Chapter 112: The Famous Songtaogou

The conference room in the military district guesthouse was bright and clean. Sunlight filtered through the glass, casting bright spots on the floor. The air was filled with the mixed scent of old wood, tea, and a hint of ink.

Shen Lingning sat upright in the chair, her hands folded on her knees, her knuckles slightly white from the exertion, revealing some of her inner tension, but her back was straight.

The reporter opposite was named Wang, a senior writer for the Qin Province Daily. He had a sharp yet gentle gaze.

The camera lens was focused on her like a silent eye.

"Comrade Shen Lingning, relax. Let's just chat about your factory and your products."

Reporter Wang spoke in a steady, guiding voice.

Shen Lingning took a deep breath and looked up at the reporter with a clear and honest look.

She did not try to be sentimental, but used plain language to start the story from the beginning when the family members got together to try to find a way to produce the baby.

"At the beginning, we had nothing but a big pot and a few hands. Tea seeds were harvested from the mountains, and the sisters shelled them one by one, leaving their hands covered in cuts.

I pick osmanthus flowers at night in the fall, carrying lanterns, for fear of damaging the fragrance...Cold-processing soap is time-consuming and laborious; stirring over and over again makes it difficult to lift my arms. Some people say, "What's the point? Why not use cheaper ingredients, save time, and make money quickly?"

She paused, her eyes filled with unquestionable determination: "But we can't. We are a military factory. Behind this sign is the face of our army, and even more so, our conscience."

Whether the oil you use is good oil, whether it smells really fragrant, ordinary people will know it once they use it, and you can’t deceive them.”

She picked up the two bars of soap on the table, one real and one fake. There was no need to compare them deliberately; the superiority and inferiority were obvious.

"Real golden osmanthus soap, when you smell it up close, has a light sweet osmanthus fragrance mixed with the mellow tea seed oil. It feels firm in the hand and is smooth and greasy after getting wet without leaving any residue. Fake..."

She shook her head slightly and said nothing more, but the subtle expression of disgust said it all.

When the reporter asked her about the difficulties of starting a business, her eyes revealed some complex emotions. It was not a complaint, but a kind of retrospective sigh: "It's difficult, it's really difficult. If I don't understand the technology, I learn it bit by bit, and if I fail, I try again. If I don't have enough equipment, I use primitive methods to start a business.

During the most difficult time, Fubao was still little, and I held her in my arms and stayed up all night to keep an eye on the heat... But seeing the first batch of soaps take shape and be demoulded, and seeing the sisters so happy when they received their first salary, I felt that it was all worth it.

It's not about money, it's about the spirit that we, the military families, can create value with our own hands."

She did not shout slogans, but every word she spoke revealed the simplicity, tenacity and sense of collective honor unique to that era.

She spoke clearly and in a calm tone. Occasionally, when she talked about something interesting, she would smile slightly. The curve of her mouth softened her slightly cold face, making her seem particularly sincere and credible.

When she described the scene of sisters picking osmanthus flowers together in autumn, the mountains and fields were covered with golden color, the fragrance was so rich that it was intoxicating, and everyone was chatting and laughing while working.

Even reporter Wang was listening intently, as if he could see the land full of hope and enthusiasm through her words.

At the end of the interview, reporter Wang closed his notebook and said sincerely, "Comrade Shen Lingning, thank you. Your story is more powerful than I imagined."

The reporter recorded the scene quickly, and the camera also captured the confident and beautiful figure of the young military-affiliated factory director.

A few days later, the Qin Province Daily published a report titled "Fragrance comes from the bitter cold: Visiting military factory director Shen Lingning and her "Songtaogou" miracle" in almost an entire page.

In the photo accompanying the article, Shen Lingning holds a bar of soap with a clear and firm look in his eyes. The background is a blurred factory building and busy female workers, and the composition is full of storytelling.

The article is very contagious. It not only exposes the harm of counterfeit and shoddy products, but also vividly depicts the self-reliance, excellence-seeking struggle and valuable qualities of the military families represented by Shen Lingning.

"The Conscience of the Military Factory"

“We would rather produce less than damage the brand.”

...and other sentences are highlighted.

The article highly praised the spirit of self-reliance and hard work of military families represented by Shen Lingning, deeply analyzed the high quality source of Songtaogou products, severely criticized the unscrupulous counterfeiters, and called for strengthening market supervision.

Shen Lingning's words, "We would rather have lower output and higher costs than ruin the brand of 'Military Factory'" were used as a subheading and widely circulated.

One stone can cause a thousand ripples!

The impact of this report is far beyond imagination!

The words "Military Family Factory", "Songtaogou" and "Chen Lingning" are deeply imprinted in the hearts of Chang'an citizens.

The product quality is excellent, the factory manager has a positive and beautiful image, and the story is inspiring and touching!

A dispute over genuine soap and fake soap led to a customer smashing the counter and the mall offering compensation to appease the situation.

These dramatic events, through word of mouth and newspaper reports, have made the names of "Songtaogou" and "Jinguizao" deeply engraved in the minds of Chang'an citizens in another way.

People's curiosity and desire to buy were completely ignited, and they all asked where they could buy this "legendary" genuine product.

Shen Lingning keenly seized this wave of public opinion.

She didn't have time to rest, and used the phone in the guesthouse to call the hotline of Political Commissar Zhang at Songtaogou Base that night.

A familiar electrical noise came from the receiver, and she reported the situation in Changan in a clear and orderly manner: the harm of counterfeit goods, the direction of public opinion, the public's urgent need for authentic products, and the huge reputation value and potential economic benefits behind it.

"Commissar, this is an opportunity."

Shen Lingning’s voice was calm and persuasive: “Public opinion is on our side, and the masses recognize us.

If we have our own window in Changan, it will not only completely eliminate the confusion of counterfeit goods and make it convenient for the public to buy, but also be the best platform to showcase the style of our military factory and consolidate the brand reputation.

This will also be extremely beneficial for our future foreign trade tasks."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and then Political Commissar Zhang's steady voice came: "Comrade Lingning, your idea is very timely. The military newspaper reprinted the provincial newspaper's report, and the leaders also saw it and were very appreciative of your factory's performance.

You have demonstrated the ambition and prestige of our military families!

I think this store is a good idea! If we're going to do it, we have to do it well and embody the spirit of our military unit!

Please come up with a specific plan as soon as possible, and we will discuss it at the base party committee meeting."

With the approval of senior management, the process was astonishingly fast.

An application report on the establishment of the "Songtaogou Military and Civilian Service Chang'anmen City Department", accompanied by a simple plan drafted by Shen Lingning and an analysis of the political and economic benefits, was quickly approved.

After obtaining the approval documents and limited start-up funds, Shen Lingning immediately invested in the site selection and construction of the store.

The address was chosen as a street-facing shop on East Street not far from the government compound, surrounded by well-known Chang'an stores such as the May Day Hotel, Xi'an Hotel, Xinhua Bookstore, and China World Mall.

Shen Lingning and Fu Bao had a "disagreement" about store design.