Chapter 60
Before daybreak, around 4 a.m., folks came to help with the kitchen, some building the stove, some picking and washing vegetables, and some bringing tables and chairs from neighbors to set up in the yard...
Amid the noisy voices, smoke from cooking rises.
When frying pork belly, the whole square and the eaves are filled with fragrance when the wind blows. Fresh pork belly is sliced thinly, marinated, and rolled in a large blue and white bowl filled with glutinous rice flour. It is thrown into the smoking oil pan, and with a "sizzling" sound, the fragrance rises out of nowhere. When the pork belly wrapped in glutinous rice flour turns slightly golden, it is picked out with long chopsticks, arranged, and moved to another stove to steam in the pot to evaporate the excess fat so that it is not too greasy when eaten.
After Chen Lanjun served as a tool for the graduation banquet, she ate three pieces in one go. When she wanted to eat the fourth piece, she looked up and found that the bowl of Fuzi meat was empty - Liu Li and other classmates were even faster than her.
Sitting at her table were all classmates and friends, Cao Hongyao and Liu Li were of course there, Xiaonian, the class sports committee member, He Miao, her junior high school classmate who was a teacher in the neighboring village, and Liu Anan who worked at the train station.
They were all young people of similar age. Even though they were not very familiar with each other before, they became much closer after eating at the same table and talking for a few words.
Seeing that the meal was almost over, Cao Hongyao set an example by pouring half a cup of rice wine and said, "Come, let's toast to Sister Lan together."
"Jing Lan!"
Everyone raised their glasses. Chen Lanjun also stood up and said with a smile: "Let's toast to everyone and to our future!"
The rice wine brewed by the farmers was not strong and tasted sweet. Even Chen Lanjun, who didn't like drinking, drank it like sugar water.
Putting down his wine glass, Ali, the sports committee member of the high school class, sighed softly: "That's great, you all have a bright future. I just... eh, I won't say any more."
In this era of extremely low college admission rates, like many high school graduates, Ali was not admitted.
Chen Lanjun had heard from Cao Hongyao that Ali was not admitted, and she felt sorry for him. She asked, "There are always disappointments. I also repeated a year. So what are your plans now?"
"I don't know," Ali shook his head in confusion. "I have thought about repeating a year, but I'm really not cut out for studying. I feel like it's hard to get into college even if I study for another year. My uncle did say that he wants me to go to the factory with him as a temporary worker. It's a good idea. I'll have an income to make a living, and I'll take it one step at a time. Maybe I'll get lucky and become a regular worker."
Chen Lanjun thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I had an idea. If you are willing to venture out, maybe I can find a job for you in Pengcheng City."
She said openly, "I have an older sister. Chen Fengjun, you know her, right? They said she was dead before. Actually, she wasn't, but she fled to Hong Kong."
Everyone at the table, including Ali, widened their eyes.
"I'll just talk to you first. There's no need to be too shy. Now the policies are open. After the establishment of the Special Economic Zone, my sister came back from Hong Kong to invest and set up a new factory in Pengcheng City. Now we just need talents."
Chen Lanjun said slowly: "Ali, there are other students who don't plan to repeat the year and haven't found a job. If you are willing, I can write a letter to introduce you. As long as you can pass the assessment, the salary is absolutely good, forty or fifty yuan a month is definitely available."
On the way back this time, Chen Lanjun had a vague idea of bringing people over from her hometown.
She had discovered this truth when she was doing business before her rebirth. Most wealthy bosses like to support people from their hometown. On the one hand, they have a sense of fellowship and it is convenient to gather together for warmth. On the other hand, it also enhances their own authority. Especially when doing business outside of their hometown.
She was not born and raised in Pengcheng City, so no matter how much she tried to build connections, she would still be several layers away. Nowadays, most of the people employed in stores and factories are locals. There are advantages and disadvantages.
Chen Lanjun once witnessed such an example. The CEO of a factory she worked with was directly sidelined by the vice-CEO who was a local. At that time, Chen Lanjun had already negotiated the price of a batch of goods with the CEO, and the only thing left was to sign the contract. However, the contract was not approved because the vice-CEO wanted to sell it to someone he knew.
The employees in the factory are all locals. They have united into a small gang with the deputy general manager as the main body. The orders issued by the general manager are completely ineffective.
The boss was naturally angry, but the factory was difficult to move for the time being, and it was not easy to break off relations with the local employees directly, so he had to play the peacemaker, and the cooperation ended in nothing.
Finally, the boss smiled bitterly and said to Chen Lanjun in a slightly apologetic tone: "I'm sorry this time. You can also take this as an example. Don't let your subordinates form small groups among themselves. Otherwise, it will be too troublesome."
Although there is no such trouble now, Chen Lanjun is a person who is used to preparing for a rainy day. Now is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The sooner you go to Pengcheng City to work hard, the more opportunities you will have. If you can bring your friends here, it will be a good thing for both you and others.
Faced with such an unexpected proposal, Ali was stunned: "You mean, I can go to Pengcheng City to work? This..."
He scratched his head: "I really haven't thought about it."
He Miao, who usually sat quietly, asked, "Lan Jun, do you think I can do it?"
Although she is already familiar with the work of a rural teacher, He Miao still hopes to go out and see the world. When she said this, her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
Chen Lanjun nodded: "If you are willing, you can."
He Miao poured himself another glass of rice wine in silence, stood up and said, "I want to go, I really want to, thank you in advance."
Having said that, he drank it all in one gulp.
"Don't be so serious," Chen Lanjun laughed. "If you can really make it, it will be considered as helping me...helping my sister, which means you are helping me."
She looked at Ali who was hesitating and said, "It's the same. This is not a small matter. You should think about it carefully."
After the graduation banquet, everyone said goodbye to each other.
Liu Anan, who works at the train station, gave Chen Lanjun a hug and said, "You have to be well."
"The same to you."
"As for me, that's it."
Liu Anan looked a little lonely: "This is a formal job for me. I have no choice. Otherwise, I would also like to go to Pengcheng City with you to try my luck."
Chen Lanjun lowered her voice and said, "Actually, if you really want to do something, you don't have to leave your job."
"you mean?"
"Maybe you can ask your leaders what they think," Chen Lanjun said. "Once the special zone opens, the demand for freight will increase immediately. I mean, private enterprises like my sister's also need to transport goods. You can also think about it."
Liu Anan seemed to be thinking about something, but was a little embarrassed: "This... I don't feel it very well. I can't really explain it."
Chen Lanjun said: "If the risk is too great and it's hard to handle, then forget it. It doesn't matter, there are plenty of opportunities."
After saying goodbye to her old friends one by one, the extremely exhausted Chen Lanjun threw herself on the bed and refused to move.
Being a mascot is quite tiring.
Zheng Mei saw that she had been lying down for the whole day, and she was both angry and amused: "Little ancestor, hurry up and pack your luggage, we have to report. Your father and I have packed our things, but you haven't even unzipped your luggage bag!"
"Just packing up - no," Chen Lanjun raised her head, "What are you and Dad packing up?"
"Our luggage," Zheng Mei said calmly, "We'll take you to school, and by the way, we country folk can also see the world."
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