Chapter 415: The Clothing Business Is Over!

After the Lantern Festival, following a brief moment of tenderness with Jiang Xue and their child, Li Yi threw himself back into his busy work schedule!

Just as he had told Jiang Xue before, the cotton mill was a complete mess.

For over twenty years, the cotton mill had been producing fabric and selling it to various supply and marketing units.

Now, shifting the business focus from fabric production to selling ready-to-wear garments all at once meant there was simply too much to handle.

And Jiang Longcheng wasn’t exactly a skilled manager; in fact, among the entire management team of the cotton mill, there were very few who truly understood management or business operations.

To be honest, among them, only He Tianming and Sun Feng were somewhat competent; as for the rest, they were just there to coast by and go through the motions.

Under these circumstances, Li Yi had no choice but to step in personally and guide them step-by-step on how to carry out industrial upgrades and reforms.

Fortunately, although Jiang Longcheng didn’t know much about management or business operations, backed by the powerful Jiang family, his network of connections was truly impressive.

After Li Yi submitted his proposed cooperation plan to the district government, it took less than a week to be reviewed and approved.

Subsequently, in the presence of the entire factory workforce, Li Yi signed a cooperation agreement with the cotton mill.

With the agreement signed, Li Yi now had a legitimate reason to get involved in the cotton mill’s operations, and he immediately set to work with full force.

Under his guidance, Jiang Longcheng first secured a massive loan of 3 million yuan from the bank in the cotton mill’s name!

Once the loan was disbursed, Li Yi used 2 million of it to purchase raw materials to ensure fabric production.

The remaining 1 million was allocated partly to purchasing machinery such as sewing machines and overlockers to expand production.

The other portion was allocated entirely to the sales department, empowering them to use the funds to establish sales channels, open direct-sales stores, and expand the market for Feixue Apparel.

It is worth noting that, at Li Yi’s strong urging, An Hong, after consulting with her husband Wang Anguo,

she ultimately decided to officially resign from the county textile factory and come to Beijing to assist Li Yi.

Upon An Hong’s arrival in Beijing, Li Yi immediately assigned her to the Sales Department, where she officially took charge.

With An Hong on board, the Sales Department’s operations quickly got back on track.

While dispatching sales teams to the provinces of Northern Sai, Western Jin, and Eastern Lu to develop business, they simultaneously recruited suitable sales talent in the capital and provided them with rigorous training.

Within a very short time, the sales department’s headcount grew from 80 to over 200.

But having just these people wasn’t enough; opening directly operated stores required qualified sales associates.

Especially after witnessing the sales performance of the beautiful sales assistants at the Wangfujing and Andong stores, An Hong fully understood the importance of these attractive sales assistants.

She immediately instructed the cotton mill’s DXMBang division to recruit 200 tall, well-proportioned, and attractive female employees from the general public and provide them with sales associate training.

Meanwhile, Li Yi continued to ramp up his advertising efforts!

After the Lunar New Year, he personally wrote a large number of sponsored articles and had them published in various newspapers and media outlets.

He also had Jiang Longcheng leverage his connections to secure coverage from numerous TV stations, newspapers, and magazines regarding the cotton mill’s reforms, thereby boosting Feixue Apparel’s visibility.

With this multi-pronged approach, the results were naturally spectacular.

In a very short time, the factory’s shipment volume gradually returned to pre-New Year levels.

As shipments increased day by day, the pre-New Year inventory of clothing was quickly sold out, and the fabric inventory belonging to Li Yi was also being used up rapidly—much faster than Li Yi had anticipated.

To avoid disrupting the store’s operations, Li Yi promptly arranged for the cotton mill’s own clothing to be sold in the store and instructed the sales department to vigorously promote the mill’s apparel.

Although customers and wholesalers visiting the store did not notice any changes, behind the scenes, the transfer of operational control from Li Yi to the cotton mill had been quietly completed.

And so, after another half-month, once all of Li Yi’s inventory of raw materials had been sold out, he transferred the two directly operated specialty stores in the city center, along with all sales channels, to the cotton spinning mill.

At the end of February, with just three days left until his son and daughter’s one-month celebration, Li Yi finalized the financial handover with the Cotton Spinning Factory.

After withdrawing the 1.24 million yuan in receivables belonging to him from the cotton mill’s finance department,

Apart from the newly signed cooperation agreement, there were no further business disputes between Li Yi and the cotton mill.

With that, Li Yi had successfully completed this major business deal!

Upon calculation, this business venture took two and a half months.

With a mere 200,000 yuan in capital, Li Yi had leveraged 500,000 yuan worth of defective fabric, turned it into clothing, and brought it to market.

In the end, after deducting all expenses, he made a profit of 4.3 million yuan, marking the initial stage of his primitive accumulation of capital.

Additionally, he used this time to establish the country’s first fashion brand—Feixue.

Using this as capital, he entered into a cooperation agreement with the Second State-Owned Cotton Spinning Mill in Beijing.

Given the current market conditions, as long as the cotton mill’s operations run smoothly,

and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he’ll be able to sit back and count his money from now on!

Given that all departments of the cotton mill were now fully operational, Li Yi formally withdrew from the mill after settling the accounts.

Let Jiang Longcheng and his team handle the rest on their own.

Although Jiang Longcheng hoped Li Yi would stay a little longer, Li Yi knew that this wasn’t his own business after all, and getting too deeply involved might not be a good thing.

Besides, he had already done everything he could, and it was time to let go.

Seeing that Li Yi’s mind was made up, Jiang Longcheng could only nod in agreement.

After all, his brother-in-law was right there in the capital; if anything really did come up at the mill, he could go find him at any time, and he was sure Li Yi wouldn’t refuse to help.

And so, Li Yi brought his involvement with the cotton mill to a complete close!

…….

After wrapping up matters at the cotton mill, Li Yi began preparing for his child’s full-moon banquet.

Jiang Xue didn’t want to throw a lavish celebration, and neither did Li Yi. Not only was it too much trouble, but a grand celebration would also involve the hassle of accepting gifts.

Once they accepted people’s monetary gifts, they’d have to return the favor when those people hosted their own events—it was just too much of a hassle!

So, Li Yi decided to invite relatives from the Jiang and Ye families, along with his own parents, and set up a few tables at home for a simple, joyful gathering.

However, he didn’t plan to hold it at the Jiang family’s old mansion; instead, he intended to host it at his own shop.

The reason was simple!

On the one hand, because of the old man, the ancestral home had security guards stationed there year-round, making it really inconvenient to host a banquet.

On the other hand, the Jiang family’s old mansion could only comfortably accommodate twenty or thirty people at a time; any more than that would be a stretch, and it was nowhere near as spacious as his own shop.

Besides, holding a banquet at his father-in-law’s place would inevitably invite gossip.

So, after much deliberation, Li Yi decided to hold the full-moon banquets for his son and daughter at his own restaurant.

However, since his restaurant specializes in grilled and hot-pot meats, those dishes clearly weren’t suitable for a banquet.

After some thought, Li Yi immediately asked Jiang Longcheng to help find a few skilled chefs to come to the restaurant and lend a hand for a few days.

He then had Long Zhanjun post a notice announcing that the restaurant would be temporarily closed for two days so they could focus entirely on preparing for the celebration.

After making these arrangements, Li Yi said goodbye to Jiang Xue, borrowed Jiang Longcheng’s Jeep, and headed back to Qingshan County to pick up his parents so they could attend their grandchildren’s full-moon celebration.

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed!

These past few days, Li Yi had been swamped with guiding the cotton mill’s industrial reforms and hadn’t returned to the old family home for several days.

Today was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month—the Lantern Festival—a day when families reunite!

That afternoon, Li Yi was busy at the cotton mill when he suddenly received a call from Jiang Xue, asking him to come back to the old family home for dinner that evening to celebrate the holiday together.

Li Yi was actually quite homesick for his wife and child, so he agreed.

At 5:00 p.m., after wrapping up his work at the shop, Li Yi rode in Jiang Longcheng’s car back to the Jiang family’s old house in Dxmbang.

As soon as he arrived at the old family home, he could hear a child crying from a distance, so Li Yi immediately pushed open the door and walked in.

Inside, Jiang Xue was breastfeeding their son, while his mother-in-law sat nearby, holding the still-wailing Xiao Yunjin in her arms.

Seeing Li Yi push the door open, a flicker of joy crossed Jiang Xue’s eyes. Instead of turning away, she smiled and asked, “You’re back?”

“Yeah, I’m back!”

Li Yi then walked over to his mother-in-law and offered his hand, saying, “Mom, let me take him. Why don’t you rest for a bit?”

Ye Lingyun didn’t refuse. As she handed Little Yunjin to Li Yi, she said, “I’ll go check on the kitchen and tell Aunt Wang to add a few more dishes!”

With that, Ye Lingyun turned and left the main room, closing the door behind her as she went.

She could tell that her daughter and son-in-law had a truly close bond.

Her son-in-law had been quite busy these past few days and hadn’t come home to rest, which had left her daughter feeling a bit down.

Now that he was finally back, the young couple surely had a lot to talk about, so it would be best for her not to be the third wheel.

After his mother-in-law left, Li Yi cradled Xiao Yunjin as he paced back and forth on the floor, speaking gently: “Let Daddy see what’s wrong. Why are you crying so hard? Is your tummy hungry?”

Whether it was a father-daughter bond or simply his voice that drew the little girl in, she soon stopped crying and just looked at Li Yi with her big, round, sparkling eyes.

After half a month of careful care, the little girl no longer looked like she did when she was first born—a sight that could have made her own mother cry from embarrassment.

Her wrinkled skin was gone; now she was not only fair and soft all over, but she also knew how to interact with adults.

Even though she probably didn’t understand a thing, she was still incredibly adorable.

Just as Li Yi was playing with Xiao Yunjin, Jiang Xue suddenly asked, “How much longer will things at the cotton mill keep you busy?”

“At least another half a month!” Li Yi replied.

“Only half a month? That’s pretty quick!” Jiang Xue said happily.

Li Yi smiled and said, “That’s just an optimistic estimate. With that mess at the cotton mill, if I really have to see it through to the end, it might take me half a year to finish!”

“So what are you planning to do…”

“My plan is to get their industrial layout sorted out and clear out our remaining inventory while I’m at it. As for the rest, let Third Brother and the others handle it themselves!” Li Yi said.

“Didn’t you say earlier that there were still over ten thousand yards of fabric left to sell? Can you really clear that out in just two weeks?”

“Pretty much. Shipments have been moving along nicely lately!” Li Yi replied.

“The New Year’s holidays are over—are people still coming into the store?” Jiang Xue asked curiously.

“Yes, and quite a few, actually!”

Seeing the look of surprise on Jiang Xue’s face, Li Yi immediately explained, “That’s the appeal of best-selling clothing. People buy these items because they like them, not just because of holidays or because they have nothing else to wear.”

“I heard from Sister Xinyao that our two stores were packed every day before the New Year. It’s a shame I didn’t get to see it,” Jiang Xue said with a hint of regret.

“Hehe, just hang in there for another two weeks. Once you’re out of your postpartum confinement, I’ll take you to check them out!” Li Yi said.

“Great!”

Just then, Li Yi suddenly said, “Dalong is back from Yong County, and he brought some news. Do you want to hear it?”

“What news? Is it about those people from the Tang family?”

“Yeah! According to Dalong, Liu Ermao was arrested and sentenced to 20 years!”

“Twenty years? That’s so harsh?” Jiang Xue asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yeah, intentional assault resulting in serious injury, illegal trading, embezzlement of state assets, and sexual misconduct—he was convicted on multiple counts!” Li Yi explained.

“What about his brother-in-law, the factory director? He’s supposed to have a lot of connections. Didn’t he pull any strings this time?”

Li Yi couldn’t help but chuckle at this.

This girl clearly had no idea about her father, Jiang Shiying, or the true power of the Jiang family. How could the director of a county-level steel mill possibly compare in influence to the Jiang family? It was like an ant trying to shake a tree!

“Haha, that guy’s in just as much trouble himself. He got arrested too, and his sentence was even harsher than Liu Ermao’s!”

“Oh my, he wasn’t executed, was he?”

“Not quite—just life imprisonment!”

“Life… life imprisonment?”

“Right. That guy’s crimes were even more egregious than Liu Ermao’s. Not only did he abuse his position for years to embezzle and accept bribes, but he also condoned thugs like Liu Ermao committing all sorts of crimes. After he was arrested, he even forced his underlings to take the fall for him, so he was punished with the full severity of the law!” Li Yi said.

“Serves him right! That’s exactly how it should be—good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds are punished!” Jiang Xue said with satisfaction.

“Hmm, aside from those two scoundrels, quite a few people from the Tang family were also dealt with. Although they weren’t sentenced to prison, most of them were fired from their jobs!”

Li Yi continued, “There’s also some good news: Captain Xiao, who helped us earlier, has been promoted to head of the Yong County Criminal Investigation Division!”

“That’s wonderful!”

At that point, Jiang Xue suddenly realized something and looked at Li Yi, asking, “Tell me the truth—did Dad step in?”

Jiang Xue was a sharp-witted person; she just hadn’t thought of it before.

Given that Li Yi had just mentioned how nearly everyone involved in the case had been punished, while those who had helped them had been rewarded, it was clearly too much of a coincidence to be a mere coincidence.

Given that, the answer was already obvious!

Li Yi didn’t hide anything; he nodded and said, “Yes, it was indeed Father’s doing!”

“Will this have any repercussions for Dad?”

“No!”

“Then I’m relieved!”

As she spoke, Jiang Xue felt her son in her arms release the “grain sack.” She immediately said, “Give me Yun Jin. Pat Yunrui on the back so he doesn’t choke on his milk!”

“Okay!”

After handing the little girl to Jiang Xue, Li Yi picked up his son and gently patted him on the back to help him burp.

At the same time, Li Yi looked at his wife and said again, “Xiao Xue, Tang Jizhong and Li Hongmei, along with Tang Lei, Tang Bing, Tang Meiqin, Tan Cheng, Liu Ermaozi, and the others have all been sentenced. The rest of the Tang family has also been punished. Let’s put this matter to rest. Let’s not bring it up again in the future, okay?”

Jiang Xue nodded and said, “Yes. Not only have I found my biological parents, but I’ve also changed my surname back. It’s unlikely I’ll have any further dealings with those people. Let’s just leave it at that!”

“Then let’s consider this matter closed. We’ll just look forward from here on out!”

“Mm-hmm!”

Then, Jiang Xue suddenly changed the subject and said, “Oh, by the way, Mom asked me out of the blue today—how are we planning to celebrate the baby’s full-moon banquet?”

“How do you want to celebrate it?” Li Yi asked immediately.

“I don’t know—that’s why I’m asking you.”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Didn’t we agree before that you’re in charge of major family matters? An event this big definitely needs your input, doesn’t it?”

Hearing this, even though she knew Li Yi was just joking with her, Jiang Xue still felt a warm, sweet sensation in her heart.

She thought for a moment and said, “I don’t want to go all out. Why don’t we invite our family and friends over for a meal at home? If possible, it would be great to invite the baby’s grandparents too. What do you think?”

“Sure, I’ll take care of the arrangements!”

“Okay!”

……..

February 12, 1981—the eighth day of the first lunar month!

After a week-long Spring Festival holiday, all the shops under Li Yi’s name reopened for business, including the Feixue Apparel stores in Wangfujing and Dong’an, as well as the hot pot restaurant in Beiguancun!

Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Li Yi, accompanied by Dongzi and Liu San, set off on a motorized flatbed cart to Dong’an Market to procure supplies.

Normally, Long Zhanjun and his team handled these tasks, but since he was still in Yong County and hadn’t returned yet, Li Yi had no choice but to handle it himself.

After purchasing beef, lamb, and various vegetables, they returned to the shop by 7:30 a.m.

He gave Dongzi and the others a few brief instructions, telling them to prepare the ingredients as they had before the New Year and to operate as usual.

As for himself, after a quick bite of breakfast, he headed straight to the nearby cotton mill.

Right now, the cotton mill was Li Yi’s top priority. After all, it wasn’t just about whether Jiang Longcheng could deliver results; it also affected Li Yi’s 12% profit share, so he simply couldn’t afford to be careless.

More importantly, he still had over ten thousand yards of unsold cotton fabric, so it wasn’t yet time to completely let go.

By the time Li Yi arrived at the cotton mill, the workers were already there. Under the direction of managers and supervisors, they were inspecting machinery, cleaning the premises, and preparing to resume production.

When he entered Jiang Longcheng’s office, the man was in the middle of a meeting with several deputy plant managers and department heads, discussing the very development plan Li Yi had drawn up for them.

Seeing Li Yi push open the door and walk in, Jiang Longcheng immediately said, “Brother-in-law, you’re here! Have a seat!”

Li Yi didn’t hesitate and immediately found an empty seat to sit down.

No sooner had he sat down than Jiang Longcheng hurriedly said, “Brother-in-law, we’re discussing how to implement your plan, but we’re still having trouble making sense of it. Why don’t you explain it to everyone?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Deputy Plant Manager He Tianming chimed in, “Comrade Li Yi, your plan is too complicated, and some parts seem unlikely to be accomplished. Please do teach us all!”

“That’s right, Comrade Li Yi, please walk us through it…”

…….

Hearing their requests, Li Yi nodded and said, “I had actually planned to take you all to check out those two stores in the city today. Since you’d rather discuss the implementation of the plan first, I’ll go ahead and explain it!”

“I designed this plan specifically for the cotton mill’s unique circumstances. The goal is to transform the mill into a mega-enterprise with annual profits exceeding 100 million yuan. The specific implementation methods are…”

According to Li Yi’s plan, once production resumes, all the textile workshops at the mill must operate at full capacity to continue producing various fabrics.

At the same time, we’ll continue recruiting workers and expanding the scale and production capacity of the garment production workshops.

Additionally, the sales team must be expanded!

Their task would be to increase the number of company-owned stores across the country while simultaneously expanding and refining the garment factory’s sales channels, ensuring that all clothing produced by the cotton mill could be sold nationwide.

After hearing Li Yi’s analysis and explanation, everyone present was deeply inspired, though some furrowed their brows in deep concern.

No sooner had Li Yi finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng interjected, “Everyone, while my brother-in-law still has time, please voice any questions you have right away—this opportunity won’t come around again!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sun Feng, the head of the sales department, stood up and said, “Comrade Li Yi, isn’t the task assigned to our sales department a bit too heavy? With our current staff, we simply won’t be able to complete such a daunting task.”

The task Li Yi had set for Sun Feng and his team was to increase the number of the cotton mill’s directly operated stores to 300 within a year, with sales channels covering all major cities nationwide.

Especially the provincial capitals—not a single one could be left out!

Of course, Li Yi also knew that the sales team’s motivation was directly proportional to their compensation.

Therefore, he had specifically emphasized in the plan that if the task was completed, every member of the sales team would receive a generous bonus.

If the target wasn’t met, however, all managers—including Sun Feng—would receive only their base salary, with bonuses and performance-based pay entirely withheld.

“We can hire more staff if needed, but the set targets must be met!”

After setting the tone, Li Yi continued, “There’s no denying that your Sales Department’s workload is indeed heavy, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to accomplish.”

“But…”

“There’s no ‘but’ about it. Think back to before the New Year—you managed to secure sales channels in over thirty counties and districts in just half a month. Now you have a whole year. How can you possibly fail to meet the target of 300 company-owned stores plus establishing a nationwide sales network?” Li Yi said.

“We’ll do our best!” Sun Feng said solemnly.

“It’s not about doing our best—it’s about getting it done!” Li Yi declared firmly.

“Yes, but I hope Comrade Li Yi will grant us one request!” Sun Feng said again.

“What request? Go ahead.”

“I’m asking that Comrade An Hong be transferred to our Sales Department!” Sun Feng said, making a startling request.

“Why?”

“Because Comrade An Hong gave us a lot of good ideas that helped us complete our pre-New Year’s tasks so successfully. If she comes to help us, we’ll be even more confident!”

Sun Feng continued, “If Comrade An Hong were to join us, I’d be willing to step down as head of the Sales Department and work under her!”

Li Yi was secretly somewhat shocked. True to her reputation as the self-made marketing queen from his past life, she had accomplished so much without him even noticing—she was truly remarkable.

After a moment’s thought, Li Yi replied immediately, “I can’t give you an answer to that request just yet. Comrade An Hong isn’t my subordinate, and she doesn’t live in Beijing. I’m not sure what she thinks, so I’ll have to check with her first before getting back to you!”

“Alright!”

The reason Li Yi had set such demanding targets for the Sales Department was primarily because he understood the critical importance of sales channels to a company.

It’s fair to say that the quality of a company’s sales channels directly determines its survival.

For the company to survive right now, it can no longer rely on the notion that “good wine needs no bush.”

No matter how excellent the product quality may be, without a well-established sales channel, it cannot be converted into profit.

For this very reason, sales channels will be regarded as one of a company’s most important assets in the future; building sales channels is tantamount to increasing one’s own assets.

Of course, sales channels are also the most volatile of assets.

The cotton mill currently has a brand, technology, and good products; its biggest weakness is the lack of a solid sales channel.

If Sun Feng and his team can accomplish their mission, this weakness will be addressed, and the annual profit target of 20 million will be secured.

After the meeting, Li Yi suggested visiting the company’s directly operated stores in the city center to assess the situation.

Naturally, no one objected. The group then set off in three Jeeps, heading straight for the two stores in the city center.

Since the Dong’an store was slightly closer, when they arrived, they found that even on the eighth day of the first lunar month, customers were still streaming in to buy clothes.

The Wangfujing store was even more bustling; the 200-square-meter space was packed with people—it would not be an exaggeration to say they were shoulder to shoulder.

After briefly chatting with some of the customers, Li Yi and the others finally understood.

The reason these people were buying clothes at this time was not because they hadn’t bought any for the New Year, nor because they had nothing to wear.

The main reason was that they hadn’t known about Feixue Apparel before, nor were they familiar with bell-bottoms or batwing shirts. During the New Year, they saw many relatives and friends wearing these stylish clothes, so they wanted to buy a set for themselves.

At the same time, the customers offered Li Yi and his team a lot of feedback. For instance, they noted that the store’s clothing selection was too plain and limited in color and style, and they hoped the shop would expand its range of designs and colors.

Li Yi took careful note of all these suggestions from customers, planning to organize them upon his return and have the cotton mill make improvements accordingly.

In short, under Li Yi’s guidance, the Capital’s Second Cotton Mill completely transformed its previous business model and was now racing toward becoming a legend!

Beiguan Village. Hot Pot Restaurant!

Ye Jianhua’s unusual demeanor naturally caught Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng’s attention. Knowing Ye Jianhua as they did, they knew he wouldn’t say such things unless something was wrong.

The two exchanged a glance, and Li Yi immediately asked him, “What’s going on? What’s got you so pensive?”

“Nothing. I just heard what you were saying earlier, and it suddenly struck a chord with me. I couldn’t help but say a few extra words!” Ye Jianhua replied casually.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng, standing nearby, shot him a glare, his face betraying a look of disdain.

“Give it a rest. Do you really think we can’t tell if something’s up? Do you take us for blind?”

“Uh…”

Ye Jianhua shook his head with a wry smile. “It’s true that something rather unpleasant has happened, and I’m having a hard time coming to terms with it right now!”

“What’s going on? Spit it out,” Jiang Longcheng said.

Ye Jianhua paused for a moment, then sighed after a long silence. “Zhu Qiwén’s father came to see me this afternoon!”

“What did he want? Was it about Zhu Qiwen?”

“Yeah, he wants me to forgive Zhu Qiwén and drop the matter!”

Jiang Longcheng snapped, “Why? Doesn’t that Zhu guy know exactly what those bastards did? How dare he come to you?”

“Damn it, if I get pissed off, I’ll take care of those old farts too. I’ve been too lenient with them…”

Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng were both aware of the situation involving Zhu Qiwen, Gou Daocheng, and Yang Xueli.

After Du Haicheng had ruined the gathering Ye Jianhua had organized that day, Li Yi had warned Ye Jianhua to keep a close eye on those bastards.

Ye Jianhua naturally took Li Yi’s words seriously. Plus, unlike Jiang Longcheng, he wasn’t so stubborn, so after returning home, he had his second older brother—who worked at the Public Security Bureau—start investigating these guys.

As it turned out, once they started digging, they uncovered something serious.

The investigation revealed that while Ye Jianhua had treated them as friends and brothers over the years, they had been exploiting him all along—even going so far as to use his name to get up to all sorts of mischief.

Extorting bribes and kickbacks was bad enough, but what was most despicable was that these scoundrels had actually been preying on numerous women behind Ye Jianhua’s back.

But the victims, intimidated by the Ye family’s influence, dared not speak out and chose to let the matter drop.

Faced with such behavior, neither Ye Jianhua nor the rest of the Ye family would let the matter rest.

Subsequently, at the Ye family’s behest, the district bureau—having secured irrefutable evidence—immediately arrested the men.

Although the Zhu, Yang, and Gou families weren’t exactly major clans, they weren’t ordinary households either. After the incident, their relatives scrambled in every direction, trying to get those bastards out of jail.

But the Ye family was naturally not going to let them off so easily. No matter how hard these families tried, they ultimately failed to get those scoundrels released.

Left with no other choice, Zhu Qiwén’s father appealed to Ye Jiànhuá, hoping he would show mercy and drop the charges against Zhu Qiwén and the others.

He knew full well that as long as the Ye family relented, everything else would fall into place.

“Third Brother, please calm down!”

After stopping Jiang Longcheng from ranting, Li Yi turned to Ye Jianhua again and asked, “You aren’t having a change of heart and planning to let them off, are you?”

“No, why would I do something like that? It’s just that some information Zhu Qiwén’s father shared with me sent a chill down my spine!” Ye Jianhua said.

“What is it that’s got you so scared?” Jiang Longcheng asked curiously.

Ye Jianhua glanced at Jiang Longcheng, paused for a moment, then suddenly said, “Brother Long, do you know how Du Haicheng found out the exact time and location of my last setup?”

“How would I know!”

At that moment, Li Yi spoke up: “If I’m not mistaken, it must have been Zhu Qiwen and his crew who deliberately leaked the information to Du Haicheng!”

Li Yi had known about this in his previous life. He also knew that in his past life, Ye Jianhua had been implicated by those bastards, ultimately landing him in jail and even dragging the entire Ye family down with him.

Jiang Longcheng glanced at Li Yi and said, “No way. Why would those bastards do that? What’s in it for them?”

“It was them!” Ye Jianhua sighed.

“It really was those bastards? No wonder you were saying all that earlier. That’s a pretty painful blow to take!” Jiang Longcheng said.

However, Ye Jianhua shook his head and said, “That’s not the worst of it. According to Zhu Qiwén’s father, the reason Zhu Qiwén and his crew betrayed me was that they were acting on someone else’s orders—and the person who gave them those orders is the one who’s really sending chills down my spine!”

“There’s actually a mastermind behind the scenes?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“Who on earth is so treacherous as to stab me in the back?” Jiang Longcheng said angrily.

Li Yi said nothing, merely watching him quietly as he waited for Ye Jianhua to continue.

“It’s Zhang Hanliang!”

Hearing that name burst from Ye Jianhua’s mouth, Jiang Longcheng froze for a moment, then exclaimed in astonishment, “Zhang Ergou?”

“That’s right, it’s him!”

“Could this be a mistake? Haven’t you and that guy always gotten along well? Why would he do this to you? There’s no reason for it.”

Ye Jianhua replied immediately, “No, he has a reason!”

“What reason?”

“I slapped him once over some trivial matter. Also, our unit recently promoted staff, and since we’re in the same department, there was only one promotion available…”

Ye Jianhua didn’t finish his sentence, but Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng understood exactly what he meant.

At that moment, Jiang Longcheng frowned and said, “You’ve always treated him, Zhang Ergou, like a brother. Yet he’d actually have those scumbags scheme against you over such a trivial matter. Has his conscience been eaten by a dog?”

Ye Jianhua sighed and said, “That’s why I finally understand what my brother-in-law told me before: ‘Pride comes before a fall,’ and ‘Arrogance invites disaster.’ Keeping a low profile is the way to go!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “The fact that you’re able to look inward and find the cause shows you’ve really made progress. Unlike some people who let things go in one ear and out the other—they’re bound to suffer a major setback sooner or later!”

Jiang Longcheng grimaced and said, “I’ll change. Can’t I just change from now on?”

Li Yi ignored him and turned to Ye Jianhua instead. “Who exactly is this Zhang Ergou?”

“The Zhang family is a military dynasty. Zhang Ergou’s late grandfather and my grandfather were old comrades-in-arms, and his father is currently the director of a regional committee in Southwest China.”

Then Ye Jianhua continued, “We practically grew up together, and later joined this same company. I’ve always considered him a brother—I just never imagined he would…”

“So what are you planning to do now?”

“I haven’t decided yet. When I first heard about this, I was planning to beat the crap out of him tomorrow at work, but after calming down, I realized that would be letting that bastard off too easy!” Ye Jianhua said.

Li Yi nodded and said, “Hitting someone is just a display of brute force. Not only would it accomplish nothing, but it would also turn a just cause into an unjust one!”

“Then what should I do?” Jiang Longcheng asked urgently.

“It’s simple!”

Li Yi continued, “That guy is in the same department as you, and now that you’ve been promoted, you’re his boss, right?”

“Right!”

“You’re the boss, and he’s the subordinate. Isn’t it simple for a boss to deal with a subordinate?”

Hearing this, Ye Jianhua’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly said, “Brother-in-law, are you suggesting I use work as a way to deal with that bastard?”

“You don’t have to be too obvious about it. I haven’t met this Zhang Ergou you’re talking about, but from your description, it’s clear he’s a petty, narrow-minded guy.”

Li Yi continued, “To deal with someone like that, all you need to do is deliberately show off your authority as a boss in front of him, then drop a few hints about how well you’re doing now. Just provoke him a little, and he won’t be able to resist striking again.”

Ye Jianhua immediately replied, “Great idea. As long as that bastard dares to make a move, I’ll catch him red-handed this time!”

Li Yi nodded and added, “Also, you could discreetly leak a bit of this information to the Du family!”

“Why’s that?”

Ye Jianhua and Jiang Longcheng both looked surprised; they couldn’t figure out why Li Yi would do that. What good would it do to let the Du family know?

“Heh, Du Haicheng’s death not only cost the Du family face, but also left them with heavy losses under the combined pressure of the Jiang, Ye, and Lin families. Right now, the Du family desperately needs a way out and a scapegoat.”

Li Yi continued, “As for why Du Haicheng was speeding through the city center—and nearly sparked a war between the major families—Comrade Zhang played a significant role in that.”

“Just think about it—what do you think the Du family will do once they find out the role he played in this?”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Ye Jianhua suddenly saw the light, and his eyes lit up…

……

Cotton Mill. Director’s Office!

Jiang Longcheng sat in his chair, his desk a complete mess.

Ever since he had returned to his office at Li Yi’s request, he had been in a rather bad mood.

It wasn’t because Li Yi’s request for him, the factory director, to step aside was rude or made him feel offended—it was because he was worried Li Yi would get the short end of the stick.

Although Jiang Longcheng knew his brother-in-law’s capabilities well—if Li Yi didn’t want to get the short end of the stick, no one could outmaneuver him with that mind of his, as black and full of holes as a briquette.

Not to mention that his brother-in-law was a master strategist, virtually infallible in his calculations; with mere nobodies like He Tianming and Chen Rui, they stood no chance against him.

But the problem was, Jiang Longcheng could clearly sense that when it came to matters involving him, Li Yi was exceptionally magnanimous.

In other words, Li Yi might very well accommodate that bunch of bastards—He Tianming and Chen Rui—for his sake, thereby harming his own interests. This was something Jiang Longcheng was absolutely unwilling to see.

Consequently, despite his usual carefree demeanor, he felt a pang of unease.

In a fit of anger, he proceeded to ransack his own desk!

Just as Jiang Longcheng was stewing in silence, the office door burst open, and Li Yi strode in.

When Li Yi returned to the office and saw the mess strewn across the floor, he sat down directly across from Jiang Longcheng!

“Angry?”

“Finished the meeting?”

Their voices rang out simultaneously!

Then, they exchanged a glance and both laughed at the same time.

After laughing, Jiang Longcheng looked at Li Yi and asked, “How did the talks go?”

“We’ve reached a preliminary agreement. Now we’re just waiting for your cotton mill to submit a report to the district office and sign the contract!” Li Yi said.

“What about the terms?”

“Both parties will collaborate using their respective resources, but I won’t hold any shares. If the cotton mill’s annual profit exceeds 20 million, the mill will pay me 12% of the profit as brand licensing fees, patent royalties, and so on…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Longcheng frowned and asked, “What if the profit doesn’t reach 20 million?”

“You’ll give me a symbolic 10,000 yuan as compensation!” Li Yi said.

“That’s bullshit! Those guys know full well what your two stores are worth. By partnering with the mill, we’re already getting a good deal—why set such a harsh threshold of 20 million in profits?” Jiang Longcheng snapped.

Li Yi, however, smiled and said, “Third Brother, calm down. Do you really think our ready-to-wear business can’t even turn a 20 million profit?”

“That’s not what I meant. You’ve already made over 3 million in just over a month, and that was with limited production capacity. Now that the factory has purchased 200 more sewing machines, our output will be more than triple what it was before. Making 20 million in profit a year shouldn’t be a problem!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“If that’s the case, then what are you worried about?”

“I just feel uneasy. Those bastards are clearly taking advantage of you…”

Before he could finish, Li Yiru interjected, “There’s no such thing as one party bullying another in business negotiations. If I really were being bullied by those people, it would just mean I’m incompetent—and I’d deserve to be bullied!”

“Brother-in-law, are you saying you’re not getting the short end of the stick in this deal?” Jiang Longcheng asked urgently.

“No, I am—and it’s a huge loss!”

“Then what do you mean by that?”

“It’s not He Tianming, Chen Rui, and that bunch from the cotton mill who’re making me lose out—it’s the policies, it’s the environment!”

Li Yi continued, “Both my second brother and my father-in-law are worried that making too much of a stir here will draw the attention of higher-ups. So I’m left with only two options: either shut down and go out of business, or partner with the cotton mill!”

“So, right now, the cotton mill holds all the cards, and I have no choice but to accept any harsh terms they impose.”

Jiang Longcheng frowned and said, “But these terms are downright unfair. Even if we have to shut down, we won’t put up with this humiliation…”

Hearing Jiang Longcheng’s reckless outburst, Li Yi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The guy had completely forgotten that he was the director of the cotton mill himself; anyone unaware might think he was the owner of the Feixue Apparel brand.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Come on, in business you have to know when to back down. Who just walks away at the first sign of disagreement?”

“I…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi spoke up again: “Besides, I’ve already made three million from this deal before the New Year, and that’s bound to have caught the attention of the higher-ups!”

“If we don’t show some sincerity to the higher-ups and help the country recover financially, how will they view me—and how will they view our Jiang family?”

“That’s true,” Jiang Longcheng said.

At that moment, Li Yi added, “Besides, we’re not exactly losing out on this. I barely have to lift a finger, and by year-end, I’ll be pocketing several million in dividends.”

“Besides, the cotton mill’s rebirth and rise to become a leading enterprise in Beijing will be credited to you, Third Brother. If we get Uncle and the others to pull some strings, you’re bound to advance even further. You, I, and the country all stand to gain—why wouldn’t we do it?”

Jiang Longcheng thought it over carefully, then said, “What you say makes sense, but…”

“Enough with the ‘buts.’ I’m starving—let’s eat!”

Li Yi then added, “Don’t forget that Dongzi and the others are coming tonight. We still need to go to the rental house this afternoon to get the stove going for them, and we have to pick them up at the train station tonight!”

Jiang Longcheng wanted to say something else, but seeing that Li Yi clearly didn’t want to dwell on the matter, he grabbed his coat and left the office with Li Yi.

Since the factory workers were all on vacation, the cafeteria was naturally closed, so the two had to find a small restaurant nearby and grab a quick bite.

After the meal, Jiang Longcheng drove Li Yi to the rental house, leaving him there to stoke the stove and clean up.

As for himself, he drove back to the cotton mill. His brother-in-law had reservations and felt awkward about confronting those shameless bastards, but Jiang Longcheng wasn’t about to let them get away with it.

How could anyone be so shameless?

Besides, letting his brother-in-law get treated unfairly on his turf would be a total disgrace!

Setting aside the fact that Jiang Longcheng was going back to settle the score with He Tianming, Chen Rui, and the others—Li Yi wasn’t interested in that anyway.

After Jiang Longcheng left, Li Yi first lit the stoves in several rooms of the rental house; otherwise, Dongzi and the others wouldn’t be able to rest when they arrived.

After getting the stoves going, Li Yi gave the rental house a quick clean.

Then, he walked over to the hot pot restaurant.

The shop was set to open tomorrow, but since Dongzi and the others wouldn’t arrive in Beijing until the early hours of the morning, there clearly wouldn’t be enough time to prepare.

Since he had nothing else to do at the moment, Li Yi cleaned the shop by himself, then made a list of the meat, vegetables, and seasonings the shop was running low on.

By the time he finished, it was already past six in the evening, and it had grown completely dark outside.

Just then, Jiang Longcheng, having vented his frustration, appeared at the shop looking refreshed, with Ye Jianhua surprisingly trailing behind him.

As soon as he walked in, Jiang Longcheng said cheerfully, “Brother-in-law, I called another meeting with those bastards this afternoon. I gave that He guy and that old fart Chen Rui a real dressing-down. You wouldn’t believe how livid those guys looked!”

Hearing this, Li Yi shook his head and said, “Third Brother, you should do less of this kind of pointless stuff. Not only is it immature, but it could also bring trouble down on you!”

“Uh… it can’t be that bad!”

“No one can stay at the peak forever; everyone hits a low point now and then!”

Li Yi continued, “Likewise, among the people you look down on now, some might one day achieve as much as—or even surpass—you! And what you’re doing today could become the spark that sets them off to get back at you!”

“Brother-in-law, don’t scare me like that…”

Before Jiang Longcheng could finish speaking, Ye Jianhua suddenly chimed in from the side: “Brother Long, my brother-in-law is right. Some people might be taking a beating from you right now without daring to utter a word, but who knows—they might already hate you to the core behind your back.”

“Give them the chance, and those people might stab you in the back in an instant!”

As he spoke, Ye Jianhua’s tone was grave, and his mood seemed somewhat somber.

His unusual demeanor immediately caught the attention of Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng; both of their gazes fixed on him…

…….

The cotton mill’s resumption meeting was still in progress!

Everyone in the conference room fixed their gaze on Li Yi, waiting for his response.

They were all adults, so naturally, they didn’t believe in free lunches.

Moreover, Feixue Apparel’s profitability was undeniable—in just over a month, profits had already exceeded a million.

In this day and age, that was something most companies could scarcely imagine, let alone achieve.

Although this was aided by low-cost raw materials and the surge in purchasing power during the Lunar New Year, one cannot deny the value of Feixue Apparel—it would not be an exaggeration to call it a goose that lays golden eggs.

Under these circumstances, Li Yi certainly wasn’t going to play the role of a do-gooder, handing over the Feixue Apparel brand and its retail stores to the Cotton Spinning Mill without demanding anything in return.

The Cotton Spinning Mill, for its part, was equally unwilling to simply snatch this cash cow into its arms without a word.

Seeing everyone waiting for him to speak, Li Yi didn’t beat around the bush. He pulled the freshly signed proposal from his shoulder bag and declared loudly, “Of course there are conditions. After all, everyone has seen Feixue Apparel’s potential—no one would willingly hand over such a cash cow to someone else!”

“But that’s not my goal. As you all know, I have a close relationship with your Plant Manager Jiang. I didn’t get into this ready-to-wear business to make money in the first place—my main aim was to help him and help your cotton mill get through this crisis!”

“I’ve almost finished dealing with that batch of defective fabric you sent over. Now we need to seriously consider the future of Feixue Apparel and how to move forward!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, everyone in the conference room couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

Everyone present knew how Li Yi had acquired that batch of fabric and why he had started the ready-to-wear business.

Hearing him speak this way, they naturally no longer doubted his sincerity or motives.

Deputy Plant Manager Chen Rui immediately replied, “Comrade Li Yi, we understand what you’re saying. Just tell us your terms, and we’ll all discuss it!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Here’s the situation: I have the brand, the clothing patents, and the retail stores, while you have the raw materials, the production facilities, and an experienced workforce. We can definitely work together to grow Feixue Apparel into a strong and successful business!”

“I’ve drafted two partnership proposals for your consideration. The first proposal is for me to contribute the brand and patents as equity, but I won’t be responsible for day-to-day operations—I’ll take a 20% stake!”

He Tianming immediately asked, “What about the second proposal?”

“The second proposal is that I personally participate in management and guarantee the cotton mill’s annual profit reaches a certain standard. If we meet the target, I’ll take 40% of the profit; if we don’t, I won’t take a single penny!” Li Yi said.

As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room erupted into a buzz of chatter once again. Everyone began whispering to one another, discussing the two proposals Li Yi had put forward.

After a long while, Jiang Longcheng tapped the table and shouted, “Stop whispering and gossiping among yourselves! On one side are the factory’s leading officials, and on the other is my brother-in-law. We’re all family here—let’s not beat around the bush. Just say what’s on your minds!”

That said, every person in the room was a shrewd judge of character. Everyone knew that you, Jiang Longcheng, were notorious for being a reckless troublemaker—favoring family over justice was par for the course.

If anyone were to really pick a fight with your brother-in-law, they might just end up on your bad side one of these days.

For a moment, the conference room fell silent.

Li Yi, of course, knew exactly why. He immediately turned to Jiang Longcheng and said, “Third Brother, we’re in the middle of negotiations right now. Given our relationship, you should recuse yourself to avoid any appearance of impropriety!”

“Me… recuse myself?”

Jiang Longcheng was completely baffled by Li Yi’s words. He was the plant manager, after all—how was he supposed to recuse himself?

“Third Brother, why don’t you go sit in the office for a while? I’ll talk things over with everyone here and let you know when we’ve reached a decision!”

“I…”

“Everyone feels constrained with you here. Go on!”

Although Jiang Longcheng was far from convinced by Li Yi’s words, he knew full well how capable Li Yi was. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned and left the conference room.

Once Jiang Longcheng had left, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly relaxed considerably.

“My third brother has left. Now you can speak your minds!”

Li Yi then turned to He Tianming, who was standing nearby, and said again, “Deputy Plant Manager He, I can tell you’re someone who wants to make a name for yourself. You go first!”

Although He Tianming was somewhat annoyed that Li Yi, an outsider, was calling the shots, he still said, “Comrade Li Yi, your so-called Feixue Apparel is nothing more than a new brand that’s only been around for a little over a month. Those so-called specialty stores don’t hold much practical value, yet our cotton mill is expected to invest all our manpower and resources. Isn’t it a bit unreasonable for you to demand a 20% cut of the profits right off the bat?”

“Heh, Deputy Director He, I’m afraid you haven’t quite grasped the concept of brand value and patent value! Don’t let the fact that these are intangible things fool you—their value is far greater than you could ever imagine!”

Li Yi continued, “Let me put it this way: even if I didn’t partner with your cotton mill right now, I could simply turn around and find any small factory, and my Feixue Apparel would still sell like hotcakes, raking in a fortune every day!”

“On the other hand, even if you use the exact same raw materials and production processes to make the exact same clothes, simply because they lack the ‘Feixue’ brand and aren’t sold in Feixue specialty stores, your sales will still be lackluster!”

Li Yi’s words left everyone in the room silent. As factory executives, their perspective was naturally far broader than that of ordinary workers, and they all understood that what Li Yi was saying was true.

“But a 20% stake is still too high!” He Tianming said in a low voice.

“Then shall we discuss the second proposal?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than He Tianming shook his head and said, “The second option is completely pointless. Neither Factory Director Jiang nor the district leaders would ever—or dare to—give you 40% of the profits!”

“What if I can increase the cotton mill’s profits to 100 million?” Li Yi said calmly.

“One hundred million a year?”

“Exactly!”

The moment those words were spoken, the entire conference room erupted in an uproar!

After a long pause, He Tianming spoke again: “Not even 100 million would work. This is a matter of system and principle!”

At that moment, Chen Rui, who had been sitting nearby, suddenly spoke up: “Comrade Li Yi, do you really have a way to boost our cotton mill’s annual profit to 100 million?”

“I can!”

Li Yi then added, “But the prerequisite is that I personally oversee operations, and the entire factory must follow my orders!”

“And if you don’t get involved in the management, how much profit would the factory make?” He Tianming asked.

“A conservative estimate of around 20 million!”

“Whoa!”

Hearing this, everyone present couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.

That’s twenty million yuan! With fewer than two thousand employees in the entire factory, that meant each employee generated ten thousand yuan in profit per year—an astonishing figure.

“How about we meet each other halfway? If you can guarantee our factory’s annual profit reaches 20 million, we’ll agree to give you 10% of the profits. But you can’t own any shares in the company—the higher-ups won’t allow it!” He Tianming said.

“10% is too little. Fifteen percent at the very least!”

“Eleven percent—that’s the absolute limit!”

“14%. Not a penny less!”

“12%…”

After some negotiation, the two sides reached an agreement: Li Yi would pool all his existing resources to partner with the State-Owned Second Cotton Spinning Factory in Beijing to jointly operate and promote Feixue Apparel.

If the mill’s annual profit reached 20 million yuan, he would receive 12% of that amount as royalties for the brand and patents.

However, if the annual profit fell below 20 million yuan, the mill would only need to pay him a basic annual fee of 10,000 yuan.

Subsequently, both parties redrafted the cooperation plan, which the Cotton Mill submitted to the district government for approval!

While awaiting the district government’s approval, the mill formulated a new production plan in accordance with Li Yi’s strategy. The State-Owned Second Cotton Spinning Mill was about to embark on its legendary journey!

“Ring-ring-ring!”

The sudden ringing of the phone startled Li Yi, who had been furiously writing at his desk.

To avoid disturbing Jiang Xue and the child in the bedroom, Li Yi quickly picked up the phone.

No sooner had he picked it up than Jiang Longcheng’s boisterous voice came through the receiver: “Bro-in-law, are you up yet?”

“I’m up. Why are you calling so early?”

“Didn’t we agree yesterday to hold an early return-to-work meeting for the guys at the factory? Did you forget?” Jiang Longcheng shouted.

“I haven’t forgotten. Isn’t the meeting at ten o’clock? It’s so early…”

“What do you mean ‘this early’? It’s already nine o’clock. By the time we get to the factory, it’ll be almost ten!” Jiang Longcheng said.

Li Yi instinctively glanced at his watch—and sure enough, it was true.

He’d ended up writing for over three hours without realizing it—no wonder his eyes felt a bit sore.

“Alright, then come over. Bring Xinyao with you—have her keep Xiao Xue company this morning!” Li Yi said.

“Got it. You just tidy up a bit—I’ll be there in ten minutes tops!”

“Alright!”

After hanging up, Li Yi immediately reorganized the finished proposal on his desk, stapled it together, and then slipped it into his shoulder bag.

Then he stretched and walked out of the room.

In the courtyard, Jiang Shiying was washing up.

Seeing Li Yi come out, she immediately said to him, “I’m heading back to Guangdong Province this afternoon. The house is in your hands!”

“Leaving so soon? Can’t you stay a few more days?”

“There’s an urgent matter in the province that needs handling—I have to go back!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Alright, I’ll keep an eye on things here!”

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “When it comes to business, know when to stop. Don’t be greedy. The situation isn’t entirely clear yet—don’t let a little money ruin your future!”

“Got it!”

“Also, it’s already February now, and there are less than five months left until the college entrance exams. Don’t worry about the paperwork or anything—I’ll take care of it!”

Then, changing the subject, Jiang Shiying continued, “But I heard from your mother that Xiaoxue’s grades in a few subjects aren’t very good. Once she’s out of her postpartum confinement, I’ll have your mother find a few tutors to help her catch up. You’ll need to keep a closer eye on her studies!”

“I’ll do everything I can to support Xiaoxue for the college entrance exams…”

Just as they were speaking, the sound of a car engine suddenly echoed from outside the courtyard.

Immediately after, Jiang Longcheng’s loud, boisterous voice echoed through the courtyard.

Li Yi and Jiang Shiying immediately looked toward the entrance and, sure enough, saw the man walking in from outside with Zhang Xinyao.

Once they reached the two of them, Jiang Longcheng first greeted Jiang Shiying, then sent Zhang Xinyao inside to find Jiang Xue, while he took Li Yi and left the Jiang family’s old residence.

Soon, the car arrived at the cotton mill!

By then, the small conference room at the cotton mill was already packed with people!

All the factory officials who had received the meeting notice were present, exchanging well-wishes—whether sincere or insincere.

No matter how much dirty business there was behind the scenes, at least the atmosphere was harmonious for the moment.

Since the factory had received two consecutive payments from Li Yi, it had finally managed to pay out the overdue wages to the employees around the Lunar New Year.

Having received their pay and being able to celebrate the New Year at home, the workers and managers were naturally delighted.

Just as the factory leaders were engaged in constant laughter and conversation, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway outside the conference room.

Immediately afterward, the conference room door swung open, and Plant Manager Jiang Longcheng walked in alongside Li Yi.

Li Yi wasn’t technically authorized to attend the cotton mill’s internal meetings, but given his special relationship with the factory and the fact that his presence was essential for today’s discussion, he had been invited.

Upon seeing Jiang Longcheng and Li Yi enter, everyone in the conference room immediately fell into their seats and quickly fell silent.

After entering, Jiang Longcheng glanced at the group and said with a broad grin, “Happy New Year, everyone!”

“Happy New Year, Director! Happy New Year, Comrade Li Yi!”

“Happy New Year, Director…”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiang Longcheng took his seat at the head of the table and motioned for Li Yi to sit beside him!

“Comrades, I’ve called you all here today primarily to discuss a few matters. First and foremost is the resumption of work and production!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “From last November until now, our factory has been shut down for three and a half months. We’ve identified the reasons why our products aren’t selling and why the factory has been operating at a loss, and most of the issues have been resolved. It’s time for us to resume production!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Deputy Plant Manager Chen Rui hurriedly interjected, “Plant Manager, to resume production, we must resolve the raw material issue. But right now, our plant has no money, and we have no way to settle the outstanding payments to our suppliers. I’m afraid no supplier will be willing to sell raw materials to us!”

Without hesitation, Jiang Longcheng declared loudly, “Debts must be repaid—that’s only fair. If we don’t have the money, we can ask the district government for assistance or take out a bank loan.”

“In short, as long as they haven’t adulterated the raw materials to cheat us, or colluded with that bunch of scoundrels led by Gao, we’ll repay every single cent of what we owe them!”

At that moment, He Tianming chimed in from the side: “I agree we should resume production. After all, it doesn’t make sense for thousands of workers to be stuck here studying all the time. Production is the factory’s top priority. But who are we going to sell our cloth to?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than other cadres chimed in: “That’s right. Our factory’s fabric has a terrible reputation—no one wants to buy what we produce!”

“You’re absolutely right. If we can’t sell what we produce, we might as well not produce it at all!”

“Right, sales are a major problem…”

Just then, Jiang Longcheng slammed his fist on the table, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

He then looked around the room and made a startling announcement: “From now on, we won’t sell the fabric we produce!”

“Whoa!”

The moment those words left his mouth, it was as if a depth charge had been dropped into calm waters—the room instantly erupted in chaos.

“Director, why aren’t we selling it anymore?”

“Exactly! If we don’t sell it, what else are we supposed to do with it?”

“Director, you can’t just do whatever you want—this affects the livelihoods of all 2,000 of our factory workers…”

“Smack!”

Jiang Longcheng slammed his fist on the table again and shouted, “Quiet! What’s all the commotion about? I said we won’t sell it, so we won’t sell it. From now on, all the fabric produced by our factory will be used by us!”

The conference room fell instantly silent!

After a long moment, He Tianming suddenly fixed his gaze on Jiang Longcheng and said, “Director, are you saying our factory’s main business will no longer be fabric? Do you want to move into the ready-to-wear market by producing and selling our own garments?”

Jiang Longcheng grinned and said, “Old He, you’re a sharp one. That’s exactly what I have in mind. If our factory wants to survive, we have to make changes!”

He Tianming glanced at Li Yi beside him, then asked, “If we enter the ready-to-wear market, what will happen to Comrade Li Yi?”

At that moment, Li Yi cleared his throat and said, “I’ve already discussed this with Director Jiang. Once I’ve sold off the remaining batch of fabric, I’ll transfer the operational rights to Feixue Apparel—including the flagship stores and sales channels—entirely to your cotton mill to manage…”

Before he could finish, a buzz of murmurs filled the conference room. Everyone was stunned speechless by Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng’s decision.

They all knew just how wildly popular Feixue Apparel and the two flagship stores Li Yi had set up were.

Now, to hand them over to their cotton mill? This was truly a windfall!

At that moment, He Tianming fixed his gaze on Li Yi and said, “Comrade Li Yi, I don’t suppose this comes for free, do you? If there are any conditions, please just lay them out clearly!”

As soon as he spoke, the conference room fell silent once more, and all eyes turned to Li Yi.

Nothing happened during the night!

Early the next morning, Li Yi was startled awake by the sound of a baby crying. Realizing the child had woken up, he immediately got out of bed to check on her.

Rubbing his sore, swollen eyes, he threw on a shirt and hurried into the bedroom.

As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Xue, equally bleary-eyed, feeding the baby. Since the twins could only be fed one at a time, while she was nursing the older brother, Yunrui, the younger sister, Yunjin, could only lie there crying.

Li Yi immediately stepped forward, picked up his precious little girl, and began pacing slowly across the floor.

Babies love being held; after just a few steps, the little girl quieted down.

By then, Jiang Xue had sobered up a bit and said, her voice tinged with exhaustion, “Did she wake you up?”

“No, you know I’m a heavy sleeper—I’ll be fine after a short nap. You, on the other hand, need to get plenty of rest. Don’t wear yourself out!”

Although this was Li Yi’s first time being a father, he knew how exhausting the postpartum recovery period could be for a new mother.

Newborns have very delicate digestive systems and need to eat small, frequent meals—basically, they have to be fed every two hours.

And every time the baby got hungry, it would inevitably start wailing at the top of its lungs—which was absolute torture for a new mother.

And with two babies at home, the suffering was doubled!

It had only been a few days, yet Jiang Xue, who had previously been slightly plump, had lost weight at a visible rate.

More importantly, due to severe sleep deprivation, she had developed deep dark circles under her eyes and looked utterly haggard—a sight that broke Li Yi’s heart.

Feeling her husband’s concern, Jiang Xue’s heart warmed.

Li Yi understood her, and Jiang Xue understood Li Yi.

She knew how busy he was and how hard he was working.

Moreover, she could clearly sense that ever since she had found her biological parents, the Jiang family’s status seemed to have placed immense pressure on Li Yi.

He had to work hard on his business and make money, all while handling the family’s various matters, big and small—which made Jiang Xue feel quite guilty.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, she tried her best not to disturb him.

After nursing for a while, Yunrui let go of the nipple. Li Yi immediately handed his daughter in his arms to Jiang Xue and picked up his son, patting him on the back to burp him just as his mother-in-law had taught him.

The little one cooperated well; after a short while, he let out a few small burps, then nestled into Li Yi’s arms and closed his eyes contentedly.

After nearly twenty minutes of fussing, they finally managed to lull the two little troublemakers to sleep, and the couple both felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.

Li Yi glanced at his watch and said, “It’s not even six o’clock yet. You should get some more sleep!”

Jiang Xue blushed slightly and said, “I’m a little hungry. Could you go to the kitchen and find me something to eat?”

“Sure!”

Li Yi grabbed his coat, threw it on, and headed toward the kitchen.

He knew that every night, the Jiang family cooked an extra pot of millet porridge. It had originally been prepared for his mother-in-law, Ye Lingyun, who had previously suffered from severe depression and anorexia—she could barely eat anything other than millet porridge.

Although her condition had improved, this habit probably wouldn’t change so quickly.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Li Yi looked around the stove and sure enough, spotted a black clay pot sitting there.

He lifted the lid to take a look, and sure enough, it was a pot of millet porridge.

Li Yi immediately turned on the stove, warmed the porridge, then filled a large bowl to the brim and carried it back to the bedroom.

He then picked up a few pieces of sponge cake from the pile of gifts scattered on the floor and brought them to Jiang Xue as well.

Jiang Xue was indeed hungry. She began eating the chicken cakes in big bites alongside the millet porridge, and in no time had polished off three large pieces.

“Are you full?”

“I’m full!”

Then Jiang Xue said somewhat sheepishly, “I don’t know if it’s because I’m breastfeeding, but I’ve been incredibly hungry these past few days!”

“Back when I was working on the production brigade, eating just one meal a day was common. But now I have to eat at least five meals a day—it feels like there’s a wolf living in my stomach!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “You’re eating for three people now, so of course you get hungry faster. Don’t be shy—just tell me when you’re hungry, and if I’m not here, tell Mom!”

“Okay!”

Then Jiang Xue asked again, “What time did you get back last night? I don’t remember a thing.”

“A little past eleven. You and the kids were already asleep when I got back, so I didn’t want to disturb you!”

“That late?”

“The second son at my older brother’s house injured his hand playing with firecrackers and needed surgery. I was at the hospital helping out the whole time!” Li Yi explained.

“Oh my, is it serious?”

“It’s not too bad—it’s not life-threatening, but he’ll inevitably be in some pain!”

Jiang Xue had also heard her father mention the conflict between her older sister-in-law and the family last night, and she couldn’t help but say, “That sister-in-law of yours is really something. How can a woman alone take care of two kids? If you get the chance, try to talk some sense into her…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi interjected, “I’ve already talked to her, and she’s agreed to come back!”

Jiang Xue’s eyes lit up instantly, and she said happily, “I knew that with you handling it, everything would be fine!”

“It’s just a coincidence. If it weren’t for Xiao Li’s injury, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything!”

Then Li Yi added, “Don’t say any more. Go to sleep now, or the more we talk, the more awake you’ll get, and it’ll be hard to fall asleep later!”

“Okay!”

After saying that, Jiang Xue checked to make sure the two children were properly covered with their blankets, then lay back down next to them.

After settling Jiang Xue down, Li Yi found himself unable to sleep.

He got dressed, washed up quickly, then sat down at the small desk in the inner room and took out some paper and a pen to start writing and sketching.

It was now the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. According to their previous plans, both the barbecue and hot pot restaurant and the cotton mill were set to resume operations tomorrow, so there were a few things that needed to be prepared in advance.

The cotton mill, in particular, required a detailed plan!

Before the New Year, Director Tan had reported to Li Yi that the woolen and patterned fabrics from the batch he’d purchased at a low price had been completely used up.

He now faced two options: one was to continue purchasing raw materials from the cotton mill or other textile factories, then proceed with the routine production of overcoats and batwing sweaters to maintain the supply for the specialty store and generate profits.

The other option was to step back at the height of success, allowing the cotton mill to source its own raw materials and operate independently.

Of course, if he did that, the profits would naturally have nothing to do with him.

So, he had to think carefully about what to do.

As for which path to take, Li Yi had already made up his mind: he would step back while the going was still good. He had no intention of continuing in the clothing business.

It wasn’t that the business wasn’t profitable; rather, the broader environment wouldn’t allow him to run such a large operation. If he forced it to continue, he would likely be singled out as a cautionary example.

In his previous life, Li Yi had witnessed too many examples of people being greedy beyond their means—including the two bosses he had previously worked for.

With those lessons fresh in his mind, he had no intention of joining their ranks.

So, Li Yi’s plan was to transfer the brand management rights for Feixue Apparel, along with its two flagship stores and all sales channels, to the cotton spinning mill, and then help Jiang Longcheng build a mega-factory with annual profits exceeding 100 million yuan.

But for now, this was merely an idea in Li Yi’s mind; as for the specifics of the transfer, a detailed and feasible plan would be required.

Besides, he still had over ten thousand yards of cotton fabric left to sell, which also required serious consideration!

Since he couldn’t sleep anyway, he took the time to refine his idea and turn it into a detailed plan.

Now, they were heading to the cotton mill to hold a post-holiday meeting with the factory’s key executives and, while they were at it, discuss the future operations of Feixue Apparel.

The car drove through the city for over half an hour before heading north, arriving at an industrial zone in the northern suburbs.

It then came to a stop in front of a massive factory.

Looking at the large characters “Beijing TV Factory” hanging above the entrance, Li Yi asked, “Does your sister-in-law work at the TV factory?”

“Yes, she’s the sales manager there!”

As he spoke, Jiang Longcheng honked the car horn.

Soon, a middle-aged man emerged from the guardhouse at the entrance and approached the car, asking, “Comrade, our factory is already on holiday. Who are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for Xu Qiuman. I know she’s still in the dormitory!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Oh, so you’re looking for Section Chief Xu. Which organization are you with? I’ll make a call to check…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Longcheng cut him off: “No need to ask. I’m her brother-in-law!”

“Well…”

Seeing that the middle-aged man was still hesitating, Li Yi immediately pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it to him, saying, “Comrade, my sister-in-law is currently in a huff with her family and refuses to go back, but her elderly parents are worried about her well-being. Please cut us some slack!”

The middle-aged security guard was no fool. Seeing Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng driving up in a car, he could tell at a glance that they were either wealthy or well-connected.

Besides, the fact that Section Chief Xu Qiuman had fallen out with her in-laws wasn’t exactly a secret at the factory; everyone knew about it behind the scenes.

Since they’d come to visit Section Chief Xu, it was a sign of goodwill, and there was no need for him to get in the way.

He immediately accepted the cigarette and opened the gate.

Once the car had driven into the factory grounds, Jiang Longcheng asked in surprise, “Brother-in-law, when did you learn to smoke?”

“I don’t smoke!”

“If you don’t smoke, why do you carry cigarettes with you? Are you just messing around?”

“Heh, I don’t carry cigarettes to smoke them—I keep them on hand for situations like this. See? They’ve come in handy now!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Jiang Longcheng opened his mouth, then after a long pause said, “No wonder you’re good at everything. With a mind as full of tricks as a honeycomb, who could ever beat you!”

“Is that a compliment? That sounds kind of weird to me,” Li Yi said.

“It is a compliment. Don’t read too much into it…”

Just then, a woman carrying a child suddenly darted out onto the concrete road ahead, causing Jiang Longcheng to slam on the brakes in a panic.

The car came to a screeching halt just in front of her, narrowly avoiding a collision.

Even so, it gave Jiang Longcheng quite a scare.

This guy was always a hothead; he immediately put the car in neutral, jumped out, and prepared to teach this reckless woman a lesson.

Li Yi, fearing he might do something reckless in the heat of the moment, immediately followed him out of the car.

However, when Jiang Longcheng got a clear look at the woman who had nearly been scared out of her wits, two words suddenly burst from his mouth: “Big Sister?”

The woman quickly came to her senses. Upon seeing it was Jiang Longcheng, she hurriedly said in a hoarse, anxious voice, “Longcheng, Xiao Li is hurt. You have to take us to the hospital right away…”

Only then did Jiang Longcheng and Li Yi notice the child in her arms wailing loudly, his hands covered in blood, and the woman herself was splattered with blood as well.

“Sister-in-law, Xiao Li…”

Seeing that Jiang Longcheng was about to ask more questions, Li Yi immediately cut in: “Don’t ask any questions. Get in the car right now—don’t delay the child’s treatment!”

“Alright!”

Immediately, Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng helped Xu Qiuman and the child into the car, then started the engine and sped straight toward the city center.

In the car, Li Yi finally managed to get the full story on how the child had been injured. It turned out the little guy had been playing with firecrackers with some older kids from the factory and had blown his hand up.

Judging by the child’s bloodied and mangled palm, the injury must have been quite severe.

With his own nephew injured, Jiang Longcheng was naturally frantic. He drove at high speed and reached the nearest hospital in less than twenty minutes.

After examining the child’s wound, the doctor immediately stated that although the injury wasn’t life-threatening, there were foreign objects embedded in the wound, along with extensive skin damage and necrosis, compounded by severe contamination. Surgery was required immediately.

Upon learning that the child would need surgery, Xu Qiuman was completely devastated.

Fortunately, Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng were there to quickly handle the paperwork and pay the admission and surgical fees.

Seeing Xu Qiuman’s anxious and helpless expression, Jiang Longcheng hurried to comfort her: “Sis, the doctor said it’s just a minor procedure. He’ll be fine in no time. Don’t worry…”

Xu Qiuman wiped away her tears and said, “If anything happens to Xiaoli, how will I face Longhua? Waaah…”

“Sister-in-law, kids are mischievous—these things are bound to happen. My older brothers and I have all been set off by firecrackers before, and look at us now—we’re all fine,” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true!”

Saying this, Jiang Longcheng held out his palm and pointed to several scars on it. “These were all from playing with firecrackers. I’ve got a few more on my legs too. As long as the wounds are cleaned properly, the worst that’ll happen is a few scars!”

Li Yi chimed in, “Sister-in-law, ordinary firecrackers aren’t that powerful. As long as you don’t grip them too tightly, they usually won’t damage your bones or tendons!”

Xu Qiuman saw that Jiang Longcheng’s hand did indeed bear a few faint scars, and her mind settled slightly.

It was then that she noticed Li Yi looked unfamiliar to her, so she immediately asked Jiang Longcheng, “Longcheng, who is this comrade?”

“Sister-in-law, let me introduce you. This is Li Yi, Uncle San’s son-in-law—our brother-in-law!”

Xu Qiuman said in surprise, “Where did Uncle San get a daughter? Is she an adopted daughter?”

“No, she’s his biological daughter!”

Jiang Longcheng then briefly recounted the events of that year.

Upon learning the truth, Xu Qiuman looked utterly shocked. She never would have imagined that in the less than six months since she’d left the Jiang family, so much had happened at home.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but sigh.

At that moment, Jiang Longcheng looked at her and said, “Sister-in-law, how have you been doing lately?”

“Not bad. Just a little busy, but nothing else!” Xu Qiuman said, looking down.

But Li Yi could still detect a slight tremor in her voice; clearly, life wasn’t as easy as she made it sound.

“Sister-in-law, Grandpa and Mom and Dad all want you to come home to live!” Jiang Longcheng said.

Xu Qiuman was silent for a moment, then said, “We’ll see.”

Hearing this, Li Yi keenly sensed that her resolve seemed to be wavering slightly, and immediately asked, “Sister-in-law, you and Xiaoli came to the hospital—what about Xiaoren?”

Xu Qiuman replied immediately, “He’s at home!”

“Even if Xiao Li’s wounds are treated, he’ll likely have to stay in the hospital. How can Xiao Ren be left home alone?” Li Yi said.

“Well…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi turned to Jiang Longcheng and said, “Third Brother, go back to the factory and bring Xiao Ren to the old house to stay for a few days. Once Xiao Li is discharged, take him back to Big Sister!”

“Got it!”

With that, Jiang Longcheng hurried out of the hospital.

After Jiang Longcheng left, Li Yi looked at Xu Qiuman and said, “Sister-in-law, take my advice—you should go back.”

“I…”

“I know you’re resentful, Sister-in-law. You blame Grandfather and Uncle for not transferring Big Brother from the front lines in time, which ultimately led to his death in battle.”

Then Li Yi changed the subject and continued, “But Sister-in-law, you know that so far, this war has cost us tens of thousands of lives—including the children of high-ranking officials whose fathers and brothers hold positions of power. No one on the front lines has retreated; how could Big Brother possibly have deserted?”

“Besides, even if you don’t think of yourself, you have to think of the two children!”

Xu Qiuman clenched her teeth and said, “I… I can support them both!”

Li Yi shook his head. “Sister-in-law, providing for them and raising them well are two different things! Take today’s incident, for example. If Third Brother and I hadn’t come to find you, Xiao Li would have missed his treatment—and in the worst case, he might have needed an amputation!”

“Besides, when the kids grow up, they’ll need jobs and get married. Can you really provide them with a good life on your own? Don’t let your resentment hold them back—you don’t want them to resent you later!”

Hearing this, Xu Qiuman fell silent.

After a long while, she sighed and said, “Actually, I’ve come to terms with this too. With Longhua’s stubborn streak, even if the whole family tried to persuade him, it wouldn’t do any good.”

“Never mind, let’s not talk about this anymore. Once Xiaoli’s injuries heal in a few days, I’ll take them back.”

“I’m sure Grandpa, Uncle, and Aunt will be thrilled to hear the news!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Hmm…”

………

PS: In the previous text, I mistakenly wrote that Xu Qiuman worked at a steel mill. Upon reflection, that didn’t quite fit, so I’ve changed it to a television factory!

February 11, the sixth day of the first lunar month!

After a six-day stay at the hospital, Jiang Xue and her child were finally discharged!

To pick her up, Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and Jiang Shiying all drove their official vehicles over. Jiang Longcheng even called in two additional Jeeps from the factory, making quite a spectacle.

This grand display wasn’t meant to show off, but to transport supplies.

It was Li Yi’s first time being a father, and to ensure his wife and child had everything they needed, he had prepared a whole lot of stuff—enough to fill nearly half a truck, whether they’d use it or not.

And just as these items had been brought to the hospital, they now had to be hauled back home.

On top of that, over the past few days, members of the Jiang, Ye, and Lin families had all come to the hospital to visit Jiang Xue and the baby, and no matter who came, they inevitably brought gifts.

Furthermore, the news that Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun had found their biological daughter was no secret in their social circles. Upon hearing that their daughter had given birth, their friends, colleagues, and subordinates had all come to visit as well.

Although these visitors’ motives weren’t entirely pure, you can’t turn away a smiling face. Since they’ve come bearing gifts to pay their respects, you can’t very well chase them away.

As a result, over the past few days, Jiang Xue has not only had her hands full accepting red envelopes but has also accumulated a mountain of various gifts.

Now that Jiang Xue was being discharged, all these items needed to be transported back to the family estate.

Jiang Xue’s discharge and return home is a major event for the entire Jiang family.

The ancestral home had been prepared well in advance, and even the old patriarch was waiting in the main hall for her and the children to return.

When Jiang Xue returned to the ancestral home carrying her older son, Yunrui, and Ye Lingyun carried her younger daughter, Yunjin, they immediately went to the main hall to pay their respects to the old patriarch.

Upon seeing the two little ones in their swaddling clothes, Jiang Dingfang was deeply moved. To everyone’s surprise, he had prepared a generous gift for each child—500 yuan—calling it “New Year’s money.”

Although this wasn’t the first time the old man had seen his great-grandchildren, Jiang Xue and her two children held a special significance for him.

He had lived an upright and honorable life, with nothing to hide from others, yet he felt he owed a debt of gratitude to his third son and daughter-in-law.

Had it not been for his mistake all those years ago, the couple would never have been implicated, and they would not have been separated from their children for nearly twenty years.

Fortunately, heaven took pity on them. After twenty years of wandering, the child finally returned to the Jiang family and gave birth to these two little ones.

For the third son’s branch of the family, this was a tremendous blessing.

And the old man had noticed that, with the return of his eldest granddaughter, the Jiang family was experiencing one happy event after another.

First, his third son’s wife, who had been on her deathbed, began to recover; her vitality and spirit were returning.

Next, the third son took another leap forward, assuming control of a province’s disciplinary inspection authority at such a young age.

And then there was the eldest son’s wayward son, Longcheng, who had finally grown up—not only had he made progress in his career, but he’d also learned to look for a wife.

In the old patriarch’s view, all these changes in the family were due to his granddaughter’s return, so he doted on Jiang Xue especially.

To make her postpartum confinement more comfortable, the old man personally arranged for her and the baby to stay in the two rooms on the right side of the main hall, which made the rest of the Jiang family green with envy.

Actually, regarding Jiang Xue’s living arrangements, Jiang Shiying had initially planned to have her stay next door to them, which would have made it easier to look after her.

However, the old man felt that the west wing didn’t get enough natural light and wasn’t suitable for the postpartum confinement period, so he personally had the two vacant rooms next to the main hall refurbished.

Although no major renovations were done, all the furniture in the rooms was replaced with new pieces, showing great attention to detail.

Furthermore, knowing that his granddaughter was about to give birth, the old master had two small cribs placed in the bedroom, making every arrangement exceptionally thoughtful.

After settling Jiang Xue in, everyone stayed at the old family home for lunch.

It’s rare for the whole family to be together like this today, and Grandpa is delighted.

Plus, since the New Year’s Eve dinner had been ruined by Jiang Xue’s delivery, Grandpa had the kitchen add a few extra dishes to make up for the missed family reunion meal.

To celebrate Jiang Xue’s discharge from the hospital and to thank the relatives who had come to visit his wife, Li Yi immediately brought back some fine wine.

Soon, the atmosphere throughout the old Jiang family mansion grew lively…

…….

After lunch, the others left one by one, leaving only the old man, Jiang Shiying, Li Yi, and Jiang Longcheng in the room.

Having had a few drinks earlier, the old man’s mood seemed slightly affected.

He took a sip of tea, then suddenly asked, “Longcheng, did Xiao Man go back for the New Year this year?”

Jiang Longcheng shook his head and said, “No!”

“My mom went to the steel mill yesterday, but she didn’t see my sister-in-law. I don’t know if she didn’t want to see her or if she went back to her parents’ house!”

“Ah, this is my fault. I’ve put Xiao Man and the two kids through so much!” the old man sighed.

“Grandpa, how can you blame yourself for this?”

Jiang Longcheng added, “Besides, you know how big brother is. Even if you’d tried to transfer him back then, he wouldn’t have listened to you!”

Jiang Shiying chimed in, “Longcheng is right. If we’d actually transferred Longhua back, it would have made him look like a deserter—he would never have agreed to that!”

The old man nodded and said, “Longcheng, I understand that Xiao Man is resentful and doesn’t want to come back.”

“But our Jiang family can’t just turn a blind eye to that mother and child. If you have time, go see them for me and see if there’s anything you can do to help!”

“Alright, Grandpa!”

Jiang Longcheng then added, “I don’t have much on my plate this afternoon anyway, so I’ll swing by the steel mill!”

“Sounds good!”

Just then, Jiang Shiying, who was standing nearby, suddenly turned to Li Yi and said, “Xiao Yi, you go with Longcheng!”

Although Li Yi was completely baffled, since his father-in-law had given the order, he couldn’t very well refuse, so he nodded immediately.

After chatting for a while longer, Jiang Longcheng led Li Yi out the door.

Once in the car, Li Yi asked, “Is the ‘Xiao Man’ the old man mentioned Brother Longhua’s wife?”

“Yep!”

“From what you were saying earlier, it sounds like your sister-in-law’s relationship with the family is a bit strained?”

Jiang Longcheng sighed and said, “It’s more than just tense—they’re practically at loggerheads. She hasn’t been home for months!”

“Why is that?”

“Before the war started, my sister-in-law begged my father and grandfather to have my older brother transferred back to civilian life to avoid any accidents!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “But Grandfather flatly refused. On top of that, my older brother didn’t want to be discharged either—he even volunteered for the front lines. I never expected… that because of this, my sister-in-law has held a grudge against both my father and Grandfather!”

“After my eldest brother’s accident, she moved out of the house with the two children. My father and mother went to see her several times, but she refused to meet them.”

Li Yi finally understood the whole story and frowned. “It seems my sister-in-law has a grudge. She probably won’t listen to anyone’s advice easily. Even if we go there, she might not agree to see us.”

Jiang Longcheng shook his head. “If she won’t see us, so be it. We’ll go anyway, just to let my sister-in-law know the family hasn’t forgotten them!”

Li Yi sighed as well. He had always assumed that although the Jiang family was a prominent clan, the brothers were close-knit and friendly, free from such messy family feuds.

But now it seemed that wasn’t the case. He hadn’t expected the Jiang family to have such a messy situation of their own. Truly, every family has its own set of problems.

“With matters like this, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. Let’s just go with the flow!”

“Mm-hmm!”

Then, Jiang Longcheng started the car and drove toward the northern suburbs.

In the jeep, Li Yi looked at the elated Jiang Longcheng and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really planning to marry Zhang Xinyao?”

“Yes!”

“You’ve decided?”

“It’s decided!” Jiang Longcheng said firmly.

“Making such a hasty decision—aren’t you afraid you’ll regret it?” Li Yi asked.

“I, Jiang Longcheng, never regret my decisions. Besides, in a situation like this, the woman is the one who stands to lose more. Even if there are regrets, they won’t be mine, right?” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Not necessarily!”

As he spoke, Li Yi recalled a peculiar creature ubiquitous in the future—the “green tea bitch.”

Though they all appeared to be delicate young women, when it came to screwing men over, they could make life a living hell, leaving one wishing they’d never met them.

Fortunately, Li Yi knew Zhang Xinyao fairly well and trusted her character.

With that in mind, Li Yi asked again, “So, do you like Zhang Xinyao?”

“A little!”

“What do you mean, ‘a little’?” Li Yi frowned.

“It’s just a little flutter in my heart, but I don’t exactly love her to bits!”

“Didn’t you say earlier that you planned to just date for a while? Why are you suddenly ready to get married? Could it be that sleeping on the couch last night was just an act, and you’ve already slept with her?” Li Yi asked.

“How can you say that? Am I the kind of person who would do that?”

“You are!” Li Yi said firmly.

“Uh… Brother-in-law, that really stings!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Cut the crap. What are you thinking? This doesn’t sound like you at all.”

Jiang Longcheng grinned and said, “I guess I’m just at that age now. I suddenly felt like getting married. It’s nice to have a woman by my side who I don’t dislike. Let’s just go with it!”

“Just like that? This is a major life decision—you…”

“Heh, a few days ago I saw that kid Jianhua get married, and he’s been parading little Ying’er around in front of me every day. That’s what put the idea of marriage in my head!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “Last night, Xue’er gave birth to twins for you. Seeing those two little bundles of joy, all soft and squishy, I suddenly felt so envious. So on the way home, I brought up the topic of marriage with Xinyao!”

“Did she agree?”

“She did!”

“So you’re serious about this—you want to marry her and have her bear your children?” Li Yi asked.

“That’s right!”

“So do you think Zhang Xinyao is serious about this? If she just thinks she’s fulfilling the terms of your sham marriage agreement, that would be a huge misunderstanding!”

Jiang Longcheng just laughed and said, “No problem. Once she’s married into the family, she’ll be a member of the Jiang household—there’s no question of whether she’s serious or not!”

“Don’t go messing around, okay? Zhang Xinyao is a good friend of mine and Xiao Xue’s. Don’t put us in a tough spot!” Li Yi said.

“Got it. I won’t put you in a tough spot…”

Just as they were speaking, the car pulled up in front of a large government compound.

This was the district government office where Jiang Longyin worked—and the destination of Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng’s trip.

The security guard on duty clearly knew who Jiang Longcheng was; upon seeing him, he didn’t even bother with registration and simply let them through.

After the car drove into the courtyard, the two parked and headed straight upstairs to Jiang Longyin’s office.

Although it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, most of the leaders, including Jiang Longyin, were still on duty.

When they reached the door to Jiang Longyin’s office, Li Yi was about to knock, but instead saw Jiang Longcheng push the door open and walk right in.

Inside the office, Jiang Longyin was reviewing documents when the sudden noise startled him, causing him to look up immediately.

When he saw it was Jiang Longcheng who had walked in, he was about to scold him.

His third son was really out of line—after all, he was the top official in the district. How could he walk into his office as if he were strolling through a city gate?

However, upon seeing Li Yi behind Jiang Longcheng, he immediately restrained his emotions.

“What are you two doing here?”

Jiang Longcheng sat down boldly across from Jiang Longyin and said bluntly, “Just came to check on you. You’re not even going home for the New Year—aren’t you afraid Yang Rong will give you a reason to be unfaithful?”

“A dog can’t spit out ivory. She’s your sister-in-law. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll have the old man give you a good thrashing!” Jiang Longyin snapped.

“Even if the old man were to spank anyone, he’d start with you. Who stays cooped up in the office every day during the New Year holidays?”

“All the city and district leaders do the same. Do you think everyone is as irresponsible as you, working sporadically and half-heartedly?”

“How am I not doing my job?” Jiang Longcheng retorted defiantly.

“You have the nerve to ask me that? A perfectly good cotton mill is on the brink of collapse under your management. If I weren’t your older brother, who knows how many people would be lining up to oust you from your position as plant manager!”

However, Jiang Longcheng replied dismissively, “If I don’t want to do it, I won’t. It’s not like I’m desperate for the job.”

“Besides, the cotton mill has ended up in this state—it’s not my fault. I’m not taking the fall for this mess!”

Jiang Longyin clearly didn’t want to argue with Jiang Longcheng and immediately said, “All right, I know your temperament. You wouldn’t come here for no reason. Spit it out—what’s on your mind?”

“Actually, I don’t have anything to discuss today. It’s my brother-in-law who’s looking for you,” Jiang Longcheng said.

Li Yi immediately chimed in, “Second Brother, I’d like to borrow your phone to call home and share some good news!”

That’s right—Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng had come here primarily to borrow a phone.

Although both the cotton mill and the hot pot restaurant had phones, both were located in the northern suburbs, a good ten kilometers away from the hospital.

On the other hand, the district government office where Jiang Longyin worked was less than two kilometers from the hospital, which was why Jiang Longcheng had brought Li Yi here.

“What’s the rush? Go ahead and use it!”

With that, he pushed the phone on his desk toward Li Yi, then called Jiang Longcheng into the inner meeting room.

Li Yi didn’t hesitate; he immediately picked up the phone and dialed the office number of the county bureau’s criminal investigation team…

………

When Li Yi hung up and entered the meeting room, he saw Jiang Longyin and Jiang Longcheng still arguing over the cotton mill.

Although the two were trying to keep their voices down, with Jiang Longcheng’s booming voice in the mix, Li Yi could still catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

From Jiang Longyin’s words, Li Yi could clearly sense that he was somewhat concerned about the situation at the cotton mill; in fact, Li Yi even detected a hint of pressure in Jiang Longyin’s tone.

With Li Yi’s keen insight, he knew exactly what was going on.

So, as soon as he walked in, Li Yi asked, “Second Brother, is the cotton mill causing you trouble?”

Jiang Longyin knew his brother-in-law’s capabilities; he wasn’t as easy to fool as the third brother.

After a brief pause, he nodded.

Then he sighed and said, “Lately, the district office has received reports from some people claiming that Third Brother and you are in cahoots, embezzling state assets…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Longcheng exploded like a barrel of gunpowder that had been set off.

“Damn it, which bastard is spreading these rumors? It’s one thing for him to slander me, Jiang Longcheng, but he can’t get away with slandering my brother-in-law.”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “If it weren’t for my brother-in-law’s magnanimity in taking that batch of defective fabric and hiring the factory workers to make clothes out of it, the thousands of workers at our factory would have had a rough time this New Year. How did that turn into embezzlement of state assets in those bastards’ mouths?”

“I’m well aware of all that. Otherwise, the investigation team would have moved into your factory long ago.”

Jiang Longyin then added, “What’s even more troubling now is that—I don’t know where this rumor came from—but they’re saying you used underhanded methods to make over a million yuan in just over a month, and that you’re undermining the state. We can’t take this lightly.”

“Bullshit! Total bullshit! I think they’re just jealous of my brother-in-law’s business!” Jiang Longcheng snapped angrily.

Jiang Longyin nodded. “You’re right—someone is just jealous!”

“But you know the current situation is extremely sensitive. If we don’t handle this properly, not only will my brother-in-law be implicated, but you’ll likely lose your position as factory director too!”

“So be it! A rotten factory hollowed out by parasites—do you really think I care about it?” Jiang Longcheng roared angrily.

“Third Brother, please calm down!”

Then, Li Yi turned to Jiang Longyin and said, “Second Brother, rest assured. I’ve already figured out a way to resolve this. It’ll be settled very soon!”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Immediately, Li Yi began explaining his plan to Jiang Longyin.

After listening to Li Yi’s entire plan, Jiang Longyin thought for a moment and said, “If we really carry out this plan, the cotton mill could indeed be revived, and the malicious slander from those people would be easily resolved. But aren’t you getting the short end of the stick?”

“Heh, whether it’s a bad deal or not depends on how we negotiate!”

Li Yi continued, “Second Brother, the district office shouldn’t get involved for now. Help me buy two months’ time. In two months, we’ll prove those petty people wrong with our actions!”

“Alright!”

…….

Hospital. Ward!

Li Yi had originally assumed that this night would be chaotic and extremely hectic.

But to his surprise, it wasn’t nearly as chaotic as he’d imagined; the night was unusually quiet.

After feeding the baby formula a little past 1 a.m., both the adults and the child settled down and slept soundly until dawn.

At seven in the morning, it was already broad daylight outside. The “big brother” in the crib suddenly started whimpering without warning, and soon after, the “little sister” stirred as well.

Before long, both children were wailing loudly at the same time.

Hearing the children’s cries, Li Yi immediately came over to check on them.

His in-laws were also awakened by the noise and came over to help look after the children.

After a quick check of their diapers, they found that neither child had soiled them, so Ye Lingyun concluded that the babies were hungry.

Newborns have small appetites and eat very little, but they burn a lot of energy, so they need to eat every two or three hours.

Calculating the time, nearly six hours had passed since the little ones’ first feeding; the fact that they’d made it until dawn was already quite remarkable.

However, just as Li Yi and his in-laws were busy preparing formula for the two little ones, Jiang Xue suddenly sat up in her hospital bed, still half-asleep.

Last night, when she was wheeled out of the delivery room, she was completely exhausted. She had fallen into a deep sleep before she even made it back to her hospital room; Li Yi and the nurses had even helped her get dressed.

Jiang Xue was startled awake by the sound of a baby crying near her ear and instinctively opened her sore, heavy eyes.

After resting for most of the night, her physical strength had finally begun to return somewhat.

After sitting up, she paused for a moment, looking slightly startled.

When she saw the two infants in Li Yi’s and her father Jiang Shiying’s arms, she immediately cried out anxiously to Li Yi, “The babies… why are the babies crying…?”

Seeing that Jiang Xue had woken up, Li Yi hurriedly said, “Don’t worry, they’re just hungry!”

Saying this, Li Yi held his daughter up in front of Jiang Xue and said, “Look, this is our little girl—a baby sister. The one in Daddy’s arms is a son!”

When her son was born, although Jiang Xue was already exhausted, she had still heard the doctors and nurses say that the first baby to be born was a chubby little boy.

But by the time the second child was born, she was so exhausted she was on the verge of passing out. She fell into a deep sleep the moment the baby was born, so naturally, she wasn’t sure whether the second child was a boy or a girl.

Now, hearing Li Yi say this, she realized she had given birth to fraternal twins—a boy and a girl.

Suddenly blessed with both a son and a daughter, a look of excitement flashed across Jiang Xue’s pale face.

She carefully took the baby girl from Li Yi’s arms and examined her closely.

But after just a couple of glances, she frowned and said, “Is… is this really our baby? Why is she so ugly? Did they mix us up?”

Hearing this, Li Yi nearly burst out laughing—she was definitely a mother through and through.

Ye Lingyun, who was standing nearby preparing to make formula for the baby, froze in her tracks upon hearing her daughter’s words.

“Silly girl, all newborns look like that!”

“No, I saw my older sister’s baby—she’s so plump and fair-skinned, absolutely adorable!”

The “eldest sister” Jiang Xue was referring to was none other than Li Yi’s own older sister, Li Mei. Back when her sister-in-law had brought the baby to the Li family’s ancestral home for her postpartum confinement, Jiang Xue had made a special trip to see the child.

At first glance, she’d fallen in love with that plump, fair-skinned little bundle of joy.

She’d fantasized about having two delicate little babies of her own to play with every day.

But she never imagined her own child would be all wrinkled and scrawny, looking like a little old man—not nearly as cute as her older sister’s.

Li Yi smiled and said, “By the time my older sister came home, she’d already been in the hospital for nearly a week, so of course the baby looked good. In a few days, ours will be just as cute as my older sister’s!”

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true—would I lie to you?” Li Yi said with a smile.

At that moment, the two little ones, unaware that their own mother had “rejected” them, were wailing at the top of their lungs.

This was Jiang Xue’s first time dealing with such young children, and she was a bit nervous. She immediately looked at her mother, Ye Lingyun, and asked, “Mom, I… what should I do? Should I breastfeed them?”

Ye Lingyun nodded and said, “Your milk might not have come in yet, but you can let the babies try anyway. Who knows, maybe they’ll help get it flowing!”

She then shooed Li Yi and Jiang Shiying out of the hospital room and began guiding Jiang Xue on how to feed the babies.

……

After leaving the ward, Li Yi and Jiang Shiying carried their lunch boxes to the hospital cafeteria.

They each ordered a bowl of noodles, and Li Yi also ordered a few large meat buns; he had a big appetite, and a single bowl of noodles simply wouldn’t be enough to fill him up.

While eating, Jiang Shiying asked Li Yi for his opinion about having Jiang Xue spend her postpartum confinement at the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

The reason, of course, was that the small house Li Yi had bought wasn’t finished yet and wasn’t suitable for living in.

In contrast, the Jiang family’s old mansion was not only fully equipped and elegantly furnished, but also had his mother-in-law nearby to care for Jiang Xue and the baby.

Li Yi could tell that his father-in-law was worried he might send Jiang Xue and the baby back to his hometown for the postpartum confinement period, so he immediately said he had no objections to the plan.

To be honest, he had never even considered sending Jiang Xue and the baby back to his hometown for the postpartum confinement period.

On the one hand, the baby was still too young to endure such a long car ride home.

On the other hand, living conditions back home were still somewhat lacking and couldn’t compare.

More importantly, Li Yi’s clothing business wasn’t yet wrapped up, and he would need to stay in Beijing for the foreseeable future.

If Jiang Xue and the baby returned to their hometown, he wouldn’t be able to look after them nearby.

Seeing that Li Yi had agreed to let his daughter return to the family home for her postpartum confinement, Jiang Shiying breathed a huge sigh of relief.

By now, he had come to understand his son-in-law quite well.

Don’t let the fact that the young man hadn’t received much education—he didn’t even have a junior high school diploma—fool you; he was highly capable, had a strong sense of integrity, and was fiercely proud.

This was evident from his insistence on buying a house in the capital—and not just one, but two courtyards.

There are many unspoken rules regarding a married daughter returning to her parents’ home for the postpartum period, so Jiang Shiying had genuinely worried that this young man might throw a tantrum and refuse to let his daughter return home.

Fortunately, although he has a strong sense of self-respect, he was willing to set aside his pride for his daughter’s sake—he truly is someone she can entrust her life to.

After settling the matter of where Jiang Xue would spend her postpartum period, the father-in-law and son-in-law brought some soups and light meals for Jiang Xue and Ye Lingyun, then returned to the hospital room.

As soon as they reached the ward entrance, Li Yi and Jiang Shiying spotted a familiar figure standing there, and the sound of laughter and conversation drifted out from inside the room.

Jiang Longcheng also spotted Li Yi and Jiang Shiying. He immediately walked over and greeted them, saying, “Uncle Li, Brother-in-law!”

“Why are you here so early, you rascal?” Jiang Shiying asked, looking at Jiang Longcheng.

“My mom made some pork trotter soup for my sister, and she asked me and Xinyao to bring it over!” Jiang Longcheng said with a grin.

Li Yi glanced at his watch—it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet—and said in surprise, “You didn’t happen to bring Zhang Xinyao back to your place to spend the night yesterday, did you?”

“Yeah…”

But Jiang Longcheng quickly caught himself and added, “Don’t get the wrong idea—I slept on the couch last night!”

“Good to hear. Don’t get carried away before you’re married!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Got it!”

“Good to hear. By the way, why aren’t you going inside?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“Auntie won’t let me in!”

Jiang Shiying immediately understood—it must have been a bit awkward. He handed the lunch box to Li Yi and said, “You take this in. I’ll chat with Longcheng for a bit!”

“Sure!”

With that, Li Yi pushed open the door and walked in!

As soon as Li Yi stepped inside, he saw Zhang Xinyao whispering to his wife by the hospital bed, while his mother-in-law was sorting through the child’s clothes and other belongings nearby.

As for the two little ones, they were lying in the small bed next to it, already fast asleep.

Li Yi also noticed that there were quite a few pieces of fruit on the cabinet next to Jiang Xue’s bed, along with two brand-new aluminum lunch boxes—clearly brought by Jiang Longcheng and Zhang Xinyao.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Jiang Xue immediately waved him over.

When Li Yi walked over to her, Jiang Xue said excitedly, “Third Brother is planning to marry Sister Xinyao!”

Hearing this, Li Yi was instantly stunned.

Wow, that’s a bit too fast, isn’t it? It’s been barely a month and a half since they met—are they planning a whirlwind marriage?

This is 1981, after all—is it really necessary to go this big?