Everyone put their heads together and decided it would be most convenient for Jiang Nanfang to stay there. They put their luggage in the room, and while some people fetched buckets to get water for Jiang Nanfang, others went to visit Old Li.
Using their phone for light, they entered the room and saw that the kang against the wall was covered with straw, and on top of the straw was a floral quilt. It was a small space.
"We'll sleep on the ground, and you can sleep on the bed alone. We have to look out for our female colleagues."
Jiang Nanfang was touched by everyone's kindness. "Alright. We'll make do tonight. Tomorrow we'll build the signal tower, and once we have a signal, I'll apply for supplies from Vice President Gao."
—
At the Zhan family residence, Zhan Jingrui and his sister were alone in their room after dinner, engrossed in studying the tablet in his hands.
It was a satellite positioning map, with a small red dot flashing brightly. Zhan Jingrui zoomed in on the map, carefully examining the location of the red dot.
"She was with Daddy last night, so how did she end up in Gansu Province after a day of learning skills?"
"Still in that remote and harsh desert. Could it be that Mommy and Daddy had a falling out, and she plans to leave here and stop fighting for us?"
Zhan Jingge had intended to repeat her plan from the previous night, sneaking out with her brother after the lights went out to find her mother. Upon hearing this, she gasped, and her pretty little face instantly darkened.
"No way? Is Daddy that mean? What did Mommy do to offend him for him to treat her like this and chase her away every day? No, I have to go find him and ask!"
As she spoke, she pulled open the door and ran out, only to bump right into Zhan Beijue, who had just come upstairs.
Fearing he would knock his daughter over, Zhan Beijue quickly bent down and steadied her shoulders. "What's wrong? Why are you running around in such a hurry?"
He was dressed similarly every day: black shirt, black trousers, and a slicked-back hairstyle. His features were sharp and handsome, making him enviably attractive among doting fathers.
Zhan Jingge had always loved him and was very proud of him. But since Mommy returned, his behavior had been somewhat disappointing.
"I'm unhappy. I want to go practice boxing to let off some steam," she pouted.
Zhan Beijue looked at his exquisitely beautiful daughter and patiently asked in a soft voice, "Who made you unhappy? Don't you know that Miss Ge'er is the queen of our family? The consequences of upsetting you are very serious."
"Hmph." He's still in the mood for jokes? Zhan Jingge pushed his hand away. "It's you, Daddy, who upset me."
"Oh?" Zhan Beijue was almost amused by her angry, cute expression. He composed himself before asking again, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. May I ask what made you unhappy?"
"You won't let Mommy come home, and I was ridiculed at school again today!"
"..."
"Today we learned 'Little Tadpoles Looking for Their Mother,' and the teacher said everyone has their own mommy and daddy. Then everyone laughed."
"They all said they've never seen my mommy and daddy attend school activities. They said my mommy must have died of illness. I told them no, and then they said why has your mommy never taken you to school? Doesn't she want you anymore?"
"Hmph, Daddy, I clearly have a mommy, and she's so beautiful, but you won't let her come back. It's all your fault!"
That night, Zhan Beijue had another dream.
The dream was filled with the scenes, sounds, touch, and temperature from the previous night. Everything was so real, as if it were replaying all over again. It was so passionate and lingering...
He woke up with a dry mouth and throat, only to realize it was a dream, and it was about Jiang Nanfang again. He cursed himself for being weak and rushed to the bathroom for a cold shower.
Why did he keep dreaming about her? He clearly didn't like her; he just wanted to settle accounts with her.
No, this couldn't go on; something would go wrong.
It seemed like he really needed to put finding a good wife and finding a new mommy for the children on the agenda.
The next morning, Jiang Nanfang and her colleagues got up early. After a simple breakfast of noodles, they officially began their work.
As they were all professionals, they quickly determined the construction site for the signal tower.
However, the people had arrived by plane, but the equipment was still on its way. To avoid delaying progress, Jiang Nanfang personally paid for Engineer Li to drive to the county town to purchase supplies. She, meanwhile, went to the town to arrange for a large excavator to help dig the pits.
Everyone worked hard all day, and a simple signal tower was finally completed before nightfall. Although the signal wasn't very good, they could finally use their phones, and everyone was happy.
The Electrical Company's first-half sales performance review meeting was underway. Zhan Beijue sat in the head seat, with Vice President Gao beside him, listening to the sales manager analyze sales data when his phone rang.
Vice President Gao grabbed the phone and looked. It was from their colleagues on the business trip, reporting their safety.
Engineer Li: "Vice President Gao, we've arrived. We just got here yesterday and finished building the signal tower today. I'm sending you a message right away so you don't have to worry about us."
The colleagues' prompt action and good work attitude pleased Vice President Gao greatly. "Thank you for your hard work, Engineer Li. Please extend my regards to everyone."
Engineer Li felt greatly encouraged. "Thank you, Vice President Gao. We will work hard."
"How is Engineer Jiang? The conditions there are quite harsh, and she's a young woman. Has she complained about anything?"
"No. Engineer Jiang is no ordinary young woman. No wonder you recommended her; you have a good eye."
Vice President Gao smiled with satisfaction.
Ordinarily, Zhan Beijue wouldn't need to attend such a small meeting as a branch company's quarterly sales report, but Vice President Gao had strongly invited him.
He was already bored with the meeting, and when he noticed Vice President Gao leading the way in being distracted, he couldn't help but frown.
Vice President Gao, startled, quickly pushed his phone towards him to show him. "Mr. Zhan, someone has finally taken the lead on the Northwest project. Seeing everyone's fighting spirit makes me feel gratified."
"Mr. Zhan, following in the footsteps of your wife, our company is about to have another heroine. I scouted this person; oh, I feel so proud just thinking about it."
Zhan Beijue subconsciously glanced at the screen of his phone and naturally saw the person Engineer Li was talking about, Engineer Jiang.
"Engineer Jiang? Are you talking about Jiang Nanfang?"