Chapter 250 Stop Beating Around the bush
She paused, then said frankly, "Don't believe me? You're welcome to check the accounts anytime. Every single income and expenditure is recorded in the ledger, open and transparent, and can withstand any scrutiny."
Her gaze swept across the room, her voice rising yet remaining calm: "I must establish this garden. Not to prove myself, but for the children—their early education should not be delayed because their parents are guarding the frontier."
After saying that, she turned and left, her back straight as a pine tree, without stopping for a moment.
"Furthermore," she continued, "I plan to hold a general meeting for all factory employees. Everyone is welcome to voice their opinions. Matters within our factory can't be decided simply by issuing a notice from above. We need to listen to everyone's voices, see what everyone needs, and what they're worried about. Only by speaking openly can we resolve our concerns and move forward with our work."
The woman with the perm sneered, a smirk playing on her lips, her tone full of disdain: "What kind of meeting is this? Just trying to fool us? All this empty talk, in the end you're the ones who call the shots, aren't you? Who believes your nonsense?"
“Big sister,” Qiao Wanyin said, her tone gentle yet firm, her gaze open and honest as she looked at the other woman, “If you have any concerns, you should come and listen. I’m not afraid of your opinions; I’m just afraid you won’t come. I will explain every step clearly, from how to raise funds, how to hire teachers, to how to care for the children—everything will be laid out in the open. There will be no gimmicks or underhanded dealings. Your coming here is the only way to be responsible for yourself and for the children.”
Having said all that, it would be unreasonable for anyone to stop us from moving.
The few people who had been watching coldly in the courtyard lowered their voices and stopped stirring things up after hearing this.
When Qiao Wanyin returned home in the evening, she gently closed the door. The room was so quiet that the only sound was the faint crackling of the kerosene lamp wick.
She unfolded a pale yellow sheet of paper, picked up a fountain pen, and steadily wrote her speech, word by word.
Every sentence was carefully considered to ensure that everyone could understand it, that the factory rules were clearly explained, and that people were convinced of its validity.
Fu Li'an has a mission tonight and won't be able to come back.
She sat alone at the table, her stomach growling with hunger, but she couldn't bear to waste time cooking.
She casually took a leftover cold steamed bun from the stove, broke it into small pieces, and swallowed it bite by bite with the cold water in her enamel cup.
The water was a little bitter, and the steamed buns were a little hard, but she didn't care.
"Knock knock knock".
There was a knock on the door, the sound urgent but polite.
Who is it?
She quickly put down her pen and looked up at the doorway.
"Sister Wanyin, it's me, Zishu!"
A familiar voice came from outside the door, filled with barely concealed excitement.
She quickly got up and opened the door.
Qiu Zishu stood at the door, holding a thick stack of papers. Her face was flushed, and fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. Her fingertips were stained with dark ink, as if she had just run from the mimeograph machine.
"Sister Wanyin, I've finished all the parents' feedback forms!"
She was panting as she handed over the papers. "I collected all 173 copies, not one less!"
"Fast forward, fast forward!"
Qiao Wanyin quickly took the paper, beckoning her into the house while adjusting the wick of the kerosene lamp to make it brighter.
The two sat down next to the dim kerosene lamp, shoulder to shoulder, flipping through the forms page by page.
The paper was rough, and the handwriting varied in depth, but each one was written carefully.
In the lamplight, their shadows were cast on the mottled wall, swaying gently.
“Look,” Qiu Zishu pointed to the numbers on the form with her finger, lowering her voice, “more than 80% of people actually want their children to go to kindergarten, especially those young women who want to free up their hands to do something. But they are afraid that they can’t afford it, that it will be free at first, but after a few months they will have to pay again, and in the end they will have to get a refund, and all their happiness will be for nothing.”
"Then we won't charge you."
Qiao Wanyin spoke crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation in her tone.
"You don't charge?"
Qiu Zishu suddenly looked up, her eyes wide, almost jumping out of her chair. "Where are we going to get so much money to cover everything? Rent, utilities, teachers' salaries, toys and teaching materials... everything costs money! Even if the factory provides some support, it's impossible to cover everything!"
Qiao Wanyin smiled, a smile that showed some weariness, but even more so, determination.
She put down her pen and gently smoothed the edges of the manuscript: "Let's get started first. Once the park is really established, with children, a good reputation, and achievements, it's not too late to ask the factory for subsidies. They can't just watch us work hard for nothing, can they? Besides, we're not asking for money to support lazy people; we're asking for a way out for our children."
She didn't mention that she had planned to open one, two, or ten stores in the future...
They even want to promote this model in other factory areas, hoping that more children can have access to education, food, and a safe place to grow up.
Those are things to come later.
Right now, getting this done is the real skill.
No matter how beautiful your dreams are, it's better to take the first step and be down-to-earth.
On the day of the conference, before dawn, the small auditorium in the family compound was already packed with people.
Adults were holding children, old ladies were leaning on canes, and girls were standing in twos and threes, so crowded that there was no room to walk through the aisle, not even a mouse could squeeze in.
Qiao Wanyin was wearing a faded blue cotton shirt with frayed cuffs, but she didn't care.
Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail with a blue cloth ribbon, looking clean and refreshing.
She stepped onto the stage, her feet firmly planted on the old wooden chair, her gaze calmly sweeping across the entire audience.
The buzzing from the audience was like boiling porridge, so loud the lid couldn't hold it down.
Some people were eating sunflower seeds, some were whispering to each other, and others stood by with their arms crossed, watching coldly, waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
"Good afternoon, ladies and aunties."
Her voice was clear and calm, like a mountain spring piercing through the noise, "Thank you all for taking the time to come. I know that many of you came with suspicion, and some of you just came to watch the show. That's alright, I won't preach any grand principles today, I'll just speak the truth."
Her gaze swept over them, looking at each one one by one.
Some people's eyes lit up, as if searching for answers on her face; some were skeptical, frowning and muttering to themselves; and others were munching on sunflower seeds, legs crossed, waiting to hear what empty promises she might make.
She took a breath and stopped beating around the bush.
She knew that every word she uttered next could determine whether the kindergarten could continue operating.
"I know everyone has some reservations about the kindergarten issue. Today, I'll clarify everything once and for all."
Qiao Wanyin stood on the podium in front of the auditorium, her gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar yet doubtful faces below the stage.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness.
These words, once spoken, were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.
The people who had been whispering suddenly fell silent. Even the auntie sitting in the corner eating sunflower seeds stopped, not bothering to pick up the shells that had fallen on the ground.
As soon as he said it, even the sound of cracking sunflower seeds stopped.
The entire auditorium seemed to be paused, everyone's ears perked up, and their eyes were all focused on Qiao Wanyin.
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