"Miss, are you here to check on today's supplies? You look unfamiliar, you must be a new employee who just joined the factory today. I'm a long-time employee of the food factory, would you like me to introduce you?"
As Zhou Qiang spoke, he straightened his middle-parted hair and revealed a smile that he believed would charm many women.
The man's gaze swept over her chest in what he thought was a subtle way, but Yu Yao, who practiced boxing, had sharp eyesight and sensed it immediately.
She frowned slightly and politely declined, "Thank you, but no need."
Zhou Qiang followed her, saying, "Comrades, please don't misunderstand. I just wanted to help you since you've just arrived. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm really sorry if I've bothered you."
Yu Yao politely interrupted, "Excuse me, we have something to do, we'll be leaving now."
As he spoke, he pulled Aunt Liu toward the canteen.
Zhou Qiang saw the rejection in her eyes and didn't press the matter further.
Since he works at a food factory, he'll have plenty of opportunities to find out about her workshop later.
Given Zhou Qiang's methods and status, he was certain that the other party would be flattered if they found out.
There is also a price list in the cafeteria.
Meat dishes cost two cents a serving, vegetable dishes cost one cent a serving, and rice cost five cents a serving. With the addition of grain and meat coupons, it was much more cost-effective than eating at state-run restaurants.
Compared to the 20 or 30 yuan meals that people often order in later generations, Yu Yao felt that it was really cheap.
Money is really valuable these days.
Yu Yao thought it was cheap, but that was compared to later generations.
People of this generation are used to being thrifty and frugal, and they bring their own lunch and rarely eat in the canteen.
"Today is the first day. From now on, you can bring your own lunch. You don't need to go to the canteen and spend five cents to heat it up. There are stoves in the canning workshop. They are empty when they are not boiling sugar water. We all take our food up there to heat it up, and it doesn't cost us any money."
Aunt Liu poured her heart out to Yu Yao, sharing her money-saving tips. After she finished speaking, Yu Yao planned to go back to the workshop for lunch.
Yu Yao quickly stopped her, "Aunt Liu, you can eat with me in the cafeteria today, it's my treat. Thank you for teaching me so patiently."
"No, no, I'm the team leader in the pre-processing workshop. Teaching you is my duty, so I can't let you treat me. Besides, I brought my own food, so I can eat it when I get back."
"You've passed on all your best techniques to me, and this isn't an obligation. I also have a question I'd like to ask you, let's talk about it while we eat."
After much persuasion, Yu Yao finally managed to persuade Aunt Liu to stay, saying she had a question to ask.
The staple food was rice and cornbread, which was supplied with food coupons or food ration books. Yu Yao didn't have a food ration book when she first arrived, so she used the food coupons that Lu Ze gave her.
The two of them ordered two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, and two rice dishes. They were able to eat their fill for just six cents.
At the entrance of the cafeteria, Zhou Qiang, remembering that he still had important business to attend to, noted down Yu Yao's features and headed towards the agreed-upon location.
He spotted two figures in the distance, and, using the same trick again, tidied his hair and walked over.
"Hello, are you Aunt Chuntao and Comrade Wan?"
Wang Chuntao turned around, looked at the fair-skinned and fairly tall man in front of her, nodded slightly in her heart, and smiled: "You must be Zhou Qiang from Fangfang's family. I'm your mother's classmate, and this is my niece, Wan Xiaozhen."
After saying that, he looked at Wan Xiaozhen and said, "Xiaozhen, greet them."
With a blush, Wan Xiaozhen introduced herself to Zhou Qiang in a high-pitched voice: "Hello, Brother Zhou, I am Wan Xiaozhen."
Zhou Qiang glanced at Wan Xiaozhen without making a sound.
Wearing the same green military uniform as the woman from before, even though they were similar styles, Wan Xiaozhen looked much darker and her skin wasn't as smooth. She was alright-looking, though.
"Xiao Zhen, Aunt Chun Tao, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll take you to the canteen." Zhou Qiang took out a stack of food coupons and meat coupons and put them in his hand. "It's my treat today."
On the surface, it was a dinner party, but everyone knew it was a matchmaking event. Zhou Qiang led the two men into the cafeteria.
By sheer coincidence, the location they found happened to be near Yu Yao and the others.
Yu Yao was having dinner with Aunt Liu.
When Wan Xiaozhen saw Yu Yao, her expression turned sour. What was she doing here?
Thinking of the two women wearing the same green military uniforms, Wan Xiaozhen was a little worried. She nudged Wang Chuntao and whispered, "Auntie, Yu Yao is really good at this. She has won over the production team in such a short time."
Zhou Qiang, who was standing to the side, followed their gazes and saw Yu Yao. A hint of smugness flashed in his eyes, but he pretended to be calm and asked, "Do you two know each other?"
Although Wan Xiaozhen was the most beautiful girl on the nearby island, she knew that her appearance was only outstanding on the island. If the scope were expanded to Guangdong Province, she could only be considered pretty.
Yu Yao is different. She has delicate features, porcelain-white skin, and a slender waist, which is exactly the kind of figure that men love.
Wan Xiaozhen, fearing that Zhou Qiang might take a liking to Yu Yao, said, "Brother Zhou, she works in our fruit canning workshop. Don't let her new arrival fool you; she's got some serious skills. This morning, when we were assigning tasks, my aunt only said a few words, and she immediately gave me the cold shoulder and even threatened to complain to the military. She has quite a temper."
Should I complain to the military?
Zhou Qiang's expression was strange. "She's a military dependent?"
Wan Xiaozhen didn't notice the interest in his eyes. "They're military dependents. I heard their family members are military officers, but I don't know what rank they are."
However, judging from the fact that she always brings up her superiors instead of her husband, her husband's rank is probably not high.
Wan Xiaozhen said "family member" but not "husband," so Zhou Qiang automatically assumed that Yu Yao's father was a military officer.
Wan Xiaozhen was unfamiliar with military ranks, but Zhou Qiang was very knowledgeable about them.
Yu Yao looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. For her to give birth to such a big child and still stay in the army, Yu Yao's father's position couldn't be too bad.
The food factory and the military have a good relationship. As long as Yu Yao's father puts a good word for him with the factory director, Wu Huaiqing will have no chance of competing with him for the position of purchasing manager.
Just thinking about it made Zhou Qiang's heart burn with excitement.
Wang Chuntao had just been rebuffed by Yu Yao that morning, so she didn't want to talk about her right now and changed the subject.
Yu Yao was having dinner with Aunt Liu, unaware that Zhou Qiang's abacus beads were about to jump into her face.
After lunch, Yu Yao and Aunt Liu returned to the workshop to rest before continuing their studies in the afternoon.
"Yu Yao, you've been sitting for too long. Get up and move around, otherwise your back won't be able to take it when you get to my age."
Aunt Liu urged Yu Yao to get up and told her to go to the sugar water preparation workshop to find Zhao Shengli and ask them to send someone to pick up the freshly processed pineapples.
Wan Xiaozhen had gone to the sugar water preparation workshop with Wang Chuntao that morning and remembered its location.
As soon as I entered the syrup preparation workshop, I heard Zhao Shengli angrily cursing Wan Xiaozhen.
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