Jiang Shiyan’s words held a hidden implication.
Naturally, Tang Yang caught on.
As a modern woman who valued independence, and spiritual connection, and was far from superficial, Tang Yang responded with a soft “Hmm” to her boyfriend’s subtle proposal, shifting slightly in his embrace.
“You’re never serious about this,” Tang Yang blinked her large, bright eyes and reached up to scratch his chin. “Next time, could you please drive me to a luxurious mansion in an expensive car, lead me through an endless sea of roses, then get down on one knee with an enormous diamond ring and promise to treat me well for a lifetime?”
Before Jiang Shiyan could answer, Tang Yang’s eyes lit up as she thought of something. “Of course, if you’d prefer, you could wait for me to save up for a diamond ring, and then I’ll use the same method to bring you to a mansion and promise to treat you well for a lifetime.”
As she spoke, Tang Yang leaned down to reach under the coffee table, indeed pulling out a golden piggy bank from one of the compartments. She removed the rubber stopper from the pig’s belly and shook it upside down, causing a pile of coins, big and small, to clatter out.
The previously warm atmosphere was interrupted by the crisp sound.
Jiang Shiyan’s expression froze.
Tang Yang began counting her scattered coins, muttering softly, “Assuming the roses, diamond ring, luxury car, and mansion add up to 50 million, I’ve now saved 0.1, 0.2, 0.7, 1.7… a total of 16.83 yuan. I still need 49,999,983.17 yuan to reach 50 million…”
Tang Yang counted on her fingers, her voice innocent and soft.
The pile of silver and copper coins stared back at the great Jiang Shiyan.
A few seconds later, Jiang Shiyan smiled through his anger: “Did I say I was proposing just now?” Though he did have that intention.
Tang Yang promptly retorted: “Did I say you were proposing just now?” Though she wished he had that intention.
After their verbal sparring, their gazes clashed in mid-air.
Jiang Shiyan remained calm and composed, while Tang Yang smiled sweetly.
A few seconds later, Jiang Shiyan admitted defeat, but not before tugging on his little girlfriend’s hair as he retreated.
He was angry, very angry. So angry that… if there were ten rubber bands here, he’d tie her hair into a bunch of colorful spikes.
Then he imagined Tang Yang wearing a black suit, walking in high heels, with her hair tied up in little spikes, saying seriously, “Let me double-check the schedule,” “That’s not allowed,” “Yes, I’m Tang Yang”…
Jiang Shiyan burst out laughing.
Tang Yang looked at him suspiciously: “What are you laughing at?”
Jiang Shiyan covered his mouth with his fist and coughed once: “Nothing.”
His voice was full of laughter.
Jiang Shiyan had an evening flight, and there wasn’t much traffic on the way to the airport.
Before getting out of the car, Tang Yang said, “I’ll watch you go in.”
Jiang Shiyan insisted, “I’ll watch you drive away.”
Tang Yang laughed, “Didn’t we agree that I’d send you off?”
Jiang Shiyan said with a serious face, “You bring me here, I send you off. You take me to the airport, I see you off,” Jiang Shiyan pinched Tang Yang’s cheek, “Our input and output are equal, Director Tang. You can’t just because you’re especially beautiful…”
Tang Yang’s soft lips pressed against Jiang Shiyan’s.
Jiang Shiyan’s eyes were as deep as the vast sea, with waves of laughter in them, and Tang Yang in his laughter.
There was no moon that night, just a few lonely stars hanging in the distant sky. The high lights at the end of the airport road illuminated everything under the aluminum shed, including the dormant Range Rover and Tang Yang’s reflection in Jiang Shiyan’s eyes.
On the way back, Tang Yang drove smoothly, with a low English song filling the car.
Perhaps it was the guidance from Tang Yang’s startling dream long ago, or perhaps it was Jiang Shiyan’s earlier comment about “equal input and output,” but as Tang Yang listened to the sound of tires on the ring expressway, a bold and novel idea naturally popped into her mind.
Jiujiang had invested in building the Linjiang City Welfare Home, and the company Time Jin was about to join was Taxi, which also invested in welfare homes, but Taxi’s welfare homes didn’t have Time Jin.
Zhang Zhilan lacked credit and repayment ability proof, and the several Chinese restaurant enterprises where Zhang Zhilan worked had business dealings with Huishang.
If…
Tang Yang thought if there was a financial product that could break down the barriers between corporate and personal accounts, achieving equal input and output between companies and individuals.
If they could launch a credit-based financial product, with the bank as an intermediary, achieving equal input and output between individual-based borrowers and company-based third parties.
Then…
Tang Yang wasn’t a particularly kind person, nor did she like to interfere and change other people’s lives. If she had to attach a starting point to this idea, it would probably be to improve capital operation efficiency.
The bank had a dedicated department for financial product development, but for management trainees like Tang Yang, Huishang provided many channels to encourage and allow innovation. For example, Tang Yang’s previous “BKB” model, or the cash-on-demand financial product that Zhou Mo had once promoted, which was only sold on Wednesdays but had once caused a buying frenzy due to its lower amount and other improvements.
On the night she sent Jiang Shiyan back, the concept in Tang Yang’s mind was obscure and vague.
In the following period, apart from acting cute and coquettish when talking on the phone with Jiang Shiyan, Tang Yang spent the rest of her time hunched over her desk, reviewing past case files from the credit review department. When she came across suitable cases, she would pick them out for careful comparison and analysis.
Over the past ten years, Huishang’s credit regulations and procedures were not entirely perfect, and different people had different habits of recording approvals. While Tang Yang was busy wrapping up the first review of the Jiujiang special case, she was also organizing the cases she had picked out.
Some materials were detailed, and she would even go to do on-site follow-ups. On one hand, to understand the situation at the time more comprehensively, and on the other hand, as a follow-up to the loan cases.
Double pressure, running around everywhere.
Occasionally, Tang Yang would develop a fever in the middle of the night, couldn’t eat, and the symptoms of vomiting when encountering oily and fishy food returned.
Several times, when Mama Jiang saw Tang Yang rush to the bathroom halfway through eating, she would look at the sweet and sour ribs in her bowl and think about her food preferences these past few days.
Mama Jiang would follow her, patting her back sympathetically while feeling somewhat expectant: “Tangtang, are you…”
“What?” Tang Yang wiped her mouth with a bitter expression.
Mama Jiang exclaimed “Oh my!” with a smile she couldn’t suppress: “When did your last period come,” she nudged Tang Yang with her elbow, “Are you… pregnant?”
“Pregnant with what…” Tang Yang was confused, not having reacted yet.
Mama Jiang kept gesturing and winking.
Several seconds later, Tang Yang’s ears turned slightly red.
“My period hasn’t been very regular lately, it should come in the next day or two,” Tang Yang said softly, then shook her head, “It’s probably not that, we’ve been using protection.”
Mama Jiang was a bit skeptical: “Are you sure there were no accidents?” Seeing how severe your reaction was just now.
In front of Mama Jiang, Tang Yang blushed and her heart raced as she recalled, then said firmly: “No.”
Mama Jiang followed up: “So you have no plans for children at all?”
Tang Yang nodded: “No.”
No matter how reckless Jiang Shiyan might be, Tangtang was steady. If Tangtang said there wasn’t, then there wasn’t.
“I guess it’s because you ate a piece of watermelon at noon and your gastrointestinal issues flared up. Your stomach has always been weak, let me find some medicine for you.” Mama Jiang said as she walked out of the bathroom.
Tang Yang watched the smile disappear from Mama Jiang’s face and held her hand.
“Auntie Yi,” Tang Yang bit her lip, looking anxious, “I’m thinking of having children in a couple of years.”
The gentleness vanished from Mama Jiang’s face.
Tang Yang saw this, her heart racing, but her thoughts remained. It was precisely because Mama Jiang was so good to her that she couldn’t bring herself to say “We’re planning to have children” while still using contraception.
She swallowed and spoke even more softly: “Although Zhou Zisheng’s words weren’t nice, I am indeed in a period of career growth. I’m thinking of waiting a couple of years, until I’m 31 or 32 and a bit more stable, before having children,” Tang Yang felt guilty but persisted in finishing, “You know my situation, no matter when we get married, I don’t have the ability or the option to be a full-time housewife…”
“Tang Yang.” Mama Jiang’s face was expressionless.
Tang Yang’s heart leaped to her throat: Was Mama Jiang dissatisfied? Was she eager for grandchildren? Was she going to criticize her?
But no matter how Mama Jiang might scold her, she would listen carefully, and it couldn’t be considered a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict.
She was indeed almost thirty, the same age as Jiang Shiyan, and the two of them were still dawdling in their relationship, while Jiang Shiyan’s sister’s son was almost in elementary school.
Tang Yang let go of Mama Jiang’s hand and lowered her head submissively: “Mm.”
Mama Jiang remained unmoved: “You can have children whenever you want, or even not have them at all, it’s none of my business.”
When adults say “It’s none of my business,” the subtext usually seems to be “You’re not listening.”
Tang Yang felt awkward and didn’t dare to speak.
Mama Jiang’s next sentence: “But how can you call me Auntie Yi?!”
Tang Yang was stunned and then looked up.
“I am Jiang Shiyan’s mother, and since you’re with Jiang Shiyan, I am your mother. Tang Yang, how can you call your mother ‘auntie’?!”
Auntie Yi, Auntie Yi, the more Mama Jiang thought about it, the more upset she became. She pointed at her chest, grief-stricken, “Or are you looking down on me? Are you hinting at something? If there’s anything I’m not doing well, you can tell me, I can change. I’ve finally become your mother, you used to call me that before, why suddenly call me Auntie Yi again? Tang Yang, do you know that this title is like a knife, cutting into my heart!”
When Mama Jiang exclaimed “Ah!”, she progressively pointed at her chest three times.
Tang Yang stared blankly at the other’s almost tearful expression, seeming to understand where Jiang Shiyan inherited his talent for dramatic wailing.
The same decibel level, each with its unique charm.
Tang Yang laughed inwardly and hugged Mama Jiang.
She patted Mama Jiang’s back gently, calling out softly and obediently in Mama Jiang’s ear: “Mama.”
She used the reduplicated form.
Jiang Yanan had been independent since childhood, at most calling out a single “Ma,” and Jiang Shiyan even less so.
Mama Jiang had never really experienced being called “Mama” before. In an instant, it felt like she was walking on cotton, both sweet and floating.
Mama Jiang called Jiang Shiyan to boast about this “Mama,” but Jiang Shiyan was more concerned about Tang Yang’s physical condition.
During this month and a half that Jiang Shiyan had been in England, the days dragged on endlessly. He desperately wanted to go back, but he truly couldn’t leave—
Many of the films produced by Thompson Entertainment would be released in mainland China through Yixiu, and many of Yixiu’s productions would also be released in Europe and America through Thompson.
Previously, when Jiang Shiyan was in the capital running the English version release of “The Lost Pearl,” he had established friendly relationships with many leaders. There was a highly significant film and television work promotion in the second half of the year, and the leaders had given Jiang Shiyan a hint. Plus, with the high quality and excellent reputation of “The Lost Pearl,” it easily entered the first round of candidates. However, this meant that the release date of “The Lost Pearl” in Europe and America needed to be postponed until after the election results were out.
Jiang Shiyan had invested a lot of effort in “The Lost Pearl,” and he wanted a reputation in Europe and America. He didn’t want to miss a quarter of prime time, so he proposed to have “The Lost Pearl” undergo a three-month-long preview screening. This project was particularly willful and involved the handling of many other films. Leo raised objections, but Jiang Shiyan didn’t back down.
During this month and a half, both Jiang Shiyan and Tang Yang were busy.
They were also dealing with the time difference.
As both of their schedules became tighter towards the end, they made fewer and fewer phone calls.
On the phone, Jiang Shiyan calmly said “Mm,” “You should sleep,” “You sound very tired,” and “Good night.”
Tang Yang’s eyelids were too heavy to keep open.
Off the phone, Jiang Shiyan wanted to talk to her but feared she was tired, wanted to ask what she had eaten but she was busy, wanted to listen to her breathing but worried about phone radiation. But he truly missed his Yang Yang, separated by those damned rivers and seas, filled with a body of longing, missing her so much that even his bones began to ache slightly.