"Da Bao's new clothes are all packed. This child doesn't sleep well and kicks off his covers, so please take good care of him," Yu Lili said with red eyes. Behind her, a pair of twins looked at their older brother, too young to understand what was happening.
Hu Hao knelt at the doorway and kowtowed three times to Hu Dong and Yu Lili. "Dad, Mom, I'll miss you."
"Silly boy, you'll go home with your adoptive parents from now on. You'll have to call them differently. Listen to them, understand?"
"If Da Bao misses Mom and Dad, just ask your adoptive parents to bring you to play. Mom and Dad will cook delicious food for you." Yu Lili, holding back tears, kissed Hu Hao on the cheek.
Her child had been abducted for over a month, and she had lost all hope. She never expected that Da Bao and Er Bao would be rescued, and by his own father, no less. Fate, indeed, was incredibly subtle. He had returned Er Bao to her and taken Da Bao away. Yu Lili dared not look at the small figure being led away, hand in hand; she feared she couldn't bear it.
Hu Dong tightly embraced Yu Lili and their two daughters. "Lili, Da Bao's adoptive parents are reasonable. If you truly miss him, I'll take you to see him. Liu He County is only about an hour and a half's drive from Qing He City."
"Besides, Xiao Chen has a business in Qing He City and travels frequently. He'll bring the child to see us when he has time." Hu Dong comforted his wife. Da Bao's arrival had saved his wife from depression and given her a renewed motivation to live. Later, they had two more children, Chen Chen and Xi Xi. Da Bao was their lucky star, and Chen Yang, who had rescued the abducted Da Bao and Er Bao, was also their lucky star. The two families were indebted to each other, and Chen Yang and his wife were reasonable and grateful people. They had promised to bring the children to visit often, so there was nothing for them to resent.
All the way, Shen Xue held the children's hands tightly, never daring to let go again. She feared they would disappear if she did. In the past, when their family was poor, she didn't even dare to talk to Chen Yang about the children. She knew she didn't have the ability to find them or to support them. So, she had to hide her pain in her heart. No one knew how painful it was for her as a mother to have handed her child over to others. For more than two years, she had been woken up by nightmares countless times, dreaming of her son being beaten bloody. Holding their little hands at this moment, she finally felt at peace.
"Honey, from now on, when we come to Qing He, we'll bring Hao Hao with us. Brother Hu and Sister Lili are good people. When we have anything good in the future, we'll bring the children to visit them and bring them some." Shen Xue sat in the car, watching Qing He City gradually disappear from her sight, and leaned her head on Chen Yang's shoulder. The two little ones lay in their arms, curiously looking out the car window at the passing scenery.
"Dad, Mom, you're so good to me." Hu Hao, who should now be called Chen Hao. Chen Yang and Shen Xue had discussed it with Hu Dong and Yu Lili. They hadn't changed the child's name but only his surname. This way, it was as if both families had named the child, and Chen Hao would be the son of both families.
"Silly boy, if your parents aren't good to you, who else will be?" Chen Yang stroked his son's round head. This silly boy was as mature as a little adult.
"Me too, me too! I'm good to my brother too!" As soon as Chen Yang finished speaking, Yan Yan quickly raised her chubby little hand and, mimicking Chen Yang, patted Chen Hao's round head. Her action made Chen Yang and Shen Xue burst into laughter.
"Good, good, good! Our Yan Yan is the best. She knows how to protect her brother." Chen Yang kissed the baby girl's cheek. This little one, you might say she's sensible, but her voice often cracks. She's not as articulate as her brother Chen Hao. Yet, if you call her silly, she often does things that move Chen Yang and Shen Xue. If she hadn't knelt with Chen Yang and Shen Xue today, Chen Hao might not have agreed to go home with them. Chen Hao's willingness to go home with them was partly due to Chen Yang's heroic act of rescuing him from the kidnappers, and partly due to Shen Xue's heartfelt guilt and pain, which resonated with the mother-son bond. However, the baby girl's role was also significant. Her "big sister" demeanor gave Chen Hao a sense of being protected. Although Hu Dong and Yu Lili were very good to him, he was the older brother and instinctively protected his sisters. When he was abducted, he followed along to beg to protect his sisters. But the baby girl gave him a sense of being protected. Although she seemed more mature and sensible, he was still just a child, and the warmth of being protected by his older sister deeply captivated him.
The two little ones chattered on. The baby girl enthusiastically described how cute her pet chicks were. She then talked about how wonderful her maternal grandparents were, which sparked a glimmer of expectation in Chen Hao's heart for his own home.
However, Chen Yang was unaware that as he and Shen Xue were taking the children back to Liu He County, Wang Jianguo, who had delivered fish to the Qing He City Aquatic Products Company, was summoned to the office of the company's top executive.
"Old Wang, do you know why I called you here today?" Ye Xuejun, the general manager of the Aquatic Products Company, smiled and placed a cup of tea in front of Wang Jianguo, which made Wang Jianguo feel flattered. The Aquatic Products Company was established to earn foreign exchange and cater to the habits of foreigners. It was originally called an aquatic products factory but was renamed an aquatic products company. Even the factory director was called a general manager. Wang Jianguo held his superior in awe.
"Director Chen, I'm clumsy and dull-witted. How could I guess your intentions? Just give me your orders directly. I, Wang Jianguo, guarantee to complete the task." Wang Jianguo stood up abruptly. It didn't matter if he was slow-witted; he could at least show his commitment. As long as the leader knew where to point his gun, Wang Jianguo would shoot in that direction. Clever people have their ways, and dull people have theirs.
"You oaf, this isn't the military anymore. I wouldn't dare to command a fierce general like you. Come, sit and have some tea." Ye Xuejun personally pressed Wang Jianguo's shoulder, urging him to sit. This made Wang Jianguo even more puzzled. When had General Manager Ye ever been so amiable to anyone? Was he dreaming?
"Old Wang, I heard you've been cooperating with Wanli Commune to collect fish recently and are guiding members to dig ponds for aquaculture. Is there such a thing?" Ye Xuejun lit a cigarette and then gently asked this question. Upon hearing this, a bead of sweat broke out on Wang Jianguo's forehead. He knew what was going on!
"Reporting, Director Ye, there is such a matter. However, we are still discussing it. This is too unconventional, so we haven't dared to report it to the leadership yet." Wang Jianguo was unsure of Ye Xuejun's attitude towards private fish pond contracts and could only give a vague answer.
"Good boy, so it's true! No wonder Director Zou of the Municipal Management Committee personally inquired about it."
"Prepare yourself. Director Zou might personally visit Liu He County tomorrow for research. Write a detailed report today, and I'll help you review it." Hearing Ye Xuejun's words, Wang Jianguo's heart surged with joy. The Director of the Municipal Management Committee was the superior of his superior. If he could be valued by Director Zou, his position as deputy factory director of the food processing plant would be secured.