A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 84

“Tell you what, Xiaofang, I have a suggestion,” Sisi Shen said. “Go back and discuss it with your supervisor. First, provide me with one hundred and fifty bottles at a price of 3.5 cents each. If he agrees, I will give your factory a ‘great gift’—one that can solve your most fundamental problems.”

“One hundred and fifty bottles at 3.5 cents… that’s… that’s definitely impossible to get!” Xiaofang Wu refused, looking troubled.

Sisi Shen didn’t intend to make things difficult for her. She leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear. Xiaofang’s brow furrowed slightly. “Sister Sisi, should I really say it like that?”

“Give it a try. If your manager refuses, then I’ll just have to buy them at the original price. However, that ‘great gift’ I mentioned will be off the table.”

Xiaofang nodded. “Sister Sisi, I believe you. I’ll go see our leader right after lunch.”

While they chatted, Jinhua Xu’s braised crispy pork trotters were already simmering on the stove. The entire room was filled with a rich, savory aroma.

“Don’t just sit there talking! Have some water and sunflower seeds,” Jinhua Xu said, lifting the door curtain as she walked out. She carried a tray of fruit, clearly treating Sisi as an honored guest.

Sisi Shen smiled. “It was nothing much, just a small business matter.”

“I never would have guessed that a refined young lady like you would know how to do business,” Jinhua remarked.

“I’m just ‘crossing the river by feeling the stones’—I’m still testing the waters!” Sisi replied modestly.

As they chatted, Sisi learned that Jinhua Xu was the former director of the local market management office and had just retired this year. No wonder Jinhua had previously claimed that everyone doing business in the area knew her.

Jinhua’s husband had passed away early, leaving her to raise a son and a daughter on her own. The daughter, Xiaofang Wu, worked at the glass factory. The day Sisi had seen Jinhua looking distracted on the boat, she had been worrying about Xiaofang’s job.

Jinhua also had a son named Xiaochuan Wu, who worked in shipping on a cargo vessel. He primarily sailed routes between China, Europe, and North Africa. Starting from Jiangcheng, he would travel down the river to the sea, south through the Strait of Malacca, and across the Indian Ocean. A single voyage took nearly half a year; he was rarely seen more than a few times a year.

Between the constant worry for her son and the stress over her daughter’s career, it was no wonder Jinhua looked haggard.

“Auntie, don’t worry too much. They will be fine. You should take better care of your own health,” Sisi Shen comforted her, urging her to relax.

Listening to Sisi’s gentle voice, Jinhua Xu did indeed feel much better. “Thank you, Sisi. You’re so well-mannered and spoken. What does your family do?”

At the mention of her family, Sisi’s expression dimmed slightly. “My father is a teacher, and my mother works for the County Propaganda Department.”

“Oh, those are excellent departments! Your parents are intellectuals; no wonder they raised you so well.”

If this had been a few years ago, Sisi couldn’t have imagined anyone praising her for having intellectual parents. The times had truly changed. She wondered if her father’s case would ever be overturned and his reputation restored.

When she learned that Sisi Shen was married to a soldier, Jinhua’s eyes practically sparkled with envy.

“Sisi, your husband is a Regiment Commander! Could you keep an eye out for any single soldiers in the army? My Xiaofang doesn’t have a partner yet!”

“Mom! What are you talking about? I don’t want a boyfriend!” Xiaofang protested.

“You’re already twenty-two! If you don’t find a partner, what do you want to do? Go play music in the streets? Those young men in the military are wonderful; I’m actually afraid they won’t think you’re good enough!”

Xiaofang’s face turned bright red. “Mom, be quiet! How can you talk down about your own daughter like that?”

Sisi Shen was amused by the mother-daughter duo. “Auntie, as the saying goes, ‘a good daughter is sought by a hundred families.’ A girl as good as Xiaofang won’t have trouble finding someone. However, if I may say so, you shouldn’t say things like that anymore. Especially when it comes to Xiaofang finding a partner—how the man treats her often depends on your own attitude.”

Sisi continued, “If you treasure this daughter, others won’t dare to look down on her. But if you don’t even value her yourself, how can you expect a man to cherish her?”

Jinhua Xu froze. Seeing her daughter moved to the point of tears, she began to wonder: Was I really wrong all this time?

“Finally, someone has said a word on my behalf…” Xiaofang choked out, her vision blurring with a thin veil of tears.

Sisi Shen nodded at her; she understood. Looking at Xiaofang’s timid personality, it was clear she had grown up under the weight of Jinhua’s constant criticism.

“Sigh, I… I’ve been used to this for decades,” Jinhua admitted. “But what you said makes sense. My attitude affects how a man’s family will view Xiaofang. I’ll definitely pay attention from now on! So it’s a deal then—remember to help Xiaofang find someone in the military!”

Sisi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she kept it in mind, knowing there were many single officers in the camp. “What kind of person are you looking for?”

Jinhua thought seriously for a long time. “Our family doesn’t care about the dowry. As long as the family conditions aren’t too bad, he’s decent-looking, upright, and knows how to cherish people… and most importantly, as long as Xiaofang likes him, that’ll do!”

Sisi Shen patted her chest confidently. “Alright, I’ll ask around when I get back tonight.”

After enjoying the crispy pork trotter hotpot at Jinhua’s house, Sisi Shen went home for a nap. She was sleeping soundly when she heard someone calling from outside.

“Sister Sisi, Sister Sisi!” Xiaofang Wu was carrying a large cardboard box, drenched in sweat from the effort.

Sisi climbed out of bed groggily, but she snapped awake the moment she saw Xiaofang. “You’re back so soon?” She was amazed by Xiaofang’s efficiency.

Xiaofang carefully brought the box into the house. As soon as she set it down, she grabbed Sisi’s hand excitedly. “Sister Sisi, I passed on your message just like you said, and our leader… he agreed!”

“Really!” Sisi was equally thrilled. However, after a few seconds of joy, Xiaofang bit her lip nervously.

“But… our leader said you have to show them some ‘sincerity’ first. We can’t just have empty talk.”

Xiaofang was an honest person; she relayed exactly what the leader said without any softening of the words. Sisi didn’t take offense; her eyes simply flickered with determination.

“They want sincerity? Tell them to wait. Once I sell this batch of goods, I’ll go show them what ‘sincerity’ looks like. But we have a deal: if I deliver, they must guarantee quality and quantity at the lowest unit price from now on.”

Xiaofang looked at her with pure adoration. “My leader promised it personally. I’ll be your witness!”

“Good!” Sisi Shen rolled up her sleeves, filled with ambition to start her business in earnest.

First, she had to bottle the oil to fulfill the orders for Cao Hua and the uncle at the docks. While she bottled the medicinal oil at home, she asked Xiaojiang Dong to help her take her hand-drawn “Golden Phoenix” design to the printing house. She had five thousand labels printed and stuck them onto the bottles.

With the labels on, they looked quite professional.

Next, she performed a new cost analysis. She factored in the wages for Xiuhong Zhang and Wenhui Li, as well as Cao Hua’s profit margin, and reset the price. The new unit price was set at 1.20 yuan. If used sparingly, one bottle could last a month. The smaller bottles were not only cheaper but also much easier to carry.

With a “test and see” attitude, she took the goods to the docks. To her surprise, the small bottles were even more popular than the large ones. At the uncle’s stall, people swarmed forward, eager to buy. The demand far exceeded the uncle’s original order.

If she hadn’t been worried about leaving enough stock for Cao Hua, her entire crate of medicinal oil would have been snatched up instantly. Sisi Shen was stunned. What exactly is going on?