Qin Chuan left the franchising department and went upstairs.
He was surprised to find that both Ye Meiyun and Xu Ronghua were absent, with only Liu Shengli, the head of the administration department, present. Ge Lan from the marketing department was also not there.
"Where are Director Ye and Deputy Director Xu?" Qin Chuan asked.
"Boss, you don't know? We heard that a big boss from out of town is coming to visit our electronics factory today, so Director Ye and Deputy Director Xu drove to pick them up!" Liu Shengli replied.
"What? A big boss is coming to visit our electronics factory today?" Qin Chuan's expression was one of utter surprise. The information he had received from the franchising department indicated that most visitors planned to come after the Lunar New Year, as it was approaching. He truly knew nothing about this and hadn't been informed by anyone.
"Mhm," Liu Shengli nodded. "Boss, you've been so busy lately. If they didn't tell you, they probably wanted to share some of your workload and give you a surprise."
Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan immediately took out his phone to call Ye Meiyun.
"Boss, look quickly, the director and the others are back!" Before Qin Chuan could dial the number, Liu Shengli excitedly pointed at the glass window and shouted.
Qin Chuan looked up and indeed saw two cars entering the main gate of the electronics factory. The familiar Mercedes-Benz driven by Ye Meiyun was in front, followed by an Audi with a Shanghai license plate. Both vehicles headed directly towards the Shen Dun storage cabinet's flagship store.
Qin Chuan's eyes lit up. Then, as if remembering something, he quickly scanned the sports field and was surprised to find that all the idle employees had disappeared.
"Boss, the director and the others have probably picked up the guests. Do you want to go and meet them?" Liu Shengli asked.
Qin Chuan opened his mouth, intending to say he would go too, but he stopped himself mid-sentence. After a few seconds of thought, he shook his head. "With Director Ye and Deputy Director Xu handling things, it's more than enough!" He was the chairman, the top boss, and it was sufficient for him to oversee the overall situation of the electronics factory without needing to be involved in every detail. It was indeed a significant event for a first-time franchisee to visit, but with Ye Meiyun and Xu Ronghua present, he was confident they could handle it perfectly.
"Manager Liu, I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. If Director Ye and the others ask, please convey my message that I am very pleased and they have performed exceptionally well," Qin Chuan said, then turned and went downstairs. Since Ye Meiyun and Xu Ronghua wanted to give him a surprise, he would cooperate. As a boss, he had to give his subordinates opportunities when necessary.
Exiting the office building, Qin Chuan started his "Tiger Head Ben" (a nickname for a Mercedes-Benz model). He slowed down as he passed the flagship store. He clearly saw Ye Meiyun and Xu Ronghua leading a few men and women on a tour of the entire flagship store, providing detailed explanations. Qin Chuan smiled slightly, stepped on the accelerator, and the "Tiger Head Ben" sped away.
About twenty minutes later, the "Tiger Head Ben" arrived at his family's supermarket. With the Lunar New Year approaching, the supermarket was entering its busiest sales period of the year. Qin Chuan saw bicycles, motorcycles, tricycles, and other vehicles parked densely outside the supermarket, almost filling all available space. People were coming and going through the supermarket entrance, and everyone leaving had bags and packages filled with goods. There were chickens, ducks, fish, meat, vegetables, chili peppers, firewood, rice, oil, and salt—all sorts of items. The way people in the north celebrated the New Year was different from the south; they bought groceries with great gusto, known as "stockpiling for the New Year." Buying too little could even lead to ridicule.
Qin Chuan walked inside and found, as he expected, that the supermarket was packed, teeming with people everywhere. At the entrance, customers continuously opened storage lockers to store their belongings, their movements incredibly practiced, as if they were already accustomed to it. In fact, this was the case. As the developer of Shen Dun storage cabinets, Qin Chuan had equipped his own supermarket and many other places with his products. The effect, of course, was excellent, earning widespread praise from the public.
"Xiao Chuan, why are you here?" Qin Shuren, seeing his son in the supermarket, was very pleased.
"I'm just passing by to take a look. Our supermarket's business is quite good these days!" Qin Chuan smiled and offered his father a cigarette.
"Of course! The Lunar New Year is almost here, and every household needs to buy New Year's goods, so business is naturally good!" Qin Shuren beamed like a blooming chrysanthemum. Who wouldn't be happy with such good business at their supermarket?
"Where's Mom?" Qin Chuan asked.
"She should be inside..."
As the father and son were talking, they saw Jiang Cuihua emerge from inside. "Sonny! How do you have time to come over?" The couple asked the same question, a testament to their long marriage. Qin Chuan chuckled. However, when he saw a hint of fatigue in his mother's eyes, he felt a pang of concern.
"Xiao Chuan, since you're here, your father and I wanted to ask you something," Jiang Cuihua said.
"Mom, just tell me what's on your mind. I'm your son!" Qin Chuan grinned.
"It's like this, your father and I were chatting with your eldest brother and the others last night about whether we should celebrate the Lunar New Year in the city or in the village this year," Jiang Cuihua explained.
Qin Chuan asked, "And what was the final decision?"
"Your mom and your brother couldn't reach a conclusion, so your eldest brother said to ask you," Qin Shuren interjected.
Qin Chuan looked at his parents and, after careful consideration, said, "The village. We'll go back to the village for the New Year." Even though the city was good, it wasn't their roots, despite the Qin family's considerable industry in the county town. For the older generation, no matter how good things were elsewhere, their hometown always held a special place. It was where their ancestors lay, where every blade of grass and tree they had grown up with existed, and where they had old neighbors and relatives they had known for years. Chinese people value returning to their roots and cherishing their homeland, especially during the grand reunion festival of Lunar New Year.
"Xiao Chuan, are we really going back to the village for New Year's?" When Qin Chuan finished speaking, the excitement radiating from Qin Shuren and Jiang Cuihua's eyes was palpable. It was a joy that came from the heart. Qin Chuan saw it and felt happy too, knowing his decision was the right one. The elderly couple actually preferred returning to the village.
"Is there any doubt? It will be more lively in the village for New Year's!" Qin Chuan said with a smile. "There will be people we know everywhere, unlike in the city where the circle is small, and you only interact with a few acquaintances." This statement resonated deeply with the elderly couple, and they nodded vigorously, their eyes filled with satisfaction. At that moment, they truly felt their son had grown up.
"Then Xiao Chuan, I'll call your eldest and second brothers in a moment and tell them, as well as your eldest sister-in-law, to go back to the village and tidy up the house," Jiang Cuihua said. "Oh, right, I heard that Li Ya doesn't seem to have many relatives. Xiao Chuan, would you like to invite Li Ya to our home for New Year's?"
"This... I'll have to ask Li Ya first," Qin Chuan replied. "Oh, Mom and Dad, have the batch of supermarket gift cards you ordered been made?"