Qi Weiguo lay awake all night on the cold military camp bed, listening to the steady breathing coming from the next room.
He had finally realized that when dealing with a woman like Li Zhihuan, whose thought process was utterly unconventional, any tactic involving subtle hints or indirect implications was completely useless.
In her way of thinking, there simply was no such thing as “ambiguity.”
Every problem would be solved in the fastest, most direct, and most efficient way possible.
Like a precise machine: input “the bed collapsed,” and the output would simply be “find another place to sleep.” There would never be a romantic option like “we can sleep together.”
Along with his frustration, however, a strange sense of admiration began to rise in Qi Weiguo’s heart.
That powerful decisiveness, that ability to solve problems…
Damn it, it was actually pretty attractive.
Early the next morning, Li Zhihuan got out of bed looking refreshed and energetic, as if she hadn’t been the one who decisively borrowed a military camp bed the night before.
She hummed an out-of-tune tune while bustling around in the kitchen.
Qi Weiguo crawled up from the camp bed in the living room with dark circles under his eyes. Watching her carefree figure, his emotions became indescribably complicated.
At the breakfast table, Li Zhihuan casually flipped through a bound copy of the People’s Daily while drinking porridge.
This had recently become her habit, and both Qi Weiguo and Lin Fen were already used to it.
Suddenly, her finger stopped on a small section of the newspaper.
The headline read: State-Owned Hongxing Textile Factory Actively Clears Inventory and Revitalizes Funds to Boost Production.
Li Zhihuan’s eyes instantly lit up.
It’s here!
The opportunity she had been waiting for had finally arrived!
The article stated that after introducing new equipment, Hongxing Textile Factory had produced a batch of “defective fabric” during machine testing.
In order to recover funds quickly, the factory planned to sell the fabric internally at extremely low prices as clearance goods.
To everyone else, it was defective material.
But to Li Zhihuan, it was a glittering gold mine!
Her “Hongxing Plan” could officially begin.
However, going to the textile factory to “hunt for bargains” wasn’t something she could accomplish alone.
She was unfamiliar with the place, and as a young married woman, barging into a state-owned factory claiming she wanted to buy large quantities of clearance goods would probably get her labeled as a speculator and arrested on the spot.
She needed a “protective charm.”
Someone with a strong identity and commanding presence who could hold the situation down—a partner in crime.
Li Zhihuan’s gaze slowly landed on her mother-in-law Lin Fen, who was happily admiring the new dacron shirt she had received while drinking porridge.
The perfect candidate.
“Mom.”
Li Zhihuan spoke with a sweet smile, her voice practically dripping with honey.
Lin Fen immediately felt pleased by the way she addressed her and looked up.
“Yes? What is it?”
“The weather’s nice lately, and staying in the courtyard every day must be boring. I was thinking of taking you into the city this afternoon so we can buy some new fabric and make you another new outfit. What do you think?”
The moment she heard the words “go shopping” and “new clothes,” Lin Fen’s eyes immediately brightened.
What woman didn’t love looking beautiful?
Especially Lin Fen. Ever since she started wearing the new clothes Li Zhihuan bought for her, she had enjoyed days of envy from the women in the compound, and her vanity had been greatly satisfied.
“Going into the city? Isn’t that troublesome? We’d have to take the bus.”
Though she spoke modestly, the smile on her face was impossible to hide.
“It’s no trouble at all. Think of it as going out for some fresh air.”
Li Zhihuan quickly pressed the advantage.
“Besides, you’re the wife of a battalion commander. How can you always wear old clothes? You need to dress nicely too—it’ll make our Weiguo look good as well, right?”
That sentence hit Lin Fen right where it counted.
That’s right. Her son was now a battalion commander. As his mother, she was officially the battalion commander’s mother! She needed to have style when going out!
“Well… alright then.”
Lin Fen agreed with forced modesty.
“We’ll just go take a look.”
Sitting beside them, Qi Weiguo silently watched Li Zhihuan effortlessly coax his mother into blooming with happiness in just a few sentences, leaving him speechless.
Why did it feel like his mother was now completely wrapped around Li Zhihuan’s finger?
“Oh right, Mom,” Li Zhihuan suddenly added as if remembering something.
“I heard that Hongxing Textile Factory in the city is selling off a batch of fabric very cheaply lately. Buying directly from the factory is much more cost-effective than going through the supply cooperative. I’m just not sure if they allow outsiders inside.”
The moment Lin Fen heard that, she immediately puffed out her chest.
“What’s the big deal? Your father used to drink with the chairman of their factory union! Besides, we’re military family members. We’d be supporting their production by visiting the factory. Why would they stop us at the door?”
That was exactly the sentence Li Zhihuan had been waiting for.
She immediately looked at Lin Fen with admiration.
“Mom, you really know your way around! Such amazing connections! Then I’ll be relying on you this afternoon!”
Praised to the point of dizziness, Lin Fen waved her hand grandly.
“Don’t worry! Leave it all to me!”
That afternoon, Li Zhihuan and her mother-in-law Lin Fen embarked on their journey to Hongxing Textile Factory.
Lin Fen deliberately wore the new shirt that made her feel especially proud. She walked with her head held high and chest puffed out, feeling like the most dazzling “mother-in-law” on the entire street.
Walking behind her, Li Zhihuan looked at her spirited, triumphant figure and curled her lips into a knowing smile.
Following behind her, Li Zhihuan watched her mother-in-law’s proud and spirited back and curled her lips into a knowing smile.
Using her mother-in-law’s vanity and turning it into the perfect “path-clearing pioneer” for her business plans was simply too worthwhile an investment.
The two women rode a bumpy bus to the Hongxing Textile Factory located on the outskirts of the city.
The enormous factory buildings, towering smokestacks, and the massive sign reading “State-Owned Hongxing Textile Factory” all displayed the authority and grandeur of a major state-owned enterprise of that era.
Sure enough, they were stopped by the security guard at the entrance.
“Comrades, who are you looking for? This is an important production area. Entry isn’t allowed without permission.”
The guard was a stern-looking middle-aged man in his forties.
Lin Fen immediately stepped forward, cleared her throat, and put on the imposing air of a battalion commander’s wife.
“Comrade, we’re family members from the military compound. We heard your factory is carrying out production recovery efforts and is handling a batch of fabric, so we specially came here on behalf of military families to express our support and encouragement for your production work!”
Her words sounded grand and righteous, forcibly elevating “buying discounted fabric” into the noble realm of “military-civilian unity.”
The guard was completely stunned by her speech.
Military family members? Here to support factory work?
That was no small title.
At the right moment, Li Zhihuan added softly from the side, just loud enough for the guard to hear.
“Yes, Uncle. My husband is Qi Weiguo, commander of the Fierce Tiger Battalion. When he heard the factory was facing difficulties, he told us family members to come see if there was any way we could help.”
“Qi Weiguo?” The guard’s expression immediately changed. “The battle hero Qi Weiguo who’s famous for fighting?”
“Yes.” Li Zhihuan smiled shyly.
The guard’s attitude instantly made a complete turnaround.
In that era, respect for war heroes was engraved deep into people’s bones.
“Oh my! So you’re Battalion Commander Qi’s family! Please come in! Please come in!”
The guard enthusiastically opened the gate and even offered to personally lead them to the department chief in charge of sales.
Lin Fen shot Li Zhihuan a smug glance, as if saying: See? When your mother steps in, one person is worth two!
Li Zhihuan returned a look full of admiration that said, You’re amazing.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, one responsible for “status suppression” and the other for “precise support,” smoothly entered the gates of the Hongxing Textile Factory without any obstacles.
Not far behind them, a bus stopped at the station.
Meng Yao stepped off the bus. She had deliberately taken leave today to buy a few things in the city.
At a glance, she spotted Li Zhihuan and Lin Fen entering the factory gates together, chatting and laughing intimately like a real mother and daughter.
Meng Yao’s expression instantly darkened.
What was that lazy woman Li Zhihuan scheming now? She had even managed to coax Lin Fen out with her?
Watching the two disappear deeper into the factory grounds, a vicious glint flashed through her eyes.
She wanted to see exactly what tricks this “good mother-in-law and daughter-in-law” pair could come up with!