Chapter 66 Three Updates in One

The first plant of 119 Food Factory covers a large area and has a long history. When the second plant was established, it was originally intended to vigorously develop the soda production line. However, during the famine years, the people across the country were starving and had no energy to spare a drink. The soda production declined, and the backward production technology was unable to support it. The scale was reduced step by step, and it changed from an ordinary small factory to a scattered workshop style that is not even as good as a small factory.

Compared to the imposing Factory 1 separated by a wall, Factory 2 is dilapidated and unsightly.

On the way to Factory 1, Lin Xiang curiously asked about the site of Factory 2: "Sister Zhenzhen, I remember hearing you mentioned before that Factory 2 was not originally so small. How far could the site be?"

Kong Zhenzhen has been in the Second Factory for many years, so she is naturally familiar with it: "Yes, our Second Factory used to have a large area, with six workshops alone. At that time, the food factory planned to sell canned seafood in the first factory and develop soda production in the second factory. But then we encountered the three-year famine period. People couldn't even eat enough, so who would drink soda? It got worse and worse. In addition, our technology and flavor formulation were indeed backward at that time. We couldn't compare with those soda factories in big cities, and we couldn't sell better than them. The factory's efficiency was getting worse and worse. Even after the famine period was over, the factory leaders, especially Secretary Tang, still wanted to close the Second Factory. The director had to talk a lot before he got an opportunity from Director Huang.

At that time, the seafood canning workshop was extremely prosperous, especially the canned shrimp sauce, which sold very well. There was a shortage of manpower, so the director brought the workers from our second factory to help out on a voluntary basis. They worked hard and did everything they could in the hope of making a name for themselves and keeping the second factory going.

As a result, we helped the canning workshop of Factory 1 to get through the three-month busy period of shortage of staff. Director Huang praised everyone and said that Factory 2 should be kept and we should try to develop it. Secretary Tang jumped out and firmly opposed it. He and some other leaders in the factory insisted that the leadership team vote on whether Factory 2 should stay or go. They had a lot of people, and the majority obeyed the minority who wanted to close Factory 2. They believed that Factory 2 was too inefficient and it would be a loss to keep it. In the end, Director Huang had no choice but to persuade everyone to keep Factory 2. In this way, the scale of Factory 2 was reduced by more than half, leaving us with two workshops and an office. All other sites were withdrawn and merged into one factory."

Kong Zhenzhen sighed, and the scene of the second factory's wall being demolished and the site being moved seemed to appear before her eyes.

"I still remember it now. The wall was demolished and it was moved more than ten meters closer to our second factory. The place suddenly became narrower. The main gate was also moved. Our factory's previous main gate was very impressive, eight meters long, but now it has been moved to a small gate of one and a half meters long. The area over there was all designated as the first factory, including the workshop and most of the workers."

Lin Xiang had not expected that the Second Factory used to be so grand, but things and people have changed. The walls of the Second Factory now appeared before her eyes with creaky skin, small workshops, and closed places. Even the trees in the Second Factory were much shorter than those in the First Factory.

However, things are changing, and everything is about to change again!

Thinking about being able to meet with Director Huang and Secretary Tang face to face to apply for factory expansion, Zhao Jianjun was extremely happy.

"We must take at least 25 acres of land this time." Zhao Jianjun and others have calculated the area needed for expansion, but since it is difficult to apply for land, they must at least maintain this number in order to properly arrange subsequent production.

Lin Xiang and the other two nodded: "Director, don't worry, we will definitely cooperate."

——

In the meeting room of Factory 1.

"Director Huang, Secretary Tang, we are expanding our factory. In addition to expanding the workshop, we need to build a staff canteen. Otherwise, it will be troublesome to go to the first factory to eat every time. We also need to repaint the walls of the two workshops and offices. The wall paint has fallen off a lot. Oh, and we also need to plant some towering trees to make the second factory look more impressive."

Secretary Tang glanced at Zhao Jianjun and felt that this man was always pushing for more. Why didn't he go to heaven? He might as well empty the first factory and move everything to the second factory.

"Zhao Jianjun, don't dwell on all that stuff, let's talk about expanding the factory first." Factory Director Huang saw that Old Tang had a lot of opinions about Zhao Jianjun, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "Your factory used to be located here, but later on you reduced the scale and built the wall over there, and all the factories were merged back into one."

Factory Manager Huang pointed at the only obstacle between Factory 1 and Factory 2 - a high wall.

At first, Factory 2 was ordered to reduce its scale, and most of its area was directly merged into Factory 1. That is, the factory gate was moved, and the wall was demolished and rebuilt. Although the area of ​​Factory 2 is actually not small, it has not been of much use to Factory 1 over the years. At most, some open space was added and a few workshops were used.

"Now that the first factory has been renovated and is in good shape, you can expand the second factory to the other side. It was originally an empty lot, and you can build a few workshops by weeding it out. I will report the foundation application to the military, and there won't be any problems."

Zhao Jianjun's eyes lit up, what a great feeling!

"Director, how much land can you approve? Thirty-five acres?"

When Secretary Tang heard this, he said angrily, "Thirty-five? Zhao Jianjun, do you think applying for land is the same as going to the canteen to get food? Giving you ten acres is enough."

When Lin Xiang heard this number, she complained in her heart that Secretary Tang was too stingy. She heard that each time a factory expanded its plant, it would add dozens of acres of land. Otherwise, how could it be so big now?

After many years of waiting for an opportunity to expand, the Second Factory decided to get rid of it.

Zhao Jianjun was naturally dissatisfied, and said with a sad face: "Secretary Tang, our factory's ten acres of land is not enough. Look at the expansion of four workshops. We also need land to build a staff canteen. If allowed, we should also build a staff dormitory for our second factory workers. After we recruited workers this summer, the number of workers has increased. We can't keep them in that cage anymore."

After saying that, Zhao Jianjun turned his head and looked at his three subordinates: "Is that right?"

Lin Xiang, Kong Zhenzhen and Ma Defa all said in unison: "Yes!"

Lin Xiang sat at the end of the conference room, looking at Secretary Tang and Director Huang who were sitting in the main seats. She understood what Director Zhao meant and began to perform: "Director Huang, Secretary Tang, our factory had few workers and few orders before, so the production task was not too heavy. But now there are more orders, and the amount of fruit juice and soda that needs to be produced every day is huge. There is a high demand for factory area, workshop expansion and the number of workers. According to the current needs of the second factory to the whole city Supply orange soda, coconut juice to department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives in 11 cities around the province, and major guesthouses in the provincial capital. With such orders, we have to build four more workshops, a cafeteria and a staff dormitory. At the same time, we have to expand the current office. Thirty acres is actually too little. Director, did you remember it wrong? We calculated that we needed forty acres before. "

Zhao Jianjun looked at Lin Xiang, slapped his forehead as if he had suddenly realized something, and turned to Secretary Tang and said, "Oh my, my memory is not good when I get old. Secretary Tang, I remembered it wrong. Our factory needs 40 acres to expand the factory building."

Secretary Tang angrily slammed the conference table and said, "How dare you open your mouth. Do you really think that the land outside belongs to you and you can take it as you please? Thirty acres is not enough, you want forty acres?"

Kong Zhenzhen said with a smile: "Secretary Tang, how dare we do that? We are just waiting for your and the factory director's approval."

Ma Defa had a calm face, showing no emotion, and said calmly, "Four years ago, the expansion of the factory was because the shrimp sauce workshop could be sold in several provinces and cities, so a lot of space was added. Secretary Tang, our factory No. 2 has also signed a lot of orders this time, and we won't be able to produce if we don't expand the area."

Zhao Jianjun looked at them and shouted in a low voice, "Look how anxious you are! Can Secretary Tang and Director Huang not consider the situation of the Second Factory and not approve the land? Leaders are the most considerate of their subordinates. You all just worry about nothing."

Lin Xiang, Kong Zhenzhen, and Ma Defa: "Yes, we were too anxious."

"Secretary Tang and Director Huang are good leaders of the food factory. They will definitely consider the development of our second factory." Zhao Jianjun praised another person and said happily.

Seeing the people from Factory 2 working together, Director Huang held back his laughter. He agreed to give Factory 2 30 acres of land to expand the factory, but Old Tang had never liked Factory 2 and was strongly opposed to it.

Secretary Tang refused to give in, and Factory Director Huang could not make the final decision alone. Zhao Jianjun caught the two of them and started a long speech in the conference room. He talked about the history of the food factory and the hardships of the second factory. He even recalled the past when he led the people from the second factory to help the first factory on a voluntary basis.

The two leaders frowned upon hearing this. How could he be so rude and talkative?

"Secretary Tang, Director Huang, we just want to create benefits for the troops and the factory and serve the people. You must give us this opportunity! We really need these 40 acres of land!" Zhao Jianjun got so excited that he stood up and shook hands with the two leaders.

Of course, Secretary Tang was very reluctant, and Zhao Jianjun forcibly pulled his hand and shook it twice.

"Oh, that's enough, Zhao Jianjun, you're getting older now and you're talking more and more nonsense." Director Huang was really having a headache. The Second Factory was now on the rise, and he was very pleased. Expansion and development were necessary, but the amount of land to be given was still under discussion. "Well, let's each take a step back..."

Before Director Huang finished speaking, Zhao Jianjun immediately interrupted him: "Director, let's take 35 mu. We are willing to make a concession!"

Secretary Tang was furious when he heard the number: "How can they give 35 mu? 30 mu at most!"

"Deal!" Zhao Jianjun didn't hesitate for a second. He turned around and waved to his three subordinates to applaud. "Hurry up and thank the two leaders!"

Thunderous applause suddenly broke out in the conference room, with several people thanking the leader in unison.

Secretary Tang: “…?”

Zhao Jianjun led the three of them and hurriedly left the meeting room, fearing that Secretary Tang would go back on his word. Thinking about the grand and majestic appearance of the second factory in the future, he almost smiled.

"You three have some of my skills, not bad." When they returned to the second factory, Zhao Jianjun did not forget to praise the three employees, "When the time comes, our factory's own cafeteria will be open, and you can eat delicious food!"

Lin Xiang glanced at the now dilapidated Second Factory and felt happy. She had accidentally participated in infrastructure construction!

The expansion plan for the second factory was finalized, and the leadership team of the first factory applied to the army for land allocation. Zhao Jianjun then requested funds, and the director of the first factory approved the funds. They then began to gather workers to weed, clear and level the land, and gradually began to build factory buildings.

The continuous rumbling sound of repairing a house reached the ears of the workers in a factory, and they were all surprised.

If it was a year ago, no, just half a year ago, who would have thought that the second factory would not only not be closed down, but would be expanded.

"How did the second factory develop into this? I heard that this time they allocated 30 acres of land for them to build factory buildings, cafeterias and dormitories. Oh my, it's incredible."

"I heard before that the second factory was going to be closed down. It was said that the workers in the second factory were either assigned to do odd jobs in our first factory or were going to be laid off and sent back home. How come things are getting better and better now?"

"How can that be impossible? The coconut juice from Factory 2 has been sold to many places. Didn't they sign the order at the Food and Drinks Fair? It's incredible. If they continue to sell like this..." A worker from Factory 1 got excited and suddenly looked around. Seeing that no one from the shrimp sauce workshop was passing by, he whispered, "Will there be a day when the products from Factory 2 sell better than our canned shrimp sauce?"

"Impossible!" All the workers in Factory 1 have a collective sense of honor for the canned shrimp sauce. In their hearts, no one can compare to them. No matter how powerful Factory 2 is, it cannot surpass the huge profit brought by canned shrimp sauce.

"That's right, it's impossible. Our canned shrimp sauce has been around for years. Who can surpass it?"

Only one worker curled his lips, feeling that he couldn't say for sure: "Who can predict what will happen in the future?"

The second factory, which was once despised by everyone, has suddenly made a comeback. The expansion of the factory building is also under construction in full swing. The original workshop has not been affected. The workers are still producing coconut juice step by step, but with a little more fantasy.

"Once the new factory building is built, we will be able to work in a clean and spacious workshop."

"We can eat in our own factory cafeteria, and we don't want to go to the first factory to suffer! Every time we go there, the first factory looks at us like outsiders."

"There are also dormitories! You can apply for one when the time comes!"

I simply dare not think about it. Once I think about it, all of it makes me laugh so hard that I wake up in my dreams.

Lin Xiang had just checked the supply of coconut juice on three trucks and returned to the workshop, calling out to the melon seed lady: "Sister Hongxia, let's go pick pineapples!"

"Coming, coming!" Qiu Hongxia handed the work at hand to her co-worker, changed into her work clothes and set off.

In early April, the first batch of wild pineapples on Langhua Island matured, stimulating people's taste buds with their sour and sweet taste, especially the tempting sweet aroma.

Lin Xiang and Kong Zhenzhen followed Qiu Hongxia, who had lived here for many years, to find an area with dense wild pineapples. They planned to pick a basket and bring it back to the factory to mix pineapple juice in preparation for the new season.

"I have seen this fruit before when I was picking wild vegetables. At first I just squeezed the root and didn't know it was edible. Later I took one home and wanted to see what was inside. I chopped it with a kitchen knife and found that it had many pockmarks. But the meat inside was delicious, fragrant and sweet. The smell made me drool. My son and daughter love to eat it, especially my daughter Yafen, who loves it very much." Qiu Hongxia led the way, holding a branch in her hand and digging around. "Because of this, we love to look for this fruit everywhere. Now no one knows where this fruit can be found on the island better than me!"

Lin Xiang seemed to have smelled the sweet scent of pineapples when she heard this. When she followed Sister Guazi to see a bunch of wild pineapples, her eyes lit up.

A patch of plants about one meter high were covered with golden pineapples with thorns. Although they were not too big, the surrounding area seemed to be filled with a sweet fragrance. The three of them picked a basket of pineapples and returned to the factory, preparing to start experimenting with making pineapple juice in the next period of time.

After a busy afternoon, it was time to get off work when we returned to the factory. While putting the pineapples in the workshop for storage, Lin Xiang said, "It's not easy to go out. Let's each take a pineapple back to eat."

Kong Zhenzhen's saliva was almost flowing out. She nodded quickly and shared the pineapple with Qiu Hongxia.

After work that day, the three of them held a golden fruit in their hands. Qiu Hongxia smiled and said, "Yafen from our family was talking about it a few days ago. It's just right that we ate it today when we got home. By the way, we are recruiting workers this summer. I plan to let Yafen apply for the second factory."

Qiu Hongxia's daughter Zhang Yafen is sixteen years old this year and has graduated from junior high school half a year ago. She was originally planning to apply for Factory One this year. Now that Factory Two is on the rise, Qiu Hongxia hopes that her daughter will come to Factory Two to learn something.

Lin Xiang smiled and replied, "That's great, you will be the mother and daughter soldiers in the future."

Lin Xiang took a pineapple home. After peeling it with a kitchen knife, she saw the golden flesh and the fragrance spread all around.

Use a small knife to dig out the pineapple seeds from the skin little by little. After soaking in salt water for a while, the dry and beautiful pineapple flesh is cut into small pieces and placed on a plate.

When He Hongyuan returned home from the army, he smelled a sweet scent as soon as he entered the door, which was very tempting.

"What is it?" He saw a pile of prickly fruit peels in the kitchen, which looked a little scary.

"Come and eat pineapple." Lin Xiang picked up a piece of pineapple with a wooden fork and fed it to the man. "Our factory is going to produce pineapple juice. I picked some today. It's very delicious. Try it."

He Hongyuan didn't remember whether he had eaten this kind of fruit before, but the sweet and sour aroma filled his mouth, and the flesh was thick and juicy. It was indeed delicious: "It's delicious. It must be delicious if it's made into soda."

It's sweet and fragrant with a hint of sourness, which is the finishing touch.

"Is that so?" Lin Xiang took a few more bites of pineapple and pointed to a small bowl of pineapple that was specially set aside. "Send it to Yuezhu and the others after you finish your meal."

Aunt Feng and Yuezhu often brought food to their home, and so did Lin Xiang. After dinner, she and He Hongyuan went to Zhou's house with a bowl of pineapple pulp. However, as soon as they entered the door, they heard Zhou Yuezhu and Brigade Commander Zhou "arguing".

Although it was a quarrel, it was not that tense. Zhou Yuezhu, who was about to sneak out for a date after dinner, was discovered by her father and was stopped. She was now reasoning with her father.

"Dad, Comrade Shen Jianming is Comrade Shen Jianming, and his father is his father. Can't you tell them apart?"

Ever since her secret relationship with Shen Jianming was discovered by her family, Zhou Yuezhu has been ruthlessly suppressed. Her parents do not approve of this relationship, especially her father Zhou Shenghuai, who is extremely disgusted with the Shen family.

Zhou Shenghuai disagreed with treating the Shen family separately: "We are all family. His father is not a good person. Although Shen Jianming said that I don't understand him, there is no need to understand. There are many good men in our army. Are you worried about not being able to find someone you like?"

Feng Li got a headache listening to the father and daughter arguing, so she just let them argue on their own.

"There are so many people in the army, but Comrade Shen Jianming and I like each other. He said he wanted to visit you, but you disagreed." Zhou Yuezhu said righteously.

"What are you talking about? You are such a shameless girl! You keep talking about what you like!" Zhou Shenghuai had a deep grudge against Shen's father. During the Great Movement, this man did not help the old leader who was implicated in the report. No matter what the reasons were, he would not forgive him. "Don't let him come to my house. I don't like people with the surname Shen."

"Dad!" Zhou Yuezhu frowned, looking helpless, and stamped her feet anxiously until she heard the sound of a door being pushed open behind her. It was her cousin and his wife coming in.

The appearance of Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan temporarily eased the tense atmosphere in the room. Feng Li breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to them: "Hongyuan, Xiangxiang, come in and sit down. Have you eaten yet?"

"I've eaten it." Lin Xiang passed the bowl of pineapple over, "Aunt Feng, Uncle Zhou, Yuezhu, the pineapples we picked in the factory are delicious. I sent some for you to try."

After that, Lin Xiang winked at Zhou Yuezhu: "Yuezhu, come and eat some delicious food. Isn't that what you like the most?"

Zhou Yuezhu pouted and moved to her cousin's side. She was still angry with her father when a piece of pineapple was suddenly placed in front of her mouth.

Before she even took a bite of the fruit, she was instantly invigorated by the rich aroma that immediately drew Zhou Yuezhu's attention. The pineapple flesh was fragrant, sweet and sour, with a unique taste. Every chew was amazing: "Mm, it's delicious~"

The little girl instantly forgot about the argument with her father. Her eyes widened in surprise and she quickly asked her parents to taste it: "Dad, Mom, this is delicious, very fragrant, you guys come and try it!"

She has been like this since she was a child. Whenever she eats something delicious, she will always think of sharing it with her family.

Feng Li glanced at her husband and said, "Look how much your daughter misses you, and you don't even bother to talk to the child properly."

Zhou Shenghuai had no good feelings towards the Shen family and insisted on not giving in: "Yuezhu is now blinded by greed and won't listen to bad words. Anyway, I don't like people from the Shen family. If such a person really encounters a big problem in the future, shouldn't he also draw a clear line with the people around him?"

Lin Xiang recalled the plot in the book. Yuezhu died in an accident, and Shen Jianming was always thinking about her. He was in a daze and mentally exhausted while performing his mission, and eventually died in an accident.

Lin Xiang had no idea what the Shen family was like, but Comrade Shen Jianming was definitely sincere to Yuezhu.

It's not right to interfere in other people's family affairs, but Lin Xiang thought of the tragic ending of the two people in the book, and couldn't help but persuade: "Uncle Zhou, Aunt Feng, Yuezhu is an adult now. I think she is very smart and can tell who is good to her and who is bad to her. Maybe it would be good for you to get to know Comrade Shen Jianming. After all, people are different. We should all trust Yuezhu's vision."

"That's right." Zhou Yuezhu winked at her cousin who was speaking for her, tugged on her sleeve and shook it, then poked her head out from behind her and said to her father, "Dad, Comrade Shen Jianming said that he was embarrassed to come and disturb you when you didn't want him to come. Today he's on a mission, so I don't need to see him off, but he will definitely come to visit you when he comes back, so just give him a chance."

Feng Li was caught between her husband and her daughter. Seeing Yue Zhu trying to reconcile, she was about to persuade her husband to at least let him come for dinner when she heard Zhou Shenghuai say, "What visit? We don't welcome people named Shen. I will chase him away when he comes. I'm telling you, his father is a piece of shit, and I don't like him either."

Seeing that Commander Zhou's attitude was really tough, Lin Xiang couldn't help but look at He Hongyuan for help.

After all, they are uncle and nephew, and Brigade Commander Zhou has always recognized He Hongyuan, so it should be helpful if He Hongyuan says a few words.

He Hongyuan, who had been silent the whole time, glanced at his daughter-in-law sitting opposite him and blinked at him. Her almond-shaped eyes seemed to be filled with a pool of clear spring water, and her meaning was very obvious as her eyes moved.

He Hongyuan, who had never been involved in such matters, spoke for the first time: "Uncle, just because Shen Jianming's father is a worthless person doesn't mean he has bad character. There are many cases in this world where a father is a worthless person but his son is quite promising. You have to separate them."

Lin Xiang: "..."

Why do I feel like there is something else behind these words? Who are you implying? Comrade He Hongyuan!

Zhou Shenghuai also felt amused and confused when he heard this, and he sensed something was amiss. This kid, did he think he didn't know the other meaning of his words?

Thinking of his second brother Zhou Shengqiang and his nephew He Hongyuan, he had even more of a headache.

Especially during the last Chinese New Year gathering, my second brother met his ex-sister-in-law in front of his parents’ grave and hurried back to the army that afternoon. A while ago, Zhou Shengqiang talked to his second brother on the phone and mentioned that there was a pregnancy in his third sister’s family. Only then did he learn that his second brother was actually ill. That man who had been strong all his life and had a body as strong as iron fell ill after returning home during the Chinese New Year.

Zhou Shenghuai was overwhelmed with sighs.

"Okay, Zhou Yuezhu, it's useless to find more help. Just stay at home honestly. Your family will arrange a blind date for you after a while. I guarantee that you will find a partner with reliable character!" Zhou Shenghuai waved his hand to tell his daughter not to mention this matter again, then got up and left.

"Mom!" Zhou Yuezhu moved to sit next to her mother, resting her head on her mother's shoulder, and said coquettishly, "Dad is so overbearing! Nothing he can reason with makes sense."

This matter touched upon her husband's heart. After all, the old leader who treated him like his own son was reported and investigated during the Great Movement. Zhou Shenghuai rushed around to deal with the matter regardless of his personal safety, but Shen Liqun, Shen Jianming's father who was like the old leader's son, drew a clear line between himself and the person and did not lend a helping hand.

To Zhou Shenghuai, who values ​​loyalty above all else, there was no way he could forgive him. Never having any contact with the person again was the least of his worries. How could he possibly agree to become a relative of the person?

"Your father has been brooding over the matter of Comrade Shen Jianming's father for many years. There's no way he can get over it in a short time. It won't be easy for you to get over him." Feng Li touched the girl's head.

After leaving Zhou's house, Lin Xiang and He Hongyuan couldn't help but sigh: "Yuezhu's love life is really bumpy. How come she ended up dating the son of Zhou Lu's mortal enemy? What a twist of fate."

He Hongyuan listened to his daughter-in-law's sigh as if she had experienced a lot, and couldn't help but chuckle: "You are really enthusiastic."

"Don't you care about your cousin's life?" Lin Xiang glared at him.

"There are only two possible outcomes in this matter. Either Yuezhu wins or Uncle Zhou wins. My concern is useless. I can't force Yuezhu to break up with Shen Jianming, or force Uncle Zhou to agree that Yuezhu and Shen Jianming should be together." He Hongyuan said calmly, "It all depends on who can persist longer and who compromises first."

Lin Xiang stared at this overly rational man for a few seconds, and recalled that his character in the original book was really too rational and not gossipy at all.

"Then I still hope Yuezhu can win over Brigade Commander Zhou." It's good for lovers to finally get married. "When Minmin and Political Commissar Zhang get married next week, I'll take Yuezhu with me to share in the joyous atmosphere."

Hopefully it's just a matter of time.

——

In mid-April, when the second factory was rushing to build the factory building, the pineapple juice was finally prepared in the workshop. Unlike other fruit juices and sodas whose main additive is sugar, a small amount of salt was added to the sour and sweet pineapple juice to neutralize the astringent taste and better bring out the aroma of the pineapple itself. This bottle of golden juice was quickly available on the counters of major department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives in Phnom Penh in early spring.

The milky white coconut juice, tender pink guava juice and golden pineapple juice from Factory 119 have become a beautiful landscape on the counter. The rich and bright colors and the freshness have aroused the interest of the city residents, and many people like to buy a bottle to taste the freshness.

Factory workers often have benefits. If there is some excess juice produced every day that cannot be bottled in time, or if a certain process in the production process fails and the juice cannot be sold, the workers can share it among themselves.

The taste and quality are fine, just a bit of a 'defective product' as is common in factories.

In mid-April, Lin Xiang got a jug of defective products and went home with the military jug hanging on her neck. The sweet pineapple juice in the jug with the lid screwed on gave off an aromatic scent that made people salivate.

Passing by the neighbor's door, she asked Lingling and the other three little girls to take out a small bowl each and poured some pineapple juice into the bowls for the children.

"Wow, it smells so good and tastes so good." Xiaofang sipped the sour and sweet water, her eyes sparkling.

How could a child resist a delicious drink? After a while, he was smacking his lips and couldn't help savoring the taste.

Jiang Wenfang had just brought half a bowl of braised pork to Lin Xiang's house yesterday, and today she drank the juice that was brought to her.

After giving birth prematurely, she ate very light meals to keep healthy. This time, drinking a sip of pineapple juice really satisfied her hunger: "Your factory is so powerful now. How come you can sell everything and it tastes so good?"

If families were not used to letting their children drink every day, the coconut juice and guava juice at 1.5 cents a bottle would be bought home every day.

Lin Xiang liked to hear people praise the Second Factory. She smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad. Our factory is currently expanding. We will sell more juice in the future. When the time comes, I will share some of the benefits with you guys."

"Then we are in for a treat."

Jiang Wenfang looked at Lin Xiang, and the golden sunshine from the sky was shining down, and her face was shining with brilliant brilliance, especially the pride she showed when she mentioned the second factory and the excitement of producing more fruit juice in the future, which unconsciously attracted attention.

"You are really capable." Jiang Wenfang smiled faintly and couldn't help but envy.

"You are also very capable." Lin Xiang had never met someone as good-tempered and gentle as Jiang Wenfang. It was comfortable to talk to her. She was the kind of person who could be friends with anyone and was very tolerant.

As the two adults were talking, three little girls were still sipping pineapple juice. The aroma wafted around to the three little boys nearby.

He Erbao led his two younger brothers and ran over, swallowing his saliva non-stop, drooling almost, and staring at the military water bottle in Lin Xiang's hand.

When Yingzi saw them, she became extremely alert and was busy protecting her bowl of pineapple juice. She threatened to chase them away: "What are you doing here? You bad guys, get out of here!"

He Erbao glared at her and was about to curse her when he remembered something and swallowed his words. He then swallowed his saliva and looked at Lin Xiangdao: "Auntie Lin, if we...if we admit our mistakes to them, can we also drink this sweet water?"

Lin Xiang was stunned at first when she heard this, and after a moment she remembered that last time she wanted to use three candies to induce the three children to admit their mistakes and apologize, but they had refused with great backbone at that time.

Now you are taking the initiative to trade?

"That won't work. We've missed the chance last time." Lin Xiang smiled and dashed the three people's hopes. "At that time, I asked you to apologize and admit your mistakes in exchange for three candies. You didn't agree, so this matter is null and void. It no longer exists."

"Ah..." The three He brothers' faces instantly fell, as if they had lost two of their three souls, and they immediately lost their strength, "But, but, we really want to drink this water."

He Sanbao licked his dry lips and was about to drool. He raised his hand to casually wipe the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were fixed on the golden and sweet juice in Lingling's bowl.

It smells so good, it must be delicious.

He Erbao was quite smart and asked immediately, "Well, then what do you want us to do? We can do anything!"

My mother and elder brother returned to their hometown, and no one cared about them anymore. My father would beat them whenever he saw them doing something wrong, and he even cut off any chance for them to eat snacks.

They haven't eaten any sweets or drunk any fruit juice or soda for several months, and they are really greedy.

At this moment, I smelled the fragrant pineapple juice, and saliva kept secreting in my mouth, and I swallowed the saliva.

Lin Xiang had not expected that juice would be so attractive to these spoiled kids, so she immediately said with reluctance: "But I don't need you to do anything."

"Of course there is." He Sanbao stamped his feet anxiously, and opened his little mouth slightly, wanting to drink some sweet water.

Jiang Wenfang was a kindhearted person. Although she was born prematurely due to the impact of the He family's eldest child, she could not bear to hear that Political Commissar He beat the children recently. Especially since the three children were drooling, she said, "I'll give this bowl to them."

"Don't." Lin Xiang hurriedly stopped Jiang's wife, "These kids must not get used to it again, otherwise they will be unable to change."

Lin Xiang pretended to think for a long time before she slowly said, "How about this, if you admit your mistakes to Yingzi and the other two and apologize, and tell them that you were wrong, and if Yingzi forgives you, then I will give you a bowl of pineapple juice."

It is too embarrassing to admit his mistakes to others, but for Tianshui'er, He Sanbao gritted his teeth and decided to do it!

Yingzi stood in front of her eldest sister and third sister, watching the three bad guys warily. He Sanbao led his two younger brothers and stood straight, as if they had done a lot of ideological work. After struggling for a while, they raised their voices and shouted very quickly: "We were wrong. We are sorry."

They spoke so fast, as if they were afraid someone would hear them and know how embarrassed they were.

Lin Xiang was not satisfied and reminded them: "We didn't hear it clearly. If you want to admit your mistakes, you should admit them honestly and tell us where you went wrong. Otherwise, you won't get any pineapple juice."

He Sanbao pouted in grievance, even his own mother had never let him admit his mistakes like this, and even his own father would beat people, not like this. But for the sake of pineapple juice, he risked it all.

It was hard to start talking, but once I started talking it seemed to be easier: "We shouldn't have taken your candy."

He Erbao and Sibao followed suit: "We will never steal your candy again."

Yingzi was very happy to see these arrogant kids admitting their mistakes to her, but she still looked angry and refused to buy it: "Humph, I don't believe you."

The three He brothers were dumbfounded. What should they do? They turned around and looked at Lin Xiang.

Lin Xiang was helpless: "You have done so many wrong things that Yingzi refuses to forgive you. There is nothing I can do."

"What should I do?" He Sibao was spinning in place. He wanted to drink the sweet water so much that he grabbed his second brother's sleeve and shook him.

He Erbao had no idea what to do. He would follow his elder brother to fight, run around and crawl everywhere, but he would not admit his mistakes. He immediately stared at Yingzi fiercely and said, "Forgive us!"

Look at his posture, he doesn't look like he's coming to admit his mistake, but rather to fight.

Yingzi became even angrier, and retorted with her eyes wide open: "No, no, don't even think about drinking pineapple juice!"

He Erbao was used to having a bad temper like He Dabao, and he immediately said angrily: "You little bastard..."

"He Erbao, if you dare to swear at others you won't be able to drink pineapple juice." Lin Xiang felt a headache after hearing these words. She didn't know who this five-year-old kid learned this from, but he kept saying unpleasant words.

He Erbao swallowed the last word for the sake of the pineapple juice, stared at Yingzi silently, and maintained a stalemate with the other person.

"Let me teach you." Lin Xiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry after hearing a few words from the four or five-year-old kids quarreling. Seeing that these three people really didn't know how to admit their mistakes, she waited until they were at their wits' end before stepping forward and pouring a bowl of pineapple juice into the clean empty bowls. The golden and delicate fragrance spread and was sent to the three little boys. "To admit your mistakes, you need to recognize where you went wrong. I just mentioned your mistake, which was to steal Yingzi's candy. The candy belonged to Yingzi, not yours. If you wanted it, you could have asked your parents to buy it instead of stealing it from others. That's your mistake."

The three of them stared at the bowl of pineapple juice, swallowed their saliva and nodded.

"You have made a mistake, apologized, and you still have to give compensation. Otherwise, it would be too easy to admit your mistake." Lin Xiang asked, "What can you give Yingzi and the others as compensation? You stole the candy, what can you give back?"

He Sanbao scratched the air with his two black little hands and shook his head, "No."

They had nothing. The most they could find was a candy wrapper on the road, which was accidentally dropped by someone else.

"Let me put it this way. Sugar is expensive and delicious. Nothing can compare to it, except this bowl of pineapple juice. I'll give you a bowl of pineapple juice, just enough to compensate Yingzi for stealing her sugar. Okay?"

Lin Xiang handed the small bowl of pineapple juice to He Erbao and said kindly, "You made a mistake by stealing Yingzi's candy. Now you should apologize to her and admit your mistake. Just give her this bowl of pineapple juice. I hope she will forgive you. Here, take it."

He Erbao's eyes and brain were spinning wildly. He took the pineapple juice with both hands and handed it over hesitantly: "Yingzi, we shouldn't have taken your candy. Here, we'll compensate you for the pineapple juice. We were wrong."

Yingzi had just been arguing fiercely with He Erbao, but now she could get a bowl of pineapple juice for free, and her attitude softened instantly. The world is big, but delicious food is the most important.

She happily took the pineapple juice and said reluctantly, "Okay, forget about stealing my candy this time."

But you are still bad guys, huh!

Holding another bowl of pineapple juice, Yingzi first stretched out her hand to feed her mother, and then started drinking it with her elder sister and third younger sister. Gulp, gurgling, it was so fragrant and sweet.

He Erbao, Sanbao and Sibao were also delighted when they saw this. They turned to look at Aunt Lin Xiang and said, "She said forget it. She agreed!"

"Well, she forgave you for snatching the candy." Lin Xiang affirmed, "That's right, you should correct yourself in the future and not snatch other people's things anymore, understand?"

"Got it!" He Erbao stretched out his hand, eagerly looking for a reward, "Then where is our Tianshuier?"

"What sweet water?" Lin Xiang asked in confusion.

He Sanbao stamped his feet anxiously: "You said we admitted our mistakes and Yingzi forgave us, so just give us a bowl of pineapple juice! You can't go back on your word."

Lin Xiang smiled and said, "Of course I keep my word. Didn't I just give it to you? I personally handed the bowl of pineapple juice to Erbao, and then you took it as compensation to admit your mistake. Right?"

The three brothers of the He family touched their little heads and felt a little dizzy.

It seems right, but also seems wrong.

When they returned home that night, five-year-old He Erbao and three-year-old He Sanbao and Sibao were still counting on their fingers. Aunt Lin Xiang gave them pineapple juice, and they gave them the pineapple juice as compensation. So where did the pineapple juice they were supposed to drink go?