Chapter 17 Chapter 17
"Bought new clothes?" Fu Xiuhuai slowly closed the door and walked into the bedroom. He remembered the department store logo he had just caught a glimpse of and thought it was the women's clothing that Lin Wan had bought before.
Lin Wan's cheeks flushed, her heat rising. She nodded hurriedly, as if that was the only way to express her affirmation: "Yes, I'll put the clothes away."
Fu Xiuhuai must not see what was in the paper box. She herself was too embarrassed to even take a second look.
Like a guilty thief, Lin Wan even dreamed that night that she secretly took some clothes out to throw them away, only to be caught red-handed. She almost wanted to find a hole to crawl into...
When she woke up from the dream and saw her three wardrobes neatly closed, Lin Wan decided to bury them there. It was safest to keep them under her nose.
Trying hard to forget the "horrible" clothes, Lin Wan had breakfast at home and went to work, but ran into He Yanni who was also out.
The unprecedented shock flashed back to her. Before Lin Wan could say anything, He Yanni greeted her warmly: "Lin Wan, how is it? Do you like the nightgown? Hmm..."
Lin Wan hurriedly covered He Yanni's mouth and whispered, "Sister Yanni, aren't you afraid of being heard?"
"There's no one around here for hundreds of meters." He Yanni looked around seriously, mocking the young man. "You're still young, why are you so shy? How about it? Do you like it? Does your man like it? You can't even buy it in Jiangcheng! I asked a clothing store owner in Yueshi to bring it back from Gangcheng! It's so fashionable!"
Lin Wan: QAQ
She was frightened, but as for whether Fu Xiuhuai liked it or not? He would never see it.
"But your fetus has just stabilized, so you should take it easy... um... hey, don't be shy. You're like this after just half a year of marriage, and you're still shy. It will be different when you've been married for three years like me." He Yanni was covered with her mouth by Lin Wan again, and left arm in arm.
After the two of them parted at the gate of the villa area, Lin Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had never expected He Yanni to be so bold in her words and deeds! She dared to give them anything and say anything.
Although Lin Wan had never experienced this before, she could still understand what she was saying. After all, in the countryside before, the old ladies gathered together and ate both meat and vegetables. Lin Wan had heard some of it vaguely, and when she grew up, she was able to understand it.
She and Fu Xiuhuai had nothing to do with each other. Lin Wan rode her bicycle to the garment factory. Looking down, she saw the slightly bulging outline of her abdomen. Her mind was filled with random thoughts...
The army of 28-bar motorcycles marched forward with ringing sounds. When Lin Wan arrived at the gate of the garment factory, she tried hard to put all the mess behind her. The first thing she did when she entered the factory was to find the leader to report the situation.
Deputy Factory Director Wang Zhilin couldn't help but frown when he heard Lin Wan mention another version of Wang Yuanzhong's life story.
"You said Wang Yuanzhong might be a fake Hong Kong businessman?" Deputy Director Wang, who had failed repeatedly in attracting investment, was reluctant to believe it.
Lin Wan nodded. "I heard from another Hong Kong businessman yesterday that Wang Yuanzhong used to have a lot of money, but he went bankrupt over a decade ago. Even the commercial building he owned was auctioned off by the court, and he spent a lot of time picking up trash to make a living."
To be more precise, Lin Wan added, "I'm not sure if he's truly made a fortune again, but even other merchants in Hong Kong haven't heard of him. He doesn't seem like a wealthy man. Deputy Director Wang, should we be more cautious in attracting investment?"
Wang Zhilin didn't like to hear these words. It was really not easy to meet a foreign businessman who was capable and interested in investing in a garment factory. Who would want to see a beautiful vision turn into a bubble?
"I don't think so. I've asked people from other factories in Jiangcheng, and he must have some connections in Gangcheng. Besides, looking at his demeanor, he looks like a big boss."
Lin Wan knew it would be difficult to convince the factory without solid evidence, so she could only persuade them to be more cautious. "Mr. Yang promised to find out the situation for us, so we can wait for his news. Besides, if we ask someone in Jiangcheng, maybe that person has also been deceived. It's safer to rely on the information from Gangcheng."
Wang Zhilin didn't have much of a leadership air. He always knew how to appoint the right people to the right positions. He praised Lin Wan's professional abilities and could listen to her a little. "Let's wait and see. Anyway, Wang Yuanzhong is still in the observation stage. Recently..."
Speaking of recent events, Wang Zhilin felt a bit troubled: "This guy is a money-eating beast. When he spends money, he definitely acts like a big boss."
This morning, he casually asked about Feng Tianjiao's bill. Wang Yuanzhong spent more than 800 yuan on food, clothing, housing and transportation for more than a week. He spent money like water!
But in order to attract hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, Wang Zhilin couldn't say much. He gritted his teeth, approved the bill, and continued to entertain them with delicious food and drinks.
Lin Wan left the deputy director's office and went to the factory office when she met Feng Yan who was late for work.
Feng Yan rushed over in a hurry and almost bumped into Lin Wan. When she saw who it was, she suddenly turned around and braked to avoid hitting Lin Wan, but ended up making close contact with the door frame with a thud.
"Ouch..." Feng Yan covered her forehead with her hands and groaned in pain.
"Are you okay? Were you hit hard? Go to the infirmary and get some medicine to rub on yourself." Lin Wan did hear the muffled sound of the collision, which was caused by Feng Yan making a sharp turn because she was worried that she would hit herself.
"It's okay, it's okay." Feng Yan waved her hand and no longer cared about Lin Wan. She walked into the office yawning.
The daily workload in a garment factory is not too heavy, especially for office workers, who basically write reports and organize presentations.
Lin Wan took a leave of absence this afternoon, so she finished her work in the morning. As soon as it was noon, she immediately left with her bag and prepared to go to Jiangcheng Bus Station.
Today is the day when my second sister Lin Hong reports to Jiangcheng Iron and Steel Plant. Fu Xiuhuai asked his eldest brother Fu Xiutong to arrange a temporary job position for her.
In 1995, more than ten years had passed since the reform and opening up, but many people still looked down upon earning money by setting up stalls outside, thinking it was not decent. They were deeply convinced that jobs within the system, in state-owned factories, or as teachers were decent and stable.
To the extent that even a temporary worker position in a steel plant is enviable.
Lin Hong set off early this morning and will arrive in Jiangcheng around noon. It's just in time for Lin Wan to pick her up after get off work.
Lin Wan had intended to ride her bicycle to pick him up, but she saw a familiar black Santana with a familiar license plate number—A0055—at the entrance of the garment factory.
"Uncle Liu, why are you here?" Lin Wan seemed to have a premonition in her heart and needed confirmation.
"Xiu Huai asked me to pick you up and take you to the station to pick up your second sister."
Lin Wan had never met such a considerate person before, so she didn't want to refuse. She thanked Uncle Liu and got into the car.
Uncle Liu, Liu Dechao, is sixty years old this year. He is a retired veteran. He participated in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea when he was fifteen years old. Later, he experienced many battles and retired honorably at the age of twenty-five.
After retiring from the army, Liu Dechao has done various jobs, returned to his hometown to farm, and went to the city to work. Later, by chance, he met Fu Xiuhuai. Liu Dechao, who had a good background in skills, became Fu Xiuhuai's most reliable helper when he encountered car bandits and highway robbers while working on projects outside. After he became rich, Fu Xiuhuai opened a large-scale construction company in Jiangcheng. Liu Dechao was old, so he simply became a full-time driver. The salary was not low, and he had a leisurely life.
Lin Wan looked at Uncle Liu, who was burly and looked nothing like a 60-year-old, and couldn't help but wonder, "Uncle Liu, did you learn to drive in the army?"
Uncle Liu's face was covered with wrinkles from a smile, and he said proudly, "I learned this in the army, and I drive a big jeep, it's so powerful, I can't sleep after just driving it in circles for half an hour!"
"Is it difficult to learn to drive?" Lin Wan thought it was very cool to be able to drive. She had ridden in the car of Jiangcheng taxi drivers, in the car driven by He Yanni, and in the car driven by Fu Xiuhuai and Uncle Liu.
It is said that the driving style is similar to this person's habits.
Uncle Liu drives steadily but with some power, and it feels like he will shift gears and accelerate at any time, which is related to his style as he was a soldier in the army.
Uncle Liu shook his head again. "You can definitely learn it easily! You can even get into university, so what's there to be afraid of? Even though few women are learning to drive these days, don't follow the crowd. Xiao Fu has the ability to buy a car, so why are you saving money for him? Let me tell you, riding in a car is completely different from driving it!"
Lin Wan was so moved by Uncle Liu's words that she even wanted to take the wheel. However, she had to pick up her second sister first.
The Santana stopped steadily at the entrance of Jiangcheng Bus Station. Lin Wan waited for a few minutes and saw Lin Hong appear, wearing a red sweater and carrying a lot of luggage.
"Second sister! Here!"
"Oh, why is there a car picking me up!" Lin Hong felt a little embarrassed. After making sure that it was Fu Xiuhuai who took the initiative to ask and did not cause any trouble to others, she got into the car.
The car drove to the city steel plant. The two girls thanked Uncle Liu, carried their luggage and went to the factory to report. They confirmed the allocation of employee dormitories, received enamel plates and towels, and settled down.
Lin Hong had never been to Jiangcheng before, and looking at the city, which was several times larger than the countryside and the town, she was more curious than anything else. The steel mill, with thousands of employees, was also much larger than the sugar factory where she had worked for several years, and even the dormitories were spacious.
The six-person dormitory was filled with all kinds of things. Lin Hong was assigned to the female workers' dormitory in the steelmaking workshop. There was no one in the dormitory at the moment, as everyone was at work. The two sisters simply packed their luggage and went out to eat.
There are many small restaurants on the streets near the steel plant. Lin Wan treated the guests and ordered three dishes. She chatted with Lin Hong about the family situation. When she heard that her eldest brother really planned to start a business by setting up a street stall, she couldn't help but be surprised.
"Brother, are you really going to set up a stall? What are you planning to sell?"
Lin Hong had never expected that her eldest brother, who had never had great ambitions, would start a street stall. "He said he would collect some chickens, ducks, fish, wild vegetables and herbs from the countryside and sell them in town."
"That sounds good." Lin Wan had no objection to setting up a street stall. As long as she could make money, she didn't care about being respectable or not. "When he sets up a street stall in the city, we'll go buy it!"
Lin Hong smiled and agreed: "Okay, then I have to make more money!"
After finishing her work, Lin Wan returned to the garment factory. There was just over an hour left before work ended. After a few more quick tasks, she could leave with her bag.
But Lin Wan didn't expect that in such a short period of time, the factory was still in turmoil.
At first, the factory was facing a backlog of clothing production, and the workshop director was a little angry, so he started arguing with the sales department. They were quite civilized, but both sides had considerable experience and neither could suppress the other.
It is everyone's nature to love watching the fun.
When the people in the factory office heard the noise, they all put down their work and went to the sales department in groups. They stood not too far away, forming a semi-circle with the employees from other departments and workshops in groups of three or four. Some people even distributed sunflower seeds.
Lin Wan, having been given a handful of melon seeds by someone unknown, listened as the workshop director berated the sales department for being idle. They'd always shipped smoothly, but now, they'd been experiencing a backlog for two consecutive months. The sales director, not idle either, immediately fired back, accusing the workshop of producing unfashionable goods. The department store couldn't sell them, which meant they simply didn't want them and were burdening them.
Each person had his own reasons, and finally the factory leader came out to calm the situation. With just one sentence, he calmed the situation, and the onlookers scattered.
"I heard that our factory used to be hounded by employees from the supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores, asking them to treat us to meals and send us clothes to sell," Qin Fang whispered to Lin Wan, their closeness evident from being from the same school and of similar age. "Now, the tide has turned. We have to persuade other places to take our clothes. Even that's quite difficult!"
What Lin Wan was vaguely worried about seemed to be really happening, but this was a large state-owned factory, and Lin Wan was always full of hope. Of course, so were the thousands of employees!
The quarrel soon subsided, leaving only a few words of discussion among the employees of each department. When it was almost time to get off work, Lin Wan was called out again.
In everyone's eyes, Lin Wan's second uncle Lin Guofu was standing at the factory office door, looking unhappy.
"Lin Wan!" Lin Guofu was furious, but because of his family's special relationship, he had to lower his voice and accuse, "You found a job for Lin Hong? At the steel factory? Then last time I asked you to find a job for Lao Zhao's son, why did you say it couldn't be done?"
Yan Shuqin, the wife of Lao Zhao, a co-worker of Lin Guofu's workshop, works in the factory office of a garment factory. She doesn't have much contact with Lin Wan. She is in charge of the housing distribution for factory employees. She has great power and naturally many people try to please her.
Yan Shuqin's son failed to get into university in the college entrance examination this year, and his family is worried about where to find a job. Even though the couple are both workers in a garment factory, it is difficult to arrange for their offspring to work in the factory unless someone gives up their job and takes over.
Lin Guofu hoped to get a bigger house for his family, so he set his sights on Lin Wan and asked Fu Xiuhuai, the big boss, to take care of it. As long as Yan Shuqin's son's job was found, they would definitely be able to get a bigger house!
Lin Guofu's wishful thinking was well-known, but he was rejected by Lin Wan two months ago. It was not until noon today when he was going home for lunch that he met a fellow villager whose hometown was also in Linjia Village and mentioned it to him. It turned out that the villagers knew about it a while ago. Lin Hong was also going to go to the city to work as a worker with the help of Lin Wan!
The fact that Lin Hong resigned from the sugar factory was no secret; anyone could find out about it. In addition, the Lin family was not prepared to keep it secret, so the news spread quickly.
Lin Wan probably guessed that Lin Guofu must have heard something, and she could also imagine that her past self would definitely not agree to arrange a job for her cousin: "Second Uncle, what you said is strange. Other strangers are of course closer to my second sister than the one I grew up with. If I can arrange a job, it's natural for me to arrange it for my own sister."
Lin Hong's job was not arranged by herself. She didn't know whether she was the one who asked Fu Xiuhuai for it a few months ago, or whether Fu Xiuhuai was considerate and took the initiative to arrange it. However, at this time, it was necessary to take advantage of the power of others.
Anyway, Fu Xiuhuai is not here.
Lin Guofu didn't expect Lin Wan to be so direct. He was furious. "If we arrange a job for Old Zhao's son, we can have a third room. When Xiaohao gets married and has children, he'll have a place to live. How can you, as a daughter and sister, be so ungrateful? No, I have to go talk to my son-in-law and explain everything!"
Perhaps it was because she had lost a year's worth of memory for no apparent reason. Lin Wan couldn't explain it, and she didn't want to put herself in a difficult position. She was unusually angry and said, "You don't have a daughter, so how can you have a son-in-law? Besides, Fu Xiuhuai only listens to me. It's no use looking for him a hundred times!"
Lin Wan didn't care about much at the moment. Since Fu Xiuhuai was not here, she could say some harsh words.
Lin Guofu felt that his daughter had changed. She was such an obedient and sensible child when she was young. She was very easy to coax and never cried or made a fuss. She stayed in the countryside waiting for her parents to visit her. Even when he and his wife later proposed that she must be adopted in order to have a childbirth quota, the child did not throw a tantrum.
How did it become like this now!
Not only that, Lin Guofu almost died of anger when he heard Lin Wan's next words.
"If you try to extort anything from me or anyone close to me again, I'll report the situation to the factory leadership, telling them how the garment factory workers are falsifying information, circumventing family planning penalties, and defying the law by having a second child. By then, I can't guarantee you'll be able to keep your jobs."
The autumn breeze in October was cool, and her curly hair was flying. On the way home from get off work, Lin Wan pulled her khaki windbreaker closer and actually felt a little refreshed.
***
Lin Wan's words finally won her some peace of mind. Lin Guofu and his wife attached great importance to decent and high-paying jobs, so they naturally did not dare to act rashly.
In the next few days, Lin Hong officially started working in the steel plant, and worked diligently as a smelting worker who was not afraid of hardship or fatigue. Her face turned red and hot from the heat in the high-temperature workshop, but she was extremely happy when she saw Lin Wan.
"I've only been working for a few days and it's already time to get my salary. I'm paid on a daily basis, which is more than 30 yuan! It's equivalent to working for half a month in the town's sugar factory. Come, let me treat you to some candy." Lin Hong had previously been admitted to a small, unprofitable sugar factory in the town as a temporary worker, earning 60 or 70 yuan a month.
"Are you tired?" Lin Wan took the corn candy with a smile, and seeing that her second sister's face was still red and hot, she couldn't help but show concern.
"It's tiring everywhere, but this place is big and the salary is high! Big cities are just different!" Lin Hong planned carefully. After officially receiving her monthly salary, as a temporary worker, she would earn about 200 yuan. Then she would treat the girl and her man to a meal and give them something else.
After all, this job is still a blessing.
Lin Wan didn't feel like refusing. After all, she would feel uncomfortable if her second sister didn't treat her to this meal. When she returned to the Fu family, she made an appointment with Fu Xiuhuai in advance.
Now that she has more and more favors from Fu Xiuhuai, Lin Wan always feels weird in her heart, but she can't put it into words.
Back at the Fu family, the parents-in-law were asking about their eldest daughter-in-law, Fu Mingjun's whereabouts: "Where has Mingjun gone this time? She's not home for days."
Zhang Meiying felt miserable. She couldn't let her son live at home every day, with Lin Wan's shadow constantly before his eyes. So she had no choice but to send him back to her parents' home. "His grandparents haven't seen him in a long time and they miss him so much. I asked him to pack up and go over to spend some time with them."
Jiang Yueying nodded: "I remember that my mother-in-law just recovered from her illness a while ago. Mingjun went to accompany her more often to show his filial piety."
Lin Wan had just returned after having dinner with her second sister. After greeting everyone, she went to the yard to tend to the flowers and plants.
There are yards in front and back of the Fu family villa. There are some roses planted in the front yard, which are in full bloom now that the weather is cooler. There are some vegetables planted in the back yard, which are all Jiang Yueying's favorites. She developed this habit when she was sent to the farm and has kept it to this day.
The pink and purple roses were gorgeous and bloomed layer by layer. Lin Wan poured some water into the soil and when she looked up, she saw a pair of black leather shoes appear in front of her.
He had just talked nonsense about Fu Xiuhuai today, and Lin Wan just glanced at him and then looked away.
After several days of leaving early and returning late, the two of them had less time to talk. Fu Xiuhuai returned early today, which was a rare occasion. "I've been busy these days meeting with Hong Kong businessman Yang Minghui and the Municipal Construction Department."
Lin Wan knew that the tallest building that Jiangcheng was about to build was of great importance and was not just a commercial building.
"The Xitian Commercial Building has become a landmark building in Jiangcheng and the tallest building. It has a strong positive guiding effect on social development. In the future, it can be used to establish relationships with Hong Kong businessmen who invest behind it, and perhaps it can attract more investment. It is right for all parties to pay attention to it." Lin Wan's voice was clear but not sharp, like the gurgling of water, very pleasant to the ear.
Fu Xiuhuai smiled faintly: "The social development course should be a perfect score."
Lin Wan's face flushed: "..."
Without teasing Lin Wan any further, Fu Xiuhuai brought up what he had asked Yang Minghui to inquire about a few days ago: "Yang Minghui really went to Gangcheng and called to inquire about contacting Wang Yuanzhong, a Hong Kong businessman in your factory."
"How is it?" Lin Wan immediately became interested when she heard the news about Wang Yuanzhong.
"The last time they heard about Wang Yuanzhong was six or seven years ago. He was heavily in debt and was being hunted by gangs in Hong Kong. There hasn't been any news since then."
Lin Wan was a law-abiding citizen after all, and was genuinely surprised to hear the words "hunt and kill." "The more I think about it, the less I think he's a good person. Is he really a liar?"
But who can say for sure what will happen in the next six or seven years, and whether he will become rich again.
Fu Xiuhuai comforted her: "Yang Minghui said he would help to inquire more and notify us if there is any news later."
"This Mr. Yang is quite good. He looks professional, capable, and most importantly, warm-hearted."
"He's a smart guy. He has a plan for what he says and does, and he's not rigid." Fu Xiuhuai had a good opinion of him. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a trusted confidant of Hong Kong businessmen and come to the mainland as a special representative to promote investment projects."
Lin Wan agreed deeply. "By the way, my second sister said she wants to treat you to a meal when she gets her salary next month. Thank you for your help arranging the work. She's a little embarrassed to treat your eldest brother to a meal. She's worried that people will say he's close to the factory director, and she's also worried about gossip about the factory director. She wants to ask me to pass on a backup gift when the time comes."
Fu Xiuhuai naturally agreed: "Since your second sister is coming, we should be the ones to treat you."
"I've already treated my second sister to a meal. If you don't let her treat me this time, she'll be upset for a long time." Lin Wan said forcefully, "Is it settled?"
Fu Xiuhuai did not refuse anymore. He just leaned closer to Lin Wan, his eyes filled with a smile, and his gentle and bewitching voice fell into Lin Wan's ears: "Okay. Anyway, Fu Xiuhuai will listen to you. A wife sings and a husband follows."
Lin Wan: “…”
This Lin Guofu is gossiping again!
How come Fu Xiuhuai heard my words of taking advantage of the power of others?
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