Chapter 79 Business is booming
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She Weiqiang is very concerned about his reputation.
Following the arrest of She Yaozu and now Lin Xiufang, the She family has kept a low profile, staying home and keeping their doors locked except when they are working in the fields.
Lin Xiufang's charges were quickly settled. Chen San wasn't stupid; a frequent visitor to the detention center, he knew very well how to get a reduced sentence for himself.
He was adept at using the phrase "resistance will be punished severely, confession will be treated leniently." He didn't need to interrogate people much before they confessed everything and even provided evidence.
He also confessed that Lin Xiufang not only asked him to steal property, but also asked him to set fire to the She family's house after stealing. A large can of kerosene was hidden in a haystack not far from the She family's house.
Based on his clues, the police did find a large can of kerosene in the haystack, and also confirmed in town that the kerosene was bought by Lin Xiufang.
Based on the evidence provided by Chen San, and the evidence collected by Chen Shengnan and others during their visits to Xiahe Village, the evidence against Lin Xiufang for her crimes is conclusive.
She instructs others to commit crimes, has a poor attitude towards admitting guilt, assaults police officers, and attempts to harm others' personal safety and damage their property. She is guilty of multiple crimes. Although the theft was unsuccessful, she was severely punished and sentenced to five years in prison. The place where she was imprisoned was completely opposite to that of her beloved son, a world apart.
Chen San and Zheng San confessed voluntarily and showed a good attitude in admitting their crimes, so they were given lenient sentences. One of them was sentenced to three years and the other to one year.
When She Ning heard about their punishment, she felt that they deserved it.
An evening stroll after dinner is a must for the She family. The early summer evenings are not yet very hot. She Ning and She Ni walk ahead, while Chen Yuzhen walks slower, with She Hongmei accompanying her.
She Ni was a restless girl; she would run back and forth between the two sides from time to time, and when she got sweaty, She Hongmei would take out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat.
Her happy laughter filled the entire journey.
She Lili stood by the roadside carrying a wooden bucket, her eyes fixed on She Ning and the others, unwilling to look away for even a moment.
A loving mother and a filial daughter, caring for each other—that kind of family atmosphere was something she could never have in her entire life.
After Lin Xiufang was arrested, she visited her at the detention center. After being held in the cell for a few days, Lin Xiufang visibly aged. Her hair at the temples turned white, her cheeks lost their flesh, and her loose eyelids drooped as she looked at people, which inexplicably made people's hearts tremble.
Their meeting was very unpleasant. As soon as Lin Xiufang saw her, she became agitated and started cursing at her, saying all sorts of vicious things. She didn't stop talking until the guards took her away.
Quietly looking across the glass, where there was no one, only a dilapidated yellow door, She Lili sat in the visiting room for a while before slowly getting up and leaving.
As She Ning and the others gradually disappeared at the intersection, She Lili reluctantly turned her gaze away, lowered her head to pick up the wooden bucket again, and when she looked up again, her expression had changed.
I became calm and at peace.
A few days later, She Ning heard that She Lili, disregarding She Weiqiang's objections, had secretly obtained a permit from the village secretary to go out and work.
At first, She Weiqiang continued to fight and throw things around, cursing loudly all day long. Later, after She Yaozong came back and said something to him, he stopped fighting and cursing, but the door to She Lao Er's house was locked even more tightly.
After that, She Ning didn't have time to pay attention to her family's affairs anymore. The cannery became the first to try something new, inserting advertisements into the most popular movies and TV shows at the time.
Based on the idea provided by She Ning, Luo Zhiqiang applied it in other ways. He provided canned goods to the film studio for free as props and also spent money to buy an advertising space.
After the movie was released, the cannery's phone was ringing off the hook. Several production lines were added, and workers worked overtime continuously, yet the canned goods were still in short supply.
Riding this wave of popularity, the factory hopes that She Ning can develop more flavors, not just limited to braised dishes.
Their area is near the sea and has abundant seafood. She Ning's main focus is on developing a series of canned seafood products, and she has been busy with seasoning lately.
She also had to attend math Olympiad classes, keeping her busy running between the two, and occasionally she also had to help out at the She family's small restaurant.
The person He Xiaoyan introduced was quite reliable. She was hardworking, perceptive, and had good boundaries in her interactions. In less than a month, She Hongmei promoted her to a permanent position ahead of schedule and also gave her a raise.
"Ah Ning, thank you so much for what happened to my cousin." During the break, they came back from the restroom together. He Xiaoyan lagged behind two steps and walked beside She Ning, her eyes full of gratitude.
Her cousin is in much better spirits now, always with a smile on her face, and her little niece has been sent to kindergarten for daycare.
Recently, I've noticed that both of them have gained some weight. My little niece has changed from being timid and hiding behind people when she first came to visit; she's become much more lively and greets people proactively.
Therefore, He Xiaoyan is truly grateful to the She family.
“We didn’t do anything; she got everything herself,” She Ning said, shaking her head.
Her family only offered her one chance; whether she could stay depended entirely on her efforts. She Ning had high hopes for her. Just look at how she dared to file for divorce in this day and age—such courageous people, even if things don't work out now, will definitely have a good future.
Moreover, she is studious, self-disciplined, and driven.
Once she gets through this hurdle, her life will be smooth sailing from now on.
"No matter what, I still want to thank you." He Xiaoyan knew that She Ning said this because she didn't want them to feel burdened, but she couldn't be ungrateful.
Nowadays, people doing business are feeling their way across the river, constantly worried that policies might change one day. When hiring, they look for people they know well, either through introductions or from relatives. They want people they know inside and out.
Finding a job is extremely difficult for strangers. Before He Xiaoyan approached She Ning, her cousin had also tried to find work on her own for a while, but all her attempts ended in failure.
"My mom asked me to bring you some local specialties she made. Take them with you when you go home." Back in the classroom, He Xiaoyan took a large bag out of her desk drawer and stuffed it into the desk drawer where She Ning was sitting.
Fearing that She Ning wouldn't accept it, she stuffed it in while saying, "These are all handmade preserved products, like preserved yellow peel and eight immortal fruits. They're not worth much, it's just a token of my appreciation."
I couldn't refuse their kind invitation.
"Please tell Auntie I like it very much." Those things clearly took a lot of effort and time to prepare, and He Xiaoyan, afraid the woman wouldn't accept them, just kept stuffing them in, some of them almost falling out of the bag.
She Ning carefully packed and tidied the bag, then turned to He Xiaoyan and said.
"Okay, I'll definitely bring it to you. My mom will be so happy to hear you say that." He Xiaoyan covered her mouth and laughed, her beautiful eyes crinkling with laughter.
The break was almost over, and the students gradually returned to the classroom. Wang Weiwei and Lin Qian, who had gone back to the dormitory to get their things, also returned, and He Xiaoyan sat back down in her seat.
Director Xia somehow managed to get some more practice questions. These questions were quite difficult and challenging. For the first time, She Ning stayed in the classroom after class to solve the problems.
Her math skills were far superior to those of the other students in her class. On weekdays, she not only did the math problems assigned by the math class, but also the problems that Director Xia had collected. After returning home, she also had test papers that she bought herself.
After class, the students left the classroom one after another, and Wang Weiwei and her friends went to eat.
She Ning stayed in the classroom to do her problems. She was so focused on her work that she didn't notice anything outside the window. The only sound in the quiet classroom was the swishing of her pen across the draft paper.
When she finally solved the problem and looked up, She Ning noticed a lunchbox next to her on the table; the lunchbox was still warm to the touch.
The lunchbox lid was thoughtfully decorated with a note listing the dishes and instructions for her to eat, ending with a big smiley face.
It must have been Wang Weiwei and the others who came back from getting food and found her focused on solving problems, so they didn't disturb her. They left when afternoon classes were about to start.
As she ate the still-warm food, She Ning felt a warm glow in her heart. Everyone was so kind to her, and she decided to make a few more sets of test papers for them as soon as she got back.
After leaving the school, She Ning headed towards She Family Restaurant, which had been her routine for the past few days.
The popularity of braised canned food has also boosted the popularity of Shejia Restaurant. Now, not only travelers from the train station and people from the surrounding area come to eat, but people from far and wide also ride their bikes to eat here, and they even take away canned food that the cannery sells here when they leave.
"Hongmei, your restaurant is really popular! And that canned food, it's an essential item for visiting relatives and friends." Standing outside the kitchen, Zheng Ling couldn't stop smiling as she congratulated She Hongmei.
Originally, she only sourced goods from the She family and sold them along with her own soup noodles. After selling for a while, she decisively signed an agency agreement with She Hongmei and opened a shop in town with great fanfare.
During this time, the cannery made a name for its braised canned food, and she ate the meat and drank the soup, feeling very happy.
Those family members who used to say she wasn't focused on her noodle shop and was just messing around by opening some unknown brand of braised food shop, and who were sure she'd lose everything, are now all praising her for her good judgment and foresight in order to keep the canned goods for her. They're all completely different from their previous arrogant and domineering attitude.
Only now has Zheng Ling finally let out the breath she had been holding back.
She Hongmei wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel and looked up at the still crowded outside. He Xiaoyan's cousin, Chen Xiuxiu, was like a busy little bee, shuttling back and forth in the store, cleaning the tables and chairs.
She poured the freshly cooked vegetables into the serving bowl, and before she could reply to Zheng Ling, she nodded and threw herself into the next round of busy cashiering and serving.
When She Ning arrived at the restaurant, She Hongmei and the others were almost frantic with work. They had been busy since the restaurant opened and hadn't even had time to eat.
She Ning hurried into the kitchen, where she quickly put on an apron and took over the task of serving the dishes.
With an extra person to help, they could finally relax a bit. She Hongmei no longer had to both cook and serve the dishes.
After seeing off the last customer and closing the door, they quickly cleaned the restaurant.
"Xiuxiu, you go first, we'll take care of the rest." Everyone was tired today, and Chen Xiuxiu had a three-year-old child at home, so She Hongmei told her to go home first.
As she was bending over to wipe the table with a rag, Chen Xiuxiu paused upon hearing this. The words of She Hongmei's caring words echoed in her ears, and the images of She Hongmei taking care of her these past few days kept flashing through her mind. Her decision became more and more firm.
She must protect such a good boss.
"Boss, I have something to tell you." Chen Xiuxiu said with a determined look in her eyes, pulling She Hongmei, who was about to go into the kitchen to wash the dishes.
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