Chapter 513 - 486: Meeting Notification
Before meeting Geng Wenxiu, Xu Chunliang first looked at the items Jiang Ailian left behind. Among them was a diary that piqued his curiosity. Mrs. Jiang actually had the habit of keeping a diary. As he flipped through it, he saw that the old lady had written all her life’s misfortunes and grievances in it.
Xu Chunliang knew after reading a few pages that this diary would be key to solving the problem.
Inside the diary was also a letter. Xu Chunliang opened it; it was the old lady’s will. Jiang Ailian had worked hard all her life to raise her two sons, help them start their own families, and take care of their children.
Her husband’s temper was bad; he was incompetent, addicted to alcohol, and easily angered. From youth to old age, he often hit and scolded her. The old lady could say she never had a few peaceful days in her life.
When the eldest son married and had children, she helped raise the children, but her daughter-in-law never treated her kindly.
When the younger son married and had children, she again went to help with the kids. However, the younger daughter-in-law was even worse, constantly criticizing her. As soon as the child weaned, she was sent back home.
Jiang Ailian knew she couldn’t count on her two sons. So, she lived frugally and bought a house in Da Heng Hot Spring Town. She worried that her husband wouldn’t agree and was afraid that if the matter got out, her two sons would oppose it and covet her small pension. So, she decided to act first and inform later.
After her husband found out, he lashed out at her, insisting she cancel the house purchase.
Initially, Da Heng had agreed to the cancellation, but they suddenly raised the price. Seeing the property’s appreciation, the couple was unwilling to give it up.
Mrs. Jiang had thought she would have support in her old age, but the purchase was leaked by her husband after drinking. Both sons came in turns to demand she cancel the house, claiming Da Heng was falsely advertising, but in truth, they all coveted her small pension.
Old Liu was timid in front of his sons and didn’t dare say anything. All his authority was directed at Mrs. Jiang, forcing her to cancel the house and even proposed to Da Heng to cancel the house at current prices.
Jiang Ailian bit the bullet and went to Da Heng to cancel the purchase but faced ridicule and disdain. People saw her as a miserly old woman and, despite her many attempts, she got no results.
With the New Year approaching, Jiang Ailian hoped the family could reunite. She called her two sons in advance, asking them to bring their families home for the New Year’s Eve dinner, but neither was willing to come. Jiang Ailian knew they were angry at her for buying the house without consulting them.
Seeing both sons refuse to come, her husband didn’t blame them but scolded her instead, saying it was her unilateral decision to buy the property at Da Heng that offended the children, making them unwilling to visit.
The old lady felt her life had been in vain; her husband bullied her all her life, and the two sons she raised with great difficulty turned out to be ungrateful.
Reading to this point, Xu Chunliang was already filled with righteous indignation; he could imagine the old woman’s despair at that moment.
On New Year’s day, the old lady went alone to Da Heng’s sales office.
Da Heng’s sales office was on holiday, leaving her with no way to cancel the house. Braving the cold wind, she walked aimlessly around the construction site, hoping for a call from a family member, even just someone calling her "mom," or asking, "Where are you?" or merely wishing her a "Happy New Year." Perhaps any of these would have given her the strength to keep living. But she received nothing.
Mrs. Jiang waited from day to night until her heart turned completely cold. In the dark, she entered the construction site to see the house she had bought.
Because Da Heng’s and Huanyan Health’s construction sites were adjacent, she wandered into the wrong place and accidentally entered the Healthy Elderly Care Hospital’s construction site. Seeing all this, Mrs. Jiang thought about when this place would be completed, not even knowing if she would live to see that day.
No one cared for her; her family only coveted her small pension, which was deceived away by unscrupulous developers. What meaning was left in life?
Mrs. Jiang, utterly resigned, saw the ropes on the ground and gazed at the still unfinished steel structure ahead, making a decision in her heart...
Geng Wenxiu’s temporary office was located in Xu Chunliang’s previous office. The meeting earlier with the deceased’s family hadn’t reached any consensus at all.
The Liu Brothers made extortionate demands. Geng Wenxiu initially wanted to refuse on the spot, but she held back, saying she would consider it before responding.
Before Xu Chunliang arrived, she had already informed Zhao Feiyang of the Liu brothers’ demands. Zhao Feiyang immediately expressed that such unreasonable demands must not be agreed to; if they set this precedent, Changxing’s work would be impossible in the future. At worst, legal procedures could be followed, allowing the court to decide, but it was best to avoid this route unless absolutely necessary.
Zhao Feiyang understood the importance of public opinion. The currently known situation had already raised his alarm. The Liu brothers, one a lawyer and the other a reporter, were clearly well-prepared. If their demands weren’t met, it was likely they would use public pressure as leverage.
Huayuan Group was recently deeply mired in a debt crisis, at a critical juncture of debt restructuring. Any negative news at this time could be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Zhao Feiyang couldn’t help but remember Xu Chunliang’s good qualities. If Xu Chunliang hadn’t left, he might have resolved this matter satisfactorily. Now wanting Xu Chunliang to lend a hand seemed difficult.
Zhao Feiyang subtly reminded Geng Wenxiu to seek coordination from the Hu Shan Town Government, as the local government had a responsibility to help resolve the problem.
Geng Wenxiu had been in politics for many years, so she certainly understood Zhao Feiyang’s implication. In fact, even if Zhao Feiyang hadn’t said it, she had already planned to find Xu Chunliang to think of a solution, after all, Xu Chunliang was the dean of the branch, and the construction of the Healthy Elderly Care Hospital in the past was under his charge.
Geng Wenxiu didn’t care about the reason Xu Chunliang left Changxing. In her view, Xu Chunliang’s move from Changxing Hospital to Hu Shan Town was a promotion and counted as formally entering his official career.
She had also heard her elder brother mention the relationship between Xu Chunliang and Mei Ru Xue, and even hinted that Secretary Zhou appreciated Xu Chunliang very much, so Geng Wenxiu was also much more courteous to Xu Chunliang.
When Xu Chunliang walked into the office, Geng Wenxiu stood to greet him with a smile, "Mayor Xu is here. How does it feel to return to your office again?"
Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "No special feeling, I’m someone who likes the new and loathes the old."
Geng Wenxiu detected the underlying meaning in his words, invited him to sit down, and went by the water dispenser to prepare some tea for him.
Xu Chunliang told her not to make a fuss, as he had brought his thermos. Xu Chunliang was very familiar with everything here, went to get some hot water himself, and recommended to Geng Wenxiu, "Don’t underestimate the Junmin Spring, although it’s not famous, it’s pure natural mineral water, comparable to Nongfu Spring in quality."
But Geng Wenxiu wasn’t here to taste mineral water. She handed the compensation request from the deceased’s family to Xu Chunliang.
Xu Chunliang had no interest in the reasons and regulations listed on it, directly looking at the amount at the end, 3.7 million. Xu Chunliang pursed his lips and said, "They’re really daring with their demands!"
"Exactly, they are adamant that it’s due to security management loopholes on the construction site."
"Jiang Ailian committed suicide, it wasn’t an accident at the construction site."
Geng Wenxiu said, "They won’t listen to that reasoning. They believe that if the construction company had managed according to proper procedures, such a tragedy wouldn’t have happened. If Jiang Ailian hadn’t died, their father wouldn’t have died from grief at the construction site."
Xu Chunliang said, "If someone wants compensation, they’ll always find reasons. How do you plan to handle it?"
From the words "you", Geng Wenxiu realized that Xu Chunliang was distancing himself, viewing the issue from an observer’s perspective.
Geng Wenxiu said, "You have experience working in the medical office and are very familiar with the branch’s situation. Why not give me some advice?"
Xu Chunliang said, "The accident happened at the Healthy Elderly Care Hospital site, not at Weishan Island Hospital. Now the Healthy Elderly Care Hospital belongs to Huanyan Health, which is under the Huayuan Group. You are the deputy dean of Changxing Hospital, which means you shouldn’t actually be responsible for this issue."
These words resonated with Geng Wenxiu, who sighed, "Exactly, but Dean Zhao handed this matter over to me."
Xu Chunliang said, "Frankly, you’re probably taking on a thankless task with this. If you agree to compensation, the Huayuan Group will surely be unhappy; if you don’t, the Liu brothers will escalate the situation, and if it creates any negative impact on the Huayuan Group, the responsibility will still fall on you."
Geng Wenxiu was indeed in a dilemma. Zhao Feiyang had clearly stated his opposition to compensation; the most they could offer was a condolence of no more than 50,000. If the deceased’s family couldn’t get the compensation they wanted, their next step would be to make a scene and escalate the situation.
Geng Wenxiu said, "This is clearly a case where the Huayuan Group is taking the blame for Da Heng. Xiaoxu, you must help me."
Xu Chunliang said, "The Huayuan Group taking the blame is the group’s issue; as Dean Geng, you shouldn’t worry about it. I will handle this by the book. In the afternoon, I will convene a meeting with several related units, and you can notify the person in charge of Huanyan Health for me."
Geng Wenxiu was momentarily stunned but immediately understood Xu Chunliang’s intention. He was essentially giving her the opportunity to sidestep this trouble by saying it’s not her concern and having someone from Huanyan Health attend the meeting.
Geng Wenxiu said, "The current person in charge of Huanyan Health is Pei Lin."
Xu Chunliang said, "If she’s unwilling to come, her superior can come."
Geng Wenxiu thought to herself that Pei Lin’s superior was Zhao Feiyang. Xu Chunliang, having just left the Huayuan Group, asking Zhao Feiyang to come all the way from Dongzhou for a meeting? Who would believe he’s not being deliberately provocative?
However, Geng Wenxiu was glad to wash her hands of it. As soon as Xu Chunliang left, she called Zhao Feiyang to inform him about the meeting Xu Chunliang requested in the afternoon, specifically emphasizing the need for the person in charge of Huanyan Health.
Zhao Feiyang was immediately enraged, thinking Xu Chunliang was deliberately causing trouble. Pei Lin was having strong early pregnancy reactions these days, so it wouldn’t be proper for her to go; he himself definitely didn’t want to go either, not wanting to see this young man putting on airs before him. You’ve just been out for a few days? Don’t forget your position is still with Changxing; do you really think no one can handle you?
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