He Min sighed softly, gently squeezed her hand, then let go, inviting her to sit down, while she slowly began to brew tea.
After she finished preparing a tea ceremony, Song Qing exclaimed, "President He, you have excellent skills. I've always wanted to learn, but I never had the time."
"I just treat it as a way to relax. Look at how smoky and chaotic this place is. If I don't find something to have some quiet fun, I'm afraid I'll go crazy."
Song Qing nodded in agreement.
"Chairman Song, you've become a prominent figure in Linchuan since your return. Why don't we see you attending any social events? Many of us sisters want to get to know you, but we only see you surrounded by men. We can't even get a chance to join you. You're truly a lone flower in a sea of green."
"You're joking. I really do want to go in. That's why I came to you to be my master and guide me through the process."
The two exchanged pleasantries and compliments. He Min and Song Qing seemed to have a mutual respect and chatted happily until the factory bell rang. Only then did He Min ask Song Qing to get up, saying she wanted to invite her back to the villa for a home-cooked meal.
The He family was large. After He Min's father passed away, he left behind a bunch of orphans and widows, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces. As soon as they arrived, they could hear the sounds of mahjong and children playing upstairs and downstairs.
He Min, who single-handedly managed Kailu, still held considerable authority. When she said she was going to entertain guests, the first floor was immediately cleared out. Since the villa was large, the only sounds on the first floor were He Min washing her hands and cooking. Song Qing, on the other hand, looked around the house while reading the newspaper.
She saw He Min come out of a room at the south end after changing her clothes. The room was simple and tidy, which seemed to confirm the rumors that she didn't get along with her in-laws and had moved back to live alone in order to take care of the factory's affairs.
In less than half an hour, she had cooked four dishes and a soup, all of which were extraordinary in appearance and color, making Song Qing very envious. Since childhood, Song Jingmo had not allowed her to enter the kitchen. Even after going to England, despite her hardships, she could only work as an assistant and could never make these dishes.
"Dongyao likes my cooking, so I'm getting better and better at it."
Judging from her expression, she still has a very good relationship with her husband.
She seemed to be in a good mood today. She got up, opened a bottle of red wine, and downed half a glass in one go, indicating that she drinks it often.
"Chairman Song, you'll understand once you've been in the business world for a while. This is just the basics."
Song Qing felt a pang of sadness. He Min, stripped of her glamorous exterior, revealed a hint of helplessness when slightly tipsy.
After a few rounds of drinks, a group of men in their early twenties came into the house, joking around. When they saw He Min, they nodded slightly as a greeting and went straight upstairs.
He Min spat, "A rabble!" and picked up his wine glass again.
Song Qing gently touched him and advised, "You should drink less; you'll probably be very busy this afternoon."
He Min let out a burp, nodded, and put down her cup.
After lunch, the two toured the factory together.
"Don't let our large scale fool you; we ship goods by the truckload. But in this industry, competition is fierce, profits are meager, and if we run out of stock even slightly, we're in dire straits," He Min said, leading Song Qing to the warehouse and looking at the cargo boxes that were more than a dozen people tall.
"Unlike your Fuhua, one of your items is worth hundreds of ours," she said with a slight self-deprecating smile.
"Every profession has its difficulties, otherwise I wouldn't have come here today," Song Qing comforted her.
"That's true. You've had your share of ups and downs, but you're luckier than me. Your father passed away, leaving behind some debts, but at least you're still clean and tidy, without any troublesome people bothering you."
After thinking for a moment, Song Qing said, "Kailu and Fuhua are both established companies. If managed properly, they still have great potential."
He Min sighed, "This isn't a secret outside. The He family is large, and my father had no choice before he passed away. Everyone with a position in the factory is from the He family. After I took office, everyone secretly wanted to skin me alive. If I made any move against them, they would join forces and I would be doomed."
The two left the warehouse and walked along a road covered with sycamore leaves, a chilly wind blowing.
He Min's husband's family, Leng's Manufacturing, is one of the top enterprises in Linchuan. Because of their strong financial resources and extensive network, many well-known domestic and foreign businesses choose them as their largest suppliers. Many well-known brands in shopping malls are produced by them. They are the largest and most powerful OEM manufacturer in Linchuan.
That's how the business world is; different industries are like different worlds. After listening to He Min's detailed explanation, she felt that she had benefited a lot.
"The Leng family is now in the hands of Dongyao's elder brother, Leng Feng. Dongyao may not have much influence, but introducing you to each other is not a big problem. His situation is even worse than mine, so sometimes when I get annoyed and say I'm quitting or selling Kailu, it's just empty talk. My sister-in-law's family is now about the same size as Kailu's, and I don't want my parents-in-law to look down on me."
After hearing these words, Song Qing had many thoughts on her mind. At this moment, she found herself quite worried about Yi Zhengwei.
"By the way, there are some gatherings next week, and some of my friends would like to meet you."
Song Qing said, "Okay, just give me the invitation when the time comes."
Even though they had a pleasant conversation, business is business. If you want something, you have to give something in return. Her so-called friends are naturally inextricably linked to Fuhua's present and future.
Before leaving, He Min held her hand and said they should keep in touch. Song Qing could see the loneliness and emptiness in her face. Some people may still be alive, but their true selves have long since vanished without a trace.
Perhaps she should be content.
With Song Jingmo gone, Fu Hua was left behind, clean and unburdened, allowing her to focus wholeheartedly on her work.
She married into the Yi family, and Song Jingmo agreed to it before he left. At the time, she didn't understand and thought that her father thought the same as her, simply wanting to resolve the crisis.
After chatting with He Min, she realized how lucky she was.
Today's trip was very fruitful. If we can get in touch with Leng's Manufacturing, then with Leng's connections and demand, entering new markets will be a piece of cake.
Judging from the strong personalities of He Min and Leng Dongyao, they were no match for Leng Feng and couldn't gain any advantage. This battle is bound to be tough.
The coveted opportunity she has her eye on may not be unseen by others; perhaps others have taken better paths than she has.
"Secretary Liu, I need all of Leng Feng's information. Once it's organized, please send it to my email immediately."
Just after I hung up the phone, Yi Mantian called.
"Xiao Qing, Zheng Wei's flight is tonight, arriving in Linchuan at ten o'clock."
"Dad, I understand. I won't be home for dinner. I'll go straight to the airport to pick him up after I'm done with my work."
Yi Mantian said mysteriously, "Then let's give Zhengwei a surprise. I won't tell him."
Song Qing smiled warmly in return and said sincerely, "Dad, thank you. Really, thank you so much."