Sister Liu breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright. I knew good people would be rewarded, and those bad people would definitely not succeed."
Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu managed the workshop while keeping an eye on Zhao Jianjun and Lin Moli's movements. She heard that Zhang, the cadre, had been criticized by the commune secretary and transferred from his original post because of this incident, and Lin Moli no longer had the chance to ask him for help. Zhao Jianjun also became much more obedient and no longer dared to loiter around the workshop.
She thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly, another incident occurred on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. That afternoon, Lin Wanqiu was inspecting the newly made sesame paste in the workshop when she suddenly heard a commotion outside. When she went out to look, she saw a group of people gathered at the gate of the courtyard. The leader was a strange man dressed in a respectable Zhongshan suit, holding a document in his hand, followed by several fierce-looking burly men.
"You're Lin Wanqiu?" The stranger looked Lin Wanqiu up and down, his tone arrogant. "I'm the director of the county food factory. I've heard that your workshop makes good baby food. I'm here today to talk to you about a partnership—sell your recipe to our factory, and we'll give you a hundred yuan. Then you can stop running this workshop and stop competing with us for business."
Lin Wanqiu's heart sank—the county food factory? Why would they suddenly come looking for her? It must be Lin Moli or Zhao Jianjun tipping her off, trying to get the county food factory to take over her workshop! This recipe was something she had improved by combining modern nutrition science; it was the foundation of her workshop. How could she possibly sell it to them?
“I’m sorry, I don’t plan to sell the formula, nor do I plan to close the workshop.” Lin Wanqiu said firmly. “Our workshop’s baby food is all handmade, and the quality is guaranteed. It’s different from the products of your county’s food factory, so there’s no question of us stealing your business.”
"Don't push your luck!" The stranger's face darkened, and he threw the documents on the ground. "Let me tell you, the county food factory is a state-owned enterprise. You're just a private workshop. Going against us won't end well! Today, you either sell the recipe, or we'll report you for 'operating without a license' and have the commune shut down your workshop!"
The burly men behind them joined in the jeering: "Be smart, don't force us to take action!"
The women in the workshop were too frightened to speak. Brother Zhou was furious, his face flushed, and he wanted to go forward to argue, but Lin Wanqiu stopped him. She knew that confronting these people head-on was useless; they were a state-owned enterprise with powerful backers, and if things really escalated, she would be the one to suffer.
“Factory Director, I know the county food factory is a state-owned enterprise with strong financial backing.” Lin Wanqiu softened her tone and picked up the documents from the ground. “But my recipe is a family heirloom and cannot be sold. However, we can cooperate—I will provide you with technical support and help you improve your complementary food recipes, and you will give me a commission based on sales volume. This way, the county food factory's products can be improved, and my workshop can continue to operate. It's a win-win situation. What do you think?”
The stranger was taken aback, clearly not expecting Lin Wanqiu to say that. He had initially thought Lin Wanqiu was just an ordinary rural woman who would easily submit to intimidation, but he hadn't expected her to be so bold and even propose a cooperation plan. He thought about it; the county food factory had indeed been improving its products recently, and if he could get a good formula, it would definitely increase sales. Moreover, Lin Wanqiu's workshop was quite famous locally, and cooperating with her would save him a lot of trouble.
"What kind of cooperation are you talking about?" The stranger's tone softened.
“I can help you improve three complementary food formulas, guaranteeing they’ll be more popular than your current products,” Lin Wanqiu said. “You can give me a 5% commission on each product’s sales, settled monthly. In addition, my workshop will continue operating, providing convenience to the local villagers, and I won’t compete with you for the county market. What do you think?”
The stranger nodded: "Okay, but I need to see how effective your formula is first. If it works well, we'll sign a contract; if it doesn't, then there's no point in discussing cooperation."
“No problem,” Lin Wanqiu said with a smile. “I’ll take the samples to the county food factory tomorrow so your chefs can try them.”
The stranger gave a few more instructions before leaving with his men. Brother Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow: "Wanqiu, you're amazing! You actually managed to negotiate a partnership with the county food factory. Now we don't have to worry about anyone causing trouble anymore!"
Lin Wanqiu smiled, but she knew very well that the cooperation had been successful because, on the one hand, the county food factory genuinely needed a good formula, and on the other hand, she had avoided a direct confrontation and instead resolved the crisis through cooperation. However, she also knew that this was only temporary; as long as Zhao Jianjun and Lin Moli were still around, things would never truly be peaceful. What she hoped for most now was for Shen Tingzhou to return soon; only with him by her side could she truly feel at ease.
It was late at night. Lin Wanqiu had put her two children to sleep and sat alone at the table, reviewing the account books. The flickering flame of the kerosene lamp illuminated her tired yet determined face. She opened her spatial storage, looked at the supplies inside, and then touched the jade pendant at her waist, her heart filled with longing—Tingzhou, when will you come back? My children and I miss you so much.
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