Mrs. Fan held Huang Wanzhen's hand and sighed deeply. "My husband is very stubborn. The government invited him to work at the Ministry of Education many times, but he always turned them down due to poor health. I didn't understand it at the time, but now I can figure it out."
Huang Wanzhen had a hard time in the past few years and agreed with Mrs. Fan's words. "Yes, it's not easy for us to live. Let the adults handle their own affairs."
The two were chatting when a woman who was the center of attention appeared in the center of the hall. Following the chaotic sounds, Huang Wanzhen saw a woman in her twenties who was dressed fashionably.
"That's a socialite from Shanghai. Her surname is Chen. She just came to Beijing not long ago. She said she came to Beijing with her father for business. She has come here several times in a row, but I haven't seen her father come." Mrs. Fan followed Huang Wanzhen's gaze and saw Ms. Chen surrounded by many people.
Huang Wanzhen retracted her gaze and smiled, "It seems she is also a strong woman."
Mrs. Fan's face was filled with an innate gentleness and friendliness. "Well, her father is originally from Jiangsu. He opened more than a dozen companies and dozens of schools. He is dedicated to education, culture, and charity. He is a very famous figure in the south."
"I heard you have a business in Shanghai, so it's better to prepare in advance."
Huang Wanzhen smiled and thanked Mrs. Fan for her suggestion. Although Father Lao Road belonged to the concession, martial law was inevitable during the war. After returning to Jixiangtang, Huang Wanzhen called her family in Shanghai and asked them to prepare more dishes that could be kept for a long time.
Chen Hanfeng knew the situation was bad when he heard it, and quickly asked Huang Wanzhen to take care of Chen Yumei and Chen Yubao. Huang Wanzhen comforted him, "Beijing is fine. It will be next year. The Shanghai Concession is still relatively safe, but it's hard to say outside the concession. Ask my mother to inform my second uncle's family in advance and let them make preparations early. It would be best if they rent a house in the concession and move in."
"Okay, I understand."
The two chatted about some other things to pay attention to and then hung up the phone.
In the next few days, the situation outside the Shanghai Concession became increasingly tense, and Beijing newspapers published many news reports about Shanghai workers striking and causing unrest.
Huang Wanzhen didn't care about the phone bill and called every two days to ask about the situation. After learning about the martial law in the Shanghai Concession, Huang Wanzhen immediately asked them to close Jixiangtang and strictly ordered them to stay indoors after returning home.
She stayed indoors for more than a month. Although she couldn't go out to buy groceries, Huang Wanzhen had prepared food and various beans in advance, and the water and electricity were not cut off. However, due to the psychological hardship, Huang Dongshi finally fell ill.
After Huang Wanzhen found out, she called her every day to comfort her until she received the news that martial law had been lifted. Huang Wanzhen then asked Chen Hanfeng to take Huang Dongshi to the hospital.
Unexpectedly, the hospital was in a mess and there were many injured people. After examining Mrs. Huang, the doctor said that she was overly worried and asked her to go home and rest without even prescribing any medicine.
Huang Wanzhen said helplessly over the phone, "I see. Then let Madam rest at home. Inform everyone that those who have nothing to do at home will go to work at Jixiang Hall tomorrow."
Huang Wanzhen hung up the phone, turned around, and saw Huang Wanshu again.
"Is Mom sick? Tell me where she lives in Shanghai so I can go and take care of her."
Huang Wanzhen looked down at her feet and said, "Do you think Shanghai is that easy to get to? Wait until you can walk again."
Huang Wanshu said quickly, "You said that when I get up, you will tell me where my mother is."
Huang Wanzhen rolled her eyes and said, "I didn't say that." After that, she ignored Huang Wanshu and went straight back to the office.
Huang Wanshu clenched her fists tightly and swore in her heart that she would make a name for herself in the future and surpass Huang Wanzhen. One day, Huang Wanzhen would ask her for help.
On the other side, Huang Wanzhen, who finally felt relieved, made herself a pot of tea and drank it while looking through the exam papers of Yenching University over the years.
"Knock, knock, knock—" There was a knock on the office door. Huang Wanzhen put down her teacup and shouted towards the door, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Gao Zhixiang walked in with a stack of documents. "Boss Huang, I want to report to you about the lace factory."
"I took people to visit three girls' high schools and found that most of those who were interested in our lace factory were from outside the area."
Huang Wanzhen interrupted, "That's good. People from outside the area have the lowest risk of leaking technology."
Gao Zhixiang said in embarrassment, "With so many people, where will they live? What will they eat? If we were to pay for everything, it would be a huge expense."
Huang Wanzhen touched her chin, thought for a moment, and said, "What do you think about us setting up a vocational and technical school for female workers? The kind that guarantees job placement."
Gao Zhixiang's eyes lit up. "Nowadays, many entrepreneurs like to run schools." At this point, Gao Zhixiang hesitated again. "Running a school requires formalities, and dealing with the government in the north is not easy."
Huang Wanzhen waved her hand. "I'm in the education industry and know a few people. I'll handle the paperwork, and you can find a venue. Manager Zhang is quite experienced in renting a place, so you can ask him more."
Huang Wanzhen was a person of action. She immediately called Mrs. Fan and made an appointment to have dinner together the next day.
With Mr. Fan's knowledge and status, it was easy for Mrs. Fan to handle this matter. By the time the rented house was ready, the formalities were completed. Mrs. Fan also reminded her that running a school was not a simple matter. If she wanted to avoid trouble later, it would be best for her to express her gratitude. Huang Wanzhen immediately smiled and nodded.
When she attended Mr. Fan's salon again, Mrs. Fan specially introduced two officials from the Education Bureau to Huang Wanzhen.
Huang Wanzhen then asked Chen Hanfeng to bring Zhang Dongqian to deliver two dried and two fresh dishes. The reason she didn't send a big gift was because Huang Wanzhen had her own considerations.
First, the school hasn't even opened yet, and already a considerable amount of money has been invested. Preparing for any lavish gifts is unrealistic. Second, next year, Beijing will be renamed Beiping, and many officials in Beijing will relocate south to be closer to the new regime. With the situation currently uncertain, it's best not to aggressively try to connect with government officials.
In order to save money, the rented place was a bit remote, in Zhaotangzi Hutong. The space was not big, just a two-entry courtyard, with five main rooms in the front yard, two second rooms, four wing rooms, and one gatehouse. There were a total of twelve houses, big and small. The structure of the backyard was similar to that of the front yard, except that there were no ear rooms or gatehouses.
Gao Zhixiang even specially ordered a large sign with the words "Beijing Women's Vocational and Technical School" written in regular script.
There was obvious disdain in Song Wenyin's eyes, but Huang Wanzhen was quite satisfied. After all, the rent was there. Of course, there were good ones if she wanted to, but the expenses would also be high.
"Mr. Huang, Mr. Song, after visiting several girls' high schools, I found that the girls in the high school department had no interest in our school. However, there were quite a few middle school students who asked questions. I observed that they all came from ordinary families. I guess their parents were unwilling to support them to continue their studies, so they wanted to find a job."
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