When Xu Ying heard this, a spark of understanding ignited within her. “The buisness is in disarray,” she mused, “otherwise, why the wage arrears?” In this era, she knew, many unscrupulous bosses delayed payments, but honest cadres wouldn’t, unless the factory’s output was truly dismal.
“Sister-in-law, is it because the factory’s efficiency is poor that they keep delaying wages?” Xu Ying asked, feigning surprise.
The woman sighed, a weariness in her voice. “Isn’t it just that the benefits aren’t good? We’ve raised these ducks; they’re fat and big, but no one wants them. Everyone has established partners. Our duck factory just started, and our partners are unstable, plus there’s a lot of competition. Our factory hasn’t had any revenue for months. I think this place will close down sooner or later!”
Xu Ying began to piece together the situation. The core issue, she realized, was the lack of information and inconvenient transportation. If the factory’s sales staff would just travel, they could surely secure numerous orders. The woman, a simple, honest soul, was easily led by Xu Ying’s cunning questions.
To show her gratitude, Xu Ying offered the little girl a handful of milk candies. The woman immediately waved her hand in refusal. “Girl, this is too much! This candy is so expensive. You should keep it for yourself. Children who eat too much will ruin their teeth.”
Xu Ying smiled, a knowing glint in her eye. This small gesture was nothing compared to the invaluable information the sister-in-law had provided. “Sister-in-law, keep it for the child to eat slowly. I’ll leave first. We’ll chat later if we have a chance.”
Seeing her about to depart, the woman rose to escort Xu Ying to the gate. Just as they reached it, the little boy from earlier approached, clutching an old woman’s hand. Pointing at Xu Ying, he whined, “Grandma, she was the one who bullied me! She gave all the sweets to that stinky girl and wouldn’t let me eat!”
The old woman, fueled by her grandson’s complaint, marched aggressively toward Xu Ying. But as she drew closer, her demeanor shifted dramatically. With a theatrical flourish, she plumped herself onto the ground, slapped her hands on the dirt, and let out a wail that could curdle milk. “Oh, where did this wretched girl come from, bullying my grandson! You’re such an adult, how can you be so shameless and bully my precious grandson?”
Her performance drew a crowd of villagers, all eager for a spectacle. They were accustomed to the old woman’s antics and looked at Xu Ying with pity. What an unlucky girl, to cross paths with her. This old woman’s power stemmed not from her own strength, but from her capable son, a cadre at the breeding farm. Everyone usually deferred to her out of respect for him, which had only inflated her insatiable greed.
Xu Ying, however, was undaunted. She looked at the old woman, her face grim. “Grandma, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want. You claim I bullied your grandson, but you must provide evidence. If not, I will sue you for defamation. I remember reading that slander is punishable by jail time. I’ll have to go to the police station to check. How many years will you be in jail for your slander?”
At the mention of jail, the old woman’s wailing abruptly ceased. Her round eyes widened, and she blustered, “You go ahead! I won’t be afraid even if you go! Let me tell you, my son is a high-ranking official, so he’s not afraid of a liar like you, a little girl. When the time comes, I’ll talk to my son and have you locked up at the police station!”
Country folk, unversed in the intricacies of law, swallowed her bluff. The woman who had been talking to Xu Ying grew worried. “Girl, she can’t really send you to jail! You’re too young to go to jail. You go first, I’ll stop her here.”
Xu Ying glanced at her reassuringly. “It’s okay. Even if her son is a police officer, I’m not afraid.” She thought, Sure enough, every village has a few shrews who think they’re above the law. “Oh, so your son is truly capable? In that case, let’s go to the police station now. I want to see how powerful your son is, and whether the entire county listens to him.”
The old lady’s bravado faltered. If they truly went to the police station, she would be the first to back down. “Come on, why can’t you move?” Xu Ying prodded, finding the situation amusing.
The crowd, enjoying the rare sight of the old woman being deflated, cheered. Someone from the back shouted, “When are you going to the police station? Go quickly! We don’t know how much power De Zhen has! The policemen at the Qingqing Police Station also have to listen to him!” The villagers erupted in laughter. Everyone gave the old lady face because of her son’s position, but without that influence, who would respect her? This seventy- or eighty-year-old woman was utterly incorrigible.
The old lady knew she had met her match. Her face turned livid, and she grumbled as she struggled to her feet. “You girl really has no sense! You have so many candies, why don’t you give one to my grandson? Come on, my dear grandson, let’s not be shy about eating her candies when we go back.”
“No!” Xu Ying stopped the old lady, pulled a few candies from her pocket, and waved them at the boy. “Come over and I’ll give it to you.” The boy hesitated for a moment, then, unable to resist, ran over. Xu Ying gave him the candy, not forgetting a little “education.”
“You are such an awesome little baby. I didn’t give you candy at that time just to test whether you had the courage to keep asking for it from me. You are truly awesome. I have never seen such a powerful kid. Whatever you want in the future, you should be like this.” The boy beamed, nodding as he popped a candy into his mouth, utterly convinced he had done the right thing.
The old lady, seeing her grandson enjoying the candy, felt a surge of triumph. This girl must still be afraid of her son. She was indeed awesome; she had given birth to a promising son.
Xu Ying watched the grandfather and grandson leave, bid farewell to the woman, and then headed off to tend to her business. Her actions that day would directly cause the grandmother and grandson to make trouble for the son, almost leading to the family’s downfall. But Xu Ying, even if she knew, wouldn’t care. Such a person, with such a mother and child, revealed the family’s inherently poor character. Otherwise, he wouldn’t use his position to allow his mother to wreak havoc in the village.
Xu Ying walked toward the breeding farm, where Zhang Caiban anxiously awaited her. “My ancestor, where have you been? We just checked. The ducks in this farm are truly excellent. They are all big and fat. Go and have a look now. If they are suitable, we will quickly discuss the price.”
Xu Ying smiled and extended her hand toward the director of the breeding factory. “You must be Director Yang!”
Zhang Caiban glanced at her, surprised. How did she know the man’s name and position?
Xu Ying continued, her voice smooth as silk. “Director Yang is truly extraordinary. I just went around the village, and everyone praised Director Yang for his dedication to the factory and said he is a good leader.”
At these words, Director Yang’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. It was over. Those villagers couldn’t have spilled everything, could they?