The two girls, was also remarkably bright, consistently ranked among the top ten in their class from the moment they first entered school.
” Third Uncle , would you consider working at our factory ?” As she entered the house she shouted this sentence with her voice helding a hopeful note.
Uncle Xu, startled, dropped his spatula. “Yingying, you mean me? Working at your factory? What would I do? I’m not going to be cooking and eating with a bunch of women, am I?” The past few months of cooking at home had turned his stomach, and the mere thought of dining with a group of women sent a wave of unease and exhaustion over him.
“No, no,” Xu Ying quickly clarified. “It’s in sales. Your earnings depend on how much you sell. If you’re good, you could make hundreds, even thousands, a month. If not, well, you might not make a penny. Think it over. If you’re up for it, come find me in the county town. I truly believe duck products are easy to sell. People just haven’t tasted their deliciousness yet. Once word spreads, sales are bound to soar!” Xu Ying radiated confidence.
Having sampled the duck products himself, Uncle Xu knew their exquisite taste. He couldn’t fathom anyone not wanting such delectable food. His decision was instant. “I’ll do it! When do I start?”
Xu Ying, knowing her third uncle’s bold spirit, smiled. “Anytime you like. But this job might require some travel. You should discuss it with your third aunt.”
Uncle Xu’s masculinity flared. “Nothing to discuss! How could a woman sway my decisions?” He caught Xu Ying’s cold gaze and instantly deflated, the bluster extinguished. He offered a sheepish smile. “Just kidding! Go to your home. Your third aunt and I will talk it over tonight, and I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”
Xu Ying nodded. She knew her third aunt would simply defer to her third uncle’s wishes, so there was no real doubt about the outcome. Yet, she suggested the discussion hoping to foster respect between the couple and encourage them to make decisions together.
The very next day, after Xu Ying had left for work, Third Uncle Xu also eagerly made his way to the county town. “Yingying, your Third Uncle is ready to start! Take me to your factory director now!”
“Uncle Third, have you had lunch yet?” Xu Ying asked.
A rumbling protest from Uncle Xu’s stomach was followed by a dry chuckle. “Not yet! Didn’t want to waste a moment getting to work. Your third aunt’s already at her job, and it would be embarrassing if a grown man like me was still lounging around! By the way, didn’t you say I could go to the textile factory before? Why the food factory now?”
Xu Ying smiled, placing a plate of dumplings before him. “Uncle Third, let me guess why you wanted to work at the textile factory!”
Uncle Xu’s face tightened.
Xu Ying continued, her smile widening. “I heard that when you and third aunt were getting together, there was also an another man who awas intrested in third aunt . His family wasn’t as well-off as ours, but he was clever and diligent, and he got a job at the textile factory. And I heard you also took the exam but didn’t pass, right?”
Uncle Xu was mortified. So few people knew of this old embarrassment, and yet his niece did! He mumbled in discomfort, unable to meet her gaze.
Seeing his reaction, Xu Ying knew she was right. She leaned in conspiratorially. “Being a salesperson at the food factory is just the beginning. If you do well there, you could also become a salesperson at the textile factory. Imagine! Not only would you make good money, but you’d have two jobs! How proud would that make you?”
Uncle Xu’s eyes gleamed, captivated by Xu Ying’s grand vision. Wasn’t that true? His niece already held two jobs, and the villagers were green with envy whenever she was mentioned. His older brother and sister-in-law practically swelled with pride at every admiring comment.
“Yingying, are you serious?” Uncle Xu’s voice was filled with excitement. “Can Third Uncle really have two jobs at once?”
Xu Ying nodded, her smile radiant. “Of course! As long as Third Uncle can sell the goods. The more you sell, the more you earn!”
“Then just wait a moment! I’ll find your factory director right after I eat!” Third Uncle Xu devoured his meal, afraid of losing even a second.
After lunch, Xu Ying spoke with Master Ge, then took Third Uncle Xu to the food factory. Director Sun, trusting Xu Ying’s judgment, took one look at Uncle Xu and immediately sent him to the sales department. However, he was only a temporary worker, without even a basic salary. The commission Director Sun offered Third Uncle Xu was a mere one cent per thousand yuan, significantly less than Xu Ying’s, but then again, Xu Ying was a product developer.
As soon as Third Uncle Xu started his new role, a bold plan began to form in his mind. “Yingying, do you think Third Uncle could go to Province’s Capital City and deliver a batch of goods there ? Our duck products are so delicious, people there are bound to love them. Plus, people fromthere are from a big city; they’re not short on money.”
Xu Ying raised an eyebrow, surprised by her third uncle’s ambition. But she shook her head, disapproving of his hasty idea. It was fine to seek orders in City, but such a big leap could backfire.
Besides, this city was a major provincial hub. Arriving with a mere handful of duck products, they’d likely not even get an audience with the department store director. Though the duck products were delicious, without a reputation, they were useless. Their immediate goal was to build the duck products’ popularity.
“Uncle Third,” Xu Ying explained patiently, “if the department stores in our own county aren’t ordering duck products from the food factory, do you really think people in other cities will want them? If no one in your own family wants something, why would outsiders want it ?”
Third Uncle Xu was taken aback. “Aren’t duck products popular in our county? Why hasn’t the department store bought them?”
Xu Ying shrugged. That was a question for their factory director. The food factory and the department store had a long-standing history of cooperation, but after the department store had been cheated by the food factory, the two had become bitter rivals. Department stores across the country shared a powerful leader. If this conflict couldn’t be resolved in the county, how could they hope to sell goods anywhere else? Duck products were just the beginning; future products would also need department store distribution. This animosity simply had to be resolved.
Xu Ying recounted the history of the conflict between the department store and the food factory. As he listens the frown on Third Uncle Xu ‘s face deepend , hearing of the animosity. How could he possibly sell goods to the department store with such bad blood between them?
Xu Ying waved him closer, whispering a few words in his ear. Hearing these words Third Uncle Xu’s face instantly lit up with a wide smile.
After all this discussion ” Third Uncle , do you know what Huo Chen does?” Xu Ying suddenly asked.
The smile vanished from Third Uncle Xu’s face. He looked at Xu Ying with a strange expression. “Why do you ask about him? Did he bother you?”
Xu Ying nodded, a hint of hesitation in her gesture.
Third Uncle Xu’s face darkened with anger. “Yingying, tell me how that boy provoked you! Next time he tries to do business, I’ll report him immediately!”
“Report him for what?” Xu Ying asked, bewildered.
Third Uncle Xu scoffed. “You young people are so naive! You really think Huo Chen built that house just by selling some wild goods? All his money came from the black market! What he did there was definitely speculation. But that kid had connections. Several groups of people were arrested before, but he always managed to wriggle out of it!”