Reborn in '77, I have a job panel!

Chapter 114 Life is getting better and better

The fifteen people listened attentively, some even taking notes.

After three days of training, Qian Cheng assigned these people to Liaoyang, Anshan, and Fushun to work alongside experienced salespeople. There was no rush in Yingkou; they would start operations there in the spring.

At the end of the year, the company held a summary meeting. Director Liu also attended, listened to the report, and looked at the accounts. He was very pleased.

"Xiao Qian, your company has done a great job this year. The supply to Liaoyang, Anshan, and Fushun has doubled compared to last year, and the vegetable supply to the provincial capital is also stable. The provincial leaders are very satisfied and say that you are a model for the 'vegetable basket project'."

Qian Cheng said, "Director Liu, it wasn't just me who did it; it was everyone's doing it together."

Director Liu smiled, looking at the people present: "You've all made contributions. Next year, the program will be rolled out in Yingkou and Jinzhou, making the task even more challenging. You must continue your efforts and ensure the success of the 'vegetable basket project.'"

After the meeting, Director Liu left. Qian Cheng kept everyone behind for a short meeting.

"We did a good job this year, everyone worked hard. Next year we'll be going to Yingkou, and we also need to prepare for Jinzhou. The tasks are heavy, but let's proceed steadily. Taking big steps can easily lead to a fall, so we should take it one step at a time. Walking steadily is better than walking fast."

Old Wang said, "The supplies will be provided in Yingkou in the spring, so we need to prepare now. Seeds, fertilizers, and farm tools all need to be prepared in advance."

Qian Cheng said, "You should discuss these matters with Lao Li. Seeds and fertilizers should be sourced from the supply and marketing cooperative through legitimate channels; don't resort to underhanded methods."

Old Li said, "Okay, I'll go to Yingkou tomorrow and sign the contracts with those villages to finalize the seed and fertilizer arrangements."

Qian Cheng nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

After the Chinese New Year, Qian Cheng went to Yingkou again.

This time, they went to finalize the contract. The villages around Liujiawopeng had already plowed the land and were waiting to plant. Qian Cheng and Captain Liu walked around the fields, checked the harvest, and asked about the seeds and fertilizer.

Captain Liu said, "The seeds are all prepared, and the fertilizer has been delivered from the supply and marketing cooperative. We're just waiting to plant them in the spring."

Qian Cheng said, "Okay, let me know when you've planted them, and I'll send someone to check on them. If they grow well, you'll harvest more vegetables, and you'll earn more."

Team Leader Liu smiled: "Manager Qian, don't worry. For us farmers, farming is our duty. If you offer a good price, we'll definitely grow the vegetables well."

After returning from Yingkou, Qian Cheng went to Liaoyang and Anshan to check on the farms there. The vegetables were growing well; the spinach was lush and green, the chives grew neatly in rows, and the scallions grew in neat lines. He squatted down at the edge of the field, picked a spinach, and tasted it—it was tender and sweet.

Old Li said from the side, "The weather has been good this year, with even rainfall, so the vegetables are growing better than last year."

Qian Cheng nodded: "Okay. If Yingkou can keep up this year, our supply can double."

In spring, vegetables from Yingkou come into season.

The first batch was spinach and scallions, very tender. Captain Liu personally escorted the truck to the provincial capital. Qian Cheng was waiting at the warehouse entrance; when he saw the truck arrive, he went to greet it.

"Captain Liu, thank you for your hard work."

Captain Liu jumped out of the car, beaming, "No trouble at all. Manager Qian, what do you think of these dishes?"

Qian Cheng opened the sack, inside were neatly stacked spinach, the roots still covered in soil, the leaves a bright green. He picked up a bunch, looked at it, and then pinched off a stalk to taste.

"Good, even better than Liaoyang's."

Captain Liu was overjoyed: "Of course! Our land is fertile and the water is good. Farmers there don't cut corners when they farm."

""

After weighing and calculating the money, Qian Cheng handed it to Captain Liu. Captain Liu counted it and put it in his pocket.

"Manager Qian, the next batch of vegetables will arrive in half a month. You can check it then; it will be even better than this batch."

Qian Cheng said, "Okay, I'll wait."

With the arrival of vegetables from Yingkou, the supply in the provincial capital is even more abundant. In the past, during the winter, citizens relied on stored cabbage and radishes for vegetables. Now, with fresh spinach, chives, and scallions, the variety of vegetables at the stalls has increased, and shoppers are happy.

Director Liu called and said, "Xiao Qian, the commerce bureaus of several districts in the provincial capital have reported that your company's vegetables are good, fresh, and reasonably priced. You need to expand the supply so that people don't have to queue up and not be able to buy them."

Qian Cheng said, "Director Liu, we are expanding. The production in Yingkou has just started, so it's not stable yet. Once it stabilizes, the supply can increase further."

"Okay, then hurry up," Director Liu said.

With things going smoothly at the company, Qian Cheng was spending more time at home.

Nian'en is two years old now. She can say more and more words, recite several Tang poems, and sing several nursery rhymes. Every day after coming home from kindergarten, she sits on a small stool in the yard, flipping through picture books and muttering to herself.

Sometimes when Qian Cheng came home early, he would squat in the yard and play with her. She would take a twig and draw on the ground, drawing a circle and saying it was a cat, a triangle and saying it was a house, and a curved line and saying it was a river. Qian Cheng asked her what was in the river, and she said there were fish. When he asked her where the fish were, she poked a few dots on the ground and said they were fish eyes.

Zhang Mingxi was cooking inside when he heard the father and son talking in the yard. He smiled and shook his head.

After Nian'en fell asleep that night, Qian Cheng sat in the living room looking at documents. Reports from Yingkou, production statistics from Liaoyang, newly signed contracts in the provincial capital—a whole bunch of stuff.

Zhang Mingxi brought over a cup of tea and placed it beside him.

"Qian Cheng, are you saying this is how our lives are going to be?"

Qian Cheng looked up: "How?"

Zhang Mingxi thought for a moment and said, "That's right, you go about your business, I'll take care of Nian'en, and that's how we'll live our lives."

Qian Cheng held her hand: "Isn't this better?"

'

Zhang Mingxi laughed: "Okay. It's just that sometimes I feel you and Nian'en spend too little time together."

Qian Cheng was silent for a moment, then said, "I know. But there are over a hundred people at the company waiting to eat, and hundreds of villages relying on us to sell vegetables. I can't just abandon them."

""

Zhang Mingxi shook his head: "I'm not asking you to abandon your responsibilities. I just want to say that Nian'en grows up quickly, and she'll be all grown up in the blink of an eye. When she's older, even if you want to spend time with her, she might not let you."

""

Qian Cheng looked at her without saying anything.

Zhang Mingxi stood up: "Alright, you go ahead with your work. I'm going to sleep."

She took a few steps, then Qian Cheng called out to her, "Mingxi."

She turned around.

"I'm taking Nian'en to the park tomorrow, you can come too. Put company matters aside for now."

Zhang Mingxi smiled and said, "Okay."

The next morning, Qian Cheng called Lao Wang and told him he wouldn't be going to the company that day. Lao Wang laughed on the other end of the phone: "Okay, you spend time with your daughter. I'll take care of things at the company."

Qian Cheng hung up the phone. Nian En had already changed her clothes and was standing at the door waiting for him. She was wearing a little floral jacket that Zhang Mingxi had made for her, with two little braids, Hou Yufen's little cloth shoes, and carrying a small cloth bag containing biscuits and a water bottle.

"Dad, let's go." She looked up at him, her eyes bright.

Qian Cheng picked her up, and the family of three went out.

There weren't many people in the park. The peach blossoms were in bloom, the willows were green, and a few ducks were swimming around in the lake. Nian'en was overjoyed to see the ducks. She wriggled out of Qian Cheng's arms, ran to the lakeside, and squatted down to watch them.

"Dad, duck. Quack quack quack."

Qian Cheng squatted down next to her: "Mmm, duck."

Nian'en watched for a while, then suddenly stood up, broke off a piece of the biscuit in her hand, and threw it into the lake. The ducks swam over and ate it, so she threw in another piece, which they also ate. She clapped her hands happily and turned to look at her mother.

"Mom, the duck has eaten."

Zhang Mingxi smiled: "Yes, Ya Ya likes Nian En's cookies."

""

Nian'en threw away all the cookies in her hand, stood up, clapped her hands, and ran over to take Qian Cheng's hand.

"Dad, let's go see the flowers."

4

Qian Cheng was pulled along by her, and they walked around the park for a long time. They looked at the peach blossoms, the willows, and the fish in the lake. Nian En found everything new and interesting, wanting to see and ask about everything. She asked why the flowers were red, and Qian Cheng said it was because spring had arrived. She asked why the fish were in the water, and Qian Cheng said it was because fish can't walk. She asked why the ducks quacked, and Qian Cheng said it was because the ducks were happy.

Nian'en thought for a moment and said, "Nian'en is happy too."

Qian Cheng smiled and picked her up: "Nian'en, why are you so happy?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Dad, stay with Nian'en."

Qian Cheng was stunned for a moment, then hugged her a little tighter.

"Dad will spend more time with Nian'en from now on."

Nian'en nodded, leaned on his shoulder, and remained quiet.

Zhang Mingxi walked beside them, looking at the father and son, and felt a warmth in his heart.

They didn't go home until the sun was almost setting. Nian'en was tired from playing and fell asleep on Qian Cheng's shoulder, her little hand still clutching his clothes tightly.

Zhang Mingxi said, "Put her down, I'll hold her for a while."

""

Qian Cheng shook his head: "No need, I'll hold him."

He carried Nian'en with him all the way home. The streetlights came on, casting long shadows of the family of three on the road.

Life went on like this, neither hurried nor slow, steadily and peacefully. The company was moving forward, the family was moving backward, and in the middle was Nian'en's laughter, one after another, filling the entire day.

Qian Cheng had been pondering the matter in Jinzhou for quite some time.

After things got on track in Yingkou, Director Liu urged him to go to Jinzhou. He made one phone call after another, and the implication was clear: the provincial capital was short of vegetables, and relying solely on the four cities of Liaoyang, Anshan, Fushun, and Yingkou was not enough; Jinzhou had to be secured.

Qian Cheng didn't not want to go; he just felt he was moving too fast. Yingkou had only been supplying them for a year, and the yield was still unstable. The vegetable fields in several villages had just been established, and the farmers were still refining their techniques. Going to Jinzhou now would mean a shortage of manpower, vehicles, and warehouses.

But Director Liu's point is valid. The provincial capital has a population of over three million. In winter, they rely on cellars to store vegetables, and in spring, they rely on imports. There is a significant shortage of fresh vegetables. If another city supplies vegetables, the citizens can have more fresh vegetables.

He leaned back in his office chair, staring at the map on the wall for a long time. Jinzhou is in western Liaoning, farther from the provincial capital than Yingkou, making transportation costs high and management difficult. But the land there is good, and the conditions for growing vegetables are no worse than in Liaoyang.

"Old Li, you've been to Jinzhou, what's it like there?" he asked.

Old Li sat across from me, flipping through his notebook. "I've been to Jinzhou twice. The land is good, but few farmers grow vegetables; most grow corn and sorghum. I talked to a few brigade leaders, and they're willing to grow vegetables, but they're afraid they won't be able to sell them."

"The supply and marketing cooperative won't accept it?"

'

"They buy at low prices. Vegetables that cost one cent per pound are only given six cents by the supply and marketing cooperative, so farmers are unwilling to sell."

7

Qian Cheng nodded. It was the same old problem again—price. Farmers aren't stupid. Growing corn is easy, and selling it to the government guarantees a harvest. Growing vegetables is labor-intensive and time-consuming; if the price isn't good, who would want to do it?

"Get ready, we'll go there next week. Let's check things out first, no rush to sign the contract."

Old Li responded and went out to prepare.

Qian Cheng sat in his office for a while, going over the events in Jinzhou in his mind. Before going, he needed to arrange things in the provincial capital. Old Wang would manage the finances, Xiao Liu would manage the warehouse, and Sun Li was now capable of handling things independently, so he would keep an eye on things in Liaoyang. He also needed to tell Zhang Mingxi about things at home; this trip might take four or five days.

He checked his watch; it was a little past four. Time to go home.

When they arrived home, Nian'en was squatting in the yard, drawing on the ground with a twig. Zhang Mingxi was picking vegetables nearby, and the two chatted idly.

"Mom, what's this?"

'

"These are flowers."

Why are flowers red?

"Because spring has come."

Nian'en thought for a moment, then asked, "Why has spring arrived?"

Zhang Mingxi was taken aback by her question. He paused for a moment, then looked up and saw Qian Cheng standing in the doorway. He smiled. "Ask your dad. He knows everything."

Nian'en turned around and saw him, then dropped the branch and ran over. "Dad! Dad's back!"

Qian Cheng picked her up, and she squirmed in his arms, scratching his face with her little hands. "Dad, why is spring here?"

Qian Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Because Nian'en has grown up, spring has come."

""

Nian'en was satisfied with the answer, nodded, wriggled out of his arms, and ran off to draw again. Zhang Mingxi rolled his eyes at him: "You're just fooling her."

"How can this be considered fooling around? This is called heuristic education."

Zhang Mingxi smiled and put the prepared vegetables into the bowl. "Going out again next week?"

Qian Cheng was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"You look like you have something on your mind. Your brow hasn't relaxed since you came in."

Qian Cheng touched his brow and squatted down to help her pick vegetables. "Director Liu has been urging us in Jinzhou several times. I'll go with Lao Li next week to see how things are going."

Zhang Mingxi didn't say anything, but pinched off the mud from the vegetable roots and threw them into the basin.

"How many days will you be gone?"

"About four or five days. Let's get a clear picture of the situation first, no rush to sign a contract."

""

Zhang Mingxi nodded: "Okay, you go ahead. I'll take Nian'en with me."

Qian Cheng looked at her, wanting to say something, but didn't. After picking a few vegetables, he finally spoke: "Thank you for your hard work."

Zhang Mingxi laughed: "What's so hard about it? It's not the first time."

Nian'en ran over, holding a tree branch with a red ribbon tied to it—her mother had put it on her. "Dad, look, a flag!"

Qian Cheng took it and looked at it. The tree branch was crooked and twisted, and the red ribbon was tied in a tight knot, fluttering in the wind.

"It's beautiful. Did Nian'en make it?"

Nian'en nodded, took it back, and ran around the yard holding it, shouting "Flag! Flag!" The red ribbon fluttered in the wind as she twirled around the yard, her little braids bobbing up and down.

Qian Cheng looked at her, temporarily putting aside the things on his mind.

After Nian'en fell asleep that night, Qian Cheng reviewed the materials from Jinzhou again in the living room. The documents compiled by Lao Li, the data provided by Section Chief Zhou, and the files forwarded by Director Liu were piled up on the table.