"Master, get up, the ground is cold." Qin Xiaoyu went over to help her up.
"Little Fish is back? I didn't even know." Master Wang's words were filled with resentment.
"Master, I heard about your house. Housing is in short supply right now, so please wait a little longer. I'll definitely get you one this year."
“Little Fish, tell me, what were you like when you first asked me to be your apprentice? Huh? You can’t forget your roots! You were a laid-off female worker from a textile factory. Without my help, could you have built a hairdressing school? Could you have started a clothing factory?” Master Wang said, tears streaming down his face.
"Yes, I owe my success today to Master Wang's support." Qin Xiaoyu is truly not one to forget her roots.
"Back then, when you asked the Zhou family to take back the school, wasn't it me who protected your assets? Otherwise, that school would have been gone long ago!" Master Wang's voice grew louder as he spoke, and more and more people gathered to watch the spectacle.
"Can we talk in the inner room?" Qin Xiaoyu asked with a smile, helping her walk inside.
"I'm not going! Now you're afraid of losing face? Do you have any conscience? Let's settle the score today!" Master Wang came here today with the intention of tearing off all pretenses.
"Don't affect their work, Master. There's no need to settle our scores. I know everything perfectly well, and I will give you an explanation." Tears welled up in Qin Xiaoyu's eyes. Many times, she was willing to suffer herself and manipulate the people around her.
But many things can't be solved by her simply backing down. What she fears most is that those close to her will turn against her; that feeling of having her skin peeled off is too painful.
"Give me an explanation now! I want the apartment!" Master Wang refused to leave, and Qin Xiaoyu couldn't do anything about it.
"Mr. Qin, this is the final ledger." The salesman ran over and brought over the sales list for the property. Qin Xiaoyu was even more annoyed when she saw it. All the apartments on the sixth floor overlooking the mountain had been sold. There wasn't a single one left to sell.
Besides, Master Wang said he wanted a first-floor apartment that wouldn't block the cold mountain or the light. That's really not available.
"Sir, how about this, you wait a few more months, and once the houses are completed this year, I'll definitely..."
"I won't wait. No matter who you push out, clear out a room for me!" Master Wang was determined to fight to the death.
"That's enough for you. What do you mean by disrespecting your elders? It's true that Qin Xiaoyu started her business with you, but she built her network on her own. How much does it have to do with you? Don't you have any idea how much effort you put in? With a personality like yours, who would want to work with you?" Captain Chen couldn't hold back any longer and started cursing at Master Wang.
"Brother Chen, stop talking." Qin Xiaoyu quickly stopped him. Master Wang's face was turning red and white, could it be that his blood pressure had risen?
“If you don’t say things outright, people will pretend not to know. You’re just jealous because Xiaoyu is making money, aren’t you? This is what Xiaoyu has worked for. You’re not capable enough, so don’t be envious!” Captain Chen was about to continue speaking when he was pushed away by several salespeople.
"Look, look! What did he say? Qin Xiaoyu, I must have been blind to have misjudged you. I fed a heartless wretch! You think so of me too, right?" Master Wang jumped up and down.
"Master, I really didn't mean it that way. If it weren't for you helping me make my first fortune, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's just that this building can't be completed right now. Can you wait a few more months?" Qin Xiaoyu was so anxious that she was almost crying.
“Little Fish, it’s perfect that you’re here. I came looking for you at home.” Grandma Zhang’s son walked in through the crowd.
"Brother Zhang, what brings you here?" Qin Xiaoyu asked, then noticed the black armband on his arm and was startled.
I heard that Grandma Zhang had a stroke, and I haven't had a chance to visit her in the hospital yet...
"My mother left a message before she passed away, telling me to return the property certificate to you, because she didn't want the house." As he spoke, Brother Zhang took out a handkerchief-like package, opened it to reveal a property certificate.
"This is a gift for Grandma Zhang..." Qin Xiaoyu was still in shock.
“My mom said she appreciates your kindness. But she doesn’t need it anymore, so she wants you to take it back.” Brother Zhang placed the property certificate in Qin Xiaoyu’s hand.
"Brother Zhang, you can keep it, you don't need to return it to me." Qin Xiaoyu thought of the most difficult time when it was Grandma Zhang who helped her and took care of her child. She felt sad and tears streamed down her face.
“No need, I have a house to live in. Let the old lady rest in peace. She asked me to buy a burial plot in front of Zhou Xing's house, saying she was going to be with him.” Brother Zhang wiped away his tears, put down the property certificate, and walked out.
Qin Xiaoyu covered her mouth and burst into tears.
"What's wrong? You're causing trouble just because I've been gone for a day?" Sister-in-law Chen rushed over when she heard the news. This was a tough nut to crack; Master Wang couldn't afford to mess with her and had already kept his distance.
Sister-in-law Chen took Qin Xiaoyu home. Upon hearing the news of Grandma Zhang's passing, Zhou Xing's mother also cried. Hanhan and Xiaomei were both fond of Grandma Zhang, so Qin Xiaoyu took them to the cemetery to pay their respects.
Grandma Zhang in the photo still has a sullen face, looking unhappy. Beneath this stubborn exterior lies a warm heart.
Qin Xiaoyu set out offerings for her and murmured a few words before realizing that one of her children was missing.
Looking up, I saw my little sister wiping the black and white photos around me with her tiny hands.
Zhou Xing's smile in the photo is even brighter.
When Qin Xiaoyu returned home, everyone was talking about Master Wang, with Commander Wang having the loudest voice.
“At that time, I said that we should return the hairdressing school to Xiaoyu. She made excuses and kept delaying. I won’t go into how much money she made in secret.”
"It's best not to make a fuss about this. Let it go." Qin Xiaoyu was still nostalgic. If it weren't for Master Wang's help back then, she would have been in the same predicament.
She packed some things and went to Master Wang's house.
Master Wang isn't entirely unreasonable; he just acted impulsively. But after calming down and thinking it over, he felt uneasy.
I've been lying down ever since I got back from the sales office. I don't even want to eat. Seeing the cold stove and empty pots makes me feel cold inside.
Hearing a noise at the courtyard gate, her heart trembled, fearing that her mother-in-law had come to cause trouble again. But when she saw Qin Xiaoyu enter, carrying a bunch of things, she felt a mix of emotions, unable to describe her feelings.
"Master, are you feeling unwell? Should we go to the hospital to get checked out?" Qin Xiaoyu asked apologetically, placing the gifts she had brought on the table.
"What are you buying? I can't eat much anyway," Mr. Wang said indifferently.
"Master, we started this business together back then, and I'm doing very well now. I feel bad that you've been helping me all this time. You're getting on in years, you should take a break," Qin Xiaoyu said tactfully.
She's not just picky about relationships, she's also fastidious about friendships. She doesn't trust someone like Master Wang who schemes behind people's backs, so it's better to part ways amicably. Besides, given Master Wang's current state, he wouldn't be able to command respect at the hairdressing school anymore.
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