Chapter 75: Generous Rewards

Back home!

Shen Guodong parked the car in the corner of the yard.

Liu Yueru carried the groceries to the kitchen.

She did not notice the faintly secretive smile on Shen Guodong’s face.

Sure enough, as she stepped into the living room, Liu Yueru let out a startled cry, “Guodong, come here quickly!”

“Just a moment,” Shen Guodong called out, then walked over.

The woman stood there, stunned, staring in utter disbelief at the scene before her. Her delicate hand pointed toward the living room—a large color television sat on the table, and beside the dining table was an electric fan. Besides these, there were even more coveted household appliances in their home.

At first sight, Liu Yueru even thought she had entered the wrong house.

But as she glanced around at the familiar furnishings, she realized this was indeed her own home.

A wave of emotion overwhelmed her—what on earth was going on? It was almost unimaginable.

Shen Guodong smiled, “Why are you so nervous? You didn’t walk into the wrong house. I bought all these. What are you thinking?”

“Oh,” Liu Yueru breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at him in astonishment. “Why did you suddenly buy so many appliances? That’s such a waste of money!”

“It’s fine. We’re not short on money now, and these appliances are all necessary. And haven’t you always dreamed of owning a television? I decided to just buy one,” Shen Guodong replied with a gentle smile.

If he remembered correctly, when Liu Yueru first married him, she’d told him her greatest dream was to save up for a television—so she could one day watch TV with their child in her arms.

But before her dream could take root, Shen Guodong fell into gambling, and soon all their savings were squandered. Their combined salaries would be spent as soon as they were received!

For months afterward, they survived on borrowed money, never knowing where their next meal would come from.

Later, Shen Guodong even began to beat and scold her at the slightest provocation.

And now, that long-harbored dream had finally come true.

Liu Yueru was unable to believe it for a long time; tears welled in her eyes. Suddenly, she turned around and threw herself into Shen Guodong’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, her heart aching with bitterness, as if it would shatter.

This woman truly evoked one’s deepest sympathy.

“There, there, don’t cry! Let’s go make dinner,” Shen Guodong said, not wanting to say more. Words were meaningless compared to action, and he had always preferred to prove himself through deeds.

Liu Yueru, he imagined, must have felt the contrast so sharply that she could no longer hold back her emotions and burst into tears.

She wiped her tears, looked at him, and suddenly let out a choked laugh—the expression on his face was simply too comical.

“Let’s cook dinner!” Liu Yueru picked up the groceries from the floor and headed into the kitchen to start washing the vegetables.

Seeing this, Shen Guodong stepped forward to help.

After the meal, Shen Guodong turned on the television, and as Liu Yueru finished cleaning up, she couldn’t wait to rush to their battered secondhand sofa. Her excitement was so obvious that Shen Guodong couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“A color TV! The picture’s so much better than my colleague’s black-and-white set. How much did it cost?” Liu Yueru asked, unable to contain her excitement.

Shen Guodong didn’t hide it. “Just a few thousand yuan. That’s the going rate for color TVs these days.”

She drew in a sharp breath.

To her, it was an astronomical sum. With her meager salary, it would take years of scrimping and saving to afford such a television.

And with technology evolving so rapidly, by the time she could afford one, there’d likely be something newer on the market.

For an ordinary family, such appliances were unimaginably expensive.

…

Shen Guodong arrived at the factory.

He was immediately summoned to Director Xu’s office.

“Director Xu, you wanted to see me?” Shen Guodong was no fool—he could guess the reason. There were only two things Director Xu would call him in for: the commission from the Fengtian Steel deal or the upcoming business trip.

Both matters were significant.

“Mm.” Director Xu, pen in hand, was scribbling at his desk. Glancing up as Shen Guodong entered, he set the pen aside and said, “You probably know why I called you.”

“Yes, it’s about the business trip to Shencheng.” As a clever subordinate, he knew to avoid bringing up the reward himself—no leader liked that. Even if everyone knew a reward was due, one had to pretend otherwise; it was an unspoken rule.

“That’s right. The trip is being coordinated, but it’s basically settled. My order to you is that you must secure the deal. If you succeed, not only will the factory give you a generous commission, but with the upcoming reforms, I’m considering appointing you to head the project,” Director Xu said.

Hearing this, Shen Guodong’s heart suddenly pounded with excitement—he could hardly believe it. His face was alight with joy.

After all, Shen Guodong had been working at the factory for the sake of these reforms. If he could secure this deal, he’d have his start-up capital.

He hadn’t expected Director Xu to bring it up so directly. It was truly exhilarating.

Though he’d long anticipated this, Shen Guodong kept his composure. “I’ll leave everything to your arrangement, Director Xu. I’ll give a hundred percent to win this for the factory!”

Director Xu snorted, “When did you get so slick with your words? Enough talk. About your commission for the Fengtian Steel order—the higher-ups have approved it. Take this voucher and go settle with accounting.”

Shen Guodong’s mood soared as he glanced at the figure. His heart skipped a beat—it was even more than he’d expected.

A commission of three thousand five hundred yuan—enough to match several years’ salary for many people.

Indeed, in business, there were always opportunities for big rewards. This sum was something most could only dream of.

Moreover, Fengtian Steel was so crucial to the factory that there was an additional bonus, approved by the upper management.

A personal reward for Shen Guodong—five thousand yuan, in recognition of his contribution.

It was clear—if he could secure the order from Shencheng Steel, the reward would be even greater. After all, their scale far surpassed Fengtian Steel’s.