"Let’s sit here," Jian Zhiqing pulled Qin Xiangnuan to sit down, ready to take her to a newly opened restaurant here to taste their food.
Qin Xiangnuan was seated and quite satisfied with the environment here.
Soon, a waiter came over. The overall quality of the service staff was quite good. Starting with the service, one has to say that at least half of the restaurant’s success was already assured.
The dishes were served quickly, and with each dish came a detailed explanation by the server. These details were all quite satisfying. Now it was time to see what the food tasted like. If it tasted good, they would come here often in the future since it was really close to home. They wouldn’t need to drive, just a few steps away.
Qin Xiangnuan took a bite of the food and found she really liked and was satisfied with it.
The taste of the food was just right, neither too salty nor too bland, and very fragrant. She had tried many places serving the same dish, but this one had the best flavor.
"Is it good?" Jian Zhiqing could see that Qin Xiangnuan’s expression was relaxed and satisfied. The girl’s eyes were always sparkling, like the brightest stars on the edge of the Milky Way, twinkling and scattered, hazy and distant.
Clearly, she liked it.
"It’s delicious," Qin Xiangnuan picked up some more food and put it on her plate. "I want to come here again tomorrow. I’m too full today to fit any more in, no matter how tasty it is."
"Sure," Jian Zhiqing calculated the time, and it just so happened to be the weekend tomorrow. He would take her here again. As long as she wanted to eat, after the SARS outbreak had passed, there was no need to worry about eating and drinking anymore. Besides, she had lost weight from her last hospital stay and hadn’t gained it back yet. If he had time recently, he would nourish her well and help her regain that weight. Otherwise, it was quite distressing to hold onto such a bony frame at night.
Qin Xiangnuan ate until her belly was round. People should live , indulging in food and drink. In her life, the happiest thing was to eat whatever she wanted, always having enough Grandpa Maos in her pocket, without worrying about this or that. When dining, she could just look at the flavor instead of the price.
Of course, you get what you pay for. That is a given.
Jian Zhiqing handed Qin Xiangnuan her bag, and they were ready to leave. However, just as they were about to reach the door, Qin Xiangnuan’s sharp eyes seemed to spot someone familiar.
She walked over, somewhat disbelieving her own eyes.
"Mr. Zhao, what are you doing here?"
The man she called Mr. Zhao didn’t seem embarrassed when he saw her. Pointing at the broom in his hand, he said, "I’m working here now."
Work is not to be despised. Qin Xiangnuan didn’t think that cleaning was such a lowly job. In the past, she had done all sorts of work herself, even cleaning toilets for a few months to support her family. But wasn’t Zhao Jinmin working at Fenghua Company?
That’s one of the top national large-scale clothing companies. Why would he quit being a marketing manager there to sweep floors here?
Zhao Jinmin didn’t seem to want to talk about it. He continued sweeping the floor, his heart seemingly at peace, neither cursing fate nor the world, nor cynical.
"Mr. Zhao, are you planning to switch careers?"
Qin Xiangnuan didn’t know exactly why Zhao Jinmin was here, but she could be sure that he was no longer at Fenghua Clothing Company. No sane manager would quit to become a cleaner.
"I have different principles and cannot connive with them," Zhao Jinmin said with an indifferent smile, "What they insist on is different from what I uphold." The company needs a mature design team, not just one that knows how to plagiarize. However, others in the company feel that such actions are morally justified. They think they are keeping up with fashion trends by making slight changes to others’ designs. This way, they can tread on the edge of fashion, create their own features, and still make money. Why go through the trouble of poaching a few designers? And if they end up with another Liu Xiaohua, paying a high salary for products that can’t be worn, then they would just be raising these designers for nothing.
The most sought-after positions in the company now are the pattern makers. Even the designers are altering others’ work, adding their own design elements, and then claiming the result as their own. To put it nicely, that’s called "their own work," but to be blunt, it’s theft, it’s being a thief.
Maybe it’s because of his integrity, he couldn’t stand those who regard plagiarism as a form of success, and naturally, others couldn’t stand him either. Several people began to exclude him together, and with the big boss taking sides with relatives, he left the company and is now sweeping the floor here.
But even if he’s sweeping floors, what of it? At least he doesn’t have to contend with those hypocritical faces.
Qin Xiangnuan didn’t leave. She felt that this person was a good talent, with high standards, accurate vision, and very upright. She had thought it would be great to recruit him, and now heaven was giving her the chance. Her Café went for a high-end fashion approach, and she was planning to separate the men’s and women’s lines. Women’s wear was easy to handle, but for men’s wear, she couldn’t find the right person.
Well, she thought for a moment.
"Mr. Zhao, would you consider coming to work at my small studio? Although it’s quite small at the moment, I won’t let you down in terms of salary."
Zhao Jinmin’s body stiffened, then he set down the broom.
"You want me to work in your studio?"
"Yeah," Qin Xiangnuan replied with a sincere smile, and her words were serious too. She extended her hand towards Zhao Jinmin, "Mr. Zhao, I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."
Zhao Jinmin wiped his hands on his clothes, hesitated a moment, but eventually gripped Qin Xiangnuan’s hand firmly, "I also hope we will have a pleasant cooperation, and I hope your choice is not wrong."
"I believe it won’t be," Qin Xiangnuan said confidently. She knew somewhat of Zhao Jinmin; in their circle, she was acquainted with some people, and she had heard of Zhao Jinmin’s name. It was only unknown why Fenghua Company would pass up on such a good talent, and how Zhao Jinmin himself ended up in this situation.
Not to dwell on these issues, she greatly admired Zhao Jinmin and hoped for a long-term collaboration.
Jian Zhiqing sighed and then patted the top of Qin Xiangnuan’s head, "I’m going to the internet café to close the accounts. We’ll talk more when I get home tonight."
"Okay," Qin Xiangnuan smiled and rubbed her shoulder against him like a cat, then snuggled into his embrace, acting like a kitten. But with serious matters at hand, cuddling would have to wait until they got home, where they could be sweet and intimate properly.