The late spring breeze, carrying the sweet scent of wheat and the rich fragrance of locust blossoms, swept across the crisscrossing fields of the Hongqi Production Brigade and brushed past the three-story office building of Chenji Food Factory that had risen from the ground. In the open space in front of the building, colorful flags fluttered, and a gold-embossed banner reading "Late Autumn Food Workshop Co., Ltd. Inauguration Ceremony" shone brightly under the clear blue sky, attracting passing villagers to stop and watch, their eyes filled with envy and amazement.
Inside the conference room on the top floor of the office building, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood and tea. Around the long mahogany table sat businessmen in suits and solemn-faced officials, each with an undisguised excitement and anticipation on their faces. Lin Wanqiu, dressed in a well-tailored navy blue suit, looked even more elegant. The youthful naiveté and sharpness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a gentle and composed grace that came with age. Her fingertips lightly traced the gold-embossed listing approval document on the table, the warmth of her touch seeming to penetrate the pages and warm the deepest recesses of her heart.
Shen Tingzhou sat beside her, dressed in a crisp, dark gray Zhongshan suit, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his gaze sweeping steadily over everyone present. Under the table, he gently took Lin Wanqiu's hand in his, the warmth of his palm comforting and reassuring, like a warm current that instantly dispelled the last trace of nervousness in her heart.
"Director Lin, distinguished guests, comrades," the county's Director of Industry and Commerce cleared his throat, picked up the microphone, and his loud voice resounded throughout the conference room, "Today is a day that our county and even the entire region should remember! Wanqiu Food Workshop, as the first enterprise in our region founded by farmers and successfully listed on the stock exchange, has not only set a precedent but also proven to everyone that as long as we dare to think and act, we farmers can also make a name for ourselves!"
As her words fell, thunderous applause erupted in the conference room. Lin Wanqiu stood up, nodded slightly to everyone, and smiled politely. She looked out the window, her gaze sweeping across the golden wheat fields, and seemed to see herself from many years ago—the young woman in patched, coarse clothes, holding the frail Nian'an, enduring hunger and hardship in the Shen family compound, constantly tormented by Old Madam Shen and Zhang Lan. Back then, she never imagined that one day she would stand at such a height, that the name "Wanqiu Food Workshop" would resonate throughout the land.
A slight tingling sensation rose in her nose. She took a deep breath, suppressing the tears welling in her eyes, and took the microphone. Her voice was clear and firm: "Distinguished leaders, dear friends, today, Wanqiu Food Workshop's success is inseparable from the support of everyone present, and even more so from the trust of the people of Hongqi Production Brigade." Her gaze slowly swept over everyone present, finally landing on Shen Tingzhou's face, a gentle ripple of emotion in her eyes. "And it's also inseparable from my beloved husband beside me, who has always silently supported me."
Shen Tingzhou looked at her, his eyes overflowing with tenderness. He remembered how he had faked his death and returned to find her, with Nian'an, using her skillful hands and that mysterious space to make flowers bloom on barren land. He remembered how she had run all over the county to various departments to set up the food factory, talking herself hoarse; he remembered how she had stayed up all night in the kitchen to develop new pastry recipes; he remembered how she had shared her recipes and taught everyone how to make them, all to help her fellow villagers get rich.
These years of weathering storms together, every little thing we've shared, have transformed into the deepest longing in my heart.
“I still remember when Wanqiu Food Workshop was first established, it was just a small workshop with a few old cutting boards,” Lin Wanqiu’s voice was filled with a touch of reminiscence. “Back then, I would get up at three o’clock every morning to knead dough, make fillings, and steam cakes, and I wouldn’t be able to rest until late at night. At that time, some people said that I was delusional, saying that a widow should be doing well enough to make a living, let alone want to start a factory.”
She chuckled softly, her tone full of relief: "But I don't believe in fate. I always feel that a person shouldn't be trapped by destiny in their lifetime. I not only want to make a good life for myself and my children, but also for everyone in our village to live a good life without worrying about food and clothing."
"Well said!" The old Party Secretary, who had been sitting in the corner, suddenly stood up and slammed his fist on the table excitedly. "I watched Wanqiu grow up. When she was bullied by the Shen family, I felt indignant on her behalf. Later, when she started her food factory, I was the first to support her! I knew then that this girl was destined for greatness!"
The old Party Secretary's words drew nods of agreement from everyone. Indeed, who could have imagined that the widow who suffered so much contempt in the village back then would now become a leader who guides everyone to prosperity and a well-known female entrepreneur in the province?
The applause rang out again and lasted for a long time.
The unveiling ceremony proceeded smoothly. When Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou together hung the plaque engraved with "Wanqiu Food Workshop Co., Ltd." in front of the main entrance of the office building, firecrackers went off and drums resounded. The villagers gathered at the entrance cheered and jumped for joy, and the children chased after the red paper scraps scattered on the ground, their eyes crinkling with laughter.
Shen Nian'an held her one-year-old son, Shen Nianzu, at the front of the crowd. Little Nianzu was dressed in a festive red cotton-padded jacket. His delicate, sculpted face was framed by a pair of large, bright black eyes. He was curiously watching the lively scene before him, babbling "Grandma, Grandpa."
Shen Nian'an's face was filled with pride and joy. Looking at his radiant parents on the stage, he recalled his childhood, when he was so thin from malnutrition that no other child wanted to play with him. It was his mother who, using milk and eggs from her spatial dimension, fattened him up; it was his mother who taught him to read and write, and told him to be a responsible person. Later, when he went to Singapore to do business, it was his mother who silently supported him and offered him advice.
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