Xu Ying’s words landed with the weight as a stone. Director Sun, found himself caught in his own small-mindedness, his face felt a flush of shame creep up from neck. To be outmaneuvered and exposed by a mere girl, him a man with a year of experience in life , a factory director no less – the embarrassment was palpable.
“Xiao Xu,” he conceded, the words tight, “your suggestion is very good. In that case, I’ll do as you say.”
Xu Ying’s smile was immediate, a bright, knowing thing. Their village still lacked a phone, meaning a personal trip was needed to relay this good news. The thought of asking for yet another leave, however, brought a faint blush to her cheeks. She was always asking, always running off.
Stepping into the back kitchen, Xu Ying braced herself, but Chef Ge, with a seasoned glance, seemed to read her unspoken request. He simply nodded. “Go ahead.”
A relieved chuckle escaped from Xu Ying’s mouth . “I promise to be back soon!” she chirped, and with a spring in her step she left the state owned resturant .
But as she left the resturant a decision had been brewing in the back of her mind . With everyone in the restaurant now having tasted her cooking, and her ‘favorability points’ stuck at its maximum capacity , Xu Ying yearned for a change. The factory canteen beckoned as her next venture. Moreover, the recent surge of incidents in her life hinted that the restaurant might not be a permanent fixture anyway. With Liu Guohua now fully capable of taking over her role, Xu Ying resolved to tender her resignation upon her return.
Leaving the state-owned restaurant behind, Xu Ying pedaled her bicycle with fervent speed towards Yushan Commune, heading directly for Director Sun’s office. She arrived just as Director Sun, a wide grin plastered across his face, hung up the phone. Their commune’s economy wasn’t at the bottom this year – a feat he attributed entirely to Captain Xu’s remarkable daughter.
“Director, Xu Ying is here to see you. The Xu Ying from the state-owned resturant ,” an assistant announced the visitor , disrupting his pleasant reverie.
Director Sun, already boasting about Xu Ying, practically bounced with excitement. “Then why are you just standing there? Bring her in quickly!”
The subordinate swiftly departed, returning moments later with Xu Ying in tow. A she enter the office Director Sun greeted her with an almost paternal warmth. “Yingying, my dear! What brings you to see your uncle at this hour?”
Xu Ying paused, visibly taken aback by the sudden endearment, but quickly recovered, her smile unfaltering. “Uncle Sun, I’m here to bring good news for our commune ! I’ve been working part-time at a food factory nowadays , and I developed a few new recipes – fried goods and braised duck. Both are incredibly popular in our county department store.”
She continued, building the suspense. “New orders are also coming from other conties departmnet stores also , and the food factory is now so overwhelmed with orders, Director Sun of the food factory is looking to expand his venture !”
Director Sun listened, his brow furrowed in confusion. The expansion of a food factory, let alone its director, had nothing to do with him, a humble commune director. Was she seeking sponsorship? Their commune was notoriously poor; no food factory here had a stellar performance. A grim thought struck him: was the food factory director about to ask him for money? His face instantly soured by this thought .
“What does he want from me?” Director Sun still asked , a dread creeping into his voice.
Xu Ying merely smiled, and with a knowing glint in her eyes she says . “It’s a wonderful opportunity that i earned for my commune prosperity ! As Fried goods and braised duck can be made in any empty space and expanding the factory in the county now would be a waste of time and money, wouldn’t it. So! “I thought,” she elaborated, “about letting people from our commune handle it. Since we were just starting out and unsure how the food factory business would fare, I thought about letting people from our village to do it first. My mother and sister-in-law both know the recipe. When the time comes, they’ll give instructions, and our villagers can try their hand at making it. As Key Food Factory’s orders increase, we can also figure out how to quickly prepare these recipes in advance, and it will be easier to manage people from other villages as well.”
As the words of this excitinh news came out of XuYing’s mouth Director Sun visiblily beamed from head to toe . Bringing the food factory’s orders to their Yushan Commune! This wasn’t just about solving employment; it was a colossal leap forward for Yushan Commune’s economic development. This was nothing short of a miracle!
Director Sun nodded excitedly, practically vibrating with eagerness to fast-track this. “Yingying, my dear, I can rest assured leaving this matter to you. Now, go back and gather your villagers to start producing orders for the food factory. If you have any questions, come directly to me for help.”
“Uncle Sun,” Xu Ying interjected, her smile unwavering, “please give our village a certificate first. Proof of cooperation between our Yushan Commune and the food factory.” This, she knew, was her true purpose for coming – to preempt any accusations of illicit speculation. With proof, her villagers’ labor would be legitimate.
Without a second thought, Director Sun swiftly issued the certificate to Xu Ying. Clutching the document, Xu Ying wasted no time, racing back to the village on bycycle .
Upon her arrival at her homer , Xu’s mother eyed her with suspicion. “Why are you back so soon? You’re running around at working every day. Your boss isn’t going to be happy with this attitude , are they?”
Xu Ying simply waved off the concern of her mother , hurrying to the fields where her father toiled. “Dad, I have amazing news! The food factory plans to build a production department right here in our village! The employees will be selected from our own people, and the welfare benefits will be exactly the same as in their factory!”
The words hung in the air, stunning Xu’s father and the villagers working nearby into stunned silence. Then, a ripple of excitement spread, and some even abandoned their work, rushing towards her. “Yingying, is what you said true? The food factory, really, here in our village? Their factory is so big, why would they need a production department elsewhere?”
Father Xu, too, was consumed by curiosity. Even a large factory, if it needed to expand, would surely build on its own land. Why their small village?
“It’s true!” Xu Ying declared, her voice ringing with conviction. “I developed two recipes for the food factory, and they’re selling incredibly well in the county department store. The current factory employees can’t keep up with the orders. Factory Director Sun originally wanted to expand in the county, but I’m from Xujia Village. Naturally, I had to think of our people! So, I persuaded him to expand the factory right here in our village!”
As Xu Ying’s words resonated, the villagers’ faces transformed. With the mixture of excitement, awe, and a profound gratitude replaced their earlier skepticism about this miracilous opportunity.
When Xu’s mother arrived, having caught the tail end of her daughter’s announcement, her excitement was boundless. She clapped her thighs, puffed out her chest like a proud rooster, and with neck craned, crowed, “Oh, I just knew my daughter was very capable! See? If it weren’t for my daughter, would a big factory director ever come to our village to expand? Now you’ll all have jobs, all thanks to my daughter!”
Xu’s mother preened, basking in the villagers’ newfound admiration. Their previous disdain melted away, replaced by genuine gratitude. “Sister-in-law, Captain,” they chorused, “you are right, we all owe a great deal of gratitude to Xu Ying!”
Father Xu, too, swelled with silent pride.
“When will the factory be expanded?” a villager eagerly asked.
“How many people will be needed then? We’re strong, we can all work!” several robust young men volunteered, eager for the opportunity.
Father Xu turned to his daughter, his own curiosity piqued.
“The orders from the food factory are mainly for those who make food,” Xu Ying explained. “We need people who are clean and meticulous, preferably women. There’s no time to build a proper factory right now, so we’ll just put up a large shed next to the wheat field. It’s a big space, and the orders aren’t huge at the moment, so we’ll only need about ten people.”
“I’ll teach my mother and my sister-in-law how to makethe goods first ,” she continued. “They’ll oversee the main recipes, and others will handle the secondary preparation.”
Father Xu then addressed the eager crowd. “You all go on. I’ll go back and discuss the specific matters with my daughter. There will be a charter about this tomorrow.”