1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Chapter 168 Why don't you introduce Li Wan to me?

In April in Beijing, sunlight filters through the branches of an old locust tree, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick pavement.

The days in the training program for young entrepreneurs were both regular and fulfilling.

Every morning, Dong Jianguo is awakened by the chirping of sparrows in the old locust tree in the yard.

After a quick wash, he and his roommate went to the hotel's conference room to attend the morning class.

The course content is diverse.

From macroeconomic policies to modern corporate management, from marketing strategies to financial and tax knowledge.

For a self-taught entrepreneur like Dong Jianguo, who built his business on his own merits through keen insight and unconventional methods, this knowledge undoubtedly opened a door to a new world.

He listened very attentively, and his notebook was filled with key points.

His "sales" business was in full swing during breaks between classes.

"Hey bro, try this! It's a specialty of our Hecheng, sweet and spicy, a real appetizer!"

Dong Jianguo would always enthusiastically stuff packets of "Hezhiwei" spicy strips and pickled chicken feet into the hands of the students around him.

At first, people only tried it out of politeness, but the unique sweet and spicy flavor instantly won over the taste buds from all over the world.

"Hey, Jianguo, this thing of yours is really something!"

"Yeah, this tastes even better than the snacks back home. When will it be available? I need to buy some for my son to try."

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This is exactly the effect Dong Jianguo wanted.

"It's been listed for a long time, and we have distributors in the three northeastern provinces!"

"How about it? If you're interested, you can come find me—I have some connections at the railway bureau, and if we use rail transport, I can lower the transportation costs a bit—"

Seeing his sincerity, many people in the training class were tempted.

Heroes from all over the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, but those gathered here are undoubtedly the best of the best.

They were quick-witted and eager to try it out. In no time, Dong Jianguo seized a huge business opportunity from this training course.

With his excellent product quality and his persuasive speaking skills, he successfully secured more than ten agency deals.

Except for Guangdong, where people don't really like spicy food, the coastal areas and populous provinces are basically all included.

In the afternoon, it is usually free time or group discussion time.

After the training session ended at 4 p.m., Dong Jianguo was even busier than during the class.

He needed to remotely control the affairs of the Hecheng factory through the old telephone in the guesthouse.

Although the Harbin police have closed in, Zhang Wei and his gang have been imprisoned.

But after a period of turmoil, the factory was in dire need of rebuilding.

He needed to appease the workers, reorganize the supply chain, and discuss expanding production with Tian Lina, Zhong Zhengtao, and Zhao Hongmei.

The time of day when Dong Jianguo's heart softens the most is in the evening.

As night falls, he dials that familiar number.

On the other end of the phone, Xiuyun chattered on about the trivial matters at home, while two-month-old Xiaojuzi either cried or slept, occasionally managing a few soft "uh-huhs" through the receiver, which was enough to melt Dong Jianguo's heart after a busy day.

At these moments, Dong Jianguo's fatigue from the day would vanish, leaving only tenderness in his heart.

Days passed by, and before we knew it, the first weekend arrived.

On Saturday morning, Dong Jianguo originally planned to go to Zhongguancun.

See if you can find some cheap computer equipment.

The next thirty years will be the great era of the Internet.

Although I work in the food industry, if I can catch the fast train of internet development, it will definitely be beneficial in every way.

Early in the morning, the front desk of the guesthouse called to say that a lady surnamed Li was looking for him.

Dong Jianguo's heart skipped a beat. He knew without a doubt that it was Li Wan.

He wanted to find an excuse to leave, saying he was busy with important matters and didn't have time to spend with her, but when he dawdled down from the second floor, he was stunned by the scene before him.

Not only Li Wan, but also her roommate Chen Zhiyong and several classmates from the next dormitory were waiting in the lobby.

"Jianguo, you've finally succeeded!"

Chen Zhiyong put his arm around Dong Jianguo's shoulder and pulled him aside mysteriously. "Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but Li Wan came all the way from the Industry and Commerce Bureau's training course to see you. It wasn't easy for her! And look at you, putting on airs!"

"That's right, Jianguo, that girl has been waiting for ages, you can't let her down." His roommate chimed in.

"What do you know? I—"

"Stop with the 'you' and 'me' talk," Chen Zhiyong interrupted him, pushing his back without further ado. "We've already talked to Li Wan; we're having a group activity today—going to the Beijing Zoo! If you don't go, you're disrespecting all of us!"

After saying that, he lowered his voice and whispered to Dong Jianguo, "Brother, if you dare to mess up, I'll throw away your whole bag of spicy strips when we get back!"

Chen Zhiyong is a native of Shenzhen, and in 95, his work in the south was limited to a few provinces near Guangdong.

This was the first time he had ever seen a Northeastern beauty of Li Wan's caliber.

Tall figure, fair skin, oval face, and almond-shaped eyes.

Paired with a light yellow dress—it looks amazing no matter how you look at it!

Furthermore, this girl's Mandarin is very standard, just like a TV presenter.

An opportunity to stroll in the park with her is one that should not be missed.

The others chimed in, "That's right! If you dare not go, I don't want your spicy snacks anymore! Give me my money back!"

"Jianguo, the teachers in the training course all said that participating in more group activities is beneficial for cultivating a spirit of unity and friendship. Methods cannot be separated from practice, so you can't avoid it!"

A group of young people in their twenties and thirties, all shrewd and intelligent, even made their threats witty and humorous.

This made Li Wan, who came to see Dong Jianguo wearing a newly bought dress, unable to suppress a smile.

Her smile made the men shout even louder.

"Okay, okay, I'll go, oh dear, I'll go, alright?!"

"But we can't just send a bunch of guys. There are a few female classmates in our study group, right? Let's invite them along so they can keep Li Wan company!"

"Okay, Lao Zhang, go and call for help."

Watching Lao Zhang rush away, Dong Jianguo could only smile wryly and shrug at Li Wan, indicating that the individual must submit to the collective.

Thus, Dong Jianguo's personal will was completely stripped away, and he was forced to join this massive "zoo sightseeing tour."

The group chatted and laughed as they took a bus to the Beijing Zoo.

In April, the Beijing Zoo is lush with greenery and full of life.

The group headed straight for the monkey mountain. Li Wan and several other female trainees screamed with excitement as they watched the monkeys leaping and playing around.

Chen Zhiyong, with a swivel cannon EOS-1N hanging around his neck, was busy taking photos of several girls.

Dong Jianguo seemed somewhat absent-minded, silently following behind the crowd, watching Li Wan's face radiant with happiness.

His face was flushed, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

He knew that he and Li Wan were from two different worlds.

He carried the memories of his past life and the responsibility to his wife and daughter, and every step he took was as if he were walking on thin ice.

Li Wan is like a flower in a greenhouse, pure and beautiful, but unable to withstand the storms of reality.

"Jianguo, look at that little monkey, it looks just like you!" Li Wan suddenly turned around, pointed to a monkey in the monkey mountain that was sleeping with its head in its arms, and smiled brightly.

Dong Jianguo was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Really? Then I'd better stay away, lest I catch its laziness."

"You're not lazy at all, you're the most hardworking Factory Director Dong!"

Li Wan playfully stuck out her tongue and walked over to pull Dong Jianguo's arm.

"Chen, could you please take a picture of the two of us?"

"Oh, you're too!"

Chen Zhiyong agreed and raised his camera:

He counted to three, and Li Wan suddenly leaned against Dong Jianguo, who was still smiling.

Dong Jianguo, thinking she had lost her balance, hadn't even had time to wipe the smile from his face before he hurriedly reached out to steady her.

"Click."

In the still photo, the young couple beams with happiness, embracing in front of the monkey mountain.

After taking the photo, Chen Zhiyong was taken aback.

"This photo—"

Although you can't see the finished photos with a film SLR camera, Chen Zhiyong, as a seasoned photography enthusiast, is still quite sensitive to the photos he just took.

It will look absolutely beautiful after washing!

"Zhiyong, you weren't standing properly just now, take another picture of us!"

Li Wan blushed slightly and pleaded.

"good!"

Next, everyone went to see the giraffes, zebras, and the lion and tiger mountain.

When passing by the orangutan enclosure, Chen Zhiyong suddenly became interested in comparing his pectoral muscles with the orangutans.

Li Wan kept walking around Dong Jianguo, intentionally or unintentionally, trying to find various topics to chat with him about.

Although Dong Jianguo's response was rather bland, he tried his best not to embarrass her.

As for other boys who approached her, although she responded enthusiastically, it was obvious to anyone that her attitude was completely different from that towards Dong Jianguo.

At noon, everyone had a picnic on the lawn of the zoo.

Chen Zhiyong somehow managed to get a bunch of cooked food and beer, and a group of people sat around it, making quite a scene.

"Come on, let's drink to celebrate the friendship we've built in our young entrepreneur training program!" Chen Zhiyong raised the can.

"Cheers!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically, and Dong Jianguo raised his soda and clinked it against Li Wan's.

Li Wan looked at him, her eyes filled with tenderness.

After a few rounds of drinks, Chen Zhiyong suddenly leaned close to Dong Jianguo's ear and said with a wicked grin, "Jianguo, I think Li Wan is really good to you. If you don't have feelings for her, you'd better make it clear as soon as possible, or you'll waste her time."

"Don't talk nonsense, I'm married now—"

"Then introduce her to me!"

Dong Jianguo: "Damn it! Hypocritical!"

Chen Zhiyong promptly scorned his roommate's hypocrisy.

But he quickly patted Dong Jianguo on the shoulder and whispered, "Actually, this kind of thing is very common! Don't feel so guilty about it."

"Did you know? In Shenzhen, there's an entire neighborhood where people live as mistresses~ Mistress, you know what I mean? It's like—"

"Alright, alright, don't talk nonsense under the emperor's nose, and if you do, don't tell me!"

Dong Jianguo shook off Chen Zhiyong and strolled to the side.

He looked at Li Wan, who was helping female classmates distribute snacks in the distance, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

In the afternoon, everyone went to see the most important animals: the giant pandas and tigers.

When she saw the giant pandas lazily munching on bamboo, Li Wan became as excited as a child, grabbing Dong Jianguo's hand and trying to squeeze forward.

Dong Jianguo instinctively wanted to pull his hand back, but seeing Li Wan's clear and bright eyes, he hesitated. In the end, he let Li Wan pull him to the best viewing spot.

"Jianguo, look how cute it is!" Li Wan turned her head and said excitedly to Dong Jianguo.

"Yes, it's quite cute." Dong Jianguo replied absentmindedly, looking at the panda that was happily eating bamboo.

Li Wan seemed oblivious to his perfunctory attitude. Pointing to the panda's adorable appearance, she said enthusiastically, "Don't you think they're incredibly happy, spending all their time eating and sleeping?"

"Happiness?" Dong Jianguo smiled, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice: "Their happiness is built on being kept in captivity. They seem carefree, but once they leave this enclosure, they might not be able to survive."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan's smile faded slightly.

She turned her head, looked earnestly at Dong Jianguo, and said softly, "But isn't it a kind of happiness that someone is willing to provide them with such a carefree garden? At least they are being protected and loved."

Her gaze was clear and sincere, as if it could penetrate one's heart.

Dong Jianguo felt as if something had gently bumped into his heart. He avoided Li Wan's gaze and looked up at the distant sky.

"Waaaaahh ...

A sudden cry rang out.

Dong Jianguo found it hard to imagine who could cry in such a joyful place.

Li Wan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl with pigtails.

"Little friend, you—"

"Mommy, I want my mommy—"

Seeing her crying so pitifully, Li Wan couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

It's likely that the child got so engrossed in watching the pandas that he got separated from his parents.

"Little one, don't cry, Auntie will help you find your mother."

Li Wan knelt down and gently wiped away the girl's tears, her voice as soft as a spring breeze.

Dong Jianguo also came over, took out a bag of "Hezhiwei" spicy strips from his bag and handed it over: "Uncle has some snacks here, you won't be afraid if you eat them."

The little girl sobbed as she took the spicy snack, her little nose twitching, and finally stopped crying.

Dong Jianguo squatted down and patted the child's head: "What's your name? What are you wearing, Mommy?"

"My name is Duoduo, and my mom is wearing a red dress—" the little girl said in a childish voice, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of Li Wan's dress.

As Dong Jianguo spoke, his gaze swept across the crowd, but he did not see any parents wearing the same color clothes.

Li Wan held the little girl's hand and asked softly as they walked, "Her parents must be nearby. Let's split up and look for them."

The two of them took Duoduo for a walk around the panda enclosure and finally saw a woman in red anxiously looking around at the exit.

"Mommy!" Duoduo broke free from Li Wan's hand, threw herself into the woman's arms, and started crying again.

The woman, holding her daughter, thanked them repeatedly and took out money from her bag to give to the two of them, but Dong Jianguo waved his hand and refused, saying, "It was nothing, no need to be so polite."

Li Wan smiled and waved her hand, "Take the child home quickly, don't let her be scared anymore."

Watching the mother and daughter walk away, Li Wan turned to look at Dong Jianguo, her eyes shining: "The way you were coaxing the child just now..."

"She's quite gentle."

Dong Jianguo scratched his head, his ears burning slightly: "Kids are easy to coax."

On the way back, the two fell behind the group.

Li Wan suddenly reached out and gently touched the back of Dong Jianguo's hand: "You know what? When you squatted down to talk to Duoduo just now, I felt that you were particularly reliable."

Dong Jianguo felt a warmth in his heart and turned to look at her.

The light of the setting sun fell on Li Wan's face, making her smile shine even brighter.