Chapter 308: Qing Shan's Grand Generosity, In‑Laws Overjoyed!

The heated atmosphere in the office gradually subsided as the crowd dispersed.

The last to leave were Zhao Tiezhu, Liu Fugui, and their group.

A few young people still wore unwaned excitement on their faces, their steps on the ground seemed to carry wind, full of hope for the future.

Lu Qingshan stood by the window, watching them walk out of the factory gate one by one, their silhouettes vanishing at the end of the village road, a satisfied smile tugging at his mouth. All of this was only a beginning.

Lin Yue'e came over and gently smoothed the slightly wrinkled collar of his shirt from behind, her fingertips warm.

"Everything's been arranged; the big fellows are all full of vigor, but we don't know if it can stay this good forever."

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of satisfaction and also a hint of uncertainty about the future.

"It will," Lu Qingshan turned, grasped her hand, his thumb gently rubbing the slightly rough skin on the back of her hand from the busyness, "You've worked hard. I promised you I'd give you and the child a good life, and I'm achieving it step by step now."

He looked into his wife's eyes, which held all the starlight he had owed in his previous life, now being rekindled bit by bit.

"This is only a beginning," he said in a deep voice, his tone filled with unquestionable resolve.

"Let's go, back home."

Lin Yue'e paused, instinctively asking, "Back to the village?"

"No," Lu Qingshan shook his head, tightening his grip, and said word by word, "We go to Qianyingcun to see our dad and mom."

Those words, like a gush of scorching warmth, instantly surged into Lin Yue'e's heart, making the corners of her eyes involuntarily tingle.

Indeed, counting it, it's been over a month since she returned to her maternal home.

The factory matters kept coming one after another; having just settled in the Capital City, she was still busy seeing the child off to school each day, her feet never touching the ground, not even having time to send a note home. The guilt in her heart was completely soothed by her husband's words, only to surge again.

"Qingjun!"

Lu Qingshan shouted toward the doorway.

"Hey, brother, I'm here! The car's all warmed up! Second sister already took the car early to Qianying."

Lu Qingjun's voice came from the courtyard, accompanied by the jeep's engine revving. This vehicle is now the pride of Shanwan Village.

The car was already packed with goods: golden oranges shipped from the south, rice‑scented village pastries brought back from Beijing, and several strips of wind‑dried wild boar hind legs smoked with pine branches to a crisp, oily brown— all top‑grade items.

Lu Qingshan pulled Lin Yue'e into the car.

The jeep drove out of Shanwan Village, bouncing along the uneven dirt road. Lin Yue'e leaned on Lu Qingshan's shoulder, watching the fields and trees rushing backward outside the window, feeling an unprecedented sense of steadiness.

The car just reached the entrance of Qianying Village, and from a distance they could see Lin Huainian and Li Cuilian standing at their home doorway, like two stone wives gazing out, stretching their necks to look, while Lu Fang stood beside them.

Before the car could fully stop, Li Cuilian hurried forward with a beaming smile.

"Yue E, Qing Shan! Finally back!"

"Mom," Lin Yue'e pushed open the door, jumped out, and hugged her mother, her voice tinged with a slight choke.

"You child, after so long you still didn't send a note back, such a big heart," Li Cuilian patted her daughter's back, complaining with her mouth while her eyes smiled into a slit.

Her gaze impatiently swept over her daughter's shoulder, scanning the car back and forth, the smile on her face instantly freezing. She even tiptoed, glanced at the back seat, which was empty.

"Xiao Xue? The granddaughter not brought back?" Her voice changed, carrying obvious urgency and disappointment.

Lin Yue'e felt a pang in her heart and hurried to explain, "The child is studying in the Capital City, so we didn't trouble her."

Li Cuilian's smile visibly collapsed, she released her daughter, her tone full of uncontainable loss, "Alas, over a month without seeing her, I miss her terribly. I even dream that she calls me 'grandma'…"

Lin Huainian also came over; unlike his wife, he wasn't outwardly expressive, just standing calmly aside, his sharp eyes equally persistently scanning the car.

Seeing no granddaughter, the wrinkles on his stern face seemed to deepen, his lips pressed tightly, he hummed, and turned to walk toward the courtyard.

"Dad," Lu Qingshan got out of the car, carrying large and small bundles that happened to block his path.

Lu Qingjun also deftly moved items from the trunk, shouting, "Grandpa, Grandma, my brother has brought you good stuff! These are rare goodies from Beijing and the south!"

"Coming back is coming back, why take so much, just waste money," Lin Huainian scolded, but his steps halted as his eyes were drawn to a deep‑blue small square box that Lu Qingshan deliberately handed over.

The box was square and neatly crafted, clearly not an ordinary item.

"Dad, Mom, this is what I asked someone to bring you from Hong Kong Island," Lu Qingshan's voice was steady, his gaze sweeping over his father‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law, and in front of them he slowly opened the box.

"Pat—" a light sound rang, and the box opened in response.

In that instant, it seemed light burst out from the box.

Two brand‑new Omega watches lay quietly on a red velvet cloth, sparkling dazzlingly in the winter sunlight.

One was a men's watch with an all‑steel band, a silver large dial, clear hands, solid and dignified. The other was a women's watch with a red leather strap, a petite gold dial, delicate and graceful.

The surrounding air seemed to solidify.

"My god..." Li Cuilian inhaled a gasp of cold air, instinctively covering her mouth, her eyes bulging, almost popping out of her sockets, "How much does this cost...?"

Lin Huainian also shivered all over! He had served in the army, visited big cities, seen fine things, and at a glance recognized these two watches as truly rare and valuable! The steel's shine, the gold's sparkle, far more impressive than the Shanghai brand watches locked behind the Supply and Marketing Cooperative counter, countless times more impressive!

"Qing Shan, this is too valuable! Put it away quickly! This can't be done!" His voice even changed tone, waving his hands repeatedly.

"Not expensive," Lu Qingshan smiled, his tone unmistakable, "Dad, Mom, you've worked hard all your life, you deserve to enjoy happiness now."

He directly picked up the men's watch, forcibly grasped his father‑in‑law's calloused wrist, and put it on himself.

The icy metal pressed to his wrist, its heavy weight making Lin Huainian's rough fingers tremble uncontrollably. He felt he was wearing not just a watch but a respect and dignity he had never experienced.

He jerked his hand up, repeatedly staring at the sunlight, the dial's glare making his eyes hard to open. His lips moved, his Adam's apple bobbed, a rush of heat surged to his eyes, yet he could not utter a single word. This once unreliable son‑in‑law had now given him the greatest face‑saving of his life!

Li Cuilian was also pulled by Lin Yue'e to wear the delicate women's watch; she touched the smooth dial, then glanced at the old man's large watch on his wrist, her smile blossoming, unable to hide it any longer, the earlier disappointment from not seeing the granddaughter already soaring far away.

She elbowed the still‑dazed Lin Huainian and shouted, "Look at you, hurry up and thank Qing Shan! Quickly, quickly go inside, it's cold out, all sit inside! Qing Shan, tonight you can't leave no matter what, Mom will make you your favorite sauerkraut stewed vermicelli!"