"Boss, rest assured, I'll be back to work on the second day of the Lunar New Year. I'll keep a close eye on the department store and ensure it opens on that day."
Manager Gu had made up his mind to work on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and he naturally wouldn't go alone. Once he conveyed the boss's offer to the others, they would surely choose to work as well.
There was no other way. In the face of financial incentives, no one could resist.
Unless, of course, they were like their boss, earning millions a day.
"I'll leave this to you. Keep a close watch and don't let any trouble arise," Zhang Liunian said, having understood his intention.
"I definitely won't," Manager Gu replied. Recalling the events of the past few days, he felt a bit embarrassed. There had been quite a few disturbances at the department store, all of which were due to his failure to manage them effectively in a timely manner.
Fortunately, the boss had given him another chance and hadn't punished him too harshly, but he still felt a pang of guilt.
That afternoon, Zhang Liunian personally drove Little Zhou back to the Tang family's old residence in Nancheng.
"Huabao!" Zhang Liunian, with Little Zhou in tow, headed straight for the main courtyard. From a distance, he saw his daughter squatting on the ground, playing with insects.
Upon hearing her father's voice, Huabao immediately dropped her small stick, stood up, and pouted as she rushed towards Zhang Liunian, "Daddy, Daddy..."
Huabao hadn't seen her father for over a month. Seeing him after such a long absence, her little face was full of grievances.
How could Zhang Liunian bear to see his daughter so upset? He put down his belongings, caught his daughter, and pulled her into his arms. "Daddy missed our Huabao so much, I missed you so much I couldn't sleep at night."
Zhang Liunian kissed his daughter a few times, making the little girl, who had been on the verge of tears, forget her grievances.
"Huabao missed Daddy too, so much that Huabao couldn't eat and got skinny. Daddy is so mean for not visiting Huabao." Huabao, with her chubby baby face, earnestly explained how much she missed her father.
Zhang Liunian was completely charmed by his daughter's adorable demeanor. He kissed her and explained, "It's Daddy's fault for not coming back to see Huabao with Mommy right away. So, the punishment is that Daddy can't touch the doll for Huabao later, okay?"
Huabao's tears finally turned into a smile after her father's kisses. When she heard the word "doll," her eyes sparkled even more brightly. "Where is the doll? Huabao doesn't have a doll yet?"
Zhang Liunian knew his daughter would love it. He extended a large hand and, as if by magic, pulled out a doll from behind him. "Ta-da! This is the doll Daddy is giving to our Huabao. Do you like it?"
Seeing the exquisite and cute doll, Huabao was instantly captivated. She took it and hugged it tightly, "Huabao likes it very much, thank you Daddy."
Zhang Liunian was touched when he heard his daughter say thank you. He ruffled her hair and said with a smile, "You don't need to thank Daddy. As long as our Huabao likes it, Daddy will find a way to give it to you."
Huabao didn't fully understand. She had just heard her teacher say that one should say thank you when receiving something, so she said it naturally.
"Liunian?"
At this moment, Jiang Qingqing noticed Zhang Liunian had returned. She walked over, holding their son, with immense joy.
Zhang Guihua and Zhao Zhijie also heard the commotion and came out of the house to see. Upon seeing him, they both smiled.
"Liunian is back."
"Liunian, you're back."
They greeted him and walked towards Zhang Liunian.
Seeing them, Zhang Liunian greeted them one by one. Then, with his other hand, he took his son from his wife and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Jiang Qingqing nodded with a rosy complexion. "We are all doing very well. Have you encountered any more dangers outside?"
After staying with Zhang Liunian for a period, she realized that Zhang Liunian was in constant danger outside, encountering people who wanted to harm him every day.
She couldn't help her husband, so she could only strive not to be a burden.
"No, I'm back safe and sound to celebrate the New Year with you." Zhang Liunian spun his son around in his arms, proving to his wife that he was unharmed.
Little Zhou, who was behind Zhang Liunian, inwardly grumbled, "What do you mean no trouble? There's trouble every day, it's just temporarily resolved."
"It's good that you're back. The New Year is coming soon, and we can have a good year," Zhao Zhijie also hadn't seen his god-nephew for a long time and missed him dearly.
However, now that Zhang Liunian had just returned, they should let him have some quality time with his wife and children first.
"I came back just for the New Year. Uncle Zhao, you should also rest well and don't get too tired." Zhang Liunian meant that he could let his subordinates manage the factory.
But Zhao Zhijie was not someone who could sit idle. His nephew had entrusted the factory to him, and he couldn't let him down.
"Three days of rest are enough. I'm not tired, I'm just managing people." Zhao Zhijie heard his nephew's concern and his desire for him not to overwork.
But he was happy, and he wasn't really tired. This factory was nothing compared to the previous steel mill, and there were fewer things to do, so it was indeed manageable.
"Take care of your health," Zhang Liunian didn't insist. After all, he would still pay Uncle Zhao triple his salary. He would inform the store and ensure this policy was implemented.
"I will, you can rest assured."
"Let's all go inside and chat. Isn't it cold out here?" Zhang Guihua suddenly chimed in, interrupting their plan to chat outside until dark.
The adults could bear it, but the children couldn't!
"Let's go, let's go, let's all go inside and warm up." Zhang Liunian looked at his daughter, whose nose had turned red from the cold, and carried her into the house with one arm in each, to sit down.
They talked until late into the night, discussing everything from the development of Pengcheng to the department stores in the provincial capital, until everyone needed to rest.
After the conversation dispersed, Zhang Liunian took a bucket of hot water to bathe. After his bath, he heard his wife, who was sitting by the bed, let out a sob. "Liunian, did you get injured again while saving Minghua and the others last time?"
Jiang Qingqing, sitting on the edge of the bed, noticed several old and new wounds on her husband's body when he was bathing and immediately asked with red eyes.
Zhang Liunian stopped dressing and looked up at his wife, smiling as he replied, "No, these injuries are from accidental bumps."
Jiang Qingqing didn't believe him. She turned away and wiped her tears. Zhang Liunian couldn't stand seeing his wife like this, so he quickly sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. "Qingqing, I'm fine. You saw it just now, it's only superficial."
"But I'm afraid something will happen to you." Jiang Qingqing was genuinely worried. She worried about her husband every moment he was not by her side.
Although her husband earned a lot of money, she valued him more than the money.
"Liunian, let's stop making money. I'm content with our current life. Can we just live happily?" Jiang Qingqing suddenly grabbed Zhang Liunian's hand, hoping he would stay with her and not go out anymore.
Zhang Liunian hugged his wife and comforted her. "You only see the dangerous side, but you don't see the opportunities and wealth. Qingqing, I promise you that I will always have bodyguards with me to protect me at all times, and I will never put myself in a bad situation. Will that reassure you a little?"
Jiang Qingqing remained silent. After a moment, she seemed to have adjusted her mood and reached out to stroke her husband's chest.