Chapter 638: The Dividends Are In!
Beijing. The Li Family!
Early in the morning, Jiang Xue got up and began bustling about in the kitchen.
Just as she was busy, her eldest sister, Li Mei, walked in from outside, carrying a basket.
“Xiao Xue, just make some congee—I just bought some meat buns from the street!” Li Mei said.
“Okay!”
Then Jiang Xue asked again, “Eldest Sister, have Mother and Second Sister gotten up yet?”
That’s right—her mother-in-law, Zhang Yuehong, and her second sister, Li Lan, had come to the capital. They had arrived yesterday on the large truck carrying dried mushrooms that her second brother-in-law was driving.
Due to some trouble with the truck on the way, they were delayed for several hours, and by the time they arrived at the Li family home, it was already past 11:00 p.m.
“They’re up. They’re getting Ningning and Ruirui dressed right now!” Li Mei said with a smile.
“Great. After we finish dinner, let’s go over to Sister Na’s place!”
Jiang Xue knew full well that while her mother-in-law and second sister had come to sell dried mushrooms with her second brother-in-law, the most important reason was to prepare Li Na’s dowry—and she had to pitch in.
“Aren’t you going to school today?”
“The school organized a screening of a revolutionary film today, but I didn’t think it was very interesting, so I took the day off!”
Actually, deep down, Jiang Xue was quite looking forward to today’s movie. The film being screened was *Xu Mao and His Daughters*, which had just been released and was rumored to be excellent.
But compared to watching the movie, Jiang Xue was more concerned with the task her husband had entrusted to her.
Before he left, Li Yi had specifically instructed her to help her third sister prepare for the wedding in her spare time. Now that her mother-in-law was here, she could discuss it with her—she had to make sure everything was handled perfectly.
Hearing Jiang Xue’s words, Li Mei didn’t think twice and replied, “That sounds good. Mom also mentioned she’d like to visit Nana and ask about her and Xiaolong’s wedding plans!”
“We really should ask. In just over a month, I’ll be on vacation, and then I’ll be able to help them plan the wedding…”
Just as she was speaking, Jiang Xue heard footsteps behind her and immediately turned to look.
To her surprise, it was her mother-in-law, Zhang Yuehong, walking in from outside, holding a cloth bag—she had no idea what was inside.
“Mother, are you hungry? My older sister bought some buns. Would you like to have a bite to tide you over?”
“I’m not hungry. Let’s all eat together in a bit!”
Then Zhang Yuehong added, “I made a set of cotton clothes and pants for Yunrui and Yunjin. I’m not sure if they’ll fit!”
Jiang Xue smiled and said, “I know how skilled you are at sewing, Mother. They’re sure to fit perfectly. Come on, let’s go try them on!”
With that, Jiang Xue handed the spoon she was holding to Li Mei, then took Zhang Yuehong by the hand and led her into the bedroom.
At that moment, the two little ones on the kang were fast asleep, their rosy cheeks making them look especially adorable.
Watching her grandson and granddaughter snuggled in their little blankets, Zhang Yuehong’s smile grew even wider.
It was clear that her daughter-in-law was taking excellent care of the children, which made her even more pleased with Jiang Xue.
While trying the winter coats on the children, Zhang Yuehong couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Xue, Meizi told me that Xiao Yi went out. When will he be back?”
“Mom, I’m not entirely sure about that, but my father is in Guangzhou. I can get in touch with him. If you miss him, I’ll have my father…”
Before Jiang Xue could finish, Zhang Yuehong hurriedly said, “No need to trouble your father-in-law. I was just asking, Mother—it’s nothing serious!”
“Mom, are you wondering how Sister Na’s wedding arrangements are coming along?”
“Hmm, Nana is the last one in the family who hasn’t settled down yet. Your father and I both want her and Xiaolong to tie the knot as soon as possible,” Zhang Yuehong said.
“Before he left, he asked me to help arrange this and left quite a bit of money. Mom, if you have any ideas, just tell me directly!” Jiang Xue said.
“How could we possibly use your money for Nana’s wedding? Just take me to the market to have a good look around. As for the money, I’ll cover it myself!”
Although Zhang Yuehong knew her son wasn’t short on money, it had never been the custom—from ancient times to the present—for a younger brother to provide a dowry for his older sister. Besides, her son was already married himself, so it was even less appropriate for him to cover the costs—after all, there was a daughter-in-law standing between them.
Jiang Xue was no fool; she could easily see through her mother-in-law’s intentions.
As she helped her son put on his cotton pants, she said, “Mother, Nana and I have been close friends since before I married into this family. Besides, while Yunrui’s father was running his shop in the capital, Third Sister and her husband were a huge help to us. Now that they’re getting married, we simply must show our appreciation.”
“But…”
“Mother, we won’t stop you and Father from buying something for Sister Na, but we’ll definitely be getting her and her husband some gifts too!” Jiang Xue said.
“All right, then!”
Although she seemed reluctant at first, seeing her daughter-in-law so reasonable and understanding, Zhang Yuehong was actually very pleased deep down.
Just then, Yunrui, who was in Jiang Xue’s arms, must have grown tired of all the commotion and suddenly burst into loud, wailing cries.
The loud wailing quickly woke up his younger sister nearby, and the two siblings immediately treated their mother and grandmother to a “melodious” duet…
………
At 8:30 a.m., Jiang Xue, all dressed and ready, was about to take her mother-in-law to the Dong’an Market branch to meet Li Na and check on the progress of their wedding home preparations.
Just then, the sound of a car engine suddenly echoed from outside the door, and moments later, Second Brother Jiang Longyin was seen rushing in with a young man in tow.
Spotting Jiang Xue and Zhang Yuehong about to leave, he immediately asked, “Auntie, when did you arrive?”
Zhang Yuehong had met Jiang Longyin before and knew he was Jiang Xue’s cousin—and apparently a high-ranking official—so she replied nervously, “Yan’er arrived yesterday!”
Jiang Xue asked curiously, “Second Cousin, why did you come over so early in the morning? Is something wrong?”
Jiang Longyin nodded and said, “I do have something to discuss with you. Let’s go inside and talk.”
“Alright!”
The group went back inside, and Jiang Longyin immediately said, “I’m here today mainly for two reasons. The first is to bring some money for my brother-in-law!”
“Money? Second Brother, are you talking about that dividend money?”
“Right. The dividends from the candy factory and the TV factory have been calculated. When my brother-in-law left, he told me to have you come pick it up as soon as the money came through!” Jiang Longyin said.
Jiang Xue recalled the astronomical figure Li Yi had mentioned when he left. Feeling both nervous and excited, she asked, “Second Brother, how… how much is this dividend?”
“A total of 4.826 million yuan…”
“Whoa!”
Jiang Xue couldn’t help but gasp, then looked at Jiang Longyin and asked, “Second Brother, is there really that much?”
“Yes, it was jointly calculated by the finance departments of the district and the State-owned Assets Department—there won’t be any issues!”
“Then… then how do I go about collecting this money?” Jiang Xue asked again.
“I’ve already had the money transferred to the district finance bureau, and I’ve brought the relevant approval documents with me. Just sign here in a moment, and then you can take the documents to the finance bureau to collect the funds.”
Jiang Longyin continued, “But since it’s such a large sum, it wouldn’t be safe for you to go alone as a young woman. Take your third brother with you, and have him bring along a security officer from their factory!”
“Okay!”
“By the way, Xue, I came here today to ask when your husband is coming back. Can you get in touch with him?” Jiang Longyin asked.
“I really don’t know when he’s coming back, and I can’t get in touch with him either, but my dad should be able to reach him!” Jiang Xue replied.
Actually, besides her father, Jiang Shiying, Jiang Xue also knew that Director Zhou could reach Li Yi—and much more quickly and easily.
But before he left, Li Yi had instructed her not to bother Director Zhou unless it was an absolute emergency.
That’s why she hadn’t brought it up earlier!
“Got it. I’ll give Uncle San a call later!”
With that, Jiang Longyin had his secretary take a document out of his briefcase and pushed it toward Jiang Xue.
“Xiao Xue, sign this, and then you can go to the Finance Bureau to collect the money!”
“Whose name should I sign it under?”
“Sign it in your name, and just add a note in parentheses at the bottom explaining your relationship!”
“Okay!”
With that, Jiang Xue took out the pen she carried with her and, under Jiang Longyin’s guidance, signed her full name in the designated spot…
…………