However, he also knew that his wife was not an impulsive or willful person. Seeing that she had returned home unharmed, he only nagged her a couple of times before going to the garden for some fresh air.
The weather in August was scorching hot, and it looked like it would stay hot for another month. By then, she probably wouldn't be able to walk anymore.
After finishing Zhou Sao's soup, she followed her to the garden. Yi Mantian was smoking his pipe when he saw her sit under the parasol. He exhaled a smoke ring and said, "I don't know where you've been suffering these past few days. Go upstairs and rest. Why are you out in the sun? It's almost noon. You can handle it, but the child can't either."
Song Qing didn't move. She just sat there obediently, smiling gently. Instead, she said, "Dad, I'm sorry to have worried you. I just suddenly wanted to tell you how grateful I am for your help and tolerance towards me and Fuhua all this time."
Yi Mantian didn't expect her to say such a thing, and he choked slightly on his cigarette. He frowned and said, "What's wrong with going out for a while? You're my wife, someone I chose carefully. We're family, why are you being so polite? Go, go, go upstairs quickly."
Song Qing nodded, looked up and squinted at the sun, feeling her eyes get a little wet, so she stood up, supporting her belly.
“Xiaoqing, I’ve always had faith in you, so I’m not surprised at all by what you said today. But you need to make Zhengwei understand your intentions. Don’t be like your mother-in-law, keeping everything bottled up inside. In the end, you’re the one who suffers. Actually, men also need to give in and be coaxed a little. Don’t refuse to give them any way out.” Yi Mantian sighed and spoke from the perspective of someone who had been through it all. This was the first time he had spoken about Chen Zinan in front of Song Qing.
"Yes, Dad." Song Qing nodded with her back turned.
As soon as she went up to the second floor, she heard the fax machine in the study ringing in the distance. Her heart skipped a beat, but she still slowly walked in. Just as she arrived, the fax machine finished transmitting Xu Zhihan's address and contact information.
She carefully put the documents in her bag and then called Secretary Liu. "I'm already home. You don't need to bring the documents over. After lunch, I'll go back to the company. Also, tell Zhenhua to have everyone come to headquarters. I have something to say."
After she finished speaking, she called Guo Sheng again to ask about the factory's situation these past few days.
Guo Sheng gave a brief report. Then, gritting his teeth, he shifted the focus to the fire incident, "Chairman Song, I bear responsibility for this. I've been very uneasy since then, and I have some concerns in my mind. Although they haven't been fully confirmed, but..."
Song Qing smiled faintly, "Director Guo, I understand how you feel, but Fuhua has always been making great strides forward. You don't need to worry too much about the past. I have always trusted you completely. You still need to take care of things in the future of the factory. There's no need to mention this matter again."
Guo Sheng understood her meaning and simply sighed, "Yes, Chairman Song."
"Okay, I'm relieved that you and Zhengwei have been working well together at the factory lately." She looked down at her belly and smiled warmly. "My body will soon be in poor condition, so unless it's something major, you can report everything to Zhengwei." This also confirmed Yi Zhengwei's status; before, he was just temporarily in charge to make it easier for her to manage Hongshang's affairs.
"What about the new project?" he asked anxiously.
Song Qing paused slightly, then said, "Same here. I will explain things to Xiao Dong later."
Guo Sheng hung up the phone, his mind racing. Just then, Xia Xiaodong walked in, wiping sweat from his brow. Seeing Guo Sheng's expression, Xia Xiaodong teased, "What's wrong? Who owes you money?"
"It's Chairman Song. We just finished a phone call."
Guo Sheng then recounted the contents of the conversation. Xia Xiaodong frowned, thought for a long time, then smiled. He patted Guo Sheng on the shoulder and said, "Let's not worry about that. Chairman Song is always prudent in her work and won't trust someone so easily. We just need to follow her lead."
"Yes, but for some reason, I have a soft spot for Yi Zhengwei..."
"You mean the thing he did when the fire happened?"
"Sigh, isn't that right! Just think about all the hard work we've put in over the years, and it's all gone like this. In the end, we only got an explanation for the accident. We really feel bad for the workers." Guo Sheng took a deep drag on his cigarette.
Xia Xiaodong seemed to be thinking, "I think Chairman Song has already made up his mind about which is more important."
The two then exchanged a wry smile and went about their own business.
*
Knowing she had to go to the company in the afternoon, Aunt Zhou prepared lunch early so she could take a nap during the lunch break. As soon as she touched the bed, a deep sleepiness came over her. She could still smell Yi Zhengwei's scent; he must have been sleeping at home these past few days while she was away. She smiled slightly and quickly fell asleep.
When she arrived at the company, everyone was eagerly waiting for her. She first had a meeting with the people from Zhenhua.
"The matter of Hongshang has dragged on for so long, it's time to make a decision."
Upon hearing this, everyone was secretly eager to get started. Back then, Zhenhua and his group were all deceived by Song Ning, ultimately losing the initiative and causing Fuhua to suffer huge losses. This incident had always been a shadow in everyone's hearts.
Li Shuhua frowned in thought, and Song Qing smiled and said, "Minister Li, you and Xiaodong made great efforts in the research and development of the new project some time ago, and the results were very satisfactory. In the future, you will be responsible for the development of new products in the fast-moving consumer electronics market. This is also very important for Fuhua. If you do this well, Fuhua will have a much easier time."
Li Shuhua immediately understood Song Qing's meaning. He scratched his head, nodded to Song Qing, and smiled. However, there was still a hint of guilt in his smile.
Song Qing glanced at everyone, his face serious. "I called you all here today to say that the Hongshang matter has been delayed again and again, which inevitably makes everyone feel tired. It's also my fault for not making a comprehensive plan and just making empty promises, which has wasted everyone's enthusiasm. I'm very sorry about that. Although none of you have taken over the Hongshang matter systematically, everyone has participated to some extent."
Everyone nodded.
Song Qing continued, "I will immediately arrange for suitable people to take charge of this matter. After you go back, allocate manpower immediately, prepare the basic information and conditions, and let Secretary Liu know as soon as you need any resources. I will arrange it." She then turned to Li Shuhua and asked, "Are there any problems with this matter?"
“No problem, we can get right into action as soon as the person in charge arrives,” he stated.
Song Qing glanced at his watch, capped his pen, and said, "Okay, that's all for today. If you need any cooperation, just let me know."
She stood up and walked out of the conference room first. Secretary Liu was already waiting for her to sign the documents.
While engrossed in flipping through the documents, she asked, "What time is the flight?"
"Four o'clock, Chairman Song."
Song Qing handed her the document. "Okay, call Gao Hua in."
"Why don't you take a break?" Secretary Liu was genuinely worried about her health. She was always like this; when she got busy, she wouldn't even drink water.
"Need not."
Gao Hua rushed in, looking like he had just come back from outside.
"Is Chairman Song going to Fuyang today?"
Song Qing smiled kindly and handed him a tissue to wipe his sweat. "Yes, I'm leaving soon. This matter must be kept secret."
"Understood. Actually, sending me is enough."
Song Qing shook her head and sighed, "I understand Zhihan's personality. If I go, I can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Actually, I should have bowed my head long ago. I forgave him about Xiao Ning a long time ago. I was worried that he wouldn't understand. I believe he hasn't been doing well in the past six months."
Gao Hua said cautiously, "After all, Chief Engineer Xu was once engaged to you, this matter..."
“That’s right, that’s why I haven’t let him come back to the company. I feel it’s unfair to him, but outsiders think I’m blaming him.”