Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Good Direction

Jiang Xi said, "I understand. I'm from the countryside too, and I know it's not easy for rural girls to go to school."

Lin Hongmei, who was listening quietly nearby, could hardly contain her excitement. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed, "Thank you, Jiang Xi! Many of my classmates are in the same boat. We don't have enough to eat. We're so hungry that sometimes we can't even concentrate on our studies. We just drink plenty of water, but we still want to study. If we don't want to be married off early like everyone else in the village, studying is our only option. We're not afraid of hardship, the cold, or the heat, but we can't control our hunger. Sometimes our stomachs ache from hunger, and our hands tremble from hunger. It would be great if you could help us. We don't need much, just a little. As long as there's something in our stomachs, that's enough!"

Poverty is not just about not having money to go to school, it manifests itself in all aspects.

Take Lin Xiuzhen for example. Due to long-term malnutrition, her face has become pale, and the clothes she wears are all too small. It is hard to tell whether the colors are purple or khaki. The mottled colors make her look dirty, and she looks gray. Even her hair is typically thin and yellow. This is the image of an ordinary rural girl today, and it is also a portrayal of most rural girls.

The family has few resources to begin with, and if there is a boy, the family will be more inclined to favor the boy. Girls are just accessories. Not to mention education, for some families even basic food is a burden.

Of course Jiang Xi understood the feeling of hunger. He had suffered from hunger many times in his previous life. That feeling was extremely unbearable, as if his whole body was clamoring. He was so hungry that he wanted to just grab a piece of wood and gnaw on it.

Jiang Xi made a lot of money in the extravagant life of Shanghai Stock Exchange, but Lin Hongmei's words made Jiang Xi return to this poor land.

This is her hometown, where she lives. There are no tall buildings in this place, and the main theme is hunger. Those villages hidden behind the muddy roads, each village has a common appearance, crying out listlessly, poor and hungry.

Xia Juhua was also touched and said, "Actually, there's something I haven't told anyone. Compared to many teachers' names, my name doesn't sound that poetic. To put it simply, it sounds uncultured. I'm from the village, and my mother gave me my name. When I first started working, many people laughed at me, saying it was too vulgar and unfashionable, and didn't sound like a teacher's name at all. But I ignored them and insisted on using it. At the time, many people were not optimistic about me, thinking that I was dreaming of becoming a teacher, but I refused to accept them. I studied hard, and now I'm a teacher too."

Xia Juhua said to Jiang Xi and Lin Hongmei, "You are still young and have plenty of time. Once you have set a goal, work hard to achieve it. Don't worry about those people. They laugh at you because they are jealous. They can't do it themselves, and they can't imagine others doing it. Other people's success also scares them, so they try every possible way to hinder you. Don't listen to them, just work hard, and you will get results!"

Lin Hongmei wiped her tears and nodded: "Teacher Xia, thank you for your encouragement. I understand, I will definitely work hard!"

Jiang Xi had never expected that Xia Juhua actually had such a story behind her: "Teacher Xia, I understand too. I will move forward towards my goal, unwavering."

Xia Juhua looked at Jiang Xi with relief. In her eyes, Jiang Xi was no longer the little girl who knew nothing. On the contrary, Jiang Xi was very capable, even more capable than her. She could provide shelter for many girls who could not go to school. This was a rare quality. She did not think about squandering the money she earned, but helped others.

Xia Juhua looked at Jiang Xi deeply and said, "Jiang Xi, please remember your kindness at this moment. No matter how far you go in the future, I hope you will never forget this kindness. This is the path you came from and it is also the precious quality that makes up you. Don't abandon her."

Jiang Xi said carefully: "Don't worry, Teacher Xia, I won't forget."

Jiang Xi's journey was more difficult than anyone else's. In her previous life, she paid the price of her life to understand many truths. In this life, Jiang Xi almost never stopped and kept moving forward.

Her goal changed again and again, from a big house and a big color TV to building a big factory to let the whole world know about Wu Ji Zao Lu. Now a new wish rose in Jiang Xi's heart.

The money she earned was enough to buy a big house and a big color TV. So what next? Let the whole world know about Wu Ji Zao Lu. What next? Jiang Xi's heart was burning. There were many girls like Liu Hongmei in this world. With just someone's help, their fates would be different. Jiang Xi wanted to do this, to be someone who could help them.

Because Jiang Xi proposed to implement a funding program in the school, Xia Juhua found the principal Xie Enze.

Xie Enze is not from Changfeng County. It is said that he is from Jing City. He was demoted to Changfeng County in those years. Later, the relevant departments of Jing City asked him to go back, but Xie Enze refused and chose to serve as the principal of Changfeng County Middle School for more than ten years.

Xia Juhua couldn't hide her excitement. "Thank you, Principal. This is Jiang Xi, a senior student in our class. She's also doing business now. She just told me that she wants to set up a fund at school to specifically support poor girls in their studies."

Xie Enze was a middle-aged man with a scholarly air. He wore a pair of glasses, his eyes were bright, and his hair was meticulously combed. Upon hearing Xia Juhua's words, he pursed his lips and looked at Jiang Xi and asked, "Mr. Jiang, is this plan you proposed well thought out?"

Xie Enze was afraid that Jiang Xi was just temporarily interested. He thought more than Xia Juhua. Establishing a funding fund was not a trivial matter. The most important thing was to have a long-term attitude. If it was just a temporary interest, giving those girls hope and then disappointing them would be a bigger blow to those girls.

Jiang Xi nodded: "I have made this suggestion after careful consideration, and my business is doing well now, so I can afford the tuition for these girls. You don't need to worry."

Xie Enze then smiled and said, "Thank you, Jiang. What you did is of great significance."

Jiang Xi was neither arrogant nor impatient: "I am also from the countryside. I know how difficult it is for girls to go to school, so when I have the ability, I want to help them." It is also to help his past self. If there was such a person who could help him in his previous life, then Jiang Xi would not have died in that cold winter in his previous life.

Xie Enze expressed his gratitude again. Because of many things and people, he has a special feeling for Changfeng County. As a principal for so many years, Xie Enze has seen too many children who were forced to drop out of school because of poverty. These are not things that can be changed by one's own efforts. Now there are people like Jiang Xi, which is a hope.

Xie Enze served as a witness for Jiang Xi and Lin Hongmei. Lin Hongmei wrote an IOU to Jiang Xi. Jiang Xi gave the money to Lin Hongmei and kept the IOU: "Study hard and don't skip meals to save money. When you have a degree and find a job, you will be able to earn back the money quickly."

As someone who has been through it all, Jiang Xi gave a sincere suggestion. She and Wu Yaqin used to have only two or three yuan a month for living expenses, which was still a lot. She understood too well the feeling of being struggling with a penny, but as long as you find the right direction, making money is much easier than you imagined.

Jiang Xi only hopes that Lin Hongmei, as her first sponsor, will not lose sight of the main goal, study hard when it is time to study, have a strong body, get into university, and change her destiny.

Liu Hongmei nodded gratefully: "I will study hard and will not let your help go to waste!"

Xie Enze looked at Jiang Xi. He was about the same age as Liu Hongmei, but his tone was like that of an elder. This young comrade was extraordinary.

People will feel happy unconsciously when they do good things. Even though Jiang Xi doesn't think he is a good person, he is still a little excited.

She suddenly thought of another thing. Since she wanted to help everyone go to school, she would help them to the end.

There is a shortage of educational resources in Changfeng County now. Even high school students only have a few review materials. However, Jiang Xi has a lot of them, which were all sent to him by Qi Yu'an before. Because Qi Yu'an gave him a lot of materials, Jiang Xi's grades improved so quickly.

Jiang Xi wanted to share the information, but the things were given to her by Qi Yu'an. Even if Jiang Xi wanted to give the things away, she had to get Qi Yu'an's consent. Jiang Xi decided to find Qi Yu'an.

When Jiang Xi was about to go find Qi Yu'an, Qi Yu'an also came to Changfeng County from the village. Naturally, he came to the county to find Jiang Xi.

When Qi Yu'an and Jiang Xi were in Shanghai together, although Jiang Xi was busy with work, Qi Yu'an could at least see Jiang Xi every day. But after Jiang Xi came back, he was busy running around all day long, and Qi Yu'an was in the village, so it was difficult for the two to meet. After not seeing each other for several days, Qi Yu'an missed Jiang Xi very much, so he simply rode his bicycle to Wu Ji Zao Lu to find Jiang Xi.

As Qi Yu'an rode his bicycle to the entrance of Wu Ji Zao Lu, he saw Jiang Xi from afar. Jiang Xi had a smile on his face and seemed to be in a good mood.

Qi Yu'an waved at Jiang Xi: "Jiang Xi!"

Jiang Xi was very surprised to see Qi Yu'an: "Why are you here? I was just about to look for you."

Qi Yu'an smiled at Jiang Xi, his eyes full of tenderness: "That means we are very close. Jiang Xi, long time no see, I missed you very much."

Qi Yu'an's usual straightforwardness made Jiang Xi feel a little embarrassed. She lowered her head and said to Qi Yu'an, "I have something to tell you."

Qi Yu'an pushed his bicycle aside, stood tall and graceful, his eyes gleaming with a hint of light. "Comrade Jiang, please speak. I'm all ears."

Jiang Xi said, "I did something today. I set up a support fund at school to help those poor girls so that they can continue to go to school."

Qi Yu'an's eyes lit up. "This is great news, Comrade Jiang. You're really amazing now. There's a poem that goes, 'When you're successful, you should help the world.' Your career is getting better and better, and you've reached the point where you can help the world."

Qi Yu'an was never late in praising, and he always had new words. Jiang Xi was a little immune to it, but her face still blushed.

"I'm not that great. In fact, I just had a sudden idea. I even thought that after they get good test scores, I can ask them to help advertise Zao Lu. If they produce a top scorer, that would be great. I can directly promote it as the top scorer Zao Lu."

Jiang Xi is a businessman after all. Although the starting point of this matter is good, after careful consideration, Jiang Xi can't help but want to use this incident to gain some benefits for Wu Ji Zao Lu's business.

Qi Yu'an: "No matter what your purpose is, you did help them throughout the process, so it's a good thing."

Jiang Xi hummed: "You gave me some review materials before, can I share them with them?"

Qi Yu'an lowered his eyes and smiled softly: "What is given to you is yours, you can do whatever you want with it."

Jiang Xi smiled brightly: "Don't worry, I won't lend out the notes you wrote to me. Even if you want to lend them, I will make another copy by hand."

The notes written by Qi Yu'an are very precious. Jiang Xi cherishes this gift very much. She takes it with her wherever she goes. She reads it very carefully and even wraps it in a book cover. Now the notes look like new.

Qi Yu'an's lips curled slightly. "I know. Comrade Jiang is so kind to me." Qi Yu'an added, "The Parker pen you gave me is very useful. I carry it with me every day."

When Jiang Xi came back from Shanghai, she not only bought gifts for other people, but also gave Qi Yu'an a gift. She picked out a Parker pen for Qi Yu'an, which was now inserted in Qi Yu'an's chest pocket. The pen was shining, and Qi Yu'an had been carrying it with him these days.

Jiang Xi was very happy that the gift he gave was cherished and liked by others: "I'm glad you like it. I will give you more gifts in the future."

Qi Yu'an laughed: "It seems that my partner is very capable. Doesn't that mean I will have to be a gigolo in the future? I'm already looking forward to the gifts."

Jiang Xi was a little proud: "You work hard and behave well. When I make a lot of money in the future, I will let you eat and drink delicious food."

Qi Yu'an's eyelashes drooped slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up: "I will definitely work hard, and live a good life with Boss Jiang in the future."

As soon as the news of the construction of shops near the train station spread, many people who wanted to do business swarmed in like hyenas.

Those who can make a name for themselves in this era all have some keen sense of smell. The shops at the train station are crowded with people, and once the news spreads, it is difficult to find a shop.

In this atmosphere, Jiang Xiti had already secured a shop, which had the best location and the largest area.

Jiang Xi took Zhou Jiangang to see the shop. Zhou Jiangang had recovered from his previous surprise. Every time he saw Jiang Xi, Jiang Xi would have new news, and just hearing the news made him excited.

He was able to cooperate with large factories in Shanghai and sell products to them. Now the chicken farm was going to be expanded and a brine factory was going to be built later. Jiang Xi's life in the past few months was more eventful than his previous ten years. Zhou Jiangang's desire was getting stronger and stronger. He wanted to quit his job at the steel mill and work with Jiang Xi.

The shop at the train station was the newest one built and was specially designed for businesses to do business, so the layout and decoration of the shop were better than Jiang Xi’s previous two shops.

"This place doesn't need any more renovations. Brother Zhou, could you please help me build a glass cabinet and add a few lights? That'll be it."

Now that Jiang Xi makes glass cabinets, he no longer has to go to Shanghai himself and ask others to sell glass like he did at the beginning. He just needs to send a telegram and the glass factory in Shanghai will deliver the glass directly to him.

Zhou Jiangang listened carefully to Jiang Xi's needs and said, "Okay, I'll arrange someone to do it right away." Zhou Jiangang had helped Jiang Xi decorate a shop before and was already very familiar with the process. What's more, this shop was already in great condition, so decorating it would not be difficult at all.

Zhou Jiangang thought about the decision he had just made and didn't know how to start.

Seeing Zhou Jiangang's rare hesitation to speak, Jiang Xi asked, "Brother Zhou, what's wrong? Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Zhou Jiangang scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "Jiang Xi, actually I have wanted to tell you for a long time, I want to work with you and do business together."

Jiang Xi naturally welcomed Zhou Jiangang to join Wu Ji Zao Lu. Zhou Jiangang himself was a straightforward and cheerful person with trustworthy character. Moreover, because he often went to various restaurants to eat and loved delicious food, he also made some friends who loved food and had his own unique insights into food.

Zhou Jiangang has done a good job in helping with sales during this period. Jiang Xi has long wanted to recruit Zhou Jiangang to join Wu Ji Zao Lu, but Zhou Jiangang is now a worker in a steel factory. Compared with self-employed individuals, many people would choose to be steel factory workers without hesitation.

Because in their view, being a worker in a steel mill is a stable job with good benefits, and it is also respectable to talk about it.

Now that Zhou Jiangang had brought it up, Jiang Xi asked, "Have you made up your mind? I'm definitely happy and welcome you to join Wu Ji Zao Lu. But you're still a worker at the steel mill. Are you sure you want to give up your job there?"

Zhou Jiangang had hesitated for so long, but now that he spoke out, he felt relieved. "I've thought it through. I'm not one who likes to be bound by constraints. And since I started doing business, I've liked this feeling more and more. Although I used to be able to make a stable income, if the business is doing well, I can make more. Besides, I don't have to stay in one place all the time. It's like playing for me."

Zhou Jiangang honestly told Jiang Xi his thoughts. Jiang Xi nodded and asked, "What about Aunt Zhou?"

Zhou Jiangang had already thought about it. If his mother knew that he was going to quit his job at the steel factory and become a self-employed person, she would definitely chase him from street to street. However, Zhou Jiangang had made up his mind and could only make his mother angry.

"It doesn't matter. At worst, I'll just kneel there and let her beat me up a few times to vent her anger. In the end, she won't be able to get away with it. At most, the beating will hurt a little. After that, I'll be a hero again."

Having considered the dire consequences, Zhou Jiangang had indeed made up his mind, and it wasn't an impulsive move. Jiang Xi said, "Okay, the store at the train station should be open soon. You can test the waters there first."

Jiang Xi told Zhou Jiangang about the future plans for the branch at the railway station: "The store here at the railway station is not only a shop for Wu Ji Zao Lu, but also a window for external publicity. Because of the special location of the railway station, people from all over the world come here every day. It's a good opportunity to promote Wu Ji Zao Lu and also to discuss business. It's also convenient to ship directly from here. You have some sales experience. Do more promotion in the store, build more connections, and strive to sell Wu Ji Zao Lu to more places."

This is just the first thing Jiang Xi needs Zhou Jiangang to complete. Jiang Xi's plans for Zhou Jiangang go far beyond this, but Jiang Xi has to see to what extent Zhou Jiangang can achieve before she can give him what kind of position.

Zhou Jiangang nodded hurriedly: "Don't worry, I will take good care of this store." Zhou Jiangang finally made up his mind to start a business. Zhou Jiangang naturally would not slack off. He wanted to achieve results more than anyone else. After all, he was still thinking about the great wish of eating and drinking delicious food every day with his wife and children.

It is far from enough to have only Zhou Jiangang in a store, and Jiang Xi positioned Zhou Jiangang as a salesperson. Just like Qian Lili, he would not often be in the store, but would go out to do business.

Therefore, Jiang Xi had another candidate for the manager of the Wu Ji Zao Lu branch at the train station, and that person was Wu Youli.

Wu Youli has been setting up a stall in front of the steel plant. He is now completely different from before. He is much darker, but he smiles more often and talks more. He is no longer as shy as before in dealing with people, but is quite at ease.

Jiang Xi went to find Wu Youli specifically: "Uncle, you are busy!"

Wu Youli was packing his things and was surprised to see Jiang Xi: "Jiang Xi, why are you here? Are you back from Shanghai?"

Wu Youli went to Wu Ji Zao Lu to purchase goods every day, but he went there early and rarely ran into Jiang Xi. Even if he met her, they would just say a few words in a hurry and then go their separate ways. After all, both of them had things to do.

Jiang Xi smiled and said, "Yes, I'm back from Shanghai. How's business been lately?"

Wu Youli smiled innocently, "Business has been okay lately. It's always been the same. It hasn't gotten particularly good, but it's not bad either. It's enough to support my family."

Wu Youli is a very contented person. He is not dissatisfied with his current situation and even feels that he has gotten a little too much.

Because they were family and Wu Youli was an honest man, Jiang Xi and Wu Youli didn't beat around the bush when they spoke, so they directly stated their purpose: "Uncle, I came to see you today because I want to open a store at the train station in the future. Would you like to help me? I'd like you to be the store manager."

Being a store manager! Wu Youli was very surprised. Even if Wu Youli was content with what he had, he still had to settle this account.

Which is better, being a store manager or setting up a stall? Of course, the choice is to be a store manager. You don't have to be exposed to the wind and sun, and you won't be affected by the weather. You also don't have to talk yourself into selling to others. The price is there, and you can sell goods as long as someone comes in.

But Wu Youli was still a little unsure: "Jiang Xi, do you think I can be a store manager? Besides, it's a store at the train station. There are so many people there. I'm afraid I can't handle it alone."