Chapter 159

Yan Xishan didn't think he had misjudged the market.After all, the economic environment had been good in recent years, and the entire market was in a boom state. To put it bluntly, even a dead pig could fly if thrown into such a favorable market.

Ever since he became a professor, he had advised several companies, all of which had flourished.

Gradually, he became overconfident, believing himself to be the most brilliant expert in business management.

Recently, he had been staying in the capital for an extended period, running a small consulting firm. For the Xishan Coal Mine, he had hired a professional manager to handle its operations, so he didn't have to manage it himself.

After all, the foundation of the coal mine had been laid a decade ago, and it was unlikely to result in any fatalities. Moreover, with steady profits rolling in and no personal financial control, Yan Xishan was more than happy to let go and focus on his consulting firm and professorship.

Of course, he didn't agree with Chen Meilan's notion that a market dominated by women would change aesthetic standards.

Although he no longer frequented nightclubs or drank due to his professor status, he often had young girls infatuated with his academic aura throwing themselves at him. If it weren't for the fear of embarrassing Yuanyuan, he could have had as many women as he wanted.

He believed he understood women better than anyone else, so he chuckled and said, "Chen Meilan, can you name a woman who doesn't like a slim waist and a big behind? If given the chance to have a slim waist and a big behind, would you refuse?"

Chen Meilan retorted, "I would refuse. Yan Xishan, women are forced to rely on men and please them when they lack economic power. But when they have economic power and can be independent, no woman would choose to rely on a man."

Yan Xishan was provoked and pointed at Chen Meilan's nose, saying, "Chen Meilan, let me be blunt. Pleasing men is a woman's instinct. Your Dongpai Clothing just went public today, and it's selling well because people are curious. In a few days, it will definitely stop selling. I dare you to wait and see."

Chen Meilan extended her hand and said, "In my opinion, Dongpai's sales will only get better. Let's make a bet. If you win, I'll transfer Yuanyuan's household registration to your place. But if you lose, you'll go back and manage the Xishan Coal Mine properly instead of running this consulting firm. Deal?"

Her words left Yan Xishan stunned for a long time, thinking he had misheard.

If he won the bet, would Yuanyuan's household registration be transferred to his family?

Had he heard correctly?

You see, Yan Xishan had even gone to the United States for a sperm vitality test in hopes of having a son. The American doctor had told him that he had no viable sperm, so having a son was out of the question.

He was afraid people would curse him behind his back for being childless and feared that if he died, his sickly landlord father, who had been a heavy smoker, drinker, gambler, and womanizer, would scold him for bringing shame to the family.

After all, his father had managed to have him despite his vices, but Yan Xishan hadn't even left a bloodline. That would be a real disgrace.

If Chen Meilan agreed to let Yuanyuan return to her ancestral home, Yan Xishan would gladly call her "grandma" every day, not only for the sake of the bet but also for the honor of his family.

Thinking of this, Yan Xishan slapped Chen Meilan's hand and said, "Let's bet. For the sake of our old landlord family's honor and my late father, I'll take the bet." He added, "Whoever goes back on their word is a dog."

With that, he turned and left, afraid that Chen Meilan might change her mind.

Chen Meilan, feeling the pain from his slap, turned to see Yan Zhao glaring coldly at her. She quickly extended her hand, saying, "Third Brother, it hurts. Please rub it."

Yan Zhao, after a moment of cold scrutiny, took her hand and gently massaged it with his large, calloused hands, accustomed to holding a gun.

"Let's go home," he said.

As they rode the elevator, Yan Zhao, who was not one to shy away from asking questions, said, "You even put that copy of the Criminal Law in Little Wang's bedroom, as if you're in a hurry for the two kids to get married. If they do get married, Yuanyuan's household registration will have to be transferred out. So why did you make such a bet with Yan Xishan?"

To help Little Wang discover the secret, Chen Meilan had discreetly placed the Criminal Law book in his bedroom.

If the two children were to get married, Yuanyuan's household registration would indeed need to be transferred out, back to Yan Xishan's family.

Otherwise, with Little Wang and Yuanyuan on the same household register, they wouldn't be able to complete the marriage registration.

So why did she make a bet about the household registration with Yan Xishan?

Yan Zhao had observed that although few people entered the Dongpai Clothing store, those who did were mostly well-educated, financially stable women. In contrast, other stores had more onlookers than buyers. Although he didn't understand economics, he thought Chen Meilan was right.

Dongpai Clothing should sell well.

Therefore, Yan Xishan was bound to lose this bet.

As they walked, Chen Meilan explained, "Hukou is a minor issue, but the management of Yan Xishan's company is a major one. If Yan Xishan continues to stay in the capital and leaves the coal mine to outsiders, something will go wrong sooner or later. I have to get him back to manage the coal mine."

Yan Xishan, having enjoyed a decade of smooth sailing, had become extremely arrogant.

And even though he claimed to love Yuanyuan, his love for her was insignificant compared to his obsession with money, fame, and being in the spotlight.

Chen Meilan made the bet because, aside from this, she had no other way to force Yan Xishan to return.

Business was tough, especially the coal business. If the boss didn't go down into the mine and personally inspect it, accidents like collapses or water leaks, resulting in fatalities, were bound to happen.

Regarding the bet on Dongpai Clothing, Yan Xishan was sure to lose.

But even if he lost, with Yuanyuan's consent, Chen Meilan would still transfer the child's residence registration to his name.

It wasn't to push Little Wang and Yuanyuan together; it was for the safety of the Xishan Coal Mine and the miners.

She wanted to make sure Yan Xishan returned to the mine and took responsibility for the workers' lives.

As the couple exited the mall, Chen Meilan wanted to give the two kids more time together. Seeing a Japanese restaurant at the mall entrance, she thought, "Why not have dinner here?"

She hadn't had Japanese food in decades, not since her previous life when she had eaten with Lv Erniu.

But Yan Zhao was too busy cooling down the car, which had been baking in the sun all day, to notice Chen Meilan's intentions.

Chen Meilan didn't want to get sunburned, so she took out her phone to call Yan Zhao. Just as she was about to dial, a man in a black suit bumped into her, almost knocking her phone out of her hand.

"Excuse me, please move aside," the black-suited man said, gently pushing Chen Meilan aside and spreading his arms to shield a girl who had just gotten out of a car and was heading into the Japanese restaurant.

The girl wore leather shorts, high boots, a revealing halter top, and a leather vest. Her hair was dyed pink, and she had a belly button ring. Chen Meilan recognized her face—it was Lu Fei, the idol that young people adored these days.

Chen Meilan had raised her in her previous life as her stepdaughter, Lv Erniu.

She must have come to eat Japanese food, as she was heading into the restaurant after getting out of the car.

In the capital, there were plenty of paparazzi and entertainment reporters.

Several were following Lu Fei, snapping photos and asking questions. One reporter even asked, "Miss Lu Fei, you've been coming to eat Japanese food for three days in a row. Do you really love Japanese food?"

Lu Fei, wearing large sunglasses, walked with an air of aloofness, ignoring most questions. But when she heard this one, she stopped and replied, "Yes, Mr. Reporter, I not only love Japanese food but also have a deep affection for Japanese culture."

"Can you tell us which aspects of Japanese culture you particularly like?" the reporter continued.

As she walked, Lu Fei answered, "There are so many. Which newspaper are you from? We can arrange a special interview another day."

Hearing about the potential for a special interview, the reporter eagerly nodded, "Yes, yes, yes. Here's my business card. Let's schedule it!"

Chen Meilan only caught that last part before being pushed down the steps by Lu Fei's security.

Lu Fei, in this life, had no connection to Chen Meilan and would never meet her. But having raised her in her previous life, Chen Meilan couldn't help but recall an incident from back then.

In her previous life, Erniu had done something incredibly foolish at the height of her fame.

She had taken a series of provocative photos wearing the military uniform of the Japanese invaders during World War II, draped in the Japanese flag, and holding a bayonet said to have belonged to Tojo Hideki.

Erniu had studied in Japan since she was a child and had a deep affection for Japanese culture.

When the photoshoot was done, she really liked the results herself and even happily brought them to Lu Jingyu to show him.

Fortunately, Lu Jingyu's brain was still functioning, and upon seeing the photos, he immediately realized the girl had gotten herself into big trouble. He spent a hefty sum to buy back the entire set of photos, or else Lv Erniu would have been in serious trouble that time.

Now that Lu Jingyu is in prison, it's unclear whether Lv Erniu will still take such photos.

However, this matter has little to do with Chen Meilan. Moreover, since Lv Erniu is eating Japanese cuisine, Chen Meilan suddenly lost her appetite for it. By the time she got into the car, Yan Zhao had already opened the windows to ventilate and turned on the air conditioning, making the car cool and comfortable.

The couple went home and, as usual, had to stop by the market to buy vegetables.

To give the two kids more time to spend together, Chen Meilan took her time shopping, spending a full two hours at the market.

Yan Zhao coldly watched his wife, occasionally glancing at his watch, with an expression that seemed to say, "I'll see how long you can drag this out."

In Chen Meilan's mind, with Little Wolf not around, it should just be Yuanyuan and Little Wang at home, and the two kids should be having a great time.

Upon entering the house, it was eerily quiet. Yan Zhao's breathing quickened, and he immediately rushed upstairs.

Chen Meilan was also worried. She always thought Little Wang was a good kid and wouldn't do anything bad. Could the two kids really have done something wrong?

But when they got upstairs, all three bedroom doors were open. Yuanyuan was doing her homework in her room, Little Wang's room was empty, and the bathroom door was also open, with no one inside.

And Little Wang was nowhere to be found.

"Where's your brother?" Yan Zhao asked his daughter.

Yuanyuan replied, "He left early this morning. He said Wuhan was in a hurry, so he went to deliver goods."

So Yan Zhao had been worried all day, but Little Wang had left early in the morning?

Chen Meilan punched Yan Zhao on the back and pulled him down from the stairs.

He was purely overreacting and worrying for no reason.

But as soon as they got downstairs, Chen Meilan suddenly exclaimed, "Little Wang went to Wuhan!"

Yan Zhao was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong with Wuhan?"

Chen Meilan turned on the TV, and on the news, the broadcast was about the new round of rainfall causing severe flooding in the Songhua River, the Yangtze River, and the Jialing River.

With July 1st approaching, the capital had been sunny for the past few days.

As for the major floods along the Songhua River and the Yangtze River, although Chen Meilan had mentioned them, she herself had only seen the news. Yan Zhao, although aware, had not fully grasped the ferocity and severity of the situation.

The entire country was facing a major flood disaster, and the military had first dispatched soldiers from the Central Theater Command to assist with flood relief.

After a few days, the military realized that the dispatched troops were far from enough, so the higher-ups ordered the military to cancel all exercises, and all soldiers from the Eastern Theater Command were urgently sent to the Yangtze River basin to aid in flood relief.

But this was still not enough. Eventually, the entire military was mobilized, with over a million soldiers deployed to fight the floods.

Yan Zhao, too, had left shortly after Little Wang's departure.

But he wasn't going to the disaster area. Instead, he was part of an inspection team, traveling across the country.

There was something particularly strange about China: on a large scale, in terms of flood relief, everyone could unite as one, but in some small places, or at the local government level, or among a small group of people, there were always those who set up roadblocks, obstructed traffic, and collected tolls. Searᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

This was mostly due to collusion with some local officials, which was often referred to as "it's easy to deal with the king, but the underlings are difficult to handle."

If it weren't for someone like Yan Zhao, who had a fierce face and a menacing aura, and who was naturally skilled at dealing with local bullies, no one would be able to handle them.

Chen Meilan, in her previous life, had lived in Shaanxi Province and focused on business, so she hadn't paid much attention to this flood. Now, she was concerned because Little Wang had rushed to Wuhan, and she was afraid the child might get stuck there.

Every evening after work, she and Yuanyuan would turn on the TV and watch the news about the floods.

Of course, local channels were still filled with songs and dances of prosperity, and Lu Fei had taken on a few more endorsements. There was also new entertainment news that she would be starring in the second installment of "Princess Pearl" in a role.

Such entertainment news was everywhere, and morning and evening papers often reported extensively on entertainment figures.

Worried about Little Wang's situation, Chen Meilan preferred to watch news about flood relief along the Yangtze River. She even canceled her subscriptions to the morning and evening papers and switched to "People's Daily" and "Reference News."

Fortunately, Little Wang would occasionally call.

At first, he was in Wuhan, then he said he was in Jiangsu, around Nantong. In short, he was like a mouse, scurrying around everywhere.

At first, when Little Wang called, he would say, "Mom, the flood here is really bad, and our water pumps and generators are selling like hotcakes. I'm going to make a big commission this time, I'm going to make a lot of money!"

But later, Little Wang gradually stopped talking about commissions and would just report that he was safe.

Then, a few days later, when Little Wang called again, he asked Chen Meilan if she knew anyone in Jiangsu, as he urgently needed 50,000 yuan and wanted her to help him find someone to borrow the money from.

Chen Meilan had an old client named Shen Changqi, nicknamed "Always Angry," who had recently mentioned that he was expanding his market in Jiangsu. He was a tycoon, extremely wealthy. Chen Meilan immediately gave Little Wang his phone number.

When a child is out there, no matter why they need to borrow money, if they ask, Chen Meilan must help.

Little Wang then added, "Mom, the infrastructure here is really poor. There are so many small hydropower stations, all made with substandard cement, and they collapse as soon as the flood hits. Many places have formed barrier lakes, and the water pumps and generators I brought are extremely useful, but we're still in urgent need of some equipment for cutting and clearing blockages. Can you call Boss Gao and ask him to send 500 more machines from Fujian to Jiangsu? He can drive them over himself, and they need to leave tonight, okay?"

"But what about the money?" Chen Meilan asked.

Little Wang said, "You can cover it for now, and I'll sell my stocks to pay you back once this is over."

Five hundred various mechanical devices, with each costing at least a thousand yuan at the factory price, amounted to fifty thousand yuan.

The owner of the generator factory was Gao Xiaomei's brother, so the money could be owed for now, but it would have to be repaid eventually.

When Chen Meilan hung up the phone, her heart was pounding.

Yuanyuan, who was listening nearby, had the same doubts as Chen Meilan. After Chen Meilan hung up, she asked, "Mom, why is my brother buying generators with his own money? Is he planning to hike the prices and make a fortune off the disaster area?"

It wasn't unreasonable for Yuanyuan to be suspicious.

Little Wang was naturally like this. When he was in school, every time there was a sports day or a cultural festival, he would secretly bring a box of ice cream to sell, acting as a profiteer. Since it was a monopoly, he would inevitably raise the prices and make a big profit.

Now, trapped in a flood-stricken area with widespread power outages and numerous barrier lakes, the government was most in need of the equipment from Little Wang's factory.

Given Little Wang's nature, encountering such a big business opportunity in the disaster zone, was he planning to raise prices and profit from the national crisis?

Chen Meilan hesitated for a while, then handed the phone to Yuanyuan and said, "Call your brother and tell him that if he wants to make money, Mom will give him the money, but he can't raise prices and profit from the disaster area."

Little Wang loved money too much, and Chen Meilan was afraid she wouldn't be able to convince him. Maybe Yuanyuan could persuade him.

However, since it was a public phone, Little Wang had probably already left, and when Yuanyuan called back, there was no answer.

Although Chen Meilan was worried that Little Wang might raise prices, the disaster area was in desperate need of generators, water pumps, and various flood-relief equipment. The goods still had to be delivered.

Chen Meilan immediately went to find Gao Xiaomei and asked her to call her brother personally to hurry up and load the trucks, sending the mechanical equipment over.

Of course, she also took on all the payment for the goods, withdrawing the money from the bank the next day and handing it over to Gao Xiaomei.

It was only then that Chen Meilan hadn't fully realized the extent of the country's suffering during this natural disaster, or the number of young soldiers and officers who had sacrificed their lives.

That day, when they went to the higher-ups for dinner.

As soon as Chen Meilan entered the room, she saw Yan Peiheng with red eyes, hunched over, clutching his chest and sitting on the sofa.

This old man had been in good spirits in recent years, and his hair hadn't turned white much, but today, it was clear that his hair had almost completely turned white.

Yuanyuan noticed that her grandfather, Yan Peiheng, was still holding the phone, looking as if he had suffered a heart attack. She quickly took out a nitroglycerin tablet from the drawer and told him to place it under his tongue.

Chen Meilan, on the other hand, was busy dialing 120.

After a long while, Yan Peiheng recovered, took a deep breath, and said, "Commander Zhang's grandson, Zhang Jun, from the Eastern Theater Command, the one who visited our house during the New Year, died while moving sandbags on the dike!"

Chen Meilan had met Commander Zhang from the Eastern Theater Command when he came to pay a New Year's visit last year. At that time, Commander Zhang had told Yan Peiheng that his eldest grandson would join the army this year, serving in the Army, and that he would be sent to the most arduous places to train.

Only 20 years old, just two years older than Little Wang, and he died from exhaustion while moving sandbags?

But such tragic incidents were not isolated.

It was said that an entire company, over forty men, had been submerged in water for four days and four nights without sleep, without coming out, managing to block a dike that was about to burst.

In another village, a soldier died while clearing a landslide-blocked lake, crushed by a collapsing embankment. It wasn't until his father came to collect his body that everyone learned the soldier's father was a wealthy businessman running a large factory, with assets worth hundreds of thousands.

The young man, it was said, had refused to eat for several days at home before joining the army because his father didn't want him to enlist.

Such stories were common on the front lines of the flood relief efforts.

Yan Peiheng had to leave on an urgent business trip.

Yan Zhao had no news either and had been away on business.

Whenever Chen Meilan and Yuanyuan returned home, they would turn on the TV to watch news about the flood relief efforts.

Gradually, the neighborhood stopped paying attention to entertainment news, and no one on the streets sang "Dynamic Spice Girls" anymore. As autumn approached, the entire nation was focused on the news of the disaster along the Yangtze River.

When Chen Meilan turned on the TV, even though other channels had more entertaining dramas and shows, the entire country was most concerned with news about the flood relief efforts.

For Chen Meilan, even though it was heartbreaking, she preferred to watch the news footage of the flood relief soldiers linking arms to resist the flood, carrying sandbags, while the villagers on both sides of the river cried, begging the soldiers not to jump into the water, yet the soldiers bravely and resolutely fought against the flood.

Whenever such scenes appeared, she would wipe away her tears and watch intently.

Day after day, for the soldiers, this was a new test since the Self-Defense Counterattack War.

For the children, it was a long and rainy, not very pleasant summer.

For Chen Meilan, it was the longest period of her life.

Before she knew it, September had arrived, and there was still no word from Little Wang.

Chen Meilan repeatedly urged Yan Zhao to ask his comrades and inquire about Little Wang's whereabouts.

Yan Zhao kept saying that Little Wang was fine and that Chen Meilan didn't need to worry.

But Chen Meilan felt something was off. If Little Wang was fine, why hadn't he called?

So, she turned to ask people from the military who had just returned from the front lines about Little Wang's whereabouts.

One day, she finally got news from a division-level leader who had just returned from the front lines. The division commander said he had seen Little Wang.

Chen Meilan and Yuanyuan immediately went to the division commander's house.

"I saw Yan Wangqi at the Dongting Lake section. His reputation is quite loud," the division commander said with a smile.

Chen Meilan and Yuanyuan exchanged glances, both guessing that Little Wang must have gained notoriety for profiteering during the national crisis.

But then the division commander added, "At the Dongting Lake section, he provided us with over two hundred generators, water pumps, and various flood control and silt removal equipment. The young man is incredibly capable and has exceptional coordination skills. If you ask someone else for something, it might take three to five days to arrive, but if you ask him, he can get it for you in no time."

"He didn't charge money?" Chen Meilan was stunned.

Little Wang had brought a large number of generators and water pumps to the flood site, and as a little money-grubber, he hadn't hiked up the prices to make a huge profit. Instead, he had given the supplies away for free to the soldiers.

This sounded completely unlike something Little Wang would do.

"All the things he brought were donated by manufacturers to our soldiers," the division commander also seemed puzzled.

After exchanging another glance with Yuanyuan, Chen Meilan finally believed that Little Wang had donated supplies to the military to help with flood relief. Although her son loved money, he was, after all, a member of the Yan family, with integrity, and hadn't profiteered during the national crisis.

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"Then where is my son Yan Wangqi now?" Chen Meilan asked again.

The division commander shook his head, "I saw him over a month ago. After that, he went to Nanjing, the area with the worst flooding, and I haven't seen him since."

So, there was still no news about Little Wang for over a month.

Where exactly was he now? Had he been injured, gone hungry, or was he still safe?

The number of casualties due to the flood continued to rise, with over three thousand people already reported. Chen Meilan didn't want to think about it, but she was terrified that the list of casualties might suddenly include Yan Wangqi's name.

The mother and daughter returned home. Chen Meilan was cooking in the kitchen when she suddenly heard faint sounds of recitation from upstairs. She quietly went upstairs and saw Yuanyuan holding Little Wang's high school notes, silently memorizing them. Not wanting to disturb her daughter's studies, she tiptoed back downstairs.

Yuanyuan, after reciting for a while, took a deep breath, then recited some more, took another deep breath, and after struggling for a while, couldn't hold back her tears.

When Little Wang left, he had pointed at her and said, "I'm going to the flood relief front lines. If it's not too serious, I'll be back in a few days to help you review. But if I don't come back, Yan Shengnan, show the backbone of our Yan family's daughter and memorize these notes. Then, you'll have a chance at Tsinghua University."

When he left, Little Wang probably didn't expect his words to come true.

But now, whether Little Wang returned or not, Yuanyuan was determined to memorize all these notes!