"Brother, do you still not realize that you've done anything wrong?" Chen Meilan asked Yan Bin.
Yan Bin countered, "If it's really that bad, she can file for divorce. If she doesn't want a divorce, then we should just get on with our lives. This limbo situation isn't good for anyone."
"Why don't you file for divorce then? With your current position as a construction team manager, aren't you worried about finding someone better?" Chen Meilan retorted.
"I was just joking. Why are you suddenly talking about divorce?" Yan Bin hastily replied.
Why indeed were they talking about divorce?
Because if Yan Zhao hadn't kicked him out of the police force, he would have ruined himself with venereal disease and driven Song Huaihua to end her life by jumping into a well. Chen Meilan would always despise such a man who indulged in vice and gambling, even if he could be useful at times.
Soon they arrived at the construction site.
The person from Dongfang Group assigned to liaise with Chen Meilan was a woman in her early thirties. She introduced herself as Cui Juan, a junior staff member.
After touring the site together, they chatted in the shade. Cui Juan asked Chen Meilan if she had any hobbies besides engineering work.
"I also enjoy dabbling in stocks. I must say, I have an excellent eye for it. Every stock I pick goes up. I've never lost money," Chen Meilan said with a smile.
Cui Juan was clearly interested in stock trading. "You play the stock market? Don't you have to go to Shanghai or Shenzhen to buy stocks these days? Are you constantly traveling there?"
Chen Meilan quickly explained, "No need for Shanghai or Shenzhen. We can do it right here in Xiping City. Do you know anyone who has Shenzhen Development Bank stocks? I'd be willing to buy them."
Cui Juan grew more curious. "Wasn't Shenzhen Development Bank reported to have gone bankrupt? Why would you want to buy it?"
"If you have any, I'll buy them from you. I'll pay 8 yuan per share," Chen Meilan continued with a smile.
Shenzhen Development Bank was a stock market legend of the 1990s. It began pre-selling original shares in 1986, went public in 1988, announced a trading halt in 1990, and when trading resumed in 1992 as part of a market rescue effort, one share had increased 200-fold in value.
"Oh, my sister has 1,000 shares of Shenzhen Development Bank. She spent a thousand yuan when she bought them," Cui Juan said.
"Then sell them all to me. I'm actually stockpiling that particular stock," Chen Meilan said, her face lit up with delight.
"But that would be eight thousand yuan," Cui Juan said, incredulous.
Chen Meilan decisively replied, "Eight thousand it is. I'll go withdraw the money now. You go get the stock certificates. Hurry."
Cui Juan thought Chen Meilan was just making casual conversation and didn't take her seriously. But as soon as Chen Meilan left Dongfang Group, she headed straight for the post office.
At the post office, Song Huaihua had just come out of a meeting when Chen Meilan approached her and asked, "So, did you get elected as the director?"
"The leadership wants me to take the position, but my son is in his first year of high school and will soon be taking the college entrance exam. I'm wondering if I should turn it down. Helping my child with his studies is important," Song Huaihua said hesitantly.
Since last year, because of the large amount of cash flow Chen Meilan had deposited at the post office, which was considered savings brought in by Song Huaihua, she had been highly appreciated by the leadership. At 40 years old, if she became the director now, she could still be promoted further in the future. If she didn't take the director position now, wouldn't her career prospects be ruined?
"Sister-in-law, are you being silly? It's easier to get into university now than it used to be. As long as your child works hard and puts in the effort, he can pass the exam. If you're in a leadership position, you can help arrange a job for him in the future. If you remain a small-time clerk, how can you help him with his career?" Chen Meilan asked pointedly.
...
"If you confine yourself at home, your husband will look down on you, and your child will resent you for being just a housewife who only knows how to cook."
...
"If you climb up to a leadership position, you can help arrange a job for your child. Your son will be grateful, and even after he gets married, he won't dare to complain. It's all for the sake of the child, but sacrificing yourself will only make you despised by everyone. Why should you do that?"
Song Huaihua was convinced by Chen Meilan's words. "Alright, alright, I'll strive to become the director. Once I have access to larger amounts, you're welcome to come for loans."
They looked at each other and burst into laughter.
While withdrawing money, Chen Meilan asked Song Huaihua, "Do I still have thirty thousand yuan in my account? I need to withdraw eight thousand."
"Didn't you just get paid this month? Why do you need another eight thousand? You're spending money like water these days." Song Huaihua took out a thick wad of cash.
"I need the money for something very important. It's like a toll fee," Chen Meilan said.
The bag Chen Meilan was carrying was the Montsouris backpack that Yan Wei had given her.
A genuine Louis Vuitton.
Despite frequently visiting construction sites, this luxurious bag was stuffed full of bills, passbooks, various IOUs from suppliers, and the stamps of the construction team.
The entire construction team was essentially in Chen Meilan's bag.
She was now the epitome of what was most popular in this era – the owner of a briefcase company.
Song Huaihua handed the money and the passbook to Meilan. Seeing that Chen Meilan had been running around all day in the heat, with her neck reddened from the bag strap, she said, "You must be handling at least four or five hundred thousand yuan by now, if not a million. You should hire an accountant to keep your books... Have you asked about Yan Xishan's accounts? I've noticed that when he goes into the newly opened Agricultural Bank across the street, his bag is always bulging, but it's empty when he comes out."
Chen Meilan had always kept the project accounts herself, while Yan Xishan was left to manage the accounts of the Xishan company on his own.
Currently, the Xishan company hadn't started selling coal on a large scale, so Yan Xishan still handed over the major accounts to Meilan.
But once they started selling coal, Chen Meilan would indeed need a woman who knew the ins and outs of the business and couldn't be turned by Yan Xishan to be the accountant. Otherwise, there was a very real possibility that she would provide the capital to build up the Xishan company, only for Yan Xishan to quietly transfer the liquid assets away.
It would be like Lu Jingyu in her previous life, using the parent company's money to nurture his own subsidiary, and finally leaving her with just an empty shell.
But finding such an accountant was difficult. Young women, regardless of their looks, would be easily swayed by Yan Xishan, while older women might not be able to keep the accounts clearly and could still be fooled by Yan Xishan.
She needed an accountant who knew the inside story and could fight alongside Chen Meilan.
It was an urgent matter.
After withdrawing the money, Chen Meilan went back to Dongfang Group to find Cui Juan.
Cui Juan was almost dumbfounded when she saw Chen Meilan with eight thousand yuan. She hurried home and brought back the stock certificates with a face value of one thousand yuan each. As she handed them to Chen Meilan, she felt quite embarrassed: "Don't regret it after you take these. I heard from my sister that this company is about to go bankrupt."
Chen Meilan smiled and asked, "What if it doesn't go bankrupt?"
Cui Juan was at a loss for words, then smiled and said, "It's mainly because this was the first stock my sister bought when she started learning about stock trading. My brother-in-law has been constantly nagging her about it, and she's always wanted to get that thousand yuan back. Actually, buying it for one yuan per share would be enough. You're offering 8 yuan per share, it makes us feel guilty."
Chen Meilan smiled, "There's nothing to feel guilty about. This stock will rise sooner or later."
"Eight thousand yuan is enough to pay a hundred farm workers for a month," Cui Juan added.
Chen Meilan sighed, "Indeed it is."
Leaving Dongfang Group, it was time for the children to finish school. Chen Meilan had to first pick up Little Lang, then walk to Dongfang School to fetch Yuanyuan and Little Wang.
Along the way, Little Lang kept humming, "The old man has heard my song, the young lad has kissed my face."
The popular song "Xin Tian You" was all the rage recently, with young men all over the streets collectively humming "The old man has heard my song, the young lad has kissed my face."
The chubby little boy sang and wiggled his bottom as he walked. When they reached a small shop, he stopped, biting his red lips with his white teeth, waiting for Chen Meilan to buy him a small milk cake. Once he got the cake, he first offered a bite to his mother, then ate it himself while continuing to sing.
The primary school's dismissal time had been adjusted this year to 5:30 PM, but both children had signed up for after-school classes. By the time Chen Meilan came to pick them up, they had just finished their extra classes and were coming out of the school gates.
"Mom, it's been decided! I'll be the only piano soloist in the Children's Day performance!" Yuanyuan waved her hand from afar.
The day after tomorrow was Children's Day, and the school was preparing a showcase of performances.
Nowadays, many children learn extracurricular subjects, and a piano solo was the most prominent performance in the whole school. Yuanyuan had been competing against fifth and sixth graders, and Chen Meilan hadn't held out much hope at first. Who would have thought she'd actually win the spot?
"Should Mom buy you a tulle dress for your performance outfit? Shall we go now?" Chen Meilan looked at her watch – it was 6:20 PM, the department store hadn't closed yet. She had to buy a beautiful performance dress for Yuanyuan.
But Yuanyuan said, "No need, Mom. I want to wear the little tulle dress that Dad bought for me." Touching the top of her head, she added, "And I want to wear this chrysanthemum hair clip too."
"Let's buy a new dress anyway."
"No, I want to wear the one my dad bought and play the piano for him," Yuanyuan said angrily, raising her voice.
In her previous life, Lu Jingyu had once bought Yuanyuan a small necklace from a street vendor while on a business trip. He boasted that it was real gold, and Yuanyuan believed him. She kept it in a small box and only wore it when she went on her first date with her boyfriend.
As a result, after wearing it for half an hour, the gold plating completely wore off, leaving only a blackened iron chain.
Yuanyuan didn't tell this story until she was fully independent. She told Chen Meilan about it as if it were a joke, saying that before discovering the gold necklace was fake, she had truly loved her stepfather Lu Jingyu.
Adult emotions are complex. When Yan Zhao bought dresses for Yuanyuan, it was more about compensating for the loss of Yan Xing. But a child's love is pure. The two little tulle dresses made Yuanyuan work hard, striving to be the brightest star in Yan Zhao's eyes.
That's why she became so excellent in this life, shining like a brilliant little star.
Compared to Yuanyuan's excellence, Little Wang was a bit too casual about his studies.
Especially after Zhou Xueqin went south and her fate was unknown, and Lu Jingyu left as well. Lu Dabao didn't transfer to Dongfang School, losing his competitive drive. Chen Meilan felt he seemed to be slipping lately.
"Little Wang, do you have any performances for Children's Day?" Chen Meilan asked.
Little Wang raised his hand and said, "Mom, I don't have any performances. We get the day off in the morning, but don't worry, I have other things to do..." He then turned to Yuanyuan and said, "Don't worry, when your brother earns money, I'll buy you a digital watch. Little Yan Ha has one, right? And Zheng Beibei in your class has one too. You'll be next."
This kid was always thinking about making money. Over the past six months, one day when Chen Meilan was doing laundry and checked his pockets, she found he had over 300 yuan.
Who would believe it?
Back home, she took out the little dress Yan Zhao bought for Yuanyuan last year, and it fit perfectly this year.
Yan Zhao had also bought a pair of small leather sandals at the time. They were a bit too big last year, so Chen Meilan had kept them aside. This year, they fit just right.
The pink tulle dress matched with a pink chrysanthemum hair clip, complementing the little girl's bangs and her round face. Her two bright black pupils were especially beautiful.
Little Wang had found a foam box from somewhere and was tinkering with it in the kitchen.
Chen Meilan was quietly listening to Yuanyuan play "Let's Row the Boat Together" on the piano, which was the song she would perform on stage the day after tomorrow.
Suddenly, the phone rang in the room across the hall.
Chen Meilan went over and picked it up. "Hello?"
The person on the other end got straight to the point: "Cui Juan is really something, selling you stocks for 8 yuan when they're only worth 1 yuan?"
Chen Meilan said, "It's a business transaction. We were both willing parties. You don't need to worry about it."
The woman on the phone paused for a moment, then said, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Cui Min, Liu Hao's wife from Dongfang Factory. The environment at Dongfang Factory is quite complex. Your construction team is about to start building, and I'm afraid there might be various obstacles. But don't worry, Cui Juan and I will definitely help you coordinate and overcome any difficulties."
After Chen Meilan expressed her thanks, the other party asked, "By the way, what's your name?"
"Chen Meilan."
"Your father-in-law is Chief of Staff Yan Peiheng, right? Our family has a good relationship with Chief Yan's family. I'll mention it to my father someday. All the daughters-in-law in your Yan family are very outstanding." The woman on the phone paused, then added, "Mainly smart, very wise."
She was building connections in such an artful way.
Chen Meilan repeatedly expressed her gratitude, thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "My father-in-law doesn't know my name yet. Why don't you mention it when you talk to him? Tell him my name is Chen Meilan?"
"Really? ... Alright then." Cui Min laughed, though she didn't know why, and then hung up the phone.
How could Chen Meilan not do her homework when it came to Dongfang Group's project?
Cui Juan's older sister is Cui Min, who is Secretary Liu's wife. Her father is also a military leader. The aunt from the Cui Minister's family that Yan Wei mentioned, who had taken care of them before, was Cui Min's mother.
Cui Min had also bought a thousand shares when Shenzhen Development Bank issued its original stock, but because the price had dropped, she had been feeling down about it.
By buying the stock for 8 yuan per share, Chen Meilan had earned a big favor from both Cui Min and Cui Juan.
This way, Cui Juan would be willing to coordinate various matters within Dongfang Group for her.
So Chen Meilan wasn't interested in stock speculation or hoarding stocks. She just wanted to use 8,000 yuan to ensure that the Cui sisters would be willing to help her in future work.
Two years later, when Shenzhen Development Bank is relisted and the stock price rises, Chen Meilan will still return those 1,000 shares to Cui Min. Through this back-and-forth, although she didn't stuff money to leaders like other contractors, her relationship with Secretary Liu's family would become unbreakable.
This is truly high-level networking. She's not just adding flowers to a brocade, she's sending charcoal in snowy weather.
Regarding Cui Min's promise to praise her in front of Minister Cui, Chen Meilan didn't take it seriously.
But in fact, Cui Min called the capital that very evening and chatted with her mother about Chen Meilan, because people love to gossip about relatives and neighbors.
One day, when Cui Min's mother ran into Yan Peiheng in the military compound, of course she had to praise Chen Meilan: "Your third daughter-in-law is particularly good. My Cui Min even praised her for being smart. Chief Yan, none of your children's marriages have disappointed."
Yan Peiheng lived alone, but his daily life was taken care of by Yan Wei's couple and his mother-in-law.
As Chen Meilan had guessed, Yan Wei had indeed let Mi Lan use that 300,000 yuan for stock trading.
Old Yan Peiheng didn't pay much attention to money, and after returning to the capital, he had forgotten about that 300,000 yuan.
Until he heard Cui Min's mother praising Chen Meilan, although he still had doubts about her, fearing she might be unreliable like Zhou Xueqin.
But after returning home, he asked Yan Wei if the term for that 300,000 yuan investment was about to expire. If so, they should hurry and send it back to Yan Zhao.
Yan Wei was also afraid of losing money in the stock market, so when he got home, he asked Mi Lan how much she had made from stock trading recently.
Over the years, Mi Lan had already made nearly 140,000 yuan with that 300,000 yuan. The old man didn't know the details, but seeing his daughter-in-law's business flourishing, he thought highly of Mi Lan and liked her very much. He thought, if it's not going well, they should hurry and return the money.
They wanted to go abroad, and still needed the old man's approval to leave. There was no need to anger him.
"Let's trade one more time. If this one goes well, I can make another 40,000," Mi Lan said.
Stock trading is addictive. She had 150,000 in hand but wanted to make one more trade to reach 200,000 for herself.
However, both Yan Wei and his wife were puzzled. Originally, when Yan Peiheng mentioned Chen Meilan, he always referred to her as 'that comrade'. Now he had dropped even her surname and kept saying Meilan this, Meilan that.
One day he even mused, "Without relying on my connections, and with Yan Zhao's personality being like mine, not one to network, how do you think Meilan is getting these projects?"
Yan Wei and his wife exchanged a glance, and Mi Lan secretly rolled her eyes: As if Yan Zhao hadn't helped with networking.
It's just that they did it discreetly, and the old man didn't know. Unlike him, who had resources but wouldn't use them for his son and daughter-in-law. What an old fossil.
This old man always favored Yan Zhao, so biased!
...
Early in the morning, while Chen Meilan was still asleep, Yuanyuan crept over.
She whispered in her ear, "Mom, it's almost Children's Day."
Chen Meilan sat up abruptly: "Did I oversleep? Am I going to be late?"
Yan Zhao also quickly turned on the light. It was only 5:30 in the morning.
Yuanyuan rested her chin on her hands, looking at the couple curiously and smiling.
If it were Little Wang or Little Lang, Yan Zhao would have dragged them out and given them a good spanking.
But for Yuanyuan, Yan Zhao just said, "Yuanyuan, go out for a bit while Dad and Mom get dressed." They were both naked, with no clothes on.
Yuanyuan slipped outside, and soon after, Dad came out wearing an undershirt.
This was a completely different dad from the one before. His muscles were particularly intimidating. In the morning, he habitually punched the sandbag, making the bag that terrified Little Wang and hurt his hands so much that Yuanyuan had to blow on them for a long time, resound with loud thumps.
"Dad, will you come watch my performance on Children's Day?" Yuanyuan asked, looking up at her father's toned muscles gleaming in the early morning light as he pummeled the punching bag.
"No," Yan Zhao replied curtly.
Yuanyuan's face fell. "But I have a piano solo, and I'm going to wear the dress you bought me."
"Not possible," Yan Zhao said as he secured the swaying punching bag and went to brush his teeth.
It wasn't that he didn't want to go, but his work had been keeping him extremely busy lately, leaving no time to spare.
The Fan Xiang father and son had been in custody for four months now. People higher up kept creating obstacles to prevent the case from reaching the prosecutor's office, which meant they couldn't be sentenced yet.
For criminals, simply locking them up wasn't enough - they needed to face the full force of the law.
Just a few days ago, Deputy Director Zhao Lei had been walking down the street when someone inexplicably clubbed him over the head from behind. He was still lying in the hospital.
Zhao quickly arranged for medical retirement. Lying in his hospital bed, the thing he felt most grateful for was that Yan Zhao hadn't exposed him, allowing him to retire safely with his pension intact.
As thanks, he left all the tea from his office for Yan Zhao and had an in-depth talk with him, revealing many inside details about Fan Xiang's criminal organization.
Whether Yan Peiheng had put in a good word or if no one from above dared interfere with the Jindong branch anymore, Yan Zhao was now the Deputy Director. From now on, he and Sun Nutao would officially handle the Fan Xiang case and thoroughly investigate all their past crimes.
This was to be a severe crackdown on criminal organizations. They had to dig deep and uncover everything in preparation for the next citywide public trial that would shock everyone!
So after brushing his teeth, Yan Zhao went out to buy spicy soup and soy milk, then warmed up some steamed buns. He was about to leave with just a cold bun for himself when he saw Yuanyuan pick up the phone. He turned back and asked, "Yuanyuan, are you making a call?"
Yuanyuan replied dejectedly, "I still have another dad. You go ahead with your work, Dad. I'll just ask my other dad to come watch."
Yan Zhao instinctively checked his watch. "No need for that. Let me see the program schedule - I'll try my best to make it back in time."
Yuanyuan immediately hung up the phone. "Okay, Dad. I'll be wearing the dress and little leather shoes you bought me on stage!"
The morning light was perfect. Yan Zhao had recently repainted all the courtyard and exterior walls. The snow-white walls, clean cement courtyard, and blooming flowers in the garden framed Yuanyuan as she waved goodbye to her police officer father through the sparkling clean window.
Chen Meilan watched it all. As the saying goes, it takes the right tool for the job. In this world, Yuanyuan was probably the only one who could keep Yan Zhao in check.
"By the way, can you go out with me as a guest tonight?" Chen Meilan asked, chasing after him.
She had bought Cui Min's stocks, and Cui Min wanted to invite Chen Meilan over for dinner to show her appreciation. If Yan Zhao went with her, their relationship with Cui Min would surely strengthen, making future projects and payments go as smooth as butter.
But it was wishful thinking. Yan Zhao called back from afar, "I don't have time for dinner. We should tile the house soon. I'm meeting a war buddy this afternoon to look at some tiles."
The stubbornness of this man! If he was willing to socialize a bit, Chen Meilan's career could potentially flourish even more.
But marrying a man like this meant he could make your home a model for the whole village, yet don't expect him to help advance your career.
Watching Yan Zhao leave, Chen Meilan suddenly worried he might bring back a batch of pink floor tiles.
Low-quality tiles could contain formaldehyde and radioactive materials. Since Little Lang's platelet count was naturally low, she feared that inhaling harmful fumes might trigger the child's condition. She hadn't wanted to tile the house so early.
Before Chen Meilan could chase after him, Yan Zhao was already gone.
...
Chen Meilan had personally done Yuanyuan's makeup. The little girl still needed to go to school for rehearsal, so Chen Meilan had sent her to school just after 6 am.
Upon returning home, she saw Little Wang hugging a large white styrofoam box with a pleading look. "Mom, it's Children's Day today - our special day. Can you grant me one wish and let me go out to earn some money?"
It was clear Little Lang had been influenced by his brother, as he also rubbed his hands together and said, "Little babies all love to make money money. Mommy, it's our special day, we want to earn money today."
Since it was Children's Day, Little Wang probably wanted to sell something at school. There would be many parents and children around, creating more shopping opportunities.
"What, you want Mom to help you sell cassette tapes?" Chen Meilan asked as she crouched down to help them put on their sandals.
Little Wang sold tapes every day, but today he wasn't planning to sell tapes, but... ice cream.
Apparently, there was a wholesale market two bus stops away where ice cream could be bought for 15 cents each. Small shops sold them for 30 cents, but if he brought them to school, he could sell each one for 50 cents.
After all, it was hot, and with parents and children watching performances at school, they'd be desperate for something cold. Since outside ice cream vendors couldn't get in, he'd have a monopoly and could charge a premium.
"Let's go, Mom! Can we go fleece those parents?" Little Wang asked, clinging to Chen Meilan's leg and patting her bottom like an excited puppy.
"What are you doing?" Chen Meilan asked.
Little Wang replied matter-of-factly, still patting her bottom, "Buttering you up!"
Society was evolving. In this era, rich people like Yan Xishan made money by drinking and using their bodies.
But in the future, it would be those with knowledge, education, and capital operation skills who could make money. Take Lu Dabao from her past life - his father started with real estate, and he became a second-generation tycoon by playing with capital.
Little Wang was like Yuanyuan from her past life. In the future, he would still be like the older generation like Yan Xishan, working hard, drinking, flattering people, and sweating to earn small amounts of money.
Look at him now, gently patting Chen Meilan's bottom, his big eyes blinking so innocently.
If he doesn't study hard, he'll end up following the same old path as Yan Xishan in the future.
Chen Meilan wasn't sure how best to educate stepchildren in a blended family and could only figure it out gradually.
But when it came to making money, it was like feeding children. She had once cured Little Wang's habit of stealing food with seven or eight large chicken legs and two weeks of daily Coca-Cola. Maybe if she helped the kids earn some money this time and made them happy, she could also cure their obsession with making small profits?
With this in mind, Chen Meilan said, "Little Wang, I'll go with you today. But after you finish making money today, you have to focus on studying well for your final exams, okay?"
Little Wang didn't say thank you. He just shouldered his big styrofoam box and walked ahead into the morning light. As soon as they left the house, he shouted, "The old man has heard my song..."
Little Lang immediately followed with, "The young lad has kissed my face."
"The mountain azaleas bloom and fall... Mommy, I love you!" Little Wang sang as he rushed onto the bus, balancing the styrofoam box on his head.
This caused all the passengers to turn and look at Chen Meilan as she hurried to catch up.
It was rare to see a child sing "Mommy, I love you" so naturally as part of a song.
