After talking for a long time, Liu Yong and his wife couldn’t reach an agreement.

700,000 yuan all from loans?

Who does business like that? The risk was too great.

But Liu Yong himself wasn’t afraid. He had started with nothing, and now after splitting the clothing business, the Shangdu store belonged entirely to his family.

He had bought a quadrangle courtyard in Beijing.

He also had about 300,000 yuan tied up in projects starting after New Year. Calculating his assets, Liu Yong was worth several hundred thousand. If Xia Xiaolan could borrow 500,000 yuan, it showed her assets were worth that much. Uncle and niece, one in clothing and one in renovation, took different paths but accumulated similar wealth.

Liu Yong wasn’t proud.

He was spinning like a top while Xiaolan focused on studies, making money in her spare time!

“How formidable would Xiaolan be if she devoted herself fully to business?”

When Huo Chenzhou, became a manager in his twenties, Liu Yong quite envied him.

Liu Zitao couldn’t be counted on yet, but Liu Yong felt if his niece fully committed to the business, a twenty-something manager like Huo Chenzhou would be nothing special.

After talking for a while, Liu Yong got no response from Li Fengmei. He heard snoring beside him – in their brief silence, Li Fengmei had fallen asleep with her head tilted.

Her sleeping posture was far from beautiful, and she snored.

Liu Yong felt an even greater responsibility on his shoulders. His wife worked hard too – thirty hours on the train to get stock, selecting items everywhere these past two days, and transporting clothes to the station, never getting proper rest.

Just two more tough years, then the couple wouldn’t live apart anymore; the whole family should live together. Liu Yong was thinking about following Bai Zhenzhu’s example and buying a house in Pengcheng. He and Fengmei didn’t need to go to Beijing yet; settling in Pengcheng would be fine.

…

Xia Dajun finally settled in Pengcheng with his three nephews.

When Mother Xia asked him for money, Xia Dajun had a few hundred yuan left and remembered he hadn’t collected his May salary.

At the company, the finance office gave him his wages, but Xia Dajun felt the envelope was particularly thin.

Counting it, there was only a bit over 1,000 yuan.

“Is there a mistake with my salary?”

“No mistake. The company advanced you 2,000 yuan before, which was deducted from April’s wages.”

In early May, they had paid April’s salary.

The 2,000 yuan advance was for March’s settlement with Chen Xiliang at the police station. Xia Dajun remembered and felt embarrassed to linger in the finance office – did everyone in the company know about his ex-wife’s trouble? Did they know about his elder brother’s situation?

With the company handling the bail, of course, the whole company knew about his family matters.

No wonder people’s looks were different when he came to the company today.

As Xia Dajun tried to wheel away, a company manager stopped him, “How’s your health lately? Still can’t walk? You should actively rehabilitate.”

Xia Dajun wasn’t in the mood for rehabilitation.

But he could take a few steps without the wheelchair. Hearing the manager’s questioning, he forced himself to walk a few steps. The manager’s face broke into a smile: “Not bad, not bad, recovering well. In another month, you can report to the company, right? Don’t worry, we’ll start you in the office first, then switch to a more suitable position when you’re fully recovered.”

Xia Dajun was confused.

“I work for Young Master.”

He’d been rehabilitating just to return to Du Zhaohui’s side and continue as his bodyguard.

The manager showed no embarrassment, speaking earnestly: “Even working for Young Master, you need to be fully recovered, able to run and jump, right? Take another position for now.”

Xia Dajun’s ears turned red.

“Whatever you say.”

The manager’s words seemed to suggest he was taking a salary without working. Xia Dajun couldn’t bear such talk. The manager wasn’t wrong – currently, he couldn’t even run as fast as Young Master, so he could only continue recuperating.

After Xia Dajun left, the finance office staff laughed:

“He doesn’t know he’s fallen from favor yet?”

The manager’s face darkened: “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s a normal job transfer.”

Who knew if Xia Dajun would rise again? The manager wouldn’t completely alienate him.

“Manager, how much should we pay Xia Dajun next month? Same as before?”

Finance was troubled too. A salary of over 3,000 yuan – people from Hong Kong could earn such high wages, but mainland hires followed Pengcheng’s market rates.

Those foreign factories in Pengcheng weren’t doing charity – workers did twelve-hour shifts, two shifts per day, earning just a few hundred yuan monthly.

Management might be higher, but wouldn’t exceed a thousand yuan.

Cheng Rong Group’s mainland hires followed these salary standards. At this rate, Xia Dajun’s salary would be cut by three-quarters!

Moreover, what position could they give him?

The company’s mainland hires were all senior technicians; even janitors needed high school diplomas. Xia Dajun lacked education and solid skills.

Finance was troubled, but the manager even more so.

In Xia Dajun’s case, Young Master was essentially paying to keep an idle person. Whether it was a few hundred or a few thousand monthly, it was still maintenance. The manager was equally uncertain:

“I’ll find a chance to ask.”

After the manager left, the female finance staff gathered:

“This Xia Dajun is unfortunate. I heard he used to be very favored by Young Master, even other assistants had to defer to him. Too bad he injured his spine and can’t be Young Master’s bodyguard now.”

“Young Master treats his people well; it’s not about his injury. I think he angered Young Master by being muddle-headed.”

At the company’s spring dinner, Xia Dajun had brought his rural mother and niece.

His mother spoke without filters, and even complained the company was stingy, giving too few “noodles.” Country bumpkin – those were shark fins!

The old village woman’s inability to recognize shark fins wasn’t the issue, but taking the company’s red envelope and complaining that 200 yuan was too little right there – Mother Xia became infamous. Hong Kong people were already reluctant to deal with mainlanders, and Xia Dajun guessed right – his family gossip was endless in the company.

Xia Dajun knew nothing of this, of course. After receiving his thousand-plus salary, he first returned home.

Mother Xia smiled, “Dajun, how much salary did you get? I’ll save it for you, for your future marriage.”

Xia Dajun shook his head: “Not much. The company advanced 2,000 yuan last month, so this month was only a thousand plus. I can’t give it to you now – Hongbing’s family is still in detention, I need to go to Yangcheng to bail them out.”

“Short 2,000 yuan!”

Mother Xia shrieked, “You spend money too fast! Going home once, coming back with just a few hundred left. From now on, let mother manage your money.”

Xia Dajun was unhappy.

Why had he spent all the money?

The trip home was for supplementary introduction letters, repaying Xia Hongbing’s gambling debts, providing living expenses for Xia Hongbing’s two sons… Ultimately, all the money went to Xia Hongbing’s family.

Xia Dajun knew better than anyone how stingy Mother Xia was. Money easily went into Mother Xia’s hands but rarely came out. Xia Dajun had even personally taken on several thousand yuan in IOUs for Xia Hongbing.

“Mom, I still need to repay Third Brother’s gambling debts. He only earns so little monthly, yet dared to lose thousands back home!”

Mother Xia’s expression became unnatural, but she quickly justified: “You can earn it back anyway, two or three months’ salary will clear it. He is your brother after all.”