met free Chapter 1314 Investing in Human Relationships
Chapter 1314 Investing in Human Relationships
Chapter 1314 Investing in Human Relationships
The winter of 1982 was exceptionally cold. A biting north wind howled through the Shanbei Brigade of Jinling County, swirling up the withered leaves on the ground.
But the Song family had an exceptionally lively New Year. Bright red lanterns hung under the eaves, new paper-cut window decorations were pasted on the windows, and even the old locust tree in the yard had its branches carefully pruned by Song's father, making it look particularly vibrant.
"Old Song, what happy event has happened to you this year? You're all smiles."
Aunt Wang from next door passed by carrying a vegetable basket and saw Song's father humming a little tune while sweeping snow in the yard. She couldn't help but tease him.
Mr. Song put down the broom, rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, but couldn't hide his smile: "It's nothing, it's just that the children are all back, I'm happy!"
Aunt Wang scoffed, "Come on, I've never seen you this happy in previous years. Is there some progress on Pingping's marriage?"
Mr. Song chuckled, neither admitting nor denying, but anyone could see the undisguised joy on his face.
Indeed, with their daughter's marriage prospects looking promising and the prospective groom being someone they admired, Mr. Song was overjoyed. He, who rarely smiled, had been beaming at everyone he met these past few days, prompting the neighbors to gossip behind his back, saying that the Song family must have struck it rich this year.
Song Yunping came out of the house, carrying a bag of freshly steamed rice cakes. Seeing her father chatting with someone again, she scolded him playfully, "Dad, you're being lazy again! You've only swept half the snow and you're not going to sweep it anymore?"
Mr. Song quickly picked up a broom: "Sweep, I'll sweep right now!"
Looking at Song Yunping's slender figure, Aunt Wang clicked her tongue in amazement: "Pingping is getting more and more beautiful. I wonder whose son is so lucky."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunping paused, her ears turning slightly red.
Since confirming her relationship with Qin Hao, Song Yunping has become less shy. Before New Year's Eve, she even went to Qin Hao's house to clean it, making the old house, which had been uninhabited for many years, spotless.
On New Year's Eve, before dawn, Qin Hao was awakened by a deafening sound of firecrackers. He groggily opened his eyes; it was still pitch black outside the window, but the continuous sound of firecrackers had already resounded throughout the entire village.
"What time is it?" Qin Hao rubbed his temples and sighed helplessly. He knew the firecrackers wouldn't stop, so he got up and dressed.
Pushing open the window, a rush of cold air hit him, but the scene before him made Qin Hao pause slightly. Life in Xiao Lei's family had indeed improved; red lanterns hung in front of every household, children in new clothes chased and played in the snow, and adults were busy putting up Spring Festival couplets and setting off firecrackers—a scene of great joy and celebration.
Especially at the team headquarters, a large group of people had gathered early in the morning, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere. Qin Hao listened for a while and realized that today was the day the team was distributing bonuses.
"Dongbao is here!" someone shouted, and the crowd immediately erupted in excitement.
Lei Dongbao, wearing a brand-new military green cotton-padded jacket, strode over with his head held high. People of all ages immediately surrounded him, offering cigarettes and flattering him, treating him like a triumphant hero.
"Dongbao, how much money will our team get this year?" an old man asked, rubbing his hands together.
Lei Dongbao waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, Uncle Li, it'll be more than last year! Once our cattle are ready for market, we'll make even more next year!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd cheered once again.
Just as Lei Dongbao was feeling smug, the old Party Secretary poked his head out from the team headquarters: "Dongbao, come in for a moment."
Lei Dongbao pushed his way through the crowd into the team headquarters. The old Party Secretary closed the door and said in a low voice, "Dongbao, do you think we should go see County Chief Xu? If we don't get his help, our Xiaolei family won't be able to get the loan to buy the calves."
Lei Dongbao slapped his forehead: "Oh dear, I'd completely forgotten about that!"
The Lei family's cattle farm raised a thousand calves at once, at an average price of three hundred yuan per calf, totaling three hundred thousand yuan. Even if the Lei family sold all their assets, it wouldn't be enough. Back then, Lei Dongbao was so worried about raising money to buy the calves that he lost a lot of hair and couldn't sleep for nights on end.
Later, Song Yunhui reminded him that he could apply for a loan. However, Lei Dongbao visited all the banks in Jinling County but still couldn't get a loan. As soon as the bank staff heard that it was a team-run enterprise, they shook their heads without even looking at the documents.
Left with no other option, Lei Dongbao went to see County Chief Xu. Upon hearing this, County Chief Xu immediately instructed him to take the cannery's contract to the rural cooperative, which finally secured the 300,000 yuan loan.
"Uncle, you're the best!" Lei Dongbao gave the old Party Secretary a thumbs up. "Regardless of whether County Chief Xu accepts the gift or not, I have to report to him about the situation at our Xiaolei Family Cattle Farm. If there are any good support policies in the future, County Chief Xu will definitely think of our Xiaolei Family Farm first."
The old Party Secretary exhaled a puff of his pipe, chuckling and scolding, "Stop flattering me, you'd better get going."
Lei Dongbao chuckled, carrying the gifts he had prepared beforehand—two old hens, a basket of eggs, and several pounds of smoked meat—and was about to leave when he saw Qin Hao coming out of the house. He immediately chased after him.
"Haozi, Happy New Year!" Lei Dongbao shouted at the top of his lungs.
One doesn't hit a smiling face, so Qin Hao smiled back at Lei Dongbao: "Happy New Year! Going to visit relatives?"
Lei Dongbao waved the gift in his hand: "Yes, I'm planning to go to the county to visit County Chief Xu. If it weren't for him, our Lei family's cattle farm wouldn't have been built so smoothly."
He paused, then added, "Of course, I also have to thank you. If it weren't for you, the cannery wouldn't have signed a contract with our Xiao Lei family in advance."
Qin Hao waved his hands repeatedly: "I dare not take credit for this. In foreign countries, it's very common for factories to sign pre-purchase contracts directly with farmers. Factories can have a stable supply of goods while also ensuring the quality of agricultural products; farmers don't have to worry about not being able to sell their produce after a bumper harvest, or about low grain prices hurting farmers."
Just as the two were talking, Lei Shigen suddenly came running up from the village entrance, panting, grabbed Lei Dongbao, and whispered, "People from the county are here!"
Lei Dongbao lifted the gifts in his hand: "Is it County Chief Xu? That saves me the trouble of making a trip."
Lei Shigen looked flustered: "It's not County Chief Xu, it's the inspectors! They say someone accused our Lei family of reselling scarce national supplies, and they want to take Uncle in for questioning!"
Lei Dongbao's face stiffened: "What kind of nationally scarce supplies are you reselling? How come I don't know anything about it? Besides, if anyone's going to be arrested, it should be me, why are you arresting your uncle?"
Lei Shigen glanced at Qin Hao, then pulled Lei Dongbao aside, lowering his voice even further: "Have you forgotten about the cement and steel bars at the precast concrete plant? These are scarce national resources, and you're selling them for much more than the market price. Our Xiaolei family's nominal Party Secretary is still Uncle, and you're only the deputy. They're definitely going to question the top leader!"
Lei Dongbao became even more anxious upon hearing this: "I paid a high price to get those cement and steel bars through legitimate channels. I can't possibly sell them at a loss, can I?"
Lei Shigen said with a bitter face, "Dongbao, don't you understand? It's obvious someone is trying to mess with our Lei family!"
Qin Hao, too lazy to get involved, was about to leave when Lei Dongbao grabbed him: "Haozi, can I borrow your car? I need to hurry to the county to find County Chief Xu; only he can help our Xiaolei family with this!"
Seeing Lei Dongbao's eyes redden with anxiety, Qin Hao sighed helplessly, "I must have owed you something in my past life."
He glanced at his watch: "I'll go to the Song family's house first and let them know. You wait for me in the car."
Upon arriving at the Song family's house, Qin Hao briefly explained the situation: "If I'm not back by the time, you can eat first; don't wait for me."
Song Yunping chased after him from the kitchen, holding a cloth bag in her hand: "Here, these are meat buns my mom just made. Eat them if you get hungry on the way."
Qin Hao took the steamed bun, but didn't let go of Song Yunping's hand, taking the opportunity to squeeze her soft palm: "I'm so happy to have married you."
Song Yunping blushed crimson with embarrassment and quickly pulled her hand away, saying, "Stop fooling around, someone's watching!"
Qin Hao glanced around nonchalantly: "What's there to be afraid of? They'll be mine sooner or later anyway."
Song Yunping stamped her foot: "Go early and come back early, I'll be waiting for you."
When Qin Hao returned to the car, Lei Dongbao was still staring longingly at Song Yunping's departing figure. Qin Hao gave him a light tap, annoyed, "I don't think you're in a huge rush. How about we go after the New Year?"
Lei Dongbao said with a forced smile, "It's urgent, it has to be urgent! We can't let Uncle spend the New Year in the police station, can we?"
After the two got into the car, Qin Hao sped off. Lei Dongbao's stomach rumbled from the aroma of the meat buns, and he couldn't resist reaching for one, but Qin Hao slapped his hand away: "These weren't for you."
Lei Dongbao winced in pain: "You've got some strength, kid! It's just a steamed bun, I'll pay you back double when we get back!"
Qin Hao scoffed, "I wouldn't even care about ten times the price. If you dare steal a bite, I'll kick you off the car right now."
Lei Dongbao dared not reach out again, and could only stare longingly at the fragrant meat buns, swallowing his saliva.
They arrived at the county government in silence, only to be told that County Chief Xu was on holiday.
They rushed to County Magistrate Xu's dormitory, but when they knocked on the door, they found a beautiful young woman with an elegant demeanor inside.
Lei Dongbao stood frozen in place, unsure where to look. Just as he was lost in thought, County Magistrate Xu began the introduction: "This is my wife."
After County Magistrate Xu finished introducing Qin Hao, Mrs. Xu's eyes lit up: "You must be General Manager Lei of Haoran International? I've heard so much about you, I didn't expect you to be so young, you're truly accomplished at such a young age."
County Head Xu added, "My wife works at the Ministry of Light Industry and has a lot of business dealings with Haoran International."
Qin Hao suddenly realized why the other party was so enthusiastic.
Seeing the three chatting so enthusiastically, Lei Dongbao felt a little awkward, so he placed the gifts he was carrying on the coffee table: "County Chief Xu, these are just a small token of our appreciation from all the villagers of Xiaolei Village. They're just some local specialties, nothing much, please don't mind."
County Chief Xu glanced at the items; they were some smoked meat, eggs, and the like. Since they didn't violate any rules, he let his wife accept them. However, he still gave her a red envelope as a return gift.
After a struggle, Lei Dongbao had no choice but to accept the red envelope.
"Your Xiaolei family has done a great job these past two years, and you've done a fantastic job as the leader. But don't be complacent; keep up the good work next year."
Lei Dongbao finally found an opportunity: "County Chief Xu, to be honest, I do want to continue leading the villagers to achieve a better life, but the key is that someone is preventing me!"
County Chief Xu remained calm: "Oh? Tell me, who's stopping you from achieving a better life?"
Lei Dongbao immediately explained the situation. County Chief Xu's face darkened: "Wait a minute, let me make a call and ask."
While County Chief Xu went to his room to make a phone call, Mrs. Xu started chatting with Qin Hao again. Lei Dongbao, listening to them discuss projects worth tens of millions of US dollars, instantly had his little flame of pride extinguished.
He secretly vowed that one day he would develop Xiaolei Village into a multinational corporation like Haoran International.
A few minutes later, County Chief Xu came out of the room, his face somewhat gloomy: "Dongbao, don't be too emotional. The organization has received a report, and they will definitely investigate. The innocent will be proven innocent, and the guilty will be proven guilty. You have to trust the organization."
Lei Dongbao tried asking, "But it's the Spring Festival now, and they want to take the old Party Secretary away. Since it's just an investigation, can't we let the old Party Secretary finish celebrating the New Year first?"
County Magistrate Xu nodded: "Yes, you're right. There's no rush."
After finishing the phone call, County Chief Xu said to Lei Dongbao, "Don't worry, I've already given the instructions. We can discuss the investigation after the New Year."
Lei Dongbao thanked him profusely, but County Chief Xu simply waved his hand: "No need for formalities. However, I have something to say upfront: if your Lei family's cattle farm doesn't run properly, and the cannery fails to meet its export earnings targets, I'll hold you responsible!"
Lei Dongbao quickly patted his chest and assured everyone, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Taking advantage of the conversation about the cannery, County Head Xu quickly pressed on, saying to Qin Hao, "President Lei, besides canned beef, what else does our county have that can be exported to earn foreign exchange? To be honest, I used up half a year's worth of the county's foreign exchange quota to bring in this imported canning production line."
Qin Hao joked, "County Chief Xu, you're really getting greedy. Even a $10 million export quota from this cannery isn't enough to satisfy your appetite?"
County Magistrate Xu and his wife exchanged a smile: "Don't even mention ten million US dollars, I wouldn't be satisfied with a hundred million US dollars. The more the merrier!"
Qin Hao knew that County Chief Xu's ambitions were definitely not just about being a county chief; he needed more achievements. For Qin Hao, having such a powerful figure lend a hand when he was still in his infancy, doing him a favor, was a worthwhile investment.
After a moment of contemplation, Qin Hao said seriously, "County Chief Xu, given the situation in our county, heavy industry is definitely out of the question. To increase output and boost the economy, the best approach is to develop both light industry and animal husbandry."
Then, Qin Hao briefly explained Haoran International's strategy for building an industrial chain. County Magistrate Xu and his wife were full of praise, while Lei Dongbao, who had been silent, also showed a thoughtful expression.
Don't let his rough appearance fool you; he's actually as meticulous as Zhang Fei when it comes to embroidery. Although he didn't understand much of what Qin Hao was saying, he understood one thing: to improve competitiveness, it's best to handle both upstream and downstream industries yourself.