AWB Chapter 89 Action Must Be Quick
Chapter 89 Action Must Be Quick
After signing and reviewing the stack of documents, thirty centimeters high, on his desk, Xiao Bao thought about the housing issue. He quickly called the HR manager in the logistics department to inquire which villas the company had built had not yet been allocated to employees. The HR manager immediately emailed Xiao Bao upstairs with the blueprints for all the remaining buildings and the area of each company's property.
After looking at the properties, the boss chose the one on the far right. It wasn't the largest in area, but it had the biggest yard, adjacent to the triangular section, which was tiered in three levels. He planned to plant some fruit trees he liked there, which he had originally intended to plant but hadn't due to later construction issues. After Xiao Bao took over, that area would be his. Thinking of this, he immediately informed the HR manager that he wanted the far right, building number 60. The HR manager quickly noted down building number 60, assigned it to the boss, and asked if he needed any help with renovations or preparations. Xiao Bao said no, he would hire people outside and would let them know later.
Then Xiaobao called Lin Yue and said, "Mom, I've asked for villa number 60 in the company's villa area as my new wedding house. What do you think?" Lin Yue said, "Great! It's a good house. The backyard is at the back, and there are no other houses there. It's terraced with a slope, so it's very private, and no one can see in from the outside. If you raise the house next to the left wall a little higher, then this side will be completely private." Xiaobao asked, "Mom, do you have the phone number of the construction team you used to renovate the clinic?" Lin Yue said, "Oh, don't worry about it. I'll call them and get it done. You can focus on your work. You have to decide on the style of the renovation." Xiaobao said, "I'll decide." Lin Yue said, "Okay, I'll call the construction team leader over, and you can discuss it with him, okay?" Xiaobao said, "Sure."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yue immediately took out her phone and called the owner of the renovation company that had previously renovated her clinic. The clinic owner said, "Mr. Lin, sigh, we've been working together for so many years, I'm almost embarrassed to tell you, but I'm almost eighty years old. My son has taken over my company. Can I send my son? I can't run around like that anymore." Lin Yue thought for a moment; she was already in her seventies and indeed couldn't run around like that. Lin Yue said, "Then is your quality guaranteed?" The renovation company owner said, "Don't worry, Mr. Lin, all the brothers in our team are sons who have taken over. It's basically the same team, no extras. Rest assured, if you entrust your villa to me, I will definitely satisfy you. My son even went to university, specializing in interior design, he will definitely satisfy your young boss." Lin Yue said, "Okay, then you can come over here, to the place we were at before. Once you arrive, I'll arrange a meeting. Xiao Bao will meet you first, since the company is there."
Three days later, Mr. Liao, the renovation contractor, arrived at Xiao Bao's company with his original team of 30 people in five cars. The security guard called Xiao Bao's secretary, who immediately went inside to inform Xiao Bao. Xiao Bao went downstairs and met with Mr. Liao, the contractor, in the conference room.
After confirming their identities, Xiaobao showed the blueprints to Boss Liao and also sent them to his email. The group of over 30 people immediately sprang into action, first preparing materials, then working with Xiaobao to determine the decorating style. Xiaobao sent the entire house's blueprints to Boss Liao, who also showed Xiaobao some interior design examples from his computer. Xiaobao then called Xiaoxue over to help them choose a style she liked. Xiaoxue is a rather traditional girl, and her parents are religious practitioners, so they ultimately chose a minimalist Chinese style.
After finalizing the style, Xiao Liao quickly converted his office into a temporary one and asked Xiao Bao for a house to rent temporarily. Since there were 30 people with 5 vehicles, one of which was equipped with modular bunk beds, Xiao Bao informed the HR manager to see which house was available for them. The HR manager told Xiao Bao that the company had housing specifically for construction teams and then took Xiao Liao there. It was a house of over 140 square meters, with a fully equipped kitchen, no decorations, and enough space for many bunk beds. After the HR manager took them there, Xiao Bao and his team drove over, unloaded several bunk beds, and arranged for seven or eight people in each room and another seven or eight in the living room. Xiao Liao, being a hard worker, squeezed into the living room with everyone, using bedding from another vehicle and laying it out on mats. They also brought all the necessary kitchen utensils, as Lao Liao had led a renovation team before, Lin Yue had worked with them multiple times, and the HR manager was familiar with the area. Previously, I had worked with Lao Liao, but now it's Xiao Liao. Xiao Liao is just as reliable and capable as Lao Liao, and he works quickly. After Xiao Liao worked overtime for two days, he produced the blueprints for the entire villa.
Xiao Liao sent the blueprints to Xiao Bao, who then called Xiao Xue to his office. The two confirmed one of the three designs—a minimalist Chinese style—in the office. After choosing the design, Xiao Xue left the office, her face flushed. This was quite amusing; why was she so red? It turned out that while choosing the design, Xiao Bao suddenly pulled Xiao Xue into his arms, made her sit on his lap, and the two snuggled together as they selected the villa's interior design. Xiao Bao's hands were restless; while kissing Xiao Xue, he slipped his hand inside her clothes and gently touched her breasts, making Xiao Xue blush deeply. Xiao Xue slapped Xiao Bao's hand away, called him a pervert, and quickly fled the office back to her own place.
Xiao Bao confirmed the renovation plan and immediately sent it to Xiao Liao. Xiao Liao received the plan; the thirty people had already completed the preparatory work two days prior, preparing basic renovation materials such as cement and sand, relocating or treating any plants, and fixing any walls that needed fixing. With the style finalized, the main work began. The materials were directly provided to Xiao Liao, who started the renovation and assured Xiao Bao that it would be completed within a month. Xiao Bao agreed.
The construction team got busy, but Xiao Bao, distracted, sat with his legs crossed, thinking about how to win over Xiao Xue, and her parents-in-law, within a month. From Xiao Xue's fragmented conversations, he knew that his parents-in-law were also cultivators, and cultivators needed energy and spiritual energy. Wouldn't his family's spiritual rice and noodles come in handy? Besides, summer vacation was approaching, and Xiao Xue had mentioned that her parents were taking care of her brother's child, but they would bring the child over to play during the summer, which would definitely involve meeting his parents-in-law. He had been figuring out how to first win over Xiao Xue's stomach, and then his parents-in-law's, thinking that might be the best approach. Having thought all this through, after finishing work for the day, he started lifting weights in his office. After all, he couldn't break the habit he developed in the army; he always exercised in the office.
It was time to leave work again, and Xiao Bao gave his driver the day off to go home, because the driver knew better than he did what he wanted. The driver was a veteran whom Lin Yue had unintentionally saved; his wife and child all worked at Lin Yue's company. He had always driven for Lin Yue, and now he drove for Xiao Bao. Ironically, he treated Xiao Bao like his own child, because Xiao Bao had once been his soldier. If he hadn't been injured, he wouldn't have left the army, much less come to Lin Yue and come here to retire.
Driving for Xiao Bao is the most leisurely thing right now. He only drives occasionally, and he's only busy during important receptions. The rest of the time, he chats, drinks tea, and plays cards with the veterans in the guardhouse, living a very relaxed life. Recently, he learned that the young boss is pursuing the finance manager. Seeing Xiao Bao's radiant face, he couldn't help but smile like an aunt, hoping that Xiao Bao would win over his wife soon. Knowing that Xiao Bao is already 30 years old, he even joked, "Boss Lin, don't be in such a hurry. You want to have a grandson soon." Actually, Lin Yue wasn't in a hurry. After all, they were cultivators, and they didn't seem to care that much about such things.
Lin Yue has been occasionally checking on her son's house renovation lately, since he's her youngest son. Her second daughter is unmarried and constantly traveling, while her eldest daughter is married but busy with her own work. It's rare for her youngest son to find someone he likes, and she feels young people should date and have fun. Even after learning her son liked the finance manager, Lin Yue used her connections to find out that Xiao Xue's family was quite well-off; her parents were cultivators, though their cultivation level wasn't high due to the scarcity of spiritual energy in this world. She also had an older brother who was doing well working in another city, with his children being cared for by his parents. They would be coming over this summer for the two families to meet. Lin Yue also wanted to finish the house renovation as soon as possible so her in-laws could visit, since she and her son didn't live together. If her in-laws wanted to live with the young couple, Lin Yue would be happy, as it would be closer, while she was just in a valley. Thinking of this, Lin Yue became even more proactive, frequently checking on the villa's progress and even suggesting to Xiao Liao that they use better, more environmentally friendly materials, which Xiao Liao readily accepted. Lin Yue was also cultivating spirit flowers and herbs in the canyon, planning to transplant them to her son's garden or villa once the renovations were finished. Even the rat spirit, willow spirit, and ginseng spirit hoped that Xiao Bao could win over a girl.
It was almost time to leave work. Xiao Bao waited downstairs for a while; he wasn't working overtime at the company today. Finance Manager Xiao Xue came downstairs, ready to drive her car. Xiao Bao honked twice, but Xiao Xue still slowly walked to the car and got into the passenger seat. The two drove into the town; although many housing developments had been built, they were still about two kilometers apart.
Xiao Bao asked Xiao Xue what she was doing in town today. Xiao Xue said she wanted to buy snacks, go to the supermarket, and also wanted to eat hot pot. Xiao Bao laughed and said, "If we want hot pot, we'll cook it at home." Xiao Xue was taken aback, "Will we have enough time to cook all that food at home?" Xiao Bao said, "We will. We'll go to the supermarket first, buy the snacks, and then cook it at home." Xiao Xue asked, "Go back where?" Xiao Bao said, "Back to my place." Okay, Xiao Bao took out his phone while driving and called Aunt Chen. "Hello, Aunt Chen." "Young boss, what's up?" "Aunt Chen, could you go downstairs to my mom's place and ask her for some hot pot ingredients? They're at the company. I'll come back later to cook dinner; I want to eat hot pot." Aunt Chen agreed, no problem. She went to the backyard and called Lin Yue, "Boss Lin, the young boss said he wants to eat hot pot tonight and asked me to get it from you."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yue knew it was that brat who wanted to cook for Xiao Xue. Although Xiao Xue was a cultivator, she spent most of her time studying, so her progress was slow. Lin Yue thought it would be good if her future grandson was a spiritual fetus, so when Aunt Chen called, she quickly came out of the canyon in her tricycle. The back of the tricycle was filled with many washed ingredients, including tripe, dried mushrooms, beef, mutton, and bamboo shoots. She had a plate or two of every kind of side dish for hot pot, and her son's favorite tripe was piled high. There were also small sausages and glutinous rice sausages, all made by Lin Yue herself using ingredients from her space, as well as meatballs and braised pork intestines, all of which her son loved to eat. She also brought a lot of various vegetables.
Lin Yue carried everything to her son's rooftop apartment. The refrigerator was crammed full: ten plates of tripe, five plates of beef, five plates of dried mushrooms, and two pounds of pea shoots, all washed and placed in the kitchen. There were also sauces and stir-fried ingredients in a pot, and half of the food was chicken broth from a spirit chicken stew. After preparing everything, she and Aunt Chen left, knowing her son would be bringing the girl back soon and it wasn't convenient for them to see him. Lin Yue also took some spirit fruits—unremarkable strawberries, cherries, pineapples, and apples—washed them, and placed them on her son's large island counter. She also squeezed orange and watermelon juice, each in a 1.5-liter glass, and cut a watermelon in half. Now Lin Yue left, completely uninvolved, and returned to the valley. Aunt Chen cheerfully cleaned the wards below.
When Xiaobao and Xiaoxue were shopping at the supermarket, Xiaoxue wanted to buy meat in the fresh produce section, but Xiaobao wouldn't allow it, saying they had it at home. Xiaoxue said she wanted tripe, and Xiaobao also said they had it at home. In short, after walking around the fresh produce section, Xiaobao said he already had everything Xiaoxue wanted. Finally, Xiaoxue picked up a large bottle of milk, but Xiaobao said they didn't have that. She then picked up two cans of beer, and Xiaobao said they didn't have those either. Xiaoxue laughed, and then bought a lot of snacks. Xiaobao remembered what Xiaoxue liked and bought two extra bags of each kind. Finally, Xiaobao paid the bill, put three large bags in the trunk, and the two of them drove home.
Half an hour later, Xiaoxue arrived home and went up to Xiaobao's room. She was startled to see the refrigerator full of food. Then she saw the hot pot on the dining table, with the red and white broths still warm and emitting a pleasant aroma. Xiaobao said, "My mom made this."
Xiaoxue asked a little shyly, "Is Auntie still here?" Xiaobao shook his head, "My mom left a long time ago. She prepared these dishes for me and then left." Xiaoxue was very embarrassed, "Then thank you for your trouble, Auntie." Xiaobao said, "It's nothing. My mom prepared these in advance. She brought them from the valley." Valley? Xiaoxue's eyes twitched. Everyone knew that the valley was where Lin Yue's family lived, and it was considered a taboo. Xiaobao said, "The valley is just a canyon, nothing special. It's good for the elderly to retire there, but young people like us can't stay there for more than two days. Going in occasionally is fine, but living there long-term would be uncomfortable. I'll take you in to see it sometime." Xiaoxue's eyes lit up. She was also a cultivator, and there were many rumors circulating that Xiaobao's family had a particularly suitable place for cultivation. She also knew that her cultivation level was low, but she knew that Xiaobao's cultivation level was very high.
When Xiaobao took out the ten plates of tripe from the refrigerator, along with the vegetables Xiaoxue had wanted from the fresh produce section, they found that everything was there, and all of it was incredibly fresh. Xiaobao set out a plate of each item, then he and Xiaoxue washed their hands and sat down to eat. Even the sauces were prepared by Lin Yue, who also brought over fruit and juice. Xiaobao asked, "Do you want milk or juice?" Xiaoxue said, "I want orange juice." Then she poured orange juice and started cooking the hot pot. Xiao Bao said, "My mom was worried you couldn't handle spicy food, so she cooked a half-and-half hot pot. You can have it spicy if you want, or plain if you want it plain. We grew up in Chengdu, so we love spicy food. From now on, most of the dishes my mom cooks at home will be spicy. For sweet dishes like sweet and sour pork ribs, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, and shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, you have to tell her in advance. My mom likes to make spicy blood curd, boiled beef, boiled sliced pork, and spicy fish—all spicy and numbing. If you don't tell her in advance, there might only be one or two non-spicy dishes on the table, and the rest will be spicy." Xiao Bao ate while talking about his mom's cooking. Xiao Xue kept drooling as she heard about these dishes, because she had already tasted the deliciousness of today's hot pot. It really was delicious. It was so good; the hot pot they made at home was even better than what you get outside. The plain side was fresh and fragrant, and the spicy side was spicy and numbing. Xiaoxue would eat spicy food for a while, then plain food for a while. If she couldn't finish the spicy food, she would switch to plain food. When she got bored with the plain food, she would go back to the spicy food. Xiaobao found this funny and kept adding food to the plain bowl. If Xiaoxue couldn't finish the food in the plain bowl, he would rinse it in the red bowl and put it in his own bowl to eat.