The Divorced Wife of the Richest Man is Reborn

Chapter 129

Let's deal with the most embarrassed one first.

Yuanyuan asked Little Wang, "Brother, what's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts. Where's the bathroom?" Little Wang clutched his stomach and, after being directed by the staff at the entrance, ran to the bathroom. Yuanyuan followed behind, calling out, "Brother, you didn't bring any paper, did you?"

She quickly pulled out a roll of toilet paper from her small backpack and rushed toward the bathroom.

Jim had just finished throwing up, his clothes covered in mess. Chen Meilan had just finished cleaning him up, but the child was still stained and smelled of spoiled food. This wasn't a presentable state for visiting.

Chen Meilan somewhat regretted taking Yuanyuan away and leaving the other children behind.

At least not today.

Just then, Yuanyuan returned.

She first asked Little Lang if he was cold, and when he said no, she took off his jacket.

Little Lang ran warm, so wearing less wasn't really a problem. Yuanyuan took his jacket and gave it to Jim. This way, at least on the surface, all three children looked clean and tidy.

After sniffing Little Lang's mouth, Yuanyuan asked, "What did you eat today? Your breath smells terrible."

"Intestines. I ate eight of them," Little Lang said.

"Then you're not allowed to eat anything else for a while, or you'll throw up too," Yuanyuan warned.

The little one nodded, "Yes, sister."

This was the first time Yan Zhao had really noticed Yuanyuan taking care of the boys.

Or perhaps he had seen it before but had taken it for granted.

Today, some war comrades were coming from the capital, and Yan Zhao was in a panic, expecting to lose face in front of his comrades. But look at how Yuanyuan had managed to get all three boys in order in just a moment.

Yan Zhao realized then that while his little daughter might be delicate, besides her, no one else could handle these three little rascals.

...

Yan Zhao went in first with the children, while Chen Meilan waited in the hallway for Little Wang.

Spicy strips, beef tendon, and Jim still had bubble gum in his hair. Chen Meilan had only left Little Wang five yuan for breakfast when she left today, so he shouldn't have had that much money.

Soon, Little Wang came out of the bathroom.

"How much did you buy today, and where did the money come from? Someone as clever as our Little Wang surely wouldn't use his own money, right?" Chen Meilan asked deliberately.

Sure enough, the reverse psychology worked. Little Wang proudly said, "I spent all of Little Lang and Jim's pocket money!"

By now, Chen Meilan wanted to spank him. She said, "So you're quite proud of making Jim throw up and giving yourself diarrhea?"

Little Wang said smugly, "Yuanyuan controls us too strictly, but kids get cravings, you know! Today Yuanyuan wasn't here, so we had a feast. What's wrong with that? Even though I got diarrhea, I'm happy."

Chen Meilan had thought that by taking Yuanyuan away, the two of them being gone for half a day, the little ones she'd raised for five years would be at least a bit worried.

Who knew they weren't worried at all, but instead were celebrating like it was a festival?

She couldn't help but say, "So you weren't worried that when we left today, we might not come back?"

Little Wang, pale from his stomach troubles, was still bouncing around energetically like a jumping bean as he walked ahead.

But at Chen Meilan's words, he suddenly stopped, his face turning ashen. He turned around, stammering, "But... Mom... I didn't do anything wrong... Was it Dad? Did he make you angry?"

The previously smug child now looked at Chen Meilan as if it were the end of the world.

This was the reality of children in blended families.

Little Wang was willing to follow Yuanyuan's rules for the sake of family harmony, but his mischievous nature wouldn't change.

So whenever Yuanyuan wasn't around, whenever she couldn't see, he had to act up.

But when his moment of joy was interrupted by Chen Meilan's comment, it was truly a case of extreme joy turning to sorrow. He wrung his hands, refusing to move: "Mom? Say something."

"I was just joking. Another day when I have time, I'll make you some spicy tofu skin to eat, okay?" Chen Meilan said with a smile.

Little Wang still looked shaken, then started counting on his fingers, "You know what, Mom? I asked my aunt, and she said Zhou Xueqin's son never does any housework and often argues with Zhou Xueqin, but I do laundry every weekend, I wash dishes, and I can cook. If you really leave us, you'll regret it because you'll never find a son as good as me."

Chen Meilan's joke had really upset the child.

Besides, everyone lives their own lives; there was no need to compare with Zhou Xueqin.

This wasn't good either.

Patting his bottom, she said, "Go on in and play. Even if it's just to keep you as my little helper, I wouldn't want to leave you, right?"

"That's more like it," Little Wang said and ran into the hotel.

Two women were standing at the hotel entrance, clearly waiting for Chen Meilan, watching her from afar with friendly smiles.

Chen Meilan recognized the tall one as Gao Xiaomei, Cui Zixiang's wife.

Chen Meilan went up and said, "Hello, Sister Gao."

The woman next to her was shorter and appeared to be in her early forties.

"Meilan, let me introduce you. This is Commander Liu's daughter-in-law, Liu Peng's wife, Zhang Xiangming," Gao Xiaomei said with a smile.

Commander Liu was the current First Commander of the military region, and Chen Meilan had met his daughter Liu Jingjing before.

But she hadn't met this daughter-in-law.

"Hello, Sister Zhang," Chen Meilan extended her hand.

Zhang Xiangming's hands were particularly rough, feeling like old elm wood. She shook Chen Meilan's hand vigorously and said, "Chen Meilan, your reputation in our First-Class Family Quarters is quite something. I wasn't around when you went to the capital last time, and I've been curious about what you look like. Now I see why Commander Yan praised you – you really are beautiful."

Cui Zixiang and Commander Liu's son Liu Peng had also been to the Laoshan front, but unlike Yan Zhao who had fought there for four solid years, their presence was more about gaining experience and padding their resumes.

But even if it was just for show, they had still been to the battlefield, so they were considered comrades.

Today, Zong Jin, Ma Bo, Xue Mingfang, and others were all there, though Xiong Dapao couldn't come because he was busy with a dealers' meeting, so he sent Xiong Xiaohua to deliver some wine.

At this moment, Xue Mingfang and Xiong Xiaohua were carrying wine into the private room.

It wasn't even noon yet, and Xue Mingfang's face was already quite red, possibly from drinking.

He usually wore an old military uniform, and when he saw Chen Meilan, he ran over. He was about to salute, but Chen Meilan gave him a look, so he quickly smiled and said, "Hello, General Manager."

Today, everyone present was a soldier who had been to the front lines and fought in battle. If Xue Mingfang called Chen Meilan "Commander" in front of them, they would mock her.

Everyone else had gone into the private room, but Chen Meilan noticed Xue Mingfang giving her signals, probably wanting to tell her something, so she held back and asked, "What is it?"

"Liu Jingjing's brother, Liu Peng, is here today, Commander. You might not know this, but Liu Peng only spent three days on the battlefield and almost got Yan's entire regiment wiped out. But just because he went to the battlefield, he's now a deputy division-level officer. Meanwhile, our Yan regiment spent four whole years on the battlefield, but we were discharged," Xue Mingfang said.

Yan Zhao had fought hard on the battlefield for four years before being transferred to civilian work.

Commander Liu's son had only spent three days on the battlefield yet was promoted to division commander. Xue Mingfang was expressing his indignation on Yan Zhao's behalf.

But Chen Meilan didn't think it was a big deal, after all, Yan Zhao wasn't in the military anymore, and he probably wouldn't care about a division commander position.

"I understand. Let's go in and sit down," she said.

But Xue Mingfang continued, "Liu Jingjing called me a few days ago and said quite a bit. From what I gathered, the reason Liu Peng and Cui Zixiang are attending this comrades' reunion is actually to raise investment for Food Factory 81. They want you to introduce them to Gu Xiao, to get him to invest in Food Factory 81. Sister-in-law, from what I know of Liu Peng's wife and Cui Zixiang's wife, they're no match for Gu Xiao."

So for Yan Zhao, this was just a gathering of war comrades.

But two sons of high-ranking officials had come from the capital, and their real target was Chen Meilan.

They wanted to meet Gu Xiao through Chen Meilan and try to get something from that wolf?

Wouldn't that be like trying to bargain with a tiger?

"Alright, I understand," Chen Meilan said.

Xue Mingfang suddenly blushed and pointed at Xiong Xiaohua, who was standing at the bus stop outside the restaurant, saying, "Sister-in-law, that girl is quite pretty. I heard she knows you..."

Chen Meilan turned to look. Xiong Xiaohua was about to board the bus. She was a young woman in her mid-twenties, elegant and graceful, standing tall like a jade statue.

She immediately understood - Xue Mingfang must have taken a liking to Xiong Xiaohua.

"I'll find an opportunity to arrange a meeting between you two," Chen Meilan said promptly.

"Yes, chief!" Xue Mingfang gave a salute, his face crimson.

Chen Meilan suddenly realized that Xiong Xiaohua and Xue Mingfang would make a perfect match.

In the private room, there were two tables set up - a smaller one for six or seven children, and a larger one for the adults.

The seat reserved for Chen Meilan was between Zhang Xiangming and Gao Xiaomei.

If Xue Mingfang hadn't done his homework earlier, Chen Meilan wouldn't have realized this gathering was actually arranged for her.

Sure enough, as soon as Chen Meilan sat down, Zhang Xiangming and Gao Xiaomei raised their glasses.

Zhang Xiangming said, "Although this is a gathering of your military comrades, we two must first toast to Chen Meilan. You've all been to the frontlines and fought in battles, which is impressive, but you can't compare to Chen Meilan. You probably don't know that among the leaders in the capital, Chen Meilan is considered a new-era commander, leading veterans in economic battles."

At this moment, Yan Zhao's expression became lukewarm.

Commander Liu's son, Liu Peng, stood up and also raised his glass: "We should indeed toast to Chen Meilan. She's not only successful in her career but also manages her family life wonderfully. Commander Yan praises her daily. Compared to Chen Meilan, our wives are like mere peasants."

For the police officers of the Jindong Branch Bureau in Xiping City, the main character of this gathering should have been Yan Zhao.

However, they were quite happy with it becoming about Chen Meilan.

After all, if Chen Meilan was happy, then Yan Zhao would be happy too. A gathering needed a reason to celebrate.

When everyone liked the reason, they all raised their glasses together.

Yan Zhao was naturally quite pleased at this point, thinking his comrades were showing respect to Chen Meilan.

He also raised his glass but said, "Meilan doesn't drink. I'll drink on her behalf."

But Zhang Xiangming drained her glass and thrust it toward Chen Meilan: "No, no, Yan Zhao, what are you doing? I must toast to Chen Meilan because she's going to help us meet our socialist partner, the Singaporean businessman Gu Xiao. I'll finish mine first, Meilan can drink as she pleases."

Yan Zhao's smiling face slowly turned cold as he suddenly turned to look at Liu Peng.

Liu Peng was Yan Jun's comrade who had spent a full ten years in Qinghai and was known for his ability to endure hardship.

But during their time at the Laoshan frontline, Yan Zhao had learned about his capabilities.

At that time, he went to the frontline as a commanding officer, but he had no combat experience and relied entirely on theoretical knowledge. His poor command not only got Yan Zhao surrounded by enemies, but their entire independent battalion almost faced complete annihilation under Liu Peng's command.

After returning from the frontline, Yan Zhao had once beaten Liu Peng so severely he nearly caused cerebral hemorrhage.

However, the war was over, and old matters were left in the past.

Now Liu Peng was already a deputy division-level cadre, and if nothing went wrong, in ten years he would take over Minister Cui's position and become the third-in-command of the Land Forces General District.

If his wife wanted Food Factory 81, that wasn't a problem.

Most military properties had been taken over by military leaders' families, which was normal - it was good to rely on the shade of a big tree.

But who was Gu Xiao? He was a wolf in sheep's clothing that only Chen Meilan could handle.

How dare Liu Peng's wife expect Chen Meilan to introduce her to Gu Xiao, and treat it as something natural?

Regardless of Zhang Xiangming's capabilities, Liu Peng had proven inadequate on the battlefield, but when it came to scheming and dealing with someone like Gu Xiao, he was far from qualified.

When it came to military property and veterans, Yan Zhao, like his hot-tempered father, was ready to slam his wine cup in anger, but fortunately, he knew Chen Meilan was smarter than him and could handle this situation.

So he held back for now.

Chen Meilan took a sip and smiled, saying, "Sister Zhang, Sister Gao, since this is a gathering of comrades, let's not talk business today. I'm already tainted by money; I'm afraid they'll mock me."

"How is it tainted? These days it's all about money. Even Commander Yan has reconciled with Gu Xiao. I heard Yan Jun's stay in America is being funded by Gu Xiao," Zhang Xiangming said with a smile. "We should also benefit from the capitalists, what's wrong with that? Like Meilan, we're also working for the military district. Food Factory 81 has the largest milk powder production line in the country. We're working on people's livelihood projects. Isn't it good to use capitalist money for public welfare?"

Yan Zhao's face grew colder, his hand gripping the wine cup so hard it nearly shattered.

Why would Liu Peng, as a deputy division-level cadre, allow his wife to say such things at the dinner table?

The blame lay not elsewhere but with Yan Jun's continued stay in America and his casual acceptance of Gu Xiao's support.

At this moment, Yan Zhao wished he could immediately bring Yan Jun back from America and put him on trial.

The others at the table grew uncomfortable due to Yan Zhao's increasingly cold expression.

However, at this moment, Chen Meilan smiled and said, "Sister Zhang, Sister Gao, there are plenty of capitalists investing in China every year, not just Gu Xiao. We shouldn't be like sheep shearers, focusing on just one person."

"But there aren't many willing to invest in military properties. We've tried before, but most foreign investors back away as soon as they hear it's military property," Zhang Xiangming said, spreading her hands.

Because military properties had to employ veterans and guarantee military wages, the expenses were too high with slower returns than private enterprises, and controlling shares weren't allowed, naturally capitalists were unwilling to invest.

It was a trap - the Liu and Cui families were forcing Chen Meilan to introduce Gu Xiao.

Yan Zhao looked at Chen Meilan, ready to leave this comrades' gathering at her signal.

But Chen Meilan completely ignored Yan Zhao's glance and changed the subject: "Investment isn't the main problem. If you really need money, our 271 can invest in you, but in business, sales are most important. Since you're planning to focus on sales, you must know about Hu Xiaohua from our factory, my sales manager."

"Yes, yes, but isn't he sick recently?" Indeed, Zhang Xiangming knew about Hu Xiaohua.

She even knew he was sick.

This proved she had done extensive research on 271 beforehand.

"Yes, let's talk about it while we eat. I need to tell you about Hu Xiaohua properly," Chen Meilan said while picking up some food for Zhang Xiangming with her chopsticks, then gestured for everyone to start eating.

Well, since Meilan had temporarily changed the subject, Yan Zhao decided to say nothing more.

He usually didn't drink, not because he disliked it, but because he feared losing control of his words and actions when drunk.

However, since this was a comrades' gathering, he had to have a few drinks.

But with so many people present, including seven or eight children, there was bound to be some chaos among the kids.

At the children's table, there were seven boys and only Yuanyuan as the lone girl. Suddenly, one of the boys jumped up with a yelp, pointing at Little Wang: "Brother, you cheater, give me back my cards!"

"But you lost them to me fair and square," Little Wang stood up and said.

"Give them back, or I'll have my grandmother and aunt beat you up!" This was Liu Peng's son, Liu Zhuangzhuang.

Being from the capital, he spoke with a distinct Beijing accent.

"But you just..." Little Wang was still trying to explain.

Liu Zhuangzhuang suddenly threw himself on the ground, kicking and crying.

Yan Zhao abruptly stood up. He was already angry, and Little Wang had caused a lot of trouble today, so he naturally couldn't help but want to scold him.

But as soon as he stood up, everyone tried to calm him down: "Commander Yan, have a drink. Let the kids be kids."

"That's right, it's normal for children to quarrel and play rough."

Yan Zhao glared sternly at his son, but Little Wang was also holding back his frustration. Earlier, he and Liu Zhuangzhuang had played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would win the cards. Not only had Liu Zhuangzhuang cheated and grabbed five or six of his cards, but he also refused to give up the ones Little Wang had won fair and square, and now he was throwing a tantrum.

Actually, he was the one being wronged.

With his father glaring at him from across the room, Little Wang, being a twelve-year-old boy, had his pride to consider.

With a loud slam, he threw all the cards onto the table.

But his hand was too forceful, and one card flew up, nearly hitting another boy's eye.

That boy let out a cry and immediately punched Little Wang.

Little Wang was stunned. Seeing how young the other child was, he felt embarrassed to fight back, but Jim had already thrown a punch, and the opponent landed another punch on Jim's face.

Instantly, a group of children began fighting furiously.

In Yan Zhao's view, all this trouble was caused by Little Wang.

This eldest son had always seemed particularly well-behaved to Yan Zhao because of his good studies and hard work with household chores, but what was wrong with him today?

In the morning, he had coaxed the two younger ones into buying so many things, which made Jim sick - his face was still sallow - and he himself had gotten diarrhea. Now he was bullying other children?

Although everyone was trying to mediate, and Yan Zhao had already used the belt on them that morning, leaving their bottoms swollen, he couldn't help wanting to give them another beating now.

Among the group of boys, punches were flying everywhere. Little Lang directly lifted Liu Zhuangzhuang off the ground, while Jim picked up a plate from the table, ready to smash it against the boy who had hit him.

The three brothers stood back-to-back, quickly forming a battle formation against the other children.

At this point, the men at the big table all stood up simultaneously, ready to teach these little ones a lesson.

However, just then, Yuanyuan suddenly clapped her hands and started singing: "Sweet dimples and sweet smile, sweet face so pretty..."

At this sound, all seven boys stopped fighting and looked at Yuanyuan.

"Sing! Why did you stop?" Liu Zhuangzhuang released Little Wang and turned to ask.

Another boy said, "That's Yang Yuying's song, 'Sweet Little Sister.' Little sister, you sing it so well, please continue!"

"I'll only sing if you stop fighting," Yuanyuan said.

With these words, the seven boys slowly loosened their grips and quietly sat down.

Little Wang and Little Lang surrounded Yuanyuan protectively, while Jim proudly declared, "This is my sister."

Liu Zhuangzhuang smiled slightly and said, "Sing some more. We weren't really fighting, just playing around."

As he spoke, he returned all the cards he had taken from Little Wang.

"Sweet little mouth like cherries so red, when little sister smiles at you, it makes your heart feel sweet," Yuanyuan sang while wiping the corner of the eye of the boy who had been hit by Little Wang's card, as it was bleeding.

Then she helped wipe Liu Zhuangzhuang's nose, as he had been crying and had snot running down his chin.

She continued singing: "Sweet dimples and sweet smile, sweet eyes that speak without words."

The group of little boys sat quietly, glancing at each other and smiling sheepishly.

The boy who had been hit was Zong Jin's son.

Zong Jin, who had been ready to discipline his son, now returned to his seat, saying with a smile, "Leaders, the children have made up, let's eat. The food must be getting cold."

Liu Zhuangzhuang had been both unreasonable and violent, so Liu Peng felt quite embarrassed and said, "Let's eat. Boys will be boys, fighting leads to friendship, right?"

Yuanyuan had been Yan Zhao's daughter for five years. She had recorded songs and appeared in TV dramas, and on a larger scale, she was a well-known child star across the country.

But Yan Zhao had never felt proud or boastful about this little girl.

After all, she was delicate, somewhat willful, and always nagging his two sons.

The two boys often got headaches from her constant talking and found her extremely annoying.

This was the first time Yan Zhao suddenly realized that if it weren't for Yuanyuan's not-so-excessive delicateness, if it weren't for her constantly following them around, nagging and scolding them, his two sons might have grown as crooked as untrimmed tree branches, who knows where they might have ended up.

The children had calmed down, and at the small table, Yuanyuan had moved on to singing "I Don't Want to Say."

Who was the most popular singer among boys of this generation if not Yang Yuying?

All the boys were applauding for her.

At the big table, the men had started playing drinking games.

Yan Zhao didn't participate in the games, occasionally taking a drink, but drinking very little, while constantly watching several female colleagues.

Zhang Xiangming and Gao Xiaomei, as daughters-in-law of the First-Class Family Compound, naturally knew their elder sister-in-law Liu Xiuying.

At this moment, they were discussing Liu Xiuying.

Although Liu Xiuying was facing prosecution and might go to prison, that was a family internal matter. Yan Zhao's family hadn't told anyone else, so in the capital, in the minds of the First-Class Family Compound residents, Liu Xiuying was still seen as a successful returnee from America, now living gloriously in the capital.

From their tone, Yan Zhao realized that their desire to attract that investor Gu Xiao was all stirred up and instigated by Liu Xiuying after she returned to the capital.

These compound residents were extremely blind and confident, seeing Gu Xiao as their new hope for wealth.

In Yan Zhao's mind, they might as well have a falling out now. These women had no idea how dangerous Gu Xiao was. If they let this continue, Food Factory 81 would surely end up under Gu's control.

But Chen Meilan maintained a constant smile, discussing business and management experience with them.

When the two women asked questions about enterprise management, she would answer honestly and comprehensively.

She especially praised Hu Xiaohua's abilities extensively.

Outsiders didn't understand 271 well enough, especially Zhang Xiangming and Gao Xiaomei who came from the capital.

Moreover, they had previously worked in government offices and knew nothing about investment, let alone sales.

The more Zhang Xiangming listened to Chen Meilan, the more she believed that 271's success was all thanks to Hu Xiaohua.

Grabbing Chen Meilan's hand, she said, "Our Food Factory 81 produces milk powder, and we currently have nearly 100,000 yuan worth of milk powder in stock. How about this - let us borrow Hu Xiaohua first, let him help us sell the milk powder and recover some capital?"

"That wouldn't be appropriate. He's our factory's top salesperson, and we're counting on him for sales too. We have a 1.5 million yuan task this quarter. If he leaves, I'll lose money," Chen Meilan said.

Gao Xiaomei and Cui Zixiang were generally kind-hearted people, and they only wanted to make some extra money because Cui Min had been successful.

They had no idea about running a business and didn't want to take advantage of others by poaching Hu Xiaohua, as they felt it was unethical, so they exchanged glances and said simultaneously, "Then let's forget about it."

Zhang Xiangming was Liu Jingjing's sister-in-law.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.

Liu Jingjing currently worked at a military district unit, and she was naturally willful and inconsiderate of others. Her sister-in-law Zhang Xiangming was even more so.

She said loudly, "Meilan, you're a daughter-in-law from the military district compound, and you're managing military property. To put it bluntly, if it weren't for Commander Yan, if it weren't for putting Commander Yan's face on the line, if it weren't for all the leaders supporting you to cooperate with Gu Xiao, could you have taken over such a big factory? Supporting the military district is what you should do. You must give us Hu Xiaohua."

"But what if we lose money without Hu Xiaohua?" Chen Meilan looked hesitant.

"I heard you made two or three million last year. In business, you can't always make money without losing some. Besides, as the leaders' praised daughter-in-law, shouldn't you try handling sales yourself?" Zhang Xiangming said with a smile.

Seeing no response, Zhang Xiangming glared at her husband: "Say something!"

Cui Zixiang was also looking at Liu Peng: "Teacher Liu, let's drop it. I don't think what we're doing is right."

Liu Peng looked somewhat troubled and said, "Xiangming, maybe we should let it go?"

Zhang Xiangming's voice grew even louder as she shrilly said, "Liu Peng, Liu Xiuying and I went to Qinghai the same year. Now she's successful and sophisticated, while I suffered in Qinghai for ten years. I'm 41 this year and want to do something with my life. Won't the military district support me? Are you just going to watch? Do you think the military district has treated me fairly?"

Though it seemed like she was arguing with her husband, these words were actually meant for Chen Meilan.

Liu Peng was likely henpecked, looking at Yan Zhao with a troubled expression.

Though not in the same government office, Liu Peng's further advancement was difficult and competition was fierce. Although Yan Zhao was only a deputy director of the city bureau, he was ten years younger than Liu Peng, and the leaders in the capital particularly favored him, considering him a key figure for cultivation who might potentially be promoted to the capital's Public Security Bureau in the future.

Therefore, Liu Peng had to give face to Yan Zhao.

But at the dinner table, knowing his wife's temper, he worried a fight might break out soon.

This put him in a difficult position, and he didn't know how to mediate the situation.

At that moment, Chen Meilan took a deep breath and said, "Alright, let's stop this staring contest. I'll let Hu Xiaohua go work for you. As for us... sales is really tough these days."

Meanwhile, at the children's table, Yuanyuan had stopped singing, and all the boys had disappeared somewhere.

Jim, having heard Zhang Xiangming and Gao Xiaomei mention his mother Liu Xiuying, had moved closer to listen to the women's conversation.

Hearing Chen Meilan's sigh, he blurted out, "But Auntie, don't we still have..."

Suddenly, Little Wang appeared out of nowhere and firmly covered Jim's mouth.

"Come on, you little rascal, let's go play cards and beat those little brats from the capital," Little Wang said as he dragged Jim under the tablecloth at the next table.

Earlier, Yuanyuan had managed to stop the boys from fighting.

But now, after reconciling, the boys had abandoned her, leaving her sitting alone.

They had all crawled under the table and were intensely playing cards.

Chen Meilan turned her attention back and seriously told Zhang Xiangming, "I've been paying Hu Xiaohua 2,000 yuan a month, and you'll need to match that salary. Otherwise, I'm worried he won't work hard for you!"

It seemed that letting Hu Xiaohua go was more painful for her than cutting off her own flesh.

"I'll pay whatever it takes as long as he performs well in sales," Zhang Xiangming agreed readily.

Liu Peng smiled and raised his glass to Chen Meilan, "That's the spirit of a great leader!"

"Commander Liu, you flatter me, but please remember one thing - make sure Hu Xiaohua gets paid exactly what he's promised," Chen Meilan said, winking at Yan Zhao while raising her glass and taking a small sip.

Yan Zhao, who had been extremely angry earlier and almost followed in his father's footsteps by throwing his glass in public, suddenly understood.

The philosophy of running a private enterprise was no different from office politics in government.

If they were to dismiss Hu Xiaohua directly, not only would he grow to hate Yan Xishan more, but he would be deeply hurt, considering how he had fought so hard for 271, drinking heavily and kneeling before distributors, earning profits by humbling himself and addressing others as "grandfather."

But by first offering Hu Xiaohua another job with high pay, and then bringing in Yan Xishan, everyone could coexist peacefully.

At the dinner table, in the factory, and in life, there were sharp edges everywhere.

Yet Yan Zhao's gently smiling wife always managed to resolve these conflicts with just a few words.