The first batch of products actually only totaled five hundred pieces. With fifteen people attending the meeting, each person got thirty-three pieces, and Xie Jinghao ended up making the extra ones himself.
Everyone is skilled in needlework, and with so many people, it wouldn’t take a whole day’s work to finish. So, two days later, when Hu Biao delivered the fabric scraps, the goods were placed on the shelves in the Cooperative Society and county Cooperative Society the very next day.
Shen Meng and Zhenping were keeping an eye on this matter, as everyone was eager to see if the products would be well-received by the market. The village women who made the hair accessories were also very nervous. If not for their families keeping a strict watch, they would all want to make a trip to the Cooperative Society to see how their hair accessories were selling.
That day, Shen Meng was at home organizing the things she needed for work – a thermal mug, an aluminum lunch box, a backpack, a notebook, and a pen. These were the official items, and when no one was around, she would eat whatever she fancied.
When she was in the county, she had gone to see her future workplace – a separate window where all she had to do was sit and sell tickets, and could even do some of her own things during her spare time. She was very satisfied with this job, no wonder everyone was breaking their necks to get into the bus company.
Lu Zhenping was pacing back and forth in the courtyard, correcting the children who were standing straight and at attention from time to time, just about to dismiss them, when someone began banging loudly on the courtyard door.
"Squad leader, squad leader, are you there squad leader? This is Feng Si, squad leader, are you there?"
"Stop banging already! Keep it up and you’ll knock the door down."
Lu Zhenping walked to the door and yanked it open to see Feng Si standing there with a big grin on his face, holding bags big and small, with a nervous Zhang Hongfa and Lu Debang standing beside him.
"Squad leader, didn’t I tell you a few days ago? I said I’d definitely come by to visit you and sister-in-law when I had the time, as well as my nephews and nieces. I knew you didn’t take it to heart, so here I am early in the morning, bringing all these things along with me. Let’s go inside and chat!"
Lu Zhenping: "......."
Zhang Hongfa/Lu Debang: "...."
With such a familiar manner, you’d think you were entering your own backyard. Is this still the aloof and proud Revolutionary Committee Director? May I ask???
"Listen to the command, dismissed, it’s free time now, but don’t go off doing your own things yet. Come over and meet our guest."
The children knew their mother was about to leave for work and wanted to stick close to her, but before their wish could come true, they already had visitors at home, and they were not at all welcoming in their hearts.
Mingyang bared his teeth, trying hard to pull his mouth into a smile, "Hello Uncle."
"Uncle, you look so young, not a single grey hair."
"Big brother, second brother, don’t talk nonsense, he’s obviously an uncle, hello uncle."
Lu Mingkai tugged at his sister’s clothes and muttered softly, "Looks like a grandpa."
Feng Si: ".... Squad leader, did they mean me? They didn’t, right?"
"Ahem, don’t talk nonsense, this is the Director of our Cooperative Society, who used to serve as a platoon leader in Dad’s company when he was a new recruit!"
Children: "Wow~~"
Feng Si: "..."
He could tell that these kids weren’t exactly welcoming him. He observed the resemblance between Mingyang and Ming Fang’s eyes and brows to someone in his memory, and then opened his mouth.
"Squad leader, are they...?"
"Let’s talk inside, the village chief and Secretary are here as well."
Zhang Hongfa and Lu Debang were once again glad that when Shen Meng was injured by the cow, they had sided with her. Otherwise, they would have never known that the Cooperative Society’s Revolutionary Committee Director had served under Lu Zhenping, nor would the hair accessory business have fallen into Lu Family Village’s lap.
Shen Meng packed her stuff and hung her bag on the wall. Coming out and seeing quite a few guests at her house, she hurried to help pour water.
"This must be sister-in-law, meeting you is even better than hearing about you. I felt a sense of familiarity as soon as I saw sister-in-law, haha, just like the female soldiers in the army, all of them heroines!"
Watching Feng Si, Zhang Hongfa’s eyes revealed admiration; their Revolutionary Committee Director also liked using idioms, truly learned.
Shen Meng’s smile stiffened for a moment, then she looked at Lu Zhenping, wishing he would quickly introduce which great god this overly familiar madman was.
"This is Director Feng Si of our Revolutionary Committee, also a comrade-in-arms, he came to see you and the kids."
"Oh, hello Director Feng, hello Director Feng, you could’ve just come without bringing anything, this is too kind."
Feng Si slapped his gifts onto the table with a chuckle, "Where, sister-in-law, I finally got the chance to visit the squad leader’s family, I couldn’t come empty-handed! Let me see, ah, here it is, this scarf is from Hai City, not something just anyone can get. I’ve heard the squad leader praising sister-in-law to the skies, and I knew this scarf would suit sister-in-law perfectly. Look, my judgement was indeed right. And for the children, there’s cookies, candies, donkey roll cakes, marshmallow cakes, canned food, and some fruits and such. Mingyang, right? You guys see if you like it?"
Having grasped the identities of the children from Lu Zhenping’s expressions, he didn’t mind their rudeness at all just now. They are just kids, who don’t speak falsehoods after all. It’s because he has rooted himself in the countryside over the years, selflessly working for the villagers, that he appears so weary and aged. Indeed, he is a good director for the country and the people!
"Thank you, Uncle, we really like it, it was generous of you."
"Uncle, Ming Liang just misspoke earlier, Uncle doesn’t just look young, Uncle is young. When I saw Uncle, I felt really close to him, like I’ve met him before."
"Uncle, how did you come here today, are you tired? Let Ming Fang give you a leg massage. I’ve never seen these things you brought before, like this marshmallow cake, is it sweet?"
"Uncle, you’re so kind."
Feng Si was so flattered that his eyes turned red, and he cast a somewhat resentful glance at Lu Zhenping. The children had grown so much and had never even seen marshmallow cakes before, the squad leader was a bit too stingy.
"Sweet, sweet, eat if you want, and if you run out at home, just come to your Uncle Feng at the Cooperative Society, and I’ll buy some for you. Hey, it’s my first visit, and Uncle is going to give each of you a red envelope to keep as pocket money, don’t give it to your Dad."
"Old Feng, don’t do this, they..."
"Squad leader, don’t stop me, this is my sincere gift to the children, you have to accept it, or I’ll get upset."
With that, he pulled out a handful of change from his pocket and gave two yuan to each child, generous indeed.
Shen Meng and Lu Zhenping immediately looked at the children, their brows tightly furrowed. It was his first visit and what are you doing trying to trick him? Isn’t this taking advantage of a fool?