“So what do we do now? Are we supposed to pay again?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Me neither.”
“Same here.”
“……”
Out of the forty business partners, almost all of them expressed their unwillingness.
Wang Dachui stroked his beard and sighed after hearing this, “Alas, it seems we need to make a long-term plan.”
Prince Xian understood immediately that Wang Dachui had an idea. After he finished speaking, he curiously asked, “My King, do you have any thoughts?”
Everyone also looked at Wang Dachui, waiting for him to reveal the solution.
Wang Dachui didn’t beat around the bush and told them a single word: “Delay.”
Delay? Delay what?
“Your Majesty, you mean to drag this out? That won’t solve the issue completely; it’s only a temporary measure.” Prince Xian couldn’t comprehend his meaning.
The others felt the same way. If delaying were effective, they wouldn't have to pay rent at all and could simply freeload.
“Listen to me. We won’t attend the meeting tomorrow. When he comes to find us in person, we will all give the same answer: we will not pay rent. Then, when he intends to act, we will all agree. Let’s play a trick on him first.
However, this agreement will require him to give us more time. With this back and forth, it will be nearing the end of the year.
Then, we can use the excuse of the New Year for a second delay. When the new year arrives, we can use other matters to delay again. In short, as long as we work together, we can definitely make up for the extra year’s payment.
Also, I heard some gossip that there will be a contagious disease recently. We can take this opportunity to stock up on goods, and everyone will make money together.”
Wang Dachui’s last remark was the main point, and everyone’s attention was immediately captured by it.
“Your Majesty, is this news reliable?”
“Your Majesty, where did you hear it?”
“Is it true? If it is, I’ll have them prepare the goods tomorrow.”
“……”
Seeing that everyone’s attention had been diverted by this matter, Prince Xian, sitting at the head of the table, couldn’t help but look at Wang Dachui.
Was his suggestion to delay related to this disease?
Thinking of this, Prince Xian stared at Wang Dachui with an unreadable expression.
Wang Dachui, standing beside him, noticed Prince Xian’s unusual demeanor but said nothing. Instead, he replied with a knowing smile, “Of course, it’s true. Hurry back and prepare!”
Upon hearing this, everyone bid farewell to Wang Dachui and left, completely ignoring Prince Xian, the host.
Wang Dachui, walking last, looked at everyone as they departed. He suddenly turned to Prince Xian and said, “If you go tomorrow, you will no longer be of our nation. You need to understand this clearly.”
“I didn’t say I was going,” Prince Xian replied with a grim expression.
“Whether you want to go or not, I can see it. You’d best watch yourself!” Wang Dachui said, then turned and left.
After he left, Prince Xian returned to his room with a contemplative look, pondering whether to go or not tomorrow.
It wasn’t until Mrs. Wang called him for dinner that he came to the living room to eat.
Mrs. Wang, sitting opposite him, noticed his distressed expression. After a pause, she decided to tell her husband about her interactions with Jiang Qingqing.
“Comrade Zhang’s wife is quite easily fooled…”
“Put away your self-proclaimed cleverness. Don’t treat others as fools,” Prince Xian reprimanded with a frown. He truly felt his wife was foolish, asking her to be friendly was not for her to pretend or deceive.
If one is not sincere, others will eventually see through it.
Mrs. Wang wanted to say something, but facing her stern husband, she dared not utter another word.
Meanwhile, Zhang Liunian, who was engaged in battle, was still holding his beloved wife and putting in his efforts.
“Liunian, no, don’t… ah!” This was Jiang Qingqing’s third plea, but Zhang Liunian was like a wound-up machine; his little motor simply wouldn’t stop.
He tormented Jiang Qingqing to the point of near death, wishing she had never stirred up her husband.
If she had known his stamina would be so fierce, she would never have wanted to engage.
“Wah…” Zhang Guihua, holding her child outside the door, listened to the sounds from the room. Her old face flushed, but Shaohua was hungry and crying incessantly. He wouldn’t stop until he was fed. She had no choice but to disturb the young couple.
“Qingqing, there’s no milk. Shaohua is crying from hunger. Are you asleep yet?” Zhang Guihua’s voice came from outside the door, along with the child’s cries.
Zhang Liunian, engaged in his fourth act of physical exertion, didn't want to stop. However, Jiang Qingqing pushed against his chest with her foot. “The child is hungry, stop for a moment.”
To utter these words, Jiang Qingqing used the last of her strength.
Zhang Liunian was forced to stop. He wiped the sweat from his brow and used his large hand to gently pull on the small foot against his chest, eliciting a soft moan from Jiang Qingqing.
“You lie down, I’ll bring Shaohua in.” Zhang Liunian figured his wife might not be able to get up right now. It would be better for him to put on some clothes and go. After saying this, he pulled away, and Jiang Qingqing instinctively shrunk and rolled into the covers, too embarrassed to show herself.
When Zhang Liunian returned, carrying their son who was crying piteously, she quickly emerged from the covers and took her son to nurse.
Zhang Liunian looked at his naked wife nursing, his throat bobbed again. He climbed onto the bed, threw off his clothes, and pulled his wife into his arms.
Jiang Qingqing trembled at his actions, almost crying out loud.
“You feed him, I won’t move.”
“…” It’s best if you don’t move, otherwise, I won’t be able to feed him. Jiang Qingqing thought to herself and continued nursing.
Fortunately, Zhang Liunian kept his word and truly didn’t move. Only after their son fell asleep did he pull Jiang Qingqing to continue.
This battle continued until the early morning hours before both of them fell asleep, exhausted.
The next day, Zhang Liunian woke up feeling refreshed, but Jiang Qingqing couldn’t get out of bed. She could only glare at her husband.
“I’m leaving. Rest well,” Zhang Liunian leaned in and kissed his wife, then wiped his mouth and departed.
Jiang Qingqing clenched her small fists, her face flushed with embarrassment. She simply held her son and went back to sleep.
“Boss.” Meng Jiechu spotted Zhang Liunian appearing at the entrance of the department store and immediately stepped forward to greet him respectfully.
Zhang Liunian, along with Du Ziteng, got out of the car. He nodded slightly and headed towards the department store.
During this time, he noticed many shops in the department store were stocking up on goods, and some were even hoarding. This caught his attention.
“Manager Meng, what are they doing?” Zhang Liunian stopped and pointed at the continuously moving porters.
Meng Jiechu had also noticed this situation, but he attributed it to the approaching New Year, which would lead to booming business.
“It might be because the New Year is approaching. They usually stock up on goods around this time, but…”
“But what?” Zhang Liunian pressed when he saw him hesitate.
Meng Jiechu did not dare to conceal anything and replied immediately, “It’s just not this much.”
He had been a manager here for several years and knew how much they usually stocked. It was indeed not as much as this time.
“Not this much?” Zhang Liunian pondered the matter, trying to recall if he had forgotten anything.