Chapter 24 The Happiest Thing
Since she didn't have to work on the weekend, Ye Baoling ate dinner at the Gu family's house, and even had a late-night snack, before finally returning to No. 3 Qingtang Street.
The first thing she did upon returning was to offer sacrifices to Guanyin Bodhisattva.
"I specially bought these butterfly pastries from the Shanghai Restaurant for you. They're delicious. Please try them, Bodhisattva."
After arranging the offerings, Ye Baoling heard a noise and turned around, only to find Ye Huaizhang, who had just finished showering, looking down at her knees.
Her knee is still a little sore.
Ye Baoling couldn't help but complain: "Wouldn't this count as a work-related injury?"
Ye Huaizhang: "..."
He turned to leave, then stopped, wanting to save face, "You made me drink that wine."
Yes, she practically patted her chest to reassure him that he could drink it without worry.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Ye Baoling unusually refrained from retaliating.
Before going to bed, she turned on the TV. After getting used to the current resolution, the TV wasn't bad to watch. Most importantly, she could see the superstars from their younger days.
Just like the recently popular TV series, which is a police and gangster drama starring actor Leung.
She watched it with great interest.
Ye Huaizhang doesn't like watching TV dramas; at this time of day, he usually watches the evening news.
But after she monopolized the remote control, he had no choice but to flip through financial magazines.
He asked, "What are you recording with your handheld video camera today?"
Ye Baoling has returned the video recorder to Ye Huaizhang, and bought a new tape and put it back.
She lied: "I originally wanted to take pictures of my cousin and the others, but they weren't all there, so I didn't."
"Why did you switch to a new disk if you didn't take any pictures?" Ye Huaizhang didn't look up and continued reading the magazine.
They have a sharp eye.
Ye Baoling had no choice but to tell him the truth: "I secretly filmed the exciting scene when Ye Baoshun and Lü Tianyou were discovered. Do you want to see it?"
A fascinating story about two naked men.
He wasn't interested, and just glanced at her sideways: "You have a typical criminal mentality."
Who committed the crime?
"Usually, after committing a murder, criminals will return to the crime scene to observe it, satisfying their various criminal psychological needs. You even filmed it, leaving evidence. Who are you trying to blackmail?"
Ye Baoling smiled slyly: "Knowing too much might get you silenced by the criminals."
Ye Huaizhang was amused. "You?"
Whom do you look down on?
He closed the magazine, staring at her intently, "Is your period over?"
Ye Baoling was taken aback, remembering the big guy who had stabbed her in the back of the knee, and unconsciously tilted her head back, "It's... not completely clean yet."
Seeing her nervous expression, he smiled smugly again.
Then I switched to another magazine and continued flipping through it.
Why did her momentum suddenly weaken just now?
Ye Baoling tried to make amends, saying, "I'm so thirsty."
"Drink water if you're thirsty."
"I injured my leg at work last night, and it hurts whenever I move it."
Ye Huaizhang: "..."
"I'd like something cold," she requested.
"Isn't she still on her period? Can she drink cold drinks?"
They know quite a lot.
She said, "I'm drinking iced drinks to bid farewell to Aunt Flo."
Although he didn't understand why it was related to her period, Ye Huaizhang still got up and went to pour her some water.
When the ice water was handed to her, Ye Baoling softened her voice and said with a smile, "Thank you, husband."
His heart, being an adult, couldn't take it and he almost lost control.
She had just taken a sip of ice water when she exclaimed, "Liang Tianwang is so handsome."
He glanced at the TV and complained, "He's not even as tall as Dong Jiangao."
"He's handsome even though he's not tall."
Ye Huaizhang glanced at him again, "Pretty boy."
They were practically calling her effeminate.
Ye Baoling exclaimed with a lovesick look, "How handsome these tender, creamy young men are! Look at their little faces, you could pinch a handful and water would drip from them."
Oh.
This time he didn't say anything.
After a while, I heard him close the magazine, adjust the alarm clock, pull up the covers, and turn to sleep on his side.
As long as he doesn't work overtime, his daily schedule is very punctual.
Ye Baoling was quite sensible; she quickly turned the TV volume down. The lower the volume, the more hypnotic it became, and sleepiness instantly washed over her. She didn't continue watching, turned off the TV, and went to sleep.
Ye Huaizhang lay there for a while but couldn't fall asleep. Then he turned over and found that she had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Enviable sleep quality.
He recalled what happened last night and quickly shook his head, trying to shake off the yellow rubbish in his mind.
*
Ye Baoling got up early to practice Chen Family Boxing with Chen Yulan, and then went to the old lady's room to read the newspaper to her.
After listening to the news she read, Grandma Guan couldn't help but sigh, "Things have changed so fast in recent years. In the blink of an eye, we're out of touch with the times and have become old-fashioned."
The main point of the news article is that the popularity of mobile phones and pagers brought both convenience and inconvenience in social interactions.
Compared to later generations, this is nothing.
But Ye Baoling had no way to explain to the old lady that information would change rapidly in the future, and that a mobile phone would be all you need to do. You had to be available to anyone who wanted to contact you, and wallets would become mere decorations. Cryptocurrency would be more valuable than real gold and silver...
She said, "Computers are becoming more and more common now, and the changes will be even greater in the future."
Grandma Guan nodded: "Fortunately, Hong Kong is still a major international metropolis, while the mainland is far behind."
Ye Baoling seized the opportunity to say, "The mainland started late, but China has a large population and a huge market. Once we catch up, our momentum will be unmatched by other countries."
"I've noticed that you seem to be increasingly optimistic about the development of the mainland." Although Madam Guan is old, her thinking is still very sharp.
She could quickly sense any change in Ye Baoling's thinking.
Ye Baoling stopped hiding her thoughts and said, "Recently, I've been reading newspapers and news with my grandma a lot, and my thinking has changed somewhat. Think about it, our East Asian Confucian cultural sphere values education, and our people are hardworking and diligent, so there are no countries or regions that are not well-developed. The mainland will be no exception."
Old Madam Guan seemed moved: "That's true. However, how should I put it, if politics is involved, then it becomes complicated."
On this point, Ye Baoling also understands that caution is human nature.
She smiled and said, "It is complicated, but everything has two sides. Being too cautious can also hold you back and cause you to lose the opportunity to continue climbing."
"I didn't realize you were so insightful," Old Madam Guan sighed. "What you say makes sense. At my age, I tend to prefer things that are certain. So, I should let go more. The future belongs to you young people."
"No, that won't do. Grandma is very experienced; without you at the helm, she'll easily get lost."
As people get older, they tend to like to hear pleasant words. Sometimes, praise is another form of manipulation. Old Madam Guan laughed and said, "You know how to talk better than Huaizhang. He should learn more from you."
"He would never learn from me."
It's already a miracle if the two of them don't argue when they meet.
The maid knocked and came in, "Grandma, the second master of the eldest branch of the family has arrived."
Ye Baoling subconsciously put away the newspaper. Had her grandfather arrived?
She recalled her grandfather's words on his birthday, when he said he would try to dissuade the third branch of the family from investing in Dapeng Port. She whispered to Old Madam Guan, "My grandfather is old-fashioned and stubborn. Just look at how our eldest branch's business has stagnated for so many years. He's far inferior to you. Just listen to what he says, don't take it to heart."
Grandma Guan originally disliked Ye Qizu's self-righteous, arrogant attitude and his desire to always be superior to the third son's family. But now, hearing his granddaughter say that he was far inferior to her, her mood instantly improved.
The old lady nodded repeatedly: "I know, you should hide quickly so he doesn't see you."
Ye Baoling went out through the side door and secretly returned to her room, just in time to see Ye Huaizhang coming in to get something.
Ye Huaizhang asked her, "Is it your grandfather who has come?"
How did you know?
"I happen to have something to discuss with him."
What do you want with him?
"The contract for the South African diamond mine has been signed, and we can supply Suman Jewelry with diamonds at a much lower price than foreign suppliers. Your grandfather should be very happy."
This was the good news Ye Baoling wanted to know. She tidied her handbag and asked casually, "When will it be announced to the public?"
"We've spoken with your grandfather, and we can release the information to the public in the next few days. The official announcement could be as early as next week."
Ye Baoling slung her handbag over her shoulder and said, "My grandfather is probably here to persuade Grandma not to invest in Dapeng Port. You should hurry up and disrupt his plans."
Ye Huaizhang was a little speechless: "It's very much in line with your grandfather's style."
He then went out first.
*
Almost every workday, Ye Baoling is the first to arrive at the office, followed by Wang Simin, Sister Mei, and others.
Wang Simin went to a meeting at another company early in the morning. She brought back a document and handed it to Ye Baoling: "Baby, please make 10 copies for me, thank you."
"Okay." Ye Baoling took the document and made a copy.
While making the copy, I couldn't help but glance at it; it was the feasibility analysis report for the group's plan to build a factory in the mainland.
The final conclusion was that while it could save costs, the investment risk was enormous, and it was recommended to postpone investing in mainland China for five years.
Ye Baoling couldn't help but shake her head inwardly. Missing the opportunities of the times was the beginning of Ye Qingtang's downfall and being overtaken by its competitors.
But how did such a document end up in the hands of the logistics department?
After making copies of the documents, Ye Baoling handed them to Wang Simin: "Where did you go for your meeting this morning?"
“It wasn’t originally our turn to go, but Manager Qi introduced this consulting firm to the planning department, so I went to sit in and make up the numbers so that I could pass on the information to the boss in a timely manner.”
Ye Baoling nodded to indicate that she understood.
Liu Haonan didn't arrive at work until almost 10 o'clock.
Ye Baoling gave him a field work form directly. People in this department who are late, whether for official business or personal reasons, only need to fill out the field work form and their wages will not be deducted.
Liu Haonan handed her a file folder: "All my funds in Suman Jewelry, all the orders are in place. As long as someone sells, I'll buy. I should be able to get the shares tomorrow."
It's good to have all the funds invested.
She smiled and said softly, "Thank you."
While filling out the field work form, Liu Haonan asked, "Ye Qingtang is estimated to be at least two or three months away from going public. Entering the market so early to lay in wait is a bit of a waste of time."
It won't waste time.
Ye Baoling didn't explain, but just smiled and asked, "If you don't buy Su Man Jewelry during this period, what do you think would be a suitable purchase?"
Liu Haonan tore off a piece of sticky note and wrote down a string of stock codes, "These are all worth buying."
Taking the note, Ye Baoling couldn't help but frown: "Why are you writing code for me? Write down stock names."
Faced with a major investor, Liu Haonan, who usually ignored everyone, had no choice but to quickly write down the stock name.
Ye Baoling then smiled and said, "I'll take a serious look at it."
She put the document bag into her bag and then began to carefully study the stocks that Liu Haonan had given her.
The only meaningful work she did for the company that morning was making 10 copies of a document.
During lunch break, Gu Man'er came to call her to go out for lunch together.
The Ye family members almost always work on the top floor, which has a private elevator, so Ye Baoling has very little chance of running into them.
But there are exceptions. Just like today, Ye Baoling and Man'er were about to walk towards the elevator when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from behind.
Ye Baoxin didn't know why she had come to the fourth floor, and was waiting for the elevator at the elevator entrance.
Ye Baoling quickly hid to the side.
Gu Man'er also recognized Ye Baoxin. She whispered, "Doesn't she work at Su Man Jewelry? Why is she here?"
Suman Jewelry's office is on a middle floor, while the elevator is on the other side of the building, so you don't usually run into it.
Gu Man'er muttered, "A fake Ye family heiress!"
"Let's take the stairs."
The two sisters walked toward the fire escape stairs and met Wang Simin on the way. She usually takes the stairs to lose weight.
Wang Simin: "You guys are so thin, why do you need to climb stairs to lose weight?"
Ye Baoling went along with her and found a perfect excuse: "So that I can eat more at noon."
"Me too."
The three of them walked together, but when they reached the stairwell, Wang Simin, who was walking in front, suddenly turned around and shushed them.
Ye Baoling and Gu Man'er quickly slowed their pace.
The three of them clung to the stair railing and peered down, only to see Manager Qian speaking excitedly.
Standing opposite Manager Qian was Manager Qi, Qi Yuxiu.
Qi Yuxiu spoke very softly, and it was impossible to hear what she was saying. Ye Baoling only heard that Manager Qian was asking Qi Yuxiu to help him "restore his original position".
The two clearly had significant differences of opinion, and in the end, Manager Qian declared, "Even a rabbit will bite when cornered."
"Biting me won't do you any good. If you want a lose-lose situation, then so be it." Qi Yuxiu was also agitated, and she spoke these words quite loudly.
After a brief argument, Manager Qian softened his tone, saying, "I know you're doing this for my own good."
Qi Yuxiu patted his shoulder, said something else, and the two walked downstairs together.
Once they were all gone, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief and went downstairs.
Ye Baoling asked Wang Simin, "What are you having for lunch?"
"I haven't decided yet. I've tried all the restaurants around here, and there's nothing I really want to eat. My throat is a little sore today, and I just want to have something soupy right now."
"Then why don't you come with us to eat Tan Ji soup noodles? It's only a 5-minute taxi ride away, we'll be there in no time."
"Do we still need to take a taxi?" Wang Simin hesitated.
Ye Baoling: "The cost is the same for two people and three people. My cousin treated us to the taxi."
Even though her cousin was paying, she was being asked to pretend to be rich, which made Gu Man'er want to roll her eyes but not dare to. She could only smile and say, "It's nothing, just a drop in the ocean."
Wang Simin realized that her cousin Ye Baoling had some money.
What's your cousin's name?
"Gu Man'er".
"Nice to meet you, my name is Wang Simin."
The three of them went downstairs and took a taxi to Tan Ji's restaurant to eat roast goose and rice noodles.
The restaurants here are always crowded at lunchtime, so Gu Man'er went ahead to reserve a seat, while Ye Baoling and Wang Simin took charge of ordering.
After ordering, the three of them each ordered a soft drink.
Ye Baoling then whispered, "This Manager Qian is too audacious, coming to Qi's door to threaten him."
Wang Simin thought Ye Baoling had also heard the threatening remarks, and she said, "Qian Fuqiang is brainless and has no backing, so threatening him is useless."
Judging from Wang Simin's words, Qi Yuxiu has powerful backers?
Gu Man'er asked curiously, "I was standing at the very back and couldn't hear clearly what that man was threatening?"
Wang Simin sipped her soda and said, "He has evidence of an ambiguous relationship between Manager Qi and the Administrative Director. He thinks that Manager Qi got to his current position because he received benefits from the Administrative Director. But that's not true at all."
What is that?
"Manager Qi and General Manager Ye are old classmates."
"Which Mr. Ye?"
"Deputy General Manager Ye Kaishen."
Therefore, Qi Yuxiu is Ye Kaishen's person.
Ye Baoling had just figured out the factional culture within Ye Qingtang's headquarters some time ago.
There are two major factions: one is Deputy General Manager Lin Zhong, and the other is Director Deputy General Manager Ye Kaishen.
Basically, the leaders of all departments in the company are these two's "lackeys".
Wang Simin: "I heard that President Ye and President Lin are fighting fiercely, both openly and secretly. Do you know why Manager Qi was so afraid that you would make a big fuss last time? She was afraid that President Lin's people would find something to hold against her, and in the end, even President Ye couldn't protect her."
Gu Man'er asked in confusion, "Isn't she afraid of being caught red-handed because of her ambiguous relationship with the administrative director?"
“That’s about personal ethics not interfering with work. Don’t you understand, young lady?” Wang Simin said with a hint of smugness.
Ye Baoling smiled and pretended to be clueless: "We don't understand."
The staff brought out their roast goose rice noodles.
Wang Simin took a bite of the roast goose and exclaimed, "This roast goose is truly amazing! The skin is crispy and the meat is tender, it's so delicious!"
Ye Baoling: "If you want to eat it again next time, let's come together."
"Okay, okay."
Wang Simin found that she got along very well with Ye Baoling, and she liked Ye Baoling's personality.
*
After dinner, Ye Baoling returned to the third room, where Chen Yulan took her away for training.
These two have been tormenting each other lately.
Ye Baoling enrolled Chen Yulan in a financial training course and forced her to attend, with three classes a week.
Chen Yulan, on the other hand, lifted her up to exercise and diligently practice Chen Family Boxing.
After Ye Baoling returned to her room and took a shower, she stood in front of the mirror in the dressing room, looking in the direction of the secret room in the wardrobe. She planned to find a weekend when Ye Huaizhang was not around and go to explore where the secret room led to on the second floor.
If you go straight down without taking a detour, the second floor is a study.
Both Old Madam Guan and Ye Jinsong would use the study on the second floor.
Considering that the eldest son's study on the second floor also has a secret room, and both villas were built more than half a century ago, could they have similar structures?
Ye Huaizhang also returned from his workout. He glanced at her, her face flushed and pink after her shower, and his eyes involuntarily drifted to the back of her knees.
He made conversation by saying, "Your grandfather advised my grandmother this morning not to invest in Dapeng Port, saying the risk is too great. Didn't you want to get a million? When are you going to do it?"
Ye Baoling pulled her hair back: "What's the rush? Haste makes waste. Just wait."
Ye Huaizhang went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!
Someone was knocking on the bedroom door.
Ye Baoling quickly went out and opened the door. It was Yang Pinxian, and behind her was an old servant carrying two cups of Heqin wine.
She almost forgot that today was the second seven-day period and the third drink.
"Where's Huaizhang? Still running?"
He's taking a shower.
Yang Pinxian dismissed the servants and stayed to chat with Ye Baoling.
“You’ve been working weekdays lately, and on weekends, you rarely get a break. You go back to your hometown as soon as it’s light. That must be exhausting. The servants from the eldest and second sons’ families can’t come to visit us unless it’s absolutely necessary. Don’t worry, you won’t run into anyone you know.”
Ye Baoling felt more free and comfortable staying at the Gu family's house.
She laughed and said, "Better safe than sorry. Just like this morning, my grandfather came to visit out of the blue, and he brought two or three attendants with him. It was impossible to guard against him."
"That's true. Why don't we renovate Cuizhu Pavilion and you two move in there? There won't be so many disturbances."
Cuizhu Pavilion is right next door; it's a two-story villa.
Ye Baoling didn't want to leave her beloved Guanyin Bodhisattva, so she waved her hand and said, "No need to trouble yourself, I'll just be careful."
The two sat and chatted for a while before Ye Huaizhang came out wrapped in a bathrobe.
"You should drink the Heqin wine quickly and get some rest."
The couple drank their third cup of Heqin wine, but Ye Huaizhang choked and coughed several times.
Yang Pinxian asked, "Is it very spicy?"
Ye Baoling: "It's a little bit spicier than last time."
Ye Huaizhang clearly thought it was more than just a little spicy; he suspected, "Did they change the wine?"
"It hasn't been changed. It's still the same wine." Yang Pinxian smiled. "I asked Granny Tong, and she said that the deeper the feelings, the spicier the wine will be to your throat."
Ye Huaizhang: "..."
He immediately changed his story: "The spiciness is about the same as last time. I drank it too fast and choked."
Ye Baoling didn't notice Ye Huaizhang's guilty conscience. She was wondering to herself that it was a bit spicier than last time, not much spicier, but still spicy.
Could it be that he developed feelings for her after poking her in the back of the knee?
Help! She actually has masochistic tendencies deep down?
Amitabha.
No, it won't.
Absolutely impossible.
Ye Baoling went out with Yang Pinxian, and she came back with a glass of ice water.
Upon entering, I found Ye Huaizhang sitting on the bed reading a magazine, as always.
She was half-lying on the bed watching TV when she scratched a small bump on her forehead, causing it to bleed a little. Since she was out of tissues, she turned her head and asked him to get her some.
Ye Huaizhang placed the tissue box next to her.
Both of them simultaneously recalled the embarrassing scene from the last time they cleaned up the battlefield with tissues in the secret room.
She noticed his face was slightly flushed and was startled: "What happened to your face?"
Ye Huaizhang usually doesn't blush when he drinks, but after drinking the Heqin wine today, he could clearly feel the heat rising up inside him.
"I haven't rested well, and my face gets flushed after drinking." He quickly came up with an excuse. "I want to go to bed early tonight."
After all, his frenzy last time, with his face flushed and body burning hot, still left her with lingering fear.
Ye Baoling glanced reluctantly at the fair-skinned actor Liang on the TV, then obediently turned it off: "Then I won't disturb you, get some rest."
Turn off the lights and go to sleep.
Ye Baoling wasn't sleepy today; she lay in bed unable to fall asleep.
The person who said they hadn't rested well and wanted to go to bed early seemed to fall asleep as soon as they lay down, without moving at all.
But for some reason, the air conditioner seems especially hot tonight.
She picked up the remote and glanced at it. The temperature setting was the same as usual. She could only lift the thin blanket; it was much better without it.
After a while, I heard him get up and go to the bathroom.
While he was in the restroom, she noticed that it wasn't so hot around her anymore.
So he was the one with a fever?
Ye Huaizhang stayed in the restroom for at least half an hour before coming out.
When he came out, she asked him, "Do you have a fever?"
"No, go to sleep."
Ye Baoling was skeptical, but seeing that his face wasn't so red anymore, she stopped worrying about it.
She lay there for at least an hour before she finally drifted off to sleep.
Two days later, after lunch, Ye Baoling helped Sister Mei with some paperwork.
Uncle Yuan is listening to the radio news.
The news is reporting on Ye Huaizhang's investment in a South African diamond mine.
[Regarding this rumor, reporters contacted Ms. Yan, the board secretary of Hong Kong Tong Industrial Co., Ltd., who stated that she had no information to disclose at this time. According to financial experts, besides Hong Kong Tong Industrial Co., Ltd., Suman Jewelry is also expected to be a major beneficiary of this investment. Analysis suggests that Suman Jewelry's diamond costs will decrease by at least 10%. Reported by Ye Qianni.]
Ye Baoling wasn't the only one to hear this broadcast; Liu Haonan did too.
Liu Haonan, who had been yawning and drinking tea while listlessly flipping through the newspaper, immediately sat up straight upon hearing the news.
He then picked up the phone and called the securities company to inquire about the stock price of Suman Jewelry.
He bought the stock at 2.31 yuan on Monday, and now the stock price has soared to 2.68 yuan, an increase of 16%!
The trend is still pushing forward.
Uncle Yuan turned around and asked him, "You want to buy Su Man Jewelry? Buy me 100 shares!"
Liu Haonan: "Call your stockbroker; it's not too late to buy now."
Uncle Yuan quickly made a phone call, gritted his teeth, and bought 1,000 shares at a high cost.
Others followed suit and bought shares, some buying 500 shares, some 1,000 shares, and some 2,000 shares.
Mei asked Ye Baoling, "A-Ling, let's buy together, how much are you buying?"
Ye Baoling laughed and said, "I don't have any money, so I only bought 500 shares."
Wang Simin reminded, "Hurry up and have your cousin buy it. Let's all make money together."
Isn't your cousin rich?
Ye Baoling laughed and said, "She spends money extravagantly, not that she's rich."
For the rest of the afternoon, the office was filled with the sound of stock market quotes from financial broadcasts.
By the close of trading, Suman Jewelry had risen to 2.85 yuan.
"I've struck it rich!" Sister Mei exclaimed happily after buying 2,000 shares and selling them on the same day. "I earned a week's worth of groceries in one day."
Ye Baoling also made a fortune. She had 3.5 million in Suman Jewelry at Baihui Securities and 5 million in Lihua Securities, totaling 8.5 million. She also had 1 million in Gangtong Industrial.
Hong Kong Stock Connect also rose today, but its market capitalization is too large, so it didn't rise as much as Suman Jewelry.
Of course, Ye Baoling's goals don't stop there.
She wants to wait for the market to develop further before gradually selling off her shares.
Making money and getting rich is the happiest thing in the world.
More joyful than anything else.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Ye Huaizhang: Isn't poking the back of the knee fun? [Dog head with rose in mouth]
Ye Baoling: That's because you're happy. I've already suffered a work injury.
Little Quadrilateral: Trust me, you can be happy together.
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