Liang Qinxuan also wanted overseas orders, so he turned around and asked his cousin.

He also knew that the claim that his cousin was helping him manage the company was a lie; the person behind his cousin was his father.

But his mother is currently living in another city, making it difficult for him to get along well with his father.

Securing overseas orders isn't something that can be resolved quickly. Guan Baiyu and Liang Qinxuan plan to first develop the market in J City, and then the provincial capital...

To this end, they even made several trips to the provincial capital.

Changxi City is not far from the provincial capital, only a little over two hours by car. They can go there in the morning and come back in the evening.

After traveling around and meeting all sorts of people, both Guan Baiyu and Liang Qinxuan changed in their interpersonal skills.

When summer vacation had just started and Guan Baiyu was clinging to him, Shi Zhen would occasionally drift into a daze, recalling many things from his past life.

Now that Guan Baiyu is busy... he can't help but think about his past life.

In his final year, Guan Baiyu was also very busy, which made him feel that things were getting further and further away.

Actually, it's better for them to keep their distance now, otherwise... what if he starts having ulterior motives towards Guan Baiyu again?

He sent Guan Baiyu to study in Changxi City, but he himself did not go to Changxi City to develop his career. Wasn't he just hoping to maintain a normal brotherhood with Guan Baiyu?

Shi Zhen was quite busy and didn't have time to think much about it. His mind was soon entirely focused on his various construction sites.

Most importantly... one after another, more people came to him wanting to build houses.

Most of these people were not in a hurry and were willing to wait a few months, so Shi Zhenneng agreed to everything he was willing to do.

That morning, Shi Zhen went to a construction site.

This is a self-built house commissioned by a wealthy person. Like Fang Changming, this person also contracted him to handle the entire house renovation.

The house is now built and the plumbing and electrical work is underway.

The electrician, Shi Zhen, hired an electrician from a nearby cement factory. The electrician worked during the day and would come over after work to lay cables for him to earn extra money.

Shi Zhen knew this electrician from his past life.

This man was skilled and always took on extra jobs to earn money, making double income and living a good life. However, later, someone from the cement factory used this incident to report him to the management.

At the time, the cement factory's leaders told him that if he continued working outside, he would not be allowed to work at the cement factory.

Then he resigned from the cement factory.

That happened five or six years later. At that time, he was working at a cement factory, earning about a thousand yuan a month. After quitting his job, he worked as a plumber and electrician, earning at least three or four thousand yuan a month.

Shi Zhen checked the water and electricity and found no problems, so he simply built the kitchen for the house himself.

Saves labor costs.

As they were working, a slightly hoarse voice rang out: "Are you hiring here? Can I work as a laborer?"

The voice was a little hoarse, but it belonged to a woman, and... it sounded quite familiar.

Shi Zhen turned his head and saw a familiar face—Fang Miyan, Shi Xingchao's wife from his previous life.

In his previous life, Shi Xingchao and Fang Miyan ended up together because Fang Miyan came to their construction site to apply for a job.

Building houses is physically demanding work, so the people he brought from the village in his previous life were the same strong and healthy young men he brought with him in this life.

They were in Fangmiyan Village at the time, and they had taken on a job building self-built houses for people.

When they first started working for others, the employers provided them with meals.

As a result, these people from the mountains ate a lot, and their table manners were poor; they even snatched food from each other.

Normally, someone like him wouldn't fight with others for meat, but some of his subordinates would grab the meat and put it in their own bowls first, then keep eating the vegetables...

After someone did this, others followed suit to avoid being taken advantage of.

He was no exception.

In the end, they finished all the dishes on the table, but didn't eat any rice; they could only eat plain white rice...

When the host saw this, he told the neighbors that they ate like starving ghosts, and said some unpleasant things to make fun of them.

There is also a hierarchy of contempt in Anshan Town.

People in the town look down on people from the countryside, thinking they are unhygienic, while people from the countryside look down on them as outsiders.

Some of their men had bad tempers and got into arguments with others.

Honestly, this was a really upsetting thing for him.

They're building houses for others and waiting for payment. Arguing with them at this time... won't do them any good.

If they don't get paid, they'll work for nothing!

He had already suffered a lot from the contractor who exploited him and Shi Xinghuo, and had been bullied by him, so he could tolerate being criticized now. However, he also needed to appease his subordinates, so he discussed with the host family that they would cook for themselves.

Although that family was gossipy, they weren't really bad people.

They didn't drive them away or stop them from working, and they didn't withhold their wages afterward; in fact, they were given extra money for food.

There's just not enough.

They prepared it themselves to eat.

However, the host family was unwilling to lend them a stove, only providing firewood. They built a stove with bricks, bought a pot, and cooked their own meals, which were very unpalatable.

It was around that time that Fang Miyan came to ask him if he needed any helpers.

They didn't need the laborers, but they did need someone to cook. Plus, Fang Miyan looked pitiful and asked for little pay, so Shi Zhen kept her on and had her cook for them.

Then... Fang Miyan always manages to make decent meals using very cheap ingredients.

Shi Zhenyuan didn't know that chicken bones were cheap. The first time he ate chicken bones was when Fang Miyan made them.

Back then, the meat dishes Fang Miyan prepared for them were cheap things like chicken bones, salted fish, and pig's blood. She would also make spring rolls for them, filled with pickled vegetables and pork cracklings.

But really... it really saved him a lot of money.

Later, Fang Miyan continued to work on their construction site, and not long after, she fell in love with Shi Xingchao and got married.

Shi Zhen didn't know much about Fang Miyan's situation, but he knew a little about it.

Fang Miyan was two years older than him, born in 1974. In those days, there was no family planning policy. Whether in rural areas or towns, unless someone was unable to have children, there were basically no only daughters.

Women born at this time are better off if they live in a town, but if they live in a rural area... they are unlikely to be pampered by their parents.

In rural areas, parents simply don't have the energy to take care of their many children. Once the older ones are a little older, they take care of the younger ones.

When they have the energy to focus on their children, they prioritize their sons who will support them in their old age, rather than their daughters who will marry out of the family after they grow up.

Some parents treat all children equally, while others go too far and favor their sons.

Fang Miyan's family was the latter. Her parents doted on their son, treating him like a precious gem, while treating their daughter in a very indifferent way. They felt that it was a bargain to make their daughters do more work before they got married.

His parents had three daughters before having Fang Miyan's younger brother. They doted on the younger brother, but were not so kind to their older daughters.

Fang Miyan is the third daughter in her family.

The parents did care for their two eldest daughters, but when it came to Fang Miyan, her mother left all the baby care to the eldest.

Without parental care, there's no emotional connection; Fang Miyan feels practically invisible to her parents.

The only thing to be thankful for is that Fang Miyan has two older sisters, so she didn't have to do too much work when she was young.

But after Fang Miyan's two older sisters got married, her parents started to boss her around.

Fang Miyan's father is lame and can't do heavy work. In recent years, he has also developed an alcohol addiction, drinking at home every day for most of the day until he is drunk.

Her younger brother is the family's darling, and her parents always feel that he is still too young.

So, the work in the fields ended up being done by Fang Miyan and her mother.

Fang Miyan, now 21, is dark-skinned and thin, with only her large eyes.

When Shi Zhen saw her like this in his past life, he felt sorry for her and thought that something must have happened to her, since she was a girl and wanted to work as a laborer on the construction site to earn money... That's why he let her stay.

At first, Fang Miyan didn't tell them about her family. Later, her father and brother came to them, asking for Fang Miyan's wages. They also said that Fang Miyan had been hanging out with a group of men, which had ruined her reputation and made it difficult for her to get married in the future. They asked them for money as compensation. That's when he found out about Fang's family.

At the time, they were all shocked by the bizarre behavior of the Fang father and son.

After the initial shock, they chased the person away. Fang Miyan, on the other hand, stopped going home altogether, and not long after, she got together with Shi Xingchao.

At that time, the Fang family father and son still asked Shi Xingchao for betrothal money, but could Shi Xingchao give it? Of course not! So the Fang family father and son were driven away again.

Of course, the main reason they dared to kick people out like this was because Fang Miyan herself had a tough attitude.

If she had hesitated, they wouldn't have been the villains.

Fang Miyan and Shi Xingchao are both stingy in the same way. Shi Zhen can't stand this about them, but he still has a good impression of Fang Miyan.

She is a very clear-headed girl.

These days, Shi Zhen had thought about going to find Fang Miyan, but none of the jobs he had taken were for Fang Miyan's village, and he didn't need any more people... It would seem strange for him to suddenly go to her door and ask her to work for them.

Just like before, he didn't go directly to Liang Qinxuan, and in the end, he didn't go to Fang Miyan.

He planned to take on some work near the Fang family's house sometime later, and then spread the word that he was looking for a woman to cook so that Fang Miyan could help with the work.

But to his surprise, Fang Miyan was still able to come to his door, even though it was about a 40-50 minute walk from here to her village.

Shi Zhen stood up and asked Fang Miyan, "If you're looking for a job, why don't you go to a factory?"

Fang Miyan looked at Shi Zhen, her face expressionless but very certain: "I want to be a laborer."

This wasn't Fang Miyan's first time looking for work; she had previously worked as a laborer on other construction sites.

She doesn't go to the factory because if she were to work in a factory near her home, her salary would be fixed and her father would definitely spend it all.

At that time, she will likely have to go to work and farm at the same time.

Why does she work so hard only to not even get the money?

It's different when she does odd jobs; her parents don't know, and the money ends up in her hands.

Moreover, odd jobs are basically paid by the day, so she can do them when she's free and stop when she's busy.

Shi Zhen no longer needs laborers.

He subcontracted all his work to bricklayers, many of whom brought their families along to work as assistants.

But he wanted to keep Fang Miyan.

Shi Zhen said, "I don't need any helpers here, but I do need someone to help with cooking... It's just that the cooking area isn't here, it's a bit far..."

He doesn't need helpers, but it would be great if someone could cook for Shi Daniu and the others.

Now Shi Daniu and his colleagues eat lunch and dinner at the factory construction site. He pays people to cook for him, which costs a lot of money.

If Fang Miyan is willing to go over and cook, he can ask her to help prepare three meals a day.

Fang Miyan is a very reliable person, especially good at saving money, and she would never steal things to take home.

"Where?" Fang Miyan asked.

“Over in Anshan Town,” Shi Zhen said.

The best place to build a factory is in a location with convenient transportation. The factory he built for someone was not far from Anshan Town and was next to the national highway.

He had been to the Fang family's house and knew where it was. It would take more than an hour to walk from the Fang family's house to the place where he built his factory.

Fang Miyan doesn't own a bicycle.

“I can do it! How much do you pay someone to cook?” Fang Miyan asked directly.

Shi Zhen said, "There are seven of us eating over there, including me. We have to cook three meals a day, which costs two hundred a month."

He paid Shi Daniu and the others a monthly salary of 300 yuan. Although he would give them bonuses in addition, the total amount he gave them was not much.

Fang Miyan cooks for seven people; the work isn't strenuous, and two hundred yuan a month is about right.

He asked someone nearby to cook for him, which didn't actually cost him any money.

"Is it all-inclusive?" Fang Miyan asked.

"Meals are included," Shi Zhen said.

"I'll do it!" Fang Miyan began asking Shi Zhen about the specific situation on his side.

Shi Zhen explained everything, and then told Fang Miyan to go to the factory tomorrow to familiarize herself with the area, and to start cooking for them the day after tomorrow.

Fang Miyan agreed.

Shi Zhen couldn't help but say, "You're such a young girl, you're quite bold. Aren't you afraid of being scammed?"

Fang Miyan glanced at Shi Zhen: "I'll make arrangements with people. If I don't go home, someone will come looking for me."

“Okay, I’ll be waiting there tomorrow at noon,” Shi Zhen said.

Fang Miyan nodded and left quickly.

Shi Zhen looked at Fang Miyan, slightly conflicted.

Shi Xingchao is currently doing very well in the sweater business, so it's impossible for him to go to the construction site to work. In that case... how will Fang Miyan and Shi Xingchao get to know each other?

Oh well, things will work themselves out.

Shi Zhen escorted Fang Miyan to the door, but before he knew it, Fang Miyan had run far away.

That's right, run.

It's so hot, she actually ran under the sun, that's pretty impressive.

What's most amazing is... she runs incredibly fast.

Shi Zhen watched Fang Miyan leave before returning to his work.

When he went to Shi Daniu's place, he mentioned that someone might come to cook for them.

Shi Daniu and his friends didn't care who cooked the food; they cared more about how good the food was.

Shi Zhen provided them with all the meals and treated them well, which made them very satisfied.

After meeting Shi Daniu and the others, Shi Zhen went to see Shi Xingchao again that evening.

Recently, Shi Xingchao has been letting Guan Jianguo's two rooms do whatever he wants with them, and he's almost turned them into a convenience store.

He did a good job of receiving and sending sweaters, so Shi Zhen had no objection to him doing this as a side job.

"Brother Xingchao, is your aunt in a hurry to find you a wife lately?"

“Yes!” Shi Xingchao sighed, “She sets up her stall every day, and I thought she wouldn’t have time to bother with my marriage. I didn’t expect that she could tell people that she has two sons who are not married while she is setting up her stall.”

Shi Zhen sympathized with Shi Xingchao for a while.

His aunt is very capable, but it's not easy to change her mind.

If it were Shi Dalin and Zhao Meiyun instead, he wouldn't be happy, so the two of them just went along with it.

"Brother Xingchao, what are your requirements for your future wife?" Shi Zhen asked.

Shi Xingchao thought for a moment before saying to Shi Zhen, "Zhen, let me tell you the truth."

"Hmm?" Shi Zhen waited for him to continue.

Shi Xingchao said, "You know me, I can't stand spending money. I need to have money in my hands to feel at ease... When I look for a partner, I have to find someone like that, otherwise I'll feel too uncomfortable."

Then Fang Miyan is really the only suitable candidate.

Speaking of which, the first time he met Fang Miyan in his previous life, Fang Miyan was dressed in tattered clothes, which was one of the reasons he felt sorry for her. However, even after Fang Miyan made money, she still dressed in tattered clothes.

Shi Xingchao added, "Also... it's best not to have a bride price."

Shi Zhen: "..." Nowadays in rural areas, it's customary to give a bride price.

However, Fang Miyan did not ask for a bride price.

Fang Miyan's father is quite eccentric, and her younger brother is a "money-wasting good-for-nothing."

One of the reasons they came to their door asking for money was that Fang Miyan's younger brother had gambling debts.

Once you start gambling, it's a bottomless pit. Fang Miyan didn't give her family a single penny when she got married, which was quite clever of her.

Shi Xingchao sighed, "Sigh, it's hard to find, let's leave it at that for now."

When Shi Zhen left, he patted Shi Xingchao on the shoulder.

He might be able to act as a matchmaker for Shi Xingchao.

The next day at noon, Shi Zhen waited at the factory.

They are eating braised pork today, which is braised in pieces wrapped with straw.

While Shi Daniu and the others were scrambling for the fatty cuts, he ate the leanest piece.

They were eating when Fang Miyan arrived.

She was covered in sweat when she ran over to Shi Zhen and the others and asked, "Is there any water?"

Shi Zhen and his family have been eating here recently, and they've prepared some pots, pans, and dishes. Shi Zhen handed her a clean bowl.

Fang Miyan drank two bowls of tea in one go before saying to Shi Zhen, "Will I cook for you here from now on? How long will it take?"

Shi Zhen said, "The work here will probably take another month to finish. I've taken on another job next door. If you do a good job, you can work a little longer."

This area was designated by Anshan Town specifically for building factories.

Shi Zhen and his team built houses very quickly and at a low price, so another boss asked them to help build a factory.

The painting work here can't be done in a hurry. Shi Zhen has already planned to start working on the work next door in a few days.

He felt he had at least three more months to work here.

"Okay! I'm a good cook, don't worry!" Fang Miyan glanced at the braised pork that Shi Zhen and the others were eating and silently swallowed.

Shi Zhen explained their situation to her in detail, and then said, "The food expenses for all of us, including you, are thirty yuan a day, divided into three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a late-night snack... You can prepare the late-night snack in advance, you don't need to work the night shift."

For a late-night snack, you can just fry some egg fried rice in advance and leave it on hand.

Prices are still reasonable right now. It costs 30 yuan a day, and with less than ten people eating, that's almost 4 yuan per person per day, which is quite a good amount of food.

As for eating exceptionally well... Shi Zhen isn't that extravagant.