MGASC -Chapter 227 Held in His Arms and Comforted

He held her tightly and even kissed the top of her fragrant hair. “Alright, it’s just a small matter. Look how wronged you feel over this.”

He had never comforted a woman before, but at this moment, Jin Quan—big, tough man that he was—truly felt heartache for her.

And from the bottom of his heart, he despised that man even more.

Zhang Ling had never been held and coaxed like this before. And what she thought was a matter as big as the sky sounded, in his mouth, as if it were nothing worth mentioning.

She felt so wronged.

Because of the issue of whether she could bear children, how much blame and disdain had she endured over the years?

She had drunk basketful after basketful of Chinese herbal medicine.

So bitter.

In Jin Quan’s arms, she sobbed for a while.

Her tears and snot soaked a large patch of his clothes again. Fortunately, they were upstairs—no one was around, and no one heard her crying.

When she finally lifted her head and saw the crumpled front of his shirt, she felt embarrassed.

“Sorry…”

Jin Quan pinched the wrinkled fabric, now crinkled like pickled olives, and laughed awkwardly. “This time you really have to wash it for me. Look at it—so wrinkled, not even as neat as Xia Xia’s diapers…”

“Get lost.”

Zhang Ling, teased by him, felt like laughing and crying at the same time. Without realizing it, she seemed to have slipped back into that ambiguous relationship with Jin Quan.

She had a slight headache. She really wasn’t firm enough.

Taking advantage of someone coming upstairs to look for her, she shook off Jin Quan and fled.

They were busy all day, and the cleanup work lasted until dark.

Lin Tianyue was still asleep, so Zhang Qiao held the baby upstairs while waiting for him, glancing over the accounts from the past few days.

After a while, Jin Quan came in to deliver something.

Seeing that Xia Xia was awake, practicing rolling over in her little crib—she kept straining to one side, her tiny bottom sticking up again and again. Probably seeing her mother nearby and wanting to interact, she managed to roll halfway but just couldn’t make it all the way.

Watching her struggle, Jin Quan casually reached out with his big hand and gave her a light push. Like a little ball, Xia Xia flipped from lying on her side to lying on her tummy, her little mouth stretching almost to her cheeks in delight.

She babbled happily. Zhang Qiao immediately turned around and saw her daughter propped up on her tiny arms, grinning foolishly at her.

Jin Quan stood to the side, quite satisfied with his handiwork.

“In a few months, Xia Xia should be able to sit up, right?”

Zhang Qiao put down the ledger. “Mm. They say three months to roll, six months to sit, eight months to crawl. Kids grow so fast—changing every day.”

She walked over, picked Xia Xia up, and placed her on her lap.

Then she gestured to Jin Quan. “Brother Quan, have a seat.”

“No, there’s still work downstairs.”

Seeing he was about to leave, Zhang Qiao quickly called out to stop him. She had long wanted to talk to him but had been too busy—now she finally had the chance.

“Brother Quan, what do you think of my sister?”

Jin Quan didn’t hide anything. “She’s very good.”

“Do you like her?” Zhang Qiao asked again.

Jin Quan: “…”

“I know you’ve been getting pretty close to my sister lately. What I mean is—do you just kind of like her and want to see where it goes? Or do you like her in the way that makes you want to build a family with her?”

Jin Quan wasn’t good at discussing this kind of thing with women. His temples throbbed slightly as he squeezed the cigarette pack in his hand.

“With the way you’re putting it—I’m already thirty.”

Zhang Qiao nodded knowingly. “Exactly. You’re not young anymore. I think you must be serious—really wanting to find a wife, get married, and live a steady life. My sister would make a good wife and mother.”

Jin Quan looked at her quietly. “Mm. I know.”

Thinking of Jin Quan’s ending in the original novel, Zhang Qiao grew more serious.

“Brother Quan, my sister’s been divorced. She was hurt by a man. She won’t easily choose marriage again. Even if she does, she’ll definitely choose someone who can give her a sense of security. Do you understand what that means?”

For a moment, Jin Quan’s mouth felt dry. Zhang Qiao’s questioning made his scalp tingle.

Still, he didn’t lose his composure.

“You’re her sister—basically her family. If you have any requirements, just say them.”

“I only have one request: you must give my sister enough security.”

Afraid he might not understand, Zhang Qiao glanced secretly at Lin Tianyue, who was still sleeping.

Lowering her voice, she said, “Look… Tianyue used to get into fights all the time and cause trouble. The reason I didn’t like him before was because I thought he was unreliable—who knew when he might end up in jail? If that happened, what would the baby and I do?”

Jin Quan: “…”

Zhang Qiao cleared her throat lightly. “But now he’s much more dependable. He cares about the family, loves the baby, and he’s steady—doesn’t stir up trouble anymore. So when a man builds a family and career, he has to act like a real man. Have proper work, walk the right path, earn only the money he should earn. No matter when or where, keep his wife and child in his heart. With that responsibility, he won’t go astray. Don’t you think so, Brother Quan?”

Jin Quan glanced at Lin Tianyue on the bed.

It seemed that what happened last time in Shenzhen—when he and Gu Yu fought Xiong Wu and barely escaped with their lives—Zhang Qiao knew nothing about it…

And when they dealt with Li Dong and Wang Dahai, she probably didn’t know either.

Dependable? Mm. Very dependable indeed.

If it came to coaxing a wife, Lin Tianyue was clearly the more skilled one.

“Alright. I understand.”

Zhang Qiao brightened. “Brother Quan, you really understand what I mean?”

“Have proper work, walk the right path, no fighting or causing trouble—how hard can that be? What we do with Tianyue is legitimate business. As for fighting—if no one messes with me, I won’t mess with them.”

But if someone bullied him, he would settle every score down to the last cent.

After Jin Quan left, Zhang Qiao still felt uncertain. Did he really understand—or not?

Forget it. Later, she’d have her sister remind him more often. Maybe once a man starts a family, he’ll settle down.

After the wedding, the New Year was drawing closer.

This was the first Spring Festival Zhang Qiao would spend with Lin Tianyue after getting together. These days, she was busy buying New Year goods. At the restaurant, Manager Ren and her sister were in charge. On the production side, Yingzi and Chen Gang were handling things. At the factory, Su Yin was overseeing operations. Zhang Qiao had become a hands-off boss, planning to enjoy the holiday first before worrying about anything else.

After all, the restaurant business was thriving. The newly expanded haircare product line was also performing exceptionally well. As the year-end approached, straighteners and curling irons were selling out like crazy.

In contrast, customer traffic at Yuehai Hui had dropped by more than half.

Gu Junye was anxious. He launched several rounds of promotions and even spent heavily on advertisements at the local TV station. Although it boosted customer numbers somewhat, it still couldn’t compete with the packed Kemanlou.

Seeing his grandmother frequently visiting Zhang Qiao and remaining unmoved by his investment proposals, Gu Junye’s long-held arrogance suffered a historic crushing blow.

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month was Little New Year. Zhang Qiao and Lin Tianyue planned to operate until the twenty-seventh before closing for the holiday.

That morning, Su Yin had workers deliver another batch of haircare products to the restaurant. The pre-holiday promotion was so popular that they were giving away hundreds of sets every day.

Manager Ren directed everyone to unload the truck. Not long after opening, both the first and second floors were already full of diners. A line formed outside the door. Girls who had received hair vouchers waited excitedly outside the glass room, eager for their upcoming makeovers.

Sunlight poured over the antique-style signboard, everything looking prosperous and full of life.

Yet on this seemingly ordinary afternoon, at two o’clock—when business was at its busiest—the roar of motorcycle engines suddenly sounded at the entrance.

More than a dozen motorcycles screeched to a stop. A group of officials in industrial and commercial uniforms stormed in without explanation.

“Customers who are dining, stop immediately. Take your belongings and leave at once. Kemanlou is suspected of illegal operations and is being sealed effective immediately!”