On the third day after Xia Liang returned, Ji Xiao called. He knew Xia Liang had gone back to her hometown, so he called the Gu family in the provincial capital directly. Xia Liang was home when the phone rang. She picked up the receiver: "Hello, who is this?" Ji Xiao's excited voice came from the other end: "Sister-in-law, it's me, Ji Xiao. It's like this, a friend of mine helped me make connections with a furniture company in the south. Their furniture stores occupy a large portion of the southern market. If we can sign a supply agreement with them, we can become the largest furniture factory in Beijing within six months." Actually, Ji Xiao was being conservative; if they signed the agreement, they could become the largest furniture factory in the entire country.
Xia Liang was also very excited: "What do you need us to do?" Ji Xiao said: "I heard that the supplier that the shopping mall signed a contract with before was demanding bribes and kickbacks. At first, it was only one percent profit, but later it directly asked for ten percent. At first, we didn't dare to offend them because they were a state-owned enterprise, and their workmanship and materials were indeed good, so we tolerated it and didn't change suppliers. But now that the private economy has been reformed and there are more and more private factories on the market, the shopping mall has decided to change its partners. My friend helped us get the qualification to participate in the competition, and I plan to go to the north to import a batch of high-quality timber. With your design, sister-in-law, we will definitely be able to sign the contract." Actually, the timber they usually used was already good enough, but in order to have a greater chance of winning the competition, they had to import even better materials.
Xia Liang had no objections. After making the arrangements, Xia Liang decided to return to Beijing. Taking advantage of her in-laws' return from get off work that evening, Xia Liang said directly, "Mom and Dad, something came up at the factory, so I have to go back first. I'll leave the children here to trouble you for a while." Han Yulan asked with concern, "It's not something important, is it?" Xia Liang smiled and shook her head, "It's a good thing. If it succeeds, our factory will reach new heights." Hearing that it wasn't bad news, Han Yulan was relieved, "That's good. Don't worry about the children, we'll take good care of them. Don't mention any trouble or inconvenience to the family; we're happy to take care of the two children."
Xia Liang said goodbye to her two children, "Da Bao, Er Bao, you two stay home with Grandpa and Grandma. Mommy has some things to do and has to go back for a bit. I'll come pick you up when you get back, okay?" The two little ones knew their mother was busy with work and quickly promised, "Mommy, don't worry, I'll take good care of my little sister." Xia Liang kissed her eldest daughter, "Mommy believes you're a great child, but remember to take care of yourself too, okay?" Gu Yunxi nodded, "Mommy, I will." Seeing her bewildered younger daughter looking at her, Xia Liang said, "Er Bao, you have to listen to Grandpa, Grandma, and your sister at home, and be good, okay? You have to finish your summer homework every day, and don't secretly eat candy. I'll check when I come to pick you up, okay?" The little one nodded, "Okay, Mommy." Xia Liang kissed each of her daughters on the cheek, then packed her bags and left.
The journey was much easier without her two daughters. Before, she worried about their physical condition and didn't dare rush, often stopping frequently. Now, she didn't need to. Whenever there was a supply depot along the way, they would prepare their provisions and stay in suitable guesthouses, unlike before when they were focused on choosing the best. Duan Wenchun and Chen Yanling were even more relaxed. Before, the two little ones sitting on their laps, while not unbearable, were definitely not as comfortable as sitting alone.
The return trip took a third less time than the departure. Xia Liang didn't go home after arriving in Beijing; she went straight to the factory. When she saw her brother Xia Rong, he was surprised: "Why are you back so soon? I thought I'd have to wait until tomorrow morning." Xia Liang smiled: "Without those two little devils, the journey was much faster. How did it go? When did Ji Xiao leave?" Xia Rong said: "He left right after I called you that day. I reckon he should have arrived by now!" Xia Liang nodded: "I need to hurry and design some new styles. After all, there's no guarantee the previous designs haven't been leaked, so they're not exactly an advantage." Xia Rong nodded, and the siblings went into the office.
It wasn't until evening that Xia Liang finished drawing the blueprints and communicated with the designer. It was already 2 AM when she left home. Xia Liang was yawning constantly, which made Xia Rong's eyes fill with concern: "Go back and get some sleep. You haven't had a proper rest these past two days because of the travel." Xia Liang smiled and nodded: "Okay, do you want me to take you home?" Xia Rong waved her hand: "I came by bike, don't delay, go home early!" Xia Liang then drove home. After washing up, she collapsed into bed and fell asleep immediately.
The next day, Xia Liang was woken up while she was still asleep. Aunt Liu rushed in and shouted, "Director Xia, Comrade Ji called you." Xia Liang was also startled awake. She knew that Aunt Liu usually wouldn't enter her bedroom unless there was an emergency. Also, Ji Xiao calling so early meant that something serious must have happened.
Xia Liang took the phone, and Ji Xiao's voice on the other end sounded anxious: "Sister-in-law, something's happened. This batch of timber was robbed when it arrived in Y Province. I contacted the local police station, but they're clearly trying to cover it up. Right now, I can only take some men to block the exit to make sure they don't get the goods out." Ji Xiao's voice sounded exhausted. Xia Liang rubbed her forehead and said, "It's okay, stay calm and take care of yourself. I'll bring some men over right away."
After hanging up the phone, Xia Liang quickly washed up and called Chen Yanling in. Chen Yanling, who was practicing her martial arts in the yard, was wiping sweat from her brow when she came in and asked, "Sister Xia, is there something you need?" Xia Liang's expression was rather serious, and Chen Yanling also became serious. Xia Liang couldn't care less about that now and said directly, "How many fellow disciples can you mobilize right now? I need to go out for about two days. Can you help me mobilize people to come back? I'll pay you fifty yuan a day." The local police station doesn't care; they probably have connections inside. If going through the proper channels won't work, then we'll get what's lost exactly as it is.
Xia Liang rented a bus through Ji Xiao's friend, and when Chen Yanling brought the people over, Xia Liang immediately arranged for them to board. Xia Liang drove the Santana with his four fellow apprentices, and the bus behind them carried over thirty people, setting off in a grand procession towards Y Province.
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