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墨書 Inktalez
The annual meeting of Hongqing was very successful, and many people gained something after it ended.
After this annual meeting, Hongqing received a large number of orders and made a profit. Hongqing's partner, Hong Dong, withdrew his shares from the company, leaving Hongqing Group under the sole control of Qing Yuansheng, who became the largest shareholder. The Resort also did some free advertising, expanding its customer base.
Hong Xinran truly left gracefully as she said she would.
"Having supportive family like that is really enviable!" Song Pearl said sincerely.
"Actually, fame and fortune aren't that important. After working hard for a lifetime, what matters most is ensuring they can live a happy and stress-free old age. As long as the family is together and happy, that's enough. Aren't you the same?" Hong Xinran always had an open-minded and optimistic personality, unaware of what setbacks or grievances were.
"Are your parents leaving with you? The outside world isn't as good as our place; the more developed areas are often more polluted. For a peaceful retirement, Jinshan Resort is the best choice."
"Oh! You've become quite business-savvy, always talking shop!" Hong Xinran teased as she playfully tapped Song Pearl. "My dad plans to take my mom on a world tour; they have it all planned out! When they can no longer travel, they'll come to your Resort for retirement, and you better not charge them!"
"Sure," Song Pearl smiled. "I'll reserve a villa at the Resort for them and send meals with variety every day!"
"You actually smiled?" Hong Xinran was somewhat surprised to see Song Pearl laughing so freely. "I've known you for over three years and haven't seen you smile much; why are you suddenly so normal? Where did you get treated?"
She pinched Song Pearl's cheek. That face was no longer the waxy yellow it used to be but still looked thin and somewhat malnourished.
"Healed without treatment!" Song Pearl replied calmly.
"You need to learn to take care of yourself—eat well, drink well, and keep a good mood. And don't let anyone bully you!" Hong Xinran advised.
"I know," Song Pearl smiled. "Have I ever been bullied since you met me?"
"It seems like you really haven't!" Hong Xinran tilted her head in thought. "But with that submissive look of yours, it always feels like you'd get bullied! If you run into trouble in the future, just ask Qing Wenyu for help; although he's not perfect, given our friendship, he would help."
"Okay." Song Pearl remembered that she still owed Qing Wenyu a favor regarding an antique.
"Oh, by the way, did you know? Qing Wenyu and Wu Yuqian have already discussed their engagement. I always thought he was unreliable, but I didn't expect it to happen this quickly. As soon as Hongqing split from his family, he sought out someone new! Now that he has a sister-in-law, Qing Wenyu can't even be a good brother anymore!"
Although Hong Xinran never considered Qing Wenyu as a potential marriage partner, their relationship had been encouraged by outsiders for many years. When she heard about Qing Wenyu's engagement, she felt a bit lost.
It felt like something she had never liked was tossed aside, but now that someone else had taken it away, she found it hard to let go.
"It is a bit too fast," Song Pearl commented lightly. The marriage alliance between the Wu Family and the Qing Family was happening, but this time the partner wasn't Song Pearl, but rather Song Zhenbao. In reality, no matter who it was, as daughters of Wu Qiang, they only had one name: Wu Yuqian.
Hong Xinran left, and Song Pearl felt abandoned. Her mental health issues seemed to have improved; there was no one talking to her anymore. Now beside her was a demon, a green snake; the other was the Pearl Fish quietly lying in the large fish tank.
These two tangible reminders made her realize that everything from the past had indeed happened.
Since Song Zhenbao returned, she had been living at Song Shiting's house.
Although Wu Qiang had an apartment in Linshui and hired maids and servants, Song Zhenbao found it too lonely compared to the lively atmosphere at Song Shiting's home. She left two bodyguards there and only went over to stay when Wu Qiang returned.
Every day, Song Pearl would come home for dinner. She wasn't quite sure why; perhaps it was because she didn't want her concerned relatives to be taken away by Song Zhenbao.
Everyone has their thoughts; she was human too, and she had them.
"Pearl, there's a distant nephew of our village's Aunt Song San. He just graduated with a master's degree and works at a research institute in the Provincial Capital. He looks quite good—over six feet tall! You should meet him tomorrow!"
After dinner, Liu Cuiying eagerly told Song Pearl.
"What do I need to meet him for? The Provincial Capital is so far away!" Song Pearl looked at Liu Cuiying. "Are you trying to set me up again?"
"Of course it's a setup! Look at our village—who else has a daughter your age who isn't married yet? It's quite concerning..."
Liu Cuiying continued to chatter on.
"Isn't Song Ya also unmarried?" Song Pearl retorted.
"How did you learn to talk back, Girl?" Liu Cuiying said, somewhat angrily. "Song Ya is Song Ya, she's good-looking and has had so many suitors. Can you compare yourself to her?"
"Look at Treasure, she studied abroad, yet she still listens to her family and is getting engaged to Qing Yuansheng's son, right? You should be obedient too. You don’t need to go to Provincial Capital, just go visit Aunt Song San's house tomorrow and meet that young man who came to visit."
"Yeah, Pearl, why not go meet him? What if it's love at first sight?" Wu Yuqian said while cracking sunflower seeds, grinning.
"I'm not going. I have to work overtime tonight and have things to do tomorrow. I'm leaving."
Song Pearl stood up and left without looking back.
"Hey, Song Pearl!" Liu Cuiying shouted angrily as the door slammed shut. "This Girl, it's like someone owes her from a past life; she's getting more and more disobedient! Song Shiting, you don't care about her!"
Liu Cuiying's chest heaved as she yelled at Song Shiting, who was watching TV nearby.
Song Shiting turned to look at Liu Cuiying. "What? Does it matter if I care? I don't support the engagement between Qing Wenyu and Treasure. Who cares what I think? I think Pearl has her own opinions and abilities; how many of us can match up to her? Just leave it alone."
"Treasure and Treasure are not the same!" Liu Cuiying shouted loudly at Song Shiting. "Treasure is Wu Qiang's daughter; whoever she wants to marry is fine as long as Wu Qiang agrees. You don’t need to meddle in things that aren’t your business!"
Song Shiting felt his head throb from the noise. He turned off the TV and left the house with his hands behind his back.
"Aunt, please don’t be angry. Getting upset is bad for your health. How about we go dance at the square?" Wu Yuqian tried to soothe the visibly upset Liu Cuiying.
"Dance? What dance? I'm busy! Ever since you got me this job, I've been overwhelmed with work, and I still have a pile of accounts to settle. It would be better if I were collecting tickets at the Fish Pond!"
With that, Liu Cuiying stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Wu Yuqian was left feeling embarrassed. She sat on the sofa, clenching her fists. "Song Pearl, this is all your fault! You shouldn't have shown up in my house!"
"Dad, I want to take back the management rights of Jinshan Resort and be the general manager myself." Wu Yuqian dialed Wu Qiang's number.
She had this plan from the moment she arrived. She wanted to get rid of Song Pearl immediately, to keep her out of sight, because as long as Song Pearl was around, she never felt secure.
In the initial days, unexpected incidents frequently occurred at the Resort: guests suffered food poisoning, staff broke vases, animals from the Ecological Aquaculture Farm injured people...
She orchestrated these events simply to make Wu Qiang realize that Song Pearl was incompetent. She wanted Song Pearl to leave quickly, but she didn't expect those problems to be resolved so swiftly.
She incited Yuan Peng to intimidate the young couple whose child was harmed by a goose, forbidding them from causing a scene or demanding compensation, and Yuan Peng complied.
However, the outcome did not develop as she had anticipated. The couple did not demand the compensation that Song Pearl had promised; instead, they left happily.
She sent someone disguised as a reporter to gather details about the incident, hoping to seek justice for that family. To her surprise, the entire family praised the Resort's general manager.
The customer who broke the vase that she contacted was also easily dealt with by Qing Wenyu and did not pursue the matter further. This was unexpected, but Qing Wenyu's involvement only made her angrier.
Song Pearl had a cold and principled personality; she pursued a clear conscience and it was impossible to tempt her into doing something against the rules.
Wu Yuqian tried several times but could only give up.
How could Song Pearl have no selfish motives? Wu Yuqian found it hard to believe that a child raised in a poor mountain village wouldn't be swayed by a little honeyed treat.
Why could she view everything so calmly? Ultimately, it was because Song Pearl lacked insight!
In the end, Wu Yuqian concluded that since Song Pearl was not born at full term, her brain would always be somewhat underdeveloped regardless of her environment.
Perhaps this fool would never pose a threat to her in this lifetime, but she would not allow such an accident to occur.
She was someone who liked to seize what she desired; Song Pearl was not as clever as her. It seemed like she didn't care about anything, but only Wu Yuqian knew that it was because Song Pearl had yet to encounter something she truly valued.
In her previous life, she understood that as long as she was clear about her own heart and knew what she cared about, she would never let it go to someone else. Therefore, she didn't want to take that risk.
She had her two bodyguard assistants investigate everything that happened to Song Pearl after her departure. They found out that after being pulled from the pond, Song Pearl had suffered brain issues, and because the family couldn't afford treatment, Song Shiting had quietly concealed the condition.
Wu Yuqian speculated that this was the reason Song Shiting had always resented her, but at that time, they were still children, and mistakes made by children could be forgiven.
"Song Pearl's willpower is surprisingly strong; despite her brain problems, she still managed to get into university. Moreover, she found a decent job."
"In the past, she used to smile foolishly, but after returning to her hometown for work, she suddenly stopped smiling. Her facial expression has only recently returned to normal."
After the assistant reported back, he took out a copy of Song Pearl's medical records. The handwriting on the paper was clear and intact. Clearly, the hospital had preserved it well.
She should have Song Pearl go for another check-up to confirm whether her condition had improved.
This thought flashed through Wu Yuqian's mind but was immediately dismissed. Regardless of whether Song Pearl had recovered or not, it was safer to keep a distance.
She took out an envelope and placed the medical records indicating Song Pearl's brain issues inside. She sent it to Wu Qiang as proof of how dangerous it was to entrust the management of such a large resort to someone with brain problems. (To be continued...)
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