Jiang Xiuyun naturally took this matter to heart. After all, who wouldn’t want to become the director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative?
If there were a fair chance to compete, why should she have to prepare that 800 yuan?
The moment she thought of those 800 yuan, her mind drifted back to the story her younger brother had told that day. His classmate’s mother had been deceived so miserably… the memory lingered uneasily in her chest.
When work ended, Xiao Chenghe rode his bicycle to the entrance of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and greeted everyone with a smile. One of the older women teased, “Oh my, Xiuyun, your Xiao is here again. Look how considerate he is. Every day he takes you to work and picks you up, treating you like a treasure.”
The women around them were filled with envy. Compared to him, their own husbands would rather lie at home reading the newspaper than come out to pick them up.
Xiao Chenghe laughed gently and said, “Of course. Xiuyun is about to give birth. If I’m not careful, how could that be acceptable?”
Another woman chimed in, “Xiuyun is carrying twins. It would be wonderful if she gives birth to a boy and a girl.”
Xiao Chenghe’s expression softened even more as his gaze fell on Jiang Xiuyun’s belly, filled with quiet tenderness.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my, twins? You really can’t tell from her belly.”
Several experienced women gathered closer, studying her stomach carefully. Jiang Xiuyun instinctively placed a hand over it. She said nothing, yet her thoughts once again drifted back to her brother’s story, a faint unease stirring within her.
The women continued chatting around her. “Xiuyun, you need to eat more. Your belly looks a bit small. If it’s twins, the babies might end up thin and small.”
Another added, “That’s right. When I was pregnant with my son, even with just one child, my belly was bigger than yours. If yours is this size with twins, I’m afraid they might be weak at birth.”
Seeing Jiang Xiuyun fall silent, Xiao Chenghe quickly spoke up to ease the tension. “Alright, alright, don’t scare her. Xiuyun has been eating well. The doctor said the babies are very healthy and full of energy.”
Then he turned to her with a gentle smile and asked, “What do you want to eat? Just tell me, and I’ll go buy it for you.”
Looking at such a considerate and attentive husband, Jiang Xiuyun found it hard to connect him with the man from her brother’s story. The thought felt almost absurd.
She got onto the bicycle, wrapping one arm around his waist as she said softly, “Don’t make a fuss. With my belly this big, I can’t eat much anyway. Oh right, aren’t you going on a business trip tomorrow? When will you be back?”
Xiao Chenghe replied calmly, “I’ll be gone for three days. When I return, it’ll be just in time for your prenatal checkup. I’ll go to the hospital with you.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
A trace of doubt flickered in Jiang Xiuyun’s heart. Ever since she became pregnant, Xiao Chenghe had never missed a single checkup with her. However, when she thought about how harmonious their marriage had been over the years, she quickly dismissed the suspicion. There shouldn’t be any problems between them.
Shaking her head, she forced herself to let go of those overly anxious thoughts.
The next day, after seeing her husband off, Jiang Xiuyun hurried back to her village. The matter of the green onions had to be handled without delay.
Only after confirming from her father that the 25 kilograms of green onions were completely ready did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
However, when she returned to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, she was met with unexpected bad news. The originally scheduled delivery in three days had suddenly been moved up.
The city’s weather forecast predicted the first snowfall in three days. If snow fell, the roads would become difficult to travel, and transporting this batch of green onions would inevitably be delayed.
Manager Wang personally came down to supervise and ordered that the task must be completed the very next day.
Everyone immediately became alert and energetic, rushing off to their respective vegetable fields to urge the villagers to start harvesting.
The cooperative hired eight large trucks. Each truck was assigned to one person, who would head to the fields so that the vegetables could be loaded directly as they were harvested.
When the time came to collect the produce, Manager Wang stood anxiously in the backyard. Only when the first truck appeared did his tense expression finally ease.
One truck after another drove into the yard. However, when he counted and saw only seven trucks, he paused and looked around. “Who hasn’t come back yet?”
Yu Shuqin replied, “Jiang Xiuyun hasn’t returned.”
Manager Wang waved his hand and said, “Alright, we won’t wait for her. Let’s weigh the vegetables you’ve brought back first. Even if she’s delayed on the road, we won’t be scrambling later.” This chapter was taken from novelping . com without permission.
Everyone began unloading and weighing the vegetables. When Yu Shuqin saw the neatly stacked 25 kilograms of green onions on the trucks, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Manager Wang, I’ve actually contacted several neighboring villages. Completing another 25 kilograms of green onions wouldn’t be difficult.”
Manager Wang nodded in satisfaction. “Comrade Yu Shuqin, your attitude toward completing the task is excellent. But what’s going on with that Jiang Xiuyun? She’s an experienced worker at our cooperative. Why hasn’t she brought the green onions back yet?”
No one answered. They simply didn’t know what had happened.
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Shuqin spoke cautiously, “Manager Wang, I heard that Jiang Xiuyun might have run into some trouble with her procurement task. When I passed by her village, I saw her arguing with the villagers. It seemed the contract they had agreed on was given to someone else. I’m afraid her 25 kilograms of green onions… might not be completed.”
Hearing this, disappointment flickered in Manager Wang’s eyes. He had always thought highly of Jiang Xiuyun. Despite being heavily pregnant, she was capable and hardworking, with a good reputation in the cooperative. In fact, he had even considered her for the position of director.
But now, at such a critical moment, she had faltered.
With so many people watching, he couldn’t show favoritism.
Manager Wang’s expression darkened as he said angrily, “I had high hopes for her. If she can’t complete the task, she can remain a salesperson for the rest of her life. Some people just can’t be helped.”
An older employee quickly stepped forward and said, “Manager Wang, there might have been some unexpected issue. Should we wait a little longer? Maybe Xiuyun is trying to resolve it.”
Another added, “Yes, Manager Wang. Xiuyun has always been diligent in her work. This time might not necessarily mean something went wrong.”
Yu Shuqin also spoke up, “Manager Wang, Xiuyun is a serious and responsible person. She probably didn’t expect this sudden situation either. No one could have predicted it. How about this? I’ve already arranged for another 25 kilograms of green onions. I can have them transported here. That way, even if there’s a problem on Xiuyun’s side, the total quantity won’t be affected. What do you think?”
Manager Wang fell silent, weighing the situation. This batch of goods had to be dispatched soon, as it needed to reach the city by tomorrow.
In other words, Jiang Xiuyun could no longer be relied upon, while Yu Shuqin’s arrangement would solve their urgent problem.
He couldn’t keep placing all his hopes on Jiang Xiuyun.
“Alright,” Manager Wang finally decided, “take the trucks and bring in those 25 kilograms of green onions.”