As he drove, he listened to the car key in the steering wheel rattling and the two glass bottles colliding with each other, making a crisp sound.
He was selfish and chauvinistic, and he wanted to preserve the moment when Song Qing only had eyes for him.
When they arrived home, Song Qing was already fast asleep by the window, hugging her little rabbit, with a slight smile on her lips.
Yi Mantian opened the door himself. Yi Zhengwei shushed him, opened the door quietly, picked up Song Qing who was tightly clutching the little rabbit, and gently went upstairs.
Song Qing, what kind of woman are you? I really can't figure you out.
How many undiscovered and attractive qualities do you possess?
I'm sure Yi Mantian and Song Qing will sleep soundly tonight.
Chapter Forty-Six: Sublimation
"It's only natural for the Yi family to give you shares; but if I were to take Fuhua's shares, outsiders would say that the Yi family has finally revealed its true colors and wants to devour Fuhua."
- Yi Zhengwei
After Yi Zhengwei returned, he was extremely busy with official duties that had been neglected for half a month. Song Qing wanted to invite him to dinner, but was told that he had social engagements.
Yi Mantian was very satisfied to see that Song Qing had been staying at home obediently these past few days, and made a few phone calls to give Yi Zhengwei a hint.
That day, Song Qing was lying on a rocking chair in the garden, basking in the sun, wearing her home clothes. The weather had been gloomy and cold lately, with sunshine being a rare treat. Aunt Zhou was busy running around, spending the whole morning washing and drying clothes.
At noon, Aunt Zhou brought her a floor-standing parasol and prepared some snacks. Song Qing nodded her thanks, took out her computer, and began to browse through the information on Leng's manufacturing and the introduction of Leng Feng.
The company's operations became increasingly stable, and Fuhua had a solid foundation. She resumed her style from when she was in the UK, and most of her affairs were handled in the form of e-commerce.
She received the emails first. Each department had daily work reports, and Secretary Liu would also keep her informed of the company's actual operations in a timely manner.
Yi Mantian stretched and took a cup of tea to the garden. Seeing Song Qing handling official business, he laughed and said, "Hey Qing, how can you be so carefree about the company's affairs?"
Song Qing didn't stop working, only raised her head slightly, and replied with a smile: "My father has his own work style, but now that I'm in charge of Fuhua, everyone has to adapt to my habits. A good leader can't always be bogged down in the daily minutiae, which also gives department managers a lot of room to maneuver."
Yi Mantian nodded, cigar in hand. "Yes, a good leader should always be at the forefront. You are the guide. If you help each other along, it will not only slow down the journey, but also make it difficult for you to see the direction."
Song Qing sighed and shut down the computer. "Yes, but as you know, Dad, every industry has its own characteristics. Fuhua not only needs to stay ahead in research, but we also handle production. With more people, there are more things to worry about. From research and development to production, sales and even listing, every part of this line has consumed too much effort."
"You've already married into the Yi family, what are your plans for the future? Although you've only just gotten married, you still need to work things out. I'm still here, so you should be more considerate." Yi Mantian felt a headache coming on when he heard her say that, and he couldn't help but tap the table.
"Dad, don't say that. Please give me some time. Fuhua has only just begun to stabilize, and I will definitely need to spend more time on it."
"In my opinion, your factory in Cambridge should be separated. With thousands of people, if a new product goes live, you'll definitely have to stay there too. Xiaoqing, I know your in-laws have expectations and demands of you, but what parent doesn't want their children and family to be happy? You are a woman after all, and now Zhou Sao is handling all the big and small affairs at home. She's not young anymore, and this family still needs you to support it." Yi Mantian said earnestly, as Zhou Sao came to the garden with a watering can.
Song Qing didn't reply. If Yi Mantian knew that she not only didn't want to streamline Fuhua, but also wanted Fuhua to expand into new markets, she would definitely be furious. She knew it was wrong of her to let Yi Zhengwei go on his honeymoon alone, which was why she arranged to work and come home to be with him. But he also saw that it was difficult for her and Yi Zhengwei to make time for each other.
"Sigh, I thought the house would be more lively after Zhengwei got married, but look, the New Year is only a few days away, and the house is still so quiet."
Aunt Zhou put down the kettle, wiped her hands, and poured Yi Mantian a full cup of tea. She then jokingly added, "Young Madam, the old man is actually hoping that you two will give him a grandson soon, so that his life will be fulfilling."
Yi Mantian hummed in agreement.
Song Qing picked up the phone on the table, stood up and said, "Dad, I'm going to take this call."
Yi Mantian pointed at her and sighed deeply behind her.
Song Qing walked out while answering the phone, feeling utterly lost. Being out all the time wasn't ideal, but staying home didn't please her elders either. She could excel at her job—something she'd been expected to do since childhood—but she'd never learned, nor had she ever considered, how to be a good wife.
The second-floor corridor was dark and a bit cold. Once inside, she quickly turned on the air conditioner, then suddenly remembered Song Jingmo, and sat on the edge of the bed, tears streaming down her face.
Just then, He Min called her; the background noise was quite loud. He Min asked if she was free that evening, explaining that it was the end of the year and there were many social gatherings to attend.
Song Qing was thoroughly disgusted by these gatherings of young ladies and wives, but there was nothing she could do about it. In the past, these social events were always attended by Song Jingmo and Madam Song. At this moment, Madam Song was probably still trying to mediate between Song Ning and Yan Xunan, and Song Qing herself was probably also troubled by her relationship with Xiao Huainian, so she didn't want to trouble Madam Song any further.
"Okay, give me the time, address, and phone number."
After hanging up the phone, she stood by the window watching Yi Mantian spray water on the birdcage, wondering how to talk to him.
Unexpectedly, after lunch, in the late afternoon, the father-in-law and daughter-in-law played a few games of chess. Song Qing explained this to him, and Yi Mantian happily agreed.
"Go, why not go? You'll have to get used to these social engagements sooner or later. If you're always socializing and doing business, your brain will go dull."
After saying that, he called over Aunt Zhou, "You go with the young mistress, and take care of her if needed."
Song Qing couldn't refuse, and seeing that Aunt Zhou wasn't intimidated at all, he drove her out with him.
On the way, Aunt Zhou told her that she had come to the Yi family with Chen Zinan as part of her dowry, and after Chen Zinan died, she faithfully stayed behind.
"When the old lady was young, she was just like you. Both were strong-willed and competitive, and women were just as capable as men. Back then, she and the master were like oil and water."
This was the first time Song Qing had heard the Yi family talk about their deceased mother-in-law, so she listened quietly as Aunt Zhou recounted the story.
"The Chen family started out in the jewelry business. The old lady was the only daughter in the family, which was a good life. After marrying the master, they were initially very harmonious because the master was very witty. Although there were some business factors involved at the beginning, men are always ambitious when they are young."
Aunt Zhou sighed, "When the old lady was pregnant with the young master, things started to go wrong between them. The old lady became suspicious and paranoid, always thinking that the master wanted to seize the Chen family's assets. After giving birth to the young master, she was already in poor health, and she worked herself to the bone, not letting the master interfere with anything. The master has a stubborn temper, and he was just trying to prove a point. The old lady's health was ruined like that. It only got a little better when the young master grew up and became more sensible."
Song Qing didn't reply, but she roughly understood why Aunt Zhou had said those words to her.
"I suspect that you're unhappy about that woman surnamed Chen outside."
"Sister Zhou, you're overthinking it. I've never held a grudge about this. After all, they knew me before I did."
Aunt Zhou shook her head. "In this respect, you are very different from the old lady. She is a person who does everything perfectly, whether it is work, life or family. She does not allow any mistakes. If she treated the master with the same attitude as you, then I wouldn't have to manage this family so much at my age."
Song Qing chuckled softly. It was because, despite their arguments, there was still affection and love between them. Unlike her and Yi Zhengwei, who were both too clear-headed and too calm, she was willing to bet that she and Yi Zhengwei would never actually argue.
Because they are all detached from each other.