Qin Chuan gave his parents one hundred thousand yuan, asking them to procure a batch of supermarket gift cards to reward high-performing employees and some management.
This was an excellent strategy, benefiting both the employees and stimulating consumption at their own supermarket. It was a win-win situation.
"It's all done. We were just about to tell you!" Jiang Cuihua said, then urged her husband to fetch the gift cards.
Shortly after, Qin Shuren strode in, cradling a box.
"Xiao Chuan, there's a full hundred thousand yuan in here! As you instructed, the denominations are one hundred, two hundred, three hundred, five hundred, one thousand, three thousand, and five thousand yuan!"
"Hold onto it tight, don't lose it!" Qin Shuren cautioned.
Qin Chuan took the box, handed his parents gift cards worth about ten thousand yuan to distribute to the supermarket staff, and then left.
It was past ten in the morning when he left the supermarket.
Qin Chuan called Li Ya, and they drove together to the Industrial and Commercial Bank, where they met Shang Bingrong.
With the Chinese New Year approaching, it was time to repay the loans they had taken out. Even if they couldn't repay the principal, the interest was due.
This was especially true for the two million yuan borrowed earlier.
"Qin Chuan, Xiao Ya, please sit!" Shang Bingrong enthusiastically welcomed them into his office.
"Uncle Shang, Happy New Year! We're here to wish you a Happy New Year in advance!" Li Ya said sweetly.
"Good, good, good. Uncle will give you red envelopes right away." Shang Bingrong was delighted and, as he spoke, actually pulled out two large red envelopes from his drawer, chuckling proudly, "See, I'm not just talking the talk; I'm prepared!"
"Uncle Shang, I think you're implying we might not repay the loan," Qin Chuan remarked.
Shang Bingrong quickly waved his hands. "Absolutely not! Both of you are developing so well now, becoming role models for the younger generation in our entire Yongnan County!"
"Especially Qin Chuan, your business is booming, and your products are even on CCTV commercials!"
"How could you possibly not be able to repay a few thousand yuan!"
Li Ya's eyes sparkled. "Uncle, you saw Xiao Chuan's electronic product commercials on TV too?"
"Naturally. Besides CCTV-1, my favorite channel is CCTV-2, the finance channel. Your aunt prefers the drama channel," Shang Bingrong said, pouring tea with a smile.
"You have no idea. When I saw your advertisement for the 'Shen Dun Storage Cabinet,' I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. I called your aunt over to confirm."
"Only then did we realize it was real!"
Shang Bingrong turned to Qin Chuan. "You're quite the go-getter, boy. I always thought you took that extra two million yuan from me for some working capital. I never expected you'd actually use it for advertising, and to such a grand platform as CCTV, in one fell swoop!"
Qin Chuan rubbed his nose and chuckled. "We're young, we're naturally bolder. If we fail, it's no big deal; there's plenty of time to make up for it."
Li Ya, sitting beside him, looked at Qin Chuan with admiration.
She genuinely respected Qin Chuan's business acumen and methods.
"Excellent! That's a brilliant thing to say!" Shang Bingrong slapped his thigh forcefully. "Now I finally understand why Qin Chuan, at such a young age, has built such a successful career. Your boldness is truly impressive!"
"No wonder my daughter always praises you so highly whenever she calls!"
"Uncle Shang, Hong Lian still speaks so highly of me in front of you?" Qin Chuan asked, slightly surprised.
"Of course she does. Speaking of which, Qin Chuan, I've been meaning to thank you for visiting Hong Lian in Beijing last time," Shang Bingrong said. "For New Year's Day, we were supposed to have three days off according to the plan, but unexpectedly, both our workplaces had minor issues, preventing us from going."
"If it weren't for you, we would have felt even more guilty."
"Uncle Shang, what are you saying? Hong Lian is like my sister. As an elder brother, caring for my own sister is only natural!"
"Is Hong Lian home from school? It's almost Chinese New Year!" Qin Chuan asked with a smile.
"She's back. She returned last night! She should be sleeping at home right now…"
"Dad!"
As they were speaking, the office door suddenly opened, and a young, radiant girl with flushed cheeks and an adorable demeanor walked in.
Her eyes met Qin Chuan's the moment she entered. She was initially taken aback, then her expression shifted to one of immense surprise and delight.
Just as she was about to exclaim, "Brother Qin Chuan," she noticed Li Ya sitting beside Qin Chuan. The excitement in her beautiful eyes subtly transformed into a complex emotion.
Finally, she ran over energetically and plopped down beside Shang Bingrong. "Brother Qin Chuan, what are you doing here?"
"We came to discuss some matters with your father," Qin Chuan said, looking at Shang Hong Lian. After some time apart, Shang Hong Lian had clearly matured, with much of her youthful innocence fading, demonstrating the significant impact of life experiences.
"Hong Lian has really grown into a young lady! I wouldn't have recognized her if I saw her on the street!" Li Ya said, observing the beautiful girl with surprise.
"I remember when she was just a middle schooler. It's hard to believe she's so grown up now!"
Shang Bingrong sighed. "Indeed. As the children grow older, it means we parents are also getting older!"
"Time truly spares no one!"
"Xiao Ya, I recall you're in your twenties now, aren't you? Women your age often have several children. Shouldn't you be considering your own life events?"
Hearing Shang Bingrong's words, Li Ya didn't feel shy. Instead, she echoed his sentiment. "That's true. I'll be twenty-seven after the New Year. It really is time to consider getting married."
As she said this, Li Ya's gaze was fixed intently on the man beside her.
Qin Chuan, though not looking back, felt it. He cleared his throat and pretended to take a sip of tea.
Then, he felt a twinge of pain in his ribs, as if someone was displeased with his reaction.
Meanwhile, Shang Hong Lian, sitting next to Shang Bingrong, directly chided him, "Dad, what era are we in? You still have such old-fashioned ideas!"
"In big cities, many people don't get married until after thirty. Sister Li Ya is only twenty-seven after the New Year; she's still very young!"
"Besides, this is her personal matter. You're really worrying about things that aren't your concern!"
Shang Bingrong chuckled sheepishly at his daughter's scolding.
"Yes, yes, I was meddling!"
"Qin Chuan, let's have some tea!"