“I’m an Educated Youth from Jingcheng, and now I’m her sister-in-law.” That was all Cheng Hui said.
Instead, she managed to extract all the woman’s information, including what her husband did, how many people were in the family, how many children they had, and what grades they were in.
How many workers were in the Food Factory, and what their situations were.
After listening, she had a clear idea in her mind.
When Tao Juan heard she was from Jingcheng, she became even more talkative, practically holding nothing back and sharing every detail.
After walking for twenty minutes, the three arrived at the Commune Food Factory, located right at the edge of the commune.
In fact, the entire commune consisted of just one street, with all functional units situated along it. The middle of the street housed government offices, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the school, and so on, while the two ends of the street were home to a few small factories.
As soon as Tao Juan entered the gate, she shouted, “Director! Director! Come quickly! I’ve brought a living Bodhisattva! She says she can save us!”
Cheng Hui… Could she please change the title? She didn’t deserve it!
With a clatter, about ten people rushed out of the simple factory building. Each of them looked haggard but wore expressions of pleasant surprise.
However, when they saw the two young girls beside Tao Juan, their faces fell.
Gao Zhi looked excited, glancing left and right, her gaze at them resembling that of someone looking at… fat sheep.
The other one was even prettier and pregnant, with a mature demeanor—she must be an adult, right? But looking at her youthful face and bright, lively eyes, it didn’t seem so!
Who in the world had taken advantage of an underage girl?!
Guo Dajun scowled and scolded Tao Juan, “Nonsense! What kind of time is this to joke around with everyone? You’ve got too much free time!”
Tao Juan said, “She told me she’s an Educated Youth from Jingcheng! Her family has connections who can manage our Food Factory! She knows about our impending closure!”
These three sentences made the eyes of the ten people across from them light up as well.
Guo Dajun instantly changed his expression, extending both hands warmly as he walked over. He grabbed Cheng Hui’s hands, shook them vigorously a couple of times, then quickly let go, saying enthusiastically:
“My apologies, my apologies! Please come in quickly. It’s cold outside—let’s sit inside!”
At a single glance, it was clear who was in charge between Cheng Hui and Gao Zhi.
Cheng Hui calmly walked in.
In her previous life, she had only learned about the closure of this small Commune Food Factory when villagers complained before the New Year that they couldn’t buy Caozi Cakes for gifts.
After being reborn, she had thought of countless ways to get rich.
The Food Factory was one path.
Now that it had actively come to her, it was fate. She would start from here.
…
Though called a Food Factory, it was actually just a large courtyard with a few brick-tiled houses.
There was one director’s office, one warehouse, one production workshop, and one staff workroom—a place for changing clothes, eating, and resting.
Cheng Hui inspected each room and finally stopped in the workshop.
She touched a recently cooled oven and said, “A Soviet-made machine from the 1950s—older than I am.”
This oven was something else—it was coal-fired.
The director’s eyes lit up even more. An outsider wouldn’t know this machine was Soviet-made! Let alone pinpoint the era!
This young lady’s family definitely had someone in the industry!
He wasn’t wrong—Cheng Hui’s own older brother had studied mechanical design and was now working as a designer’s assistant at a design institute in Jingcheng.
But the reason Cheng Hui could recognize this machine was that, in her previous life, she had studied mechanics herself. Later, she switched jobs several times, designing many different types of machinery, and eventually started a small home appliance company.
She didn’t want to work either; she also wanted to go out and search for her daughter, but Gao Yuan going in person was more suitable than her.
And searching for a child required money—a lot of money. If Gao Yuan didn’t have time, then she had to work hard.
“Let’s talk,” Cheng Hui said, snapping back to reality.
“Alright, alright, let’s have a proper talk!” Guo Dajun enthusiastically led her into the factory director’s office and shooed the other workers out.
He was more sensible than Tao Juan—such a big favor wouldn’t come for free, of course.
But, rubbing his hands together, he said, “As you can see, our factory is very poor. You can ask around—we haven’t paid wages in six months!”
Afraid she would refuse, Guo Dajun continued, “But I promise you, as long as our factory doesn’t shut down, once our wages are paid…”
He gritted his teeth and said, “Our factory has eleven workers, and each of us will give you one month’s wages! That’s about 400 yuan.”
“Wow!” Gao Zhi exclaimed, clearly inexperienced and easily impressed.
She was certain that no household in Gao Family Village could come up with 400 yuan!
Guo Dajun kept his eyes fixed on Cheng Hui.
Seeing her expressionless face, his heart sank.
This young woman had quite the appetite…
“I don’t want your money,” Cheng Hui said.
“Huh?” Both Guo Dajun and Gao Zhi looked at her.
Had they encountered a living Lei Feng?
“I want to be the deputy director of your factory,” Cheng Hui said.
“Cough, cough, cough!” Guo Dajun broke into a fit of coughing.
Gao Zhi, on the other hand, looked at Cheng Hui with admiration.
People from Jingcheng were truly different—their minds were just sharper!
Four hundred yuan was a one-time deal, but becoming the deputy director was a lifelong arrangement!
Didn’t the annual salary amount to 400 yuan?
And for a lifetime… how much would that be?
She hadn’t studied arithmetic and couldn’t figure it out.
Guo Dajun calmed down and laughed, “Fine! As long as you can keep our factory from shutting down, we happen to have a deputy director position open! Why not give it to you?!”
Food factories in provincial cities a hundred miles away had thousands of workers, while those in small county towns had hundreds.
Their shabby little Commune Food Factory, including him, had eleven people.
In the eyes of rural folks, they were government employees—quite impressive.
But in the eyes of city people, they were nothing.
These eleven people were all originally from the county food factory, having been sent here as punishment for offending their superiors!
Back then, who hadn’t come here in tears?
It was rare for this young woman to take an interest now.
But because of this, Guo Dajun’s gaze grew a bit suspicious…
If her family really had connections, wouldn’t she easily find a good job? Why… marry a rural man and covet the deputy director position in his shabby little factory?
Cheng Hui’s next words deepened his suspicion even further.
“Tell me, what exactly did the higher-ups say to you? Did they issue a notice, giving you a deadline to disband? Or did they say the factory would be dissolved if performance didn’t meet certain standards?”
Guo Dajun’s heart sank further. Her words indicated she had no inside information! Perhaps she had only heard from some passerby that they were about to shut down.
He couldn’t bring himself to smile anymore and said flatly, “A notice was issued—we’ll disband after the New Year. Even if I make you deputy director now, you won’t receive any wages, nor will you get any New Year benefits.”
He thought these two young women had come for that purpose—they were quite bold.
Cheng Hui smiled as she rolled up her sleeves. “Don’t speak too soon. As long as you listen to me, I guarantee our factory’s New Year benefits will be the best in the entire county.”