Chapter 460: Spring Festival

Shenzhen's winter rarely carries a hint of biting chill.

The north wind rushes straight in from the sea of the Lingding Ocean, bearing damp cold, sweeping over the straight factory roads of Ping Shan Industrial Park, making the newly planted ornamental trees along the road shiver.

Yet on the afternoon of the twenty‑eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the park swelled with a warm, toasty surge opposite to the cold.

On the vacant ground outside the finance office, a few long tables were temporarily set up.

Behind the tables sat the accountants of the finance department, with piles of cash and rosters laid out before them.

A winding line of people queued in front of the tables.

The workers wore washed‑out yet clean work clothes, their faces bearing hopeful but slightly uneasy smiles, whispering jokes to each other while rubbing their reddened, frozen hands.

The line moved forward slowly.

Each time a name was called, the corresponding worker stepped forward, solemnly pressed a fingerprint onto the form, and then received a thick kraft paper envelope.

The envelope was left open, revealing a stack of brand‑new Great Unity banknotes inside.

"Zhang Jianguo!"

When Zhang Jianguo's turn came, he straightened his back, stepped forward, and took the envelope.

It felt heavy in his hand, thicker than he had expected.

He couldn't help but pull it out on the spot and count.

Exactly twelve hundred‑yuan notes, plus a few ten‑yuan coins.

That was a full two times his base salary!

A sharp‑eyed young worker beside him exclaimed, "Brother Jianguo, this is double pay!"

Zhang Jianguo gave a simple smile, carefully slipped the money back into the envelope, tucked it into his undershirt pocket, and pressed it firmly.

That sum could let his parents back in Henan enjoy a prosperous New Year, buy his wife a new set of clothes, and let his son get the little tin car he has always wanted.

And that wasn't all.

The logistics officer, holding a megaphone, announced to the crowd.

"Everyone listen up! Those who haven't bought a train or bus ticket home, register over to Officer Li on the right! The company will hire long‑distance buses, departing on the morning of the twenty‑ninth day of the twelfth month, sending everyone to nearby cities and counties on separate routes! Free! Absolutely free!"

The words were like a pinch of salt in hot oil, and the line instantly erupted.

"Is that for real? Free transport?"

"Ah! I was just worried I couldn't get a ticket!"

"The company is so thoughtful!"

Many people, overjoyed, surged toward the registration desk.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, tickets are scarce, and for these migrant workers away from home, returning is the most stressful part of the year.

The company's arrangement truly warmed their hearts.

Immediately after, the park's loudspeaker crackled.

It read out a list of "Employee of the Year" honorees.

Those whose names were called, besides an extra bonus, also received a special "Enrollment Qualification Certificate."

The broadcast explained in detail: Wanxiang Group will cooperate with the city's technical school to launch the "Wanxiang Vocational Technology Night School."

Outstanding employees who obtain the certificate can enroll for free and study trades such as pipefitting, electrical work, mold making, and CNC machining.

Top performers may, after graduation, be promoted to technical positions or team leader.

"Our company isn't just a blood‑sweat factory that makes everyone bury their heads in work!"

The voice on the broadcast rang powerfully, "The company must develop, and workers must improve! As long as you're willing to learn and work, there's a path for advancement here!"

These words stirred people more than the money itself.

Many young workers' eyes lit up.

Having left their hometowns, they seek not only a wage but also the chance to learn skills and have a future.

Li Ping'an was not present at the distribution site.

He stood by the window of the conference room on the third floor of the Administrative Building, watching the bustling yet orderly scene below.

The glass pane blocked the cold wind and filtered the clamor, yet he could clearly see the smiles on every face, the careful, treasured expressions as they took the envelopes, and the instant burst of joy and hope when they heard "free home transport" and "technical school."

Lin Xueqing stood beside him and whispered, "Now the workers' hearts should feel secure. Knowing they'll be sent home and taught skills, they'll treat this place as home."

Li Ping'an nodded.

"A factory isn't a machine; it's made of people. When hearts are warm, momentum is strong, quality steady, and reputation good. This investment is worth it."

He recalled the cold, efficiency‑and‑exploitation‑only sweat‑shop model of his previous life.

The path he intends to take is another one.

A road richer in humanity and more sustainable.

Besides these universal benefits, the company also simultaneously announced several new policies.

It established an "Employee Children Scholarship" to help solve the difficulties and high tuition for migrant workers' children enrolling in schools in Shenzhen.

By actively communicating with local authorities, it seeks the "Blue‑Print Household Registration" quota for eligible technical backbones and outstanding employees, alleviating the long‑term concern of developing in Shenzhen.

It set up an "Employee Mutual Aid Fund" to provide emergency assistance to employee families facing serious illness or sudden hardship.

Each measure, each item, struck the most practical and tender pain points of these migrant workers.

The news, like it had grown wings, quickly spread across the entire industrial park and even reached neighboring factories.

Countless envious gazes turned toward Wanxiang.

On the twenty‑ninth day of the twelfth month, the year's end truly approached.

Li Ping'an's home also became lively.

Li Yaozong, He Xiao, and Chen Anbang—three young couples—were all summoned back home.

Lin Xueqing personally cooked, arranging a huge table of dishes with both southern and northern flavors, steaming hot and fragrant.

At the dinner table, the three young men's expressions were somewhat unnaturally awkward, especially their new wives, whose faces always bore a hint of shy blush.

Li Ping'an observed this and roughly figured it out in his mind.

Sure enough, halfway through the meal, Li Yaozong cleared his throat and, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you… A Zhen… seems to be pregnant."

No sooner had his words fallen than He Xiao's loud voice chimed in for Sha Zhu and Ma Dongmei: "Dad! Mom! Xiao Ling is pregnant too! We just found out!"

Chen Anbang pushed up his glasses, his voice steady but his eyes and brows smiling: "Wen Jing is also pregnant, almost two months along."

The dinner table fell silent for a moment.

Then it burst into great joy.

"Oh my! This is a huge happy occasion!" Lin Xueqing was the first to react, delighted enough to put down her chopsticks, her eye sockets a little red, "Three at once! Our family is going to need a kindergarten!"

Li Ping'an also rarely burst into hearty laughter, repeatedly saying "good."

Ma Dongmei and Li Pingle, as mothers-in-law and aunts, were even more delighted, unable to stop smiling as they surrounded the three pregnant women, asking about everything.

The atmosphere instantly reached its peak.

After the meal, the women all gathered in the living room.

Lin Xueqing took the hands of the three daughters-in-law, had them sit on the sofa, fetched a small stool for herself to sit opposite, and began to give detailed advice.

At this moment she was no longer the efficient head of the foundation, nor the once decisive military doctor, but simply an ordinary, chatty, warm mother-in-law and mother.

"The first three months are the most important; you must be careful. No heavy or tiring work—Yaozong, He Xiao, An Bang, are you listening? You need to be more considerate!"

"As for food, avoid raw, cold, and spicy things for now. Eat more fish, shrimp, eggs, lean meat, and seasonal greens. Fruit is fine, but don't eat too much that's cold. I'll go to the market tomorrow to see if there's good crucian carp and free-range chicken; stewed soup is the most nourishing."

"Keep your mood good, don't get angry or anxious. When you have nothing to do, listen to soothing music, take walks, bask in the sun."

She went through them one by one, leaving no detail unmentioned.

From what to watch for in prenatal checkups, to how to ease common minor ailments during pregnancy, even starting to plan who will help care for the baby after birth.

Her tone was gentle, her eyes full of concern and joy.

A Zhen, Xiao Ling, and Wen Jing, the three young daughters-in-law, were at first a bit reserved, but as they listened, their hearts gradually warmed and softened.

They knew they had married into a family that truly treated its daughters-in-law like daughters.

Li Yaozong, He Xiao, and Chen Anbang, the three men, were then summoned by Li Ping'an to the study.

In the study, the tea fragrance lingered.

Li Ping'an looked at the three sons before him, who were about to become fathers, his eyes holding both relief and deeper hopes.

"You've started a family, and now you're about to become fathers—the burden on your shoulders just got heavier."

He said slowly, "It's not just about earning money to support the family; you also need to put more thought into home life, empathize with your wives' hardships. At work, you must learn to let go and train those below you. When the household is harmonious and the rear secure, your career can go further."

The three young men listened attentively, nodding.

"During your wives' pregnancies, I'll greet the company side and arrange work to accommodate them appropriately. You yourselves should also adjust your schedules to spend more time with them."

Li Ping'an paused, his tone softening.

"I also know that you each now bear responsibility for a division, and the pressure is not small. But remember, family is the foundation. The Wanshang venture will eventually be handed over to you. What I hope to pass on is not only a powerful business empire, but also a family with warmth and heritage."

Outside the window, some unknown family's child, unable to wait, lit firecrackers early.

The crackling pops shattered the winter night's stillness, also bringing a strong festive atmosphere.

In the distance, most of the lights in the industrial park had already gone out.

Buses full of homeward-bound workers had already taken the highways to various provinces, carrying the longing for reunion far away.

Meanwhile, the workers who stayed in Shenzhen for the New Year had the canteen prepare a lavish New Year's Eve feast, and from the dormitory building came faint laughter and the sounds of TV programs.

This city, in its own unique way, is welcoming another Spring Festival.

There is longing for parting, as well as the warmth of reunion.

There is the hardship of struggle, as well as the joy of reaping.

After seeing off the sons and daughters-in-law, the house grew quiet again.

Lin Xueqing tidied the kitchen, a smile still lingering at the corners of her mouth.

Li Ping'an stood on the balcony, gazing at Shenzhen's sparse yet warm myriad lights.

The cold wind still blew, but his heart was entirely warm and melted.

The company's benefits warmed the families of hundreds, even thousands of workers.

The imminent new lives will also infuse this family with vigorous hope.

If one cannot sweep a single room, how can one sweep the world?

If one family is not warm, how can one warm all beings?

At the crest of the reform and opening‑up wave, he with his left hand lays out global industry and financial chessboards, while with his right hand he cherishes the most down‑to‑earth human warmth and family affection on this land beneath his feet.

This, perhaps, is the scenery he most wishes to see and protect after his second life.

In the distance, the faint sound of a midnight bell can be heard.

The new year is truly coming.

Carrying the roar of steel, also carrying the cries of newborn life.

Carrying the footsteps of those who set out, also carrying the lights of those who return home.

On this land forever brimming with hope and vitality, life continues endlessly.