Chapter 62 Jinjiang's Exclusive Little Girl
With Lu Ting's assurance, Su Ruyi felt relieved, but didn't forget to remind him:
"I have high standards and a lot of demands, so you need to assign me workers who are eager to learn and have a lot of patience, so they don't end up driving me crazy."
"Don't worry, I'll personally supervise it."
"No need for that, just find me a reliable person to take charge."
Su Ruyi quickly refused. She wouldn't make much money from this order, so why would she need to ask Lu Ting, the big boss, to supervise the project?
Lu Ting laughed and said, "This is my first time taking on an interior decoration job. Before, I just painted walls. According to you, the requirements are quite high. I can treat this as a learning experience and see if I can do this kind of work."
Su Ruyi didn't say anything more. She firmly believed that Su Ruyi could teach Su Ruyi a lot, after all, Su Ruyi had decades of advanced experience in home renovation.
Su Ruyi is quite experienced in the decoration industry. Although she mainly does home decoration, the basic principles remain the same. The more she does, the more knowledgeable she becomes.
She renovated all the rental properties herself. Because they are rental properties, she has to control costs. Otherwise, if she encounters a tenant who doesn't take care of the property, it will lead to huge losses, and the disputes later on will be very troublesome.
However, if the renovation is too poor, the rent will definitely not be able to rise.
Most of the apartments she rents out are near office buildings, so many of her renters are young white-collar workers who have certain requirements for their living environment.
Su Ruyi couldn't bring herself to rip people off with cheap, low-quality shared rooms, but if she wanted to save costs, she had to take full responsibility herself and not leave it to the renovation company.
She's also quite interested in home decoration, and she can even make videos and become a home decoration blogger to gain traffic, and take the opportunity to rent out the house.
So even though the renovation was troublesome, she was still quite happy to do it.
Her former neighbors, seeing how well she did the job, also asked her to renovate their rental properties.
For a time, Su Ruyi made a living mainly from this job and earned some money.
Su Ruyi has tried all sorts of styles, including creamy, light luxury, light French, and vintage.
Because she uses high-quality materials, has a good aesthetic sense, and pays great attention to the layout of storage space, the houses she renovates are easy to rent out. Every time the renovation is nearing completion, many fans will send private messages to rent the house, forming a virtuous cycle.
However, having decorated so many ordinary houses, she hadn't adjusted her mindset when decorating her own mansion. Also, because some of the techniques she used to work with couldn't be done by the renovation teams she used to, she had to find new renovation workers to work with, which led to a lot of problems. It can be considered a lesson learned.
Now that the timeline has been moved forward by more than 30 years, there are bound to be many differences. Many techniques and materials that are common decades later may be completely absent now.
However, these difficulties can be overcome. What Su Ruyi needs to decide on now is the decoration style.
"I still need to think about how to renovate. I'll tell you the blueprints and requirements in a couple of days. You can have the workers remove the walls and floors first."
According to modern aesthetic standards, people would definitely prefer something flashy and opulent.
People who have just come through an era of extreme scarcity are already looking for a colorful life, which is the opposite of the minimalist style that young people will embrace decades later.
The young people of this era are the same group that will be fond of flowers, wealth, and lace bags decades from now. Although there are individual differences, this is the general trend.
Su Ruyi's storefront renovation couldn't be too shabby, but given the style of her leggings and her target market of mid-to-low-end products, if it looked too luxurious, potential customers might be hesitant to come, worried that they couldn't afford it.
Lu Ting readily agreed: "Okay, just let me know if you need anything."
With the storefront settled, Su Ruyi and Lu Ting went to see a lawyer, partly for Li Niannian's sake, and partly because Su Ruyi needed the lawyer's help to draft several different types of employment contracts.
The lawyer was quite surprised, especially when he learned that she ran a small factory in a small county town, which he found even more strange.
"You actually thought of this? I've only ever received employment contracts for senior management personnel before."
Nowadays, hiring practices are not very formal; many small factories don't even remember that contracts exist.
This is actually more disadvantageous for workers, as many workers have not received their wages and it is very troublesome for them to protect their rights.
Lu Ting was also unaware of this; it turned out that labor contracts were required, and none of the people on his construction team had signed them. Since no one was checking, he hadn't paid much attention.
As for whether there is a plastics factory, he really didn't know. He would have to ask Wei Dongsheng later, and if there wasn't one, they would have to make up for it.
Su Ruyi didn't really know if she needed to, but it was better to be prepared.
Su Ruyi smiled and said, "I am from a legitimate factory."
The lawyer laughed: "That's true, but many private factory owners can't do what you do."
Not to mention private factories today, many small factories will not have labor contracts even decades from now, but Su Ruyi is a law-abiding citizen.
If social security hadn't been implemented only in state-owned enterprises and not yet widely available, Su Ruyi would have bought it for all her workers.
After getting on the bus, Lu Ting couldn't help but exclaim, "If I hadn't come with you, I wouldn't have known that these things existed."
"It's better to be more formal," Su Ruyi said.
Lu Ting nodded. He knew all the people under him well. Those who followed him abroad were fine, since they were already operating through unorthodox means.
But now that he wants to start a proper construction team, it's no longer appropriate for him to stick to the old methods.
"I don't know when social security will be implemented, but you should buy it for everyone when it's implemented, so that the workers will have some security when they get old. Right now, could you check if there are any suitable medical insurance or personal accident insurance policies? It would be best to buy those for everyone too. There are many accidents on construction sites, so buying insurance is a way to have peace of mind."
"Insurance?" This was another blind spot for Lu Ting. Although he knew what insurance was, he had never thought of buying it.
"Although you may not always use what you buy, it's definitely not a waste of money. If something happens, it could be a lifesaver. Who can guarantee they'll never have an accident or get sick in their lifetime? However, there are many insurance traps, so you'd better do your research before buying."
"It's good that you reminded me. This is indeed very important. I'll look into it later."
Why do people still flock to state-owned enterprises? Besides the greater stability and lower risk, the benefits such as medical care and retirement are what everyone desires and pursues, something that most private enterprises and individual businesses cannot currently guarantee.
"You must wear a safety helmet when entering the construction site, and the safety helmet must be qualified," Su Ruyi couldn't help but say again.
The construction site is very unregulated now. Su Ruyi just passed by and found that many people entered the construction area without wearing helmets.
Su Ruyi always valued her life, and just looking at it made her eyelids twitch.
"good."
Su Ruyi was very satisfied to see that Lu Ting responded seriously and not perfunctorily.
It's more comfortable to chat with someone who is willing to listen to what others have to say.
Many men, upon hearing what a woman says, immediately object and then begin to lecture her on principles.
Even if what he says is the same as what the other person says, he has to deny it first, which sounds like a fatherly attitude.
When he returned to the hospital, he happened to run into Shi Fengyi in the ward with a police officer. Shi Fengyi looked very serious.
Old Li was so angry that he was trembling all over. A doctor stood beside him, trying to calm him down.
"Damn it, that bastard!"
"Grandpa, please don't get too emotional. Your grandson is back. You must take good care of yourself. The child is counting on you!"
The doctor felt helpless and worried when he saw his blood pressure soaring.
Although medication can control the condition, it can still be dangerous if the patient does not cooperate.
Su Ruyi quickly went over and said, "Uncle Li, please take a deep breath and don't think so much!"
When Old Li saw Su Ruyi, his previously tense body visibly relaxed.
After a while, things gradually calmed down, which relieved everyone around.
The doctor cautioned, "Sir, you must take good care of your health."
Old Li was also very annoyed. He knew that his grandson was back, so he should take better care of his health, but he couldn't control his emotions.
Su Ruyi quickly understood why Old Li was so agitated.
Li Niannian spent an afternoon with Old Li and gradually began to feel a sense of reality, realizing that she was home.
So he began to recall the scene of his abduction.
Li Niannian is still young, and because she was not treated well and suffered a serious illness, her language system was damaged, and she speaks incoherently.
But Old Li had raised him, so he learned what had happened from the child's jumbled words.
Li Niannian was playing in the yard at the time. A child accidentally threw a beanbag into the yard, and that's when he opened the door for her.
I knew that little girl, Li Niannian, so I wasn't wary of her.
Old Li said viciously, "That child is Liu Xiuzhi's niece! Every year, she would come out of the yard and go play with that little girl, but the little girl ran too far, and Nian Nian got scared and wanted to go home, so she was knocked unconscious and taken away. Nian Nian said that the person who beat her was Zhao Zhigang! Zhao Zhigang sold her!"
"When Li Niannian went missing, the couple acted like they were doing everything right, helping us look for her every day and even bringing us food. Who would have thought that they were the ones who abducted Niannian!"
Although you had a disagreement with your former neighbors over the issue of returning the house, you didn't have any conflict with Zhao Zhigang's family.
They left without saying anything, making them the most cooperative family in the courtyard.
Who would have thought that such a person could be so vicious behind the scenes!
He even considered selling the house to them. If he had actually sold it, he would have received the money from selling it year after year!
Every time Old Li thinks about how that family hypocritically comforted him and helped him find Li Niannian, and how he foolishly thanked them, he gets so angry that his heart aches.
"Uncle Li, they can't escape! They will definitely be punished!"
Old Li: "My Yunyao, she must have been harmed by them too! My Yunyao never liked them before. If it weren't for Yunyao's objection, we would have continued to rent the house to them since they had a large family. They must have held a grudge, so they poisoned Yunyao! We're the ones who harmed Yunyao. If I hadn't hesitated back then, she wouldn't have suffered like this!"
This is what pains Old Li the most. Although Li Niannian has suffered a lot, no matter what, she has returned, and good days are ahead.
But there is still no news of his daughter, Li Yunyao. A woman who goes missing must suffer unimaginable torment.
"Uncle Li, please don't think like that, or you'll fall into the villains' trap! It's all because of their evil hearts, not because of you. Even if you had kept them with you, they would have harmed you for the sake of the house."
Su Ruyi had always felt that Liu Xiuzhi was determined to get the house because Liu Xiuzhi's appearance had disrupted her plans and made her very resentful towards her.
Liu Xiuzhi's good-for-nothing son is no better, and her whole family is no good either.
Even if they get the house for free, given this family's nature, they will only become more demanding and will not stop there.
Old Li was now feeling guilty and constantly blaming himself for being so kind to his enemy, which made him emotionally agitated.
“Uncle Li, once the police arrest them, we might hear news about your daughter soon. Grandma Sun and Xiaobao are the only ones at home; they absolutely cannot get agitated. You need to go back and take charge.”
"Yes, yes, I have to get better, I can't give up!"
The next day, Su Ruyi went home with Grandpa Li and Li Niannian in Lu Ting's car. The driver was a retired soldier sent by Lu Ting, who used to be a special forces soldier.
Both Li Niannian and Old Li are not in good condition, so it's more stable to travel by private car, as they don't need to stop and go all the time.
The police officers set off yesterday, and they are not traveling with them.
Lu Ting apologized, "I have a lot of things to do here, so I can't go back with you. Call me if you need anything."
The hula hoop finals are about to begin, and he orchestrated this whole thing, so he definitely can't miss the finals.
Although everyone had gained experience from the previous regional competitions, this time there was also a live broadcast and relevant leaders involved, making things more complicated. Therefore, we needed to be more careful and avoid making any more mistakes.
"You already have a private car, what more could you want?" Su Ruyi said with a smile. "I'll treat you to dinner later."
Lu Ting also laughed: "Okay."
When he got home and saw that his wife and son were both alright, Old Li breathed a sigh of relief.
Yesterday, Su Ruyi instructed Shi Fengyi and his men not to question Li Xiaobao and Grandma Sun when they went to arrest them tomorrow. The old woman and the young girl were both easily agitated, and it would be troublesome if something happened.
Although Old Li has to take medicine from time to time, he is already the healthiest one in the family.
Su Ruyi also called Li Mei and Li Guangqian, telling them to be careful, and invited Li Mei to stay in her room for the night so that someone would be there for her if anything happened.
Arresting someone is such a big deal, it's hard to guarantee that it won't reach Grandma Sun's ears, and she might hear some rumors.
Li Mei has been busy delivering meals to the people tidying up the factory these past two days, and has also done a lot of sales. She spends most of her time at Old Li's house, so staying here doesn't feel out of place.
"Look, who's back."
Old Li moved to the side, revealing the little figure behind him.
Li Xiaobao and Grandma Sun looked over, their eyes widening instantly.
"Year after year!"
Su Ruyi quickly picked up Li Niannian and rushed over.
Before the two could even take two steps, they were caught in a hug by Li Niannian.
Li Niannian recognized her grandmother and brother almost instantly and burst into tears.
Su Ruyi kept an eye on Li Xiaobao's condition, worried that he might overexcite himself and faint, but so far he seemed to be in good condition.
Xu Xiaonan gave Su Ruyi a look, and Su Ruyi nodded before leading Xu Xiaonan into her room, leaving the family of four to reunite.
She called Xu Xiaonan yesterday and asked her to stay at the storefront at this time so that she could go and give Li Xiaobao his medicine when she called her.
From Su Ruyi's room, one could also see what was happening outside.
Su Ruyi lived in the east room, which was spacious and had been divided into a bedroom and a living room.
"That's wonderful," Xu Xiaonan said, looking outside.
At this moment, Grandma Sun began to look at Li Niannian. Seeing that Li Niannian was so thin that she was just skin and bones, and that her little hands were rough and covered with scratches, she couldn't help but tear up again.
"Has Zhao Zhigang and his entire family been arrested?"
"He was arrested yesterday afternoon, but nobody knows what happened. His family is still looking for him everywhere."
Before Shi Fengyi even set off, the Liulian County Public Security Bureau had already taken action after receiving the news.
"I'll have someone throw excrement at their house later," Su Ruyi said coldly.
"I'll take responsibility for this!"
Su Ruyi turned her gaze away and began to inquire about the situation over the past two days.
"It should be ready today. I've already contacted the power company, and since the power lines were already connected, it can be turned on anytime. As for the water, the pipes haven't been connected yet, so it'll have to wait a while."
Before leaving, Su Ruyi assigned Xu Xiaonan a lot of work, which was quite difficult for a newcomer to the workplace.
To Su Ruyi's surprise, Xu Xiaonan had completed all of them.
"You did all of this yourself?"
Xu Xiaonan said shyly, "My family helped me."
Xu Xiaonan's family is native to the county, and most of her relatives live there. They are all related by blood, so it is easy for her to ask for help through connections.
"That was also done by you, very good," Su Ruyi praised.
Xu Xiaonan suppressed her joy and handed over the work report and accounts from the past two days to Su Ruyi.
"Nothing major has happened these past two days, except that quite a few people have come to ask if we need more people to do the work. I see that we already have enough manpower, so I didn't agree."
They pay ten yuan a day and provide a meal with both meat and vegetables. This is undoubtedly a very good deal in a small county town.
Those who knew the news all wanted to come and try their luck.
"Did the Zhu family, father and two sons, ask you to send someone in?"
Xu Xiaonan shook her head: "Some people asked me to let them come in and work as well, but I told them I wasn't hiring anymore, so they didn't ask me anymore."
What do you think of them?
Su Ruyi inquired about the three people's situation again. Xu Xiaonan took this very seriously and said:
"They worked very hard and didn't slack off at all. They were very honest, didn't talk much, and were very vigilant. They caught the snake in the grass, found its burrow, and killed it all."
"Yes, and they're poisonous snakes." Xu Xiaonan was also afraid of snakes and couldn't help but shudder.
"How is the factory building? Does it need further repairs?"
"It can be used directly. The textile factory invested a lot back then, using only good materials. It doesn't need much processing."
"That's good. I'll call the provincial capital in a bit and have them send the machine over."
Xu Xiaonan's eyes lit up: "Did you buy them all?"
"Okay, everything's bought. Now we're just waiting for news from the textile factory. Go to the furniture factory later and have them move the table I asked for over tomorrow."
Xu Xiaonan: "The textile factory is also close. A classmate of mine works at a textile factory, and she said that samples can be produced by tomorrow at the latest."
Su Ruyi was surprised: "So fast?"
"The textile factory doesn't have much work right now, and this is the biggest order we've had recently."
Su Ruyi frowned: "This is too tragic."
She didn't order much material for her first batch, only 20,000 yuan worth, which is nothing for a large factory.
"Yes, that's why everyone in the textile factory is so anxious right now. Who would have thought that just a few years ago, textile factories were highly sought after? Anyone who could get a job in a textile factory would be set for life."
Xu Xiaonan sighed with emotion, saying that she had witnessed how prosperous the textile factory was back then.
At that time, she envied the children of textile factory workers the most. The food and clothing they had were far superior to those of the children of small factory workers like herself.
The factory had everything, and they even showed free movies to the workers frequently.
Every Lunar New Year, we give out oranges from the south, a big basket for each person!
"This is actually to our advantage."
Otherwise, Su Ruyi wouldn't have been able to cooperate so smoothly, and the other party wouldn't have been able to ship the goods so quickly.
Su Ruyi couldn't sit still any longer and decided to go to the textile factory to check on the situation.
If the shipment is delivered on time, it might actually make it to the hula hoop finals.
Su Ruyi went straight out and went to the textile factory.
The textile factory was also very happy to see her. Zeng Guoqin said, "We've been waiting for you to come back. The samples are already ready."
"So fast!" Su Ruyi exclaimed in surprise.
"Knowing your plans, we're working at full speed to make sure we make it to the hula hoop finals."
Zeng Guoqin took Su Ruyi directly to the workshop. Unlike the other workshops, the workers here were clearly in high spirits.
"Chairwoman Zeng," the worker greeted Zeng Guoqin.
Zeng Guoqin: "Don't worry about us, you all continue with your work."
The worker agreed, but he still kept glancing in the direction of the two men.
"Take a look, is this the material you wanted?"
Su Ruyi looked at the lustrous fabric in front of her, then picked it up, touched it, and tugged at it, saying with certainty:
"That's right! It's this kind of material."
"Currently, we only have black. Once we confirm there are no problems, we can produce other colors. However, if we want different patterns, it won't be so quick."
Su Ruyi: "I don't need any patterns, just solid colors for now. Produce a batch of white first, I need to pick it up the day after tomorrow at the latest, as many as you have. Then produce a batch of black, and give me color swatches for the other colors, I want to choose."
There are all sorts of whites, and different shades of white will produce different effects. Su Ruyi couldn't be picky at the moment; whatever the available materials could produce would do.
"Okay, we'll work overtime."
Su Ruyi: "Please also ask the factory to expedite the procedures for me."
"Don't worry, everything has been taken care of," Zeng Guoqin said with a smile.
Su Ruyi felt the joy of having connections above her. "That's great! Once the machine arrives tomorrow, we can arrange the assessment."
Su Ruyi pondered for a moment and said, "At 2:30 this afternoon, have the people who are going to take the assessment go to the new factory. That way, we can start work the day after tomorrow."
"You're really racing against time," Zeng Guoqin couldn't help but sigh.
Opening a factory is faster than opening a small shop; only private enterprises can be so flexible.
"Time is life. All opportunities are actually a race against time. If you're a little slow, you won't even get to drink the soup."
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