Chapter 110: Atonement
Zhou Xiaomeng didn't come to work, probably too embarrassed to step into the company again - being beaten like that was a big loss. How did she "escape" yesterday without anyone noticing?
Early in the morning, the design department was so quiet that it seemed as if everyone had collectively participated in a "Whoever speaks first is a puppy" competition. As soon as they arrived at the company, they buried their heads in work, pretending to be a diligent mushroom.
The morning meeting went on as usual.
This time, the company's chairman Chen Ran not only attended the meeting, but also delivered an extremely harsh speech.
He sat at the head of the conference table, his eyes as sharp as a knife, slowly sweeping over every design department employee present. His gaze seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts, and his tone was filled with undisguised seriousness.
"Recently, the management of the design department has been incredibly lax in my opinion! Not only are the submitted designs plagiarized, but the design concepts are outdated and rigid, lacking any originality. Furthermore, some employees have no sense of responsibility and treat serious work as a joke!"
As soon as the words fell, the conference room fell silent, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running, as if it was also silently eating melon.
The employees lowered their heads, not daring to meet Chen Ran's gaze. They all put on a show of acting, pretending to be "emoticons seriously reflecting on themselves."
Chen Ran was silent for a few seconds, his gaze finally fixed on Lan Ting, the Director of the Design Department. His tone didn't soften at all, and he still spoke with unquestionable authority: "Director Lan, as the person in charge, you are to blame for the current state of department management. This month, your salary will be deducted by 20%. I hope you will learn from this and quickly rectify the department's work status and achieve the expected results."
Lan Ting's hand on the pen suddenly paused, the tip of the pen leaving a sharp scratch on the notebook. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face, and her ears flushed slightly, but she quickly adjusted her expression and nodded. "Yes, Director Chen, I will reflect deeply and implement the rectification as soon as possible. I will never let the company down."
After the meeting, the employees breathed a sigh of relief and walked out of the meeting room in quick succession. They were all curious as to why the chairman, who had never been very strict, suddenly became so serious about the design department.
Back at the hospital, Su Nian was feeling much better today. The bleeding had stopped, and the abdominal pain and discomfort had eased considerably. She had finally finished filming her role as the "tragic heroine" and had successfully received the script for "restful pregnancy."
Fortunately, Si Yan brought her a pen and manuscript paper yesterday. She leaned against the head of the bed, occasionally sketching a few design sketches, and successfully turned the ward into a "studio where she can do art while lying down."
Near noon, Su Hong was pouring warm water into her daughter's thermos when the ward door creaked open. Looking up, she saw her in-law, Zhang Minghua, hurried in, carrying a thermos lunch box.
"The in-laws are here? Come and sit down." Su Hong quickly put down her cup and went to greet them.
"How's Nian Nian?" Zhang Minghua had just placed the lunch box on the coffee table when he hurried to the bedside, his tone filled with anxiety. "Such a serious incident happened, and Ah Yan didn't even tell me a word! If I hadn't run into Aunt Liu this morning, I'd still be in the dark. My dear in-laws, you've worked so hard. I'm here to take over!"
Zhang Minghua sat down on a chair beside the bed. Without saying anything, she lifted Su Nian's wrist and took her pulse with her fingertips. Her face was as serious as that of an imperial physician. "Don't move. Mom will take your pulse. Don't worry."
Su Nian couldn't refuse, so she obediently followed her movements and raised her hand, muttering softly: "Mom, Si Yan checked it yesterday and said it was fine..."
Zhang Minghua concentrated and calmed his mind, feeling the beating of his pulse with his fingertips. After a moment, he let go of his hand, frowning slightly, his eyes full of pity.
"Your pulse is somewhat stable, but your foundation is still very weak. You're just about to enter the second trimester, a crucial time for the fetus to take root and stabilize. It's like a newly grown melon on a vine, which can't withstand the slightest external impact. You've been injured this time, so you need to take good care of yourself for a while. You can't be careless at all!"
Listening to her mother-in-law's concern, which hit the funny spots and key points in every sentence, Su Nian couldn't help but laugh, and her body relaxed. "Mom, I'll do whatever you say. Yesterday, Si Yan even brought me a pen and manuscript paper. He was worried that I would be bored staying in the ward, so he asked me to draw some diagrams occasionally to relieve my boredom."
"Well, no matter how stuffy I am, I can't mess around." Zhang Minghua said, opening the insulated lunch box he brought with him. A light aroma of rice mixed with the aroma of eggs instantly wafted out - there was a bowl of thick millet porridge in it, accompanied by a plate of tender stir-fried seasonal vegetables and a steamed egg sprinkled with chopped wolfberries.
"The chicken soup is still simmering at home. I'll bring it to you tonight. This steamed egg has wolfberries in it, which is a gentle way to replenish qi and blood. Eat it while it's hot."
Su Hong watched from the side with a gratified smile on her face. She took the lunch box and placed it on the small table in front of Su Nian: "Your mother-in-law is thoughtful. Come and try it."
Su Nian picked up a spoon and scooped a spoonful of millet porridge into her mouth. The porridge was soft and glutinous, melting in her mouth. The warm feeling slid down her throat into her stomach, making her close her eyes slightly. She looked up at Zhang Minghua, her eyes full of gratitude: "Mom, this porridge is delicious."
"If it tastes good, eat more." Zhang Minghua's brows relaxed a little as he watched her eat sweetly.
Then, she turned around and issued a mandatory rest order to Su Hong, "My dear, go back and rest this afternoon, and leave this to me! Let Ah Yan take over the shift in the evening. We will implement a three-shift system and will not tire any mother out!"
Su Hong quickly waved her hands and declined with a smile: "No, no, my tailor shop just hired a young girl a few days ago. Now she has someone to help her, so it won't delay things. Besides, the people who come to make clothes are all old acquaintances. If I tell them to delay it for a few days, everyone will understand."
"That won't work either." Zhang Minghua said firmly, "Niannian is my daughter-in-law. It's my job to take care of her. Listen to me and go back to rest this afternoon."
As they were talking, the door to the ward was pushed open again, and Si Yan walked in with a briefcase. Seeing Zhang Minghua there, he was obviously stunned for a moment, then quickly walked to the bedside and asked, "Mom, why are you here?"
"If I don't come, am I waiting for you to tell me?" Zhang Minghua glared at him, his tone filled with dissatisfaction and unconcealed heartache. "Something happened yesterday, and you didn't even call us! If Aunt Liu hadn't told me today, I wouldn't have known that my daughter-in-law was suffering in the hospital."
Si Yan knew his mother was genuinely worried about Su Nian, so he didn't dare to argue. He just quickly walked to the bedside, his eyes fell on Su Nian's face, and his voice softened: "How are you feeling today? Are you feeling unwell?"
Su Nian shook his head, "No."
Si Yan followed her gaze to the lunch box on the small table, then glanced at Zhang Minghua without saying a word.
"You must take good care of your wife in the future. If you let her suffer any injustice again - no matter what the reason is, I will not forgive you." Zhang Minghua snorted, with obvious double entendre in his words, obviously alluding to the previous incident between him and his junior sister.
Si Yan met his mother's warning gaze and nodded.
The final personnel arrangement was that both mothers went home to rest. Si Yan adjusted his classes with his colleagues, and he stayed in the hospital to take care of Su Nian for the next few days, officially starting the "accompanying mode."
Zhang Minghua thought that this was a good thing, as his son could take this opportunity to atone for his sins in front of his wife.
When it comes to her son and daughter-in-law's family affairs, she and Si Guoqing only express their stance, grasp the general direction, and never interfere easily - unless they make trouble again.
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