When Wen Ruan got home that evening, she felt that the thirty yuan she earned was really hard-earned. Not only had she walked so far, but she also had to concentrate on translating.
To be honest, today was alright, but the thought of tomorrow scares me. The Great Wall and the Forbidden City are going to be on a special forces tour.
"Ruan Ruan, you must be exhausted today," Song Yan asked, placing a basin of water beside her feet.
"It's alright, but I feel like I'll definitely be super tired tomorrow." Wen Ruan groaned as she lay back on the bed.
Suddenly noticing the bag on the chair, she remembered that it contained the cheongsam Song Yan had ordered for her, and asked, "Why did you suddenly think of ordering a cheongsam for me?"
“It was before, after we set the wedding date, that my mom said that back in her day, everyone wore cheongsams when they got married, but now, to keep a low profile, people are gradually not wearing them anymore. She said that the cheongsam is the dress that best showcases the charm of Eastern women.”
"Then I thought that even though we can't wear them to the wedding, I still wanted to make one for you, maybe you'd like it," Song Yan said somewhat shyly.
Wen Ruan was quite happy and whispered, "I really like it. Thank you, Brother Song Yan."
......
The next day, the two took Lucas to visit various attractions in Beijing. At first, Lucas was very excited, especially about the Great Wall. He said that seeing it gave him a wonderful feeling and that the people of that time were truly amazing. However, as they walked, he almost cried. He hadn't expected the journey to be so long.
While sightseeing, Song Yan also carried a camera, which he had specifically asked Yu Wei to borrow for him yesterday. He planned to take more photos of Wen Ruan today, and for this reason, he brought an extra roll of film.
It was the first time Wen Ruan had ever seen a home-use camera in this era, and she found it very novel. She would ask Song Yan to take a few pictures of her from time to time, and it seemed to relieve a lot of the fatigue of being a "special forces soldier".
And so their trip to Beijing came to an end. Lucas took a fancy to many lacquerware pieces and even wanted to ship a lot back to Germany to see if he could do business in this area. Therefore, he needed to stay in Beijing for a few more days.
Yesterday, after Song Yan reported the matter to the factory director, the director called the leader of the Commerce Bureau. The bureau was already overwhelmed with problems related to foreign exchange reserves, and upon hearing the news that a large sum of foreign exchange was about to be deposited, they were ecstatic. They praised Song Yan and his colleague repeatedly and said that they should just ask for help if needed, and the bureau would cooperate actively.
He also said that after this matter is over, he will send a special letter to commend the two of them.
Song Yan and his companion escorted Lucas back to the guesthouse. Lucas then offered to treat them to a meal as a gesture of goodwill.
Song Yan and Wen Ruan exchanged a glance and agreed.
The group went to the Old Mo Restaurant. While waiting for the food to be served, Lucas was very happy and said that these past few days had been the happiest days of his life in China. He also said that he had picked out many gifts for his wife and believed that she would like them.
After the group finished eating, Wen Ruan thought to herself, "The important business is about to begin."
As expected, Lucas took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth: "Song, when we met in Shanghai last time, you said that your steel plant in Beijing also needed the batch of equipment I had, right?"
Song Yan sat up straight: "Yes, Mr. Lucas."
"I've had a great time in Beijing these past few days. I visited your factory and gained some insights. I didn't expect your standardized processes to be so well-organized."
"To be honest, the equipment I have now is a batch that my factory used to discard. I originally wanted to sell it for a certain price, but your sincere hospitality these past few days has really touched me."
"For the sake of our friendship, I'll offer you the lowest price, okay?" he said, holding up his finger to indicate the price.
Wen Ruan didn't quite understand these things, so she turned to look at Song Yan, who was very excited and grateful. He nodded repeatedly and said to him, "Mr. Lucas, thank you so much. You are welcome to come to China again next time. Perhaps you can bring your wife with you."
Lucas laughed heartily and exclaimed, "It definitely will!"
After finishing their meal, Song Yan quickly took out a pen and paper and drafted a simple contract, which he asked Song Yan to take back and review. If there were no problems, they agreed to sign the contract at the Beijing Steel Plant at 10:00 AM the next day. After reaching an agreement, both parties left.
"Is the price he offered reasonable?" Wen Ruan asked, noticing Song Yan's earlier excitement.
"It's pretty good. Although it's equipment that was phased out in his factory, it's undeniable that it's still much more advanced than our current equipment. The price he just quoted is even far below the bottom line price that we were given to us from above."
"We bought these not only to speed up production and put them into use, but also to see if we can improve or even develop new technologies based on the existing equipment to enhance our steel production technology."
"This is a crucial step. We can't keep following behind foreigners forever and let them hold us by the throat." Song Yan's eyes gleamed, and he spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he could see a future where we would break free from the control of those foreigners.
"Yes!" Wen Ruan said firmly. Especially since she had witnessed firsthand the launch of aircraft carriers, the deep-sea submersible "Jiaolong," and the lunar exploration mission "Chang'e," an era in which everyone could see the world's most complete industrial system and the consolidation and enhancement of China's status as the world's number one manufacturing power.
"I believe it will happen!" Wen Ruan said firmly to Song Yan again.
Song Yan looked at Wen Ruan, lowered his head and smiled: "I've always believed that too."
The two smiled at each other and walked home together.
Wen Ruan looked down at Song Yan's empty hand, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grasped it. Song Yan glanced at her and grasped her hand in return.
Dusk gradually deepened, but night had not yet fallen. Suddenly, Wen Ruan recalled Song Yan's passionate appearance just now, and the words "Undeterred by green mountains, we will follow each other" came to mind.
A crescent moon quietly rose, and around it, a few stars emitted a faint light, illuminating their way home.
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