mountain village
The country roads were muddy and difficult to travel on after the heavy rain, so the car had to slow down. Chen Miao rested his arms on the open car window, calmly watching the scenery outside, his emotions so calm that he was not affected by the difficulty of the business trip.
He had promised Yu Xi that he would help her solve all her troubles, including all the difficulties she encountered at work.
"Master, how much longer until we arrive?"
"Judging from the situation, it's almost noon. The roads are difficult to travel on." The driver also rolled down the car window, and the fresh air after the rainstorm filled the car.
Chen Miao took out the new phone Yu Xi had bought for him. At this point, Yu Xi was his only friend on WeChat. He quickly adjusted his wind-blown hair, made a peace sign at the camera, and smiled, revealing his tiger teeth.
It must be said that this young face is very photogenic, and the vibrant energy of youth can be felt through the photos.
Sanshui: [Sister, look, I'm almost there.]
There was no reply from the other end for a long time, and the only message in their chat was: "YuMi has accepted your friend request. This is a greeting message."
Since he left, Yu Xi hasn't sent him a single message. They only added each other on WeChat to make it easier to contact him and inquire about the progress of the supplier's handling of the matter.
Chen Miao stared nervously at the chat interface, and the photos he sent out were taken after he had repeatedly searched for the right angles and carefully selected them.
Ten minutes later, Yu Mi: [Hmm.]
There was only one 'um' and one period.
Is it really that cold-hearted?
Chen Miao stared at his phone screen in disbelief, swiping up to refresh it again and again. He even held up the phone and asked, "Master, do you think the signal is bad here? Why can't I get any refreshes?"
The driver, who was about forty years old, glanced at him through the rearview mirror and said with a smile, "She's probably just busy and hasn't had time to reply to your message yet."
"We've all been there, I know, I know."
Chen Miao smiled but didn't reply, staring at their chat interface, hoping for a more detailed response from the other party.
However, after a long time, until the phone screen went out, Yu Xi did not send any more messages.
As the car sped along the winding, narrow mountain road, and just before reaching the summit, wisps of white mist drifted outside the window, and the clouds in the sky seemed to fall down and float.
Chen Miao reached out, but grasped at nothing.
When he was a ghost, he was unrestricted during the Qingming Festival and the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, and could easily drift to the horizon and delve into the sea.
In the years after his death, he also went to many places he had never been to in his life, returning to them again and again like someone trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat.
Things have changed, but everything is still there, except for the people who were with him back then.
"Once we get over this mountain, we'll be there." The driver cautioned, "I'm going to speed up, so don't stick your hand out the window to touch the clouds, it's dangerous."
"Okay, sure."
"Master, how can a factory be set up in such a remote place?" Chen Miao asked, puzzled. Most investors would choose to set up factories near urban villages, as such areas are convenient for migrant workers and for transporting finished products. Setting up a factory on the edge of a rural area is not a wise choice.
Yu Xi provided him with very little information, only a general understanding that the factory that had signed a contract with Jin Xuexiao had failed to produce silk fabric within the stipulated time.
These new summer products, targeting mid-to-high-end consumers, are scheduled to be launched in a month. The timeframe is tight, but the problem is that the supply of fabric is the issue.
The driver sighed, "Sigh, this factory was built here fifty or sixty years ago. It was built by the villagers of a nearby village who pooled their money to build it."
"This village relies on raising silkworms and selling silk for a living. This rainstorm destroyed the machinery, so it seems that this factory will have a hard time surviving."
Chen Miao: "So that's how it is."
He turned around and stared out the car window. The rolling mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, and the land at the foot of the mountains was all planted with rice. Along the way, there were many children carrying baskets on their backs. They looked to be no more than four or five years old and were already helping their parents with chores.
In such an environment, it is already difficult for a college student to emerge, let alone when factory machines are destroyed and production resumes.
Chen Miao frowned, took a deep breath, and silently lamented the hardships of the local people's lives.
He naturally understood Yu Xi's original intention: to cooperate with such factories simply to help them and allow them to make money.
There are many manufacturers that produce silk fabrics, and someone who prioritizes speed and profit would not choose such a small factory.
With a screech, the car braked suddenly, leaving a three-meter-long tire track in the mud. Chen Miao, caught off guard, bumped his forehead against the front seat.
Before he could even recover from the pain of being hit, he heard a heated argument: "Hey Ding, don't think we're afraid of you just because you've brought so many people. Pay us our wages."
"Pah! We're all from the same company, how can you make money like this with no conscience?"
"Give us back our hard-earned money! Give us back our hard-earned money!"
Amidst the constant arguing and shouting protests in dialect, Chen Miao was completely bewildered. The moment he opened the car door, a cabbage flew towards him, but luckily he dodged it with agility.
The driver quickly left the driver's seat and pushed him to hide in the back seat, "The fight has started again."
"Again?" Chen Miao remained calm and composed, just as he had been when faced with chaotic situations before, analyzing the situation calmly. "Is this because the factory is withholding workers' wages?"
"It's not entirely about unpaid wages. When I brought your company's senior executive Huang here last time, I knew about what was going on here. Some of the machines were damaged by the torrential rain, and others were flooded. Their factory hasn't received many orders to begin with, so if they're not operating, where will they get the money to pay their wages?"
"That guy surnamed Ding is the factory manager. He's probably hiding at home right now, too scared to come out. If he does, he'll just get smashed by these eggs and cabbages."
Through the car window, Chen Miao glimpsed the tightly closed wooden door, which was covered with rotten eggs, and the entrance was piled high with decaying cabbage leaves.
"My goodness, we've been waiting for you!" With a light knock on the car door, the driver quickly unlocked it. The man, wearing a classic blue and white striped shirt, strode into the car. The moment his eyes met Chen Miao's, his expression turned cold.
He pointed at Chen Miao, then turned to the driver and asked, "Is this the person the company sent to assist me?"
The driver nodded, and then he said, "You're a new intern, right? You've only been here a short time and you're already taking on jobs like this?"
"Why would they send someone with absolutely no experience? This is making things even more difficult."
Chen Miao straightened her collar and glanced at him disdainfully. "I'm not an intern. I'm a manager hired by President Yu."
"Besides, how do you know I have no experience? I've seen far too many tricky situations like this."
Manager Huang stared at his youthful face and sneered, "Looks like you just graduated from university. Young people shouldn't lie on their resumes and CVs. Take your time."
A smile tugged at the corner of Chen Miao's mouth. With his current appearance, it was truly hard to believe him when he said these things.
"In short, I will do my best to handle the tasks assigned by General Manager Yu."
Huang, the executive, rubbed his temples. “This is really difficult. I’ve been here for a week, and Ding Dayong’s family refuses to come out and meet anyone no matter what. If they don’t come out, how can we bring this group of people back to the factory to resume work?”
"The door is tightly closed. Is there a back door? They can't possibly eat, wear, and use everything at home, can they?" In Chen Miao's mind, even if they didn't go out to fetch water, they would still have to go out to buy vegetables and meat.
Even a self-sufficient small-scale farming economy needs to interact with society.
"I'm puzzled too. It's been a week and not a single person from their family has come out. The contract was signed with Ding Dayong, and now that something's happened, who else can we turn to if not him?"
After thinking for a moment, Chen Miao said, "I have an idea."
"Tell me!" Executive Huang was so anxious that he was willing to try any method at all.
—
As night fell, the temperature gradually dropped, and the village became extremely quiet. There were no streetlights, and only a few houses had their lights on, casting a warm orange glow through their small windows.
Chen Miao sat on a tree branch, raised his phone, and the signal indicator on the screen finally showed two more bars. He couldn't wait to open WeChat, and a message from Yu Xi popped up.
Fish and Rice: [Have we arrived yet?]
Fish and Rice: [Be careful in the mountains.]
The sending time was shown as 5 PM, but it is now 9 PM.
Chen Miao didn't know if she was asleep, but when he saw her tell him to be careful, he couldn't help but smile, and then he started to feel conflicted.
He's currently using this physical appearance to be by Yu Xi's side, but it's not his true self. What if Yu Xi really falls for this face?
The evening breeze rustled through the treetops. Chen Miao zipped up his coat, a chill seeping into his chest. He shrugged.
Sanshui: [I arrived around 6 PM.]
Sanshui: [Sister, the signal is bad in the mountains, I just saw your message.]
Sanshui: [And look, I had to climb a tree to talk to my sister.]
He found the perfect angle, then unzipped his jacket a little further, leaning against the tree trunk with one hand, his neck slightly raised, revealing his collarbone and Adam's apple, exuding an indescribable sensuality in the thick darkness of the night.
I sent her a picture of a pitiful little dog, hoping for a reply from Yu Xi.
Fish and Rice: [Isn't it cold in the mountains at night?]
Even if he's completely naked, shouldn't you at least ask him if he's cold?
Seeing that this tactic wasn't working, Chen Miao planned to start a conversation in an attempt to bridge the gap between the two. However, his superior, Huang, called out quietly from under the tree, "How about it? Can we start now?"
Chen Miao silently gestured downwards, "Okay, no problem at all, wait for me to come down."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
