Lin Chuxia nodded in appreciation, giving her a thumbs-up, “Truly worthy of being my sister, so smart. If anyone asks, just tell them that, but today we are not selling anything, let them await the good news.”
Sun Lanlan was like a grade-schooler praised by her teacher, barely stopping herself from hopping on the spot, “Mm, okay.”
These past few days working in the store, she had learned a lot.
She didn’t aim to be as incredible as her sisters but wanted to do her job well and be a capable helper to them, just like Brother Su.
Of course, her immediate duty was to oversee the Bun Shop and take good care of every customer.
That was the spirit of the meeting conveyed by Lin Chuxia on their first day of work.
Sun Lanlan still remembered how she felt then, looking at the sister she had grown up with, who was saying those impressive things she had never heard of, feeling as if her sister was shining all over.
She thought it was because she was inexperienced in the world, but on the way home after her first workday, her third elder brother talked to her the entire time, saying that they should work hard with Lin Chuxia. Being on good terms with Lin Chuxia was a blessing for her and the Sun Family. In the future, they should learn more, observe more, and do more at the store, and no matter what happened, as Lin Chuxia’s family, they should stand by her side.
Sun Lanlan knew that her sister’s charm was not just effective on her; it was the same for her third brother and everyone at the store.
Lin Chuxia had no idea about the psychological changes in Sun Lanlan and her third brother. Seeing that the time was about right, she took out the meat to cool off for a moment, then packed them into several food bags, which she then placed into a handbag.
A black leather handbag, with the word “capital” stamped on the lower left corner—it was the standard travel gear of that era.
After finishing packing, she washed her face with tap water, combed her hair, and hung the bag on the handlebars of her bike, then headed straight for the vegetable station.
She arrived just on time. Li Jian was about to take his meal container to the canteen for food when he opened the door and saw Lin Chuxia coming towards him.
Looking at her today, in a white shirt with tiny flowers and black trousers, although not as formal as on the opening day of the Bun Shop, she had an added touch of capability about her. He joked, “Dressed like you’re on a business trip, what brings you to my place?”
Lin Chuxia parked her bike in front of the office door, setting it up stably, and took a bag of cooked food from her handbag, “I plan to add some cooked food to my shop’s offerings. I made a pot today, not sure how it tastes—give it a try and let me know if it has market potential.”
“You’ve come all this way just to let me have a taste?” Li was a bit skeptical; from what he knew about this woman, she was not one to show up without a good reason.
Despite his thoughts, he let her into the office.
Everyone was out for lunch, so the office was empty.
Lin Chuxia clicked her tongue, “You, I can’t believe you sometimes. What kind of relationship do we have? We’ve been doing business since I was selling vegetables. Back then, you saw it wasn’t easy for a woman like me to sell veggies, and you looked out for me whenever you could. I know you’re a good person, and others would do the same, but for me, that’s a huge favor. Even though I’m not selling veggies now, I won’t forget your kindness.”
Li Jian dug at his ear, “I’m not sure I can handle such words.”
“Hey, which is your desk?” Lin Chuxia didn’t press the issue further.
“The one right next to you,” Li walked over, took the meat directly from her, and placed it in the cabinet of his desk.
Talk aside, teasing aside, the meat needed to be eaten nonetheless.
Besides, facing this woman, even if he didn’t eat the meat, she would still do whatever she needed to do.
Lin Chuxia acted as if she had just noticed the meal container in his hand, “Am I holding you up from getting your meal at the canteen? Never mind, let’s go eat at the State-Owned Restaurant.”
Li Jian couldn’t help wanting to burst into laughter, tossing the lunch pail onto the table, “Fine then, I’ll treat you today.”
“But that won’t do, it was me who delayed your meal, I should be the one treating.”
The two left the office one after the other, with Lin Chuxia pushing her bicycle, and Li Jian noticed the bulging handbag on her handlebars, but he only glanced before turning his gaze away.
Sometimes even Lin Chuxia admires her own luck; they had hardly walked a few steps when a person came down the road—it was the station chief from the vegetable station.
Of course, Lin Chuxia recognized him, he didn’t recognize Lin Chuxia, but isn’t Li Jian right beside her?
When Li Jian saw Station Chief Yang, he naturally greeted him, and Station Chief Yang nodded back slightly, a relationship between colleagues and also supervisor and subordinate, that was enough.
Just as he was about to pass by them, he heard the girl beside Li Jian exclaim softly, “Bro, so this is Station Chief Yang you always talk about.”
Li Jian felt a twitch in his forehead, but before he could react, Lin Chuxia already introduced herself to Station Chief Yang, “Station Chief Yang, hello, I am Li Jian’s cousin. I often hear my brother mention you at home, saying that you have a landscape in your heart and a universe in your belly, being as gentle as water in your demeanor and as unyielding as a mountain in your deeds, that you are the person he admires the most.”
Li Jian beside her, “…”
I didn’t, I haven’t, I never said anything.
Yang Shulin wasn’t knocked down by Lin Chuxia’s few words of sweet talk, his sharp eyes turned towards Li Jian.
He was in his fifties, and though just a vegetable station chief, he held a significant position during the planned economy era.
The aura of someone long in a position of power was not weak.
Li Jian was grumbling inside, if he knew earlier, he wouldn’t have gone out with this troublesome person; he feigned a smile, “Station Chief Yang, my cousin is young, please don’t take it to heart,” turning his head, he admonished in a pretentious manner, “Why do you say these things in front of Station Chief Yang?” As if he didn’t care about his face.
Lin Chuxia looked innocently and asked, “Why, can’t I say that?”
Station Chief Yang was just confirming who this unfamiliar girl was and didn’t intend to make it difficult for them, “It’s alright.”
Lin Chuxia’s smile was very genuine, “I knew Station Chief Yang wouldn’t take us to heart. Station Chief Yang, I am from Qin Family Village, my mom would be certainly proud to know that I’ve met you. Right, Bro, the cooked food that mom asked me to bring to my second aunt, let’s also have Station Chief Yang try some,” she said while digging out a package of cooked food from her handbag and shoved it into Li Jian’s hands.
Li Jian felt the cooked food was like a hot potato, but at this point, he couldn’t say anything else, “Station Chief Yang, it’s homemade, please don’t disdain it.”
Lin Chuxia chimed in from the side, “Yes, it’s homemade and clean, please try it, Station Chief Yang.”
Everything Lin Chuxia packed was similar—pig heart, pig liver, pig head meat, and braised ribs.
Yang Shulin saw that the items indeed looked homemade, with steam on the bag as if they were still warm.
Moreover, nobody usually gives pig head meat as a gift to get things done, so he accepted it.
“Then thank you, Little Li, I didn’t expect you to have such a cousin,” the girl is quite sharp.
From Qin Family Village, is she a vegetable farmer?
Li Jian thought to himself: Yes, our genes are not on the same strand, not only you didn’t expect this, I didn’t either.
After bidding farewell to Station Chief Yang, Li Jian hurriedly pulled Lin Chuxia along to leave, he couldn’t let this lady cause another stir in the vegetable station.
They arrived at the State-Owned Restaurant still feeling apprehensive, “Tell me, why did you provoke the station chief? Don’t you know how strict our station chief is?” He was trembling when handing over the cooked food, for fear that Station Chief Yang wouldn’t accept it.