Chapter 374 Progress
After Song Lubai finished speaking, the three of them remained silent for a long while.
Yang Xiu'e asked, "How did you come up with the idea of flawed cloth?"
She couldn't have come up with this even if she racked her brains.
If it weren't for the flawed fabric, their trip would have been a complete waste.
At this moment, Song Lubai, who was strutting around, said in a very pretentious manner: "I used to work in the supply and marketing department. I was the secretary in front of the big boss. I have been to all the units in Shicheng. My classmates who signed up here with me have been assigned to various companies and units. We often meet and talk about work. Fortunately, I have only been gone for a year, and we still have a good relationship."
The frequent meetings were a pretense; she only met with Feng Ying frequently. But now she wanted to use Feng Ying's name as a shield to make these people obey her every word and to seize absolute leadership.
Yang Xiu'e has even started to admire Song Lubai.
This class monitor position should have been given to Song Lubai!
Liu Wei said regretfully, "Comrade Song had such a good job before, but he actually went to our place with the regimental commander."
Xiao Feng said, "Isn't it only natural for a wife to follow her husband's lead?"
Song Lubai glanced at him and said, "I don't agree with Comrade Xiao's thinking. There's no right or wrong. My man is capable, has good character, and is responsible. That's the main reason why I'm willing to go there with him."
The real reason is that she thinks Wei Yang has a bright future and she wants to rise to prominence with him. However, she is not the kind of person who would just coast along. Moreover, after the dream gave her a wake-up call, she also wants to achieve something. That's why she is here now.
Yang Xiue was deeply shocked after hearing this. She was almost two cycles older than Song Lubai, but Song Lubai often made her feel that she was not as wise as Song Lubai.
After changing the subject a bit, Song Lubai steered the conversation back on track, "I think we have an 80% chance of getting the defective fabric. It just depends on how much we can get. Once Secretary Pei comes to us, we'll consider the matter half settled. Also, at the dinner table, we don't need to be too obsequious. I'll find a way to invite my former boss from the supply and marketing department to the dinner table. Please take good care of him for me."
Xiao Feng and Liu Wei were both government employees and knew what kind of important figure the top leader of the supply and marketing department was. If this person could go, the people in the cotton mill would probably be more "polite" to them without him having to say anything.
People say their regimental commander is a tough and capable man, and at this moment, Xiao Feng and Liu Wei both felt that the regimental commander's wife, Song Lubai, was also a capable person.
Unbeknownst to them, Xiao Feng and his companion's attitude towards Song Lubai had changed from initial indifference to now serious respect and even slight admiration.
The four waited at the guesthouse until after eight o'clock. When they got hungry, they ate dry biscuits. Just when Song Lubai thought Pei Youfu wouldn't come today and was about to continue putting on airs, Pei Youfu's figure appeared outside the guesthouse window.
Song Lubai waved to him from inside the window, then told the other three to come out with her.
Outside the guesthouse, Pei Youfu pulled Song Lubai aside and said, "Considering our past friendship, I told our Party Secretary about it at noon. The Party Secretary thought that your production and construction corps was indeed having a tough time, so he was willing to give you the defective cloth. Actually, you know that our defective cloth can still be exchanged for money, and it's not cheap. No matter how much we give away, department stores can accept it. But you've come all this way, and it really hasn't been easy for you, so our Party Secretary made an exception..."
Song Lubai understood that he was trying to show off his efforts by saying those words.
With gratitude in her eyes, she said, "Comrade Pei, I am very grateful to you. If it weren't for you, we might have come for nothing. Wasting travel expenses would have made our already impoverished farm even worse off. Luckily, you were here."
Pei Youfu felt comforted. Although Song Lubai had given him credit this time, he had also helped others, and Song Lubai should appreciate his kindness.
"I've only just found time to come see you now that I've been so busy. Take your people and come with me to the warehouse to take a look at the fabric. Let me make this clear in advance: whether you want it or not, our factory can't spare any good fabric for you right now. If you don't like those, our factory doesn't have anything else to give you."
Song Lubai nodded, "We understand. As long as the fabric is usable, we definitely won't make things difficult for you."
Halfway there, Pei Youfu said, "I'm the one who introduced you to this matter because you came to me. But how much money I'll give you is up to Director Liu Cheng of our supply and marketing department. You can set a time and talk to him directly then."
Song Lubai: "Comrade Pei, you should come too. If you're not here, I don't even know what to say. With you here, I feel more confident."
Comrade Pei smiled.
He had always known that Song Lubai was a smart person, and he believed that Song Lubai would understand the deeper meaning behind his words.
Yang Xiu'e also wanted to lend a hand. She said, "Comrade Pei, you and our Xiao Song are old acquaintances. You have to put in a good word for us. Our regiment is really too poor..."
Yang Xiue's pitiful performance made Xiao Feng's teeth ache.
People are really all about comparison. Pei Youfu, being from a cotton mill, would definitely prioritize the mill's interests. Xiao Feng felt that Yang Xiu'e was a bit out of her mind.
After hearing this, Pei Youfu waved his hand and said, "I'll go because I'm involved in this matter, but for other things, you have to talk to our Director Liu. As someone from the factory, I have to put the factory's interests first, and you have to respect that."
Song Lubai nodded and said, "Okay, we understand. We definitely won't make things difficult for you."
Upon entering the warehouse, they were shocked to see piles of defective fabric.
The four of them started pulling out the cloth and unfolding it to take a look.
The larger pieces are a meter long, but have large areas of unraveling in the middle. The smaller pieces are about 20 centimeters long. The better ones are just dyed with problems and don't look very nice, but there aren't any particularly large pieces of fabric.
After the group had looked around enough, Pei Youfu asked, "What do you think?"
Song Lubai said, "It can be used, but it will consume more fabric than good fabric, and the time to make shoes will be longer."
Pei Youfu said, "That's for sure, but we definitely won't give you these defective fabrics at the wholesale price of our factory's good fabrics."
The warehouse door closed, and Pei Youfu saw the four of them out. When they reached the gate, he said, "You set a time and a place, and I'll inform Director Liu. You can have a good talk with him then."
Song Lubai said, "It will be around 8:30 pm tomorrow at the Jianshe Hotel."
Pei Youfu nodded to indicate that he understood.
It was almost dark when Song Lubai led the three of them to the Jianshe Hotel.
"The three of you wait here now. I'll go in and reserve a private room and some dishes."
Yang Xiue asked, puzzled, "Why don't we just come tomorrow? Why do we have to book in advance?"
Song Lubai said, "We can only get a private room if we book in advance, so the restaurant can prepare it in advance and save us from having to wait after we arrive."
All three of them said they had their eyes opened.
City people really know how to do things.
It's not easy for them to eat out normally. The restaurants in the 16th Regiment don't have private rooms, but the restaurants in Shicheng do. You have to book a room in advance to eat there. Song Lubai is really quite experienced!
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