Just kidding. In this day and age, when resources are scarce and everyone is short of food, who wouldn't like sugar, which provides high calories?
Eight out of nine hundred million people like it, or maybe she's being too conservative.
"How fierce!" Jeremiah the dog pouted. Seeing her return the bowl and chopsticks and leave, he chased after her without hesitation. When he passed the window, he shamelessly snatched the lantern from the girl's hand.
Stroking the furry fur on the tiger's head, he asked, "How much does this thing cost per unit?"
In a time before button lamps, these small lanterns are certainly enough to catch everyone's eye, especially with the added charm of traditional Chinese bamboo weaving.
Jeremiah could almost picture himself making a fortune, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his face.
Leaning against the collapsed platform, Ruan Xianxian glanced at him and said, "I don't know, but the price probably won't be cheap."
“I did this,” Jeremiah’s eyes lit up, “you did all this just to lure me in, didn’t you?”
"How about this: you help me negotiate the sugar price with the candy factory to meet my expectations, and then we can discuss this batch of lantern candies, okay?"
There are only a few flavors of candy from China, and to be honest, Jeremiah, who owned a candy factory, really didn't think much of them.
However, he was not without a goal; the raw materials for sugarcane were his biggest objective for this trip.
He only clung to Ruan because he found her amusing.
Unexpectedly, this translation actually brought him a pleasant surprise, and he smiled to himself.
Sugarcane… Ruan Xianxian revealed a knowing look. With sugarcane and sugar beets as the main ingredients, and considering the vast land and sparse population abroad, coupled with labor costs, smart businessmen know that it is more cost-effective to purchase from China.
She lowered her voice: "What's the sugar mill's quote, and what's your expected price?"
Jeremiah quoted a number that was 7 cents less per pound than the lowest price offered by the sugar factory.
"Waiting for your good news, Ruan."
Patting the young translator on the shoulder, Jeremiah left the restaurant with a flourish. The boy's back was straight and tall, but Ruan Xianxian could still sense that he was a bit difficult to deal with.
Laudan approached unnoticed, holding a cup of instant coffee he utterly despised, and chuckled as he looked in the direction Jeremiah had gone.
“Jeremiah Hiller, do you know where he’s from?”
"Isn't it Country F?"
“No, no, no.” Laudan shook his finger, taking a leisurely sip of coffee. “What ethnic group is most prevalent in Country F? Doesn’t the surname Hiller remind you of anything?”
Seeing that the always smiling, irritatingly smug translator Ruan finally changed his expression, Laudan left with a cup of coffee, feeling quite pleased. "Hmph, serves you right for not looking at me earlier."
Just as he took a step, a soft voice came from behind him, "Thank you for reminding me, Laudan."
Laudan smiled, his back view calm and elegant, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes that was hard for ordinary people to detect.
Ruan Xianxian clenched her little fist. "Jews, very good. I've admired you for a long time."
They called over Chen Zhaodi, who especially loved bread and jam, particularly blueberry jam, and she was showing it off happily. The two of them leaned against the window.
"See that particularly handsome young man down there? When we get to the exhibition later, find out the absolute maximum price he can accept for sugar, and I'll steer the conversation upwards."
Chen Zhaodi ate the last bite of bread with a solemn expression, as if she had accepted an unparalleled mission.
“I noticed a while ago that the kid’s body language was off when he looked at you. His eyes were fine, but his every move was a mockery and condescension.”
Really? Zhao Di didn't say anything, and Ruan Xianxian really hadn't noticed. She never really cared about other people's lives.
"Um...is it Xiao Ruan?" The two were looking out the window at the buses arriving one after another when a round head suddenly popped out from behind them.
It startled the two of them.
The newcomer was five feet tall, with a smile like that of Maitreya Buddha. His navy blue overalls were faded from washing, and he showed no embarrassment at having startled others, extending his hand warmly.
"Hello, hello, I am the section chief of the candy workshop at the sugar factory. My surname is Lu. You can call me Section Chief Lu or Lao Lu."
Ruan Xianxian suddenly remembered that when she got up, she seemed to have asked the front desk to arrange for a candy factory manager to come. Chen Zhaodi leaned close to her ear and whispered:
"I noticed that this thing was crouching behind the collapsed platform. It looks a bit sinister, so be careful."
After politely greeting Section Chief Lu, she went downstairs properly, as she still had to keep an eye on Jeremiah.
"I'm sorry," Ruan Xianxian smiled sincerely, "I've made you come all this way so early in the morning, I'm so sorry..."
"I understand, I understand." Lu Dagang nodded with a smile.
“I understand that everything is for generating foreign exchange revenue. Comrade Ruan’s gimmick is particularly interesting. Can we talk privately?”
After checking their watches, they realized they still had half an hour before departure. They greeted the staff and the two entered a conference room.
Lu Dagang paused before closing the door, turned back, and asked with a smile:
"Miss, may I ask you to come in and make a temporary record?"
If the customer makes a request, the girl leading the way will naturally not refuse.
Ruan Xianxian looked thoughtful as she looked away. What temporary record? He was afraid that he would feel embarrassed to be alone with a man and a woman in a room, so he specially asked a staff member to accompany them.
Whether he's sinister or not is still unknown, but he seems to be a very meticulous person.
The conference room door closed, and the staff members consciously retreated to a corner.
The two sat facing each other, analyzing the small lantern in their hands. Lu Dagang sighed, but it was unclear who he was talking to.
"Such exquisite little lanterns deserve to be paired with orange segment candy."
As he spoke, Lu Dagang took out a handful of large rabbit-shaped milk candies from his briefcase, demonstrated how to peel off the wrappers, and put the candies inside the lantern.
The lantern, which was originally crystal clear and seemed to refract light like diamond spots, was immediately illuminated by several dark, long strips of light underneath, which greatly reduced its quality.
He chuckled lewdly: "Indeed, a good horse needs a good saddle."
Ruan Xianxian: How strange it is to praise one while criticizing another.
After chuckling to himself for a while, Section Chief Lu got back to the point, raising his eyes, which always seemed to smile at everyone: "I know Comrade Ruan's rules."
The sugar factory won't skimp on the design fee. Do you have any other requirements?
With one hand resting on the long table, Ruan Xianxian leaned forward, her gaze meeting Lu Dagang's directly without flinching: "I want a 5% price increase for cane sugar at this exhibition."
Lu Dagang slowly suppressed his smile and said in a deep voice, "May I ask why?"
"Sell sugar! Sell it to the Jews at a high price."
...
As she left the meeting room, the head chef, carrying an iron cage, was searching for her all over the restaurant.
He gets annoyed as soon as he sees someone, saying, "Hurry up, hurry up, take this monkey away. You won't let us eat, and your poop stinks."
Ruan Xianxian: ...
After settling the monkey in, without even checking which one it was hiding in its arms, I hurried downstairs, by which time most of the buses had already left.
Lin Man, who was chatting with someone at the front desk, saw her raise an eyebrow and said, "Coming down so late? Shall I call a car to take you to the venue?"
Ruan Xianxian twirled the car keys in her hand, making sure Lin Man saw them clearly, then leaned closer in a smug way: "What? You also know your boyfriend gave me the car?"
Before Lin Man could scold her, she dashed to the black SUV next to the flower bed, got in, started the engine, and did it all in one smooth motion.
Watching the car speed away from the hotel, the receptionists couldn't help but look on with longing and envy.
"Why haven't I met a partner who drives big cars? Unbelievable! My husband only knows how to trick me into playing with elephants in the dark..."
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