Chapter 310 Peaked Hat Well, this feeling isn't so bad. ...
"Little Swallows Convey Profound Sentiments: 'Good News Swallows' Become a New Spiritual Symbol for Naval Officers and Soldiers"
Amidst envious and resentful glances from outsiders, the Navy's propaganda department reacted swiftly, immediately publishing a special report on the "Good News Swallow" in naval newspapers and internal broadcasts.
The article details the entrepreneurial story of the military spouses' craft workshop at the Wusongkou Naval Base, and how the Baoxiyan (a type of swallow-shaped steamed bun) evolved from an ordinary handicraft into a carrier of naval culture and the emotions of officers and soldiers.
The "Naval Good News Swallow" was praised as "edutainment that warms the hearts of soldiers" and an excellent example of military-civilian integration and factory innovation in the new era.
Li Jianzhi put down the report in his hand and couldn't help but admire his wife for being a "big shot." She could make a big splash with just a casual gesture.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiangxiang, encouraged by some officers and cadres at the naval base, led the military wives to develop a "Meritorious Captain Yan" app.
"Director Qin, become a naval commander named Yanzi!"
"I want a wide-brimmed hat! A wide-brimmed hat!"
They really love a good show, and many people came up with ideas: to be a Commander Swallow, you have to wear a peaked cap, have a commander's red cape, and have a resolute and calm expression.
If it were an ordinary person, they would definitely think these people were just mindlessly watching the show, each with a terrible idea, and they even had commanders like Swallow, wearing peaked caps and red cloaks...
However, who is Factory Director Qin? She is none other than the former troublemaker Qin Xiangxiang.
Peaked cap! Commander! That really looks cool!
It made her think of the scene she saw in the command room that day.
Then make one yourself!
Qin Xiangxiang used her "exquisite" embroidery skills—that damn talent came in handy here—combining the Suzhou embroidery and tapestry techniques she had learned before with the skills she learned from Aunt Rong, to design a complex embroidered piece with an expression—a "commanding face" swallow.
The embroidery thread used for the eyes alone comes in six colors, making it very delicate and beautiful.
Finally, the first "meritorious captain Yan" created by Qin Xiangxiang wore a mini version of a wide-brimmed hat and a commander's cloak, with a calm and resolute "commander's face".
"This, Xiao Qin, these eyes are so difficult... so complicated, so beautiful, so exquisite."
"Oh dear, if we buy this swallow, my husband will be so embarrassed. Will he ever be as impressive as this swallow in his life?"
...
The newly produced batch of "Meritorious Captain Swallow" trinkets have been met with some reservations from the military spouses in the family compound. They feel they are too intricate and complicated to buy, and they are also afraid that their own mischievous children will ruin them.
At that moment, the officers at all levels began to stir. They couldn't help it; the "meritorious captain Yan," with his peaked cap, red cape, and resolute commander's face, simply stirred up their restless, eager hearts.
“I bought one and sent it to my son, saying that his father had this expression on the warship, very imposing.”
"This is how our families see us—this is how our meritorious captain Yan is! It makes us feel incredibly honored."
Qin Xiangxiang: "..."
"Men are still the most shameless."
As a result, this "Meritorious Captain Yan" sparked an internal buying frenzy, with officers at all levels eager to collect it and then show it off to their army and air force comrades!
"Director Qin, our army wants one too! Let's get an 'Army General Yan'."
"Our air force also wants... a 'top-class pilot Yan'."
...
Army General Yan? Special-Class Pilot Yan?
Qin Xiangxiang was so frustrated that he decided to leave and told them to find someone else to design the project.
“Our Qiaoshoufang can do customization. They can come up with their own design and send a representative to have it made for us.”
Friday evening was even more bustling than during the Lunar New Year. It was payday, and because several large orders had been completed, today's settlement was particularly special.
As the overall coordinator and manager, Sister Wang specially changed into a newly made outfit, with a thick ledger and a stack of wages already packed in kraft paper envelopes in front of her.
She held a megaphone in her hand, her eyes gleaming, and her voice was louder than usual:
"Zhang Caixia! Basic salary is 28.5 yuan, piece-rate commission is 15.3 yuan, and technical allowance is 5 yuan! Total is 48.8 yuan! Come and sign!"
"Liu Shuhui, your basic salary remains the same, plus a commission of 22.7 yuan! Your 'Meritorious Captain Yan' performance was excellent, so your total is 56.2 yuan!"
...
Each time a name was called, it caused a small commotion in the crowd. The female relative whose name was called would blush with excitement and step forward amidst the cheers of those around her. The children in the compound would jump for joy, saying, "xxx, your mom has made a lot of money! We're going to have something delicious tonight!"
A young female relative who had recently arrived clutched her first thirty yuan, the first money she had ever earned, and tears finally streamed down her face. A taller woman next to her put her arm around her shoulder and said, "Why are you crying? This is a happy occasion! Come on, let's go out to eat together!"
The female family members who received their wages were the most generous customers at the night market that night.
"Weigh out a pound of seaweed crisps for me! Take them home for my husband to try!"
"I'd like a bottle of this pickle..."
The stalls of Feiyan Textile Factory and its affiliated garment factory were located in a corner of the night market. The stall layout was simple. On the far left was a textile stall selling canvas produced by Feiyan Textile Factory itself. It sold the factory's scraps of fabric, cotton cloth, polyester-cotton cloth, shirts, short coats, cheongsams, imitation wool fabrics, etc. The prices were low, and nearby residents, their families, and soldiers rushed to buy them.
On the right is the food sales area, where seaweed, shrimp chips, rice crackers, salted duck eggs, egg yolk pastries, and other products produced by the food factory are sold. Seaweed crisps and rice crackers are sold by weight. The factory's pickles are even more popular and are considered by the surrounding residents as an essential side dish.
The central area separates the textile and food sections, serving as a simple display window. It doesn't sell directly, but only displays three rows of "good news swallows" (a type of bird-shaped ornament), as well as warship models made under the guidance of Grandpa Ouyang. The handmade warship models are available for pre-order... and the orders are already booked a month in advance.
This night market is usually very lively, packed with female family members, children, soldiers taking a break from their shifts, and nearby residents.
The atmosphere reached its peak today when the female family members received their salaries.
The food factory's stall was packed with people, and all kinds of snacks and pastries were quickly snapped up. Next to it were stalls selling mung bean soup, grilled squid, tea eggs, wontons... These snack stalls were also doing incredibly well, and everyone had a smile on their face.
As for Qin Xiangxiang, she didn't join in the hustle and bustle of the night market. She wanted to go back to her small three-bedroom apartment on the third floor. However, this distance, which usually takes less than a minute and is only three floors high, made her feel as if she were conquering enemy territory.
"Director Qin! Come and try my osmanthus cake! It's so fragrant and delicious, I put in plenty of sugar!"
"Factory director, this is ham sent from my hometown. Please take it back for Chief of Staff Li and the children."
"Factory manager, have a bowl of the pork rib soup I just made..."
The enthusiasm for receiving wages ignited the entire family compound. In an instant, Qin Xiangxiang was surrounded by enthusiastic crowds, feeling a suffocating sense of oppression. Her hands were stuffed with all sorts of food and drinks, and she struggled to climb to the third floor, pushing and shoving with the military wives as they tried to move to her own doorstep.
Li Jianzhi opened the door and was amused by his wife's appearance—a Christmas tree!
My pockets were stuffed with tea eggs, I carried cured meat, salted fish, and ham on my left, and osmanthus cakes and sugar-coated glutinous rice cakes on my right...
"Sisters, that's enough, that's enough..."
"I can't eat anymore, I really can't eat anymore."
Li Jianzhi dragged his Christmas tree wife inside, and she stood guard at the door like a gatekeeper. If one of them got in, it would be like a zombie plague infection, and they would all come in and never stop.
"Sisters, thank you so much! You've all had a long day, you should go back and rest too."
"Chief of Staff Li, please accept this."
...
The crowd dispersed, and the door to her home was closed. Qin Xiangxiang slumped onto the sofa, feeling utterly hopeless. She was so full; they had been too kind, feeding her so much. They wouldn't have let her off the hook if she hadn't eaten.
Li Jianzhi walked over and saw her lying around like a lazy bum, feeling both amused and sorry for her.
"Director Qin, having such a strong grassroots support is also a problem!"
"Even top leaders don't receive this kind of treatment."
Qin Xiangxiang glared at him, hummed, and was too lazy to say anything. Li Jianzhi smiled and kissed her on the cheek before helping her carefully sort and divide the food that her sisters-in-law had brought, preparing to distribute some to the neighbors, the old leaders in the base, and other retired cadres.
After finishing, Li Jianzhi sat down next to his wife and massaged her stomach, "...How much did you eat?"
"What do you think? They won't let me take another step unless I eat."
"I'm so tired. Why don't you carry me around the living room to help me digest?"
Li Jianzhi lowered his eyes, smiled and nodded, then picked the person up and "strolled" around the living room to digest their food, though it was unclear whose food they were digesting.
As the couple walked to the balcony, they happened to hear the sound of a television coming from downstairs. The TV show on the screen was "Director Qin".
Qin Xiangxiang: "...Why is this still playing?"
Li Jianzhi listened for a while and said, "It's fitting, the plot is exactly what your textile factory is doing at the end of the year, giving out employee benefits."
Qin Xiangxiang: "..."
Outside the window, the naval base enjoyed a peaceful night, with the lights of countless homes nearby twinkling in the night. A TV series based on her life was playing on the television. On the table were delicious dishes warmly presented by her sisters-in-law. And she herself was currently in the arms of some deadbeat man.
Well, this feeling isn't so bad.
Qin Xiangxiang sighed, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up. She found a comfortable position in the man's arms and decided to sleep for a while first.
She was so full she almost burst.
From now on, she'll have to find a place to sneak away before payday and bonus days.
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