WRS – Chapter 88

When He Yan went to report to the school, it was Jin Xiuzhu who accompanied him.

Originally, He Yan wanted to go alone, but Jin Xiuzhu secretly told him to insist that she must come with him and to act as if he absolutely wouldn’t attend school without her company.

He Yan always listened to his mother. Thinking she simply couldn’t bear to let him go, he didn’t question it at all and followed exactly as she instructed. His two sisters were fine with it—although Fu Yanyan disliked his “mama’s boy” behavior, she didn’t say anything. Liuliu was the same; she just thought her brother wanted to spend more time with their mother.

Only Jiang Mingchuan disapproved of his son’s behavior. “Look at you. At your age, still clinging to your mother for everything. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

He Yan glanced at his mother, who ate quietly beside him, and felt wronged. But he could only shoulder this misunderstanding himself. Fortunately, he always liked going against his father. “Dad, are you jealous? Can’t help it—Mom will always be number one in my heart.”

Sure enough, Jiang Mingchuan became angry. “You brat! Who wants to be your precious number one?!”

Seeing this, Jin Xiuzhu hurried to smooth things over. “Alright, alright. He’s just reluctant to leave me. Don’t scold him.”

Jiang Mingchuan huffed and turned his head away. When it came to shamelessness, he could never beat his son.

And as expected, He Yan continued, “Mom, I love you the most. No one can take your place in my heart. I want all my classmates to see what an amazing mother I have.”

Even though Jin Xiuzhu knew he said it on purpose, she still couldn’t help covering her mouth with a happy smile.

Liuliu immediately asked, eager, “What about me? I want to go too!”

“You can forget it. You haven’t finished memorizing your lessons. You won’t make it in time.”

The little girl immediately pouted, cheeks puffed unhappily.

Only Fu Yanyan sensed something, her eyes shifting between Jin Xiuzhu and He Yan, but she stayed silent.

That night, Jin Xiuzhu packed two sets of clothes and carried a black bag toward He Yan’s room. He Yan was checking his belongings when she entered with the black bag and told him,  “Put this in your luggage and take it with you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

He Yan didn’t think much about it and accepted it. The moment he took the black bag, his hand dropped from the weight, and he looked puzzled. “Mom… what are you carrying, rocks? Why is it so heavy?”

“Just some small gifts for Auntie Wang. Be careful not to let anyone steal them. They’re quite expensive.”

“Oh.”

He assumed it was porcelain or something. This area had a ceramics factory, and the bowls and plates at home were especially beautiful. When his aunt got married, his mother bought many pieces for her.

“Alright.”

Afraid they might break, He Yan wrapped the bag in his clothes and placed it in the middle of the luggage.

Early the next morning, the mother and son headed to the train station. The neighbor, Li Yun, had been waiting at the door after hearing that He Yan was leaving for school. When she saw them come out, she handed him a medicine pouch she’d prepared. “There are ginseng slices and medicine for bruises inside. I heard military school is tough. You’ll need these. Take them. If you run out, write to me or call—I’ll send more.”

He Yan wasn’t polite with her and grinned widely. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Li Yun smiled, genuinely happy for him. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’ve achieved something so great.”

He Yan waved at her cheerfully.

Li Yun watched them leave and only after they disappeared did she return inside to gather her things for work.

In the living room, Sister Huang was feeding the child. Half a bowl of rice was almost finished. After feeding the last few spoonfuls, she tidied up and left with the child, heading out with Li Yun.

During working hours, Li Yun would take the child and Sister Huang with her. She now had her own dorm room, so Sister Huang could take the child to rest there or stroll around the grassy area near the hospital cafeteria. The hospital had many people, and Li Yun worried the child would become timid if raised at home all day.

She had been a teacher and knew clearly how different parenting styles produced different children—some timid and fearful, others confident and natural. Her master’s three children were great examples: they greeted elders and peers proactively, sensible and well-mannered. She believed this stemmed from the parents’ open and relaxed upbringing, as well as their habit of taking the children out often.

She hoped Nanxing would grow up the same way.

He Yan and Jin Xiuzhu took the train to the provincial capital. First, they ate at a state-owned restaurant. After the meal, He Yan planned to go to the black market to find Yang Yingxiong, but unexpectedly, Jin Xiuzhu asked him to accompany her to a state-owned guest house first.

He Yan guessed she wanted to visit Auntie Wang. It had been a while, and he agreed—mainly because he didn’t want his mother going alone.

They followed the address given by Auntie Wang.

Jin Xiuzhu was already familiar with the place and led her son straight to the third floor, knocking on the door at the far right of the corridor.

The door opened quickly. Wang Ling saw Jin Xiuzhu and nodded with a serious expression.  “Come in. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t say much—just let out a quiet “Mm” and entered.

He Yan’s face lit up with a bright smile when he saw her, but he quickly noticed something was off. Auntie Wang didn’t seem like her usual self today. His smile faded slightly, and as he passed her, he obediently greeted, “Auntie Wang.”

Wang Ling patted his shoulder. “Come in.”

He Yan carried the bags inside. To his surprise, several other people were in the room—none he recognized.

Wang Ling introduced them to Jin Xiuzhu. “This is Liu Yin. This is Yu Xiaoqing. And this is Tian Xia.”

Then she introduced Jin Xiuzhu, “This is our factory’s deputy director—Jin Xiuzhu.”

The three immediately stood up when Wang Ling introduced her.

“Hello, Deputy Director Jin.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Deputy Director.”

“Hello.”

Only He Yan was confused—

Since when did his mom become the deputy director?

Wang Ling continued, “This is your first time meeting, but you can be considered acquaintances already. Let’s skip the small talk and get to business.”

Jin Xiuzhu sat down, and the other three followed.

He Yan looked around and moved to stand beside his mother.

Wang Ling first explained to Jin Xiuzhu, “Fang Min couldn’t come, but she’s willing to invest five thousand.”

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at the other three.

Their expressions varied, but only Jin Xiuzhu remained calm—they had already discussed this over the phone beforehand. The goal was to pressure the other three into contributing more so their own financial risk would be smaller.

They could be certain of one thing: in the end, they would definitely have to invest more money—only then would they have a say.

After saying this, Wang Ling paused before continuing, “Everyone knows that business is good down south. But whether it’s profitable is one thing; whether we can actually establish ourselves there is another. What I mean is, if we work together, taking over the factory is not the hard part—the main challenge is establishing a foothold down south. All of that requires money. Now it depends on whether everyone dares to take the risk.”

“Big risks mean big returns. My factory is still profitable, but the outlook isn’t optimistic. I’ve already communicated with the government departments. If I want to take over the factory, it’s doable, and they can also give me time. I believe you’re all aware of my abilities. You’re sitting here today because you trust me…”

Before she finished, the woman named Tian Xia interrupted, “Director Wang, let’s save time. Just tell us directly—how much do we need to put in?”

Hearing this, Wang Ling pressed her lips together, then said, “My estimate is one hundred thousand.”

The three across from her gasped. “One hundred thousand?!”

Next to Tian Xia, Yu Xiaoqing frowned. “Just the few of us—can we even gather a hundred thousand?”

The only man present, Liu Yin, was calm and rational. “A hundred thousand is necessary. This is basically the same as setting up a whole new factory here.”

The other two fell silent. They understood the situation, but hearing the figure of a hundred thousand all at once was still hard to swallow.

After all, they were just ordinary factory workers without much savings.

The main reason they were willing to come was because they believed Wang Ling could lead them to prosperity.

Wang Ling looked toward Jin Xiuzhu.

Jin Xiuzhu spoke, “I’m willing to put in fifty thousand. You can discuss the rest among yourselves.”

Hearing this, the three showed visible doubt. Tian Xia hesitated before asking, “Fifty thousand is a lot… how can you afford that?”

Jin Xiuzhu turned to He Yan. “Take out my black bag.”

He Yan didn’t dare utter a sound. Hearing her instruction, he immediately bent down to retrieve the black bag she had given him last night.

Jin Xiuzhu took the bag and pulled out a smaller cloth pouch. She opened it slightly to show the golden gleam inside. “Gold is fourteen yuan per gram right now. There are seven bars in here. I’ll add another thousand yuan on top—exactly fifty thousand.”

The three exchanged looks, stunned. They hadn’t expected Jin Xiuzhu to be so generous right from the start.

Wang Ling frowned in thought. “I’ll try persuading Fang Min again—see if she’s willing to invest ten thousand.”

Yu Xiaoqing looked at Wang Ling. “We don’t have gold bars at home.”

Jin Xiuzhu said, “Even without gold, surely you can come up with ten thousand? You can’t expect to earn money without putting in anything. We have three kids—this is our entire life savings, and I’m still gritting my teeth and taking it out.”

Wang Ling quickly added, “I’m willing to put in thirty thousand. If you don’t want to contribute, forget it—I can find others.”

The three fell silent. They knew Wang Ling was testing them, but under the pressure, they couldn’t help but give in. Tian Xia, being the most hot-tempered, thought for a moment and finally said, “Fine, I’ll put in ten thousand.”

Seeing this, Yu Xiaoqing, though still hesitant, followed with, “I’ll put in ten thousand too.”

Liu Yin looked at Wang Ling, then at the two women beside him, and finally sighed. “Looks like my five thousand won’t cut it. I’ll put in ten thousand as well.”

Wang Ling let out a breath and smiled. “Good. Thank you for trusting me. I don’t want to leave room for misunderstanding, so I’ve already prepared the agreements. Please take a look.”

She pulled out six copies of the documents and passed them around. Jin Xiuzhu took one, and once everyone had theirs, she said immediately, “Comparing one by one is too troublesome. I’ll read it aloud—check for differences.”

The three glanced at Wang Ling, then nodded.

They had assumed Jin Xiuzhu and Director Wang were close, but now it was clear that when money was involved, their interests were aligned.

Jin Xiuzhu began reading, “After discussion, I, Wang Ling, and…”

After she finished, Wang Ling used a pen to write down each person’s investment amount on every copy. Then everyone pressed their fingerprints on each sheet and kept their own copy.

For Fang Min’s copy, Jin Xiuzhu and the others also pressed their fingerprints—her investment amount wasn’t settled yet, and Wang Ling would take it back for her decision.

After everything was done, the three left.

Only Jin Xiuzhu, her son, and Wang Ling remained.

Once they were gone, He Yan finally let out a long breath. It had all seemed simple, but he felt these people were being awfully bold. He was no fool—he had already guessed from their conversation that they planned to take over Auntie Wang’s county textile factory, not by paying cash up front but by using future profit to pay off the takeover amount. The funds they were raising now were for developing the business in the south—they intended to open clothing factories and ready-made garment shops.

What shocked him more was that his mother had done all of this without the family knowing. Father didn’t know either. And the scariest part was that she actually trusted him to carry those gold bars around, just like that, openly stuffed in a bag.

Thinking of this, He Yan felt lingering fear. No wonder Father always said Mother was reckless—he wasn’t wrong. Mother really did have guts.

A few more times of this and he felt his heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

After catching up a bit, Jin Xiuzhu took He Yan and left, knowing how busy Wang Ling was.

Before leaving, she left four gold bars with Wang Ling and said seriously, “This is our entire family fortune. I didn’t dare tell Mingchuan when I brought them. Don’t betray my trust.”

The other three bars were just stones wrapped in yellow cloth, placed at the bottom—they weren’t very visible.

She then smiled. “Work hard. I believe in you. But don’t push yourself too hard—take it slow, we’re not in a hurry.”

Wang Ling was deeply moved. “Thank you for helping today. Don’t worry—I won’t let you suffer losses.”

“Alright then, we’re heading out.”

“Okay.”

Mother and son walked out with their bags. After only a few steps down the corridor, they bumped into a familiar figure. He Yan’s eyes were sharp—he recognized him instantly.

“Xiao Jun!”

Wu Xiaojun was walking while reading his notebook, but when he heard the voice, he instinctively looked up. Seeing He Yan and Jin Xiuzhu, he lit up and walked over quickly. “Auntie Jin, Yan!”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled. “Not bad, not bad. I almost didn’t recognize you—you’ve changed a lot.”

Wu Xiaojun chuckled, then sincerely said to He Yan, “I heard you got into the military academy. Congratulations. Work hard and try to surpass Uncle Jiang someday.”

He Yan beamed. “Alright, I’ll take your blessing.”

They all laughed.

After chatting a bit more, He Yan sensibly said goodbye, not wanting to disturb his work. Wu Xiaojun added, “I’ll probably be coming here often. When I have time, let’s go out for a proper meal.”

“Sure. You’re treating—you’re earning money now.”

“My pleasure.”

“Hahahahaha.”

Mother and son exited the guesthouse, He Yan still smiling widely. He couldn’t help saying, “Wu Xiaojun is doing great.”

The last time they met, Wu Xiaojun had been gloomy, lifeless, completely lacking energy. Nothing like the confident and calm person he was now—he looked mature, stable, and decisive.

Jin Xiuzhu said, “Everyone grows.”

He Yan shook his head and said earnestly, “Mom, I learned something from you today—that we should be kind whenever possible. You taught me that before, but I didn’t truly understand. I only copied your actions. But now I realize that kindness benefits others and ourselves. Look—when we left, Auntie Li next door gave me medicine, Auntie Wang thought of you first when opening a factory, and Wu Xiaojun has changed so much. Even if we don’t gain anything material, seeing others improve makes our hearts lighter. It makes me feel like my existence has value.”

“Mom, you once said that people should be a bit selfish, that there’s always a purpose behind every action—even kindness. But even so, kindness is still kindness. Your intention doesn’t change its essence.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t speak. She looked at the boy beside her, now a head taller than her—the child who once needed her guidance now had his own understanding and could explain things to her.

She thought to herself, This must be the meaning of raising children.

Jin Xiuzhu: Money, money, money, come to me.

Jiang Mingchuan: The more I think about it, the stranger it feels—why did our son only bring his mother?

He Yan: Dad, it really wasn’t my idea. It was Mom.

Fu Yanyan: You think you can explain that clearly?

Liuliu: You can’t.

Jiang Mingchuan: It’s all the son’s fault for leading his wife astray.

He Yan: Truly wronged.