Lin Ziyan returned home, where her two younger sisters sat at the stone table drawing.

She put her bag back in the room and came out.

Knock, knock…

Lin Ziyan saw Professor Shen at the door and walked out suspiciously.

"What brings you here at this hour?" she asked.

Shen Hai snorted, took off his straw hat, and sat on the stone stool by the door. "You're never home, and I've never seen you go to the fish farm."

"..." Lin Ziyan looked completely bewildered.

Why didn't she go see her? She's been going every day lately...

"Do me a favor tomorrow. A group of students have come for practical training, but everyone else is busy with their own tasks and there's no one to mentor them," Shen Hai said frankly.

He rushed to the fish farm but didn't see Lin Ziyan. He then went to the shrimp farm and the seafood market, running around until his legs were about to break.

Lin Ziyan raised an eyebrow slightly. "I have nothing to teach you."

"After all, they graduated through connections..."

She teased him, but Shen Hai glared at her fiercely and she quickly stopped.

"I don't have time to take them," Lin Ziyan refused directly.

She had a lot to do next. Ah Jian and Fatty were both busy, so she couldn't leave the tasks to them and had to run errands herself.

Moreover, she doesn't trust anyone else to handle this matter.

"You're busy?" Shen Hai frowned, looking at her suspiciously.

Lin Ziyan let him look her over, but the truth was she was too busy.

The shrimp paste factory needs to be maintained, and orders for fresh shrimp must continue to be fulfilled.

The workers are on holiday now, but she isn't.

"Then how about delaying it for a few days?"

"Don't rush to refuse. Maybe you can pick a few talented people to keep..." Shen Hai stopped her from saying what she was about to say.

Lin Ziyan pondered for a moment; this suggestion was good.

She is now eager to find someone to manage the fish and shrimp farms.

Ah Jian isn't a professional after all. She's okay for simple management, but when something really happens, you always have to go to her.

"Alright, two days from now," Lin Ziyan conceded.

After receiving a positive reply, Shen Hai picked up his straw hat and prepared to leave.

"Professor Shen, wait a moment."

Lin Ziyan called out to him and hurriedly went into the kitchen to get him some shrimp paste.

Sinking into the sea, "..."

"This is shrimp paste I made myself. You can give it to your teacher's wife; she can eat it directly."

Lin Ziyan ignored his stunned expression and turned to walk into the courtyard.

The last time my teacher came to our house for dinner, his wife brought some pastries to give to my great-grandmother.

She had been wanting to give something in return, and shrimp paste was just the right thing to do.

As the sun sets, golden rays pierce through the clouds, like strings woven from golden threads.

With the moon hanging high in the sky, it seemed less unattainable against the backdrop of the blue sky.

Shen Hai returned to his residence with the shrimp paste, and the aroma of food wafted out of the house.

"Old Shen, come help me out, take the dishes out and get ready for dinner," Min Jing called out.

Wisps of smoke rose from the rooftops and dissipated in the wind.

A smile welled up in Shen Hai's eyes as he stepped into the house.

"What are you standing there for at the door?" Min Jing asked gently, holding a bowl and chopsticks in her hand.

She had just finished setting out the dishes and was about to go inside when Shenhai stopped her.

"Thank you for your hard work. Please sit down, I'll go in and get the food."

Min Jing smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll trouble Professor Shen."

Shen Hai placed the shrimp paste on the table and strode into the kitchen, the blush on his ears revealing his unease.

A stir-fried pork dish and melon soup were quickly placed on the table.

Min Jing lifted the jar, and a rich aroma of shrimp wafted out, making one's mouth water.

"It smells delicious! Ah Yan's cooking is excellent," she praised.

Shen Hai nodded and put a piece of meat into her bowl. "She said it can be eaten directly without cooking."

Min Jing hurriedly scooped up some and took a bite. Her eyes lit up instantly. "Delicious! The spiciness is just right, and the shrimp flavor is very rich."

She ate several bites of rice before starting to pick up some vegetables.

Shen Hai scooped up some shrimp paste, placed it on a scallion, took a bite, and chewed slowly.

He nodded. It was indeed delicious, with a sweet shrimp flavor and a spicy kick, perfect with rice.

…

the next day,

Lin Ziyan found the bricklayer, Grandpa Huang.

She discussed with Party Secretary Qin about expanding the factory, which would require renting public housing in the village.

Originally, there were a few rooms in the village that belonged to the public, and a few others that were rented to a family in the village to use as a rice milling workshop.

There are still a few rooms in the air; if they are connected, they can be linked to the original ice-making workshop.

"Ayan, your ice-making workshop is doing so well, are you really going to close it down?" Secretary Qin asked with a regretful expression.

The village finally had a decent workshop, but it was shut down just like that.

Grandpa Huang glanced at them, then pushed open the door to the empty rooms and took measurements.

Lin Ziyan nodded, "We have to cooperate with the policies from above."

"Grandpa Qin, isn't this about building a factory?"

With a complicated expression, Secretary Qin put his hands behind his back and followed Grandpa Huang to take measurements.

Lin Ziyan shrugged. She would leave things to them and go to the county town to get a business license.

The news of the factory expansion spread, sparking much discussion in the village.

When Aunt Chen had some free time, she sat under the tree at the convenience store and listened to everyone chatting.

"Aunt Chen, you've come at the right time. I heard the ice workshop is closing down, and Ah Yan is going to expand the factory?"

An auntie, shelling beans, hurriedly asked.

Secretary Qin went to measure those public houses, saying they had been rented to the Lin family in order to expand the factory.

Once the news spread, everyone's minds started to wander.

Several of my daughters had gone to work in other provinces before, and they were thinking of calling them back, since working from home is better than working outside.

“That’s right, Ah Yan does have this plan. That’s why I put up a notice to continue recruiting,” Aunt Chen said frankly.

People are in high spirits when they have good news, and the thought of the chubby girl going on a blind date made her feel great.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be here chatting with them at this time.

"That's great!" An auntie wearing a blue plaid shirt slapped her thigh, her eyes narrowing into slits with laughter.

"I'll call right now and have my daughter, A-Ting, come back... for... the job..."

After she finished speaking, everyone laughed.

Aunt Chen urged, "Then hurry up and make it. What's so great about food in other provinces? Can it taste as good as home-cooked food?"

Several women were tempted and couldn't sit still, so they lined up to make phone calls.

An elderly man nearby chuckled and asked, "Has your daughter been set up with a boyfriend yet?"

Aunt Chen shook her head, "No rush, we'll find the right one eventually."

"That makes sense." The old man didn't ask any further questions.

Aunt Chen chatted at the convenience store for a while before leaving.

Not long after she left, Aunt Qin came to the convenience store to buy salt.

Hearing that the factory was expanding and hiring more workers, she cursed inwardly, "That vixen is so capable!" She bought salt and rushed home to tell Li Zhaodi.

Qin Atai was sharp-tongued, but she was very perceptive.

If you can get a job in a factory, you'll have a fixed monthly salary, and you won't have to work yourself to death in the fields every day to earn a living.

Most importantly, it can supplement the family's income.

Tan Atai's cloudy eyes gleamed with a sharp light as she thought it would be best to steal the factory's formula so that her son could open a factory in the future.

She quickened her pace, her body swaying unsteadily.

"Li Zhaodi..." she called out at the top of her lungs before even entering the room.

The birds in the nearby trees were startled by her voice and took flight.

"Are you trying to call back my soul, you old hag..."