Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

"Listen to this. We haven't even left the city yet, and Aunt Song is already trying to drum up business for her son."

The people at the table burst into laughter.

Chen Zui, who was handing over tissues, couldn't help but laugh too.

Song Xianglan has a thick skin.

I didn't feel embarrassed at all.

"Mayor, what are you saying? Xiang Dong is in charge of the economy in Shenzhen, just like you. As his mother, it's only natural for me to say a few words in his defense."

These people had already figured out Song Xianglan's background long ago.

Song Xiangdong's location in Shenzhen can be verified with a simple phone call.

Song Xianglan dared to make a decision and negotiate terms with them here, and this confidence itself carried the shadow of the south.

Everyone understood but didn't say anything.

The meal was a great success, with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Stepping out of the time-honored shop, the sunlight was blinding.

Chen Zui went to get the car.

Shi Changrong and Shi Xinyi stood by the roadside waiting.

Shi Xinyi put on sunglasses, covering most of her face. "Godmother, you're going to be very busy now. Can you manage to keep an eye on everything by yourself?"

"We have to keep an eye on them even if we can't keep an eye on them all." Song Xianglan rubbed her neck. "We'll go back to the hotel when the car arrives. I still need to go see Liu Yukun and Huang Ronghua this afternoon."

Once the factory in Haishi starts construction, it's simply unrealistic to expect me to transfer people from Qingyang. I need to send some of them to be the vanguard first.

The car pulled up, and several people got in.

We went straight to the hotel.

Song Xianglan sat in the back row, watching the street scene recede outside the window.

One hundred acres in Shenbei and one hundred and fifty acres in Pudong. These are not just factory buildings, but two of the most important pieces in the Song family's food business empire.

If she can make these two moves successfully, she will definitely have a place in the market for decades to come.

I only feel at ease when a building is handed over to someone I know.

Song Xianglan returned to the hotel and immediately made a long-distance call to Zhou Fang in Shenzhen.

The call was answered after a long beeping.

"Godmother," Zhou Fang said, her voice a bit noisy in the background, "Why are you calling at this hour?"

"We've acquired the land in Haishi," Song Xianglan said bluntly. "The two plots total 250 mu, and construction on the Shenbei plot needs to start within six months. Let professionals handle professional matters; that's why I called you over to help me."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Two hundred and fifty acres?" Zhou Fang's voice rose noticeably. "The procedures in Shenzhen will be completed soon, and all the personnel will be arranged to start construction. This is such a large project in Shanghai; I can't handle it all by myself. Could you give it to my senior brother?"

"I didn't ask you to shoulder the whole burden alone." Song Xianglan switched hands to hold the receiver. "You are Professor Tong's top student. Surely some of your senior and junior classmates don't want to be stuck in the system earning a fixed salary, right?"

You open a branch office in Haishi, specializing in undertaking projects here, and bring them on board.

A project of this caliber right in front of you is the best advertisement for your newly opened branch. Besides my factory, there's also Chen Zui's father-in-law's factory; you can also give your senior colleagues an opportunity.”

Zhou Fang's side quieted down.

This amount of work would make anyone envious.

"Okay," Zhou Fang readily agreed. "I'll buy the fastest ticket tomorrow and tell you in person."

I hung up the phone.

Song Xianglan didn't stay idle at the hotel; instead, she went to Huang Ronghua's shop.

Huang Ronghua's shop is located on an old street.

Unlike Liu Yukun's shop, which practically covered its storefront in gold leaf, this shop didn't even have a proper signboard, and the cement floor was worn and uneven from being walked on so much.

The store sells a wide variety of things; radios and televisions are parked next to several imported motorcycles, and boxes of batteries and cassette tapes are piled up in the corner.

Two young men were sweating profusely as they test-drove motorcycles to a customer, the revs roaring deafeningly.

"Godmother, what brings you here?" Huang Ronghua heard the noise and came out from behind the counter to greet her.

Song Xianglan looked around. "Business is good. With this customer traffic, how much revenue do you make each day?"

"Not bad." Huang Ronghua put down his abacus, his brows furrowed with satisfaction. "The neighbors all recognize my shop when buying big-ticket items. Now there are many migrant workers here, and they come to buy a tape recorder and cassettes as soon as they get their wages. It's all about word-of-mouth referrals."

Song Xianglan nodded.

I didn't expose his conservative nature.

Both have their strengths, but those strengths are also their weaknesses.

She went outside the store to check out the surroundings.

My gaze fell on the tightly closed roller shutter door next door. A handwritten red paper was pasted on the door: Shop for immediate relocation.

Song Xianglan asked the tea vendor next door for a few questions.

They knocked directly on the homeowner's door.

The homeowners were an elderly couple in their sixties, and the house was filled with cardboard boxes.

"How much is this shop?" Song Xianglan asked directly.

The old man held up nine fingers. "Ninety-five thousand, not a penny less."

Song Xianglan frowned:

"The price is several times higher than it was two years ago. And your shop is only this big."

"Comrade, don't you even look at the current market situation?" The old man waved his hands repeatedly. "Everyone with a little spare money is hoarding supplies. The price of rice, flour, and oil is changing every day, and everything is going up."

Only housing prices have remained stagnant for several months.

"If it weren't for my son getting a spot to study in the US and needing money urgently, I would never have sold this golden goose."

Song Xianglan stared at the old man for a long time.

I considered the location.

"Okay. See you at the housing authority. We'll sign the contract and transfer the money."

The elderly couple were stunned, completely unexpected that this person wouldn't even haggle over the price.

……

The procedures were completed very quickly; the passbook was handed over.

The property deed was changed to Song Xianglan's name.

As Song Xianglan came out of the hall, she stopped the elderly couple who were about to leave.

"Brother and sister, I've bought the shop. By the way, where do you two live now?"

"There's an 80-square-meter apartment on the back street." The old man clutched his bankbook, in high spirits. "I'm not selling that one for now; I'll keep it for myself."

"Take my advice, you must hold onto that house no matter what, and never even think about selling it." Song Xianglan's face was extremely serious.

The old man was stunned.

"Why is that? My son will make a lot of money in America and he'll bring us there to enjoy a life of luxury."

Song Xianglan snorted coldly, "I know a top student from Shanghai who went to America and is washing dishes in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown every day."

The moon isn't as round as you think in other countries, and there's no gold to be found everywhere.

That house is your and your husband's safety net, and it's also where your son can come back to if he can't make it outside in the future.

Besides, Shanghai is developing well, so we should always have a backup plan. You won't speak the language abroad, and the customs and etiquette will be different from here.”

The elderly couple looked at each other in bewilderment.

The joy on his face vanished completely.

The old lady stepped forward and grasped Song Xianglan's hand tightly. "Sister, you're such a kind person. I'll remember this kindness. We old folks will never sell that house, even if we die."

We saw the elderly couple off.

Song Xianglan found a post office and called Song Tingting.

The call was connected.

"Tingting, get me a notebook." Song Xianglan leaned against the glass counter in the post office.

"Mom, what should I write down?"

"I've acquired another shop in Shanghai today," Song Xianglan said, providing the address and size. "Including the ones back home, you should have a count of how many there are in total. I'll call Huijun later to let her know."

Song Tingting laughed on the other end of the phone:

"Mom, are you trying to become a landlady? Why are you reporting to us? These are all your things, we can't covet them."

"Don't interrupt," Song Xianglan said in a low voice. "You must keep these account books to yourselves."

I will donate the majority of the money I earn in my lifetime to build schools in mountainous areas, so that more girls will have the opportunity to broaden their horizons and have the confidence to choose their own lives.

But this property, the shop and the house, will be divided equally between you and your brother. You need to be clear about this yourselves.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Song Tingting's voice was earnest: "Mom, have you had your medical check-up?"

"I'm fine."

"Mom, I'm taking time off to come see you. I'll take you for a medical check-up. Mom..."

Song Xianglan quickly reassured her that she was really alright, "Silly girl. I'll come and stay with you for a few days after I'm done here, okay?"

Someone over there called out to Song Tingting.

She reminded her over the phone, "Mom, take care of yourself."

I hung up the phone.

Song Xianglan regretted telling Song Tingting and didn't dare call Shen Huijun, fearing that another person would ask her about the medical examination.

Let's just go to the store.

Huang Ronghua was busy issuing invoices to customers.

Song Xianglan sat down on the long bench and waited for him to finish his work.

"Ronghua, once autumn is over, your shop will be closed for renovations," Song Xianglan said.

Huang Ronghua was drinking water when he suddenly spat it out.

He wiped his mouth and ran over, his face flushed.

"Godmother, are you kidding me? I make a lot of money every day. If we close down for two or three months, how much money will go down the drain? That's absolutely unacceptable." Huang Ronghua shook her head vigorously.