“Alright then, you should kneel down now and acknowledge me as your grandfather and to kowtow to me and apologize!” Xu Jianshe declared coldly, his voice slicing through the tense air like a whip crack.
Qian Baokun’s eyes widened in disbelief as he heard this . He stepped forward and jabbed a finger against Uncle Xu’s chest, sneering. “Xu Jianshe, did you not hear me clearly? You? A village bumpkin? You’re still dreaming of working at the textile factory? Keep daydreaming!”
But before he could withdraw his hand, Third Uncle Xu’s arm shot out. With a swift, almost fluid movement, he grabbed Qian Baokun’s finger and twisted it with just enough force to elicit a sickening crack.
“Ahhh! Xu Jianshe, you bastard!” Qian Baokun howled in pain, stumbling back. “Let go of me! This is a factory, not a den for gangsters! Help! Someone get security! This thug is trying to start a fight! Arrest him! He’s nothing but a shady bum from the countryside—he’s probably here to steal something!”
Before anyone could move, a clear, commanding voice rang out from behind the crowd.
“Let’s see who dares to arrest my third uncle!”
Xu Ying stepped forward, her gaze icy and cutting, sweeping over the stunned onlookers. With a flick of her wrist, she produced her work ID and held it high. “I’m a new designer here at the textile factory,” she said calmly. “And this is my third uncle, newly recruited as a salesperson—he also works for the food factory. In just half a month, he brought in over 200,000 yuan in orders. Your factory director has made it clear: whoever secures the most orders will be appointed as the new head of the sales department.”
Her voice was measured and calm, but it struck like thunder. The surrounding staff, including the security guards who had rushed over, fell into stunned silence. The mention of such a massive order sent a shock through them. This man… could be the next sales director?
A flicker of panic crossed both Fan Qingqing and Qian Baokun’s faces.
Xu Jianshe now stood beside his niece, arms folded across his chest, his expression serene, eyes cool as he slowly scanned the crowd before settling on the pair in front of him. “Just now, Fan Qingqing and Qian Baokun said that if I became a textile factory employee, he would kneel, kowtow, and call me grandpa. Well, here I am. Why is it that now, suddenly, he’s forgotten his own words and has the nerve to call security instead?”
Only then did the security officers fully understand what was happening. One of them turned to glare sharply at Baokun. “You made that kind of promise? If you dared to say it, you better have the guts to do it. It’s just kowtowing and calling someone grandpa—are your knees too precious?”
Qian Baokun had always acted high and mighty, flaunting his so-called connections to everyone around him. But now, stripped of his false dignity, he stood exposed. The surrounding workers didn’t sympathize with him in the slightest. In fact, they looked rather entertained by the spectacle.
Another coworker piped up, “This was your personal grudge, and yet you dragged the security department into it? Trying to abuse your position to cover your shame? Apologize to this brother right now!”
Baokun’s face flushed deep red. He glared at Xu Jianshe, fists clenched tightly at his sides. How had this country bumpkin actually gotten in? Not just into the textile factory—but also into the sales department? Two jobs? Was this real?
“You’ve gone too far, Xu Jianshe!” he barked, voice shaking with frustration.
“Oh?” Uncle Xu’s brows raised, sarcasm dripping from his words. “And what part of this is ‘too far’? Wasn’t it you who said all those things? Weren’t you the one who promised to kneel and call me grandpa? What now? Afraid to follow through? You run your mouth, but when the time comes, you can’t own your words? What kind of man are you?”
Fan Qingqing stood frozen, her complexion drained of color. She had never expected this outcome. Not even the HR director had been able to stop Xu Jianshe from getting in. That could only mean his backer… was someone even higher. Her heart clenched.
“Bao Kun,” she whispered in panic, “what do we do now? He’s not someone we can afford to offend anymore. Even your brother’s uncle couldn’t stop him. If he wants to retaliate, we’re done for!”
Fan Qingqing had been working as a low-level employee in the factory for over ten years. This year, she was finally being considered for promotion. If Xu Jianshe decided to hold a grudge, her chances would vanish. Ten years of effort—gone. She looked at Baokun with desperation written all over her face. “Just apologize to him!”
Qian Baokun felt like his world had crumbled. His wife was pushing him to kneel. The entire factory was watching. The humiliation was unbearable.
This was supposed to be Xu Jianshe’s humiliation.
And yet here he was, the one brought to his knees.
Xu Jianshe narrowed his eyes. “If you’re too proud to call me grandpa, why don’t you both kneel together? Let your wife help you fulfill your promise.”
Qian Baokun’s expression twisted with fury, but with everyone’s eyes locked on him, he suddenly yanked Fan Qingqing forward and dropped to his knees. She had no choice but to follow. Their knees hit the ground with a dull thud.
“I’m sorry!” Qian Baokun forced the words through clenched teeth—but even now, he couldn’t bring himself to kowtow.
Xu Jianshe looked at them, the long-suppressed bitterness and anger in his chest finally melting away. The humiliation he had endured, the insults, the years of mockery—it was all gone.
All he had wanted was to stand tall, and today, he had done just that.
He turned away from the pair on their knees and addressed Xu Ying with a calm voice. “Let’s go.”
Xu Ying followed, a teasing smile on her face. “Third Uncle, I didn’t realize you had such complicated romantic affairs in your youth.”
“Hmph,” Uncle Xu grunted. “I was just blind back then. Fell for a woman with a rotten heart. Your third aunt is the only good woman in my life!”
Xu Ying raised a brow, amused. “If you know she’s so good to you, then why don’t you treat her better? Your salary’s coming soon. I’m warning you—this month, you’re not keeping a single yuan for yourself. Are you going to hand it over to Third Aunt, or are you planning to stash it away?”
Without hesitation, Uncle Xu grumbled, “I worked hard to earn that money. Of course, I’m keeping it!”
“Tsk, that’s just foolishness.” Xu Ying clicked her tongue. “Third Aunt takes care of the house, the kids—what doesn’t cost money these days? Books, school fees, food, electricity, clothes… My dad gives all his money to my mom. My eldest brother does the same with my sister-in-law. But you? Poor Third Aunt!”
Uncle Xu hesitated, guilt flickering across his face. He muttered under his breath, “Fine, fine… I’ll give it to her. Life’s hard for her, as she’s being married to me.”
As they walked, a couple passed by. The woman carried food, the man holding her bags, laughing with her.
Uncle Xu paused, watching them with a quiet look on his face.
Xu Ying smiled. Despite his bluster, her third uncle had a soft heart.
She glanced at the time. It was nearly dinner hour . After parting ways with her uncle, she began the trek back to the food factory.
“Yingying! Yingying!”
She turned at the familiar voice and saw Gao Guihua waving excitedly, hurrying over. Her face lit up the moment she saw Xu Ying.
“Sister Gao, what’s wrong?” Xu Ying asked, a little caught off guard, though she remained polite.
Gao Guihua beamed, practically glowing with enthusiasm. “Yingying, you really did go to the food factory, just like you said! Everyone misses you so much. What time do you get off work? Let’s all have dinner together tonight—we can’t wait to see you!”