Jiang Man moved quickly, remaining silent the whole time, obviously unhappy with Zhang Xiaoshan’s promise in front of the workers.
Zhang Xiaoshan followed behind. Follow current novᴇls on novel•fire.net
They soon reached the third floor via a staircase.
The room was small, a two-bedroom apartment.
One of the rooms served as Jiang Man’s study and office, while the other was her bedroom.
The furniture inside was simple but clean and elegant, and there were quite a few green plants.
As soon as she entered, Jiang Man sat down on the sofa with a stern face.
"Sister Man, don’t be angry with me."
Zhang Xiaoshan sat down next to Jiang Man to comfort her.
But Jiang Man burst into Zhang Xiaoshan’s arms and began to sob uncontrollably.
"Sister Man, please don’t cry, I—I was wrong. You can hit me or scold me, just don’t cry."
Zhang Xiaoshan was completely at a loss, apologizing non-stop.
But Jiang Man choked back sobs as she spoke.
"I—I’m not blaming you, I’m blaming myself for dragging you down."
"I know you weren’t being impulsive at the hospital; you wanted to help me out of a tight spot. It’s all my fault for being useless and dragging you into this mess, wuwuwu..."
"If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten involved in this mess. I thought I was the favored daughter of heaven, but I— I dragged you down. I’m a calamity, a burden to you. Forget about me, go on, leave."
"From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. I’ll take on all the troubles by myself. Go on, leave quickly."
Jiang Man pushed Zhang Xiaoshan forcefully.
"I’m not leaving, I won’t."
Zhang Xiaoshan pinned Jiang Man down on the sofa, restricting her movements.
"Sister Man, I’m not going to leave you. I did all this willingly. For you, I would even face death."
"I want to face all difficulties with you, and I will never give up."
Zhang Xiaoshan’s gaze was resolute.
He might have been a bit of a playboy, involved with many women, but he always treated those who genuinely cared for him with the same regard.
How could he ever leave Jiang Man who had given her all to him?
Jiang Man clung to Zhang Xiaoshan’s neck, crying sorrowfully.
It took a few minutes for Jiang Man’s emotions to settle down.
The two sat together on the sofa.
"Little Shan, jokes aside, this matter is no laughing matter. The pit is too deep for you to fill. Fifty million is too much for you to spend just to help me. It’s not worth it. If it comes to it, I’ll just resign. I’ll follow you back to the village and be your country wife, farming with you."
Jiang Man wiped her tears as she spoke.
Zhang Xiaoshan laughed.
"Sister Man, I couldn’t bear to see you, as beautiful as a flower, working in the fields. Besides, the situation may not be as bad as you think."
"At the moment, Hui Nong Pharmaceutical Factory might seem like a money pit, but it depends on who’s running it. If it were me, it might not be impossible to bring it back to life."
"Besides, as a man, my word is my bond. Since I’ve made a promise to those workers, I will follow through, even if it means taking a loss."
"You silly boy, I love that you keep your word, but reality and dreams have their gaps. What can you possibly do?"
Zhang Xiaoshan responded.
"I know what you’re worried about. Aren’t you concerned that the machinery at Hui Nong Pharmaceutical Factory is outdated, the plant dilapidated, and the workers inefficient? But actually, I have no intention of relying on those machines and their existing orders to make money. Nor on contract manufacturing with its thin profits. I want to manufacture our own pharmaceuticals."
"Manufacture drugs, you want to produce them yourself?"
"Little Shan, you—you’re not well?"
Jiang Man stared at Zhang Xiaoshan, somewhat astonished, and said.
"I’ve considered the path you’re talking about. Right when I took charge of this mess in the county, I thought of doing just that. I even did some research with the help of some old contacts. But you know what they say, you don’t know until you ask, and the answer was startling. The market for traditional medicine is already taken, and many well-known brands are deeply entrenched in patients’ minds. A small factory like ours doesn’t stand a chance in the market with its own drugs. Plus, developing new medicines requires a vast, high-level team, years or even decades of development, and the costs are astronomical, not even a billion would be an exaggeration."
"Besides, given Wanshan County’s poor location and inconvenient road access, how many medical experts would be willing to come here?"
"Why look for experts? Can’t I do it myself?"
Jiang Man was taken aback.