A good life starts with blind date

Chapter 274 Feng Xue's Level of Understanding

The night is dark.

After taking a shower, Jiang Ning and Feng Xue lay in bed talking.

I took a bath that lasted an hour...

In recent years, the climate has been acting up. The hottest summer temperature in Bei'an used to be around 32 degrees Celsius, but in recent years it has often approached 40 degrees Celsius. Even though the farm is quite cool, you can't cover yourself with a thick blanket at night without air conditioning.

The two of them were covered with a summer blanket, but only half of it covered them.

Jiang Ning spoke, while Feng Xue wrote on her phone.

The two were discussing marriage law.

Jiang Ning believes: "We should allow men to marry as many women as they want, instead of stipulating monogamy."

Feng Xue: "That's feudal dross; poor people won't be able to find wives."

Jiang Ning disagreed: "Now there are more people who can't afford to get married than in ancient times, not fewer. And those with power and money still have their fun. It's just that in ancient times they could openly have three or four wives and concubines, but now they're all mistresses or concubines. The essence is still the same."

Feng Xue: "It's different."

Jiang Ning asked, "How come it's different?"

Feng Xue: "What you're talking about is a social phenomenon, not the essence. The law stipulates monogamy, which shows that society is progressing. The reason why such phenomena exist is that there is a problem with the system. It cannot be generalized."

Jiang Ning was surprised: "You're thinking about these things?"

Feng Xue: "I was just thinking nonsense because I had nothing better to do."

Jiang Ning kissed her: "Your level of understanding is no less than that of a college student."

Early morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Jiang Ning couldn't sleep any longer, so she got up early.

I put on a tracksuit and went out of the yard, running to the right along the horse track.

August, the golden autumn month, is the season when peaches and plums fill the gardens and melons and fruits are fragrant.

The orchard was filled with all kinds of fruit.

The wheat and sesame have been harvested, and the rapeseed flowers are growing lush and green.

In another two weeks, they should be in bloom, and then they will be the most beautiful sight on the farm in autumn.

When I arrived at the research institute, I went inside to take a look at the blade of grass that I had dug up from Huangshan.

The grass hadn't grown very big; it still only had seven leaves.

To his surprise, the grass actually bloomed.

The seven small purple flowers looked ordinary and unremarkable.

"That damned bastard didn't even report it..."

Jiang Ning cursed Zhang Bo, glanced at him a few times, and then left.

Of course, they didn't forget to sprinkle some Yi Wood essence on it as well.

When we arrived at the cafeteria, it was just past seven o'clock.

The early risers had already arrived at the canteen and started eating breakfast.

Jiang Ning got her food and shared a table with her uncle Chen Xuefeng and Lao Yang.

My cousin Chen Gang didn't go to work at the second factory; he stayed home and sponged off his parents.

It is said that the father and son loathe each other and are almost enemies.

Jiang Ning then inquired about the situation.

Chen Xuefeng sighed, "I just don't understand how we raised our son to be like this."

Jiang Ning laughed and said, "I'm too full."

Chen Xuefeng nodded: "We really ate too much."

Jiang Ning said, "Your family was so well-off when we were kids. I didn't even have a dollar of pocket money a week, but Gang Ge never had less than a hundred dollars of pocket money. Like Zhang Yulong, he never suffered any hardship."

Chen Xuefeng said, "Children from poor families learn to be independent early, which is why it's good to be poor."

Old Yang said, "That's not how it works. Poverty is an objective factor. While a difficult environment certainly motivates people to improve, not everyone with good conditions is idle. The key is education. It's because you weren't properly educated when you were young."

Chen Xuefeng smiled and didn't argue with him.

Jiang Ning felt that Lao Yang was right. Although her uncle never admitted that he had failed to educate his son, the fact was that he had not. When Jiang Ning was a child, she envied Chen Gang the most because he had endless pocket money.

The amount of money given as New Year's gifts can be several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan a year.

It's so damn enviable.

We chatted for a bit about Chen Gang.

Chen Xuefeng asked Jiang Ning, "How are Deng Qiang and your aunt doing?"

Jiang Ning said, "I'm still getting used to the environment!"

At the end of July, Xiao Deng and her uncle took their son and flew to the United States to stay with their daughter.

Deng Xiaoyun arranged for them to go to Meigao Ranch. The situations on both sides were different. They didn't know anything and were undergoing pre-job training. The couple were studying English hard, preparing to get a driver's license and become drivers. This job was the easiest one.

The main reason is the high salary.

Deng Qiang was originally a driver with a Class B license and had driven large trucks in his early years.

My aunt, Zhang Yufang, has driven a car, but she didn't get a driver's license.

He's only in first grade and can't even write his own name properly.

Chen Xuefeng laughed as he listened: "You didn't study hard when you were in school, and now that you're old, you know how to study. Speaking of the four siblings, your mother and uncle are the smartest. Your uncle and mother both went to junior high school. Your eldest aunt and your youngest aunt are the dumbest. Your maternal grandfather used to whip them to go to school, but they wouldn't go. They would rather herd sheep in the production brigade than go to school."

Jiang Ning chuckled, "Uncle, please explain in detail. My mother never talks about these things."

Chen Xuefeng then chatted with him about a bunch of everyday family matters.

As a result, breakfast took half an hour to eat.

Had breakfast.

Jiang Ning didn't send food to his wife; he had the cafeteria staff deliver it to her instead.

I went to the office building with Lao Yang.

Just as I stepped out of the cafeteria, I ran into Kong Fangfei.

"Wow, the boss has become even more handsome."

The woman was dressed in a smart business suit. Her shirt seemed to have two prominent mounds that looked like they might pop off at any moment, but her waist was so thin that it could be grasped with one hand. She was becoming more and more attractive.

It's not appropriate to joke around in front of older comrades.

Jiang Ning nodded and went to the office building.

I encountered many young people on the way, all of whom were from office buildings.

Young people are often sleepy and don't want to get up when they hear an alarm clock.

Even when the alarm rings, I linger for a few minutes before finally getting out of bed, even though I'm almost late.

I always eat and go to work on time.

Unlike the old folks who need little sleep, some of them get up before six o'clock.

On the way, Lao Yang mentioned a few things.

"The Qize project has been approved, and the county is preparing to hold a groundbreaking ceremony. You'll have to attend."

"Go whenever you have time."

"Then I'll inform them to get it done in the next few days."

Has the personnel list been finalized?

"Qize recommended a few people. I'll have the office send you the list later."

"How's the discussion about developing the cultural tourism industry in the county going?"

"It's still under discussion, nothing has been decided yet."

"With the real economy just starting to pick up, if we don't focus on developing the real economy, how can Bei'an possibly develop its cultural tourism industry?"

"If our ideas are different, Boss Zhu needs to have something to offer."

What's all this fuss about on East Street?

"That road hasn't been repaired for years; it's time to fix it."

"I heard it will cost twenty million?"

"Dongdajie is the main road of Bei'an. I heard that it will be landscaped and the cost will be quite high."

"There are no potholes on the road, so it can be repaired and made passable. Who's going to appreciate the landscaping? With so much money, why not use it to subsidize healthcare and education? Or even just give people more wages to boost consumption? That would be better than turning it into streetlights."

"The county doesn't have any money either; I heard they need to raise funds."

"Ugh……"

When I arrived at the office building, most people hadn't arrived yet.

Eating in the cafeteria!

Jiang Ning watered the plants herself and asked about the situation in the county.

Old Yang told him about what had happened recently.

Several units underwent personnel adjustments; for every person who left, someone else took their place.

However, the adjustment was not significant, affecting only a few dozen units in the county.

Only a few units were adjusted.

Li Jianjun, a distant cousin of Li Erjiu, was also transferred to another post, becoming the township head of Zhangqiao. Jiang Ning was surprised: "He got promoted!"

Old Yang nodded: "Even if the deputy director of the commission office is transferred to another region, he will at least be a township head."

After chatting for a while, the employees arrived one after another.

The office building became lively.

Jiang Ning called Kong Fangfei over and explained the matter of hiring bodyguards.

Old Yang nodded repeatedly: "It's time to hire bodyguards. In this world, having too much money is a sin. You never know when you might get kidnapped. A family member of a mine owner in Bei'an was kidnapped before. You're always out and about, so you need to be careful about your safety."

Jiang Ning didn't say much. What use would he have for bodyguards?

The main concern is the safety of my family.

Kong Fangfei was asked to draft the document, and a recruitment notice was quickly produced.

Jiang Ning took a look, improved a few details, and then had it sent out.

Zhang Bo is not here; he went to Australia to prepare for the experimental fields.

I called a researcher over and asked him about horse chestnuts.

I was originally going to swear at people.

The researcher replied, "It hadn't bloomed yesterday. It sprouted seven buds a while ago. I was planning to take a picture and send it to you when it bloomed, but when I went over this morning, it had already bloomed. I was just about to report it to you."

Jiang Ning was skeptical: "Is it really such a coincidence?"

The researcher said, "I check it every day. Mr. Yang even went to check it yesterday."

Old Yang nodded and recited, "It really hadn't bloomed yet yesterday."

Ok!

Jiang Ning couldn't bring herself to curse, so she drove the researcher away.

I handled some official business and was busy until 10:30. Then I went to the second venue.

A large group of managers accompanied him on a tour and showed him the pastoral area.

Cao Junqing gave a verbal report on the situation: "The pastoral area is now close to saturation, with a total of 976,000 cattle, mostly beef cattle, and some dairy cattle. In addition to the 1 billion yuan in rent from the pastoral area, the timber revenue this year is also expected to be more than 300 million yuan. The funds are much more abundant than last year. I heard that the county is negotiating several large projects. If they can be finalized, the timber revenue next year can be increased even further."

"not bad!"

Jiang Ning nodded, saying it was much better than a single match.

After all, its size is ten times larger!

The management team, however, seemed rather listless.

Rumors have recently circulated that there will be no year-end bonuses this year.

Last year, the company didn't have enough funds, but Boss Jiang was generous and still approved 50 million yuan to give everyone their annual bonuses.

This year's business is doing well, and we're poised for a prosperous new year.

As a result, word got out, and the county held a meeting to discuss and decide to strictly control labor costs.

That's ridiculous.

Office Director Zhang Wen couldn't help but ask, "President Jiang, I heard there won't be any year-end bonuses this year?"

"Who did you listen to?"

"That's what everyone's saying."

"You're on secondment, why are you concerned about this?"

"I get paid even though I'm on temporary assignment!"

Don't spread rumors about things that aren't confirmed.

"Hey……"

Zhang Wen scratched his head, feeling extremely frustrated.

He is indeed employed by the government, but who would complain about having too much money!

With two salaries and a year-end bonus, all that hard work is for those two yuan. In the first year when the farm was first established, due to a shortage of funds, Boss Jiang paid low salaries. Those who were seconded to the farm only received a little over two thousand yuan.

But the following year, the salary increased to over four thousand per month.

With my salary from work, my income has exceeded ten thousand.

They even got a year-end bonus of 50,000 yuan. That's amazing!

This year, his salary increased again. Although it's not as much as that woman Kong Fangfei's, it's still more than 8,000 yuan. I heard that the county intends to let him work as the deputy director of the Environmental Protection Bureau, but Zhang Wen doesn't want to go. He won't get double pay.

Previously, he was the deputy director of the county office. If he were to be promoted to the position, he would definitely go for the sake of his future.

But what the heck is a deputy position, especially one as high-risk as the Environmental Protection Bureau?

No one has it as easy as being the office manager at a farm, where the work is relaxed and stress-free.

Jiang Ning asked him, "Has your temporary assignment ended yet?"

Zhang Wendao: "It's been three years, it will be full next year."

"If it's full, will you return to your original unit?"

"I don't know, it depends on the county's arrangements."

Someone asked, "President Jiang, should we also organize the employees to go out and broaden their horizons?"

Jiang Ning said, "How much would it cost to send over two thousand people out at once? Ask President Xu if he agrees."

Xu Pingbo, the deputy general manager sent by the provincial investment company, remained silent.

"Is the organization's management going out for a while?"

"What are you dreaming about? Are you trying to distance yourself from the masses?"

"Uh……"

The person who had been probing looked embarrassed and slunk away to the back.

The management team looked at each other, all feeling a sense of regret.

The benefits enjoyed by the employees of the first factory were the envy of all the other units in the county. Naturally, the employees of the second factory were also envious. Not to mention ordinary employees, even the management had never seen the moon in foreign countries before. They had never thought about it, but the first factory made it happen.

The people in the second round naturally wanted to as well.

Who wouldn't want to go out and broaden their horizons!

But the second factory has a lot of employees, and providing such benefits would cost hundreds of millions. Even if Boss Jiang doesn't care about the money, the county and the provincial investment company won't agree to spend it. That's the shareholders' money, how can it be wasted so easily!
It's clear that Boss Jiang doesn't want to give special treatment to the management staff.

Everyone had no choice but to give up on that idea.

After going around in circles, we returned to the office building for a small meeting.

Jiang Ning asked, "What's the situation with the salary? How did word get out and everyone know?"

Liang Guoping said, "How can this kind of thing be kept secret? The county will know everything after the meeting."

What does "county" mean?

“Labor costs are too high. Last year, the total salary expenditure was 1.96 million yuan. The county thinks the cost is too high and suggests that it be controlled at around 1.2 million yuan this year.”

What is the current per capita amount?

"Not counting the year-end bonus, it's a little over 6000."

"What does 'controlling it to 1.2 per capita' mean?"

"A little over 4000, with no year-end bonus."

"What can you do with 4000? You can't even support a family."

"The starting salary at the company is only three thousand yuan."

"How can you compare them? The young people working in the company only have one person to feed and no one to worry about. Most of the farm workers have elderly parents and young children to support. Four thousand yuan a month without a year-end bonus? Believe me, no one can afford to support that many people."

"That's what the county recommended."

What does "provincial investment" mean?

Xu Qingbo cleared his throat and said, "Labor costs are indeed a bit high and should be reduced."

Jiang Ning said, "Then let's reduce the salaries of management and see how things go for ordinary employees."

The three immediately fell silent; there were only a few people in management.

Moreover, Boss Jiang doesn't pay high salaries to senior executives. The three vice presidents only earn around 300,000 to 400,000 yuan a year, and the middle managers earn even less. A million-yuan annual salary only exists in one company, not in another. Even if the management doesn't receive a salary, the average salary per person won't decrease much.

Jiang Ning took a sip of tea and said, "You guys discuss it and come up with a plan for me to see. I only have one requirement: we can't let the employees' families go hungry, and we also need to consider the stability of the workforce. We can't cause any trouble."

The three agreed verbally, but their true intentions differed.

After the meeting, it was time for lunch.

Jiang Ning didn't go home; she ate dinner at the cafeteria before driving home.

Feng Yu and Feng Xue have already eaten and are cleaning up!

My daughter is quietly playing with a puzzle by herself in the living room.

Jiang Ning picked up her daughter and went to the kitchen for a quick look.

Feng Yu then told him something: "Something happened to one of our employees' families."

Jiang Ning asked, "What happened?"

Feng Yu said, "When I heard that my daughter was going to commit suicide, I cut my wrists a few times."

Jiang Ning: "..."

(End of this chapter)