Chapter 85: Business Trip "We young women of the new era dare to think and act...
On the train to Nanchong, Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua from the soy sauce factory sat opposite each other, the seat next to them empty. The train from Beichong to Nanchong takes nearly five hours.
"Comrade Wang Ying, I want to thank you again this time." Lin Fanghua said with a smile. She has short hair, small but bright eyes, dark skin, white teeth, and a friendly smile.
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua joked, "Why thank me? I didn't help the soy sauce factory negotiate the deal."
"Thank you for going on this business trip with me!" Lin Fanghua said, "The factory chose me to go with you because you're a woman."
"That's because Comrade Lin is excellent. Otherwise, you wouldn't be the only female comrade in the factory," said Wang Ying.
"Haha, but we only have this opportunity if you're a lesbian!" Lin Fanghua said, "My male colleagues aren't convinced yet, but there's no point in being unconvinced!"
Wang Ying smiled and said, "There will be more and more opportunities for female comrades in the future. Let's work hard together!"
"That's right! Let's work together!" Lin Fanghua was full of fighting spirit.
Lin Fanghua had a cheerful personality and quickly became familiar with Wang Ying. The two chatted and laughed a lot along the way and didn't feel bored at all.
Lin Fanghua asked Wang Ying if she had ever been to Nanchong, and Wang Ying said she had not.
Wang Ying had never been to Nanchong and was not familiar with it. In her previous life, she went directly from Beichong to Guangzhou, and later went to Shenzhen and Zhuhai. She was more familiar with those southern cities.
The two chatted, both looking out the window. After the train left Beichong City, vast expanses of farmland appeared, planted with wheat and mulberry trees. A few low houses dotted the fields. The scenery wasn't much different from when she left Beichong in her previous life. Rural development was remarkably slow.
Wang Ying thought that if she could develop her career in Beichong by then, she wouldn't have to leave her hometown.
When it was time to eat, Wang Ying pulled out some dry food from his bag: two scallion pancakes and two boiled eggs. Lin Fanghua also took out some steamed buns to eat with some sauce.
Wang Ying handed Lin Fanghua an egg, but Lin Fanghua refused to take it. Wang Ying smelled the delicious sauce Lin Fanghua made, so he asked her to give him some of the sauce, as an exchange, and only then did Lin Fanghua accept the egg.
Wang Ying scooped some sauce with a small spoon and put it on the pancake. She took a bite and was amazed by the taste. It was full of freshness and fragrance, not as salty as she had imagined, but with a hint of spiciness.
"What kind of sauce is this? It's so delicious!" said Wang Ying.
Lin Fanghua was a little proud: "I made this by adding some auxiliary ingredients to the soybean paste produced in our factory. This is the only sauce we use at home, and it is enough to go well with rice."
"Delicious!" Wang Ying scooped another spoonful. "This sauce will definitely be delicious with fish or noodles! How do you make it?"
Lin Fanghua looked at Wang Ying with a little embarrassment and said nothing.
Wang Ying said quickly, "The secret recipe is not to be passed on to others. I know it, I know it!"
"Team Leader Wang, if our factory produces this sauce of mine, can it be sold?" Lin Fanghua seemed to have mustered up the courage to speak.
Wang Ying looked at Lin Fanghua, and Lin Fanghua also looked at her.
"Can I?" Lin Fanghua asked again, her voice trembling.
Wang Ying nodded: "Yes."
Lin Fanghua smiled: "Then Team Leader Wang, can you help me talk to the factory about producing this sauce?"
"Do you want to give this secret recipe to the factory?" Wang Ying said.
"Is it okay?" Lin Fanghua said.
"I'll tell you it's okay, but you can talk to your boss yourself." Wang Ying said she thought the sauce was indeed delicious, better than some she'd had in her previous life, and it shouldn't be a problem selling. But she'd given the secret recipe to the factory, making it public property. She wondered if she'd regret it when the factory opened up to individual businesses.
Lin Fanghua looked at Wang Ying, biting her lip. After several seconds, she took a breath and said with determination, "Actually, I want to learn from Team Leader Wang. Team Leader Wang's shaqi ma is very successful, which gave me motivation and courage. I want to try it too!"
Wang Ying was deeply moved. She returned to the present era with memories and insights from the future, hoping to capitalize on the current trend and build a career. Her career had barely begun, but she had already inspired the striving spirit of women of this era, which made Wang Ying feel that her rebirth was even more meaningful.
"Tell me, what do you want me to help you with?" Wang Ying said solemnly.
When Lin Fanghua saw that Wang Ying was serious, she felt embarrassed.
"Actually, I secretly inquired about Team Leader Wang, and even used the excuse of studying to get a copy of the proposal he wrote from my superiors." Lin Fanghua said, pulling out a brown paper bag from her bag. "This is the proposal I wrote for this sauce. I'd like you to take a look at it for me!"
Wang Ying smiled and said, "Even the proposal has been written."
"I, I'm not very good at writing, and most of it is copied...copied from you." Lin Fanghua blushed.
Wang Ying took out Lin Fanghua's proposal from the brown paper and copied quite a bit of it. However, she only copied the framework and format; she wrote the main content herself, and it was quite good.
"It's very well written," said Wang Ying.
"Really? I copied everything." Lin Fanghua said, "I hope you don't blame me for copying you."
"That's okay. The soul in it is your own," Wang Ying said. "It's really well written."
"Is there anything that needs to be changed? Could you please help me?" Lin Fanghua felt that she was asking for too much, but she didn't want to give up this opportunity.
Wang Ying smiled and said, "I won't change it for nothing. When we get back, you have to give me a small jar of hot sauce as an exchange of skills."
"That's no problem! Not to mention a small can, a big can will do!" Lin Fanghua said quickly. She was afraid that Wang Ying wouldn't want anything!
"Okay, then I'll revise it for you." Wang Ying took out a pencil from her bag, leaned over the small table, and while revising it, she explained to Lin Fanghua why she made such revisions.
Lin Fanghua listened attentively and nodded repeatedly. By the time Wang Ying finished revising her work, her eyes were red.
"Team Leader Wang, thank you." Lin Fanghua said while wiping away tears.
"Why are you still crying..." Wang Ying was a little amused.
"I just think you're such a nice person," Lin Fanghua said. "I've had this written for a while now, but I didn't dare submit it to my boss for fear of accusing him of plagiarism. You don't know me, and you're so busy, so I was too embarrassed to ask you... Finally, I have this opportunity to go on a business trip with you. Even if I have to refuse it, I'll ask you to take a look at it and only give it to my boss if I get your approval."
Wang Ying felt that Lin Fanghua had ideas, principles, and the ability to take action. She was truly an outstanding young woman.
"I agree, go ahead and hand it in!" Wang Ying said seriously.
"Thank you!" Lin Fanghua wiped away her tears again.
"We're all contributing to the factory," Wang Ying said. "Besides, it's mass-produced, so I can buy more to eat later."
Although that's what she said, how many people can be as selfless as Team Leader Wang, who allowed her to use her proposal framework and even helped her revise the proposal? Lin Fanghua was extremely grateful to Wang Ying and regarded her as her mentor.
The train stopped along the way and a group of passengers got on. There were people sitting next to Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua. The two no longer talked about work, but talked about the scenery outside the window.
The train arrived on time, and Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua followed the conductor to their goods.
The personnel responsible for receiving the goods in Nanchong are already in place. The goods are unloaded from the train and transported to the truck responsible for receiving the goods in Nanchong.
"Welcome to Nanchong, comrades." Nanchong arranged a truck driver and a porter, both middle-aged men, to greet Wang Ying politely. The two places were hundreds of miles apart, and their accents were slightly different, but they were understandable.
"Thank you for your hard work, masters." said Wang Ying.
"It's not hard. But you two will have to work hard next. You can only sit in the truck bed." said the truck driver.
"It's okay, it's okay." Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua said.
"Then let's go."
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua climbed onto the truck bed and headed for the Nanchong Department Store headquarters along with the cargo. The cargo was covered with oilcloth, and Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua sat on a mat next to the cargo. Fortunately, the mat was thick, otherwise the two of them would have fallen apart.
The truck drove for more than an hour and arrived at the back door of the warehouse of Nanchong Department Store.
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua, their legs numb and faces stiff, supported each other as they got out of the truck, feeling unable to walk.
"Thank you both for your hard work. Your unit has also sent two female comrades." The truck driver said with a smile.
Lin Fanghua said: "That's because the female comrades in our unit are capable!"
"Okay, okay, you guys hold up half the sky," the driver said. "I'll go in and find the mailman. You guys wait here."
Wang Ying prepared the cargo list, quality inspection report, and order form, and waited for the other party to arrive.
Five minutes later, the mailman from Nanchong Department Store arrived. There were two comrades, a man and a woman. When they saw Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua, they were very polite.
"Thank you for your hard work, comrades." They stepped forward and shook hands with Wang Ying and the other two.
Wang Ying showed the other party the invoice and other documents. After reading them, the other party said there was no problem and accepted the goods. Wang Ying did not need to worry about the payment. She only needed to get the receipt from Nanchong, and that was it.
After the goods were handed over, the staff of Nanchong Department Store said, "This is your first time in Nanchong, right? Would you like to go to the guesthouse to rest first, or go shopping first?"
"Let's go to your department store first," said Wang Ying.
"Okay, I'll take you there."
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua followed the Nanchong staff to their department store. After Wang Ying entered, he found that the layout was almost the same as that of Beichong, and the items sold there were also very similar.
Wang Ying went to the counter selling candy and pastries specifically. The salesperson was putting the newly arrived shaqi ma on the shelf. As soon as he put it on the shelf, someone came over and asked about it and bought a pack.
Nanchong also sells peach cakes, biscuits, cloud cakes and the like. In addition to these, there is also a kind of white round cake.
"What is this?" Wang Ying asked the comrade who received them.
"This is a specialty of our Nanchong, fermented glutinous rice cake," said the salesperson.
Wang Ying thought this looked delicious, but it would be difficult to transport, as it looked prone to breaking. China is a vast country, and many foods are popular locally. Besides local tastes, short shelf lives and inconvenient transportation are also key reasons why local delicacies struggle to spread beyond their regions of origin. Once China's transportation industry develops, we'll be able to enjoy delicacies from all over the country.
Wang Ying decided to come here and buy some to take back before going home tomorrow.
"Are these pastries in our store also produced by the food factory in this city?" Wang Ying asked.
The salesperson said, "This glutinous rice cake is the only one that's local." The salesperson said, "We don't make many food here."
Wang Ying had a clue. She'd been thinking that if they also produced peach cakes and other snacks locally, the shaqi ma would definitely impact their sales. Turns out they were also from somewhere else, which made sense. She wondered where their peach cakes and other snacks were sourced from, and how they tasted. Wang Ying didn't ask any further questions, but decided to buy some to try and compare before leaving.
"What is this?" Wang Ying looked at the powdery substance in a glass jar. It looked like sugar but the color was wrong, and it wasn't malted milk.
"This is peach cake residue." The salesperson said with a smile.
Wang Ying also smiled: "Peach cakes are indeed easy to break."
"That's right. Every time a shipment arrives, quite a few break." The salesperson added, "Our factory previously went abroad to learn, but they didn't succeed when they came back."
Wang Ying nodded, a thought forming in his mind. After visiting the Nanchong department store, the comrades there led Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua to a nearby guesthouse. Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua presented their letters of introduction, and after checking in, the Nanchong department store staff left.
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua went to the room, and Lin Fanghua whispered to Wang Ying, "I've never stayed in a guesthouse before."
"I've never lived there before either." Wang Ying said that he had never lived there before in his life and it was his first time traveling far away.
They lived in a standard room with two beds.
Lin Fanghua asked Wang Ying: "Which bed are you sleeping on, Team Leader Wang?"
"I'm fine with either." said Wang Ying.
"Then I'll sleep on the inner bed." Lin Fanghua said.
"Okay." Wang Ying didn't care about this. It was just one night, and being able to sleep was fine.
Lin Fanghua placed her bag on the bedside cabinet and whispered to Wang Ying, "Team Leader, Nanchong also gets its peach cakes and other things from other places. It would be great if they could also get them from us!"
Wang Ying also thought so, but this matter certainly cannot be said casually. It must be approved by the leaders above.
If their peach pastry could be crispy without breaking, they'd have a shot at competing. Their cloud cakes were already in the running, and I guess they were just waiting and watching. Wang Ying decided to prioritize improving the peach pastry upon his return.
Wang Ying and the other person rested for an hour or so. Seeing that it was getting late, they went to the canteen of the guesthouse to eat.
When the two of them were eating, Lin Fanghua brought her sauce with her.
"Come here, Team Leader Wang." Lin Fanghua scooped a large spoonful of sauce onto Wang Ying's rice.
"Thank you, I really like this sauce." said Wang Ying.
"As long as you like it." Lin Fanghua also scooped a spoonful for herself.
The food in the guesthouse was average, but with Lin Fanghua's sauce, the two of them enjoyed it especially well.
The two were enjoying their meal when the chef of the guesthouse passed by them, walked away and then stepped back.
"Where did this come from?" The chef pointed at the sauce in their bowls.
"It's mine, I brought it myself..." The chef spoke in a rough and loud voice, as if questioning, which scared Lin Fanghua and made her stutter.
"Can I have some?" the chef asked.
Lin Fanghua was actually reluctant, but the chef had already taken out a small spoon from his apron pocket and said, "This is clean. I'll try some."
"Please, please." Lin Fanghua was too embarrassed to refuse.
This chef was dishonest. He said he would try a little, but ended up scooping out a full spoonful! The small can was empty, and Lin Fanghua felt distressed!
The chef scooped a spoonful and tasted it, and he actually tasted a little bit.
"Hmm? It tastes good!" the chef said, taking another big bite. "Not bad, not bad. Comrade, could you tell me the recipe?"
This isn't a chef, this is a bandit! Lin Fanghua said: "I don't know the recipe, my family made it."
"Tsk, that's a shame! This sauce is really good!" said the chef. "I'm going to the kitchen to try it now!"
The chef returned to the kitchen holding half a spoonful of sauce.
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua looked at each other. After a moment, Wang Ying whispered, "Is this formula easy to try out?"
Lin Fanghua said: "It shouldn't be easy. This recipe was passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and my mother taught it to me. Making the sauce is the same as making the snacks. If you add more of this and less of that, the taste will be different."
"That's right." Wang Ying whispered, "Wait until our factory produces it in batches and then ship it over to sell to him."
Lin Fanghua covered her mouth and laughed: "It would be great if that were the case."
"We, the young women of the new era, dare to think and do whatever we want!" said Wang Ying.
Lin Fanghua looked at Wang Ying, her eyes shining, and nodded vigorously: "Let's do it when we get back!"
After finishing their meal, they returned to their room. There was a thermos in the room, so they went to get some hot water.
After a simple wash, the two turned off the lights and lay down.
Lin Fanghua was a little excited and tossed and turned in bed.
Wang Ying was wondering whether the man at home missed her.
Of course the person at home misses her.
With Wang Ying away, Zhao Yunsheng felt the Zhao household grow deserted. He didn't need to go get Wang Ying, so he went to bed early. Once in bed, without someone beside him, he couldn't fall asleep. After tossing and turning, Zhao Yunsheng simply got up, spread out his manuscript paper, and began writing his new novel.
When you miss someone, it is suitable to write poetry or novels. Zhao Yunsheng decided to write a love novel.
The next morning, Wang Ying and his friends got up and went to the canteen of the guesthouse to have breakfast. As soon as they arrived at the canteen, the chef from yesterday came up to them.
"Do you have any more hot sauce, little comrade?"
"No more." Lin Fanghua said.
Wang Ying said, "Master Chef, didn't you say you made it yesterday?"
The chef scratched his head. "No matter what I cook, it doesn't taste right. I don't know if there's something missing or something extra. Could it be that the sauce is wrong? The soy sauce and sauce from your old soy sauce factory in Beichong are delicious, but it's a pity we don't sell them here."
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua were both happy because it was the soy sauce from their factory!
"Are the soy sauce and paste here local?" Wang Ying asked.
"It's not local, it's from the south. I feel it doesn't taste as good as your Beichong one." said the chef.
Wang Ying smiled and said, "That can't be helped."
"When will you come next time? Can you bring me a bottle of hot sauce? I'll give you something in exchange," said the chef.
"We don't know yet." Wang Ying said.
"Anyway, no matter when you come, remember to bring me a bottle of sauce. I'll treat you to breakfast today, this is a deposit!" said the chef.
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua had breakfast for free. After breakfast, they walked to the lobby of the guesthouse. Wang Ying saw someone he knew, Tang Jiaming.
"Special Commissioner Tang!" Wang Ying greeted him.
"Comrade Wang Ying!" Tang Jiaming said with a smile, "Now, you are the special envoy."
"Are you here to pick us up to go to the plastics factory?" Wang Ying asked with a smile.
"Yes, I asked the comrades at the department store and heard that you live here," said Tang Jiaming.
"Then let's go. After we finish our business this morning, we still have to catch the train back to Beichong." Wang Ying said.
"Okay, please." Tang Jiaming said.
The three of them left the guesthouse and saw a jeep parked at the door. Tang Jiaming invited them to get in.
"Your factory also has jeeps!" said Lin Fanghua.
"Just this one." said Tang Jiaming.
Wang Ying smiled and said, "Then our standards are quite high. We even used a jeep to pick you up."
Tang Jiaming smiled and said, "Please get in the car."
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua got into the jeep. Wang Ying had not only ridden in cars in her previous life, but also driven them, so she was no longer bothered by them. Lin Fanghua got in with an indescribable excitement, looking left and right. When the car started, she was startled.
It’s fast to take a bus. It only takes more than half an hour to get to the plastic factory. You can smell a smell as soon as you get off the bus.
Tang Jiaming gave each of Wang Ying and the others a mask.
"Put it on and let's go see the samples," said Tang Jiaming.
Wang Ying and Lin Fanghua put on masks and followed Tang Jiaming into the plastic factory.
The plastic factory was bigger than their food factory, and it took more than ten minutes to walk there.
Tang Jiaming showed them several plastic buckets of different sizes.
Wang Ying took off his mask and smelled it, and could smell the smell of plastic.
Tang Jiaming said: "It's normal to have a slight smell, but it's non-toxic and harmless, don't worry. We have a national quality inspection report."
Wang Ying put his mask back on and asked, "How long can I keep soy sauce or vinegar in this pot? Will it react chemically with the pot?"
Tang Jiaming smiled and said, "You know quite a lot. It's true that it can't be stored for too long, like in a tank, but it can be stored for a year."
Wang Ying said, "Well, let's take these samples and the quality inspection report back with us, and then let the leaders decide how much we want."
"Okay." Tang Jiaming agreed.
Because Wang Ying and Tang Jiaming knew each other, things that should not have been their responsibility were always discussed by the two of them.
When no one was paying attention, Wang Ying quietly said to Lin Fanghua, "I'm sorry, I took your job."
Lin Fanghua said quickly, "It's okay, it's okay. I came here just to get a sample, and my main purpose is to follow Team Leader Wang."
After taking the samples, Tang Jiaming also sent them back to the guesthouse.
On the way back, Wang Ying asked Tang Jiaming, "Comrade Tang, how did you get the order from your Nanchong Department Store for our non-staple food factory?"
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