Liu Yong would also receive dividends from the building materials store.
With 18% shares and 100,000 yuan in profits, Liu Yong would get 18,000 yuan.
The building materials store settled accounts before the renovation company, so Liu Yong could collect his dividends directly.
He didn’t save this money—it was meant for Li Fengmei back in Shangdu. After working away for a year, even with projects requiring held-back payments, he couldn’t return home empty-handed.
After paying wages, Liu Yong and Xia Xiaolan bought some gifts to deliver to Tang Hongen.
Thanks to Mayor Tang’s support, Yuan Hui had established itself in Pengcheng. With the New Year approaching, paying an early holiday visit to Tang Hongen was appropriate.
This time Tang Hongen accepted their gifts. Little Wang had reported Du Zhaohui’s actions to him, and Tang Hongen, worried about Xia Xiaolan’s youthful impetuousness, specifically advised, “Don’t mind him—that man is very cunning.”
“Uncle Tang, I understand.”
Liu Yong had worried Tang Hongen wouldn’t accept the gifts, but this time he accepted quite readily.
As they were leaving, Little Wang caught up with several large boxes:
“These are from the work unit, plus some that couldn’t be refused. The leader said he couldn’t eat it all himself and asked you to take them back to Shangdu.”
So that was his plan!
They were all dried goods, beautifully packaged and lightweight.
Thinking of Tang Hongen spending another New Year alone while others enjoyed family reunions—something he couldn’t do even as mayor—Xia Xiaolan couldn’t help asking Little Wang, “What are Uncle Tang’s New Year plans?”
Little Wang answered without thinking, saying Tang Hongen’s work schedule ran from now until the fourth day of the New Year.
Except for New Year’s Eve, Tang Hongen wouldn’t have a break until the fourth day.
“He’ll be back at work on the tenth day of the first month.”
That still left a week’s gap?
After thinking, Xia Xiaolan returned to Tang Hongen’s home: “Uncle Tang, if you don’t have other plans, would you like to spend New Year in Shangdu? We’ve built a new house in the countryside. There’s nothing special there, but New Year is quite lively.”
Tang Hongen surely had plans.
On the fourth day, he needed to visit senior leaders in Beijing and call on some friends.
But when Xia Xiaolan invited him to spend New Year in the countryside, Tang Hongen considered it without immediate refusal: “Are you pitying my loneliness? I appreciate the thought—if I have time, I’ll visit Shangdu.”
Watching Xia Xiaolan rush downstairs again, Tang Hongen smiled wryly.
He was indeed lonely—the more festive the holiday, the more stark his solitude felt. Especially during Spring Festival, when even his constant companions Little Wang and Secretary Peng would return home, and Tang Hongen would give his housekeeper time off.
He truly spent New Year alone. It was bearable before, but this year, after reuniting with his son Ji Jiangyuan, Tang Hongen seemed to have softened, beginning to envy the warmth of ordinary families.
Xia Xiaolan’s family epitomized such warmth. The young woman was thriving, and being with her family radiated positive energy.
…
“What did you say to Mayor Tang?”
Liu Yong asked casually, but Xia Xiaolan’s answer nearly made him drop the box he was holding.
“Seeing him spending New Year alone in Pengcheng seemed boring, so I asked if he’d like to spend it in Shangdu. We’ve built a new house, and countryside New Year celebrations are quite lively.”
Invite Mayor Tang to spend New Year at their rural home.
This girl dared to dream.
Liu Yong remained silent for a long while. Even though he’d made some money, he was still just a private businessman—not in the same league as Mayor Tang. Tang’s salary might be similar to Liu Yong’s construction workers, but could their social status compare? Though all were socialist cogs in the machine, some cogs were bigger than others, serving different functions.
Liu Yong couldn’t help studying Xia Xiaolan’s face—six days after the accident, the swelling had subsided, but the scrape marks remained!
“You’re too bold, girl. You didn’t tell anyone about the car accident—let’s see how you explain this to your mother!”
Xia Xiaolan had removed her bandages, with the wounds scabbing over. She no longer needed bandages, just needed to keep them dry. She couldn’t hide it from Liu Yong, with Bai Zhenzhu at the building materials store. Xia Xiaolan had confessed and been scolded, but uncle and niece had been busy with accounts and wages, so Liu Yong hadn’t dwelled on it long—until now.
Xia Xiaolan quickly pleaded: “I wasn’t seriously hurt. If I’d told you all, wouldn’t you have worried? When you go home, please stick to my story—I wasn’t in a car accident, I just fell off my bicycle.”
Liu Yong snorted. Xia Xiaolan knew her uncle couldn’t resist her pleading and would eventually agree, so she wasn’t particularly worried.
After all, Liu Yong’s thinking aligned with hers—they both wanted to protect their family.
“Now it’s between the Kang family and Du Zhaohui. Speaking of Du Zhaohui, he’s gotten tangled up with Xia Ziyu.”
Du Zhaohui wasn’t an idiot who’d let Xia Ziyu manipulate him, but Xia Xiaolan still mentioned it to Liu Yong, since most of his business was in Pengcheng.
Liu Yong scratched his head, “This might be related to me. I had someone tell the Xia family that Xia Dajun had struck it rich. You’ve only seen Xia Ziyu—haven’t seen the other Xia family members? I heard they packed up everything to seek out Xia Dajun.”
Xia Xiaolan quickly understood Liu Yong’s intention.
Like Guan Huie, he wanted to protect her by causing trouble for Xia Dajun, letting the Xia family members hold each other back.
“I haven’t seen the other Xia family members, but with a bunch of bloodsucking leeches latching on, Xia Dajun will have to work hard.”
Xia Xiaolan admitted feeling some schadenfreude, but what could she do? It was Xia Dajun’s choice. Supporting the whole family had probably always been his dream—just that this “whole family” didn’t include Xia Xiaolan and Liu Fen. Of course, Xia Xiaolan and Liu Fen no longer needed Xia Dajun’s support. Xia Xiaolan didn’t expect him to ever wake up—even if he was eventually dragged down by the leeches, that was his own choice. You reap what you sow—Xia Xiaolan felt no sympathy.
Xia Xiaolan and her uncle bought many things, carrying bags onto the plane. One away studying, one away working on projects—after being gone so long, both were eager to return home.
When the plane landed at Shangdu airport, Li Fengmei and Liu Fen had been waiting for a long time.
In the cold winter, their faces were wind-chapped. Liu Yong went home with Li Fengmei, while Xia Xiaolan took her things to Grandmother Yu’s.
“Xiaolan, this New Year, shall we invite your Grandmother Yu to return to the village with us?”
Xia Xiaolan gave Liu Fen a strange look: “Of course, she should spend New Year with us—otherwise she’d be so lonely.”
Grandmother Yu had been lonely last year too.
But last year, mother and daughter weren’t as close with Grandmother Yu. Intimacy between people develops through interaction. Last year, Grandmother Yu hadn’t shed her prickly, hedgehog-like exterior—Xia Xiaolan would have been crazy to spend New Year with such a difficult old lady.