Ning Yuan felt a pang of tenderness and gently placed a handkerchief into her hand: "The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold; consider this a test and trial in life."
Madam Ning clutched her handkerchief, her heart aching beyond words. If there were a roof to shelter her from the wind and rain, who would want to go through these so-called trials and tribulations? Who wouldn't want to be a flower in a greenhouse, spared from the elements?
Ning Bingyu stood to the side, looking at the shopping mall that covered more than 300 square meters, somewhat stunned.
When he came here more than half a year ago, it was just a fancy coffee shop that looked artistic or academic. Today it has become a small-scale shopping mall.
He looked at Ning Yuan thoughtfully: "Did you create this all by yourself?"
Ning Yuan smiled, a hint of pride in her voice: "Yes!"
Though small, it has all the essentials!
Ning Bingyu looked at the confident girl in front of him and said in English, "WELL-DONE!"
WELL-DONE! — Well done!
Ning Yuan was taken aback; she hadn't expected Ning Bingyu to praise her for doing a good job.
She had already witnessed his arrogance, coldness, pickiness, and scheming nature beneath his gentle and refined exterior as a top-notch business dictator.
Ning Yuan smiled slightly: "Thank you."
Given Ning Bingyu's current business standing in Asia, she could certainly feel proud and happy to receive a compliment from this business tycoon without any bias.
After saying that, she gently patted Madam Ning's hand and went up the steps to talk to Granny Xia.
Madam Ning glanced at Ning Bingyu: "It's rare that you know how to praise people."
My eldest son has exceptional business acumen. He has been calm and composed since childhood, and is handsome and refined, but he is cold-hearted and aloof, which is why his uncle chose him as the family heir.
It wasn't easy for her to get a compliment from him, and she thought he would never approve of anything Ningning did.
Ning Bingyu gently pushed up his glasses: "I always stick to the facts."
As a businessman, he naturally knew how many storms and setbacks a person had to weather to achieve such success from scratch.
This was the first time he felt that Ning Yuan was somewhat like a member of the Ning family, possessing a natural business acumen.
Madam Ning smiled helplessly and said nothing more.
Her eldest son has such a personality; over the years, he has been tempered in the battlefield of the business world, becoming cold-hearted and ruthless. He will never protect someone unless he considers them family.
Even if it were Mei-ling, his childhood sweetheart, he might not have felt much affection for her if she hadn't married him and given birth to his heir.
She believes that her eldest son will one day accept his youngest daughter as family.
Her youngest daughter, on the other hand, seemed completely indifferent to whether her elder brother acknowledged her or not.
In this life, that child has the ability to carve out her own path to success with her own hands.
As a mother who has lived to her fifties, she has long accepted her fate and no longer demands harmony among her siblings. She only wishes that all the children she cares about are well.
Unlike the other accompanying personnel from the school, Grandpa Tang knew that the Hong Kong government guests who came to visit today were Ning Yuan's real mother and brother.
Together with Grandma Xia, he made exquisite and varied pastries, and he also ground and roasted coffee with extra care.
Madam Ning enjoyed her coffee and snacks, and felt an instant connection with Old Master Tang and Granny Xia, feeling extremely grateful to the two elders.
Unfortunately, the Ning family had nothing left to do on the mainland. Their ability to return to the mainland was entirely due to their eldest son's "business" deal, so they could only give a large red envelope of 10,000 yuan.
Old Tang and Grandma Xia naturally refused, saying that if it weren't for Ning Yuan, they wouldn't have the good life they have today.
One side wanted to give, while the other refused to accept it no matter what.
Finally, with Ning Yuan's mediation, a compromise was reached: the Ning family could inquire about where their child was buried in England and see if their remains could be brought back home.
After drinking coffee, Ning Yuan was about to take Madam Ning and Ning Bingyu to visit her newly decorated shop when she heard the sound of a car outside.
Ning Yuan turned her head and saw two cars parked outside. Then a few people got out. Their clothes and appearance were very... well, typical retired cadres from the unit.
Upon seeing this, Director Chu, who had been accompanying them, immediately got up and went out to greet them.
A younger man who looked like a secretary got out of the car and hurriedly came up, smiling as he shook hands with Director Chu and the vice principal who had come along.
Then, he stepped aside to allow the leader who had just gotten out of the car to meet Ning Bingyu and his second wife.
The newcomer, dressed in a simple grey polyester shirt and trousers, shook hands with Madam Ning and Ning Bingyu somewhat apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I had arranged to meet with you both this afternoon, but I have an urgent mission to fly to Beijing this afternoon, so I can only meet with you here at the school."
Ning Bingyu smiled gently: "Director Qiao, you're too kind. I've always wanted to do my part in the mainland. It's an honor for us to have the opportunity to cooperate."
They had arranged to meet with the leaders of the General Administration of Industry and Commerce that afternoon to discuss cooperation with the Tenth Department Store, but the other party had to reschedule due to other commitments.
Madam Ning smiled at him and said, "Director Qiao, why don't we go to the coffee shop and sit down to talk?"
As she spoke, she stepped aside.
With that turn, Ning Yuan was revealed.
When Director Qiao saw Ning Yuan standing there, he was stunned.
Ning Yuan winked at him innocently and silently mouthed, "Oh, Uncle Qiao, good morning!"
Oh dear, she never expected to meet Uncle Qiao like this... Hopefully he won't be angry later!
Director Qiao recalled her complaints about the leaders of the General Administration of Industry and Commerce, and her expression instantly became a little strange.
Oh... what's this little girl doing here? Is she working part-time here?
But in an instant, he returned to his normal demeanor, showing no sign of knowing Ning Yuan. He simply smiled and said to Madam Ning, "Okay."
Ning Yuan couldn't help but laugh. Uncle Qiao had clearly looked incredibly embarrassed after his disguise was exposed.
As soon as the glass door opened, Director Qiao smelled the aroma of pastries and coffee from the coffee shop. He then glanced at the ambiance, the various books displayed, and the nearly full table of foreign customers.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "This is the new cultural landmark of Fudan University that the newspapers were talking about. It truly lives up to its name."
Old Tang smiled and said, "Welcome, leaders, for your visit."
Director Qiao didn't sit down; instead, his gaze was drawn to the large shop next door, and he couldn't help but peer through the door at the shop's name—
"Heart of the Era General Store"
As he walked along, he saw various fashionable clothes and accessories displayed inside, as well as a dedicated electronics counter. At the far end, there was a small, elegantly decorated restaurant with its main entrance facing outwards.
They offer a variety of cakes and pastries, such as tiao tou gao, shuang niang tuan, and qing tuan, displayed on the counter, as well as common dishes like wontons, yellow croaker noodles, xiao long bao, and spare rib rice.
Unlike the other Epoch Heart, which caters to foreign guests and high-end customers, the snacks and food here require tickets, but the prices are relatively affordable.
Customers who come to buy goods or are tired from shopping often sit here to eat, as the restaurant also offers free chilled sparkling water.
Many people even took a number and lined up on the side.
Even Director Qiao couldn't help but feel envious looking at this bustling scene—
"When did such a huge department store open here? It's even more popular than Nanjing Road! The manager here is really shrewd!"
There's a place for customers to rest when they get tired, and we even make money from food and tickets!
Madam Ning proudly pulled Ning Yuan out: "This is my daughter's... our female student's idea from Fudan University."
Director Qiao stared at Ning Yuan in disbelief: "Your idea... isn't this state-owned?"
Ning Yuan chuckled dryly and pointed at Old Tang: "This is my grandpa and grandma's shop."
Director Qiao's hands trembled: "...???"
So, this is the shabby little shop that this girl was talking about?
Where did this lonely old lady and old man come from, with their pitiful little granddaughter, dressed in rags, struggling to make a living on the streets, being bullied by thugs?
Did he hear the splits?!
And he felt guilty for so long!!
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