Tercer matrimonio

Capítulo 105

Whispers and sighs of regret rippled through the surrounding crowd. Ji Yunwen stood in the snow, his shirt torn open, fine down feathers flying everywhere like falling snowflakes, contrasting with his ashen face.

Qiu Shanglin, on the other hand, kept his head down the whole time, ignoring the changes in the aura of the people around him, and immersed himself in his own world.

Many years later, the young boy had grown into a mature teenager. Ji Yunwen unexpectedly became a chief surgeon at the county hospital. Reflecting on this day, he was surprisingly calm and indifferent. It was as if this was his destined fate, and his breakup with Qiu Shanglin was also expected.

He didn't know how to cherish her, rushing headlong into things without considering Qiu Shanglin's feelings or her family. Back then, I was young and thought relationships were a matter between two people; I wanted the whole world to disappear from her sight, and I wanted her eyes to be fixed solely on me…

He was simply struck by Li Changsheng's precociousness and intelligence.

While his peers were still figuring things out in a daze, Li Changsheng had already set his sights on a goal and was well-versed in military strategy. Without resorting to violence or involving the school or parents, he simply used a few clever tricks and went with the flow, and the other side suffered a crushing defeat.

Life is unpredictable. Just as the provincial meteorological bureau failed to predict the sudden cold wave, and just as the technicians overly trusted science, the late spring cold snap came without any reason, and the losses suffered by vegetable farmers and the bougainvillea company were even more unreasonable.

Looking at the wilted and frozen vegetables in the garden after the snow melted, and the snow that hadn't completely melted near the roots, Cheng Chong felt like crying.

They wanted to question God, asking what a joke it was that dealt them such a fatal blow just when the vegetables were almost ready for harvest.

In Qiujia Village, two varieties are cultivated outdoors: Lettuce No. 7 and Cabbage No. 3. The top developers of Bougainvillea spent two years improving the original varieties. Lettuce No. 7 has a short growing season, high yield, and strong cold resistance; its skin is light green and its flesh is tender green; the edible stems emit a rich, fresh aroma. The wavy cabbage, specially imported from Germany, has been improved to better suit the soil and temperature of the north.

Although there are only two varieties, the actual improvement process has been painstaking and not something that can be accomplished overnight.

Buyers had already been found for these two batches of seeds before planting. Several large wholesalers specializing in supplying supermarkets purchased half, while the other half would go to factories, school canteens, and farmers' markets. The contracts included compensation—and this compensation, of course, couldn't be passed on to the vegetable farmers.

Since its inception, Bougainvillea has always prioritized reputation and quality. While no one wanted this natural disaster, the wholesalers with signed contracts don't care whether it was a deliberate act of misfortune. They only know that they have contracts with the supermarkets, and any disruption to their sales is grounds for compensation, no matter how unreasonable. They might even lose their supermarket business.

Cheng Chong gritted his teeth and agreed to pay!

The funds on the books flowed away like water flowing eastward, never to return.

With no funds available to compensate the vegetable farmers, Shang Lin was as busy as a spinning top, trying to find ways to fill the gaps. She had a considerable amount of funds at her disposal, but this wasn't apparent under normal circumstances. Once a shortfall occurred, these funds became insufficient.

After finally finishing the compensation work, and finally able to sit down and take a breather, the management of Bougainvillea Company immediately convened a meeting.

The meeting's topic was simple: reflection on the disaster.

What are we reflecting on? Simply put, it's about counterattacking and settling scores.

Let's calculate who is at fault and who is at fault.

The technicians, acting in unison, vehemently denied any problems or errors on their part.

She sneered repeatedly. Refusing to admit your mistake? Fine, you're fired.

The technicians were all visibly shocked.

Bougainvillea has always valued them, treating them with utmost respect and never raising her voice. While this incident is significant, is it really worth making such a fuss over?

The saying goes, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." Apart from some experienced senior R&D personnel, the younger generation of technicians also resigned at the same time. They used a civilized approach to demonstrate against the company in order to defend their dignity and status.

Cheng Chong and several other senior executives hesitated.

Shang Lin smirked. Resign? Very well, I allow it.

Times have changed. This is no longer the era where even with vast sums of money, it's impossible to find highly educated talent; and Bougainvillea is no longer the small, struggling startup it once was. University graduates are scrambling to get in; they have plenty of expertise and passion.

The company doesn't care about the costs of training you. All good things must come to an end. However, you must agree to one thing: you must not take anything away or disclose even the slightest bit of Bougainvillea research and development technology to any third party. This was clearly stated in the contract you signed when you joined the company.

If anyone takes a chance and leaks the company's technology to other companies, Bougainvillea will not hesitate to sue you until your family is ruined—don't hesitate, we have the power to do so.

The technicians, who valued their self-respect, hesitated.

The matter was resolved swiftly and decisively. Qiu Shanglin took eight days off to oversee the situation, issuing orders and maintaining control. The company dismissed one-third of its technicians at once, all of whom were undesirable individuals accustomed to acting on their own initiative and even interfering with company operations.

Subsequently, the remaining technicians were promoted, received raises, and improved benefits, with rewards given based on their performance. The thick paychecks significantly eased their anxieties. With morale restored, the planting plan was rearranged, and apologies were made to all the wholesalers and supermarkets with whom contracts had been signed. While the Bougainvillea Company suffered a significant profit loss, the entire company demonstrated unusual cohesion and unity under Qiu Shanglin's iron-fisted approach.

The employee who was sent to Beijing to apologize to the supermarket brought good news. The supermarket heard about the company's actions towards the vegetable farmers, greatly appreciated their approach, and decided to give priority to bougainvillea vegetables in the future.

As a result, Cheng Chong once again admired Qiu Shanglin to the point of complete awe.

He asked for the secret, and Qiu Shanglin pointed to the books arranged like stars in the sky in his study:

“I’ve spent at least half of my day on them since I was six years old.”

No success is a coincidence; opportunity always favors the prepared. Everyone understands this principle, but not everyone can put it into practice.

Year of frequent incidents

On the first day of the second year of senior high school in September 1998, several rumors circulated among the students.

Ji Yunwen, the most handsome guy in high school who was dumped by his sister after fighting with Qiu Xialin, quietly transferred schools after half a year of silence. Some say he dropped out of school out of shame, some say his parents transferred to a key high school in Huaiqiao City, and some say he went abroad, even claiming he went to Japan—Ji Yunwen supposedly has relatives there.

The second piece of news was even more shocking. Li Changsheng, the top martial arts student at No. 5 Middle School, also transferred schools. This news was indeed true. His parents both worked in the south, and his registered residence was also in the south. With only two years left before the college entrance examination, he went back early to adapt and prepare.

Countless people tossed and turned, sighing endlessly. Some felt regret. The most handsome and the most capable had all left, and the gossip they had imagined had vanished. It was said that Ji Yunwen was beaten up because he and Li Changsheng were fighting over a girlfriend... Gossipy eyes turned to Class One, and the listeners unanimously thought of one name: Qiu Shanglin.

Some felt heartbroken. They cried silently under their blankets at night. Half of them cried for Ji Yunwen, while the other half cried for Li Changsheng.

Qiu Xialin whispered to her sister, revealing that she hadn't expected Changsheng to be so charming. Many girls with good grades only realized their long-buried feelings after he left, and were filled with regret—the news came from the Fifth Middle School's gossip column, absolutely reliable.

The girls, crying in the middle of the night, passed by a classroom, casting resentful glances. It was all because of Qiu Shanglin; beauty truly is a curse. She was the culprit who caused two prominent figures to leave school.

Despite the turmoil on campus and the constant flow of news, Shanglin remained unmoved and serene.

Ji Yunwen transferred schools; let him go.

Li Changsheng went south, to hell with him.

Qiu Xia Lin Nian spent the entire summer vacation complaining about her cold-bloodedness and heartlessness. Before Chang Sheng left, Zhang Hongwei hugged him and cried uncontrollably, and even the usually calm Qiu Jianguo had tears in his eyes, patting his shoulder repeatedly and urging him to study hard. Only Qiu Shang Lin sat in her study, reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which she had read eight hundred times, without even raising an eyebrow.

Later, Qiu Xialin said that Changsheng kept looking up at the study window, even though the curtains were drawn tightly shut. Her family couldn't understand why she was so determined to send Li Changsheng away. Over the years, Changsheng's parents never gave up the idea of bringing their son back, but because of Changsheng's insistence, they never succeeded.

They didn't understand what Qiu Shanglin had said to Changsheng that caused him to leave in a hurry within a few days, catching his parents off guard and leaving them no time to complete the transfer procedures.

What happened during the first half of summer vacation is unknown to anyone except those involved.

Hearing Wang Wei loudly proclaiming in class that Li Changsheng had written a letter to Qiu Xialin, mentioning his life and studies at the new school in Guangzhou, Shanglin couldn't help but frown.

How should I put it? That day... my thoughts drifted, drifted and drifted, until one afternoon at the very beginning of summer vacation.

She woke up from her afternoon nap to find no one home. She ran downstairs, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a box of ice cream, squeezed past Changsheng, and took over the sofa to watch a movie.

I glanced at the letter from Shantou on the coffee table; the handwriting was beautiful and elegant.

They were teasing him in a good-natured way, joking about the 'arranged marriage' he had never agreed to.

At first, everything was fine; Changsheng just glared at him with a dark expression. What did he say afterward?

Ah, she said, that girl is pretty, so don't be too picky. Anyway, I can accept her, so I might as well make do, so that I won't be dissatisfied with my 'daughter-in-law' in the future!

She often joked like this, referring to the two of them as her 'sons,' and repeatedly emphasized that they must be filial to each other in the future.

Changsheng never refuted, but for some reason his expression suddenly changed that day.

He stared at her intently for a long time, noticing her inexplicable guilt, almost as if she had said something against the natural order. Just as she was feeling guilty, he pounced on her without saying a word.

Sure enough, they pounced on it.

She was already half-reclining, and he pressed her against the sofa cushions, leaving her unable to move forward or backward. Qiu Shanglin was immediately terrified. As a child, she hadn't cared, but now that she was older, the physical characteristics of men and women were clearly different, and they hadn't been intimate for many years. She struggled to push him away, her gaze unable to meet his; his eyes were burning, almost scorching her heart.

Changsheng had a strong grip; she tried to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist. Embarrassed, she pretended not to be and laughed, jokingly ordering him:

"Let me go, stop messing around."

Changsheng didn't let go of her; he still pinned half of his body down on her.

Before Qiu Shanglin could even utter a second word, she had intended to give him a stern but ultimately weak reprimand, but then everything went black as something warm and soft covered her mouth, swallowing even her stammering words.

Staring in horror at the face so close to hers, she belatedly realized that Li Changsheng had forcibly kissed her...

The word "kiss" carries multiple meanings in the rich and profound Chinese language. "Qian" can mean a light touch; "kiss" is a way for lovers to express their feelings; and a kiss—lips pressed together, teeth touching, tongues entwined…