Chapter 44 Sea View Room! (Revised)

Zhou Shengqiang and Wei Minhui left early the next morning.

At daybreak, the two stood outside the gate of the 119th Unit to bid farewell to Zhou Shenghuai, Feng Li and Zhou Yuezhu. Regardless of the right and wrong in the second brother's marriage, Zhou Shenghuai and him were brothers after all, especially since he had been protected since childhood, so he still felt reluctant and emotional at this moment.

They were together all day when they were young, but later they were assigned to different military regions and basically had to wait several years before they could see each other. As they grew older, a myriad of thoughts came to their minds.

"Second brother, next time we will go to the Northwest Military Region to see you." Zhou Shenghuai was quite emotional.

Zhou Shengqiang patted his third brother on the shoulder, showing a rare look of sadness on his face: "Well, there will always be a chance to meet him."

Meanwhile, Feng Li and her daughter Yue Zhu said goodbye to her second sister-in-law. They just said some polite words until Wei Minhui mentioned her son: "Hong Fei is also in Phnom Penh now, not too far from you. I told you that he will come to the island to visit his uncle and aunt when he is not so busy at work. You will have to take care of Hong Fei when the time comes."

"That's a good relationship. I haven't seen Hongfei for several years." Feng Li didn't like seeing her naughty nephew in her heart, but she still had to respond politely, "Don't worry, you and your second brother, let Hongfei have some peace of mind." If anything happens, he comes to me and his third uncle, we are all members of the same family, so we must help him."

After a few pleasantries, when it was almost time to leave, Zhou Shengqiang still glanced at the army gate with a hopeless look...

The son knew that he had to leave early this morning, but the familiar figure never appeared on the straight and deep bluestone pavement at the gate of the 119th Unit.

Zhou Shenghuai knew what his second brother was still longing for, but he also knew Hongyuan's temper, so he could only comfort him: "Second brother, let's go, I'll take you and your second sister-in-law to the boat, otherwise we will be delayed."

The ship was sailing on the sea again, swaying gently in the blue waves and gradually going away.

On the shore, Zhou Shenghuai, his wife and daughter watched their loved ones leave. They turned around and looked at their own happy family of three. In the end, they couldn't help but sigh: "I wonder if my second brother will regret it..."

Feng Li interrupted her husband and said, "It's been so many years, there's no point in regretting it. Given your second brother's personality, he would definitely do the same thing again if it happened again."

Zhou Yuezhu couldn't help but interrupt as she listened to her parents' words: "Mom is right. If my cousin had no future now, would my second uncle want to recognize him so much? I'm afraid he would want to cut off all contact with him."

"You..." Zhou Shenghuai glared at the lady and raised his voice, but his tone was not harsh, "Children should not interfere in adult matters."

Zhou Yuezhu: "..."

Annoying!

He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang naturally knew about Zhou Shengqiang and Wei Minhui's departure. Lin Xiang had no real relationship with them and was working in a factory, so she had a quiet time. He Hongyuan would not go to see them off.

During the few days that Zhou Shengqiang and Wei Minhui stayed at Zhou's house, He Hongyuan never came to eat at their house again. But as soon as the two left, He Hongyuan came to their house that afternoon, carrying a bag of clams, prawns and a pound of sorghum candy.

Feng Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her nephew really kept his word and insisted on waiting until his father left before coming to have dinner.

"Hongyuan, why did you bring so many things over here?" Feng Li took a quick glance and found that there was not only food but also a pound of sugar.

"Aunt Feng, Xiangxiang and I are getting married, so I'll give you some candy first." After all, it was thanks to the Zhou family's care that I was able to get from Linxiang to Phnom Penh and to Langhua Island.

Feng Li was suddenly delighted, her eyes widened a little, and she raised her voice and almost shouted: "Oh, you are getting married! That's a great thing!"

When Zhou Shenghuai returned from the army, Feng Li hurried forward to share this great news.

Zhou Shenghuai seemed calmer than Feng Li, but his eyes were gleaming with surprise and praise: "Well, Hongyuan is old enough to get married, it's time to get married."

He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang decided to get married, and Zhou Yuezhu became the most excited one.

After dinner, she seemed to be more anxious than the person involved. She stood beside her mother and looked through the almanac: "Mom, is this a good day? Doesn't it say it's a good day for marriage? Hey, what about this one? It seems good too!"

On the other side of the sofa, Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan sat together, watching Aunt Feng and Yuezhu choosing a good date for them, while Zhou Shenghuai reminded his nephew of the responsibilities he would have to take in the future: "Hongyuan, you performed well in the army, but that was only towards your comrades and soldiers. This kind of personality is acceptable. When you have a wife in the future, you must be nice to Xiaolin and stop having a stern face all the time."

Zhou Shenghuai was actually a little worried about his nephew. Hongyuan had been under his nose for quite a few years, and his temper was really cold and hard. For the sake of his nephew's future life, he had to warn him in advance, lest this boy's hard temper upset his wife after marriage, which would inevitably cause trouble.

Lin Xiang wanted to laugh when she heard Uncle Zhou's words. She recalled carefully that since the two of them had been together, she seemed to have never seen He Hongyuan have a dark face towards her. Although she said that he was such a stubborn and cold person, sometimes he was just the opposite.

She suppressed her smile and looked at the man beside her, whispering teasingly: "Comrade He Hongyuan, did you hear me? If you bully me in the future, I will ask Uncle Zhou and Aunt Feng to take charge."

Zhou Yuezhu jumped up when she heard this: "And I, cousin's wife, will make the decision for you, too!"

He Hongyuan was teased by everyone, but he didn't seem embarrassed at all. Instead, he smiled: "Yuezhu, what's your business?"

They haven't learned how to behave themselves and don't know who is the brother and who is the sister.

Zhou Yuezhu clenched her fists: "...humph"

Talking about the engagement, Lin Xiang slept exceptionally soundly that night. She had a dream. In the dream, she was in an orphanage and saw some children being adopted and taken away, and some children being taken home by their biological parents.

Xiao Lin Xiang was very envious and looked at them with her big watery eyes. She also wanted to have a home.

But she didn't wait until she had a home...

Until, when Xiaolin Xiang turned away in disappointment, she was suddenly stopped by a childish boy's voice. She turned around and saw a boy about ten years old, wearing a patched shirt with thin arms showing through the wide sleeves. He stretched out his hand to her and asked, "Let's go home together."

The next day, the sky was turning pale, and Lin Xiang woke up rubbing her sleepy eyes. Thinking back to the strange little boy in her dream, she felt that he looked familiar.

Those eyebrows, that face shape, they are exactly like He Hongyuan when he was a child!

After breakfast, they went to the food factory and Lin Xiang announced the good news to several people in the office. Director Zhao excitedly led Ma Defa and Kong Zhenzhen to clap their hands again, and the room suddenly broke out into warm applause.

"Xiao Lin and Headmaster He are getting married. What a great thing!" Director Zhao said generously, "Hold the wedding banquet someday. I'll give you a day off then."

Lin Xiang smiled and said, "It has not been decided yet. Aunt Feng has picked three good dates for us. We will call Hongyuan's mother at noon and let her choose."

Kong Zhenzhen agreed: "That's right. Let your mother-in-law choose, she will be happy too! By the way, is Captain He's mother easy to get along with?"

Women and men have different focuses. Kong Zhenzhen immediately became concerned about Lin Xiang's future mother-in-law and daughter-in-law issues. After all, this is a big deal.

Lin Xiang nodded: "We get along very well. Aunt He is very kind to me."

Kong Zhenzhen envied: "That's good, you are a lucky person."

Ma Defa flipped through the poetry collection at hand and prepared to speak with great emotion: "Why don't I recite a poem for you to celebrate..."

Kong Zhenzhen and Director Zhao interrupted him in unison: "Please calm down."

Ma Defa: "..."

Lin Xiang smiled with her eyebrows curved.

The happy events in life spread throughout Factory 2 in an instant, especially everyone in Factory 2 was gossiping. When Lin Xiang was about to go to the workshop to help research coconut juice, she was teased all the way.

"Xiao Lin, congratulations, Captain He is really capable and worthy of you!"

"When are you guys having the party?"

"Remember to give us wedding candy~"

Lin Xiang agreed to all of them. Although she hadn't gotten married yet, her joy seemed to have spread and she was happy whenever she talked about it.

Walking into the room inside the workshop, Lin Xiang put away her smile and tasted the newly prepared coconut juice with Director Zhao, Qiu Hongxia and Yang Tian.

The equipment of the soda production line is large and complex, and is divided into raw material processing equipment, mixing equipment, canning equipment, sealing equipment and cooling equipment.

This time, the coconuts need to be processed manually, and the coconut meat needs to be split open and scraped off. Then all the coconut meat is placed in the juice extraction and mixing equipment in the raw material processing equipment. The soft and tender coconut meat is milky white. After being rapidly squeezed and crushed, it gradually turns into a milky white liquid with a relatively dense texture, spreading out like refreshing satin, and even the air is filled with a sweet scent.

The coconut water extracted separately is mixed with coconut juice and then added with water and a small amount of sugar. The re-mixed coconut water is milky white in color and has a rich aroma without feeling inferior. It is eye-catching and special when packaged in a glass bottle, and is in no way inferior to yellow soda.

Several people drank half a cup. As soon as the enamel cup was brought to their mouths, a sweet aroma hit them. It was heavier and thicker than soda at first, soft and dense, with a refreshing fragrance. It had a pure natural sweetness and taste that was eye-catching.

"This tastes better than drinking coconut water directly!" Qiu Hongxia smacked her lips with satisfaction, and felt the taste lingering on her lips and teeth, "It's fragrant and sweet!"

Coconut water with the addition of coconut juice has undergone some changes in color, texture, taste and flavor, upgrading from a sweet and light base to a more eye-catching and taste-attracting sweetness.

More importantly, this method does not have the slightest sense of inferiority or roughness, and enriches the layers with its original pure natural flavor.

It was the first time for Director Zhao to drink such coconut juice, and he immediately decided: "This tastes good! It will definitely sell well! It's even better than orange soda."

Lin Xiang recalled that coconut is indeed a classic garnish for various beverages. It is hard not to be tempted by its natural sweet taste. "Director Zhao, the ratio of coconut juice, coconut water, purified water and white sugar needs further study."

"Yes, different proportions will result in big differences in taste." Director Zhao was now very satisfied and excited, and immediately asked Yang Tian and Qiu Hongxia to supervise the trial of coconut juice in different proportions.

It takes time to prepare the right proportion of coconut juice. After finishing her morning work, Lin Xiang quickly went to the cafeteria to eat, and then went out to the factory to reunite with He Hongyuan.

The two of them planned to go to the post office and call Aunt He at noon today.

For a major event like marriage, the mother must be informed as soon as possible.

After many twists and turns, Aunt He hurried over after being notified by the members of the production brigade. After waiting for a while, she finally received another call from her son three minutes later.

He Hongyuan is a man of few words, good at saying less and doing more. He was also concise when talking to his mother: "Mom, Xiangxiang and I are getting married."

These words were like a bombshell dropped on He Guifang, and she couldn't hide the smile on her face. She slammed the table in excitement and said, "Great! Let's get married! If you hadn't been so slow, you two would have held a wedding banquet a long time ago."

Aunt He also complained that her son was reluctant at first. If he had known better, they could have gotten married right away when Lin Xiang first arrived in Phnom Penh.

He Hongyuan did not comment or argue with his mother. He only admitted his fault in a low voice: "Yes, it's my fault."

The conversation between the mother and the daughter was just a few sentences. Aunt He felt that the brat was not going to fart even after three beatings, so she quickly asked him to hand the receiver to Lin Xiang.

As soon as she opened her mouth, she spoke warmly: "Xiangxiang, Hongyuan didn't bully you, did he? If he dared to bully you, you can tell Auntie... No, you can even call me Mommy!"

Lin Xiang blushed on the other end of the phone. It was the first time she called him "mother" in her two lifetimes. She said softly, "I know, mother. If he bullies me, I will definitely complain."

While speaking, she even glanced at the man next to her, as if she had found a backer.

The phone call was expensive, and the two sides did not have time to chat. Aunt He heard that Feng Li had already looked at the almanac and selected three dates. She then did some calculations and immediately decided on a wedding date for her son and future daughter-in-law. It would be the 30th of next month, and she would come over some time earlier to watch her son get married with her own eyes.

Before hanging up the phone, Aunt He quickly talked about a bunch of things that needed to be prepared for the wedding. These kinds of things always become more troublesome the more you think about them, and she couldn't finish talking about them all. She immediately told her son, "I'll ask Accountant Li to write a letter for me, and you prepare everything first."

He Hongyuan was no match for a rookie when it came to wedding ceremonies, so he naturally followed instructions obediently: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

After the phone call, the wedding date was set, and the two hurriedly separated and returned to the food factory and the army respectively. He Hongyuan was busy submitting the marriage report to the organization, while Lin Xiang felt as if the dust had settled and plunged into the work of preparing coconut juice.

During the afternoon working hours, Lin Xiang followed Director Zhao to the workshop office and tried six different proportions of coconut juice again, adjusting the proportions of coconut juice, coconut water, purified water and white sugar.

Lin Xiang had never drunk such delicious coconut juice in her life. The sweet taste in her mouth seemed to last until she was almost full of water.

After tasting all of them, several people were hesitant to choose two types of coconut juice. It seemed that there was not much difference between them, with only slight differences in the content of white sugar and coconut juice.

Finally, it was Lin Xiang who suggested: "Why not let all the workers in the workshop give it a try? Let's hold a vote."

The produced test coconut juice was distributed to the workers. Everyone had never seen such milky white juice before and couldn't help but look at it a few more times. The color was beautiful. Although it was white, the milky white looked very soft and pleasing to the eye. It did not produce any sense of stimulation and made people feel favorable towards it involuntarily.

Take another sip of coconut juice, and the amazing, natural sweet taste instantly fills your mouth, bringing a wonderful taste impact.

The workers in the workshop could not help but drink the coconut juice they tasted, and cast their votes while enjoying the aftertaste.

Lin Xiang personally counted the votes, and due to the characteristics of the times, the workers still preferred the coconut juice with a slightly heavier ratio of coconut meat to coconut milk, which had a more milky white color and a stronger sweet aroma.

After all, it was an age of lack of food and clothing, so naturally the food had to taste good.

In this way, the ratio of coconut juice for the second factory was determined.

The workshop of Factory 2 was bustling with activity. Everyone was used to producing orange soda. Looking at the piles of oranges and pears in the warehouse, they never imagined that one day there would be piles of coconuts as well.

It is not easy to pick the big hard fruits from the tree, not to mention the effort required to open it, which makes some people worried.

"If we really want to produce coconut juice in the future, how much effort will it take? We won't have to climb trees and pick coconuts every day, will we?"

"And then one person held an axe and chopped the coconut mouth?"

Just imagining such a scene made people laugh. The workers in the workshop laughed. Are they still state-owned factory workers? They are clearly state-owned factory workers!

"They don't even tell us about production, can this really be sold? I just tasted it and it's delicious, but now everyone sells orange soda, and ours..." Some people were worried, afraid that everyone's effort and thought would be in vain in the end.

After all, orange soda is the main force in the national soda market today, and there are also pear flavor, peach flavor, lychee flavor, etc. competing against each other, but coconut flavor is rare.

This has never been seen on the market. It may be a surprise or a shock.

Qiu Hongxia said casually while cracking melon seeds: "This was Xiaolin's idea. He suggested that our factory try to produce coconut water and sell it."

The workers who were worried just now changed their expressions immediately after hearing this: "Xiao Lin said so, then it will definitely work!"

"Xiao Lin is very capable, so it's right to listen to her!"

“I think this coconut water is a good idea too!”

While Factory No. 2 was busy preparing coconut water samples, He Hongyuan from Unit 119 was also preparing to submit his marriage report.

Yanglu Office.

He Hongyuan handed over a thin piece of paper. Yang Lu thought that there was no report that He Hongyuan needed to hand in in the past few days, so he took the paper and casually swept it.

Wow, his eyes widened instantly!

Yang Lu was anxious about his beloved general who had not yet started a family. However, He Hongyuan was a stubborn person, especially when it came to female comrades. This was really a headache.

Now this person has actually submitted a marriage report!

"Comrade He Hongyuan, you have listened to the organization's call this time." Yang Lu looked relieved.

The organization called for helping military comrades solve personal problems and start families, and He Hongyuan was able to do so.

He Hongyuan saluted the brigade commander and said, "Brigade Commander Yang, I always follow orders and obey commands! It seems that the normal process of this marriage report takes more than a week? Can mine be expedited?"

Yang Lu: “…”

Yang Lu's mouth twitched, and he secretly scolded me in his heart, I've never seen you so obedient and so anxious before!

As an experienced person, Yang Lu did not make things difficult for him. After all, this was the first time that his favorite general urged him to approve the progress of the marriage report. He waved his hand and said, "Who can stop you? Once the identity of your partner is checked, I will sign for you immediately!"

He Hongyuan's face was radiant. When he reached the door of the office, he saluted the brigade commander again, standing tall and straight like a pine tree: "Thank you, brigade commander!"

Yang Lu looked at his beloved general's leaving back, then came back to his senses and stared at the marriage report on the table. On the name column was He Hongyuan, and the person applying for marriage was Lin Xiang. He couldn't help but marvel at it. If it had been three months ago, he would never have thought that He Hongyuan would apply for marriage.

At first, my niece Meng Jing fell in love with He Hongyuan and pursued him for many years. She also pestered my husband and I to help act as matchmakers. But marriage is a big matter, and it is not something that can be forced.

When he returned home in the evening, Yang Lu took off his military jacket and hung it on the hanger, then turned around and talked about this with his lover.

"Guess who sent me the marriage report today."

Tian Guiju was startled by her husband's mysterious words, then she said with a smile, "Who else could it be? It must be a warrior in your host."

Yang Lu continued to keep the secret: "It's someone you would never have thought of."

"He Hongyuan?" Tian Guiju's conditioned reflex was this person.

"Yes, I didn't expect that I would finally receive this guy's marriage report."

The couple sat on the sofa and talked about this. Tian Guiju still sighed: "Xiao He used to have a very stubborn temper. He would not agree to any lesbian we introduced to him. Many girls surrounded him, but he dismissed them all, except our Jingjing..."

Thinking back to the last time he and his lover invited He Hongyuan to their home for dinner, they wanted to act as a matchmaker for the two young people to see if he could help Meng Jing fulfill her wish. After all, they were a talented man and a beautiful woman, and they looked like a good match. However, who knew that He Hongyuan was totally unromantic and didn't even want to send Meng Jing back to the hospital. He refused outright.

What a character! He doesn't know how to keep his face at all. He's too straightforward.

Now, I didn’t expect that He Hongyuan has also reported his marriage. It seems that the person who is least likely to get married in the army is also getting married.

Tian Guiju thought of He Hongyuan's girlfriend Lin Xiang. She and she had a deep relationship. After all, it was she who finally dealt with the problem caused by He Fen.

"He Hongyuan's target works in your factory. What kind of person is he?" Yang Lu had already arranged for someone to retrieve Lin Xiang's detailed information. After all, the target was a military person, especially an officer, so the identity of the target had to be verified.

Besides, he himself was curious.

"Xiao Lin is a nice guy, good-looking, well-educated, and more importantly, he has done a lot of great things in our factory!" Tian Guiju talked about the past two months and couldn't stop, from the soda in the second factory to the shrimp sauce in the first factory...

I kept talking until Meng Jing came back from the hospital.

"It seems that He Hongyuan's target, Comrade Lin Xiang, is a good person and reliable in all aspects. Once her identity information is verified, I will hurry up and approve their marriage report to prevent this guy from getting too anxious... Hey, why are you pushing me?"

Yang Lu was speaking when his lover suddenly pushed him and interrupted him.

Tian Guiju glared at him, winked at him, and immediately looked at her niece who had just returned from get off work at the hospital: "Jingjing, are you off work? Come into the house and have a drink of water. I'm stewing fish soup. We'll be able to eat soon."

Meng Jing naturally heard the conversation between her aunt and uncle. She looked calm and asked, "He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang are getting married?"

Tian Guiju thought to herself that she was in trouble, but could only admit it bitterly: "Yes, Jingjing, don't be sad... There are still many outstanding soldiers in our military region. Let your uncle introduce you to another one."

Yang Lu had no intention of mentioning He Hongyuan's upcoming marriage in front of his niece. After all, Meng Jing had been crazy about He Hongyuan for several years, and it would be such a blow to her if she heard the news.

Yang Lu just opened his mouth to say something to comfort her, but Meng Jing went back to the house to put her bag away without much concern, and said, "Oh, that's good, they look like a good match."

Tian Guiju and Yang Lu looked at each other, and both saw a hint of surprise in each other's eyes.

What's wrong with my niece? She didn't even react to He Hongyuan's marriage?

Meng Jing returned to the room and threw the cloth bag onto a chair. She sat on the edge of the bed in a daze. The person who appeared in her mind was not He Hongyuan, whom she had liked for many years and was about to marry, but another very hateful and annoying bastard!

Trying hard to get Jiang Zhenghao's shadow out of her mind, Meng Jing got up and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for her aunt.

The news of He Hongyuan's marriage spread like wildfire throughout the 119th Army.

The most surprised person was Zhang Huafeng. He never expected that among his good brothers, he would fall behind and that He Hongyuan would get married before him!

"Wei Jun'er, tell me how is this possible!" Zhang Huafeng had longed to get married. Unlike He Hongyuan, who viewed marriage as a disaster, it was hard for him to accept losing to He Hongyuan.

Jiang Weijun laughed: "Okay, give up. The other person just filed the marriage report before you. You lose."

Zhang Huafeng: "..."

Cursing and swearing.

But He Hongyuan, the sharp-tongued man, stabbed himself in the heart: "When I get married, I can teach you how to prepare the betrothal gift and the three turns and one response."

Zhang Huafeng:!

It really shows you!

——

As the workday was about to end, the news that the famous Captain He from the 119th Unit was going to get married also spread to the food factory. After all, there is no wall that is impenetrable, and Captain He attracted a lot of attention. His partner was Lin Xiang, who had become famous in the food factory in the past two months.

When Lin Xiang and Director Zhao went to the office of Factory Director Huang to deliver coconut water samples and a report on their application to add new flavors of juice, they were stared at all the way.

The workers in Factory 1 had known Lin Xiang for a long time. They were particularly enthusiastic towards such a talented person. They felt that she was one of their own and from Factory 1, and would be back next month.

"Xiao Lin, I heard that Captain He has already reported his marriage? Congratulations!"

"I told you two are a perfect match!"

Lin Xiang naturally accepted all the good intentions and agreed along the way, and only then did she barely escape from the encirclement of the enthusiastic workers.

Director Zhao sighed and said, "Ah, being young is good. Think about when I got married. Wow, it was more than 20 years ago."

As he spoke, Director Zhao touched his forehead. His hair was quite thick at that time.

Why!

The two knocked on the door and entered the factory director's office. As soon as they entered the room, they heard Director Huang complaining: "This old Qin really doesn't know how to step down after being given a platform. He is so stubborn that he will not come back!"

Secretary You consoled him, "It seems Director Qin is determined to do this."

Factory Manager Huang snorted angrily, and when he saw the two people from Factory 2 coming over, he didn't mention the matter of the shrimp sauce workshop again.

His attention was attracted by a bottle of milky white liquid in Lin Xiang's hand.

All the soda produced by the 119 Food Factory No. 2 is packaged in glass bottles with the words "119 Soda" printed on them. But in the past, they were all filled with orange soda. He was puzzled and asked, "What's in this bottle? Why does it look so white?"

At first glance, it looks like milk, milky white, and has a silky texture.

In the 1970s, milk was a precious commodity that could not be bought even if you had money. Basically, only cadres in government agencies, senior teachers, scientific researchers, or pregnant women and patients with certificates from hospitals could buy it.

Director Huang is one of the few people in his family who can drink milk. The taste is delicious, mellow and rich, and it seems to have an endless aftertaste in the mouth.

"Director, this is coconut juice!" Director Zhao struck while the iron was hot and hurriedly submitted a report, "Our factory is planning to add a new flavor of soda, and we will sell this coconut juice."

After hearing this, Director Huang scanned the report in his hand and asked in confusion, "The water in the coconut trees outside? Can we sell it?"

It's not that he is biased. Although there are many coconuts in Haining City, the trees have grown very tall, and it is difficult to pick the coconuts down, not to mention that the coconuts are as hard as balls, and it is also difficult to drink the water inside. Now he wants to bottle the coconut water and sell it outside?

Lin Xiang smiled and answered the factory director's questions one by one. After all, the second factory had already considered these issues in advance: "Factory director, coconut trees grow wild, which saves us costs. It's not like we have to buy oranges to produce orange soda. This is one reason. As for how to obtain raw materials, we have also thought about it. In the initial stage, we can hire people to pick them. We only need to collect coconuts. The cost will not be higher than the money to buy oranges."

Zhao Jianjun immediately gave Lin Xiang a look, signaling her to pass the coconut water over: "Director, please try this first, it's guaranteed to be delicious!"

The factory manager became hesitant after hearing what the two said, so he decided to just taste it first.

The milky white coconut juice in the glass bottle flowed smoothly into his mouth as he tilted his head back. The fine juice then flowed down his throat, gradually filling his esophagus with a sweet aroma.

Director Huang feels that this coconut water is just like milk, and is different from the popular orange soda on the market. It has a denser and smoother taste, and is a bit thicker. It is not as overly sweet as orange soda, but instead has a sweet aftertaste.

He smacked his lips, and after taking a sip, the fragrance still lingered in his mouth.

It's so special!

"The taste is really different." Factory Manager Huang knew that something must have been added to the coconut water, which was different from the coconut water after it was cut open, and was more suitable for being bottled and sold.

Zhao Jianjun gained confidence after hearing what the factory director said, and hurriedly received instructions: "Then, factory director, can this be done? You know that our soda production line in Factory 2 is very simple. We have only produced a few flavors of orange soda. Now if we can sell coconut water, it will definitely be better."

Factory Director Huang didn't buy his trick. The matter had to be discussed as it was a sudden one. "Leave the things here. We need to hold a meeting to study this matter."

Lin Xiang understood in her heart that this was how large state-owned factories were. If you wanted to do something, you had to follow the procedures. No matter how fast you did it, it would still take some time.

But she has confidence.

After reporting on the coconut water development, Lin Xiang and Director Zhao prepared to leave. There was still half an hour before the end of the get off work day, so they went back to the second factory to pack up and it would be almost time for the end of the get off work day.

The day after tomorrow is Sunday. He Hongyuan and her have agreed to go to the department store in the city to buy wedding supplies, so they will be busy.

Just as she reached the door, Lin Xiang was suddenly stopped by the factory manager. She could only watch Director Zhao happily leave work with a carefree pace.

"Director, is there any problem with the coconut juice just now?" Lin Xiang was most annoyed when her boss suddenly came to her before leaving get off work. Wouldn't this affect her time off work?

Factory Manager Huang waved his hands and said, "It's not about coconut juice, it's about the shrimp sauce workshop."

Lin Xiang was stunned: "What happened to the shrimp sauce workshop?"

As far as she knew, the last Mid-Autumn shrimp sauce incident caught the Shiwei Food Factory off guard, and until now they have not made any big moves and have been temporarily suppressed by 119.

"Qin Yangbo still refuses to come back. He insists that if you have the ability, we might as well let you be the director of the shrimp sauce workshop." Director Huang's temples were throbbing with pain, which was very worrying.

Qin Yangbo obviously wanted to express his own opinion.

Lin Xiang naturally wouldn't believe this. Qin Yangbo was being sarcastic. He felt that he was slapped in the face by this little girl, so he said this on purpose.

She also understood that the factory director would not take it seriously.

Besides, the internal forces of the shrimp sauce workshop are divided into several factions, and the small groups are severely divided. If she goes to the shrimp sauce workshop, does she want to make trouble for herself?

Lin Xiang put on a relaxed smile and said, "Director, Director Qin is just joking. How can a new worker like me compare to someone as experienced as Director Qin? Please don't embarrass me."

This is what Director Huang was waiting for. No matter how capable Lin Xiang is, she can't possibly be the workshop manager. This is a joke! It's just that Qin Yangbo is so petty that he insists on holding on to this matter, thinking that the position is not high enough.

"How about this, you come with me to the Qin family next Tuesday and persuade Director Qin in person." If Qin Yangbo wants to resolve his emotional knot, only Lin Xiang can do it.

Lin Xiang looked at Director Huang, and finally understood what this old fox was up to. It turned out that Director Qin had been humiliated by him, and he wanted him to be humble and say a few words to make the other person feel better, and then he would be able to come back.

"Director, I have nothing to do with the shrimp sauce workshop. It will be useless for me to go there, and it will also delay my work in the factory. It will definitely be no problem if you come forward. Director Qin will definitely give you face." Lin Xiang politely declined. She was too lazy to get involved in these matters.

When Director Huang saw Lin Xiang practicing Tai Chi, he immediately thought of Zhao Jianjun's usual tendency to slack off: "This is a contribution to the factory."

Wow, a compliment was given to her. Lin Xiang did not respond, but asked, "Director, what you said last time about replacing the equipment for our second factory..."

Director Huang was really in a dilemma. It was not a big problem to give the first factory tens of thousands of yuan to replace the new equipment, but if he gave it to the second factory, it would definitely cause controversy among the factory leadership. However, this was his promise, so he just said, "I'll keep this in mind and we'll decide after a meeting. As for going to see Qin Yangbo, go on Tuesday morning. It won't delay you for long, and I'll give you a day off in the afternoon."

Lin Xiang's eyes lit up. It would be nice to have a half-day free holiday. "Okay, let's go to Director Qin's house on Tuesday."

Lin Xiang, who had left the office of the director of Factory 1, returned to Factory 2 and took away a bottle of sample coconut juice to Zhou's house. When He Hongyuan rushed over from the army, Lin Xiang let him take a sip of the juice as if presenting a treasure.

"How do you think it tastes?" Lin Xiang stared at him with her beautiful almond eyes.

He Hongyuan's Adam's apple rolled, and the aroma of coconut juice spread in his mouth: "It tastes good. It seems a little different from coconut water."

"Well, this is something we improved." The samples Lin Xiang brought back also received unanimous praise from the Zhou family.

Zhou Yuezhu drank half of it with a greedy mouth, and even shouted that if this kind of juice was really sold at the supply and marketing cooperative, she would definitely be willing to buy it.

——

No matter how busy they are with work, the top priority for Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan is still getting married. On Sunday, Lin Xiang got up early and went into the city with He Hongyuan again.

This time, the two of them had a clear purpose. Although they didn't know much about wedding customs, they bought the items one by one according to the list Aunt Feng had helped them to draw up.

Phnom Penh City Department Store has a complete range of goods and you can buy basically everything.

He Hongyuan had already bought two of the three things he had prepared for the wedding - a bicycle and a watch - for Lin Xiang. He also exchanged industrial coupons with his comrades and bought a radio. Lin Xiang didn't know how to use a sewing machine, so the two of them simply saved the money.

Lin Xiang felt more and more that something was wrong as she kept shopping: "When you gave me a watch and a bicycle, you didn't buy them for me in anticipation of a wedding, did you?"

He Hongyuan smiled and said, "If we hadn't talked about marriage, I would have been ready to use my industrial coupons to buy you a radio. I have everything ready, and you should get married sooner or later."

Lin Xiang looked at He Hongyuan in astonishment as he was carrying a lot of bags, and felt that this man was quite sinister!

After buying the big items, the next step is to choose wedding supplies.

Lin Xiang paid out of her own pocket to buy the sheets, quilts, pillowcases, enamel basins and cups that the woman needed to prepare, all with festive patterns.

If she were stuck in the future, she might think it was a bit rustic, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do. These items printed with bird or red peony are fashionable at this time.

He Hongyuan was about to rush to pay, but was stopped by Lin Xiang. She winked at the man and said, "I told you that this is for the bride, don't try to snatch it from me."

He Hongyuan had no choice but to give up.

To get married, they had to make new clothes. The two of them pooled together eight feet of cloth coupons and bought Lin Xiang bright red twill cotton fabric. They prepared to find a tailor to take measurements and make her a beautiful red wedding dress. He Hongyuan wanted to wear a military uniform to get married, which was also a feature of that era.

Lin Xiang thought about it and felt that a white military uniform would also look handsome when getting married, and it was not much different from a white suit; they were both uniforms after all.

"Buy you another pair of leather shoes?" He Hongyuan took out all his family savings and wanted to buy everything for Lin Xiang. While looking around, he set his eyes on the black leather shoes on the shoe cabinet.

Lin Xiang now only has two pairs of cloth shoes, which are fine for daily wear, but not so good for occasions like weddings: "Okay, I have to buy a pair."

Lin Xiang picked out the most fashionable T-strap pointed-toe leather shoes, saying that they were popular in Shanghai and were very expensive. However, no matter how expensive they were, they could not stop comrades with some extra money from buying a pair of decent leather shoes.

A pair of exquisite and compact black calfskin shoes cost another thirty-five yuan.

He Hongyuan bought himself a pair of shoes. Lin Xiang was thinking about what to buy for him, but the man didn't think about anything. Lin Xiang no longer asked for his opinion and simply bought him two pairs of black nylon socks, which are also the most popular nowadays. They are twice as expensive as ordinary cotton socks. The state-owned factory workers who have been paid are all looking forward to having a pair of them so that they can walk with the wind under their feet and hold their heads high.

By the time they returned home with a full load, they had already spent nearly two hundred yuan.

Of course, it’s mainly because the men around me spend money lavishly.

Two hundred yuan in the 1970s was not a small sum, and Lin Xiang still felt a little pain in her heart, as she really couldn't stop spending money.

He Hongyuan didn't care, and then he brought up the furniture making thing again: "I heard from Jiang Weijun that there is someone on the island who makes furniture very well. He is planning to get married there, so let's go and take a look."

Lin Xiang's eyes lit up again when she heard about the furniture. It was worth spending money on the small family. "Okay, let's go take a look after the house is divided. Then we can plan which furniture to make. We have to choose good furniture, after all, it can be used for many years."

Lin Xiang took all the things back to Zhou's house and put them there. She originally thought that she would have to wait for the room allocation. After all, everything had to wait for He Hongyuan's marriage report to be approved before the room allocation process could proceed.

Unexpectedly, on Monday at noon, she received a notice from He Hongyuan saying that the marriage report had been approved and asked her to take a leave to choose a house.

It was convenient to ask for leave at the Second Factory, and Director Zhao approved it readily.

Lin Xiang was still a little dizzy when she followed He Hongyuan and the director of the family home to take a look at the several now vacant small buildings. Her own sea view room was really coming!