Chapter 403: Yun Rui, Yun Jin

Ugly!

That was Li Yi’s first impression of the two little ones!

Wrinkled little faces, sparse hair, and red skin—his son didn’t have his good looks, and his daughter wasn’t as pretty as Jiang Xue. They looked just like two little old men and women.

Though they were ugly, Li Yi’s heart was filled with immense joy.

Looking at the two little ones in their swaddling clothes, a sense of kinship welled up within him.

From now on, the people he cared about were no longer just his parents and wife—these two little ones had joined the list.

Li Yi gently stroked his son’s tiny hand, and to his surprise, the little one instinctively clasped one of his fingers.

Though there was little strength in the grip, Li Yi could tell the little one was using all his might.

Glancing at the little girl beside him, he saw her tiny fist clenched tightly, as if she were gripping something with all her might.

Seeing this, Li Yi was once again taken aback.

He immediately pulled his finger out of his son’s hand. With nothing left to hold, the little guy’s palm instantly relaxed.

His daughter, standing nearby, did the same—she no longer looked as though she were clenching her fist with all her might.

Li Yi had long heard that twins might share a psychic connection. He’d always thought it unlikely, but now it seemed that such a possibility might indeed exist.

At this thought, a flicker of curiosity arose in Li Yi’s mind.

If that were the case, would one child wanting to eat mean the other would want to eat too?

If one child was unhappy and wanted to cry, would the other follow suit and cry as well…

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the younger sister in her swaddling cloth suddenly let out a series of whimpers, followed by soft sobs.

Just as Li Yi stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to do, the older brother beside her seemed to have been summoned by some force, and he let out a loud wail.

Good grief, with both kids crying at the same time, the scene completely flustered Li Yi, this new dad!

Whether in his past life or this one, this was the first time Li Yi had been this close to such tiny infants—he had absolutely no experience in this area!

Although his older sister had given birth not long ago, he had only seen her little one a few times and had never actually tried to soothe him himself.

Just as Li Yi was at a loss, Ye Lingyun and dxmbang Jiang Shiying hurried in.

Once they reached Li Yi, Jiang Shiying hurriedly asked, “What’s going on? Why is the baby crying?”

“Um… I don’t know…”

Before he could finish, Ye Lingyun pushed Jiang Shiying aside and said, “If the baby is crying, it’s either because he’s hungry or he needs a diaper change!”

Although Ye Lingyun had never raised Jiang Xue herself, she had looked after her older brothers’ children before she got married, so she had plenty of experience caring for babies.

As she spoke, she gently unwrapped the small blanket covering her brother.

Sure enough, the moment the blanket was lifted, a faint, unpleasant odor wafted out.

Immediately, Li Yi and Jiang Shiying saw that the diaper beneath the little one was covered with a green, paste-like substance.

“The baby has pooped! Quick, get some toilet paper, then change him into a clean diaper!”

Ye Lingyun expertly changed both children into clean diapers. Although the little ones’ crying subsided slightly after being changed, they showed no signs of stopping.

Seeing this, Ye Lingyun gently touched her finger to the older boy’s lips. The little one immediately opened his mouth instinctively.

“The baby’s hungry!”

Li Yi immediately asked, “What should we do? Should we wake Xue’er up?”

“Waking her up won’t help. Xue’er gave birth more than twenty days before her due date, so her milk probably hasn’t come in yet. Let’s feed them some formula for now!” Ye Lingyun said.

Li Yi had anticipated this possibility and had already prepared formula and a bottle. He said, “There’s hot water in the thermos. I’ll go make the formula right away!”

“You hold the baby; I’ll go make it!”

With that, Ye Lingyun handed “Big Brother” to Li Yi and “Little Sister” to Jiang Shiying, instructing them on the proper way to hold the babies.

Finally, after teaching these two grown men how to hold a baby, she busied herself preparing the formula.

Watching his wife bustling about with hope shining in her eyes, Jiang Shiying felt a surge of emotion.

He had forgotten how long it had been since his wife had been this hopeful about life. Indeed, a heart ailment requires a remedy from the heart; her illness had been caused by the children, and now it might be cured by them as well.

Now that his wife’s condition was showing signs of improvement, they had found their daughter, and had a grandson and granddaughter to boot, Jiang Shiying was also filled with hope for the future.

Since the water for mixing formula couldn’t be too hot, it took Ye Lingyun quite a while to finally prepare it.

“Mom, the baby is so small. Will she be able to take a bottle?” Li Yi asked, sounding a bit worried.

“Of course. It’s a baby’s instinct!”

Saying this, Ye Lingyun held the bottle to the “big brother’s” mouth. The little one first nudged the nipple with his mouth, then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, took the nipple into his mouth and began to suck vigorously.

“Little Sister” was no different; their instinct for survival allowed them to learn how to feed themselves very quickly.

The babies were so small that they were full after just a little bit, and soon fell into a deep sleep in Li Yi and Jiang Shiying’s arms.

Carefully placing the two children in the small cribs beside them, all three let out a sigh of relief.

Even with three adults caring for two tiny infants, the task remained astonishingly difficult.

However, seeing the new mother and the two children fast asleep, everyone in the hospital room was overjoyed.

After a long while, Jiang Shiying suddenly asked, “Xiao Yi, don’t take what your aunt said to heart. She…”

Before Jiang Shiying could finish, Li Yi cut him off, saying, “Father, please don’t say any more. I understand!”

“Hmm, good that you understand!”

At that moment, Li Yi smiled and said, “Besides, have you forgotten what I do? Can’t I tell if the children have good fortune or not?”

Hearing this, Ye Lingyun suddenly chimed in, asking immediately, “I’d almost forgotten that you’re also skilled in reading faces, Xiao Yi. What do you think of these two children’s facial features?”

“Good! Very good!”

Li Yi continued, “Let’s start with the son. Born on New Year’s Eve, he has a naturally strong destiny. He has a strong-willed personality, doesn’t look down on others, and gets along well with people. Good fortune follows him—you could say he has a destiny of great prosperity and success.”

“What about the daughter?” Ye Lingyun asked again.

Compared to her brother, who was born on New Year’s Eve, Ye Lingyun was more worried about her sister, who was born on New Year’s Day. After all, the elders always say that children born on New Year’s Day have a less fortunate fate.

“Mother, the first day of the Lunar New Year is considered the most auspicious day of the year, so being born on such a day is actually excellent!”

Li Yi continued, “As the saying goes, ‘The first day brings a queen, the fifteenth an official.’ A girl born on the first day of the Lunar New Year has an exceptionally good destiny. In ancient times, such a fate would have made her a queen; it is truly a destiny of wealth and honor.”

“Even if she can’t become a noble lady now, she’ll still be exceptionally fortunate—bringing prosperity to her father at home and to her husband after marriage!”

Although Li Yi was making all this up to comfort his in-laws,

But as far as Li Yi was concerned, the fact that these two children were born safely was already a miracle that defied fate—how could their fortunes not be good?

More importantly, with him—a reincarnated father—it would be nearly impossible for them to lead ordinary, hardscrabble lives.

While others might say “all roads lead to Rome,” these two children were born into a life of wealth and privilege—as if they’d been in Rome from the moment they were born.

“Hahaha, that puts my mind at ease!” Jiang Shiying said happily.

Ye Lingyun also breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze filled with tenderness as she looked at the two children.

After a long moment, Jiang Shiying suddenly asked, “By the way, Xiao Yi, have you decided on names for the kids yet?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “Xiao Xue and I had thought of a few names earlier. We said that if we had a boy and a girl, we’d name the boy Yunrui and the girl Yunjin!”

“Li Yunrui, Li Yunjin!”

After pondering them for a moment, Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “What lovely names!”

Ye Lingyun added, “Yunrui implies lofty aspirations and refinement, while Yunjin draws from the phrase ‘unfolding the brocade curtain of the clouds, illuminating the nine-light lamp,’ signifying nobility and features as beautiful as a painting.”

With their approval, the names for the two children were settled.

Glancing at his watch, he saw it was nearly 1:00 a.m., and since Jiang Xue and the two children were already asleep, Li Yi immediately asked his in-laws to go home and rest, while he stayed at the hospital to look after the mother and her two children.

However, having witnessed Li Yi’s helpless and flustered state when dealing with the two children, Ye Lingyun had serious doubts about his ability to properly care for her daughter and the two children.

Even after Li Yi and Jiang Shiying repeatedly urged her to go home, she refused.

With no other choice, Li Yi had to let her rest on another bed in the ward, while he and Jiang Shiying took turns watching over them…

……..

Beijing. Peking Union Medical College Hospital!

At a time when families were reuniting, in the delivery room of the hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department, Li Yi, Jiang Shiying, Ye Lingyun, and others watched Jiang Xue, who was wolfing down her food, with a mix of exasperation and tenderness.

Half an hour earlier, amid the chaos, Jiang Xue had been rushed to the nearby Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

However, to everyone’s embarrassment, although Jiang Xue had been writhing in agony on the way there, once she arrived at the hospital, her contractions had mysteriously stopped.

After the doctor examined her, he informed Li Yi and the others once again that the expectant mother had just been experiencing normal contractions, and the estimated time of delivery… was still to be determined.

Hearing this, Li Yi didn’t mind, but Jiang Xue felt a bit embarrassed.

This happening time and again felt a bit like “crying wolf.”

More importantly, it was New Year’s Eve, and because of all the commotion she’d caused, the family’s New Year’s Eve dinner at the ancestral home was now ruined.

After all, besides Li Yi and her parents, her third older brother Jiang Longcheng, Zhang Xinyao, and others had all come over.

Fortunately, they hadn’t notified the Ye family; otherwise, they would surely have sent someone over as well.

Fortunately, the doctor had also said that the frequent contractions indicated labor was indeed imminent, and recommended that she stay at the hospital.

In addition, the doctor advised that since she was still in good spirits and feeling well, she should eat something right away so she wouldn’t be too weak during labor.

So Li Yi hurried back to the old family home to bring his wife some of her favorite dishes.

And that’s how the scene from earlier came about!

Although it was another false alarm, everyone knew that Jiang Xue was definitely about to give birth.

Consequently, the whole family settled into the hospital’s maternity ward, waiting for Jiang Xue’s labor to begin.

This time, Jiang Xue didn’t keep them waiting long. At nine o’clock, her contractions started again, and this time they continued until eleven.

After the doctor confirmed her water had broken, she was taken to the delivery room.

This time, they didn’t keep it a secret from the Ye family. Jiang Shiying had Jiang Longcheng go personally to the Ye family’s ancestral home to inform them of the situation.

Upon hearing that Jiang Xue’s water had broken and she had been hospitalized, the Ye family put their New Year’s celebrations on hold and rushed to the hospital.

After all, Jiang Xue was the only child of Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun, and childbirth is extremely dangerous for women—especially since she was carrying twins. Everyone was on edge.

Hearing Jiang Xue’s heart-wrenching screams coming from the delivery room, Li Yi, Jiang Shiying, and the others were as restless as ants on a hot pan.

Minute by minute, the clock ticked on. It was already 11:50 p.m., and in just ten minutes, the firecrackers would go off to “welcome the gods,” yet there was still no sign of movement from the delivery room.

At that moment, Auntie couldn’t help but say, “Shiying, Lingyun, do you think these babies might be born in the second half of the night?”

Before Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun could answer, Jiang Longcheng asked in confusion, “Mom, is there a difference between the first half and the second half of the night?”

“It doesn’t really matter, but poor Xue’er will just have to suffer a little longer…”

Although Auntie had said all that, both Li Yi and Jiang Shiying understood that she was implying something else.

If the baby is born in the first half of the night, it’s still considered born on New Year’s Eve of the Year of the Monkey; if it’s born in the second half of the night, its birthday becomes the first day of the Year of the Rooster.

Don’t let the one-day difference fool you—in the minds of the older generation, the distinction is significant.

Many people believe that those born on the first day of the lunar new year are not very fortunate—their fate is too harsh.

It is said that those born on the first day of the month have a unique birth chart, with a strong innate constitution that is resistant to adverse influences, making them well-suited for growth. Moreover, those with a strong constitution are more likely to survive in the face of adversity.

However, having a strong destiny doesn’t necessarily mean one has a good fate; often, because of this excessive strength, they frequently face setbacks.

Most importantly, since all things are in constant conflict, those with an overly strong constitution can end up bringing misfortune to those around them, which is why they often find themselves quite lonely.

Over time, people began to say that children born on New Year’s Day have bad luck.

Li Yi glanced at his in-laws and said calmly, “Whether it’s the first half of the night or the second, as long as the baby is born safely, that’s all that matters.”

Jiang Shiying nodded in agreement. “Xiao Yi makes a good point. As long as Xue’er and the baby are safe, that’s all that matters…”

Just as they spoke, a loud cry of a newborn suddenly rang out from the delivery room.

Hearing the sound, everyone stopped talking and rushed to the door of the delivery room.

Just as everyone was anxiously waiting for the baby’s second cry, the sound of firecrackers went off outside.

Everyone was taken aback. Those with watches immediately checked the time—sure enough, it was already past midnight.

This meant the second child was bound to be born on the first day of the lunar new year…

Sure enough, just as everyone’s minds raced with anticipation, a slightly weaker cry came from the delivery room, and the second child was born.

A few minutes later, amid everyone’s anxious anticipation, the door to the delivery room finally swung open.

Immediately, a young nurse emerged from the delivery room and called out, “Who is Jiang Xue’s family member?”

“I am… I am…”

Before Li Yi could finish his sentence, Jiang Shiying stepped in front of him and said, “I’m her father. How are Xiao Xue and the baby?”

“Both the mother and the babies are doing well. Mother and… daughter are safe and sound!”

The nurse continued, “The two babies were born at 11:59 p.m. and 12:01 a.m., respectively. The first to be born was a son, and the second was a daughter!”

Upon hearing the nurse’s words, Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun were overjoyed, and everyone else was equally delighted.

When a woman gives birth, nothing is more heartwarming than hearing that both mother and child—or mother and daughter—are safe and sound.

As for Li Yi, he was in a daze at that moment, grinning like an idiot while tears streamed down his face.

Jiang Longcheng patted him on the shoulder and said, “Why are you crying? It’s just two kids—we can certainly afford to raise them!”

Hearing this, everyone gathered at the door burst into laughter.

Jiang Shiying and Liu Yunlong, seeing that Li Yi was actually moved to tears by his daughter’s delivery, both nodded with satisfaction.

But they had no idea what Li Yi was truly feeling at that moment. No one knew how long he had waited for these two children—not just the few hours outside the delivery room, nor the nine months of Jiang Xue’s pregnancy, but across two lifetimes spanning time and space.

In his previous life, after he refused to marry Jiang Xue, he never imagined she would become pregnant.

By the time he heard news of Jiang Xue again, she had already passed away, and only then did he learn that she had been carrying his child.

That sense of regret, hatred, and despair—only those who have experienced it firsthand can truly understand.

So, even in this life, after he learned that what happened that night wasn’t him taking advantage of “Tang Xue” but her making the first move, he continued to treat her as he always had.

He feared that if he wasn’t careful, he might harm her—and the child—once again.

Today, after waiting through two lifetimes, he finally witnessed the birth of his children.

Even someone like Li Yi, who had weathered countless storms, couldn’t help but have tears well up in his eyes.

With that thought, he immediately pulled a sealed red envelope from his pocket, handed it to the nurse, and kept thanking her profusely.

The young nurse was clearly used to this sort of thing; she didn’t refuse, took the envelope, and returned to the delivery room.

After about twenty minutes, the delivery room door opened again, and Jiang Xue, wrapped in a blanket, was wheeled out.

Behind her, two nurses each held a baby; one of them was quietly sobbing, though not very loudly—it must have been the younger sister, born later.

Shortly after, surrounded by the crowd, Jiang Xue and the babies were escorted to the ward.

Once back in the ward, the nurse shooed out all the men except Li Yi, then asked him to help dress Jiang Xue.

When he lifted the blanket, Li Yi realized his wife was completely naked, not a single thread on her.

Wow, the sight made Li Yi involuntarily swallow hard…

Although it was an unconscious reflex, the young nurse saw it and immediately said, “The new mother has just given birth; her body is very weak, and her lower body hasn’t recovered yet. You must not have intercourse for a while!”

Li Yi’s face flushed instantly, and he hurriedly replied, “Uh… I understand!”

With the help of several female nurses, Li Yi finally managed to dress the sleeping Jiang Xue.

After settling her into bed, Li Yi finally had a moment to take a good look at his two children…

…….

New Year’s Eve!

Today, the old Jiang family mansion was decked out in festive decorations, and couplets—all personally written by the old patriarch in bold, powerful calligraphy—were posted both inside and outside the courtyard.

At the same time, a huge bonfire had been built in the courtyard, with a basket full of firecrackers placed nearby.

Paired with the bright red lanterns and red couplets, the scene looked exceptionally festive.

At 3:30 p.m., Li Yi was having tea with his father-in-law in the west wing when they heard the roar of a car engine outside the gate.

Immediately afterward, Jiang Longcheng burst in, dragging Zhang Xinyao by the hand.

The way they looked together, they really did resemble a couple deeply in love.

Upon entering, Jiang Longcheng didn’t head to the main hall but went straight to the west wing.

“Bro-in-law, come on, let’s go out for a bit!”

As soon as he walked in, Jiang Longcheng said it in a brash, matter-of-fact tone.

Li Yi was worried about Jiang Xue and was about to refuse.

But before he could speak, Jiang Shiying chimed in from the side: “It’s New Year’s Eve! Where do you think you’re going? No one’s stopping you from running around on your own, but if you dare take Little Yi out with you, I’ll break your damn legs!”

“Uncle San, come on, don’t talk like that. Going out to fool around on New Year’s Eve? Am I the kind of person who’d do something so reckless?” Jiang Longcheng said with a grin.

“Hmph, I know exactly what kind of person you are. Spit it out—what are you taking Xiao Yi out to do?”

“Nothing much. I’m just going to pick up my second sister-in-law and her two little ones!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“What about Longyin?” Jiang Shiying asked immediately.

“What else is he doing but working!”

Then Jiang Longcheng grumbled again, “He’s the top dog in the district, for crying out loud. How did he end up being worse than a green recruit? I have to go pick up his wife and kids myself. What a hassle!”

Jiang Shiying knew that Long Yin was probably on duty tonight, which was why he’d asked Longcheng to help pick up his wife and kids to come to the old family home for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

He smiled and said, “Stop whining. Hurry up and bring them back—we’ve got things to do this afternoon!”

Jiang Shiying was, after all, a Beijing-based official posted to the provinces, so he knew just how difficult it was to hold office in the capital.

This was the heart of the nation, and with the Lunar New Year upon them, the responsibilities weighing on him as the district’s top official were immense.

Even on this joyous day when families reunite, leaders like him had to stay on duty and work.

“Got it!”

As for Li Yi, seeing that his father-in-law had already agreed, he had no choice but to get up and get dressed.

However, for his wife’s safety, he asked Zhang Xinyao to keep a close eye on Jiang Xue and stay on top of her situation at all times.

After settling these matters, Li Yi followed Jiang Longcheng out the door.

After leaving the old family home, Jiang Longcheng drove straight to the government compound.

In the car, Li Yi looked at Jiang Longcheng and said, “We’re just picking someone up—why are you dragging me along?”

Jiang Longcheng replied, sounding slightly awkward, “Um… mainly to avoid getting turned away at the door!”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, my relationship with my second sister-in-law is a bit strained. She doesn’t really like me, and we always end up arguing whenever we meet…”

“I wouldn’t have guessed. Why doesn’t your sister-in-law like you?”

“How could I not ask?”

“So, it must be your fault, then?”

Jiang Longcheng said awkwardly, “Um… well, I beat up my little nephew!”

“Your little nephew—you mean Xiao Yi?” Li Yi asked in surprise.

Li Yi was familiar with Jiang Longyin’s situation. He was three years older than Jiang Longcheng, now 31, and had two sons.

The older son, Jiang Xiangyi, was eight years old this year, while the younger son, Jiang Xiangxin, was only three.

Judging by the situation, it must have been Xiao Yi who got beaten up; after all, Xiao Xin was still too young.

“Hmm…”

“Beast… no… worse than a beast!”

Li Yi then asked again, “The kids are so young—how could you bring yourself to do that?”

Jiang Longcheng glared at Li Yi and said, “You didn’t even ask what happened. If it had happened to you, I bet you’d have beaten him even worse than I did!”

“What happened? What did that kid do to make you still hold a grudge? Spill it and let me have a laugh!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Uh… never mind. I’ll tell you anyway, so you don’t think I’m picking on a kid!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “It was last summer. I got drunk and went home to rest, and that kid just happened to be there, hanging out with a bunch of little brats from the neighborhood.”

“I don’t know what they were thinking, but those little brats actually took advantage of me being drunk and stripped me naked…”

“And you beat up Xiao Yi just because of that?”

“No, if it had just been stripping me, I’d have let it slide. But those little brats actually… you know… played with me… and smeared ink all over my private parts.”

Just thinking about it made Jiang Longcheng’s blood boil and his anger flare up.

Hearing this, a vivid image immediately sprang to Li Yi’s mind: on a scorching afternoon, on the big bed at home, a chubby young man lay there like a white pig stripped of its fur, while several six- or seven-year-old children were crouched over him, fiddling with his little willy. After examining it for a while, the kids fetched some black ink and smeared it evenly all over it…

The image was too graphic; Li Yi couldn’t bear to think about it any further…

After a long silence, Li Yi blurted out three words: “He deserved it… Hahaha!”

Hearing Li Yi laugh until he was out of breath, Jiang Longcheng couldn’t help but complain, “You have no idea how miserable I looked when I woke up. Being naked was one thing, but when I stumbled into the bathroom half-asleep, I saw that area was pitch black and giving off a pungent smell. I thought I’d been poisoned—it scared the hell out of me!”

“After I figured out what was going on, I immediately pinned that little bastard to the ground and gave him a good thrashing. But just as I’d landed a few blows, my second sister-in-law came to pick up the kid. She saw the scene and freaked out. Ever since then, we’ve argued every single time we’ve met…”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “You really have had it rough!”

Just then, the car arrived at the residential compound of the district government. After a quick registration, the two drove inside.

Soon, the car pulled up in front of a six-story brick-and-concrete building.

Then, led by Jiang Longcheng, the two made their way up to the third floor.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

After knocking on the door, the voice of Yang Rong, the second sister-in-law, came from inside: “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Jiang Longcheng!”

“Click!”

As soon as the door opened, Second Sister-in-Law said irritably, “How dare you show up at my house today…”

Before she could finish, Yang Rong spotted Li Yi standing behind Jiang Longcheng and said, with a hint of awkwardness, “My brother-in-law is here too!”

“Sister-in-law, Second Brother sent us to pick you and the kids up and take you to the old family home!” Li Yi said immediately.

“Come in and sit for a bit. I’ll just put some warm clothes on the kids, and then we’ll head over!”

As she spoke, Yang Rong showed no intention of inviting Jiang Longcheng inside.

But Jiang Longcheng didn’t mind; he simply followed Li Yi inside.

After pouring Li Yi a glass of water, Yang Rong hurriedly took the two children into the back room to change their clothes.

It took them an hour to get everything sorted out.

Shortly after, Jiang Longcheng got behind the wheel and drove the group at full speed toward the old family home.

By the time they returned to the old family home, it was already past five o’clock. Several families from the second branch of the Jiang clan had already arrived, and the old patriarch had woken up and was chatting with his sons and grandsons in the main hall.

In the courtyard, four or five children were running, jumping, and playing, making the scene particularly lively.

Soon, the sky grew dark. Upon learning that everyone had arrived except for the eldest son’s wife, the old patriarch sighed, then motioned for everyone to take their seats as they prepared to begin the New Year’s Eve dinner.

The Jiang family was now a four-generation household. At the old patriarch’s command, more than a dozen of his children and grandchildren quickly made their way to the dining area and sat down around a massive table.

After offering a few brief words of blessing, the old patriarch proposed a toast to celebrate the New Year.

However, just as everyone was laughing and toasting, Jiang Xue’s glass suddenly slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

She immediately clutched her stomach and began to sway unsteadily!

Li Yi knew Jiang Xue was about to give birth. Without a moment’s hesitation, he called Jiang Longcheng and prepared to rush her to the hospital…

……..

Hearing Jiang Xue’s voice, everyone outside was startled and immediately rushed toward the bedroom.

Li Yi took the lead, pushing past the crowd to be the first to reach the bedroom.

When he burst through the bedroom door, he found his wife holding onto the edge of the bed with one hand and clutching her stomach with the other, her face contorted with pain.

Li Yi didn’t waste a moment; he immediately went over to support her and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you fall?”

Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun followed closely behind and rushed over as well.

At that moment, everyone’s gaze focused on Jiang Xue, their faces filled with concern.

“No, it’s just that my stomach suddenly started hurting badly. I don’t know if I’m going into labor!” Jiang Xue said, enduring the sharp pains in her abdomen.

Just moments ago, after returning to the bedroom, she had been about to try on the maternity clothes Li Yi had mentioned. But before she could even take off her old clothes, the baby inside her had stirred.

Immediately afterward, a piercing, cramping pain set in, growing increasingly intense.

Hearing that her daughter was in pain, Ye Lingyun’s nerves immediately went on edge.

Perhaps recalling her own ordeal twenty years ago, her body began to feel unsteady.

Seeing this, Jiang Shiying hurriedly helped her lie down on the single bed beside them and did her best to comfort her.

Li Yi also helped Jiang Xue onto the bed and let her rest for a moment.

At the same time, he instructed Jiang Longcheng and Zhang Xinyao to pack their things immediately and get ready to go to the hospital.

Fortunately, Li Yi had been prepared for this situation; he had already purchased everything Jiang Xue would need for childbirth, including postpartum clothing, baby blankets, diapers, bottles, formula, and toilet paper.

Now all they had to do was load these items into the car, and they would be ready to head to the hospital at any moment.

However, after Jiang Xue had rested for a while, the cramping pain in her abdomen actually subsided.

Although it turned out to be a false alarm, neither Jiang Shiying nor Li Yi dared to take it lightly.

Jiang Shiying then called in Dr. Jiang, the specialist assigned to the old man by the hospital, and asked him to take a look.

Dr. Jiang arrived shortly thereafter.

After conducting an examination, he informed Li Yi, Jiang Shiying, and the others that Jiang Xue’s water had not broken and she had not gone into labor.

The earlier episode was a normal contraction; while it didn’t mean she would give birth immediately, it was a sign that labor was approaching.

He then offered his assessment: Jiang Xue would give birth within the next day or two, and the family should be prepared.

Hearing this, Li Yi, Jiang Shiying, and the others were a mix of surprise, joy, and worry.

Li Yi had originally intended to take Jiang Xue to the hospital right away to await delivery; after all, she was carrying twins, and since this was her first pregnancy, there were certain risks involved.

However, Jiang Xue wanted to wait until tomorrow. The reason was that today happened to be New Year’s Eve, and the old man had gathered everyone at home early to have a New Year’s Eve dinner at the ancestral home. Jiang Xue didn’t want to miss the festivities.

Jiang Shiying also felt that the family home wasn’t very far from Peking Union Medical College Hospital—it was only about a ten-minute drive—so she thought it wouldn’t be too late for her daughter to go after the New Year’s Eve dinner.

However, for Jiang Xue’s safety, neither Li Yi nor Jiang Shiying dared let her try on those new outfits again…

Seeing that Jiang Xue was fine, Jiang Longcheng took Zhang Xinyao and left the old family home. He planned to take Zhang Xinyao to his own place for a while and come back later that evening.

Li Yi and Jiang Xue naturally had no objections to this. After all, they were adults; whether their feelings were genuine, insincere, or merely a fleeting fling, they should take responsibility for their own decisions without needing others to remind them.

Before leaving, Li Yi gave Zhang Xinyao 300 yuan—her wages and a bonus.

Compared to Feng Qian, Zhang Xinyao received a bit more—mainly because Li Yi wanted to thank her for looking after Jiang Xue and his mother-in-law during this time.

After seeing the two off, Jiang Shiying and Li Yi settled the mother and daughter back into the house.

Afterward, at Jiang Shiying’s invitation, the son-in-law and daughter-in-law went to the study.

……..

West Wing. Study!

The father-in-law and son-in-law sat down across from each other at a small round table!

While pouring tea, Jiang Shiying said to Li Yi, “You’ve caused quite a stir in Longcheng. I’ve even seen news about you all the way here in Guangdong Province!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s going pretty well!”

“It’s more than just ‘not bad.’ Tell me, how much did you make off this deal, kid?” Jiang Shiying pressed.

Without hesitation, Li Yi held up three fingers toward his father-in-law.

Seeing Li Yi’s gesture, Jiang Shiying exclaimed in surprise, “300,000 in a month—that’s 10,000 a day. That’s truly astonishing!”

“Dad, it’s 3 million!”

“How… how much?” Jiang Shiying asked, wide-eyed.

“3 million. To be precise, it’s 3,066,579 yuan!” Li Yi said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiying was stunned for over a minute before finally coming to his senses.

Then, with a slightly grave expression, he asked, “Did you really earn 3.06 million in just over a month?”

“It wasn’t us—I made 3.06 million on my own!”

Li Yi continued, “Aside from the 455,000 yuan we received from the cotton mill for the fabric, I also paid over 80,000 yuan in wages to the factory workers. As for my third older brother, he didn’t take a single penny!”

“Xiao Yi, over three million yuan—just like that? Have you thought about the consequences?” Jiang Shiying said in a grave tone.

“Dad, are you worried the higher-ups will come after me?” Li Yi retorted.

“Yes. It’s already astonishing for others to earn a hundred or two hundred yuan a month, but for you to make over three million a month—that’s far beyond anyone’s expectations and exceeds the limits of what the higher-ups can tolerate!”

After all, Jiang Shiying was a politician; he understood exactly what the bigwigs at the top were thinking.

Lifting restrictions on private businesses was merely a stopgap measure; otherwise, there simply wouldn’t be anywhere to house the returning educated youth. We couldn’t very well let them just hang around the city as unemployed drifters, could we?

It’s manageable in the short term, but if this drags on, trouble is bound to ensue!

But the problem was that the higher-ups were still debating the extent of the liberalization.

There were already those opposed to opening up private industry and commerce, and now his own son-in-law was making such a big splash at this very moment—wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

However, Li Yi just smiled and said, “Dad, three million isn’t a small sum, but how does it compare to 100 million, or even a billion?”

“What do you mean?”

“Father, you know I made over three million in just over a month, but do you know how big the market for this business is?”

“I don’t know!”

“Currently, the ready-to-wear market is worth at least 10 billion, and it’s expanding at a visible pace.”

Li Yi continued, “Right now, Feixue Apparel, under my name, has seized the market opportunity and has already broken into the markets in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province. If we keep expanding at this pace, we’ll make at least 100 million in profit by the end of the year!”

“Well… I’m still a bit confused…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi said, “Father, I’ve already spoken with Third Brother. Once the remaining raw materials at the factory are cleared out, I’ll hand over all of Feixue Apparel’s records to the cotton mill!” dxmbang

“In addition, I’ll draw up a detailed development plan for the Cotton Spinning Mill. If we follow my plan, within three years at most, the mill will grow into a mega-enterprise with an annual profit of 1 billion yuan.”

“Do you think those bigwigs up there would care about my measly three million compared to a mega-enterprise with an annual profit of 1 billion?”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Jiang Shiying fell deep into thought.

After a long pause, he sighed and said, “What a brilliant move to step down at the height of your success. Never mind 1 billion—if you can truly transform the cotton mill from its current half-dead state into a large enterprise with an annual profit of 100 million, those in power won’t touch you!”

“Heh, rest assured on that front. After the New Year, the cotton mill’s printed fabrics and woolen fabrics will be incorporated into the specialty stores’ operations. By then, the factory’s financial situation will improve rapidly, and the results will be fully evident!” Li Yi said.

“That’s good to hear. If all else fails, we can have the old man put in a good word with the higher-ups…”

“Dad, there’s no need. The Old Man’s merits and honors shouldn’t be spent on this. Besides, I have a backup plan—you can rest assured!” Li Yi said.

“As long as you’re confident, that’s fine. But if things don’t go as you expect, don’t try to force it!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Understood!”

………

The Jiang Family’s Old Mansion!

In the living room of the west wing, Jiang Shiying and Ye Lingyun watched as their nephew burst through the door, shouting for Zhang Xinyao. He was clutching several cloth bags, his expression beaming with excitement as if he were presenting a treasure.

With their seasoned eyes, they could clearly see that the boy had finally come to his senses.

“She’s in the study. Go on in!” Ye Lingyun said with a smile.

Just as Jiang Longcheng turned to enter the study, Li Yi walked in carrying a huge pile of things.

He’d fallen a few steps behind earlier while retrieving the gifts from the car, so he hadn’t seen Jiang Longcheng’s impatient demeanor.

As soon as he entered, Li Yi spotted Jiang Shiying and hurriedly asked, “Dad, when did you get back?”

“Just a moment ago!”

Just as Jiang Shiying was about to chat with Li Yi, he heard him say, “Dad, Mom, there are still a few things in the car outside. I’ll go get them first!”

“Do you need a hand?” Jiang Shiying asked.

“No, thanks!”

Li Yi then set the items he was holding on the nearby sofa and turned to walk out.

Soon, Li Yi returned, this time carrying two burlap sacks.

Each was over a meter tall and bulged with contents; it was hard to tell what was inside.

It was a good thing he was so strong; otherwise, he really wouldn’t have been able to carry those two huge bags.

“What’s inside them?” Jiang Shiying asked curiously.

“The cloth bags are new clothes I bought for you, your mother, and Xue’er. The burlap sacks are filled with beef and mutton—we’ll eat them during the New Year celebrations!” Li Yi explained.

Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “You silly boy, it’s just the New Year. Why buy so much? It’s a waste of money!”

“It’s not a waste. The clothes are all made in-house, and the beef and mutton are leftovers from the shop. If we don’t eat them, they’ll start to smell bad if we leave them sitting around too long!”

Li Yi was telling the truth. In those days, there was no plastic wrap, no plastic bags, and certainly no vacuum-sealing technology.

Even with a refrigerator, meat would easily absorb odors over time, affecting its quality.

Jiang Shiying glanced at the items on the floor, then called out toward the door, “Xiao Xu, come in here for a moment!”

Soon, a young soldier with a tall, upright posture strode in.

He first saluted Jiang Shiying, then said, “Sir, you called for me!”

“We have some beef and mutton here. Take it to the kitchen and tell Sister Wang to add a few extra dishes for dinner!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Yes, sir!”

Xiao Xu then stepped forward and carried the two packages of beef and mutton off the coffee table.

At that moment, Jiang Shiying glanced at the cloth bags beside him and said, “Come here. Let me see how the quality of the clothes you’ve produced is!”

Lately, his son-in-law Li Yi and his nephew Jiang Longcheng had been making quite a stir. Even though he was far away in Guangdong Province, he often saw reports about them in various newspapers and even on TV.

On top of that, his nephew Jiang Longyin often called him, and inevitably mentioned those two rascals. Every time he brought them up, Jiang Longyin was full of praise, which surprised Jiang Shiying a bit.

He knew just how high Jiang Longyin’s standards were—ordinary people simply wouldn’t catch his eye. The fact that Li Yi had earned his praise and approval clearly meant he was no ordinary man.

Li Yi understood what Jiang Shiying meant, so he didn’t beat around the bush and immediately took the clothes out of the cloth bag.

First, he brought over the cloth bag containing the suit and handed it to Jiang Shiying.

“Father, I prepared this for you. Please try it on!”

Jiang Shiying said nothing further; he immediately took the clothes out and examined them carefully.

Li Yi had prepared a dark blue suit for him. Jiang Shiying first examined the style, then scrutinized the craftsmanship.

He noticed that this suit differed significantly from the ones he had seen before. First, the overall silhouette was very sharp and clean-cut, and the pinstripes on the suit were exceptionally fine, giving it a more sophisticated and elegant appearance.

At the same time, the craftsmanship was exceptionally meticulous. He inspected it from top to bottom and found not a single loose thread—a rarity in China.

While Jiang Shiying was closely examining the suit, Li Yi brought over two more cloth bags containing clothes he had prepared for his mother-in-law, Ye Lingyun.

“Mom, these are for you!”

Ye Lingyun smiled as she took the cloth bag containing the clothes, then carried it toward the bedroom.

Just then, Jiang Xue emerged from the study. Seeing her father and Li Yi on the sofa, she immediately asked, “Dad, where did you get these clothes? They’re so beautiful!”

“Xiao Yi gave them to me!”

Jiang Shiying then turned to Li Yi and said, “Not bad. Thirty yuan a set is a bit pricey, but it’s not unreasonable!”

Tang Xue looked at Li Yi with some surprise, then said, “You’re selling this outfit for 30 yuan?”

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you?” Li Yi said with a smile.

“No, you didn’t. Will anyone actually buy it at that price?”

“Yes. In the past twenty days or so, we’ve sold over 11,000 of these suits!” Li Yi said.

“Over 11,000 suits… That’s 330,000 yuan!” Tang Xue exclaimed in astonishment.

“That’s right!”

“So does that mean we can pay back what we owe the factory?”

Although Jiang Xue hadn’t said anything about Li Yi owing the cotton mill hundreds of thousands of yuan, she was still quite worried about it deep down.

After all, it was hundreds of thousands of yuan. If they lost that money, they might never recover!

“Hehe, it’s already been paid off!”

“Really?”

“Yeah, if you don’t believe me, ask Third Brother—he’s already distributed the money to the factory workers!” Li Yi said.

“I believe you…”

Just as they were speaking, a light set of footsteps suddenly echoed through the room, and moments later, Ye Lingyun emerged from the inner room.

However, when Jiang Xue and Jiang Shiying saw Ye Lingyun, they were both stunned.

Before them stood Ye Lingyun, dressed in a light gray wool coat over a high-necked blouse, with slightly loose, straight-leg pants and a pair of black women’s leather shoes.

This stylish and elegant ensemble, paired with her slightly pale complexion, evoked the delicate fragility of Lin Daiyu—”a sorrow etched upon her cheeks, a frailty that seems to envelop her whole being”—exuding an indescribable gentleness and charm.

“Wow… Mom, you’re so beautiful, absolutely stunning!” Jiang Xue exclaimed, her face beaming with excitement.

Flattered by her daughter’s praise, Ye Lingyun replied with a touch of embarrassment, “You’re such a sweet-talker, my girl. I’m nowhere near as pretty as you say!”

“No, really…”

Jiang Xue immediately turned to her father and said, “Dad, you have to agree—Mom really is so beautiful!”

Jiang Shiying nodded and said, “I agree with Xue’er. She really is beautiful—graceful and extraordinary, with a natural, ethereal charm. Wonderful!”

“Hehe, it’s actually Xiao Yi’s outfit that’s so nice!” Ye Lingyun said.

No sooner had she spoken than Jiang Longcheng emerged from the study with Zhang Xinyao and chimed in, “Of course! The wool sweater and wide-leg pants Auntie San is wearing are a new design my brother-in-law created especially for her. The factory produced only one piece tailored to her exact measurements—you couldn’t buy this even with all the money in the world!”

Jiang Shiying gave Li Yi a satisfied look and said, “Not bad, you’ve really put some thought into this!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s the least I could do. Besides, the store doesn’t have many styles, so I just wanted Mom to try them on to see how they look!”

“I think it looks great, and it’s really comfortable—though the pants feel a bit loose!” Ye Lingyun said with a smile.

Li Yi immediately replied, “It’s actually better for the pants to be a bit loose, especially for someone as slender as Mom. If they’re too tight, it makes you look tired and lackluster.”

“Besides, it’s still winter. You can totally wear some thick clothes underneath—it’ll keep you warm and look great!”

“I never would’ve guessed you’re not only good at running a business but also know a thing or two about fashion design. You’re quite the jack-of-all-trades!”

Hearing Jiang Shiying’s words, everyone present couldn’t help but laugh.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xue, standing nearby, looked at Li Yi and said, “I’m so jealous that Mom has new clothes. It’s a shame that in my current condition, even if I had clothes, I wouldn’t be able to wear them…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi reached into a cloth bag nearby and pulled out a loose-fitting garment. “I designed this maternity dress just for you. Why don’t you try it on?”

“Really?”

“Yes, and this coat was also made specifically to fit your current figure. It’ll look great on you!” Li Yi said.

“You’re so kind!”

With that, Jiang Xue immediately took the clothes and headed toward the bedroom.

However, just as everyone was waiting for Jiang Xue to make a stunning entrance, a sudden cry of pain echoed from the bedroom.

Immediately afterward, Jiang Xue’s pained moans could be heard…

……..

PS: On New Year’s Eve, I wish all my readers a Happy New Year, good health, success in all your endeavors, and joy every day.

February 4th, New Year’s Eve!

Li Yi and Li Yeqiao got up early in the morning and headed to the cotton mill.

After meeting up with Jiang Longcheng, they headed straight to a bank in the city center.

They had only one purpose for this trip: to withdraw money!

They needed to pay the wages of the cotton mill’s employees and sales team, as well as settle the mill’s outstanding fabric debts, so they had to withdraw over 300,000 yuan in a single transaction.

Such a large sum was absolutely a fortune by today’s standards.

To be on the safe side, Jiang Longcheng not only brought out all three of the factory’s jeeps,

He also called in six or seven burly security guards from the security department—some of whom were even armed.

That’s right—back then, security department staff were permitted to carry firearms.

Moreover, at large factories like the cotton mill, the authorities not only permitted their relevant departments to carry firearms but even allowed them to maintain their own armories—a policy that wasn’t adjusted until the late 1990s.

Upon arriving at the bank, the group immediately presented their identification and deposit slips, then successfully withdrew 350,000 yuan in cash.

Since the largest denomination in circulation at the time was the 10-yuan “Great Unity” note, 350,000 yuan amounted to a full 350 bundles. It filled two large canvas duffel bags—a sight that left both the bank staff and the ordinary citizens there conducting business utterly stunned.

After withdrawing the money, the group immediately drove back to the cotton mill.

By then, a large number of factory workers were already waiting.

Not only the garment workshop staff, but employees from other departments had also gathered, all waiting for the factory to distribute their wages.

Li Yi first had Li Yeqiao settle accounts with the factory’s finance director, clearing the 255,000 yuan Li Yi owed the factory for fabric.

Only then did he distribute wages to the employees of the garment workshop, the sales team, and the finance department.

It wasn’t until 10:00 a.m. that he finally finished handling matters at the cotton mill.

After finishing up there, Li Yi returned to the hot pot restaurant to distribute wages and bonuses to Long Zhanjun and the others.

When his third older sister, Li Na, arrived from the Jiang family’s old residence, Li Yi gave her 11,000 yuan.

He instructed her to keep 1,000 yuan for herself and give the remaining 5,000 to Second Sister—this was payment for Second Brother-in-Law’s help harvesting mushrooms all summer.

The remaining 5,000 yuan was for their parents, so they could buy some New Year’s provisions and not have to scrimp on food or clothing.

Next, Li Yi escorted An Hong, Dongzi, Liu San’er, and his third sister to the pre-booked car, and they set off directly for their hometown of Qingshan County.

Finally, after locking up the shop, Li Yi drove Long Zhanjun and Feng Qian to the train station, and the matter was finally settled.

……..

After handling these matters, Li Yi did not return to the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

Instead, he went with Jiang Longcheng to the new courtyard near the Imperial City; he wanted to see how the renovation of his family’s courtyard was coming along.

He had a feeling this courtyard would soon come in handy.

When the two arrived at the compound, they found Master Zhao leading three or four middle-aged men busy in the courtyard as soon as they stepped through the gate. It appeared they were repairing the courtyard’s flooring.

Upon seeing Li Yi approach, Master Zhao immediately came over to greet him.

“Master Zhao, how’s it coming along?”

“The interior was finished last week. We’ve been tidying up the yard these past few days. We just need to give it a quick sweep this afternoon, and it’ll be ready to move in!” Master Zhao replied.

“Come on, let’s go take a look inside!”

“Sure thing!”

Led by Master Zhao, the two walked into the house.

Before they even reached the main house, Li Yi was drawn to the side room and immediately pushed open the door to go inside.

The changes in the side room were quite significant. The dilapidated doors and windows had been removed and replaced with new ones and new glass.

Compared to the original small windows and panes, the renovation had replaced them with large windows and panes, significantly improving the natural light.

In addition, the walls of the side room had been repainted with whitewash, the ceiling had been re-framed with new joists, and new wallpaper had been hung.

Although it didn’t look particularly upscale, it was certainly much more pleasing to the eye than before.

Most importantly, Master Zhao and his team, following Li Yi’s instructions, added new wooden beds, cabinets, tables, and chairs to each side room, and installed stoves in all of them.

This was primarily done so that guests could be accommodated in the side rooms in the future.

As a result, the decor of these side rooms in Li Yi’s house resembled that of an old-fashioned inn.

After touring the east and west wings, the group made their way to the main hall.

Compared to the side rooms, the main hall had undergone even more significant changes.

Upon opening the door, they entered the living room, where everything—from the floor to the walls, ceiling, and doors and windows—had been replaced.

The floor had been replaced with terrazzo, and the doors and windows had been replaced with brand-new wooden ones. The room was furnished with newly upholstered sofas and coffee tables, as well as a few small round stools.

Although simple, the space felt very comfortable to the eye.

The room to the left of the living room had been converted into a bedroom, featuring a large traditional heated bed (kang) and several built-in wardrobes.

Most importantly, to ensure the bed stays warm in winter, Master Zhao partitioned off one-third of the bedroom space to create a kitchen, with the kitchen flue directly connected to the earthen bed.

When cooking takes place in the kitchen, the earthen bed in the room is also heated—killing two birds with one stone.

The room to the right of the living room was transformed by Master Zhao into a study and small bedroom. He not only installed a single bed but also built a desk and a row of bookshelves.

Li Yi was generally quite satisfied with the renovation work done by Master Zhao and his team, though he did find the smell of paint in the house a bit strong.

Originally, Li Yi hadn’t planned to have Master Zhao paint the new furniture, since paint contains high levels of formaldehyde that take a long time to dissipate.

Plus, his wife was about to give birth, so they simply couldn’t wait for the smell to dissipate.

However, he had been so busy recently that he forgot to give Master Zhao and his team specific instructions. By the time he remembered and came back, they had already finished painting.

The house is nicely decorated now, but because of the formaldehyde, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to move in anytime soon.

It looks like we’ll have to stay at my father-in-law’s place over the New Year.

But in any case, the house is finally almost finished; now they just have to wait for the paint fumes to dissipate before they can move in.

Afterward, Li Yi paid Master Zhao the remaining 1,000 yuan in wages, then returned to the Jiang family’s old residence with Jiang Longcheng.

At the Jiang family’s old residence, Jiang Shiying had just returned from Guangdong Province and was chatting with his wife in the living room.

Meanwhile, in the inner room by the desk, Jiang Xue was whispering with Zhang Xinyao.

“Sister Xinyao, are you really not going home for the New Year? I think it’s been three years since you last went back, hasn’t it?”

Zhang Xinyao nodded and said, “No, I won’t. I’ll find time to go back in the summer!”

“Why not?” Jiang Xue asked, puzzled.

“For one thing, it takes four or five days round trip from Beijing to our home province of Qin. If I went now, I’d spend the entire holiday on the road…”

“I can ask Li Yi to give you a few extra days off. Didn’t you hear Sister Na say that Xiaoqian and Brother Long both got a two-week break? That way, you could spend over ten days with your aunt and the others when you go back!”

Zhang Xinyao smiled and said, “Never mind. I’m mainly trying to save some money. Once the weather warms up, I’ll see if I can bring my mom to the capital for a medical checkup. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a chance!”

“I see.”

Then, Zhang Xinyao’s face flushed slightly as she added, “Oh, and your third brother wants me to stay at his place for a few days over the New Year…”

Jiang Xue, as if she’d caught on to something, asked in a low voice, “Sister Xinyao, you and my third brother aren’t planning to turn this pretend relationship into a real one, are you?”

Zhang Xinyao froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile and said, “I’d love to, but do you really think someone like me is good enough for your brother?”

“You never know. The way my third brother’s been looking at you these past few days doesn’t seem right!”

“No way. Your brother is the factory director, after all. And considering your family’s circumstances, we’re worlds apart—I wouldn’t even dare to think about it!”

“So what if he’s the factory director? Even if he were the emperor, he’s still just a man. When it comes to men and women, anything is possible…”

Just then, Jiang Longcheng’s voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: “Uncle, Auntie, where’s Xinyao?”

Hearing this from the inner room, Zhang Xinyao couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Xue, a hint of inexplicable anticipation flickering in her eyes…

……..

After the meeting, Li Yi was just about to take Li Yeqiao back to the hot pot restaurant.

The Lunar New Year was just around the corner, and he needed to make proper arrangements for the staff at the hot pot restaurant.

But just as he was about to leave, An Hong called him back, saying she had something to discuss with him.

Li Yi then told Li Yeqiao to head back first and let Long Zhanjun and the others know not to close up yet; he’d be over shortly.

Li Yi then took An Hong to Jiang Longcheng’s office.

Once inside, Li Yi asked right away, “Sis, is this about what happened back home?”

“Yes. It’s been nearly 40 days since I left home. When I first came, I didn’t expect to be away this long. I never imagined…”

Before An Hong could finish, Li Yi immediately said, “It’s my fault I’ve kept you waiting, Sister-in-law!”

“No… actually, everything I’ve seen and experienced during this time has really made a deep impression on me. I truly never imagined the outside world was so vast and so fascinating. I’m also very grateful to you, Brother Li Yi, for bringing me out here to broaden my horizons!”

An Hong continued, “But the Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and I’d like to go back home to celebrate it in peace. I hope you’ll understand…”

“You’re too kind, Sister-in-law. Actually, I’ve already booked a car for you. Tomorrow morning, after Old Li has withdrawn the money for the employees, the car will take you back to Qing Shan County!” Li Yi said.

An Hong’s eyes lit up, and she immediately smiled. “That’s wonderful! I was worried that if we took the train tomorrow, we wouldn’t make it back in time for the ‘Welcoming the Gods’ ceremony!”

“Haha, not at all!”

“Brother Li Yi, what about you? Are you going back for the New Year?” An Hong asked again.

“No, I won’t. Xiao Xue is about to give birth, so a long journey isn’t suitable for her. But my third older sister will be going back with you all!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Suddenly, An Hong changed the subject and said, “Oh, by the way, Brother Li Yi, Guo’an called me a couple of days ago and asked me to pass a message to you!”

“What was it?”

“He said he’s grateful for your heads-up—he’s scored another goal!”

“Oh, that’s great!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Yeah, he said that thanks to your tip, they cracked a major gang robbery and murder case a couple of days ago and arrested four brutal criminals!” An Hong replied.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi immediately realized that the case had finally come to light.

The last time he had returned, he had warned Wang Anguo to make it a priority to investigate the scattered herders in each county and district and to strengthen ties with them.

The main reason was that this winter, a particularly vicious gang had set their sights on those herders, noting that they lived in scattered settlements and rarely interacted with outsiders.

Furthermore, herders were often relatively well-off; even if they lacked cash, they still possessed cattle, sheep, mules, and horses, so the gang specifically targeted such households.

Moreover, these criminals were extremely brutal; they spared almost no one—men, women, the elderly, or children—leaving virtually no survivors.

In less than a month, more than a dozen herding households have been attacked.

In the past, these ruthless bandits would flee far away immediately after committing their crimes. Combined with the relative remoteness of the pastoral areas, victims were often not discovered until dozens of days after the incidents, by which time much of the evidence had already been destroyed.

As a result, this series of cases remained unsolved for a long time, until one of the bandits was accidentally apprehended after the turn of the millennium and confessed to the crimes.

That was precisely why Li Yi had warned Wang Anguo.

To his surprise, the guy actually rose to the occasion and managed to crack the case.

Hearing this, Li Yi was delighted and immediately said to An Hong, “Heh, I’m glad the case is solved. Congratulations to Captain Wang on another major achievement!”

“It’s all thanks to you!”

“Sis, please don’t say that. I just did a little talking—what credit is there in that?”

Then he turned to An Hong and said, “Sis, I’ve got to go back and sort things out with the guys at the barbecue and hot pot place. I’ll head over there now!”

“You should go get things in order too. Leave early tomorrow morning. If you still want to come back after the New Year, just give me a call!”

“Alright!”

…….

After leaving the cotton mill, Li Yi headed straight for the barbecue and hot pot restaurant!

It was already 10 o’clock. The customers had all left, and the place had even been cleaned up.

However, everyone—including Long Zhanjun and Li Yeqiao—hadn’t left; they were all waiting for Li Yi.

Hearing the door open, everyone immediately turned to look.

Seeing that it was indeed Li Yi returning, the others immediately stopped their idle chatter.

When Li Yi approached the table where everyone was seated, Dongzi immediately stood up to make room for him, while he himself went to the side to fetch another chair.

After sitting down, Li Yi said, “Sorry to keep you all waiting!”

Long Zhanjun smiled and replied, “It’s okay—we just finished up our work too!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Right. The New Year is tomorrow—let’s talk about the festivities!”

Hearing this, everyone’s eyes turned to Li Yi.

They had just been discussing this very topic; in truth, everyone wanted to go home to spend a lively New Year with their families.

But since Li Yi hadn’t given the go-ahead, the others naturally didn’t dare say much, let alone go home on their own.

“As for our shop’s New Year’s schedule, my idea is for everyone to go home to their own families!”

As soon as he said this, Dongzi and the others jumped for joy.

Seeing how happy these young guys were, Li Yi couldn’t help but feel a bit moved.

In many people’s memories, taking time off for the Spring Festival was a given, but in reality, that wasn’t the case anymore.

In recent years, the government had advocated against taking time off for the Spring Festival, promoting the slogan: “No break on the 30th; back to work on the 1st.”

Consequently, for the past decade or so, there had been no Spring Festival holiday.

Although some provinces have reinstated the Spring Festival holiday system in the past couple of years, many others have not. Therefore, not having a holiday during the Spring Festival is the norm, while having one is the exception.

Signaling for everyone to quiet down, Li Yi spoke again: “Except for Dalong and Feng Qian, who live farther away, I’ve arranged transportation for everyone else. You’ll all be able to take a ride home for the New Year tomorrow, and just come back to work on the eighth day of the first lunar month!”

“Okay…”

“Dalong and Feng Qian, since you two live quite far from here, I’m giving you a few extra days off. You can make your own way home, and come back to work after the 15th!”

“Alright!”

Then, Li Yi added, “Before you all go on leave, I’ll settle your pay for the past two months!”

Hearing that they were about to be paid, everyone was thrilled, and their eyes lit up with excitement as they looked at Li Yi.

Li Yi didn’t keep them waiting long. He immediately said, “Dongzi, Shitou, Qiangzi, Gangzi, and San’er, you haven’t been paid for two months, so I’m paying you all at once this time.”

“Plus, I’m giving each of you a 100-yuan bonus. That’s 300 yuan in total for each of you!”

Dongzi and the others were taken aback at first, then said, “Brother Yi, that’s too much—really, it’s way too much…”

Before they could finish, Li Yi cut them off and said, “Enough. I know what I’m doing. That’s final!”

“Uh…”

Li Yi continued, “Feng Qian, you’ve been here for a month. Your salary is 120, plus a 100 bonus—that’s 220 yuan in total!”

“Thank you, Brother Yi!”

“Dalong, as the store manager, you’ll get 225 for one and a half months’ salary, plus a 500 bonus—that’s 725 yuan in total!”

“Alright!”

“Old Li, since you’ve been juggling both the store and the cotton mill, I won’t bother calculating it. I’ll just give you 800 yuan for your salary and bonus combined. No objections, right?”

Li Yeqiao replied immediately, “No objections, but it does hurt a little to part with it!”

“What’s there to feel bad about?”

“It’s a shame you’re such a money-scatterer!” Li Yeqiao said with a laugh.

“A money-scattering fairy?”

“You just handed out bonuses at the cotton mill, and now you’re giving us this much money—aren’t you just the very picture of a money-scattering fairy?”

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but laugh along.

Li Yi smiled and said, “We’re all brothers here. It’s no big deal to give a little extra. After all, didn’t we all leave our homes to make a better living? Taking this money back home is the best way to make things right with our wives, children, and families, isn’t it?”

That was the truth. Hearing Li Yi say this, everyone could relate, and happy smiles spread across their faces.

After that, Li Yi discussed with everyone how to prevent theft at the store during the holiday break, and also talked about how to handle the store’s inventory.

Once all these matters were settled, they finally wrapped up this seemingly simple yet significant “Year-End Summary Meeting.”

PS: During the Spring Festival, Old Cang also wants to take a break. Starting tomorrow and continuing until the seventh day of the New Year, this book will maintain one chapter update per day. Wishing everyone a Happy Spring Festival and all the best!

Feixue Apparel became a sensation, and so did the Second Cotton Spinning Factory!

With so many people clamoring to buy the clothes, it attracted the attention and coverage of numerous media outlets, which only added fuel to the fire of the already booming Flying Snow brand.

By this point, Flying Snow Clothing had firmly entered the public eye.

With only a few days left until the Lunar New Year, many citizens wanted to wear these fashionable clothes during the festivities and show them off to their relatives and friends.

Consequently, every day before the Wangfujing and Dong’an stores even open, large crowds of people gather outside, creating a lively and bustling scene.

Meanwhile, the Second Cotton Spinning Factory—once notorious and virtually abandoned—suddenly became the hottest commodity.

The sales department, in particular, felt this shift most acutely.

Previously, to sell those fabrics, they had begged and pleaded with everyone under the sun; even when they slashed prices to rock-bottom levels, no one was willing to give them the time of day.

But now it was a different story. Every day, a large number of buyers from out-of-town supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores would camp outside the cotton mill. As soon as the doors opened, they would rush into the sales department and bombard Sun Feng and his colleagues with requests.

They all have one demand: stock!

It’s no wonder they’re so frantic. Fashion trends in Beijing look to Hong Kong and Taiwan, while trends in the surrounding areas—and indeed the entire country—look to Beijing.

Now, people in the major cities nearby all know that Beijing has introduced bell-bottom pants, wool coats, and blazers. The goods that distributors take back home take three or four days to sell out at the slowest, and can be sold out the very same day at the fastest.

More importantly, distributors received a 25% discount on the retail price. Even if they sold at Li Yi’s suggested retail price, they’d still make a 25% profit on the resale.

Moreover, the vast majority of distributors do not adhere to the “suggested retail price”; some even sell at double the factory price, so the profit margin is easy to imagine.

And don’t complain about the prices—with limited stock and no fabric ration tickets required, people were still flocking to buy!

Amid this frenzy, in less than twenty days, the over 100,000 pieces of various clothing Li Yi had stockpiled before opening—plus the garments produced by the factory working overtime during this period—were virtually sold out.

And by this point, there were only a day or two left until the Lunar New Year!

As the New Year approached, the store’s sales revenue dropped, and fewer people came to the purchasing department to place orders.

Li Yi knew that this year’s sales boom had come to an end.

Immediately, Li Yi had the store staff take inventory, prepared to review the work done over this period, and then sent the employees off for the New Year holiday.

………

February 3, evening, at the cotton mill’s administrative office building!

It was the same conference room, with the same people.

Since they’d been so busy these past few days—most people working late into the night—they hadn’t held a wrap-up meeting for a week.

Seeing each other again, everyone felt a deep sense of warmth.

Likewise, they could all see the exhaustion and a touch of weariness in one another’s faces.

From his seat at the head of the table, Li Yi cleared his throat and said, “Everyone’s here, so let’s get started!”

At his words, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Li Yi.

“Comrades, after nearly twenty days of hard work, Feixue Apparel has finally cleared out most of our previous inventory. Plus, since the Lunar New Year is tomorrow, everyone can take time off starting tomorrow and return to work on the eighth day of the new year. Use this opportunity to spend quality time with your families and get some much-needed rest!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the crowd in the conference room erupted into excited cheers.

For everyone, this period had been incredibly exhausting—something they had never experienced before.

Before this, everyone had been employees at state-owned enterprises, working standard 8-to-6 shifts with rock-solid job security—just going through the motions day by day.

But now, they were working over ten hours a day.

And with so many days in a row without a break, even the toughest of us can’t keep this up!

Signaling for quiet, Li Yi continued, “Before we take a break, let’s have each department report on their work. Let’s start with the production department!”

Hearing his name called, Director Tan immediately replied, “As of 6:00 p.m. today, our workshop has produced a total of 180,000 pieces of various garments. We’ve completely used up all the printed cotton and wool fabrics in the warehouse, and we only have a little over 11,000 yards of cotton fabric left.”

“If we’re going to continue production after the New Year, we’ll have to reorder the printed and wool fabrics from the factory!”

Li Yi nodded immediately and said, “We’ll deal with matters after the New Year when the time comes. Let’s leave it at that for this year!”

Next, Xu Taofang stood up and reported, “At our Dong’an store, which has been open for 20 days, we’ve sold over 16,000 garments of various types, with sales totaling 326,400 yuan.”

An Hong then stood up to report: “Our Wangfujing store has sold a total of 42,000 garments of various types during this period, with a turnover of 846,642 yuan.”

After the two women sat down, Sun Feng, the head of the Sales Department, also stood up to report: “Our Sales Department has sold over 118,000 pieces of clothing during this period, with a total revenue of 2,421,600 yuan. All funds have already been handed over to the finance department!”

After hearing the reports from the three, everyone in the room was stunned, especially Jiang Longcheng.

He had been involved in Li Yi’s business venture from start to finish. They had begun organizing this ready-to-wear operation in late December, and it had only been 40 days since then. They had spent a mere 500,000 yuan… no… actually, only 200,000 yuan; the remaining 200,000-odd yuan was still owed to the factory.

With just that amount of money, he had leveraged a business worth several million—his ability was truly staggering.

As if oblivious to the astonishment on everyone’s faces, Li Yi immediately stood up and said, “Everyone has worked hard during this time. I’ve said I won’t shortchange any of you, so now I’m announcing the salary bonus plan for all employees!”

Hearing this, everyone in the conference room grew excited.

They had worked so hard all these days, all for this very moment.

In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned intently toward Li Yi, waiting for his answer.

“First, regarding the production floor: in addition to the existing daily rate of 1.5 yuan, all employees will receive an extra month’s basic salary (36 yuan) as a bonus!”

Li Yi continued, “In addition to receiving one month’s basic salary, every team leader will also receive an extra 100 yuan bonus, and Director Tan will receive an additional 500 yuan!”

The moment he finished speaking, the conference room fell instantly silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

After a brief moment of silence, a deafening roar of cheers erupted.

It was shocking—and incredibly generous!

Everyone had originally thought that Li Yi would be generous enough to give them an extra ten or twenty yuan in bonuses, but they never expected him to be this generous—even ordinary employees would receive double their wages.

As for the team leaders, in addition to double pay, they’d receive a 100-yuan bonus—equivalent to two months’ salary!

Director Tan was even more enviable—he received a 500-yuan bonus all at once. Wow, that’s more than an ordinary worker makes in a whole year.

Best of all, everyone had only worked for less than a month—it was truly easy money.

Li Yi motioned for everyone to quiet down again, then continued, “Now for the sales team’s rewards: the eighty members of the Sales Department, plus the twenty-plus salespeople from the two stores, will also receive double pay, plus an additional 100-yuan bonus each!”

“Managers An Hong, Xu Taofang, and Sun Feng, just like Director Tan, will each receive an additional 500-yuan bonus!”

After another round of enthusiastic applause, Li Yi added, “The colleagues in the finance team will also receive double pay, plus an extra 100 yuan bonus each.”

“All of the above funds will be distributed to every employee and manager by tomorrow morning, so everyone can have a prosperous New Year…”

Before he had even finished speaking, the conference room erupted in enthusiastic applause once more.

“Everyone, this year’s work is temporarily wrapped up. Let’s continue our efforts next year to build new glory together. The meeting is adjourned!”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

The conference room erupted once more in thunderous applause that seemed to go on forever!

The night passed without incident, and Li Yi got up early the next morning.

Taking advantage of the fact that Jiang Longcheng hadn’t gotten up yet, he went to the guardhouse at the factory gate and asked the elderly guard on duty to help him find a copy of the *Workers’ Daily*.

He knew that nearly every major factory subscribed to dozens of copies of newspapers like the *Workers’ Daily*—it was a mandatory quota.

Otherwise, how could such a newspaper possibly have a daily circulation of several million copies!

As he walked toward the guesthouse, Li Yi flipped through the pages of the newspaper.

It wasn’t that he enjoyed reading the paper, but rather that he was looking for reports on the cotton mill and Feixue Apparel.

Soon, near the top of page two, he found a news article about Jiang Longyin, the district’s top official, inspecting the Wangfujing Department Store.

Although the article primarily covered Jiang Longyin and the district leaders’ inspection of the mall—merely mentioning in passing that he had delivered a speech at the Feixue Apparel store—Li Yi was pleased to see that the accompanying photo clearly showed the “Feixue Apparel” storefront.

Furthermore, the article mentioned that the store manager of Feixue Apparel had briefed the district leaders, and it also noted that the store was packed with customers lining up to shop.

Although the article didn’t specifically promote Feixue Apparel, anyone who read it would still retain a faint memory of the store.

However, this wasn’t the article Li Yi was actually looking for, so he continued flipping through the pages.

Soon, he found the news story he was looking for near the bottom of Page 4.

The article was written by Li Yi himself, titled “New Approaches to Business Reform: A New Lease on Life for an Old Factory—Chronicling the Rebirth of the State-Owned Second Cotton Spinning Mill!”

On the surface, the article discussed how the State-Owned Second Cotton Spinning Mill had reformed its business strategy by shifting from producing raw cotton fabric to manufacturing ready-to-wear garments, thereby breathing new life into the factory—a story brimming with positive energy.

However, the tone shifted in the latter half of the article, which unexpectedly focused on Feixue Apparel, discussing how the brand’s product designs were fashionable and aligned with public tastes.

It was also accompanied by several images carefully selected by Li Yi, making it a clear case of personal promotion.

When Li Yi handed the article to Yang Ling yesterday, he immediately spotted the problem.

But after reading it carefully a few times, he felt the overall premise was sound and agreed to help publish it.

After reading these two articles, Li Yi felt much more at ease.

After all, *Workers’ Daily* is a comprehensive newspaper published by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, primarily targeting government agencies and enterprises nationwide, with a daily circulation of 2.2 million copies at its peak.

One can imagine that publishing a sponsored article in such a high-profile newspaper would yield results beyond imagination.

Of course, since newspaper advertising has a certain lag time, the results of this ad might not be immediately apparent.

However, the successful publication of this sponsored article gave Li Yi an idea: if it worked for *Workers’ Daily*, then *People’s Daily*, *TV News*, *Beijing Daily*, and others could do the same!

However, he couldn’t pull this off on his own. After all, publishing in newspapers of this scale requires some seriously solid connections.

Fortunately, when it came to connections, Li Yi’s own network was no slouch. Whether it was the Jiang family or the Ye family, either could easily pull this off.

Immediately, he returned to his room and retrieved the sponsored article he had drafted in advance.

Then he knocked on Jiang Longcheng’s door…

……

Night had fallen, and the city lights were just beginning to glow!

In the conference room of the cotton mill’s administrative building, just like yesterday, the lights were bright and the room was bustling with people.

Li Yi and the staff from Feixue Apparel were once again holding a work meeting here to review the day’s activities!

Just like yesterday, Li Yi presided over the meeting, with the two store managers and Sales Section Chief Sun Feng reporting on the situation one by one.

However, unlike yesterday’s jubilant atmosphere, today’s meeting felt somewhat subdued.

Soon, Xu Taofang, An Hong, and Sun Feng had finished their reports. Compared to yesterday, sales had been completely halved.

Yesterday, the East Shore Market store had sales of over 1,100 yuan, but today it was less than 800 yuan—a drop of one-third.

The situation at the Wangfujing Department Store branch was even worse: today’s sales totaled just over 4,000 yuan, a drop of about 40% from yesterday’s figure of over 7,000 yuan.

But that wasn’t the worst of it—the worst was Sun Feng’s sales department.

Yesterday, they sold 12,000 yuan, making them the talk of the town.

But today, they managed a paltry 1,500 yuan—not even a fraction of yesterday’s total. It was a total disaster.

Good grief—turnover plummeted from 20,000 to just over 6,000. That wasn’t just a 50% drop; it was practically cut in half.

Yet while everyone else was frantic and gloomy, Li Yi remained remarkably calm.

All of this was exactly as he had anticipated. After all, yesterday’s high sales figures were inflated and didn’t reflect the team’s true performance.

Under these circumstances, a dip in revenue was inevitable.

But as the effects of advertising and positive word-of-mouth gradually took hold, sales would inevitably rebound, surging to new heights time and again, and eventually settle into a relatively stable phase.

Only when these styles lost their appeal and were phased out by the market would sales decline year by year, until they eventually stopped selling altogether.

Therefore, the current sharp drop in sales was entirely normal, and there was no need to panic.

Li Yi immediately encouraged everyone to remain humble and patient, and to keep their composure.

At the same time, he told everyone that sales would soon return to yesterday’s levels and might even see a significant increase, so they should be mentally prepared.

With Li Yi’s words, Jiang Longcheng, An Hong, Xu Taofang, and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterward, Li Yi gave a brief summary, just as he had done the day before, and the meeting concluded.

And the subsequent developments indeed unfolded exactly as Li Yi had predicted.

On the third day, sales began to recover, reaching 9,000 yuan.

On the fourth day, it rebounded to 15,000 yuan, with the sales department alone reaching 8,000 yuan, and an increasing number of out-of-town distributors coming to inquire about stock.

On the fifth day, sales rose slightly again, reaching 19,000 yuan—almost matching the opening day’s figure.

By the seventh day, sales experienced a massive surge.

That day, dealers from Beijing, Tianjin, and other cities suddenly flooded into the cotton mill, placing massive orders for clothing. Each one demanded hundreds or even thousands of pieces right off the bat, much to the delight of Sun Feng and his team.

In just a single day, the sales department shipped over 8,000 pieces, and that day alone, the sales department received 160,000 yuan in payments.

The performance of the two Beijing stores was equally astonishing: the Dong’an Market branch’s daily sales exceeded 3,000 yuan for the first time, while the Wangfujing flagship store reached a staggering 11,000 yuan.

And that wasn’t even the end of it. As customers who had purchased clothes in the previous days began wearing their new outfits out in public, the streets were suddenly filled with people wearing Feixue apparel. The fashionable designs instantly captured the attention of the general public.

This even caught the attention of Beijing Television, which conducted impromptu interviews with numerous customers, effectively giving Feixue Apparel a wave of free television publicity.

Coupled with the gradual impact of the newspaper’s soft advertisements, the following days saw explosive growth at both Beijing stores and the sales department.

This was especially true at the Wangfujing flagship store, where crowds of people would gather as soon as the doors opened each day; within half an hour of opening, long lines would form outside the store.

Seizing this opportunity, Li Yi had his team begin promoting the Dong’an branch.

He had the attractive saleswoman tell the customers that they also had a store at Dong’an Market, where the clothing was the same, the prices were the same, and there were fewer people.

Soon, large numbers of impatient citizens who didn’t want to wait in line flocked to the Dong’an Market store.

As crowds of ordinary people scrambled to buy these fashionable clothes, no one could have imagined that in the final days of the Year of the Monkey, a “snowstorm” would sweep through the capital and its surrounding areas!

After the meeting, Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng walked out of the office building together, heading for the factory guesthouse in the back!

On the way, Jiang Longcheng said excitedly, “Brother-in-law, do you think this deal is sealed?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “We’re not even close yet.”

“Twenty thousand yuan in sales a day—is that not a success?” Jiang Longcheng asked in surprise.

“Twenty thousand yuan is no small sum, but have you considered how much of that is just people showing their support? They can only come to support us once when we open—they’re not going to come every day!”

“You’re right about that,” Jiang Longcheng admitted.

Li Yi continued, “Also, those distributors just took the clothes back today. They won’t come back for more until the current stock is sold out. So this 20,000 yuan is just a good start—it won’t last!”

“So if we can maintain 20,000 yuan in sales every day, does that mean the business is a success?”

Li Yi shook his head. “For me, a daily turnover of 20,000 yuan would indeed mean the business is a success. But for your cotton mill, that’s nowhere near enough!”

“Not enough?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “It’s not enough! Think about it: your cotton mill currently employs nearly two thousand people. Even without counting the salaries of the management, the annual wage bill for all employees alone comes to nearly a million yuan.”

“Add to that the costs of raw materials, wear and tear on machinery, utility bills, and taxes paid to the state—how much profit does your factory actually retain?”

“At least a million… that’s not bad!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Listen up. For a large factory with two thousand employees, if annual profits are less than twenty million, that can only mean the management is incompetent!” Li Yi declared.

“Um… Brother-in-law, I suspect you’re taking a dig at me?”

“You don’t need to wonder about that—that’s exactly what I mean!”

Li Yi didn’t spare Jiang Longcheng a shred of tact, cutting straight to the point.

He knew this guy well—a die-hard believer in the “Ah Q” mentality. If he didn’t give him a harsh reality check, no matter how dire the factory’s situation, he’d still find a reason to console himself.

Jiang Longcheng: …%￥#@#￥

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Longcheng asked immediately, “Bro-in-law, tell me then—how on earth can this rundown factory of ours make a profit of twenty million a year?”

Li Yi replied immediately, “A cotton mill isn’t some run-down shack. We’ve got complete and highly advanced production equipment, plus a large number of experienced workers. As long as we find the right approach, turning a profit will be a piece of cake!”

“That’s easy for you to say, but putting it into practice is another story. Otherwise, the factory wouldn’t have been on a downward spiral for so long!”

Perhaps worried Li Yi would snap at him, Jiang Longcheng added, “It’s not just my fault. The previous factory directors were all the same—not a single one managed to turn the factory’s performance around!”

Li Yi looked at Jiang Longcheng, then smiled and said, “Do you want to turn the factory’s performance around?”

“Of course I do! The old man once said, ‘Do your best with what you’ve got.’ After all, I’m the factory director now, so I should be able to…”

“Enough with the nonsense. If you really want to turn the factory’s performance around, then do exactly as I say!” Li Yi said.

“How?”

“Didn’t I pay you 200,000 yuan for the goods a few days ago? Take half of that to pay the workers’ wages, use the rest to buy raw materials, and then go all out on production!”

Li Yi continued, “At the same time, find a way to buy another batch of sewing machines, sergers, and other equipment to expand the garment workshop!”

“So you’re saying that from now on, our cotton mill’s main product won’t be fabric, but clothing?” Jiang Longcheng asked.

“Exactly!”

“But if our factory starts selling clothes, what will happen to your store?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry about me. Once I’ve sold this batch of fabric, I’ll hand over these two specialty stores and the Feixue brand to your factory.”

“At that point, you can leverage the Feixue brand to rapidly open specialty stores nationwide and establish a corresponding sales network. If managed well, forget about 20 million in profit—you could even make 200 million a year!”

“Two hundred million? Are you serious?” Jiang Longcheng asked, looking utterly stunned.

“When have I ever lied to you?”

“But wouldn’t that be a huge loss for you? How could I possibly take advantage of my own brother-in-law for the sake of the factory? If Third Uncle found out, he’d break my legs!” Jiang Longcheng said.

That was typical of Jiang Longcheng—the factory belonged to the public, but his brother-in-law was family. He’d rather let the factory take a loss than take advantage of his own brother-in-law!

“I’ll explain this to Dad later. You just start preparing according to my plan. I reckon Feixue Apparel will hit its sales peak in about a week—we’ll be swamped then!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

With that, the two headed to the staff dormitory.

………

Back in the room, Li Yi immediately picked up the guesthouse’s internal phone and dialed the Jiang family’s ancestral home!

He’d been so busy here these past few days with the grand opening that he hadn’t had time to check in on Jiang Xue.

Now that things had finally come to a conclusion, he wanted to share the good news with his wife and make her happy too.

After a few rings, the phone was picked up.

“Hello, who’s calling?”

Li Yi recognized his mother-in-law’s voice and immediately said, “Mom, it’s Li Yi. I’d like to speak with Xue’er!”

Ye Lingyun smiled and said, “Xue’er is in the next room reading. Hold on, I’ll go get her for you!”

“Alright, thanks for that, Mom!”

A moment later, Jiang Xue’s voice came through the phone: “It’s so late—aren’t you asleep yet?”

“No, I just got back to the guesthouse after a meeting!”

“I heard from Cousin Jianhua and his wife that the store is packed with people and really bustling. Is that true?”

“It’s true. I called just to let you know how things are at the store!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“How’s it going?”

“The combined sales for both stores today were over eight thousand yuan. Add in the sales from the other counties and districts, and we’ve sold over twenty thousand yuan in total!” Li Yi said.

“How… much?” Jiang Xue asked, stuttering slightly.

“Twenty thousand!”

“Twenty thousand in a single day? How is that possible?” Jiang Xue asked in surprise.

“Heh, there are many reasons. For one, our clothes have fresh, trendy designs—we offer European, American, and Hong Kong/Taiwan styles. Plus, we don’t require fabric coupons; as long as you have the money, you can buy them!” Li Yi explained.

“But… but that’s still unbelievable. Even robbing someone wouldn’t be that fast!” Jiang Xue said.

“Heh, this is just the beginning—our revenue might be even higher than this in the future!”

“Wow, doesn’t that mean we’re going to strike it rich?”

“Hmm…”

After hearing Li Yi’s affirmative reply, Jiang Xue paused for a moment on the other end of the line, then suddenly called out to someone nearby, “Mom, come quick! We’re rich…”

Hearing his wife’s adorable reaction on the other end of the line, Li Yi couldn’t help but laugh.

While her daughter and son-in-law were on the phone, Ye Lingyun was sitting on the sofa nearby.

Although she couldn’t hear the conversation clearly, her daughter’s excited repetition of the key points gave her a general idea of what was going on.

Upon learning that Li Yi’s business had made over 20,000 yuan in a single day, Ye Lingyun was utterly stunned.

She immediately walked over to the phone and said, “Xue’er, let me speak with Xiao Yi for a moment!”

“Okay!”

With that, Jiang Xue handed the receiver to her mother.

“Xiao Yi, Mom wants to ask you something!”

“What is it? Go ahead.”

“Can this business of yours last? Making 20,000 yuan a day—could that run afoul of government regulations?”

Compared to Jiang Xue’s reaction, Ye Lingyun clearly had a longer-term perspective.

After all, the “Reform and Opening-up” had only just begun, and the government’s stance on private industry and commerce was still unclear.

Setting up a small stall or running a small shop was fine, but raking in a fortune like Li Yi was clearly at odds with the spirit of the times.

One misstep could make him a target for criticism—he was treading on a nerve. By then, even the Jiang family’s intervention might not be enough to save him.

Li Yi understood his mother-in-law’s concerns and immediately replied, “Mother, I don’t plan to keep this business going long-term. Once I sell this batch of fabric, I’ll hand over all the storefronts, design blueprints, and brand materials to the cotton mill. The whole process won’t take more than two months. It’s such a short timeframe, and it’s during the New Year holidays—the authorities shouldn’t make a decision that quickly!”

That was precisely why Li Yi had spoken to Jiang Longcheng the way he did before returning to the guesthouse—he had all of this in mind.

Li Yi was well aware of the current situation. Never mind his own scale of operations—even the founder of Shaguaguazi, whose business was far smaller than his, had ultimately been shut down.

In fact, before 1985, it was simply impossible to run an individual business without restrictions on the mainland.

Therefore, although Li Yi knew full well that Feixue Apparel was a cash cow, he had never considered running it alone for the long term.

Hearing Li Yi speak so sensibly, Ye Lingyun breathed a sigh of relief and said, “That’s good. You must be very careful—we can’t let money get us into trouble!”

“Got it, Mom!”

“Hmm, go back to talking with Xue’er!”

“Okay…”

………

Cotton Mill. Small Conference Room!

Although it was already 9:00 PM, the administrative building of the Cotton Mill was still brightly lit.

The small conference room was bustling with people and filled with excitement.

Apart from Plant Manager Jiang Longcheng, Li Yi, Li Yeqiao, Sun Feng, An Hong, Xu Taofang, Director Tan, and others were all present. Everyone looked delighted, and the atmosphere in the conference room was incredibly lively.

Seeing that most people had arrived, Jiang Longcheng turned to Li Yi beside him and said, “Brother-in-law, everyone’s here. Let’s get started!”

Li Yi nodded, then called out loudly, “Comrades, quiet please!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, everyone present immediately stopped talking, and the conference room fell silent.

“Today marks the grand opening of Feixue Apparel. It’s just like taking the college entrance exam—we’ve been preparing for a long time, and whether we succeed or fail depends entirely on this moment…”

Before he could finish, everyone burst into laughter.

“Now that the test is over, it’s time to report the results. Sister-in-law, Comrade Xu Taofang, which of you store managers would like to go first?”

An Hong immediately said, “Let Comrade Taofang go first. I’ll speak later!”

Hearing this, Xu Taofang shot An Hong a grateful glance.

She had already heard that business at the main store had been absolutely booming today—the batch of clothes shipped over yesterday sold out in less than half a day, and they’d even made a last-minute trip back to the warehouse to restock in the afternoon.

If An Hong spoke first, with such a stellar performance to follow, she’d feel too embarrassed to speak up.

“Today, our Dong’an branch sold a total of 15 batwing tops, 18 bell-bottom pants, 9 wool coats, 17 Zhongshan suits, and 8 Western-style suits. After deducting the discounts from the flyers, our total sales revenue came to 1,119.5 yuan!”

No sooner had she finished speaking than a round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference room.

In everyone’s eyes, for a newly opened clothing store to make over a thousand yuan on its very first day was already quite remarkable.

Li Yi was also very satisfied. He nodded at Xu Taofang, motioning for her to sit down.

Then he turned to An Hong and said, “Sis, tell us how things are going on your end!”

“Sure!”

An Hong cleared her throat and continued, “Today, our Wangfujing flagship store sold a total of 65 batwing shirts, 126 bell-bottom pants, 76 wool coats, 49 Zhongshan suits, and 42 Western-style suits. After deducting the 50-cent discount per flyer, our total sales revenue came to 7,011 yuan!”

“Also, we’ve collected all the payments for the merchandise, so we’re ready to hand over the store at any time!”

After Xu Taofang finished her report, the room erupted in thunderous applause.

However, after An Hong finished her report, the entire conference room fell deathly silent—you could hear a pin drop.

It was shocking!

Over 7,000 yuan in sales—this was simply beyond everyone’s imagination.

After all, while many people run shops these days, the vast majority of stores don’t even make 100 yuan in a single day—yet this one had already reached over 7,000 yuan.

Combined with the Dong’an store, the total daily revenue for both locations reached a staggering 8,000 yuan.

Moreover, as core members of the team, they all knew the cost of these clothes. Even factoring in everyone’s wages, the total cost wouldn’t exceed 1,500 yuan.

In other words, in just a single day, Li Yi had made over 6,000 yuan—faster than you could rob someone.

For a moment, everyone’s gaze fixed on Li Yi.

However, Li Yi’s reaction was remarkably calm.

He was the first to clap his hands. The resounding applause snapped everyone back to reality, and they immediately followed his lead, clapping along.

As the applause died down, Li Yi spoke again: “Section Chief Sun, how is the sales department doing?”

Sun Feng replied immediately, “Our shipment volume today was also quite good. In just one day, we shipped a total of 260 batwing shirts, 420 bell-bottom pants, 80 wool coats, 200 Zhongshan suits, and 120 Western-style suits!”

“However, since we’re shipping at factory price, each item is 25% lower than the retail price in stores, so the total sales value comes to 11,977.5 yuan!”

“Furthermore, since we’ve signed agreements with our distributors stipulating refunds if items aren’t sold at the original price, it remains to be seen whether this money will actually end up in our pockets!”

Although Sun Feng had been very cautious in his remarks, everyone was still thrilled to hear that the Sales Department had managed to sell nearly 12,000 yuan worth of clothing in a single day.

In an instant, the conference room erupted once again in enthusiastic applause.

At that moment, Li Yi cleared his throat, stood up, and said, “Comrades, let’s first discuss the situation at the two stores. The main store’s performance is commendable, but the Dong’an branch has also done quite well!”

Li Yi then turned to Xu Taofang and said, “Store Manager Xu, the reason your store’s sales are lower is partly because its location and foot traffic can’t compare to the Wangfujing branch, and partly because all the friends who’ve been supporting me and Plant Manager Jiang have been going to the Wangfujing branch!”

“I’m confident that as Feixue Apparel’s reputation grows in Beijing and our clothing gains wider recognition among the local residents, the Dong’an branch’s sales will rise rapidly!”

“Yes!”

“As for the Sales Department, Section Chief Sun is worried that our clothes might be returned en masse because they aren’t selling. You can rest assured on that front.”

Li Yi continued, “Judging by today’s sales at both the Wangfujing and Dong’an stores, the public clearly appreciates our clothing. As our reputation grows, the market will eventually embrace us—there’s no reason to expect large-scale returns!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng chimed in, “I’m not worried about people returning items for refunds either. Section Chief Sun, you weren’t there today, but our store was packed to the brim—it was absolutely bustling. With a crowd like that, how could we possibly worry about not selling our merchandise?”

An Hong added, “That’s certainly true. According to our preliminary estimates, at least three thousand customers visited the store today!”

“If the mall hadn’t closed at 7:30, I think the store would still be packed right now. And once our clothes create a sensation in Beijing, other counties and districts will surely follow suit!”

“That’s good to hear. I was just worried that in a few days, a huge crowd would show up at our factory demanding refunds—that would be a real embarrassment!” Sun Feng said with a laugh.

“You really don’t need to worry about that, but there are some things we must be careful about!”

Li Yi continued, “First, regarding production: our grand opening today has already caught the attention of a reporter from the Workers’ Daily. A related article will be published soon, and when it is, Feixue Apparel’s brand awareness will be further boosted.”

“It’s easy to imagine that sales will skyrocket at both our flagship stores and distributors across the counties and districts. Our current inventory won’t last long, so the production department must step up the pace to ensure supply!”

Director Tan immediately stood up and said, “On behalf of all the workers and managers in our production workshop, I pledge that everyone will work in two shifts—people may rest, but the machines must not stop. We will focus all our efforts on production to ensure supply!”

“Excellent!”

Li Yi then added, “I’d like to make a commitment as well. Given the outstanding performance of our production team members recently, everyone will receive an extra ten yuan in bonus pay this month!”

“Clap, clap, clap!”

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, the room erupted in another round of enthusiastic applause.

“In addition to stepping up production, we must also strictly enforce quality control and ensure excellent after-sales service!”

Li Yi continued, “As you all know, there are defects in our current batch of fabric. Even though the production and quality control departments have conducted multiple inspections, it’s inevitable that some defects slip through the cracks.”

“Therefore, we must ensure excellent after-sales service. If a customer discovers a quality issue with a garment, we must offer an unconditional refund or exchange. This is especially true for our brand stores—there must be a dedicated person in charge of this!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Also, handle payments strictly in accordance with financial regulations. All funds must be handed over to Comrade Li Yeqiao at the end of each workday and deposited into the designated account. Is that clear?”

“Understood!”

“Comrades, I, Li Yi, am not a stingy person. If the performance of each department meets my expectations, I will ensure you are all satisfied as well.”

Li Yi continued, “There are less than 20 days left until the New Year. Whether you’ll be feasting on meat or scraping by on steamed buns depends entirely on your performance from here on out. Dismissed!”

…….

As Jiang Longyin’s motorcade pulled up, Li Yi was outside directing the beautiful sales assistants as they handed out flyers to the crowd.

In his view, while handing out flyers wasn’t exactly a high-tech endeavor, it was crucial for their newly opened store.

After all, whether they could sell the clothes depended on how many customers walked through the door, and whether they could attract customers into the store hinged entirely on how effectively they distributed the flyers.

Plus, he had complete confidence in An Hong’s abilities; he believed that with her there, the store shouldn’t run into any major problems.

So, from before the mall opened until now, he had been busy outside.

However, just as Li Yi was busy, he suddenly looked up and saw his second older brother, Jiang Longyin!

Surrounded by a group of people in official uniforms, he was walking toward the mall.

Li Yi assumed he was here on official business and was debating whether to go over and say hello.

But just then, he saw Jiang Longyin and his entourage heading straight toward him.

Seeing this, Li Yi knew that Second Brother Jiang had likely come today—just like Ye Jianhua—to show his support.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was that Ye Jianhua had brought a group of friends with him, while Jiang Longyin had brought along the entire district leadership.

All he could say was, “Wow, just wow!”

Stepping up to Li Yi, Jiang Longyin said with a smile, “You’re the manager of this place, after all. Why aren’t you manning the shop instead of handing out flyers outside?”

“Heh, someone else is running the shop, so I’ll just keep watch out here!”

Then Li Yi added, “Sir, how did you find the time to come over?”

“Don’t call me ‘Sir’—call me ‘Second Brother’!”

Jiang Longyin continued, “With the New Year approaching, I’m taking the district officials to check out the nearby shopping malls and supply cooperatives to see if prices are stable. By the way, where’s your store? Take us there!”

“Just taking a look around” and “inspecting price stability”—these were nothing but excuses.

Jiang Longyin had come today specifically to back Li Yi up, to prevent those with a grudge from causing trouble for them.

These days, with the private sector just getting started, many laws and regulations weren’t fully established yet, and plenty of people were taking advantage of these small business owners.

Any shop of even moderate size was bound to be treated as a sitting duck!

He figured that with him, the district head, backing him up, it should be enough to deter most of them.

Li Yi clearly understood this as well and immediately said, “Alright, please follow me!”

Led by Li Yi, Jiang Longyin and his group then made their way into the mall.

However, when they arrived at the flagship store of Feixue Apparel, they were instantly stunned by the scene before them.

The 200-square-meter store was packed with shoppers. While not all of them were there to buy clothes, their herd mentality and desire to see the commotion had them surrounding the entire store, leaving no room to move.

Because there were so many people—with quite a few even lining up outside—Jiang Longyin and his group couldn’t get in at all and could only stand outside the store.

Jiang Longyin looked at the slightly frenzied crowd with some surprise and asked Li Yi, “Are these the shills you hired?”

To be honest, Li Yi was a bit surprised himself.

He’d been handing out flyers outside the whole time and hadn’t paid attention to what was happening inside—he hadn’t expected the scene inside to be this chaotic.

“No. We’re selling high-end fashion. Those who like it and can afford it will buy it naturally. For those who don’t like it or can’t afford it, no amount of shills would make a difference!” Li Yi said.

“Then what about these people?”

“Just ordinary citizens—mostly here to check out the commotion!” Li Yi replied.

“Looks like your store is quite a draw!” Jiang Longyin said sincerely.

Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s not bad. I’ll go get the store manager and ask what’s going on!”

“Alright!”

Soon, Li Yi called An Hong out.

When An Hong learned that the top official of Jingcheng District had arrived, she was immediately startled.

She wasn’t just any ordinary housewife; she naturally knew the rank of the top official in Jingcheng District. Even her own brother-in-law, who had just been promoted, was one rank lower than this man.

“Sis-in-law, please brief the leaders on the current situation at the store!”

An Hong quickly gathered her thoughts and said, “Leaders, I am An Hong, manager of the Feixue Apparel flagship store. Today is our grand opening, and we’ve attracted a large crowd of citizens. The clothing we produce and sell has been well-received by the public. In less than an hour, we’ve sold over a hundred items…”

The commotion also caught the attention of the customers inside the store, and someone called out, “The district leaders are here.”

Subsequently, customers began streaming out from the back of the store and gathered around.

These days, ordinary people still hold leaders in particularly high regard.

As more and more people gathered, Li Yi stepped to the front of the crowd and said, “Hello, everyone! On the occasion of the grand opening of Feixue Apparel, we are honored to welcome Secretary Jiang, District Chief Zhou, and other district leaders for an inspection. Please give Secretary Jiang a warm round of applause!”

“Clap, clap, clap!!!”

After a burst of enthusiastic applause, Jiang Longyin strode forward and said, “We’ve come here today primarily to inspect whether prices at major shopping centers remain stable, and also to congratulate Feixue Apparel on its grand opening. As the first fashion apparel enterprise in the city—and indeed the nation—your presence fills a gap in the market. We hope you will uphold the principle of serving the people and produce more high-quality, fashionable clothing…”

With a string of fluent official rhetoric, he instantly bestowed an official title upon Feixue Apparel: the nation’s first fashion apparel enterprise!

Wow, this was a claim even Li Yi himself hadn’t dared to make—and yet his second older brother had gone and blurted it out in front of so many citizens.

It wouldn’t be long before this claim spread far and wide alongside Feixue Apparel!

With this bold claim as a selling point, it would be hard for Feixue Apparel not to become a sensation!

Just as Jiang Longyin was speaking, Li Yi saw Jiang Longcheng walk in with two people, one of whom was none other than Yang Ling, an editor from the Workers’ Daily.

Jiang Longcheng had previously arranged with Yang Ling to bring him here for a tour once the store opened, so he could help them publish some press releases.

So while Li Yi and the others were busy earlier, he had gone to the newspaper office to pick them up.

They arrived just in time; had they been a moment later, they would have missed Jiang Longyin’s speech.

Yang Ling had a keen eye for news. As soon as he walked in, he spotted Jiang Longyin speaking to the crowd.

Naturally aware of Jiang Longcheng’s status, he immediately instructed the young reporter accompanying him to whip out his camera and take photos, while he began taking shorthand notes of Jiang Longyin’s speech.

Jiang Longyin had clearly prepared in advance; his speech lasted a full ten minutes. Both its theme and wording were unique and refreshing.

As soon as he finished, a burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd.

Jiang Longyin and his party did not linger long. After finishing his speech, he took the district leaders on a brief tour of the store before leaving Feixue Apparel.

However, although they had left, the impact of their visit was just beginning to be felt.

Jiang Longyin’s speech had subtly elevated Feixue Apparel’s prestige, instantly sparking customers’ desire to make purchases.

Soon, the store experienced its first sales surge!