After giving his instructions, Lu Qin picked up Dundun and went inside, painting a rosy picture for the child: “Your dad didn’t let you tell me the address, did he?”
Dundun felt guilty. “There’s not enough milk to drink.”
Lu Qin: “Then it’s not illegal if I find it myself, right? I’ll take you to find your dad when I do.”
Pei Dundun, with a tense little face, thought for a moment. Dad didn’t say that Daddy Lu couldn’t find him, right?
“Dad, you have to hurry.”
Lu Qin put on an apron: “I will be quick, I promise.”
***
Sanatorium.
Pei Rong took over from the nurse and massaged Aunt Zhao’s legs.
Aunt Zhao’s lower limbs were almost immobile, but her spirits were good. Or rather, she had always been calm in the face of death.
“Xiao Rong, did you go see Dundun last night?”
Pei Rong: “Yes, he’s put on weight. He’s been eating well. I’ll bring Dundun over to play another day.”
Aunt Zhao: “No, Dundun doesn’t like hospitals. Don’t bring him over.”
If it weren’t for knowing Pei Rong’s obsession with the guilt he felt towards his mother, she wouldn’t even have let Pei Rong take care of her. Being an old woman, she didn’t want to burden Pei Rong by having him stay at the sanatorium every day to accompany her.
Pei Rong always felt that he wasn’t by his mother’s side when she was dying because of his career in the entertainment industry. His entry into the industry didn’t extend his mother’s life; instead, it drained his time.
Aunt Zhao knew all this and hoped that Pei Rong would have a chance to make amends, then move forward with Dundun.
Pei Rong sighed. Aunt Zhao was still so persistent, “Dundun said he wants to video call with grandma. Is that okay?”
Aunt Zhao: “Yes, yes, we can video call when we go to the garden in the afternoon, not in the ward.”
After speaking a couple of sentences, her excitement caused her to start panting and coughing.
Pei Rong quickly picked up the cup with a straw and gave her some water.
Aunt Zhao: “By the way, you said before that you wanted to talk to a kindergarten teacher. Our neighbor’s granddaughter is a kindergarten teacher. She’s cheerful and optimistic, very filial, and comes every weekend. I’ve met her once.”
Pei Rong: “It’s not about matchmaking...”
Aunt Zhao: “I know. I heard she’s very good at teaching children. Even the little rascals in kindergarten listen to her. And her grandmother said that in all the years she’s been a kindergarten teacher, she has never lost her temper. She’s met you here before and is very discreet. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”
Pei Rong suddenly became interested. What kind of saintly patience is this? It’s worth learning from.
Aunt Zhao’s daily chats with the neighboring lady from the next room weren’t for nothing.
Seeing Aunt Zhao’s enthusiasm, which was almost like urging a blind date, Pei Rong suddenly understood.
She was worried that after she was gone, no one would intercede for Dundun. The little kid would get into trouble, so she wanted to boost Pei Rong’s mental resilience.
Aunt Zhao was already looking into the future.
Taking the contact information from Aunt Zhao, Pei Rong added the kindergarten teacher and arranged to meet her at the estate to discuss the little child’s education.
Although he had now handed the little child over to Lu Qin, it didn’t hurt to have an expert nearby to consult with.
***
Pei Rong had already scheduled a video call while playing with Dundun, so today Pei Dundun stayed home instead of going to work with his dad.
Madam Jiang accompanied Dundun yesterday to inspect properties and almost wore out her legs.
Pei Dundun had a habit of thoroughly inspecting every corner of a house. He was full of energy, climbing up and down, making it hard for Madam Jiang, who was wearing high heels, to keep up.
Today, the elegant Madam Jiang switched to flat shoes, and Pei Dundun didn’t run around but instead took up painting.
The villa had many empty rooms, so Madam Jiang cleared out one room, allowing Dundun to freely paint on the white walls.
Pei Dundun painted diligently for half a day, then suddenly took off his gloves, pressed his palm into the paint, and made a row of handprints on the wall.
Little maple leaves.
Orange also dipped its paw in the paint, making a row of little plum blossoms.
The little artist wiped his hands on his clothes, sat down on the floor, and took off his shoes.
The handprints looked great, so what about footprints?
Madam Jiang sent a message, saying her grandson would be unrecognizable.
She hurriedly picked up Dundun, who was about to step into the paint. “Dundun, it’s hard to clean off.”
For painting with kids, you obviously couldn’t use regular wall paint. Madam Jiang bought washable children’s paint, which was made from skin-friendly pigments extracted from food.
Even if it could be washed off, Dundun’s skin was delicate, and scrubbing it would hurt.
Pei Dundun wiped his face, now covered in dragon fruit-colored paint. “It’s okay, Grandma.”
***
At three in the afternoon, Lu Qin was signing a contract with a supplier.
For the Lu Corporation, it was just a small contract, but for the other company, it was a big deal that could sustain them for five years.
To show their importance, the partner company sent a high-level team and mentioned they wanted to present a new, unreleased concept, hoping to secure a five-year partnership with Lu Corporation.
The new concept was related to the children’s sector. Having just had a baby, Lu Qin expressed interest in listening, much to the partner’s delight.
Lu Qin sat at one end of the long table, listening to a young man in his mid-thirties present a PowerPoint.
As he reached the second slide, the young man glanced at his watch.
President Lu gave him three minutes, much less than expected, so he had to skip some parts to fit the time.
Checking his watch showed a lack of ease, and the young man knew it was a taboo, but on the one hand, he was nervous, and on the other hand, his watch... was very expensive.
In business cooperation, appropriately showing one’s high-end taste and financial strength, blending into the upper class, helps boost the partner’s confidence.
The familiar watch face flashed by, and Lu Qin’s gaze deepened slightly.
He made a pause gesture. “Go back to the first page.”
The young man thought he hadn’t explained something clearly at the beginning, so he went back to the first page.
Lu Qin looked at the line, “Presenter: Jiang Haotian” and smiled slightly.
“Your surname is Jiang?” Lu Qin praised, “Nice watch.”
Jiang Haotian felt a surge of joy, unexpectedly being noticed by President Lu like this. Every glance from President Lu was worth an extra billion.
If he performed well in this signing and secured another five-year contract, what would his rival use to compete with him for the regional manager position?
He intentionally demonstrated his harmonious family relationship, looking deeply at his watch: “This watch was a gift from my wife and child.”
Helping President Lu deliver a token of affection, Secretary Gao, who first understood: “...”
As long as he doesn’t compete for President Lu’s wife and children, the cooperation won’t fall through.
