Her Imperfection for Wifehood - Chapter 35.1

Chapter 35.1

To make matters worse, Lu Cheng was also waiting at Factory Two, reporting to An Jing with a grave expression: “Miss, we waited all night at the train station but didn’t see the cargo train carrying the machinery from Suzhou. It wasn’t until this morning that I called the finance department and asked for the contact information of the other party. The person in charge there said that the machinery encountered a railway malfunction during transport and was delayed. After waiting for a day, they followed dispatch instructions and took a detour. But… the detour route suddenly encountered an urgent military situation, and many lines were suspended. For safety’s sake, they and the machinery were both recalled to Suzhou. They also said that this business deal with the An Corporation might not happen after all. The fifteen thousand deposit, they are willing to refund double, giving us thirty thousand.”

An Jing had already anticipated a change in plans.

After picking up An Xi, she had concluded that this series of “accidents” were not coincidences.

“An Xi, you’re familiar with the Suzhou deal. Give them a three-day deadline to wire the breach of contract payment. I will resolve the machinery seized by the police. Also, yesterday, I told the two factory managers to temporarily stop taking new orders. Regarding the orders we already have, I plan to have the managers and salespeople of Factory One and Factory Three contact some small factories in the old district—the ones who bought our old machinery—to persuade them to collectively take on the orders. This will ensure timely delivery, reduce the An Corporation’s losses, and at the same time, appropriately increase their income. If they are willing to lend a hand this time, the An Corporation will share some orders with them every month in the future.”

After hearing An Jing’s plan, An Xi did not immediately agree.

He pulled himself out of his contemplation of the “urgent military situation” and resolutely voiced his thoughts.

“Sister, I will weather this crisis with you. You don’t need to worry about our uncles; I’ll handle them. But my suggestion is, that the task of persuading the small factories to take on orders should be led by you. You have the most credibility in everyone’s hearts, and the An Corporation’s public trust is entirely held up by you. If you personally lead the effort, it will surely be smoother and achieve twice the result with half the effort. As for dealing with the Board of Works and the police, Big Uncle and I will handle it. I know how much money to spend. Sister, trust me this once, okay?”

An Xi spoke with exceptional conviction. This was the first time An Jing saw responsibility in him, and it wasn’t superficial at all. It was a promise made with confidence and a solid foundation.

“Good. We’ll do as you say.”

“Sister, believe me, I won’t disappoint you this time.” An Xi thumped his chest, assuring her. “I’m going to find Big Uncle now.”

“Mhm. Come back early tonight; we’ll wait for you for dinner.”

“I am a bit hungry, actually.”

From last night until now, he had only had a bowl of watery white congee and some salted vegetables. He had eaten a plain steamed bun this morning, but right now, he couldn’t worry about his stomach. “Sister, I’m going to eat a bowl of noodles before I find Big Uncle. Call Zhang Ma when you have a moment and tell her I’d like to eat her steamed fish and Dongpo pork.”

An Jing nodded, fishing out some loose change from her pocket: “Take this change for now. Leave the car for me.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll take the tram.” An Xi took the money. An Jing had to rush to so many factories; she definitely needed the car more than he did.

After An Xi left, An Jing asked Lu Cheng to call the managers of Factory One and Factory Three to come over and then devised a plan for collaborative work.

The two factory managers were absolutely compliant with An Jing’s arrangements on this matter.

After all, with such a massive incident at the factory, the other uncles in the An family were either indifferent or offered hindsight, not focusing on solving the root problem. They only pressured the two factory managers and the workers, telling them to think of solutions, and were full of anger, blaming An Jing for poor personnel choices.

But Manager He had been the manager of Factory Two since An’s father was alive. He had been dedicated for so many years. The An Corporation had not mistreated him, and no one would associate a straightforward, incorruptible old cadre like him with the ruthless act of “absconding with funds.”

His betrayal was an unexpected shock, baffling and regrettable.

The An Corporation had reported the case yesterday. The Shanghai International Settlement Police Bureau accepted it and promised to spare no effort in investigation and gathering evidence to arrest the perpetrator.

The case had made no progress because not only was Manager He missing, but all of his immediate family had also disappeared. All signs indicated that this was premeditated.

Telephones were installed in the factory managers’ offices.

An Jing picked up the phone to dial the manor’s number, but she hung up after dialing the last digit. She gave a wry smile, shook her head, and walked out.

After a busy day, though physically and mentally exhausted, they managed to persuade several small factories to agree to take on the orders. To ensure the quality of the cotton fabric, the An Corporation would assign employees to assist in each factory starting tomorrow, also taking the opportunity to pass on their expertise.

An Jing finally got a chance to breathe. Returning home, she found that An Xi and Lu Cheng had come back earlier than her.

“Sister, you must be tired? Have some hot tea quickly.” An Xi walked to the door with two cups of hot tea, handing one to An Jing first. “I jumped over the basin of fire you asked Zhang Ma to prepare for me before coming in.”

He handed the other cup to Lao Li, “Uncle Li, you’ve also worked hard. Have some tea to wet your throat.”

Lao Li and Zhang Ma had no children of their own. An Xi was watched and cared for by them as he grew up; the deep affection went without saying.

In the years An Jing had been at the An house, they truly loved and respected her as the eldest daughter of the An family.

Both children treated them as elders. The “family” protected each other. For the sake of this home, for An Xi and An Jing, they could endure any amount of tiredness or hardship.

Wanyun and Lu Cheng brought the dishes from the kitchen to the table. Zhang Ma was the last to come out: “The Miss is back. Dinner is served!”

Looking at the people in the house, An Jing felt all her fatigue dissipate, and her body warmed up.

The smile of earlier days returned to her face. She felt she had many things to say, but only one sentence came out: “Everyone, please take your seats.”

Zhang Ma and the others usually only agreed to sit at the table with the Miss during holidays, insisting that in a prominent family, there must be a distinction between master and servant, and rules, so outsiders wouldn’t find fault.

Today was not a special holiday, but they all understood An Jing’s intention, and even more, the distress in An Jing’s heart. So, they all came back early. They would listen to whatever she said, simply wanting to make her happy and to let her know that they were always there for her. Even Xixi jumped onto the table, squatting at the very edge, eating the lavish fish meal Wanyun had prepared for it.

Xixi being on the table was something An Jing had previously allowed.

After everyone was seated, An Xi was the first to raise his glass: “Come, come, the first glass of wine is dedicated to our unshakable pillar of stability—Boss Jing.”

An Jing let him speak freely and raised her glass to drink.

“The second glass of wine is dedicated to our hard-working Zhang Ma, Uncle Li, Brother Cheng, and Sister Wanyun. Thank you for taking care of my sister and me all these years. You are the family who share thick and thin with us.”

“The third glass of wine is dedicated to an era of great peace.”

Three glasses of wine dispelled the last remaining restraint of the others. Everyone chatted happily, sharing cheerful gossip and ordinary family news.

At the dinner table, An Jing didn’t ask An Xi about the machinery, and An Xi didn’t ask An Jing why one car was missing. They were both enjoying the rare peace and happiness.

Late at night, before going to sleep, the telephone in the main hall rang.

“Miss, it’s your call. Second Miss Wei is calling,” Wanyun said, arriving at An Jing’s door.

An Jing put on her outer garment and went downstairs, clearing her throat: “Yinyin.”

“A-Jing, I hope I didn’t disturb your rest?” After realizing the feelings Fu Wenjing held for Tang Yunqing, Wei Yinxia missed An Jing intensely.

Fu Wenjing had left in the afternoon, and Madam Tang had gone home after dinner. Now, Tang Yunqing and Xiaoyu were asleep, and she quietly came to call An Jing, wanting to hear her voice.

“Just finished washing up, haven’t slept yet.”

“You, are you not coming over tomorrow either?” She could sense the weariness in An Jing’s voice.

“Mhm. The factory matters aren’t settled. It’s very tricky. I might not be able to visit for quite a few days.” An Jing felt deeply guilty, but she had to distinguish between priorities.

“Then you be busy. After imposing on Miss Tang for so many days, I should go home tomorrow.”

“Yinyin, I’m sorry.” When she left the manor, she told Yinyin to wait for her to come back, but she was breaking her promise again.

She could take Wei Yinxia to stay at the manor for a short or even long time. If she asked, Tang Yunqing wouldn’t refuse. But could they live there forever?

“A-Jing, you have nothing to apologize for. I’m the useless one who can’t help you.” Not wanting to dwell on sad emotions, Wei Yinxia changed the subject. “Oh, Doctor Fu also came to celebrate Sister Yunqing’s birthday today. She made a swing for Xiaoyu, and Xiaoyu was so delighted. She also checked my wound and said it’s healing very well, so you don’t need to worry about me…”

“The useless one is me.” An Jing blamed herself. The more Wei Yinxia considered her, the more guilty she felt.

“A-Jing…” Since meeting An Jing at the Paramount two years ago, Wei Yinxia had never seen her this helpless. An Jing’s despair made her feel equally distressed.

A mix of emotions choked her throat. After a long moment of deliberation, Wei Yinxia could only utter a simple word of encouragement: “Enduring hardship makes one superior. A-Jing, you promised to be my great hero. Although I don’t know what kind of difficulty you’ve encountered today, I believe in you. You will surely lead the An Corporation through this crisis.”

She played the role of an outsider, yet in reality, she, the insider, was largely responsible for the predicament An Jing faced.

The An Corporation was weathering a storm, and she, too, should return to face her own destiny.

After hanging up with An Jing, she called the Wei family’s number. Xuer answered the phone. When she went to call the Master in the room, she was scolded by Madam Wei.

Wei Zhengqing: “Speak.”

“I’m leaving the manor tomorrow. I want to see them.”

“I will send a car to pick you up tomorrow morning.” Wei Zhengqing said, then hung up the phone.

After returning to her room, Wei Yinxia wrapped herself in a blanket, lay on the spot where An Jing used to sleep, and quietly sobbed.

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