Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

Chapter 134 Uncle Comes to Visit

The next day, after dinner, Chen Jingge and his family came over carrying bags and bags of gifts.

My uncle, aunt, and my cousin who is in junior high school sat down in the living room, and the room immediately became lively.

"Haoran's back! It's been more than half a year since I last saw him, and he's really grown up." His aunt smiled and looked him up and down, her tone full of warmth. "Your uncle has been talking about you a lot lately, saying that you take too much care of him and look after him too much."

Over the past six months, Chen Jingge's changes have been witnessed and felt by the whole family.

At first, I heard that he and his nephew were doing some kind of investment, made some money, and quietly bought a spacious and bright new house for the family.

Later, she gritted her teeth and quit her mediocre job to devote herself entirely to her nephew.

Although he is nominally "helping" Haoran, he is now driving a black sedan worth hundreds of thousands of yuan and is the vice president with absolute authority in the company. He exudes energy and spirit from the inside out, and even his back is straighter than before.

He had just gotten home last night, closed the door, and whispered to his wife that Haoran had given him a two million yuan year-end bonus.

His aunt was handing him a hot towel when her hand trembled, and the towel almost fell to the ground.

The bonus was two million—her mind was buzzing, and she subconsciously repeated the number. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, pounding wildly, and she couldn't speak for a long time.

This is an amount they could never have dreamed of saving up over many years of hard work.

At first, I was shocked, even a little panicked, feeling that the money was "hot potato".

But seeing the long-lost, determined light in her husband's eyes, and listening to him explain step by step how the company was built up, and how Haoran had vision and courage, she slowly calmed down.

Later, as she rode in her husband's new car to buy New Year's goods and listened to the envious comments from relatives and neighbors, her unease was gradually replaced by a sense of pride and satisfaction.

She watched Haoran grow up and knew that the child was naughty since he was a child. She never expected that he would become such an important person now.

Now, he has truly led his family to carve out a solid niche for themselves.

Thinking of this, my aunt's smile deepened, and her warmth was tinged with genuine affection and pride.

Jiang Haoran looked at his uncle. Chen Jingge was holding a small teacup. Hearing this, he smiled knowingly at his nephew.

"Aunt, you're being too polite," Jiang Haoran said with a gentle smile, but his tone was firm. "We're family, no need for formalities. My uncle doted on me when I was little, and now that I can do something, shouldn't we all work together as a family?"

He sat up a little straighter, his words carrying weight: "Besides, my uncle has made great contributions to the company's success today. He oversaw and coordinated everything inside and out, relieving me of so much pressure. He's a true pillar of support."

Hearing this, my aunt's smile deepened, and she asked with concern, "How long will you be staying at home this time? When are you going back to Shanghai?"

"Uncle, you'll be staying until around the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Take a good rest," Jiang Haoran replied. "I'll stay a few more days. I still have some things to take care of in Suzhou and Hangzhou."

"That's good. Spend more time with your parents." Chen Jingge replied, her complexion rosy, her brows showing a sense of relief and contentment after a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Have you made all the arrangements with Jiutian Investment before the holiday?" Jiang Haoran asked.

"Everything is settled." Chen Jingge nodded. "The accounts that needed to be settled have been settled, the bonuses that were due have been paid out, and all the employees have been given a holiday so that everyone can have a peaceful New Year."

Jiang Haoran nodded: "It's better to be cautious. You can never earn all the money in the world; you have to take a break when it's time to rest."

The adults were chatting, but my younger cousin, sitting to the side, was already distracted, his eyes constantly glancing out the window. Finally, he couldn't help but interject, "Bro! Your car—is it called a Panamera? How many seconds does it take to go from 0 to 100 km/h? The sound is so cool!"

Jiang Haoran turned around and smiled, patiently answering his cousin's series of questions with the tolerance of an older brother.

Seeing his eager expression, Jiang Haoran patted his shoulder: "You like it that much? Sleep here tonight, and tomorrow morning I'll take you out for a drive, and then I'll take you out for a big meal."

My cousin's eyes widened instantly, and he almost jumped off the sofa: "Really?!"

"Of course it is." Jiang Haoran laughed, then gestured with his chin towards the guest room. "By the way, there are two boxes under my desk in my room. They contain a Gundam model and a game console for you. Go check them out and see if you like them."

My cousin let out a loud "Aww!" and jumped up with a cheer, rushing towards his room. Halfway there, he turned back, his face beaming from ear to ear: "Thanks, bro! You're the best, bro!"

Jiang Haoran watched his cheerful retreating figure, then smiled and shook his head. His gaze then gently swept over his parents sitting opposite him.

Mother Chen Fang was dividing the peeled apple slices into small dishes and handing them to everyone.

Her movements were slow and gentle, but her ears were always turned toward the direction of her son and brother's conversation, and a faint smile played on her lips.

That smile held a sense of relief, satisfaction, and a soft, radiant glow unique to mothers when they see their children succeed.

The conversation gradually turned to the family's factory.

Jiang Jianguo picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and spoke with a more steady and forceful tone than usual: "The trial production of the new equipment went very smoothly, and the precision fully met the standards. The feedback from the sample parts we worked on with Qilin Technology was also very good, and we can start mass production after the New Year."

He paused, as if remembering something, and said with a touch of emotion, "Those veteran workers in the factory—the ones we thought might not be able to keep up with the new machines—are now the most motivated."

"Old Liu and the others said they've been doing machining their whole lives and they've never seen such an obedient and precise machine." Jiang Jianguo took a sip of tea and said with emotion, "We have to make sure they do a good job and not let these old buddies down."

Jiang Haoran listened quietly without interrupting.

He could clearly sense the long-lost confidence in his father's words, a confidence stemming from his strength.

That family workshop, which once teetered on the edge of profitability and depended on others for orders, is quietly transforming into a precision manufacturing plant with modern equipment and a brand-new look, thanks to the capital he injected and the direction he introduced.

This change is silent, yet very real.

As night deepened, the chill outside the window intensified. My uncle's family got up to say goodbye, and there was another round of lively greetings and farewells at the door.

After they left, the noise inside the house receded like the tide, leaving only a familiar and reassuring tranquility.

Jiang Haoran returned to his south-facing bedroom on the second floor.

The room remains unchanged, with the desk lamp from high school on the desk and some faded sports posters on the wall—everything is frozen in time.

He stood by the window, gazing at the sleeping streets of the small town. The room remained the same: high school textbooks and certificates of merit sat on the bookshelves, and a yellowed world map adorned the walls.

He stood by the window, looking at the quiet street outside. The occasional bark of a dog in the distance only amplified the stillness of the winter night.

His phone vibrated briefly in his pocket. He took it out; the screen lit up with a text message from Zhou Mingyu: "Arrived home? Happy New Year in advance."

A simple greeting, yet it came from a completely different, efficient, and cold world. He flicked his fingers and replied with equal brevity: "Happy New Year. See you next year!"

He put down his phone and lay back on his familiar bed. A wave of physical exhaustion washed over him, but his mind was unusually clear.

He put down his phone and lay down on the bed. He was physically exhausted, but mentally alert.

Along the way today, from Shanghai to Zhenjiang, from the highway to the small town, from his grandparents' old courtyard to his own lively living room, he clearly felt a certain connection.

A kind of gravitational pull that firmly anchored him back to the ground from the battlefields filled with numbers, charts, games, and pressure. This connection is different from the cold numbers of the capital market, and different from the rigorous logic of technological breakthroughs; it is a warm, vibrant haven, a home away from home.

He knew that once dawn broke, the outside world would still be vast and dangerous, and the battle would not cease. But it was this warm, welcoming corner behind him, where he could hear each other's breath, that gave him the solid ground beneath his feet as he turned to set off.

Outside the window, the last few lights went out. The town was completely embraced by the winter night.

Jiang Haoran closed his eyes, letting the weariness of the past few days and the tranquility of returning home envelop him, and soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.