Mr. Li’s entourage included a translator and a secretary. After getting off the car, they stood aside and watched Shen Meng and Jiang Huan say their prolonged goodbyes, exchanging one sentence after another as if they had endless topics to discuss.
"Mr. Shen, look at Comrade Shen," the secretary said. "She just met this older sister, how can she be so affectionate?"
"Previously, when Comrade Hu Biao mentioned it, I really wanted to suggest not to bring her along. After all, although she understands the past of the headwear, she is still a countryside woman. I fear she will not even dare to show her face when she sees the foreign guests."
Secretary Guan was quite disdainful of Shen Meng. He believed that a rural woman with no education and culture was already fortunate to have a decent job, thanks to Mr. Li’s great kindness to her. Now she wanted to meddle in everything, which he found extremely presumptuous.
Mr. Li remained silent, the words of those around him going in one ear and out the other. He thought Shen Meng was a person with deep insights, not the type to engage in meaningless actions, and based on his observations, this Jiang Huan, although not dressed lavishly, was neat and her conversation was not vulgar. She clearly seemed like someone worldly.
After a while, Shen Meng walked up to Mr. Li’s side after parting with Jiang Huan, while Secretary Guan looked at her with a sour face.
"Comrade Shen, you’ve finally finished talking to your newly met older sister. Mr. Li has been waiting for you for a long time, and now we haven’t even found a ride!"
"No need to look, we’ll wait at the station for a bit. I reckon it’ll be about five minutes before a car comes to pick us up."
Upon hearing her words, Secretary Guan snorted coldly. The bus station was bustling with people carrying large and small bags. Finding a car would not be easy, and had Mr. Li not insisted on not having someone from the Provincial City come to pick them up, they would already be in a car.
Annoyed by having waited for Shen Meng for so long, and now her bold claim that a car would arrive to pick them up soon—if that were true, he would write his surname backward.
Mr. Li pretended not to see Secretary Guan’s displeased face, just smiled at Guan He, and Shen Meng immediately understood. Some things don’t need to be stated too explicitly, just wait and see whose face gets slapped.
The group picked up their bags and headed to the waiting area. Soon, two electric tricycles stopped by the roadside, and a robust, clean man called out to the crowd.
"Which one of you is Comrade Shen Meng? Get on board."
"Hey, comrade, I’m Shen Meng. Here’s my ID, Secretary Zheng, Translator Tang, let’s hurry up and get on board!"
Mr. Li’s gaze swept over the faces of Secretary Zheng and Translator Tang before he followed behind Shen Meng. Translator Tang was very glad that he had been polite in his speech earlier; otherwise, he would be the one feeling embarrassed now.
Secretary Guan followed suit, his face a shade paler. He felt as though he had been slapped across the face, and it hurt tremendously.
After arriving at the reception house, Secretary Guan saw Shen Meng talking cheerfully with the robust man after getting off the vehicle, calling him ’big brother’ this and that, and even stuffed a bunch of candies into the man’s pocket.
His curiosity was piqued. How could a countryside woman manage to be so at ease in a strange place, striking up conversations with everyone she met? There seemed to be no end to her topics for discussion—it was almost miraculous.
After they registered, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Shen Meng didn’t want to go out that evening and told Mr. Li directly not to call her for dinner or anything else. She had brought some dry food with her and felt dizzy from the car ride, needing to rest as soon as possible.
The reception house belonged to a government facility, complete with a canteen where one could order dishes at no cost, simply needing to bring the receipt back for reimbursement.
After giving his instructions, Mr. Li left with Secretary Guan and Translator Tang. Their primary task during this trip was for the headwear orders. So now, they needed to rush to the Cooperative Society to see how Ning County’s headwear was selling and to stake out at the Friendship Store. It would be best if they could encounter a few foreign guests and promote more of Ning County’s local products.
Making foreign currency was once an unthinkable task, but now with the opportunity at hand, one must seize it. Even if the talks don’t succeed, it’s still worth having a good chat with the foreigners, to gain some experience. What doesn’t work now might work in the future.
The three people rushed out eagerly. Shen Meng’s gaze dropped for a moment, she smiled at the receptionist, and then went to her room.
Once back in the room, she directly entered her private space. The hardware and software of hostels these days are not that great, and she would rather lie down in her own space on her own bed to sleep.
After waking up, she prepared herself a table full of hot pot, indulging in a delicious feast. Fully satisfied, she lounged on the recliner with her phone and began to scroll through.
The headpieces from Europe and America are very different from those domestically. They cherish luxury, and the more embellishments the better. Shen Meng noted that some, although tacky, were the best sellers in the small commodities market. Others were truly exquisite, but of course, also more expensive.
Among these were heavy-duty headpieces, as well as intricate headdresses.
Shen Meng was unsure whether these headpieces could be made at present time, but Ning County did not have a machine factory. If she wanted to find some materials, she could only look in the Provincial City, but machine factory folks always carry an air of arrogance, and might not be willing to accept small orders.
She found herself in a bit of a difficulty.
Full from eating and drinking, it was just the right time to go out for a stroll to aid digestion.
Nightlife in the Provincial City was just beginning. Some workers would meet up to go to the cinema to watch a movie, and there were shops open on both sides of the cinema where they could buy snacks and drinks.
Shen Meng wandered around for a while. People occasionally looked at her, but she didn’t take it oddly. When she went out in the evening, she purposefully curled her hair into big waves and wore a white headpiece with a crystal ribbon. It was large, but truly very attractive.
Hong Kong’s martial arts films were also very popular on the mainland, and the myriad accessories worn by the actors were eye-catching. But seeing someone actually wearing them in person was a first.
"Hey, girl, please wait a moment."
Shen Meng turned around and saw two foreigners enthusiastically waving at her. She acted coyly but boldly replied in English, and though it carried an accent, it was endearingly appropriate.
The faces of the two foreigners instantly lit up with smiles.
Jesse walked up to Shen Meng, arrogantly lifting his chin.
"Girl, the headpiece you’re wearing is beautiful. I’m willing to pay a high price to buy it."
"Sorry, that might not be possible. I’m using this headpiece to find business partners. My hometown is home to a group of skilled and dexterous women, and this is all handcrafted by them. I appreciate your admiration and liking for our products. If you’re interested in buying, you can purchase from my business partner once I find one. Perhaps when you return to your homeland, you could find a favorite headpiece to buy locally."
The two foreigners were obviously surprised by the direct refusal to sell the headpiece at a high price. Since they set foot on this land, they had been treated with great respect. Everyone they met was very courteous, and this was the first time they had been rejected.
Jesse was somewhat displeased, but Mark thought the girl in front of him was very astute, for he saw ambition in her twinkling eyes.