Chapter 20
After Tao Zhi had a rant, she felt relieved and slept very well.
While eating breakfast, she acted as if nothing had happened. Cheng Xiangqian saw her like this and thought that the old woman should move on.
As expected, Tao Zhi didn't pick a fight with him, but just asked him for the key. He was stunned for a moment: "What key?"
"The key to the factory."
"No, I hired security to look after the house."
Tao Zhi was slightly surprised: "When did it happen?"
"It was the factory director who reminded me of this the day I bought it. With so many machines, and in the suburbs, if no one was watching over them, thieves would openly take them and sell them as scrap metal."
Tao Zhicai remembered that they should sing the songs of the mountain they were visiting, especially since they were outsiders.
"Have we paid our respects to the mountain gate yet?"
"That's not necessary. The factory is under the jurisdiction of Dongshan Village, and the rent is paid to the village. They also have to protect us. Besides, I promised the village chief that I would hire workers from the village. Thanks to the factory chief's good relationship with them, there are several experienced workers among the villagers."
Tao Zhi couldn't help but sigh that the old man's kindness was rewarded with people's sincere treatment. He was really lucky.
She had originally wanted to leave the old man behind, but now she had to take him with her because the security guard might not recognize her. If she couldn't even get into the factory later, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?
This means that when you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Tao Zhi comforted himself in this way.
Two hours after dinner, Cheng Hui still hadn't shown up, so Tao Zhi decided not to wait any longer. She'd booked a car in advance and agreed with the driver to take him for the day, so she didn't use Cheng Jun anymore. After all, he wasn't anyone's driver, and the young man had his own things to do.
It wasn't far, just a half-hour drive, even though it connected to a subordinate county. The entire route was a national highway, paved with asphalt. Cheng Xing, observing the road conditions, guessed his father had considered traffic when closing the deal so quickly, and he felt a surge of admiration for Cheng Xiangqian.
Cheng Xing saw from afar that the single-story factory building with a frame structure was like a rough steel behemoth, crawling at the bend of the road.
As the car approached, we saw a large open space, supposedly used for storing logs. Straight ahead was the factory building, its exterior clad in rough brick. Huge, dark red, and old, it felt functional. Huge steel windows pierced the walls, connected to white iron ductwork. The roof was a steel frame, creating a column-free workshop and adding to the spaciousness.
The gray sky, gray walls, gray tiles, everything looks like it is covered with a layer of cloth.
Tao Zhi began to regret it. She was reluctant to let Cheng Xing work in such a rough, gray and dusty environment.
Cheng Xiangqian greeted the security guard, and while the driver rested in the guardhouse, he accompanied Cheng Xing into the factory. Of course, Tao Zhi also accompanied them.
The cement floor at the entrance is the storage yard, as you've all seen. Inside the factory, there's a large, continuous workshop. Multiple workshops are connected together, without partitions to separate them, facilitating the flow of materials and saving distance and time.
The workshop is divided into three functional areas: raw material pre-treatment, rotary cutting and drying, finishing, gluing and assembly, and hot pressing. The post-processing area, due to dust, is separated from the rest of the workshop by a solid wall.
After going out, the independent factory building outside is the boiler room, power distribution room and finished product warehouse.
Cheng Xing watched with great interest. This was the first time she had seen such a primitive and simple factory building.
The machinery factory, needless to say, was entirely concrete, with thick, solid brick walls and numerous thick pillars. It had plenty of windows, allowing for incredible light. But my most vivid memory was the overwhelming smell of engine oil, even the blaring ceiling fans couldn't dispel the reek of sweat from the workers.
The food factory where Cheng Xing worked demanded even higher standards of cleanliness. The walls were painted smooth, the walls were tiled white, and the floors were terrazzo. The entire space was enclosed, the lights were bright as day, and the air conditioning was on 24 hours a day. After a day's work, he would be left with only the aroma of food, without even breaking a sweat.
In contrast, this plywood factory is like an unevolved savage.
Cheng Xing was very excited and walked around the entire factory. Because she had classes in the afternoon, she went home at about the same time.
Send Cheng Xing to school first, and then Tao Zhi and the others will go home.
After walking for so long, even Tao Zhi, who was full of energy, felt exhausted. After a few quick bites, the couple returned to their room for a nap.
When I woke up from my nap, Cheng Hui had already arrived home.
Tao Zhi saw him and asked, "Why didn't you come back earlier?"
"My supervisor wouldn't let me go early in the morning. He even told me to finish my work today."
"Have you received your salary?"
Cheng Hui took out thirty yuan from his pocket and said, "Settled."
Tao Zhi was both angry and amused, and stretched out her hand to him, saying, "Give it to me."
Cheng Hui held the money in his hand, feeling a little reluctant. "Mom, this is the first time I've earned money on my own."
Tao Zhi squinted, "Why, your father didn't pay you a salary?"
"That's different. What my dad gave me is called a subsidy."
"Oh, so you know everything. Of the four of you siblings, you're the one who spends the most. Cheng Xing has his own salary and hasn't asked me for anything since we got married. Cheng Jun is smart, daring to think and act, has many friends and many ways of doing things, and not only can he earn money himself, but he can also give me some money from time to time. Cheng Man is still in school, so let's not talk about her. Apart from the tuition fee for transferring this time, she doesn't have any major expenses."
"Cheng Hui, Cheng Hui, but what about you? You work for your dad, so it's only right that you get paid. But don't forget, your wife and children are also supported by your dad and me. Every month, just like paying them a salary, give them pocket money."
"The first time you earned money through hard work? That was also the first time I saw you earn money and bring it home."
Cheng Hui was so ashamed that he handed the money to his mother obediently.
Tao Zhi doesn't care how much money he has. He always knows how to respect his wife. So starting from today, he will learn how to respect his parents.
She happily took the money and went to the market to buy two kilograms of meat.
At dinner that night, she praised Cheng Hui profusely in front of the whole family. She had learned in the underworld that only when you give enough emotional value will others be willing to listen to you; coercion and inducement are the worst options.
After dinner, Tao Zhi announced that Cheng Hui and Cheng Xing would work together to find a way to start the board factory starting tomorrow.
Cheng Xing was quite prepared, but when Cheng Hui heard it suddenly, it was like a bolt of thunder in a clear sky.
"Ah, what are two people going to do?"
Having discussed this with Tao Zhi beforehand, Cheng Xiangqian was happy to be a hands-off boss, and now he felt relieved. He prided himself on his strong character, not caring about losing money or not, and he was determined to enjoy the show.
The factory has already been bought, and he really doesn't have the energy to run it. Since the sunk costs are fixed, he might as well give it to them.
The old woman is right. Who hasn't found a smooth road through hard work and struggle?
Tao Zhi shrugged: "This is your concern."
"By the way, we have to find workers from the village. This is what your father promised them."
Cheng Hui and Cheng Xing looked at each other, "Mom, what about the start-up capital?"
"You two should think it over and tell me when you've figured it out."
“Is there a limit on how much?”
"The maximum is 500,000, not a cent more."
This five hundred thousand yuan was calculated with the old man, and it was the maximum support they could offer. Tao Zhi also needed to set aside some money for building a house, so she couldn't use all her savings. Even if the worst-case scenario was that the two of them lost all the money, Tao Zhi would move to a first-tier city and buy ten or eight houses to rent out for retirement.
Even if we take a step back, Tao Zhi can build a house on the existing land and collect rent, so she is not worried at all.
"Then who has the final say among us?"
"Please discuss it among yourselves. Of course, whether you want to cooperate or compete is not our business."
Cheng Hui wouldn't be fooled. His mother loved setting traps. She always said brothers should be friendly and respectful, and that family members should help each other. If he believed her now, and the siblings really got their heads chopped off, Ms. Tao would be the first to roll up her sleeves and deal with them.
When he thought of that scene, Cheng Hui quickly shook his head and warned himself not to cross the line.
"Mom, what about my classes? Should I continue with them?" Cheng Xing asked.
"Well, you decide for yourself. If you like it, go for it. If not, give up. It's your right."
"My brother and I have no experience..."
Tao Zhi knew this was just an excuse, but she didn't ignore Cheng Xing's burning gaze or Cheng Hui's eagerness to fight. But taking on a task for the first time was always a source of anxiety, so she had to play the role of a loving mother, encouraging them to just go for it.
The brother and sister discussed it carefully. Without any external help, they could only rely on themselves, and their growth was visibly rapid.
Two days later, they submitted their budget. Tao Zhi reviewed it and readily transferred it to them, as long as it was within a reasonable range. He also wrote an IOU to each of them.
Tao Zhi had made it clear from the start that she was only lending money, not investing. Why not just inject capital? Because the money spent on the equipment had already been converted into original shares and given to Tao Zhi and Cheng Xiangqian. If they injected more capital, would Cheng Xing and Cheng Hui have any room for negotiation?
Writing an IOU is natural and proper. Brothers should settle accounts openly, and so should mothers and children.
Once money is involved, even the simplest matters can easily become complicated. Rather than leaving it unverified and having others accuse you of your own lies later, it's better to put it down in writing now, formally signed by both parties.
Doing things this way is good for you, me, and everyone. No one can make excuses in the future, and it saves a lot of trouble.
If they refused to write an IOU, Tao Zhi could only think of one possibility: they were trying to scam her out of money and definitely had no intention of paying her back. When encountering such a person, one should stay as far away from them as possible. After all, no one's money comes from the wind.
As the saying goes: Help in times of need, not in times of poverty. It's better to start with the issue than to wait until debt collection before turning against someone.
Tao Zhi had always been like this. She treated her family like this, and it was even more unlikely that she would make an exception for outsiders. Everyone knew her principles, and they all consciously followed them.
So Cheng Hui and Cheng Xing took the initiative to write a promissory note, signed their names and put their fingerprints on it, and then handed it to Tao Zhi.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
