“Is it really 1.3 million?” Jiang Chengxuan shouted in disbelief. Even now, he felt like he was dreaming. To make sure, he pinched his own arm, and the pain confirmed it wasn’t a dream. They had truly earned 1.3 million yuan this time. Although the money wasn’t entirely theirs, they were guaranteed over a million in bonuses!

Aside from Jiang Chengxuan, Zhao Chen and the rest of the team were also thrilled.

“Hahaha, we don’t know the final outcome yet, but in my heart, we’ve already won. The bonus is practically waving at me!”

“That’s all you’re thinking about? I’ve already decided how I’m going to spend it. I have to buy a big gold ring for my wife!”

“Hahaha, listen to yourself. I thought you had bigger ambitions. But honestly, Brother Sun and Sister-in-law’s relationship is enviable. Last time she even came to visit him, and I couldn’t help but feel jealous.”

“Lao Zhou, what about you? If you got this bonus, what would you do?”

Lao Zhou paused for a moment, his eyes slightly red. “I’d buy my son a television. Every time I go home and see him leaning on the window trying to watch to other people’s TVs, I tell myself, ‘When I earn enough money, I must get him one.’”

The group fell silent after hearing that.

Finally, someone broke the ice by teasing, “Meng-jie, what about you? Now that we’ve earned so much, what do you plan to do?”

What could she do? She’d love to buy the entire street! But, of course, she couldn’t say that out loud. Otherwise, her authority in their eyes might take a hit.

“Obviously, I’ll reinvest in other projects and make even more money.”

Jiang Chengxuan immediately exposed her with a grin: “Didn’t you just ask the other day which cosmetics are the best and where to find the trendiest clothes?”

Everyone: “…”

Next time, could you please at least try to be convincing with your excuses?

Meng Suihuan: “…” Don’t ask. If you do, she might just want to sew Jiang Chengxuan’s mouth shut for ruining her act!

—

After the celebration, Meng Suihuan personally visited the local government office to share the good news with Lao He. Lao He was so excited he nearly burst out laughing. When he almost choked, Meng Suihuan quickly handed him a glass of water.

“Don’t get too worked up. My bonus still depends on your report.”

Lao He gave her a reassuring smile and said, “Don’t you worry. With me here, that bonus isn’t going anywhere. Even if it tries to run, I’ll bring it back for you.”

Hearing this, Meng Suihuan smiled and left the matter in Lao He’s capable hands.

The bonus would take some time to process, and with no major projects currently underway, Meng Suihuan decided to grant everyone a seven-day vacation. She planned to take this opportunity to visit Lu Family Village, as it had been over six months since she last checked on her vegetable factory.

She felt a wave of nostalgia as she thought back to when she had first arrived in this world with only a hundred yuan to her name and nothing else. In just seven months, she had established a vegetable factory and developed a commercial street for Shuangyang County.

Looking at the bustling city, Meng Suihuan felt a strong sense of belonging. This place now held her factory, her commercial street, and a group of companions who had shared every step of her journey.

—

Since she was heading to Lu Family Village, she decided to do some shopping. But because she hadn’t gone shopping in a long time, once she started, she couldn’t stop.

When Meng Changsheng came to pick her up, he was stunned. “Xiao Huan, why did you buy so much stuff?”

Meng Suihuan gave an embarrassed smile. “I got carried away.”

It was a habit from her past life—once she started buying, it quickly added up.

She picked out two sets of supplements from her haul and handed them to her uncle. “Uncle, these are gifts for you and Auntie. Thank you for all your hard work managing the transport team recently.”

Although Meng Changsheng initially declined, Meng Suihuan insisted, and he eventually accepted the gifts with a gratified smile.

“This is something I should be doing. I’ll take the gift, but it’s not thanks; it’s a gesture of respect from my niece to her elder.”

Hearing this, Meng Suihuan laughed along with him. Just like how managing Xuyu was exhausting for her, running the transport team was no easy task for her uncle.

“Uncle, how’s the transport team doing?” she asked casually.

In the past, her uncle would pat his chest and assure her, “No problem.” But this time, there was a moment of hesitation.

“Uncle, just tell me if there’s an issue. If there’s a problem, I’ll help you figure it out.”

Meng Changsheng sighed before finally opening up. “All the vehicles in our transport team were bought second-hand with our own savings. They’re fine for occasional use, but running them every day takes a toll.”

“In just the past half month, several trucks have broken down. The men are starting to get frustrated, and their families have even come to the transport team demanding answers.”

Hearing this, Meng Suihuan understood their feelings. These people joined the transport team to make money, but with the frequent breakdowns, it was hard to tell whether they were making or losing money.

What’s worse, with fewer vehicles now in operation, the workload had increased, and overtime was becoming the norm.

If this continued, their dissatisfaction would only grow, and her uncle, as the leader, would naturally bear the brunt of their frustrations.

Although Meng Suihuan had only been away for half a year, every household in the village had changed.

Especially the Lu family. Their once dilapidated, narrow, and decaying house had been completely renovated, now spacious, bright, and airy. Meng Suihuan’s room, however, was still in the same spot as before. She suppressed her excitement and opened the door. The items inside hadn’t changed, but everything had been neatly organized. The room looked spacious and bright, and the overall arrangement was so harmonious that it was pleasant to the eye.

“Mom, did you decorate this room? It looks really nice.”

“If you like it, that’s good enough.” Lu Mother grinned. “But this wasn’t me; it was Xiuhe who cleaned up for you. Ah, those blind-eyed Sun people, they treated my wonderful daughter like that… Tsk.”

Then, Lu Mother started listing all the things that had happened in the family, one by one, like spilling beans.

Lu Father almost got tricked by Lu Hongyuan, but fortunately, there were no real consequences in the end. Lu Miaomiao had graduated from middle school. The Sun family really had another woman outside and even had a child with her. Finally, Xiuhe Jie had divorced the scumbag.

“Well, although the divorce happened, Xiuhe’s been down lately, and as her mother, I’m really worried. Xiao Huan, if you have time, try to talk to her…”

Actually, Meng Suihuan had noticed this when Lu Xiuhe visited her last time. But it wasn’t something she could change. Some things had to be figured out by the person themselves.

Aside from these things, the most frequently mentioned topic by Lu Mother was the vegetable factory—personnel changes, competitors constantly trying to steal business, but failing to beat them… Meng Suihuan listened attentively.

When Lu Mother finally finished telling her side of the family’s affairs, She immediately asked Meng Suihuan, “How’s things on your side? Mom, heard from Jiejie that you’ve hired twenty or thirty people and even provide meals and housing. Are you managing okay with the finances?”

“I’ve visited you twice, but each time you were busy with a project. I did bring you some home-cooked food, though…”

Meng Suihuan calmly answered all of her mother’s questions. She didn’t directly mention the difficulties, only picking lighter, happier topics that would be pleasant to hear.

When Lu Mother heard that her daughter-in-law had created a commercial street, her face beamed with joy. “When I have time, I’ll go see this commercial street.”

“Okay.”

Just then, Meng Suihuan’s stomach rumbled loudly.

Lu Mother’s smile didn’t stop. It was as if she had gone back in time to half a year ago, when her daughter-in-law had been speaking to her while starving…

“Wait here, I’ll make you something good to eat. You’ve lost weight in just a few months. Look at how thin you are now!”

Meng Suihuan nodded. Indeed, every parent around the world seems to think their child is too thin. Even though she had lost a little weight, it was hardly noticeable. But this warmth in her heart was undeniable.

—

When the Lu family saw Meng Suihuan return, the joy was evident on everyone’s faces. Even Lu Xiuhe, who had been so down, showed a small smile. Lu Mother even made a whole table of dishes, almost all of which were Meng Suihuan’s favorites. The Lu family always had a warm atmosphere, and this meal was enjoyed in harmony.

After the meal, Meng Suihuan finally had time to thank Lu Xiuhe.

“Jiejie, I heard from Mom that you decorated my room.”

Lu Xiuhe immediately became nervous. “I just did a little bit. If you don’t like it, I can change it back to the way it was.”

“I really like it.” Meng Suihuan spoke softly. Thinking of what Lu Mother had just said, she looked at Lu Xiuhe seriously. “Jiejie, you can’t keep brooding like this. Have you thought about doing something else to distract yourself?”

Lu Xiuhe gave a self-deprecating smile. “What can I do?” She had thought about helping at the vegetable factory, but the people in the village always talked behind her back. She didn’t want to hear it, but those words were like worms that burrowed into her brain, gnawing at her nerves.

Gradually, she stopped liking to go out or interact with others, preferring to stay in her room. Only there could she breathe, and feel the beat of her own heart.

When Meng Suihuan saw her sister-in-law, she realized how gloomy she was. She recalled the plot from the book, where later, Lu Xiuhe also divorced the scumbag. One part of the story came to mind—the conversation between the heroine and the male lead.

“What can I do?”

“I’m just a burden to you… It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault…”

This was a symptom of depression.

Meng Suihuan’s breathing quickened. Perhaps her sister-in-law wasn’t just suffering from an illness but had already lost the will to live.

At first, she had thought that by persuading her to divorce, it would change the tragic ending of her sister-in-law. But now, she realized she had been too simplistic.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too late. Her sister’s symptoms had only just begun. With timely intervention, perhaps she wouldn’t go down that dark path.

Meng Suihuan softened her voice, speaking gently, “Jiejie, the room you decorated is really beautiful. You could totally make a living out of this skill.”

“Xiao Huan, you don’t have to comfort me. I know my worth. No one would want someone like me, a useless person.”

Meng Suihuan’s tone remained soft, but now there was a seriousness in her voice.

“Jiejie, I’m being serious.”

“Now, many people’s aesthetics can’t compare to yours, and even if they share your taste, they can’t decorate like you do. Look at my room, the way you’ve matched everything together, it’s so pleasing to the eye.”

Lu Xiuhe smiled. “Xiao Huan, you don’t need to cheer me up. I’m not as good as you say…”

Meng Suihuan reached out her hand toward Lu Xiuhe.

“Jiejie, now, as the boss of Xuyu company, I officially invite you—”

“To join my team.”