amaotonovel Chapter 1331 Contracting
Chapter 1331 Contracting
Chapter 1331 Contracting
The night breeze drifted through the half-open window, bringing with it the unique, complex smell of Jingzhou Chemical, which lingered in the rather simple single room of the guesthouse.
Song Yunping sat on the headboard of the bed covered with plain-colored sheets, gazing absently at the scattered lights in the factory area outside the window, a hint of worry barely perceptible on her gentle face.
The door opened, and Qin Hao walked in, a towel draped around his neck. Seeing his wife like this, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. While drying his wet hair, he teased, "Still regretting Xiao Hui's ill-fated romance?"
Song Yunping snapped out of her daze and glared at Qin Hao, annoyed. "Honestly, putting aside all the mess her family has to do, this young lady Cheng is really nice. Look at her eyes, so clean and pure, and her personality is so innocent and naive. It's a pity... that she's stuck with such a brother and sister-in-law, it's just... so inappropriate."
Qin Hao sat down beside her, his large, warm hand naturally pulling her towards him. "It's not just her brother and sister-in-law. Her parents aren't exactly innocent either. Most importantly, it's Cheng Kaiyan herself. She's too simple-minded, frankly, she lacks her own opinions and is easily influenced. Her world is small, and her understanding is limited. With Xiao Hui's education, abilities, and vision, Jingzhou Chemical is far from his limit! His stage will be bigger, and he will go much further. If he gets together with Cheng Kaiyan now, what will happen in the future? The entire Cheng family—her parents and her greedy brother and sister-in-law—will be like leeches, clinging to Xiao Hui and sucking his blood! Can he handle it? He'll be exhausted from dealing with these petty family matters all day long; where will he find the energy to climb higher peaks?"
After a long while, Song Yunping finally let out a heavy sigh, as if she had unloaded some burden: "Sigh...you're right. Jingzhou Chemical is just the starting point for Xiaohui. He has a bigger and higher stage to perform on. As for Xiaocheng...let's just say...we were destined to be apart. I hope she can meet a boy who is truly right for her in the future."
Qin Hao secretly breathed a sigh of relief; the "mine clearance" work was finally showing initial results.
However, he clearly relaxed too soon. Song Yunping's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and a glint of light flashed in her eyes: "Hey! Wait! Did we forget about the other girl?!"
"Isn't there also Liu Qiming?"
"Cough!" Qin Hao almost choked on his own saliva. Meeting Song Yunping's expectant eyes, he could only helplessly rub his forehead.
Sure enough, the next morning, after eating a decent bowl of white porridge and steamed buns at the guesthouse canteen, Song Yunping dragged Qin Hao straight to the library of Jingzhou Chemical Plant. She had found out that Liu Qiming was on duty that day.
Behind the heavy wooden doors of the library, the familiar smell of paper and ink filled the air. Song Yunping pulled Qin Hao to hide behind a bookshelf directly opposite the librarian's desk, peeking out like thieves, only half their faces visible, observing intently.
"Look! Isn't that Liu Qiming?" Song Yunping asked excitedly in a very low voice, gently tugging at Qin Hao's clothes to signal him to look in that direction.
Behind the workbench, Liu Qiming, dressed in a simple work uniform, with neat short hair and fair skin, was intently organizing the returned books. Her expression was calm, exuding a scholarly air, quite different from Cheng Kaiyan's innocent and charming demeanor; she possessed a cool and self-possessed beauty.
Song Yunping's gaze lingered on her face, growing more and more satisfied with her. She couldn't help but sigh softly, "She's really beautiful. Xiao Hui has excellent taste."
Qin Hao leaned down and whispered mischievously in her ear, "Are you sure you have good taste? Or are you just a 'looks-obsessed' guy? I bet anyone who's not good-looking wouldn't even catch your brother's eye?"
"Go away!" Song Yunping immediately glared at him reproachfully, "Xiao Hui isn't that superficial! What Xiao Hui values is definitely temperament and refinement!"
Just as the couple were "lurking" behind the bookshelves, the light at the library entrance dimmed, and a figure wearing a crisp white shirt and with slicked-back hair walked in—it was Yu Shanqing.
At first, Liu Qiming didn't look up, remaining focused on his work. Yu Shanqing didn't immediately approach either, but instead wandered around the bookshelf area for a while, pretending to be engrossed, before finally picking up a thick chemical engineering book and walking to the workbench.
The two began to speak in hushed tones. The atmosphere was clearly tense from the start. Liu Qiming's expression was cold, tinged with obvious anger and disappointment, as if he were questioning something.
Yu Shanqing appeared somewhat flustered, repeatedly lowering his voice to explain while his hands trembled slightly in an attempt to calm her down.
Gradually, perhaps due to Yu Shanqing's silver tongue, Liu Qiming, though not smiling, softened considerably and occasionally nodded. Yu Shanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his signature gentle smile, perfectly curved, returned to his face.
Song Yunping, who was behind the bookshelf, could see everything clearly. Her mouth gaped open, and her face was filled with astonishment: "This Xiao Liu has a boyfriend? Doesn't that mean Xiao Hui is going to steal her away?"
Seeing his wife's nervous expression, Qin Hao couldn't help but burst out laughing: "'Stealing someone's love'? Pingping, do you think Xiaohui can beat him?"
Song Yunping's disappointment deepened: "Then our trip... wasn't it all for nothing? We haven't made any progress at all."
Seeing his wife's disappointed expression, Qin Hao felt a sense of relief. By eliminating Cheng Kaiyan, a potential threat to the family, and incidentally getting rid of Liu Qiming as well, their objective had been more than achieved.
"It wasn't a wasted trip. At least we've confirmed that our Comrade Xiaohui is in good physical and mental health, has no emotional burdens, and can focus wholeheartedly on his career. Don't worry, he's young, educated, capable, and has a bright future. Why would he have to worry about not finding a suitable partner? Maybe once he gets to Beijing, some talented daughter from a senior ministry will take a liking to him?"
Song Yunping was still somewhat unwilling: "Sigh, that's true... but my parents talk about it every day at home, wanting to hold their grandson as soon as possible..."
Qin Hao's lips curled into a wicked smile as he deliberately leaned close to Song Yunping's sensitive ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe: "Holding a grandson... what's so difficult about that? A grandson from another family is a grandson too."
Song Yunping was initially bewildered, but when she saw her husband's mischievous look, she instantly understood, and her cheeks flushed bright red, like a ripe apple.
She was both embarrassed and annoyed, and lightly punched his chest with her small fist: "You're so annoying! What nonsense are you talking about!"
Two days later, the black Crown sedan drove away from the Jingzhou Chemical Plant area, and Song Yunhui stood at the factory gate waving goodbye.
Before leaving, Qin Hao took the opportunity of saying goodbye to Xun Jianxiang one last time to casually mention, "Da Xun, to be honest, if you ever feel bored with what you're doing here, or want to try your luck on a bigger stage, feel free to contact me anytime."
Upon hearing this, Xun Jianxiang was taken aback for a moment, then grinned with his signature hearty smile and waved his hand, "Hey! Thanks, Brother Hao! I appreciate the kindness! But I'm quite happy here now, I'm used to it! I know everyone here, young and old, it's comfortable! If I were to go to a company as big as yours and have to wear a suit and tie properly, wouldn't I feel suffocated?"
Seeing his reaction, Qin Hao didn't press the matter.
"Okay, whatever makes you happy. But Da Xun, things have been a bit tense these past two years... Remember this: no matter what happens, hold your temper first! Think about the consequences, impulsiveness is the devil."
Xun Jianxiang was initially a little confused, but having never experienced family warmth growing up, he felt a warmth in his heart. He then dropped his playful grin and nodded seriously: "Okay! Don't worry, Brother Hao, I'll remember! Think things through carefully and never act recklessly!"
On the other side, Song Yunping also held her younger brother's arm and repeatedly told him: "Xiaohui, no matter how busy you are with work, you have to take care of yourself. Health is the foundation of everything! Also... don't put all your mind into work. Work is not everything in life... if you meet a girl with a really good personality, you can also get to know her."
"But... let's forget about Xiao Cheng. She's a good girl, but her family situation... is too complicated. You can't handle it, and it might take up too much of your energy. It's not worth it."
Song Yunhui pushed up his glasses, his face slightly flushed: "Sis! I didn't have any special relationship with Xiao Cheng... It was you guys who insisted on going to her house for dinner..."
As the wheels turned, Jingzhou Chemical Plant gradually disappeared from sight. Qin Hao didn't take Song Yunping directly back to his hometown; instead, he turned the steering wheel and headed towards the more bustling city of Shanghai.
Over the next few days, the couple enjoyed a rare period of pure leisure. They strolled along the bustling Nanjing Road and felt the breeze of the Huangpu River and the contrasting scenery on both banks of the Bund.
Afterwards, I also took some time to visit Hangzhou, known as "Paradise on Earth," where I strolled along the shimmering West Lake and felt a sense of tranquility in the serene ancient Lingyin Temple. I also wandered through the exquisite and beautiful Suzhou gardens, marveling at the ingenuity of the craftsmen.
This trip was both a shopping and sightseeing trip, and also a small form of "compensation"—compensation for Song Yunping's fruitless marriage investigation trip to Jingzhou for her younger brother.
When their car finally drove back to the familiar entrance of Shanbei Brigade Village, the scene before them had been completely transformed.
The old, low, dilapidated mud-brick houses that used to belong to the Song family, which dripped rainwater every time it rained, have long since disappeared without a trace. In their place stands a striking three-story European-style villa that is quite eye-catching in the village.
With its white exterior walls, deep red pitched roof, square columned porch, and gleaming transparent glass windows, it stands out like a crane among chickens amidst the surrounding brick and adobe houses.
A low wrought iron fence surrounds the front of the small villa, enclosing a small courtyard. Unfortunately, this charming European-style courtyard has been "fully utilized" by Song's hardworking mother, who has worked diligently all her life. The open space that should have been planted with ornamental flowers and trees is now neatly planted with small plots of lush green vegetables and beans. On the other side, in an area simply enclosed by a bamboo fence, seven or eight chickens of different colors are roaming freely, leisurely scratching for food, adding a touch of rural charm to the exquisite courtyard, making the overall style a bit "eclectic".
However, in a place like Shanbei Brigade, such a building alone is enough to become the focus of the entire village and even the surrounding area.
Almost every day, villagers passing by can't help but stop and point at the railing with curiosity, their eyes filled with envy and longing.
Many people were thinking the same thing: Wow! How much did this cost? When I'm rich, I'll definitely build one like this! That's what you call impressive!
Upon seeing their daughter and son-in-law return, Mr. and Mrs. Song were overjoyed and immediately prepared a large table of steaming, fragrant dishes.
The stewed pork belly was so tender it was almost falling apart, along with fresh river fish, free-range eggs cooked with eggs from our own chickens, and crisp, vibrant green vegetables... It was a feast, brimming with the taste of home.
At the dinner table, the conversation inevitably turned to Song Yunhui, who was far away in Jingzhou.
"How is Xiaohui over there? Is he healthy? Is his work going well?" Song's mother asked in quick succession as she served food to her daughter and son-in-law, her eyes full of concern.
Song Yunping knew her parents' expectations for her younger brother's marriage. To avoid disappointing them, she deliberately omitted the details about Cheng Kaiyan and Liu Qiming, only mentioning things that would make the elderly couple happy.
"Dad, Mom, don't worry. Xiaohui is doing great! His work is going very smoothly. He recently participated in a very important chemical equipment import project, which is a major event related to the breakthrough of our country's chemical technology! He stood out in the technical discussions and was praised by the leaders of the ministry! The factory values him highly now!"
Although Mr. Song was not good with words, upon hearing his daughter's words, a gratified smile appeared on his wrinkled face, and he silently picked up his wine glass and took a sip.
Song's mother beamed with joy: "Oh my! Good! Good! Xiao Hui is really promising!"
As she spoke, she kept pouring wine for Qin Hao: "Ah Hao, it's all thanks to you for taking care of him!"
The family was enjoying their meal when a hearty, loud voice suddenly rang out from outside the yard: "Haha! Haozi's back! No wonder it was so lively!"
Before he could finish speaking, Lei Dongbao, dressed in a military uniform, pushed open the door and came in without any ceremony, his face full of smiles, carrying two oil paper packages in his hands—clearly ready-made braised dishes.
Mr. Song quickly greeted him with a smile, "Dongbao, you've come at the perfect time! Sit down, get some chopsticks, and have a drink together!"
As soon as Lei Dongbao sat down, Song's mother brought him a bowl, chopsticks, and a wine cup. Lei Dongbao didn't stand on ceremony; he picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a large piece of braised pork, and stuffed it into his mouth, his mouth glistening with oil.
Qin Hao put down his wine glass, slowly glancing at him sideways with a hint of teasing: "Look at you, all radiant with happiness, the wrinkles around your eyes could trap flies. Did you strike it rich? Or climb the social ladder? Don't hold back, tell me."
Lei Dongbao chuckled, swallowed the meat in his mouth, and proudly showed his two rows of white teeth: "Haozi, your method really works. Before, the county wouldn't lend money to our Lei family, so I went to the city bank, but the city bank wouldn't lend to me either. Then I went to the provincial bank, and sure enough, after submitting the documents, I actually got a loan. Now all our cash flow goes through the provincial bank, and the interest rate is lower than the county bank. Now the county banks are begging me for loans, but I won't lend to them anymore."
At this point, Lei Dongbao paused and said, "By the way, isn't the county currently undergoing some kind of shareholding reform? The county's wire factory is almost out of business, and the county is looking for someone to take over, but they haven't found a suitable person after searching around. County Chief Xu's idea is to have our Xiao Lei family take over this responsibility."
Qin Hao was somewhat surprised: "Wow, Dongbao, you've even learned how to merge now. That's progress."
Lei Dongbao was a little embarrassed by the praise: "Haozi, don't flatter me. I came here today to ask you if you can do this?"