A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 101

“Jinshan, what’s wrong? Is there something you want to say?”

His eyes kept darting toward the interior of the mill, and he scratched his head sheepishly. “I… I have an overstepping request. Your benefits are so good—can I join too?”

Sisi Shen had wondered what was troubling him; it turned out he simply wanted a job. Seeing her smiling without saying a word, Jinshan grew a bit anxious.

“Sister Sisi, although I have parents, it’s the same as being an orphan. I’ve been knocking around Jiangcheng all these years, but I’ve never had a stable skill. I’ve always wanted to find a job I can stick with long-term.”

Sisi asked, “You’re done wandering the ‘Jianghu’ then?”

Jinshan reflected seriously. “When I was younger, I could wander. But as I get older, I always feel like a piece of duckweed without roots.”

“Don’t laugh at me, but I’m twenty-one this year. I want to find a proper girlfriend and start a family. If I don’t have a job and just drift around all day, what decent family would dare marry their daughter to me?”

Sisi Shen nodded with approval. It seemed Jinshan truly had matured. She could tell he wasn’t acting on a whim, but she still wanted to lay the hard truths out first.

“Jinshan, this is a small business. You have so much capability; wouldn’t it be a waste of talent to stay with me?”

Jinshan let out a cry of protest, his face scrunching up. “My dear Sister, stop teasing me! What ‘capability’ do I have? I’ve just managed to make my face familiar in a few places, that’s all.”

Sisi could see that Jinshan’s abilities were significant; otherwise, Chengfeng Gu wouldn’t have trusted him to handle the paperwork. This Xiao Jin was far too humble.

“Are you truly willing to start this business with me?” Sisi asked.

Jinshan nodded with extreme gravity, his gaze as steady as if he were taking a solemn oath. “I am certain!”

“No matter how hard or tiring it gets? Even if we go bankrupt and end up in debt?”

Jinshan gave her a mock glare. “Sister Sisi, I have to criticize you for that. With me, Jinshan, here, it’s impossible for our oil mill to go bankrupt. Don’t you worry!”

With things said to this extent, how could Sisi refuse?

She greeted him with a beaming smile. “Welcome aboard, my ‘Xiao Jin Know-it-all’…”

Jinshan couldn’t believe Sisi had agreed so readily. He froze for a few seconds, all the arguments he had prepared dying in his throat. Then his face split into a wide grin, his eyes welling up with excitement. “Thank you, Sister Sisi! Don’t worry, I’ll work my hardest to make our business flourish.”

Sisi found his words very comforting. It was like “someone handing you a pillow just as you’re getting sleepy.” With a capable manager like Jinshan, she could finally feel at ease.

The group walked into the building boisterously. Sisi gave a short speech, then began to clearly define their roles and re-plan the layout of the facility.

According to Sisi’s plan, one side of the workshop would be dedicated to ancient-method oil pressing, while the other would be for mechanical pressing—a dual approach of tradition and modernity.

Hearing about the introduction of machinery, Li Zhong and the others felt a lingering worry. However, Sisi’s promise of raises and profit sharing completely dispelled their concerns.

“Whatever Boss Shen says, that’s what we’ll do!” Jinshan was the first to respond.

Li Zhong narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed. “But we don’t know how to work those mechanical things…”

Sisi said, “When the machines arrive, everyone will learn. It shouldn’t be difficult. At worst, we’ll hire more workers! Your primary responsibility will be the ancient-method side.”

Hearing this, Li Zhong breathed a private sigh of relief. “Well, that sounds perfect.”

Having settled the veteran workers, Sisi told them to go home and rest for two days. Once the opening date was set, they would come back to start work.

The group left in high spirits, leaving only Jinshan and Sisi behind. Sisi looked at him. “Xiao Jin, I have a heavy responsibility to entrust to you.”

Hearing he was being given an important task, Jinshan immediately straightened his lean frame. “Sister Sisi, give the order. I, Xiao Jin, will climb mountains of swords and cross seas of fire for you.”

Sisi was moved to laughter by his antics. “There are no mountains of swords here. I just want you to contact a construction team to renovate the courtyard.”

Sisi didn’t just want to repair the old pressing workshop; she wanted to build a new mechanical pressing room and renovate the warehouse on the other side.

“Oh, is that all? Don’t worry, leave it to me!” Jinshan had been afraid it was a task requiring academic knowledge. As long as he didn’t have to read books, he could do anything. He had done masonry work before and knew a group of reliable workers.

Sisi added, “The oil mill is a new acquisition, and everything needs renewing. But regarding the budget, we might have to be a bit thrifty. To tell you the truth, my pockets were nearly emptied after buying the mill. When the construction starts, I’ll need you to take the lead in picking more affordable building materials…”

She thought for a moment and decided she would only save on materials, not on labor. The craftsmen worked hard and deserved their full pay.

Jinshan immediately understood Sisi’s plight. His eyes darted around. “That’s easy to handle. Leave it to me!”

With the task in his hands, Sisi was completely at ease. Although they had only known each other for two days, she could tell Jinshan was absolutely reliable. Even if she didn’t trust her own judgment, she had to trust Chengfeng Gu. Chengfeng wouldn’t bring someone shady or unreliable into her life.

Sisi handed the keys of the oil mill to Jinshan, saying she would return with design sketches. Jinshan was shocked. “You can draw blueprints too?”

Sisi pursed her lips. “I learned a bit from my family before. I can draw simple ones, but nothing too complex.”

Jinshan, ever the flatterer, immediately turned on the charm. “Sister Sisi, you are far too versatile. Vice Commander Gu is truly blessed to have married you!”

Sisi glanced at him. His tongue was like it was coated in honey; no wonder he was so well-connected in Jiangcheng.

By now, it was noon. Sisi estimated that Hongying Xu likely hadn’t prepared a meal for her, so she and Jinshan each grabbed a bowl of noodles at a roadside stall.

As they were eating, a figure sat down on the stool beside her, panting for breath.

“Sister Sisi, so you’re here! You were hard to find…” Xiaojiang Dong picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup. After drinking it down, his gaze finally fell on Jinshan.

“Brother Jin, what are you doing here?”

Jinshan slurped up his noodles. “I’m an employee under your Sister Sisi now. Where else would I be if not by the Boss’s side?”

“Yo!” Xiaojiang Dong was instantly delighted. “Really? Brother Jin, don’t lie to me.”

Jinshan replied, “If you don’t believe me, ask your Sister Sisi.”

Sisi Shen put down her chopsticks and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth. “That’s right. He is my general manager now.”

Xiaojiang Dong was stunned, then immediately gave her a thumbs-up. “I knew my Sister Sisi was amazing—even Brother Jin was recruited by you.”

Sisi smiled calmly and asked, “Anyway, did you need me for something?”

With that reminder, Xiaojiang remembered his purpose. “That… the Hong Kong businessman Brother Hua mentioned to you before is anxious to meet you today. What do you think…?”

Sisi thought for a moment. A client was coming to her door—how could she refuse? She stood up and smoothed her clothes. “Lead the way!