Chapter 38 Lin Jixin! Are you trying to sell your daughter...?
When Xia Mo asked Tang Ran for the address, Tang Ran inexplicably said Shengming Mansion instead of the home she had been staying at for the past few days.
'We've reached the nineteenth floor.'
As the electronic announcement sounded, Song Zhixu slowly stepped out of the elevator.
As she pressed her finger on the door lock, she turned to look at the door across the street.
Ding-a-ling.
As the electronic unlocking sound faded, Song Zhixu calmly withdrew his gaze and pushed open the door to enter the house.
The night breeze lifted the sheer curtains, casting a warm yellow glow on the balcony floor—the light filtering in from next door.
Song Zhixu paused in her grip on her high heels, then picked up her phone from the entryway and unlocked it with a light swipe.
next door.
Tang Ran held her phone horizontally, her thumb rapidly tapping the screen. The monster opposite her only had 5% health left; one more ultimate move would be enough to KO it.
Move your finger toward the power button.
A message pops up on the screen.
Sister Song: [It's still early, would you like to look at the presentation slides?]
Tang Ran was momentarily stunned when a monster roared from the screen.
The next instant, the game interface turned dark red.
You died.
Tang Ran gritted her teeth.
Song, Zhi, Xu.
Tang Ran threw her phone aside and jumped off the sofa, walking barefoot towards the door.
Pull the door open forcefully.
A strong night wind swept through the corridor, hitting Tang Ran in the face and making her shiver.
She flinched, then slammed the door shut.
Tang Ran ran back to the sofa, picked up her phone, and typed out a line of text.
Feeling unsatisfied after posting, she deleted the words "Sister Song".
Re-enter the note: next-door neighbor.
1901.
Song Zhixu grabbed the invisible buckle behind her back and pulled it down.
The beige long skirt draped naturally to both sides, revealing her flawless, snow-white skin and the curve of her back that swayed in a sexy arc.
The phone on the sink lit up briefly.
Slowly bending down to take off her long skirt, Song Zhixu picked up her phone.
The vanity light emitted a soft, warm glow.
In the mirror, Wen Wan's face was lowered, her gaze lightly fixed on her phone. When she saw the message, a faint smile spread across her lips.
The little guy who bites: [Sorry, Ms. Song, I'm busy tonight.]
After sending the message, Tang Ran immediately turned on Do Not Disturb and rejoined the battle.
Equipped with new gear, they launched a fierce attack and KO'd the big monster from before.
Tang Ran glanced at the time.
Less than half an hour later.
My finger involuntarily swiped across the game screen.
The green bubble has a red warning sign.
Tang Ran clicked on it directly.
The first row shows 99+ message notifications, indicating that Xia Xin'er has created a small group chat.
Below is a dialog box without the red indicator; it still displays the message I sent: 【Excuse me, Ms. Song, today…】
Tang Ran lowered her eyelids and swiped away the green bubble, returning to the game interface.
My finger paused for a moment on the "Continue Game" button.
Suddenly I lost interest.
She tossed her phone aside and went to the bathroom.
The sun had just risen when the cicadas in the trees began chirping incessantly; it was another sunny day.
Tang Ran was in a very bad mood.
I noticed a pimple on my forehead when I looked in the mirror.
I applied a soothing gel and then foundation to completely cover the red marks before I was finally satisfied.
I heated up a sandwich and milk for breakfast.
My phone beeped once.
Next-door neighbor: [Image]
Tang Ran raised an eyebrow.
I took a sip of milk, and the sweet milky aroma spread between my lips and teeth.
My mood instantly improved.
With her neck slightly tilted back, Song Zhixu casually opened the app, and her second message came in.
Neighbor: [Ms. Tang, the sunflowers need watering.]
The colorful flower buds were slightly curled and wilted.
Tang Ran put down the sandwich she hadn't finished eating, hurriedly jumped off the bar stool, and ran to the balcony.
She last watered the plants before she went on a business trip, which was more than ten days ago.
The soil in the flowerpot has dried out, so it's no wonder the flower is wilting.
The phone rang again.
The neighbor next door said: "Just water it thoroughly."
Tang Ran quickly followed the instructions in the message, went back into the house, filled a whole kettle with water, and watered the sunflowers.
They only stopped when they saw water overflowing from the drip tray.
Tang Ran touched the little flowers apologetically, then suddenly paused.
She bit her lip, looking at the balcony next door with some resentment.
The walls are covered with colorful flowers, a feast for the eyes.
But their owner was nowhere to be seen.
Tang Ran's puffed-up face immediately deflated.
When Tang Ran got off work, her driver picked her up and asked if she was going home or to her apartment. Tang Ran bit her cheek and said she was going back to Shengming Mansion.
After dinner, Tang Ran received another message from Song Zhixu.
Next-door neighbor: [It's still early, want to look at the presentation slides?]
The ten characters are exactly the same, with no change even in the punctuation.
Oh!
Tang Ran scoffed.
Swipe up to find the message sent yesterday, tap copy, paste it into the chat box, and send.
I'm sorry, Ms. Song, I'm not free tonight.
The same conversation repeated itself over the next two days.
I go to work on Thursday.
Tang Ran bumped into President Yu, who looked displeased, in the elevator.
Having a general idea in mind, Tang Ran took the initiative to ask, "What's wrong?"
There were only the two of them in the elevator. President Yu didn't hide anything and sighed, saying, "Taiwo has changed to open bidding."
The Song family and Taiwo were about to sign a preliminary cooperation agreement, but now it has suddenly been changed to a public tender, which must mean that other competing companies have emerged.
Upon hearing this news, Tang Ran knew that her provocation at 'Crane' that day had worked.
Sun Jiaojiao is really quick.
Unable to steal Song Wuqi away, they could only vent their anger on the issue of stealing clients.
Sure enough, the next moment we heard General Manager Yu say, "I made some inquiries, and Sheng Tang's price is four percentage points lower than ours."
The typical profit margin for food processing is 10-15%, but in order to cooperate with a major brand like Taiwo, Tangshi has reduced its profit margin to around 8%.
Sheng Tang immediately conceded four percentage points, showing its determination to snatch this major client away with a low price.
If the Tang family wants to secure the partnership, they have no choice but to push the price down further.
Taiwo has demanding requirements and long payment terms. If you only make a 2-3% profit, it's like you're processing for them for free.
"You have their prices?" Tang Ran asked in surprise.
The fact that Ms. Yu knew Sheng Tang's price quote means that she also had someone planted in Sheng Tang.
"Use their own methods against them," President Yu sneered.
Having lost several clients in a row, coupled with the bidding for the convention center, Mr. Yu had been holding a grudge.
Having been in the business world for so many years, she's not incapable of using underhanded tactics, but simply doesn't like to.
Tang Ran gave her a thumbs up.
"The profit margin is too low," Mr. Yu sighed heavily again.
Even if the deal is finalized, it will still feel frustrating to actually do it.
Tang Ran said, "This kind of cooperation will be thankless and exhausting."
Mr. Yu understood her meaning, but hesitated, "Just give up?"
Although the profit margin is low, the endorsement from Taiwo can add a touch of glamour to Tang's brand.
"Not really." Tang Ran shook her head and smiled.
She didn't want to take the fall for Taiwo, but she couldn't let Sun Jiaojiao take it comfortably either.
Mr. Yu was puzzled. How could the young lady still be smiling after losing such a big client?
Tang Ran explained, "Even if we fail, we can't let Sheng Tang get too cocky."
Mr. Yu understands.
Her furrowed brows relaxed, and she said with a cold laugh, "It's time to put our mole to use."
After speaking, she hesitated for a moment, feeling that it was still necessary to report this matter to President Lin. "I still need to discuss it with President Lin."
Friday.
Tang Ran suddenly received a call from her mother, Lin Jixin.
She and Tang Wanru have returned to China, but a small accident happened on the way.
Tang Wanru suddenly fainted on her way home from the airport.
Upon hearing the news, Tang Ran's heart skipped a beat.
In her previous life, Tang Wanru was so heartbroken that she suffered a sudden heart attack and was involved in a car accident.
I rushed to the hospital in a panic.
The moment Tang Ran saw Tang Wanru, her eyes welled up with tears.
Tang Wanru sat up from the hospital bed and pulled her over with heartache.
"Don't worry, little one, Mommy's fine. I'm just a little tired from the multiple layovers."
Tang Ran sniffed and hugged Tang Wanru tightly.
Aside from worrying about Tang Wanru's health, Tang Ran's tears were mostly tears of joy.
In her previous life, she dreamed of Tang Wanru countless times, but whenever she opened her eyes, she was all alone again.
She prayed repeatedly in her heart, hoping that her mothers could come back.
Perhaps heaven heard her heartfelt wish and gave her the chance to embrace them again.
The body she was holding was warm and soft, and there was a reassuring beating sound in her chest.
Tang Ran's tears flowed like a burst dam, and she could no longer hold them back.
"Don't cry, don't cry. It's Mommy's fault for making you worry," Tang Wanru said softly, patting her back.
Tang Ran tried hard to suppress the sobs in her throat, but tears still uncontrollably overflowed from her eyes.
"Tell Mommy, little one, has something wronged you?" Tang Wanru stroked her back.
Tang Ran was very prone to crying when she was little, but her daughter has always been independent and strong and has never cried.
"No." Tang Ran sniffed and shook her head. "I just miss Mommy so much."
"You're so old and you still cry so easily." Tang Wanru patted her head affectionately.
Seeing her daughter crying so sadly, Tang Wanru asked tentatively, "How have things been between you and Xiao Qi lately?"
She always thought the two children had a good relationship.
But looking at his daughter, it seemed that wasn't the case.
"It's alright."
She already has evidence of Song Wuqi's infidelity, but she hasn't decided how to expose it yet.
The idea of being reborn is too unbelievable.
Tang Wanru was in poor health, and Tang Ran didn't want to tell her about these things and make her worry.
"Did you two have a fight?" Tang Wanru pulled her hand.
Tang Ran shook her head and frowned, as if she were throwing a tantrum.
"I just feel like she doesn't really like me that much."
Song Wuqi not only disliked her, she even felt that Song Wuqi hated her.
Song Zhixu's words that day also enlightened her.
A 5% stake is insignificant and not worth Song Wuqi's elaborate schemes to marry her.
These days she has been trying hard to recall everything she can remember.
She discovered that, besides the shares, Song Wuqi had received something else from her.
harm.
The harm that Song Wuqi caused her.
The Tang family went bankrupt, leaving her family destitute and isolated.
Looking at the starting point from the perspective of the outcome, Tang Ran recalled many details that she had overlooked.
She didn't want to go to work, but Song Wuqi indulged her, telling her that Mrs. Song didn't need to work and that he could support her.
Song Wuqi had a falling out with two friends in the group chat, and Tang Ran reduced their contact with them to be considerate of Song Wuqi's feelings.
All these things subtly and gradually reduced her social circle.
When the unexpected finally happened, she was like an isolated, domesticated animal, powerless to resist and at the mercy of others.
Having figured all of this out, there was one thing Tang Ran just couldn't understand.
Why would Song Wuqi do this?
They didn't have much contact before they started dating, and even less so after they got married. She never did anything to hurt Song Wuqi.
Tang Ran couldn't find any reason why Song Wuqi would hate her to the point of ruin and death.
Tang Wanru sat up straight, carefully observed her daughter's expression, and asked gently, "Why would you think that, Nannan?"
Tang Ran's sobs were filled with intense grievance and sorrow.
She knows her daughter very well.
Tang Ran is not the kind of sensitive person who would worry about gains and losses.
She can be a little spoiled and capricious over small things, but when it comes to big things, she is very patient and will not complain to you if you are upset or wronged.
"I think she's just throwing a tantrum."
Lin Jixin walked in at this moment, holding the hospital's examination report in her hand, and gave Tang Ran a reproachful look with a smile.
"Mom," Tang Ran said, wrapping her arms around her and acting coquettishly.
Having just cried, she was much calmer when she saw Lin Jixin again.
Lin Jixin placed the report on the cabinet, sat down on the edge of the bed, and looked tenderly at his wife.
"The doctor said you have low blood sugar. It's all my fault for booking such a full schedule and making you suffer."
As she spoke, she reached out to take Tang Wanru's hand.
Tang Wanru leaned back, seemingly naturally missing her movement.
Tang Ran keenly noticed this scene and was surprised.
In her memory, the two mothers had always had a good relationship, but Tang Wanru's actions just now showed a clear resistance to Lin Jixin.
Lin Jixin's expression didn't change. She turned her head and continued what she had been saying to Tang Ran, "Are you unhappy because Xiao Qi has been busy with work lately and hasn't had time to spend with you?"
Song Zhixu was unmarried, and Old Master Song intended to cultivate Song Wuqi.
It is highly likely that Song Wuqi will succeed Song Zhixu.
Lin Jixin has high hopes for this future daughter-in-law.
"What are you saying? Nannan isn't the type to make a fuss over nothing," Tang Wanru said, displeased with Lin Jixin's words.
"I just hope the two kids get along well, and I'm afraid Ranran might misunderstand Xiaoqi," Lin Jixin explained with a smile.
"You don't know what happened, so how do you know it's a misunderstanding? Maybe Xiaoqi was just mean to Nannan?" Tang Wanru retorted, dissatisfied.
"Okay, okay, I was wrong." Lin Jixin raised her hands in surrender.
Tang Wanru took Tang Ran's arm, her expression serious, "If Xiao Qi treats you badly, Nannan, don't wrong yourself."
"What are you doing...?"
Lin Jixin frowned in disagreement, but Tang Wanru stopped her with a look.
"Um."
Upon hearing Tang Wanru's words, Tang Ran's throat tightened again.
Although she didn't say it explicitly, Tang Wanru's meaning was very clear.
She would support Tang Ran, and even if Tang Ran wanted to separate from Song Wuqi, she would agree without hesitation.
Tang Ran got out of Tang Wanru's arms, not wanting to continue the previous topic.
"Mommy, aren't you coming back next week?"
Tang Wanru's recuperation treatment just ended last week, and she should rest for another half month before returning to China.
"It's all because of you."
Tang Wanru was about to speak when Lin Jixin interrupted her.
"My business?"
Tang Ran's first thought was whether something was wrong with the company.
"What a scatterbrain! She doesn't even care about such an important matter. How will she manage the company in the future?" Lin Jixin looked at her daughter with affection.
Tang Ran was completely confused.
Tang Wanru observed her reaction and made a plan in her mind.
She held her daughter's hand and said softly, "Darling, Aunt Jiang told me that the Song family is planning to get you and Xiaoqi engaged. What do you think?"
After learning that the Song family was planning an engagement, they changed their plane tickets and flew back from abroad ahead of schedule.
In Jiangcheng, engagements are traditionally very grand.
We need to choose an auspicious day to exchange wedding gifts, send wedding cakes to relatives and friends, and hold an engagement banquet.
You should prepare at least a month in advance.
Tang Ran felt a pang of panic.
The last time Song Wuqi asked about it, she said she would ask her mother first.
Tang Ran didn't want to get engaged to Song Wuqi, and she didn't even mention it to Tang Wanru.
Unexpectedly, Song Wuqi didn't wait for her reply and directly had Aunt Jiang make the call.
"What could she possibly be thinking? Ranran probably wants to finalize the wedding arrangements right away," Lin Jixin replied with a smile.
"Mom~" Tang Ran called out reproachfully, "I think Mom and Mommy are the ones who can't wait for me to get married, so they don't want me to be a third wheel at home."
"Mommy doesn't want you to get married so early." Tang Wanru pinched her cheek.
"Then let's postpone the engagement."
She tugged at Tang Wanru's arm and pleaded, offering a plausible excuse: "It's so hot in the summer, and we can't hold the ceremony in a beautiful castle garden. I don't want to get engaged at this time."
She should still delay it until she finds a way to expose Song Wuqi and Ye Xiaoyu beforehand.
There's no need to discuss engagement anymore.
Tang Wanru secretly observed her daughter's expression. "Okay, let's talk about it again in a few months."
Lin Jixin was about to say something when Tang Wanru glared at her and shut her up.
"Just spoil her." Lin Jixin smiled and shook her head.
After confirming that Tang Wanru was alright, they went home.
Having not eaten with her two mothers for a long time, Tang Ran ate a bit too much that night and didn't finish digesting it until late into the night.
Too full to sleep, Tang Ran went downstairs to find a digestive aid tablet.
"Ranran her..."
As she passed by her mothers' rooms, she thought she heard her own name.
She quietly took two steps back and pressed her ear against the door.
"I don't care." It was Tang Wanru's voice.
She deliberately lowered her voice, "If Nannan doesn't want to be with Xiaoqi, you're not allowed to force her."
“I didn’t mean to force her, but I’ve already told you about the company. If we fall out with the Song family, the cooperation will definitely be affected, and all the company’s initial investments will be wasted.”
"Lin Jixin! Are you trying to sell your daughter?" Tang Wanru raised her voice.
"No, keep your voice down, don't let Ranran hear you."
“That’s not what I meant. I’m just doing this as a precaution. You know the company’s situation. National policies are tightening, and the second batch of bank loans hasn’t been approved yet. I was planning to discuss with the Song family about borrowing some working capital. If the two kids really go through with this, how can we even ask them for help?”
“That still means selling my daughter, and I absolutely disagree!” Tang Wanru lowered her voice considerably.
“Before your father passed away, he specifically told you not to be reckless. He had only been gone for a few months, and you signed such a big project. I tried to persuade you, but you insisted on taking a gamble. If it weren’t for the central kitchen project, things wouldn’t be like this today.”
"What's the point of saying this now? I had no idea it would turn out like this."
“If the loan isn’t approved, we’ll sell off our assets,” Tang Wanru said.
"Both the housing market and the stock market are in a slump; there's no way to just cash out immediately."
"Then let's sell the jewelry. We can't let Nannan suffer any injustice."
"Sigh, if you want to sell quickly, you can only do so at a low price, and you can only raise a few dollars. But what will others think if they find out? Won't they all think that Tang's is going bankrupt? How can you do business in the future? Not to mention, Sheng Tang will definitely come and kick you when you're down."
"This won't work, that won't work, you just want to sell your daughter, right!"
"Don't worry, let me think of another way."
Hearing what the two mothers said, Tang Ran was so shocked that she couldn't come to her senses for a long time.
It turns out that the Tang family's loan didn't run into problems until the last installment two years later.
The problem arose in the second phase.
In her previous life, she had never heard of it at all.
The sudden bad news threw Tang Ran into a panic.
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