Chapter 182: Chapter 181: The previous 2 Chapters have been revised and rewritten, please refresh.
Since the factory was completely bought out, residents in the family compound began to move away one after another. Some sought convenience for a new job, while others started their own small businesses.
Zhao Dazhuang and Liu Xiue returned home from out of town, carrying lots of local specialties, visiting neighbors from house to house, and learned the news during casual conversations.
Watching others start reemployment with new ventures thriving, Zhao Dazhuang and Liu Xiue couldn’t help but start feeling anxious too.
Just as the thought of reemployment began to cross their minds, Shi Yang personally drove over and took them to tour the mall and the kindergarten where the Naughty Castle was being installed.
During the half month Shi Yang accompanied Zhao Meimei on her return home, Qu Chaozong overfulfilled a major task by successfully securing a stall on the third floor of the mall, and the price was very fair, consistent with the rent of other merchants.
After signing the mall lease contract, Shi Yang immediately plunged into designing and installation work.
Zhao Dazhuang and Liu Xiue quickly followed suit and took up their positions. Zhao Dazhuang inspected each kindergarten, perused numerous Naughty Castle packaging parts and toy scales, and soon began participating in the design and installation of blueprints. In a remarkably short time, he even managed to offer unique insights during the installation design at the mall.
Liu Xiue was introduced by Shi Yang to the floor manager, taking advantage of the morning meeting to secretly learn skills. She observed how the floor manager instructed and trained his employees, then turned around to lead the seven or eight waiters Shi Yang hired.
During the renovation upstairs, Liu Xiue led the waiters to the first floor lobby, selling membership cards at the temporary beds rented by Shi Yang.
Liu Xiue’s accounting was extremely precise, with every expense recorded clearly and comprehensively. Gradually, Shi Yang began to regularly hand over the installation income to her, allowing her to manage the statistics.
Upon learning this, Qu Chaozong said to Shi Yang, "You’re quite the taskmaster, Shi! Meimei’s mom earns her salary, yet you have her doing two jobs! While it’s reassuring to employ your own people, you can’t burden one person with a deathload of work!"
Shi Yang bit his cigarette, eyes squinting with a satisfied wrinkle, "Who said I gave all the work to Meimei’s mom? The installation income, I calculated on a daily basis and handed it to her only after summarizing it weekly."
Qu Chaozong twisted his mouth, "Well, after detailing everything daily for four weeks, you could have just calculated the figures directly for reconciliation, right?"
Shi Yang fluttered his eyelashes, a cunning gleam passing beneath his eyes, "You just don’t get it, do you?"
Shi Yang’s mind was filled with clear calculations; he wanted Meimei’s mom to know exactly how much money he could earn and how capable he was. These were his capital for proving his capabilities.
Shi Yang was like a seasoned and sly hunter, quietly lurking in the grass, concealing his breath while silently watching his prey gradually sniff out the bait and eventually fall into his trap.
When Zhao Meimei returned home, she quickly learned her exam results from Xu Xu. She ranked second in the class, with Xu Xu taking first place, and Wang Jiayue scoring just one point less than Zhao Meimei.
During the holiday, Xu Xu didn’t attend any remedial classes, and after Zhao Meimei returned, he started visiting her house daily as if clocking in. The two would huddle together writing homework and watching TV. Sometimes when Liu Xiue left early in the morning, Xu Xu would cook a meal for Zhao Meimei at noon, after which they’d eat together and Xu Xu would wash the dishes.
While Xu Xu was washing the dishes, Zhao Meimei went to the kitchen to drink some water. She leaned against the wall with the cup, watching Xu Xu’s earnest sidelong profile, and clicked her tongue lightly in appreciation.
Xu Xu turned his head and smiled at her, "What do you want to say?"
Zhao Meimei laughed a few times, and said, "Xu Xu, I found that you’ve become really good looking, even more handsome than when we were kids!"
Xu Xu remained composed, but his ear roots secretly reddened, "Really?"
Zhao Meimei nodded, "Yes, among the boys I’ve seen, besides my Brother Yangyang, you’re the handsomest."
Xu Xu silently mustered up the courage within and paused; he then suddenly asked, "Meimei, do you have someone you like?"
Zhao Meimei’s lips drew to a corner, and she nodded with a smile, instinctively extending a hand to touch the necklace around her neck. A slim chain held the couple ring she had bought beneath.
On the day she moved out of Shi Yang’s house, Shi Yang pulled her aside into the bedroom, presenting her with this long-prepared gift.
Zhao Meimei swept her hair to one side, stretching her neck for Shi Yang to help put it on. The moment the necklace was clasped, a gentle kiss landed on her neck.
The warm breath seeped from her neck to her chest, making Zhao Meimei lower her head, almost unable to breathe.
At this time, Zhao Meimei had grown tall, standing at 1.66 meters, her head tip nearly reaching Shi Yang’s lower lip.
Shi Yang held Zhao Meimei’s hand, lowered her hair, examined the silver necklace on her neck, and was genuinely happy, lifting her face and planting a firm kiss on her forehead.
This kiss landed softly on her forehead, the lips quietly and warmly blended in.
Zhao Meimei’s fingers grasped the ring hanging over her chest through her clothes, and solemnly declared, "I already have someone I like in my heart."
Seeing Zhao Meimei’s blissful look, Xu Xu felt a pang of sourness, with a deep sense of loss surfacing in his eyes. He didn’t continue to ask whom Zhao Meimei liked because he likewise lacked the courage to confess his admiration. This emotion was too precious for him, unable to withstand any harm or fracture.
He preferred to hold this feeling quietly alone, experiencing its beauty in silence rather than shattering the dream that was especially important to him.
Regarding the mall installation, Shi Yang assigned it to Qu Chaozong. He personally made a trip to the provincial capital to negotiate with Li Shuren on details concerning the commission for installing the Naughty Castle.
Li Shuren candidly told him that the installation fee paid to Shi Yang was directly negotiated with the kindergarten separately. The price for the sold toys was accounted for additionally, with its high or low price entirely dependent on the discount negotiated.
Shi Yang half-smilingly replied, "Brother Li, indeed the price of the toys you sell is not related to me, but the more you sell, the more time and effort my workers spend installing the Naughty Castle."
Li Shuren raised an eyebrow, "I rely on selling toys to make money, so naturally, the more, the better."
Shi Yang smiled, "But for my workers, the effort spent doesn’t equate the earnings."