in her belly was not very noisy, and overall it did not torture Lin Wan too much.
Fortunately, it is early winter, and clothes are looser, so Lin Wan is more careful when traveling.
During this period, Fu Xiuhuai drove Lin Wan to the garment factory every morning before going out, and no longer let her ride a bike or take a taxi. Seeing that her belly was getting bigger and bigger, Lin Wan did not refuse, anyway, she didn't want to make herself too uncomfortable.
After just a few trips back and forth, Fu Mingjun seized the opportunity and wanted to get in the car as well. He tried to force his way in by opening the door and getting in, which gave Lin Wan a headache.
"Uncle, what's wrong? We are going to the same company, but you can't even take a ride?" Fu Mingjun's eyes lingered between the driver's seat and the co-pilot's seat.
In Lin Wan's memory, the uncle Fu Xiuhuai, who always existed in Fu Mingjun's words and tolerated and indulged his nephew, now ruthlessly locked the car door, started the car and drove away, saying only: "Take the bus by yourself. You have never suffered hardship, but you only know how to enjoy happiness."
Fu Mingjun really didn't expect his uncle to be so ruthless. At least he should put on some effort on the surface!
Lin Wan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was also surprised. No matter what, she thought Fu Xiuhuai would at least maintain appearances and pretend to let Fu Mingjun get in the car.
Noticing Lin Wan's frequent inquiring glances, Fu Xiuhuai calmly explained, "We can't give him the chance to push his luck. Otherwise, he might just be trying to get a ride this time, but who knows what he'll do next time."
Lin Wan: “…”
This man is really cruel to his nephew.
The construction of Xitian Commercial Building, the tallest building in Jiangcheng that Fu Xiuhuai successfully bid for, has started. It covers an area of 12 acres and is planned to be 15 stories high. It will become the most representative building in Jiangcheng and a symbol of Jiangcheng's vigorous development.
Fu Xiuhuai, who needs to be in charge of the overall situation, is quite busy. He keeps a close eye on every link and makes overall plans. He doesn't have much time to pick up Lin Wan after get off work.
To this end, Fu Xiuhuai rented a red taxi and picked up people at the entrance of the garment factory at five o'clock every day, for a monthly fee.
This was the first time Lin Wan had heard of such an arrangement. She thought to herself that rich people always find places to spend money lavishly. But when the weather turned cold in early winter, she could sit in the spacious Xiali and go home without the inconvenience of either squeezing into a bus or riding a bicycle carefully on the slippery road. Lin Wan couldn't help but feel a little emotional. It was indeed much more comfortable.
For this reason, Lin Wan secretly blamed herself in her heart, thinking that she was almost being corrupted by petty bourgeoisie.
Despite the insults, Lin Wan still didn't refuse.
I don’t know why, but when the taxi driver who came to pick her up from get off work every day mentioned that she was one of the only three female drivers in Jiangcheng, Lin Wan suddenly had an idea.
Fu Xiuhuai looks for a driver to take him home every day, and he happens to find a female driver. Is it intentional or accidental?
"Sister Li." Lin Wan had been riding in Li Mei's taxi for a week, and the two had become quite familiar with each other. She was curious to learn that Li Mei, then in her thirties, had encountered many obstacles when learning to drive. "What made you want to learn to drive?"
Li Mei steered the wheel skillfully, becoming excited whenever she mentioned this: "The factory I work for isn't very big, and they started having trouble paying salaries last year. With so many mouths to feed at home, I couldn't just sit there and wait. So, I applied for a position at the factory and went out on my own. My brother was a taxi driver, making decent money, so I figured I'd give it a try. At first, everyone thought I was crazy to learn how to drive, and even more crazy to want to drive a taxi. But I held my breath, and then I actually started driving."
"Sister Li, you're amazing. There aren't many people who can drive, and you can even make money driving a taxi. That's amazing."
Li Mei was especially attentive. Knowing that Lin Wan was pregnant, she paid special attention to driving slowly and determined not to dodge anyone.
Li Mei liked hearing this, and was happy no matter how hard she worked to earn money: "Your man treats you well. This is the first time I know of such a car rental service."
Lin Wan: QAQ
Sometimes when Fu Xiuhuai is busy in the morning and has no time to send Lin Wan off, he will ask Li Mei to pick her up in the morning. After all, taxi drivers are on the road to get business, so if there is a regular business, why not do it?
On the day of the construction site safety inspection, Fu Xiuhuai went out early, and Lin Wan took Li Mei's taxi to the vicinity of the garment factory. As soon as she got off the car, she saw Feng Yan from the factory office chatting and laughing with several young female employees in the factory, and distributing some papers.
After Feng Yan finished handing out the papers and walked away quickly, Lin Wan looked at Feng Yan thoughtfully as her outfit had become noticeably more fashionable in the past few months. While greeting her colleagues, Lin Wan saw clearly the papers Feng Yan had handed out to them.
It turned out to be New West’s promotional material.
English has been a hot topic in recent years, and many people want to learn English. English training classes have emerged and are very popular.
Lin Wan remembered that Feng Yan mentioned a while ago that she had signed up for New Western, but she didn't expect that she is now helping to promote it?
It would be a lie for the female workers in the garment factory who said they were not tempted when they received the flyers. After all, the American dream was being promoted everywhere, and learning English well was a big deal. However, when they saw that the registration fee was several hundred yuan, they were reluctant to spend it.
Lin Wan first came to the factory office and summarized the itinerary of the staff sent by the clothing tycoon from Hong Kong City a while ago, and heard whispers in her ears.
"Feng Yan'er, you're getting more and more powerful. What certificates have you obtained?"
"It's okay. The teacher at New Western said I've made great progress and I'll have no problem taking the TOEFL."
"Then next time foreign businessmen come, you can translate again."
"What's there to brag about when I translate for foreign companies? I don't care at all."
These words touched Fengyan's sore spot. Fengyan pursed her lips to show her attitude and then read the English newspaper aloud in the office.
Lin Wan distracted herself a little and listened for a while. She found that there had been some improvement. Her pronunciation was much more accurate and fluent. It seemed that the registration fee was worth it.
"Lin Wan, your belly is so big. Is it convenient for you to go out for research with the Hong Kong business representatives? If not, please arrange for someone else to go." Secretary Sun from Deputy Director Wang's office came over to arrange the work and felt a little embarrassed when he saw Lin Wan's pregnant belly.
Lin Wan didn't take it seriously: "Secretary Sun, this is just a brief introduction. It will definitely not affect our work, don't worry."
Lin Wan knew her own body well and was very sensible. Besides, the factory reimbursed her travel and meal expenses when she accompanied Hong Kong businessmen to conduct research in several major department stores in Jiangcheng. It was a real treat.
This time, Hong Kong City clothing tycoon Chen sent a team of two men and one woman, who were professional and thoughtful. After spending some time conducting a comprehensive investigation of the clothing factory, the three of them also proposed to understand the current clothing sales market situation in Jiangcheng.
The people from Hong Kong whom Lin Wan was responsible for receiving were now familiar with them. The four of them took a taxi to the department store and wandered around the busy clothing area, capturing all kinds of sales, and even the nearby stalls.
"Ms. Lin, your Jiangcheng's clothing market has great potential." The three people from Gangcheng didn't speak Mandarin very well, and often mixed Mandarin with Cantonese. In the entire clothing factory, only Lin Wan could understand what they meant best, and their communication was accurate and barrier-free.
Lin Wan was invited by the three of them to be a Mandarin teacher. Sometimes she would reply in Cantonese and then popularize how to say it in Mandarin.
"After the reform and opening up, those clothes have changed a lot, from black, white and gray to all kinds of colorful clothes now. In recent years, bell-bottom pants, batwing shirts and suspenders have become very popular."
He Min, the only female among the three, smiled and said, "It's no different from Hong Kong City. The two places are connected."
With the factory's reimbursement, the four of them had lunch at a rather authentic restaurant nearby. In the afternoon, when they were observing and studying the clothing of the people of Jiangcheng coming and going on the streets, Lin Wan saw another familiar face.
Feng Yan came out of the mall carrying large and small paper bags, all of which were expensive and very fashionable imported women's clothing.
Feng Yan, who had just had her hair permed into wavy curls, was wearing a red windbreaker and thin high heels, looking like an urban beauty from a TV drama.
"Is she from your factory?" He Min had met everyone in the factory office when he first arrived in Jiangcheng. He had some impression of Feng Yan, but he could not quite remember her name.
"Yes, Fengyan from our factory."
"You are dressed very fashionably. Your factory director is so modest that he thinks there is a gap between Jiangcheng and other coastal cities. I think many people in Jiangcheng are quite fashionable. The clothes produced by your garment factory cannot keep up with the styles. You really need to make some changes." He Min said whatever he wanted in front of Lin Wan without hiding anything.
Lin Wan deeply agreed. The garment factory still had old ideas and old academic ideas. The production direction had not changed, and it had not kept up with the pace of development. Now it had shown signs of falling behind. If it did not change, it would probably be completely eliminated.
They accompanied the professionals from Gangcheng out for a few days of investigation, especially on Sunday. They continued to stroll around the streets of Jiangcheng. It was a rare opportunity to come to the mainland, so everything was new to them. Secondly, they were preparing to investigate more. Later, Lin Wan did not accompany them. On Sunday, they met the eldest brother Lin Chengwei who came to Jiangcheng to visit the two sisters.
Lin Chengwei set up a stall in the town, mainly selling chickens, ducks, fish, meat and vegetables collected from the village. Although it was a bit tiring, the results were good. In the past two months, he had earned as much as he would have earned from growing grain in a year.
"I should have known I shouldn't have been so shameless. Making money is not shameful!" Lin Chengwei generously offered to treat everyone to a meal. "I used to feel embarrassed to be seen by acquaintances selling things on the street. Now, when I see acquaintances, I greet them more loudly than anyone else."
Seeing that her eldest brother was in a good mood, Lin Wan couldn't help but tease him: "Aren't you afraid that people you know will gossip about you behind your back?"
"He dares!" Lin Chengwei, tempted by the real money he could make from setting up a street stall, has changed his mindset. "I won't let go of anyone I know now. They have to buy something from me before they leave."
Lin Hong laughed happily: "You are really amazing!"
Lin Chengwei and Lin Hong each had a bottle of beer, Lin Wan drank boiled water, and the three of them clinked their glasses to celebrate.
"Life is really good now, and everyone is making money." Lin Chengwei made a profit of over 100 yuan a month, and he was very excited. He even looked forward to the future, "Once everything is settled, I will make 100 to 8000 yuan a day!"
Lin Hong laughed at him and thought he was dreaming, then turned around and remembered something: "Oh, right, I heard that you can make money in Country M. There's gold everywhere there, and you can just pick up money if you go there."
Lin Wan took a bite of the braised pork and couldn't help but wonder, "Second sister, where did you hear that?"
"I heard someone on the street promoting something like this, handing out flyers. They said if you learn English well and take the TOEFL, you can easily go to the US and make money. They say you can make thousands of dollars a month just washing dishes there. Is that true?"
Lin Wan had naturally heard many legends, and seeing that her second sister was genuinely interested, she hurriedly advised her, "Don't believe everything you hear. Country M is so far away."
In fact, leaving your hometown and going to a strange place makes people feel insecure.
Lin Chengwei found it even more outrageous: "Why? Are the dishes in Country M made of gold? If I can earn thousands just by washing dishes, I'll have to go bankrupt by washing dishes!"
There was laughter at the dinner table, and the two sisters laughed at Dawei for talking like he was bragging.
***
Lin Chengwei stayed in Jiangcheng for three days. During this time, Fu Xiuhuai, who took a break from his busy schedule, treated him to a meal. Finally, he went to the department store and bought some good things that he couldn't buy in town and took them home.
Lin Wan sent her brother to the bus station and then returned to the office to continue writing the report.
The transformation of the garment factory is imminent, but whether the leadership team can make up their minds and whether thousands of employees can accept it remains unknown.
On Friday afternoon, the factory leadership team held a meeting with the technical personnel from Gangcheng. As the matchmaker and participant of this investment, Lin Wan was invited to attend even though she was the youngest.
Feng Tianjiao was normal when she informed Lin Wan, but her expression instantly stiffened as soon as the others left.
Even the director of the factory office herself couldn't attend such a meeting, yet Lin Wan, a newcomer who had only been in the factory office for half a year, got to attend. Feng Tianjiao felt ashamed.
The other people in the factory office naturally knew how to read each other's expressions. They looked at each other and made faces to remind each other. You know what I mean by that - don't run into Director Feng's gun today.
But some people just don’t understand.
Feng Yan, who had just returned from checking the accounts at the Finance Department, heard about this and went to comfort her aunt: "Aunt, isn't it because Lin Wan brought in investment for the factory that she can go? If we can get a few million dollars in investment someday, we can go too."
Feng Tianjiao's eyes went dark, and she thought her niece was just talking in her sleep and was confused.
Millions of dollars invested, but not even a few hundred dollars.
At an important meeting at the garment factory, Lin Wan sat at the bottom of the long conference table, looking at the important people on her left and right with a shallow perspective. They were all leaders and important middle-level personnel in the factory. On each table seat was an enamel cup filled with warm water, as well as some melon seeds, peanuts and candies.
You have to know that you are not allowed to eat or drink during a factory meeting. At most, there is a cup for drinking water. This time, professional personnel from Gangcheng came to provide guidance, and someone in the factory suggested leaving a good impression, so this is the first time that food was placed on the conference table.
The melon seeds, peanuts and candies were there, but no one touched them.
When everyone heard the technicians from Hong Kong City mention the need for drastic reforms, their reactions were mixed and there were many different opinions.
Some people insist on decades of passed down technology and slowly improved styles, and should not blindly follow trends; some people think that it is right to adapt to social development and follow the popular styles outside; some people think that both sides have their reasons, like fence-sitters, unable to make up their minds.
Lin Wan mainly played the role of an observer and participant in such meetings. There were too many important figures and no one paid attention to the ideas of a young new employee. Therefore, Lin Wan sat in the corner, listening to the heated discussions of the crowd, while quietly eating melon seeds and peanuts, and occasionally having a White Rabbit milk candy, which was quite delicious.
After the meeting lasted more than three hours, Lin Wan ate half her fill and left work!
The factory leaders were undecided and didn't make a decision immediately. "Let's hold another meeting to discuss this. After all, this garment factory has been around for a long time. If we really want to make drastic changes all at once, I'm worried that taking too big a step might backfire."
The technical staff from Hong Kong City naturally understood that changes needed to be made with caution.
After the meeting, Lin Wan packed up her paper and pen and left, returning to the factory office to do some simple tidying before leaving get off work with her small leather bag.
The red Xiali that was expected to appear outside the garment factory was nowhere to be seen, and was replaced by a black Santana.
"Why are you here today?" Lin Wan got into the car, fastened her seat belt, and looked at Fu Xiuhuai in surprise.
The construction was busy. Fu Xiuhuai's construction company had three construction sites going on at the same time, among which the construction of the tallest building in Jiangcheng was the top priority. Fu Xiuhuai had no time to go home for dinner recently, let alone it was only five o'clock and he actually came to pick him up from get off work.
Fu Xiuhuai started the car: "I was discussing business nearby today, so I just happened to come over."
"Oh." Lin Wan nodded, curious about what kind of business they came to the garment factory to discuss.
On the way home, Lin Wan listened to Fu Xiuhuai's habitual talk about the day's work schedule. From time to time, he would talk about some interesting anecdotes during the construction, which made Lin Wan, who originally knew nothing about it, listen with great interest.
Ever since Lin Wan woke up and appeared at the Fu family, Fu Xiuhuai had this habit of telling Lin Wan what he did and where he went that day, as if he was reporting on his itinerary.
He was so frank that Lin Wan felt a little embarrassed. She pondered for a few seconds, biting her lips lightly, and finally, as Fu Xiuhuai finished speaking, she started talking about her work today.
"We had a meeting at our factory today. The Hong Kong business representatives advocated for drastic changes. The factory leaders and workshop directors couldn't agree on a single opinion. Some were in favor, some were against, and the debate was almost coming to a head."
Fu Xiuhuai was driving the car and quickly turned his head to look at the woman who was rarely beaming with joy: "What about you?"
"I was cracking melon seeds and eating peanuts in the corner!" Lin Wan couldn't help laughing when she thought about it now. The scene was really funny. The others were arguing so hard that their faces were red and their necks were thick. What else could she, who was the one participating, do?
"You're quite clever." Fu Xiuhuai drove into the Cuihu Villa area and told Lin Wan about the construction of the villa area along the way. "It took some effort to build the villa area. We didn't plan to preserve this lake at the beginning."
Lin Wan, who liked to take a walk by the lake after dinner, was quite surprised to hear this, and also somewhat thankful that the lake was preserved. "Then why did you change your mind later?"
"At the time, everyone said they had never seen a commercial housing complex with a lake." Fu Xiuhuai entered the industry early and was familiar with all the commercial housing in Jiangcheng. "Our commercial housing was originally modeled after the Yue City, but due to the different terrain and initial planning, we didn't consider any landscape. We just built a few houses in the commercial housing complex and planted a few trees at most. In particular, many people felt that leaving more space for housing was the right thing to do, so they proposed filling in the lake."
"Then what?" Lin Wan couldn't help but be curious. Those years of rapid development in Jiangcheng sounded very exciting.
"I'll tell you when we go out for a walk after dinner." Fu Xiuhuai parked the car in the parking space of the Fu family villa.
Lin Wan: QAQ
It's still so suspenseful.
The Cuihu Villa District covers a large area, with independent villas clustered together and surrounded by greenery, while the center is filled with rippling blue waves, which is a unique view.
The huge Green Lake divides the villa area and also adds the most gentle curve to the industrialized buildings. In the evening breeze, many residents are walking by the lake. Lin Wan, with her pregnant belly, greets Fu Xiuhuai and many neighbors.
As her belly grew bigger, Lin Wan's walking pace and posture gradually adjusted, and she even habitually supported her waist with one hand.
Lin Wan felt that her appearance was new and fresh. She looked down from time to time, looking at her bulging belly, and couldn't help touching it.
At this time, her stomach had become hard, and Lin Wan felt like a ball, which was very strange.
"Are your feet tired? Let's sit by the lake for a while." Fu Xiuhuai put one hand on Lin Wan's waist and took her to sit on a wooden chair by the lake.
The wooden chair is rectangular and wide, and is shaded by a century-old sycamore tree, making it very quiet and peaceful.
Lin Wan was still thinking about the afternoon's story and couldn't wait to ask, "You haven't told me how this lake was preserved."
Fu Xiuhuai rarely saw Lin Wan so anxious, and a smile played on his lips. "At that time, Cuihu Villa was the largest project I took on. However, I didn't have the final say in the planning and design. The government also had to approve it. Many people disagreed with keeping Cuihu, but I insisted on keeping it."
Lin Wan turned to look at Fu Xiuhuai, trying to analyze the situation from the perspective of this mature businessman: "Don't you think that the villa area is so large, but with only the white villas and shady trees, it seems a bit monotonous? After all, it is much more expensive than ordinary commercial housing, so we need to preserve something more valuable? Besides, with this lake, residents can take a walk and have more places to relax, which is great."
"That's a very humanistic analysis." Fu Xiuhuai agreed, but then changed the subject and said, "But that's not the reason."
"What is that?"
"I actually supported filling the lake at first. From a business perspective, the land after filling the lake could be used to build several more villas, which would be a huge profit from a profit perspective. But then I suddenly remembered someone once said, 'If you want to cry but have nowhere to cry, it would be better to have a lake right in front of you, so that your tears can flow into the lake and disappear, and no one will notice you're crying.' Thinking about it this way, this lake really does have a place to exist."
Lin Wan was a little surprised by the childish words. "Is it because of this? It's not in line with your style."
Fu Xiuhuai chuckled: "What's my style?"
"Mature, profit-seeking, steady, accurate, and ruthless..." Lin Wan recounted the image of his uncle that she had heard Fu Mingjun mention.
Fu Xiuhuai understood: "Mingjun said that, right? What else did he say?"
Seeing that Fu Xiuhuai didn't mind, Lin Wan didn't hide it: "They say you are very good at business, especially you never suffer losses, no one can get the advantage from you."
"That reminds me." Fu Xiuhuai said with a smile on his face, "I actually suffered a loss at the hands of someone, and I still haven't gotten it back."
"Who is it?" Lin Wan was surprised. There was someone who could make Fu Xiuhuai suffer. "How come you haven't gotten it back yet?"
"Well, it's time to get it back."
As Fu Xiuhuai finished speaking, Lin Wan felt the force of the palm pressing against her waist, and the man's cold thin lips pressed against hers.
A low, hoarse voice rang out as the man pried open her lips and tongue: "I've been holding it in for a long time."
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