“So, Ji Ya’s wedding is off now.”

When Xia Xiaolan returned to Beijing, Grandmother Yu found the outcome rather predictable. As the saying goes, those who provoke first are the ones at fault. Ji Ya couldn’t distinguish priorities and insisted on inviting Tang Hongen – such an outcome wasn’t surprising.

Grandmother Yu felt no sympathy. The elderly lady had always thought Ji Huaixin wasn’t generous enough and hadn’t raised the Ji family well. Whatever Ji Ya did, Grandmother Yu attributed it to “not being disciplined enough as a child.”

But Tang Hongen’s dramatic display wasn’t just meant to anger Ji Ya.

Listening to Xia Xiaolan’s account of the situation, Grandmother Yu offered an objective assessment:

“The Ji family won’t have it easy from now on. Before, regardless of everything else, people still saw the Ji family and Mayor Tang as in-laws. Mayor Tang had been playing the role of a ‘dutiful son-in-law’ for years, making the Ji family quite proud. Even when they ignored him, Mayor Tang still sent gifts every year. But it’s different now – Ji Huaixin isn’t around, Ji Ya is remarrying, and the Ji family is still acting superior. Mayor Tang publicly severed ties with the Ji family, and no one can fault him for it!”

“Uncle Tang did it deliberately, not just to cut ties with the Ji family. I think he was also helping me.”

Previously, people only speculated about her relationship with Tang Hongen, but now everything was out in the open… Tang Hongen wasn’t afraid of gossip; he was helping her.

Xia Xiaolan felt touched, which was why, despite privately thinking Comrade Tang was quite calculating, she didn’t expose his tactics in front of her mother.

What would be the point of exposing it? It was better that Tang had high emotional intelligence rather than low, and dealing with emotionally intelligent people was usually pleasant.

Low emotional intelligence combined with male chauvinism was truly troublesome – no matter how good the conditions were, living together would be exhausting!

“This is all your mother’s luck! Finding a man who truly loves her isn’t difficult, but finding one who extends that love to you, her baggage is rare!”

The “baggage” Xia Xiaolan looked at Grandmother Yu accusingly. “Wasn’t I the one who knew Uncle Tang first? How did I become baggage?”

She knew Grandmother Yu was joking and didn’t mind. It was good that Grandmother Yu could be so open while living with them. Xia Xiaolan thought for a moment, “We need to quickly promote a shop assistant to help my mom manage things. Now that her relationship with Uncle Tang is settled, they should spend more time together. With no one watching the stores, my mom never dares to linger when she goes to restock.”

Liu Fen had to go to Yangcheng at least once a month.

During peak sales seasons, she might go twice a month. Yangcheng was close to Pengcheng, so there were plenty of opportunities to meet Tang Hongen.

But Liu Fen always rushed through her purchasing trips, hurrying back to Beijing to handle the clothing store matters.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t want to tire out her mother; it was time to choose someone to help with management.

Grandmother Yu had interacted with all the shop assistants, having trained them in etiquette, and knew them fairly well. Some were clever, others honest. “Didn’t you choose that Wang Lin girl, and asked her to help find Sun Chunsheng?”

Xia Xiaolan had indeed planned this. “Let’s have mom train her first.”

Promoting Wang Lin meant they’d need to hire someone new for the Xiushui Street branch, but that was a minor issue. They no longer needed Manager Wu’s recommendations. With Lanfenghuang having opened three branches in Beijing, they had built a reputation. Now when they advertise for help, no one would question their credibility – people would compete for these jobs!

Xia Xiaolan remembered meeting Ning Xue at the wedding and mentioned it to Grandmother Yu:

“I don’t know what Old Master Ning told Ning Xue, but she wanted to see the Jinsha Pool construction site. I managed to deflect it during the wedding chaos. I don’t want to expose the Jinsha Pool site right now.”

Xia Xiaolan had promotional ideas about how to build and sell the Jinsha Pool properties.

They were currently building the street-facing building at top speed. Xia Xiaolan wanted to turn it into a model home and sales center. She knew Ning Xue didn’t have ill intentions, but having already established a “confidential” tone, Xia Xiaolan didn’t want to break her own rules.

“If you don’t want to show it, then don’t. You don’t owe the Ning family anything. This involves a business worth tens of millions – while Ning Xue taking a look might not matter, what if someone has bad intentions? Who would compensate for your losses?”

Grandmother Yu not only understood but was particularly protective.

Her protectiveness wasn’t directed against Ning Xue specifically; she was just partial to Xia Xiaolan.

If something went wrong with a multi-million business, who would be responsible? Even if you fried Ning Yanfan in a pot, you wouldn’t get nearly as much oil!

After telling Grandmother Yu, Xia Xiaolan felt reassured.

She hadn’t become Ning Yanfan’s student, though he had genuinely wanted to help her back then. Xia Xiaolan was particularly clear about gratitude and grudges, and always remembered this!

As for Ning Xue… Xia Xiaolan didn’t dislike her. Ning Xue was a very pure person, completely devoted to architecture. Xia Xiaolan admired such unwavering dedication, but while Ning Xue was highly intelligent, she could also be quite self-righteous. Xia Xiaolan had tried to be friends with her, but whenever they got closer, something subjective or objective would get in the way.

Perhaps they just weren’t destined to be friends?

In that case, they could just remain classmates.

Or, as Teacher Mao said, she needed a short-term rival, and Ning Xue was perfect for that.

Old Comrade Mao had the intention of having her surpass Ning Xue. Seeing the old man rooted at the construction site despite the scorching heat, teaching her professional knowledge while also worrying about site matters – this teacher who voluntarily appeared was truly good to Xia Xiaolan. How could she ignore her teacher’s wishes?

Whatever Old Mao said, that’s what she’d do. Whoever he wanted her to compete with, Xia Xiaolan would roll up her sleeves and get to it!

Could Ji Ya and George still get married?

Xia Xiaolan guessed that once Ji Ya came to her senses, she’d probably have to appease George.

Without George, Ji Ya wouldn’t be able to compete with Xia Xiaolan in business. Rich but foolish foreign businessmen weren’t easy to find. Among the wealthy people Xia Xiaolan had met, each was as cunning as a ghost. Expecting them to be completely devoted and obedient to a woman was just a dream.

Ji Ya was indeed formidable, almost as if she had cast a spell on George. George was like a gun – wherever Ji Ya pointed, George would shoot.

Speaking of spells, she wondered how Zhou Yi was doing. Zhou Yi’s current situation was quite similar to George’s!

…

Xia Xiaolan was right. After ruining her wedding, Ji Ya did come to her senses. When she told Zhen Wenxiu she wanted to “give her blessing” to Tang Hongen and Liu Fen, that “blessing” meant exposing Tang Hongen’s wedding behavior to the Song family.

Ji Ya wasn’t counting on the Song family to stand up for her; they had always been on Tang Hongen’s side.

Precisely because Old Master Song valued Tang Hongen so highly, the Song family didn’t treat him as an outsider. Tang Hongen’s matters seemed to be their family affairs – Ji Ya remembered that when she married Tang Hongen, Old Master Song had approved of the marriage, though the Song family still had objections.

Now that Tang Hongen had found a country woman, Ji Ya didn’t believe the Song family would allow him to escape their control… The night the wedding banquet failed, Ji Ya made sure the former Third Miss Song from Shanghai, now Mrs. Huo, knew about the situation!