The next day, Qin Chuan slept until past ten in the morning before waking up.
He had drunk too much the previous night and had almost fallen asleep the moment he sat in the warm car, barely managing to hold on until he got home.
Today was already the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, and most of the social obligations for this time of year had already been attended to.
As for his own ventures, the real estate and renovation companies had already paid their workers’ wages in full, and some outstanding debts had also been partially settled.
Now, only the supermarket and the electronics factory remained.
The electronics factory had its year-end party that evening, after which it would officially go on holiday.
The supermarket, however, wouldn't close its doors until tomorrow afternoon.
Rubbing his throbbing head, Qin Chuan sat up and was surprised to see a steaming cup of milk in front of him.
He looked up and asked in surprise, "Sister, aren't you going to the factory today?"
"My clothing factory started its holiday from today!" Li Ya said with a smile.
"Here, have some milk to warm your stomach!"
Qin Chuan took the cup and after drinking the milk, felt much better.
"How much did you drink last night? You reeked of alcohol when you got home and slept on the floor like it was a bed. It took me a lot of effort to get you into bed and help you take off your clothes," Li Ya said.
"I don't know how much, but I was pretty much drunk," Qin Chuan replied with a wry smile, rubbing his temples. "You know, with those guys, there's no way to end things without drinking to our hearts' content."
Li Ya seemed a bit concerned. She took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, sitting behind Qin Chuan. She let him rest his head on her soft chest and gently massaged his temples with two slender fingers, soothing the fatigue of his hangover.
"Xiao Chuan, try to drink less from now on. Even though you're young, even the strongest body can't withstand this kind of long-term abuse," Li Ya murmured in his ear like a caring elder sister.
Qin Chuan closed his eyes, leaning back comfortably.
These moments of quiet intimacy were rare. Normally, they were both busy with their factory affairs and rarely saw each other during the day, only meeting after work in the evening. However, by then, both were exhausted from a day's work, leaving no energy for such relaxation and ease. As Li Ya put it, though they weren't married, they were already living the life of a married couple.
After about half an hour, they left the house together.
Li Ya was as excited as a happy little bird, her holiday finally having arrived. She linked arms with Qin Chuan and bounced along.
"Xiao Chuan, let's go see Uncle and Aunt at the supermarket first, and then we'll go out for some good food."
"Alright, alright, it's all up to you today!" Qin Chuan smiled and started the car. Soon, they arrived at the supermarket.
It was as lively as ever, even more crowded than yesterday, with everyone rushing to stock up on New Year's goods. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and in 1998, there was no thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, only the twenty-ninth.
"Wow, so many people!" Li Ya's eyes widened in shock at the dense crowd and the long checkout lines.
"It's been this crowded for the past two days. It was the same scene when I came yesterday," Qin Chuan explained.
"So, that means our supermarket's sales must be really good these past two days?" Li Ya instinctively asked.
As expected of a businesswoman, her thoughts always drifted back to her business within a few sentences. Qin Chuan hadn't even realized it himself.
"Of course, it's good. These are the most profitable days of the year!" Qin Chuan said, smiling and greeting acquaintances around them. "The income for a single day is equivalent to half a month, or even a whole month, of normal days!"
His answer was also in a businessman's mode, perfectly illustrating that people from different professions view things from different perspectives. Businesspeople focus on profit, and their first thought upon seeing something is whether it can make money.
A few minutes later, they met Qin's parents.
Qin Shuren and Jiang Cuihua were delighted to see Li Ya, dressed in a white down jacket and looking as radiant and youthful as a girl. Over the past year, the elderly couple had seemingly come to regard Li Ya as their future daughter-in-law. Although Li Ya was a few years older than Qin Chuan, she was beautiful, capable, had a good personality, conducted herself with propriety, and was very filial. Dressed up, she didn't look like a woman in her late twenties but rather like someone Qin Chuan's age. Qin's parents were very pleased with their prospective daughter-in-law. If Qin Chuan were to marry Li Ya, they would have no objections.
"Uncle, Aunt, my factory is completely closed today, so I came to see you," Li Ya said. Qin's parents treated Li Ya well, and Li Ya was very good at interacting with them. She had a sweet tongue and would often have friends from abroad send gifts to visit the elders, making them very happy.
"Good, good, it's good that you're here!" Jiang Cuihua held Li Ya's hand, her affection for her evident in her eyes. "Xiao Ya, has Xiao Chuan told you? We're all going back to our village to spend the New Year together!"
A shy blush rose on Li Ya's fair cheeks as she nodded softly, "Mm." Although she had studied abroad and received an open-minded education, and was at the forefront of trends, this was still China. Even though progressive ideas were becoming more common, a girl visiting her boyfriend's family for the New Year before marriage would still cause gossip. It was considered something to do after marriage, and doing it before engagement or marriage could lead to unfavorable talk. However, Li Ya didn't care at all.
Seeing that Li Ya didn't object, Jiang Cuihua was overjoyed. "We'll close the store after noon tomorrow, and then we'll all go back together! Let's all have a happy New Year together!"
Qin Shuren, standing nearby, also had a wide grin on his face.
A few minutes later, Qin Chuan and Li Ya left the supermarket. This was partly because Qin's parents were genuinely busy, and partly because too many people recognized Qin Chuan and Li Ya. As the largest supermarket in Yongnan County, with the most complete selection and the freshest produce, it was teeming with people during the New Year period. Many people came to buy goods, and Qin Chuan and Li Ya were undoubtedly celebrity figures in Yongnan County, recognized by many. In just a few minutes of standing there, no less than seven or eight groups of people came to greet them, forcing them to quickly leave the public place.
"Sister, let's go check the supermarket's financial situation," Qin Chuan suggested. "The New Year is almost here, and it's time to get an update." Li Ya also held a ten percent stake in the Meitehao franchise supermarket, with the rest belonging to Qin Chuan.
"Alright, I have nothing else to do anyway!" The two of them walked into the finance office, got the account books from the accountant, and sat down, their heads close together, casually flipping through the pages while chatting.
The supermarket's account books were thicker than those of any other establishment, filled with dense entries. Qin Chuan and Li Ya felt their heads swell after just looking at the first page. They decided to skip to the monthly summaries, which was much easier.
It had been about half a year since the Meitehao supermarket franchise opened, similar to the renovation company. Qin Chuan and Li Ya were surprised to find that, apart from the first month of opening with a net profit of over 100,000, the monthly profits for the subsequent months had been very stable, hovering around 40,000 to 50,000 yuan. This income was quite high, even higher than the flagship store's profits. When they turned to the profit for the most recent month, they were shocked to discover that the net profit had reached 150,000 yuan. This was likely due to the special period of the New Year.
"Xiao Chuan, I never expected the supermarket to be so profitable!" Li Ya closed the ledger. "The net profit for the past six months is over 400,000! In half a year, we've earned back our initial investment!"
Qin Chuan was also surprised. He had rarely inquired about the supermarket since handing over its management to his parents. He hadn't expected it to give him such a pleasant surprise, much like the renovation company, during the New Year period.