Chapter 42 Chapter 42 All around was silent, except for...
All around was silent, except for the pounding of my heart.
Lin Wan could hear the sound of her own heartbeat, as if it were ringing in her ears. The man in front of her had a burning gaze, no longer with any teasing expression, and endless seriousness was revealed under his serious appearance.
Unable to avoid the fact any longer, Lin Wan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her red lips moved with difficulty: "Stop joking. How could you possibly be thinking about your nephew's girlfriend?"
"Wanwan, I'm not kidding." Fu Xiuhuai stood tall, his gaze fixed squarely on her watery almond-shaped eyes. "Who am I to you? Don't think too highly of me. I'm indeed someone who's obsessed with my nephew's girlfriend. Mingjun wasn't wrong."
With a loud bang, Lin Wan's mind seemed to be about to explode. For a long time, she had relied on various speculations to try to reconstruct what happened that year, but she dared not guess in this direction.
Fu Xiuhuai is a handsome, wealthy, and glamorous boss. Why would such a person...
Boom boom boom.
The continuous knocking on the door broke the stiff atmosphere in the bedroom and saved Lin Wan.
Aunt Wang reminded at the door that Fu Mingjun's blind date and her family had arrived.
The Fu family was already entertaining guests downstairs, so Lin Wan went downstairs with Fu Xiuhuai and brought Doudou with her to take a look.
Lin Wan trembled as she stepped up the stairs, hearing the gentle clatter of the man's leather shoes. The simple words still lingered in her ears. How could...
I clearly have nothing in common with Fu Xiuhuai, so how could this guy do this?
"Mrs. Wu, this is Mingjun's uncle and his family." Zhang Meiying greeted them warmly and introduced them to the two parties. "Fu Xiuhuai, the owner of Kaihua Construction, you should have heard of him."
The blind date Zhang Meiying valued so highly this time came from a prominent family. She turned around and introduced, "Xiu Huai, this is Director Wu's family from the Market Development Department."
There are many government departments in Jiangcheng, and the Market Development Department is still a new department, established after the reform and opening up. However, due to the rapid development of Jiangcheng and the emergence of various industries, this position has become more and more important, and Minister Wu has more say.
That year, when Minister Wu took over the new department, work was difficult to carry out. Fu Xiutong, the director of the steel plant, gave his full support. Many reform contents were piloted in the steel plant, which won the favor of Minister Wu.
Now the children of both families are old enough to get married, especially Minister Wu's daughter who has some affection for Fu Mingjun. Zhang Meiying and Fu Xiutong discussed and invited him to have a meal at home, not under the name of a blind date, but to relax and let the two children meet each other.
Fu Xiuhuai had also dealt with Minister Wu before. He nodded and introduced him to Minister Wu and his wife: "This is my wife, Lin Wan. Our daughter is still young, so she can't call me uncle or aunt."
Minister Wu's wife had heard earlier that Fu Xiuhuai of Kaihua had suddenly gotten married, and was surprised that the child was already born. But when she looked at Lin Wan again, she saw a graceful and elegant girl with a beautiful appearance and especially a good temperament. She didn't expect that Fu Xiuhuai liked such a girl.
"Boss Fu is so lucky. His wife is so beautiful. His daughter will be a real beauty." As he said this, he also gave a red envelope, which was very considerate.
Lin Wan tried to refuse several times while holding the child, but she had no choice but to accept it after thanking him. She exchanged a few words with others, and then saw Fu Mingjun coming back. He looked reluctant, but due to the strict authority of his parents, he had to go home for this meal.
At the long dining table, the Fu family warmly welcomed Minister Wu and his family of three. Mr. Fu and Mrs. Fu exchanged a few words with others, and the voice of Zhang Meiying's greetings was mostly heard at the table.
Lin Wan fed the child before coming down. At this moment, Doudou was lying in the stroller, kicking his legs and waving his arms, completely unaware of the undercurrents of dinner.
Minister Wu's daughter, Wu Qiaozhi, was twenty-one years old and also a student at Jiangcheng University. She had a round, cute face and a sweet smile. She was three years younger than Fu Mingjun. This sparked a conversation for Zhang Meiying: "What a coincidence! We went to the same school. Mingjun, you have to tell me what fun and delicious things there are at Jiangcheng University. Young people are most interested in these things."
Mrs. Wu agreed. Both hostesses were interested, and they chatted happily that day. "Qiaozhi, why don't you ask your brother Mingjun more about it? He's your senior."
Wu Qiaozhi smiled dimples: "Mom, that's called Senior Brother~"
"Hahahaha." Mrs. Wu laughed like a silver bell. "Look at you, you have no respect for your elders and you still find fault with me."
Fu Xiutong joined in at the right time: "Qiaozhi is lively and cheerful, unlike ours, who is now like a dull person."
Minister Wu and Fu Xiu toasted together and praised Fu Mingjun: "Mingjun is a handsome man, and he graduated from Jiangcheng University, which is not bad. I heard that he is still learning from Boss Fu. If he really learns some skills in the future, his future will be limitless."
The dinner table was filled with compliments and praises, and both the host and the guests were having a great time. Lin Wan, who was of a certain status, had no intention of speaking and just ate her food.
Aunt Wang put a lot of effort into preparing the meal today, which was full of big and hard dishes. Lin Wan had satisfied her appetite, but heard the man next to her join in the conversation.
Fu Xiuhuai immediately praised: "Mingjun is indeed good, young and promising, with ideas, and willing to endure hardships. He will definitely have a bright future."
Lin Wan paused her hand as she was picking up the food, and glanced sideways quietly, trying to find some sincerity in the man's serious expression.
Fu Mingjun really didn't buy it: "Uncle, you're exaggerating. I'm not that good."
Hearing this, Lin Wan quickly withdrew her gaze, slowly lowered her head, and ate the food seriously.
Fu Xiuhuai chuckled and said to Minister Wu and his family of three, "Look, you are neither arrogant nor impatient, but quite humble."
Wu Qiaozhi smiled at Fu Mingjun generously, "Brother Mingjun, don't be so modest. Everyone is praising you."
There was laughter and joy at the dinner table again.
The Wu family had dinner at the Fu family's house and sat for a while. Before leaving, the family saw the others off. Jiang Yueying urged her grandson to follow them out: "We are old and weak, so we can't go too far. Don't be offended. Let Mingjun take you out."
No matter how reluctant Fu Mingjun was, he couldn't lose his temper at this time and could only accept his fate and send the person away.
Lin Wan took Doudou to the kitchen to look at the colorful vegetables, purple eggplants, red peppers, and yellow corn. Doudou opened his eyes wide and looked at them intently, not knowing what he understood.
After sending the guests back, Fu Mingjun told his parents that he had no idea, which made Zhang Meiying angry. She then went straight to find her uncle Fu Xiuhuai.
The two of them stood in the backyard, and Fu Mingjun was like a cannon that was about to be ignited. "Uncle, what do you mean? You don't think I can't see it, do you? You keep praising me now, and you want me to get married and move out quickly?"
Fu Xiuhuai remained calm and composed, looking at his nephew with a bit of tolerance, as if he was looking at an unreasonable younger generation: "That's right, if you settle down as soon as possible, fall in love and get married properly, that's what everyone in the family wants to see."
"Fu Xiuhuai, are you hypocritical?" Fu Mingjun was furious. How could he say that when he was such a good person? And now he was pretending to be sympathetic.
Fu Xiuhuai didn't stand up to his emotionally unstable nephew and advised him, "Mingjun, do you know why you lost? You didn't lose to me, you lost to yourself. Because you're too clingy. When you need to be ruthless, you'll be softened by a tear or two. When you need to humble yourself to win back someone, you're not persistent enough. You waver back and forth. Even though you don't like Song Yuzhen, you insist on being a hero and wanting to save her. This is a lesson your uncle is teaching you."
It was the first time that Fu Mingjun heard his uncle talk about the incident frankly, and his face turned pale as he recalled the past.
Fu Xiuhuai left the backyard and left his nephew with one last message: "Recognize the situation as soon as possible and live your life well."
At the dinner table, Lin Wan listened to Fu Xiuhuai constantly praising Fu Mingjun, and she could probably guess what he meant. It was normal for an uncle to help his nephew find a blind date, but combined with his blunt statement before the meal that he was thinking about his nephew's girlfriend, Lin Wan felt complicated.
Because of the interruption of the meal, the two tacitly agreed not to bring up the previous topic again. At night, Lin Wan lay in bed, her mind in a mess, and it was difficult to characterize Fu Xiuhuai. The people she knew were either lively and cheerful, or free and easy, or petty... Everyone could be easily characterized, but this man was unpredictable.
++++
In the following days, Lin Wan heard from her mother-in-law Jiang Yueying that Fu Mingjun seemed to have thought things through. Following his mother's arrangements, the family of three went to visit the Wu family again. He also became Wu Qiaozhi's senior brother and took people to visit Jiangcheng University.
Lin Wan thought, this is a good sign, as long as this person really thinks it through.
Fu Mingjun finally made the Fu family feel less worried, but things were not going well for Lin Wan.
The leadership of the garment factory was divided and held several meetings but failed to reach a decision. While everyone was hesitating, various small workshops outside began to imitate the garment factory's main clothing products, and almost every piece was the same style at a much lower price.
The sales director was extremely worried. The garment factory had just gotten back on track, but now it seemed like it was about to be pushed back to the pre-liberation era.
"Look, we've only been doing well for half a year, and now we're dealing with something like this!" Director Yang came to the factory to do some work. After checking the data with Feng Tianjiao, he couldn't help but chat with everyone, a look of worry on his face. "This month's clothing sales are far from good. They've really been snatched away by those things outside!"
There's no point worrying about it. Who can do anything about the street vendors that are everywhere?
Qin Fang held her face in her hands and muttered, "The factory director and secretary haven't figured out a solution yet?"
Feng Tianjiao shook her head: "We've held several meetings and still can't come to a conclusion."
Lin Wan recalled Fu Xiuhuai's evaluation of the state-owned factory: it was large in scale, but had deep-rooted problems that were difficult to cure, with complicated internal factions and a lack of someone who could make the final decision.
Now that I think about it, it hit the nail on the head.
Another week passed, and Lin Wan saw that the situation outside was getting worse and worse. In the minds of ordinary people, the clothes from Jiangcheng Garment Factory were almost confused with the inferior imitations from outside, which made her feel worried.
At this time, in the morning, the factory leadership team held another closed-door meeting, which lasted for four hours. After the meeting, many workers saw that the leaders looked unhappy. Even Deputy Director Wang, who was usually the most easy-going, frowned seriously.
"I wonder if they had a falling out, but Director You, Secretary He, and Deputy Directors Wang and Sun all look unhappy." Qin Fang happened to be passing by the conference room door and was so frightened she couldn't breathe. "Oh my god, are they going to fight?"
Lin Wan laughed at her: "If you speak louder, you're afraid the leaders won't hear you arguing with them, right?"
Qin Fang quickly covered her mouth and shook her head repeatedly, the sound coming out from between her fingers: "No, no."
——"Comrade Qin Fang, what are you doing?"
Qin Fang had barely finished speaking when she heard a familiar voice from her leader behind her. Turning around, she was practically frightened to the point of her legs weakening. "Hello, Deputy Director Wang! Thank you for your hard work!"
Seeing Qin Fang like this, everyone in the factory office tried hard not to laugh. Deputy Director Wang didn't say much, just said, "Comrade Lin Wan, please come to my office."
Lin Wan had no idea why Deputy Director Wang suddenly wanted to see her, so she went to the director's office despite Qin Fang's look that made her feel like she was going to the battlefield.
Deputy Director Wang sat in a leather chair, sizing up the young man for a few seconds before speaking, "Comrade Lin Wan, you haven't been at the garment factory long. What do you think of our factory?"
This question seems like a trap, especially when a leader asks ordinary employees. Normal people will answer in a positive way.
Lin Wan smiled and said, "The factory is good, large in scale, and everything is formal. The salary is paid on time every month."
Deputy Director Wang's tense expression suddenly relaxed as he emerged from the conference room. He almost couldn't hold back his smile. "You're focusing on something different."
It was the first time he heard someone praise a garment factory for paying wages on time.
Lin Wan nodded: "Deputy Director Wang, we will really pay attention to this and look forward to it on salary payment day."
"What about the shortcomings?" Deputy Director Wang smiled and asked.
This question was a trap within a trap. Even though Lin Wan had never eaten pork, she had seen pigs run. If she didn't answer it well, she would easily be criticized.
Just as Lin Wan hesitated for a few seconds, Deputy Director Wang tapped the table with his knuckles: "Tell the truth, don't worry, I want to hear the truth."
Lin Wan tactfully said, "There are so many procedures. I often have to wait a long time for an application to be approved."
"You're right!" How could Deputy Director Wang not know this? It's just that this set of rules and procedures has been in place for too many years, making it difficult to change or modify them. A single move can affect the entire system. "You're young and smart, comrade. Why don't you come with me and try another approach?"
Lin Wan looked at Deputy Director Wang in surprise, but heard a shocking proposal.
***
After Fu Xiuhuai finished his business, he returned home, hugged his daughter and played with her, then made her sit crookedly for a while, but he felt that his wife was a little unusual today.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Wan sat at the head of the bed in a daze, her brows slightly furrowed, obviously lost in thought.
Lin Wan heard Fu Xiuhuai's question and turned to look at him: "Today, our deputy director asked me if I would like to join his pilot project."
In the past, Lin Wan was always used to thinking and making decisions on her own, whether in life or study. But now, looking at Fu Xiuhuai's face looking at her intently, she felt the desire to talk.
"You know, I reported the plan to the leader last time, and they held meetings back and forth for more than a week without being able to reach a conclusion. In the end, it was Deputy Director Wang who said he would take the lead in conducting a pilot project and use my plan." Lin Wan felt a sense of joy at being recognized and adopted, but she was also a little surprised and nervous.
"My wish since I was young has been simple. I wanted a simple and stable life, but it always seemed like a luxury, not only to my biological parents, but also to my parents. Even when I was in love and got married, there were problems. After graduation, I had the most enviable iron rice bowl in my childhood, but why am I still not at peace?" Lin Wan pulled the corner of her mouth helplessly, expressing her true feelings.
Fu Xiu held his daughter in his arms, stuffed Doudou into Lin Wan's arms, and sat down next to her: "When you graduated, I told you that you didn't need to work, didn't need to earn money, or if you were interested in starting your own business, I would help you. Do you know what you said to me?"
Lin Wan must not know this: "What did you say?"
"You said that when you were little you heard everyone say that having a stable job was the best, so you made a wish when you were little. Now that you finally have the chance, you want to make your dream come true." Fu Xiuhuai looked at her firmly. "I thought at the time, this girl is just as silly as before."
A salary of a few hundred yuan does not mean much to the Fu family, nor does it mean much to Lin Wan, who has a rich bankbook, but this person still thinks about his long-cherished wish.
Lin Wanlue thought about it and it really sounded like her own voice.
Fu Xiuhuai squeezed Doudou's small hand, then squeezed Lin Wan's hand. "The situation is like this, and no one can change it. In the past, we cracked down on all kinds of small businesses, hated them deeply, and punished them as speculation. Now, individual businesses are everywhere. This is the process of social development and it is irreversible. The same is true for your garment factory."
Lin Wan's thoughts became more and more firm: "We really have to adapt to the development... No, I should say we have to stay ahead of the curve!"
Fu Xiuhuai curled his lips and said, "You're quite clever. Luckily your factory sells clothes and doesn't build buildings, otherwise you would have put us down."
Lin Wan knew that this person was teasing her, her eyebrows curved, and she raised her hand to pinch his waist in revenge: "You really know how to make fun of me!"
Unfortunately, the man’s waist was also very stiff, like a wall or a mountain.
***
The news that Deputy Director Wang was going to set up a pilot project team quickly spread.
Lin Wan, Deputy Factory Director Wang's first day, was the initiator of the plan and agreed the next day. Lin Wan, who had always sought stability, actively embraced change for the first time, even feeling a little excited at the recognition and attention she felt.
In the next few days, Deputy Director Wang directly called on several employees. Some were eager to join, while others were hesitant, worried that the project would fail and they would not be able to return to their original positions, and eventually gave up.
But Deputy Director Wang was a practical man. When he saw someone refuse, he didn't say much and just appointed someone to fill the position. Soon, a team of ten people was formed.
"The factory is hesitant about various changes. I want to change and create a different world. Everyone is willing to follow me, so let's work together and do a good job." Deputy Director Wang spent a lot of effort to persuade Director You, Secretary He and Deputy Director Sun, and only then did he get some power to do something. In addition to this team of ten people, there are two more workshops for them to arrange.
"Comrade Lin Wan, you are mainly responsible for this pilot project. Please tell me about the plan you proposed last time." Deputy Director Wang is in charge of the overall situation. Lin Wan, an ordinary employee who has been in the factory for less than a year, suddenly took on such a heavy responsibility and felt the burden on her shoulders for a while.
"This time, we're mainly targeting the many small workshops and factories outside who are imitating our clothes and selling them. We make one, and they copy it. Because of the significant price difference, our sales have been greatly affected." Lin Wan explained calmly, putting forward her own point of view. "To this end, it would be best for our factory to establish clearer positioning standards. For high-end clothing, we should control the quality and style, while raising the price to widen the price gap. For mid-range clothing, we should focus on the most widely accepted styles, striving to make them popular and acceptable to everyone. For example, the red wavy long skirt that has been selling well recently is not very popular among many older people. Low-end clothing should compete with the outside world."
"It's already affected. If we raise the price, won't it be even harder to sell?" Someone raised doubts at the meeting.
"Our prices are inherently cheaper than those in the capital and Shanghai. With the same quality, we have long been constrained by our previous ideas. We would rather cut costs and lower prices in order to sell more pieces, which has only hurt ourselves." Lin Wan thought of asking a wealthy woman like He Yanni. She was willing to spend a lot of money on clothes, as long as they were decent, could hold their own, were of good quality and had a good style.
Lin Wan presented the plan in detail again, and Deputy Director Wang fully approved of it: "Everyone should mainly follow Comrade Lin Wan's arrangements. We will test the results of this pilot project."
Soon, the two workshops under the independent control of the garment factory began independent production, which aroused the curiosity of the workers.
"Is the factory crazy? Why are they still causing division?"
"I heard it was Deputy Director Wang who proposed it. If the pilot project fails, he's willing to quit as deputy director."
"Oh my god, what is Deputy Director Wang thinking? He's not a good deputy director anymore, but he's doing all this!"
"Those who followed him were fools. It was completely nonsense. If the pilot fails, their positions will be gone. I'm afraid they will become idle personnel by then. Tsk tsk."
In the factory office, Lin Wan packed up her things to move to another office, which aroused everyone's curiosity and confusion.
"Xiao Lin, have you thought it through? Don't choose the wrong path."
"That's right. Working at the factory is stable. What good can a pilot project do?"
"Wanwan, are you crazy?" Qin Fang reacted most violently. "Aren't you afraid that all your efforts will end in vain?"
Lin Wan patted her hand soothingly: "That idea was mine, so I have to give it a try. Anyway..."
Lin Wan thought of what Fu Xiuhuai said, that if it didn't work out in the end, he would let her go home and support her.
Lin Wan had sternly refused at the time, but now she smiled and said, "Is it possible that I will starve to death?"
Lin Wan quickly got into the new office after moving to it. On the one hand, she faxed the Hong Kong businessmen to discuss the design and production arrangements of high-end clothing. On the other hand, she arranged for people to contact buyers to pay close attention to quality and style.
The first batch of high-end clothing produced by the pilot team was produced more than half a month later. The dresses and short-sleeved trousers were of excellent quality and fashionable styles. In particular, the workmanship was very exquisite. Every detail was refined and visibly different.
Lin Wan personally watched over the loading and delivery of the clothes. All the passion she had felt over the past period of time now turned into tension and anticipation. All the reactions would come tomorrow.
When she got off work, Lin Wan shook off her worries and walked out with her bag, where she ran into Lin Guofu and Chen Qiuhong.
The two who had been eager to establish a relationship with Lin Wan, an outstanding employee, now looked down on them and said to their coworkers, "I wonder if some of them have lost their minds. They're giving up their jobs to work on some pilot project. How foolish!"
"What you are saying is that your niece went there too." The coworkers all knew that Lin Wan was their niece.
"That's also confusing, her mind is not clear!" Lin Guofu and Chen Qiuhong thought Lin Wan was crazy, but after walking a few steps, they suddenly thought of something, and after thinking about it, they turned back to find Lin Wan.
"Lin Wan, we're not saying anything mean to you, but you're being too willful. Taking part in that pilot project means you're going against Director You, Secretary He, and Deputy Director Sun. Be careful that the project fails, or you'll lose your job." Lin Guofu said this with a guilty conscience. He certainly knew that Fu Xiuhuai's wife didn't need a job that paid only a few hundred yuan.
Lin Wan said coldly: "Don't worry about it, I know what to do."
Chen Qiuhong's eyes rolled. "If you really can't keep your job, just give it to Cheng Hao. The factory certainly won't directly abandon people like you who are involved in the pilot project, but they won't be able to reuse you either. It's just right for you to give it to your brother!"
Lin Wan really admired their quick thinking. However, the current Lin Wan was no longer the Lin Wan of her childhood. "If that were the case, I would sell this job or give it away, but I wouldn't give it to him. You guys should just save yourself the worry."
After saying this in person, Lin Wan felt relaxed physically and mentally. She tightened the strap of her bag and left quickly.
Not sure if this was the first time she faced this situation, but Lin Wan was a little excited all night, curious about tomorrow's feedback. This was the first time the pilot project was being launched, so success or failure was crucial.
Lin Wan sat at the head of the bed, holding Doudou in her arms, playing the sit-up game with her daughter. She absentmindedly poked Fu Xiuhuai's waist and abdomen. "Our clothes will be available in major department stores tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, just like the night before the college entrance exam."
"Are you scared?" Fu Xiuhuai asked softly.
"I'm not afraid," Lin Wan said, feeling a little relieved. "I'm just excited and nervous, and I have some random thoughts. But now it's okay. I've let it go and I'll just wait for tomorrow's results."
Fu Xiuhuai grasped her slender fingers and leaned closer: "If you have anything to tell me now, I will be very happy."
The two were very close, their noses almost brushing against each other. Lin Wan blinked, her heart moved, and she turned her face away somewhat unnaturally: "Step back, Doudou is here."
Doudou sat sideways in his mother's arms, his eyes as big and clean as black gemstones, staring at his parents motionlessly.
Fu Xiuhuai lowered his eyebrows to glance at his daughter, raised his hand to cover Doudou's eyes, leaned over and kissed Lin Wan on the lips: "Don't worry, Doudou can't see it."
Suddenly, everything went dark in front of him. Doudou was confused and wondered why it was dark. Was it time to go to bed?
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