amaotonovel Chapter 1344 Birds in the Forest Are Not as Good as Birds in Hand
Chapter 1344 Birds in the Forest Are Not as Good as Birds in Hand
Chapter 1344 A bird in the hand is worth more than a thousand birds in the forest
Firecrackers exploded in the air above Xiao Lei's house, and red paper scraps fell like snowflakes. The village entrance was crowded with villagers watching the spectacle, and several teenagers ran around, scrambling for unlit firecrackers.
"I heard the bride is very beautiful, and she even works for the government in the county."
"Secretary Dongbao is really capable; he even managed to marry a college graduate."
"Of course! The Lei family is doing so well now, which girl in the county wouldn't want to marry into it?" Aunt Wang spat out a sunflower seed shell and suddenly pointed into the distance, shouting, "They're here! They're here!"
Amidst the murmurs of conversation, the wedding procession slowly approached. Leading the way was a black Santana sedan adorned with flowers, gleaming in the sunlight. Behind it followed five brand-new Happiness 250 motorcycles, each adorned with large red flowers and red ribbons tied to the handlebars. Such a display was considered luxurious in Jinling County in 1988, drawing gasps of amazement from the surrounding villagers.
"Wow, there's even a toy car!"
"I heard that Secretary Dongbao specially borrowed it from the county!"
"Tsk tsk, Secretary Dongbao really has connections to be able to borrow a car from the county."
The car door opened, and Lei Dongbao, dressed in a sharp navy blue suit, stepped out first. His hair was neatly combed and styled with hair wax. He turned around and carefully helped the bride out, his movements as gentle as if he were handling something fragile.
The bride wore a bright red brocade cheongsam that accentuated her tall and slender figure. Her face was delicate, not exceptionally beautiful, but her outstanding气质 (qi zhi, a kind of refined elegance or poise) gave her an air of cultured refinement. Her jet-black hair was styled in a fashionable updo, adorned with a velvet flower that shimmered softly in the sunlight.
"Wow, so beautiful!"
"Secretary Dongbao is so lucky!"
Amidst exclamations of admiration, Lei Dongbao led his bride by the hand toward the bridal chamber, his face beaming with undisguised pride. He walked with his back ramrod straight, his steps more disciplined than usual, resembling a newly enlisted soldier.
When Qin Hao and Song Yunping arrived, they witnessed this lively scene. Song Yunping stood on tiptoe to peek and couldn't help but laugh, "Lei Dongbao looks so energetic today; I've never seen him dressed so formally."
"Yes, even his walking posture has changed." Qin Hao couldn't help but chuckle. He noticed that Lei Dongbao would occasionally steal glances at the bride's profile, his eyes filled with both affection and a touch of caution, a stark contrast to his usual energetic and impulsive demeanor.
The wedding ceremony was held in the village committee compound. Although the process was simple, the fact that county official Chen Pingyuan was invited to officiate still caused a great deal of discussion among the villagers.
"Xiao Lei's family is really doing well now. A county official is acting as the officiant at the wedding of a village party secretary. Would anyone have dared to imagine that before?"
"Actually, it's not surprising. The Xiaolei family is not only a model family in the county, but also well-known in the city. Secretary Dongbao even attended the provincial commendation conference! Besides, he has a pretty good personal relationship with Secretary Chen."
When the emcee announced, "The groom may kiss the bride," Lei Dongbao's dark face turned bright red. He leaned close to the bride's ear and whispered something, which earned him a playful slap from her. In the end, he only symbolically touched the bride's cheek, eliciting laughter from the entire room.
"I never thought Lei Dongbao could be shy," Song Yunping whispered to Qin Hao, her eyes full of laughter.
Qin Hao smiled and shook his head: "It seems this college student has really got him under control."
The banquet was held in the newly built cultural square in Xiaolei Village, with a full thirty tables. The dishes were incredibly lavish: braised carp, braised pork knuckle, poached chicken, and four-happiness meatballs. Each table was also served two bottles of Fenjiu liquor. The villagers ate with gusto, their mouths greasy, and they frequently uttered satisfied exclamations.
After a few rounds of drinks, Lei Dongbao brought his bride to toast. By the time they reached Qin Hao's table, his face was flushed, but he was still relatively sober.
"Haozi, this is my wife, Jiang Xiaoyue. She works at the county finance bureau." Lei Dongbao introduced her with a tone full of pride, as if marrying such a wife was the greatest achievement of his life.
Jiang Xiaoyue gracefully extended her hand to Qin Hao: "I've long admired Mr. Lei's name; Dongbao often mentions you."
Qin Hao touched her lightly and released her quickly, smiling as he said, "Dongbao is a down-to-earth person. He's a soldier and has a sense of responsibility. He'll likely be a good husband and a good father in the future."
Jiang Xiaoyue smiled and said, "Yes, I trust my judgment. But he's sometimes just too honest. If I hadn't insisted, he wouldn't have even worn this suit."
Lei Dongbao scratched his head and grinned foolishly, his usual serious demeanor completely gone. Qin Hao sighed inwardly; it seemed Lei Dongbao had met his match this time.
After toasting, Lei Dongbao pulled Qin Hao aside and said mysteriously, "Haozi, my wife has a cousin who's a doctor in the provincial capital. How about we introduce her to Xiaohui?"
Qin Hao nearly choked on his drink: "Don't try to play matchmaker, Xiao Hui already has a girlfriend."
"When did this happen? How come I've never heard you mention it before?" Lei Dongbao asked with disbelief.
Song Yunping, standing nearby, laughed and said, "It's true. I've seen the photos; she and Xiaohui are a good match."
Lei Dongbao sighed upon hearing this: "How are we going to explain this to Xiao Jiang now?"
Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "Lei Dongbao, Lei Dongbao, how come a big, burly guy like you is afraid of his wife?"
Just as Lei Dongbao was about to defend himself, he heard a voice behind him: "Who's afraid of their wife?"
Looking back, I saw that Chen Pingyuan had arrived at some point. He was wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit today, and although he was smiling, his eyes revealed a hint of fatigue.
“Who said I’m afraid of my wife? I’m just giving in to her,” Lei Dongbao retorted, sticking his neck out.
Seeing that Lei Dongbao was still trying to show off, Qin Hao suddenly looked behind him and said, "Your sister-in-law is here."
Lei Dongbao shuddered and quickly turned around, only to find nothing behind him. He then realized he had been tricked. Turning back again, he saw the three of them staring at him with ambiguous smiles.
"Well, I have some friends to entertain over there, you guys have your drinks first," Lei Dongbao said, and fled in a panic.
"Haha." Qin Hao and Chen Pingyuan's undisguised mockery made Lei Dongbao run away even faster.
After laughing, Chen Pingyuan raised his glass and clinked it against Qin Hao's: "It's been many years since we last met, Mr. Lei, hasn't it? Was the last time we met at your wedding?"
"Yes, time really flies." Qin Hao took a sip of his drink. "Fortunately, time rewards those who persevere; Secretary Chen is now the official in charge of our Jinling County."
Chen Pingyuan sighed upon hearing this: "Alas, what a pity. Someone like me, with no connections and no university education, has reached the end of the road, unless..."
He looked at Qin Hao with a hint of expectation in his eyes, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Qin Hao naturally understood the other's intention, but he didn't intend to take the bait.
"Actually, Secretary Chen didn't need to go to such lengths; Xiaolei Village is a perfect example."
Chen Pingyuan smiled wryly: "But there's only one Lei Dongbao, and besides, Lei Dongbao's success in building the Xiaolei family's business to its current state is inseparable from Boss Lei's guidance."
Since things had come to this point, Chen Pingyuan decided to lower his stance: "Mr. Lei, to be honest, the county has tried to promote the successful experience of Xiaolei Village, but the end result has always been a mess. There are far too few people like Lei Dongbao who are wholeheartedly dedicated to leading their fellow villagers to prosperity; most are just scoundrels who find ways to take advantage of public resources."
Qin Hao's heart skipped a beat. In the original story, Chen Pingyuan was later imprisoned for embezzlement and bribery, and presumably seeing no hope of promotion, he simply gave up entirely. If he could be shown a clear path, perhaps he could change this ending.
"Secretary Chen, I know what you're trying to say, but if I may be frank, businesses need to consider returns on their investments. Currently, Jinling County doesn't seem to have any projects worth investing in for Haoran International." Qin Hao then changed the subject: "Secretary Chen, why not consider a different approach? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Why not consider making Xiaolei Village bigger and stronger?"
Chen Pingyuan's eyes lit up: "Mr. Lei, could you elaborate?"
"It's actually very simple, just four words: resource integration!" Qin Hao picked up the chopsticks on the table and gestured. "Xiao Lei's family has developed to the point where it has a copper factory, a wire factory, a brick factory, a precast concrete factory, a construction team, and a breeding farm. These can all be developed into an industrial chain."
Chen Pingyuan's eyes lit up as he listened, and he unconsciously leaned closer: "President Lei, how should we develop this industrial chain you mentioned?"
"Your advantage lies in deeply exploring upstream and downstream industrial chains and concentrating resources," Qin Hao explained. "Take a livestock farm, for example. Upstream industries include feed and breeding, while downstream industries include slaughtering, cold chain logistics, and canning. Secretary Chen, consider this: if the county had such a complete industrial chain, it could not only effectively reduce costs but also deliver pork and beef directly to farmers' markets across the country. How much GDP could that alone generate? How much fiscal revenue could it bring to the county? And how many jobs could it create?"
Chen Pingyuan slapped his thigh suddenly: "How could I not have thought of that! Mr. Lei, your words are truly invaluable!"
He excitedly pulled out his notebook and began taking notes like an eager student. Qin Hao didn't hold back either, explaining in detail the ideas and specific operational methods for supply chain integration. However, while he made it sound easy, whether Chen Pingyuan could actually pull it off depended on his abilities.
During their conversation, Qin Hao noticed that Song Yunping's cheeks were flushed, realizing she couldn't hold her liquor, so he excused himself. Chen Pingyuan thanked him repeatedly and personally escorted them to the village entrance.
On the way home, Song Yunping took Qin Hao's arm and whispered, "Will what you said to Secretary Chen today really help the county?"
"It's theoretically feasible, but difficult to implement," Qin Hao said, gazing at the distant, undulating mountains. "The key is whether Secretary Chen has the courage to break the existing power structure. But at least it gives him a direction to strive for; it's better than going astray."
Song Yunping nodded, then suddenly laughed, "But what surprised me the most was Lei Dongbao. I didn't expect him to have such a shy side."
"The power of love," Qin Hao joked. "But I think that Jiang Xiaoyue is no simple woman; the future development of the Xiaolei family might change."
Just then, a car horn sounded behind them. Turning around, they saw Yang Xun driving up in a brand-new Cadillac, with Dai Fengjiao in the passenger seat.
"Brother Hao, Sister Song, wanna hitch a ride?" Yang Xun rolled down the car window, his face flushed from drinking.
Song Yunping offered, "You've drunk so much and you're still driving? Why don't you come over to my place for a cup of tea to sober up?"
Yang Xun and Dai Fengjiao exchanged a glance and immediately agreed. Actually, they only followed Qin Hao after seeing him come out.
Back at the Song family home, Song's mother had already prepared hangover soup and hot tea.
Yang Xun finished the hangover soup in a few gulps and eagerly began, "Brother Hao, since our trip to Donghai, we've found that the business environment there is excellent, and residents' incomes are high. So we opened a department store there. Business has been pretty good these past few years, and we've wanted to expand several times, but we just can't seem to get the land approved."
Qin Hao looked at the two with a smile: "There isn't much land in the East China Sea, but surely it's not like you can't get approval for any of it? How big of a department store do you want to expand?"
Yang Xun chuckled and said, "Actually, it's not much, only about thirty mu."
Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "Thirty acres isn't enough? That's 20,000 square meters! You guys are really boasting."
Dai Fengjiao smiled ingratiatingly: "Isn't this something I learned from Brother Hao? You can't be too stingy when doing business."
Qin Hao said irritably, "Don't flatter me. You're building such a big shopping mall, did you bring the overall planning map with you?"
Seeing Yang Xun and Dai Fengjiao looking blank, Qin Hao shook his head: "You two are really something. You dared to acquire land for a 20,000-square-meter shopping mall without an overall planning map?"
Yang Xun, with his head bowed and eyes lowered, refilled Qin Hao's teacup: "That's why I said we should consult Brother Hao first about these things..."
Qin Hao was speechless for a moment: "Forget it, I'll go check out your department store after the New Year."
The two were overjoyed and were about to express their gratitude when Qin Hao raised his hand to interrupt them: "Don't be too happy yet. If I think it's good after the inspection, I can help you acquire the land, but I'll have to take a share."
"No problem, Brother Hao, just name your share." Yang Xun couldn't be happier if Qin Hao could take a stake; he was a golden brand.
Qin Hao looked at Yang Xun with a half-smile: "Aren't you afraid that I'll ask for an exorbitant amount later?"
Yang Xun chuckled and said, "Brother Hao, you're not that kind of person. Besides, if it weren't for you taking me under your wing back then, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. We'll travel together after the New Year. I also need to go to Donghai to bring Xiaohui some things."
"Well then, Brother Hao and Sister Pingping, we'll head back now and come back to wish you a Happy New Year." Yang Xun happily led Dai Fengjiao home.
Watching Yang Xun and Dai Fengjiao's retreating figures, Song Yunping wondered, "It seems Director Yang has accepted Dai Fengjiao?"
"What else can we do but accept it? They've been together for so many years. Besides, Xiao Dai is a good person, very polite, and he can even help Yang Xun with his business. I heard from Director Yang that he's planning to hold a wedding for the young couple next year," Song's mother said with a smile.
"Life is getting better and better now..." After saying that, Song's mother whispered to Song Yunping, "You should have a child with Haozi as soon as possible. If not, quit your job. How can you have a child when you two are always living apart?"
"Mom, you were talking about Yang Xun and Xiao Dai, why are you suddenly dragging us into this..." Song Yunping said reproachfully.