T.N: Thank you Beverly for your continuous support! I’ll post your extra chapter as soon as I can get it out! I’m sorry, it might take a while as I’m particularly technologically challenged today, but I’ll do my best to get it out today! And also thank you to Clara for always leaving a lovely comment to every single one of my chapters!
Since there was only one bicycle at home, Shu Ran had to rent a motorized tricycle while going out. It was not very luxurious, but it was much faster than a bicycle.
There was no such thing as a nine-to-five job back in those days. The situation was that the factory was responsible for food, while the workers worked until dark. When the time was suitable, the person who was in charge of cooking came over and struck a rice bowl, making everyone put down whatever they were doing and go wash their hands. Since it was time for a break, people started lining up in front of the restroom.
“It’s already so late?!” Shu Ran realized that it was now dark, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Xu Shen went out early in the morning and… He never told him what he was going to do that day. If he suddenly returned home only to find it empty and deserted, he didn’t know what he might think…
Shu Ran remembered that Xu Shen was initially quite nervous about him running away, but then he thought about it… After all those days of getting along with each other, they now had a certain relationship foundation and even started a business together… Xu Shen probably wouldn’t think that he ran away from home, right?!
“Yeah, it’s time for dinner.” Chen Kai, who had been eating and living with the workers those days, raised his chin to Shu Ran and said: “Let’s go, I’ll take you back after dinner.”
“But…” Shu Ran frowned and wanted to refuse, but it was so late and there was no other way to go back except to ask Chen Kai. And he really couldn’t demand Chen Kai send him home without letting the man fill his stomach first…
“… Okay.” Eating a meal didn’t necessarily mean wasting a lot of time.
In the largest open space outside the factory, the cook set up two temporary stoves in the corner, both of them fired up for cooking. After nightfall, the blazing flames lit up the entire site, and people lined up with large bowls or plates.
There was vegetable soup for dinner. Many people poured a spoonful of soup over white rice, then sat in a row on the steps next to the stoves, eating with big mouthfuls.
Some people even had cigarettes in their hands, feeling extremely satisfied with their food.
Shu Ran also washed a large blue and white bowl for himself, planning on lining up for food, just like everyone else. Yet Chen Kai was impatient, so he grabbed his bowl and went up front to jump in line.
Xu Shen didn’t meet Shu Ran along the way. When he arrived at the factory, he saw that everyone was busy having dinner. Shu Ran, who was sitting on a pile of bricks with Chen Kai, was particularly conspicuous, eating with his head buried in a big bowl.
Xu Shen put the bicycle away and walked over, sitting down next to Shu Ran. His arrival startled Shu Ran, who almost choked on his soup and rice: “Ahem, why are you here?!”
“Hey, he’s probably worried because he couldn’t find you.” Chen Kai joked.
“Get out of here!” Xu Shen stretched out his long legs and crossed over his wife to give Chen Kai a kick, telling him to sit far away and not to disturb his love affair with Shu Ran.
“Don’t shove me away…” Chen Kai whispered: “I’m just covering up for you, you can’t recognize a good person’s heart…”
Shu Ran put more wood in the fire: “Brother Shen, he hinted that you are a dog, since only dogs couldn’t recognize a good heart after biting Lu Dongbin1Lü Dongbin is a legendary Chinese scholar and poet who lived during the Tang dynasty, and whose lifetime supposedly spanned two hundred and twenty years. Elevated to the status of immortal in the Chinese cultural sphere by Daoists, he is one of the most widely known of the group of deities known as the Eight Immortals. The Chinese proverb “dog bites Lü Dongbin” (狗咬呂洞賓 gǒu yǎo Lǚ Dòngbīn), refers to one’s inability to recognize goodness and repay kindness with vice.!”
Xu Shen was about to hit Chen Kai again, but Chen Kai was so frightened that he quickly took his bowl and sat far away from them: “You are both from the same village! You only know how to bully me!”
What village was that?!
Shu Ran burst out laughing, and this time he really choked: “…Ahem!” Xu Shen couldn’t help but suddenly laugh as well. Taking advantage of the dim light, he boldly raised his hand to smooth Shu Ran’s back.
“Brother Kai!” Shu Ran beat his chest and corrected Chen Kai: “Are you trying to say that we are the same type of person?”
Chen Kai said boldly: “Of course, it’s the same thing!”
God damn it, so that’s what you’ve meant2I’m quite sorry, but this eludes me :)) I’ve translated every word separately, trying to get the joke, but still can’t get it. I think is either Chen Kai who’s using some sort of “being from the same village” idiom the wrong way, or the single thing that I could find is that the word for village, 屯 /tún/, could also mean “difficult/stingy”, so maybe he’s using the wrong 屯?! I don’t know. Anyway, here’s the original exchange between them, in case you understand Chinese better than I do since I don’t at all: Chen Kai: 你们都是一个屯的貉，就知道欺负我 Shu Ran: 一个屯的什么? … 凯哥，”舒然捶着胸口纠正陈凯：”你是不是想说一丘之貉？ Chen Kai: 都一个意思 …! Shu Ran calmed down for a moment and said to Xu Shen: “Have you eaten? If you haven’t eaten yet, go get some food.”
Xu Shen shook his head: “When I got home and saw you were not there, I immediately came over to find you. I haven’t eaten yet.”
Shu Ran smiled: “That’s just right. Brother Kai doesn’t need to take me back after dinner.”
“What are you doing so late?” Xu Shen looked at Shu Ran. Could they be working together?!
“There are a lot of details to check, and it was late before I knew it.” Shu Ran picked up his chopsticks again and touched Xu Shen’s knee with his own: “Stop chatting, aren’t you hungry?”
“Hungry.” Xu Shen realized, now that he stopped worrying about his wife, that he was indeed very hungry. Before, he just wanted to find Shu Ran, so he couldn’t think about eating. “Then, I’m going to get some food.”
Not long after, Xu Shen came back with a big bowl of the same style as his wife’s, but the amount of food in it was much larger than what Shu Ran had in his bowl… It was piled up like a hill, but he could definitely finish it all.
Shu Ran admired Xu Shen’s appetite. Thinking that buying health supplements and medicine was so expensive… And also so bitter… Okay, the main thing was bitter! Shu Ran could only sigh and try to eat more than usual.
After eating, some of the brothers slept directly in the factory. The original dormitories of the pharmaceutical factory were cleaned up and could already be lived in since the conditions were much better than many people’s homes. Moreover, many of them did not live in the city, with most being from surrounding villages. So they were very happy to have a dormitory to live in.
With everyone there, they didn’t have to worry about someone stealing the things in the warehouse, which was good.
After eating, Xu Shen said goodbye to Chen Kai and took Shu Ran home. At first, Shu Ran was worried that he would fall into a ditch while walking in the dark at night: “Why don’t we get a flashlight or something?”
“There’s no need…” Xu Shen looked at the sky: “The moon is full tonight.”
“Oh.” Shu Ran got on the road and found that he had been worrying too much. The moon was particularly big, and it was quite romantic to go home like that with Xu Shen.
The reeds in the distance swayed in the wind under the moonlight, and the river surface farther away was flashing with silvery waves. Shu Ran also saw a cornfield that was fully ripe. Thinking that it was almost time for the corn harvest season, he thought about going back to the vegetable market and buying some.
The first thing Xu Shen did when he got home was to cook medicine. The coal stove was very convenient, so he didn’t have to worry about anything after settling in.
“I’ll boil water.” Shu Ran said.
Xu Shen hugged Shu Ran from behind and carried him from the outside to the inside of the threshold: “Go back and rest.”
“What are you doing?” Shu Ran raised his hand and punched him, unwilling to make himself look like a useless person who couldn’t lift his arms. “Don’t arrange the things I do!”
“How many novels have you finished writing? Can I read in two months?” Xu Shen asked.
A sudden reminder…
“Ahem…” Shu Ran also felt that his progress was a bit slow, and he still had to hurry up and write, otherwise, he would soon have no time, getting busy with the factory and all that.
“About two months…” Shu Ran actually didn’t know if he could do it, but he wanted to set a goal for himself first.
“I’m looking forward to it, I want to be your first reader.” Xu Shen kissed Shu Ran’s lips and went to work.
Shu Ran licked the corner of his mouth and smiled, then turned and ran upstairs to finish his manuscript. Ever since he started using that cork… thing, what Shu Ran feared most every night was not taking his bitter medicine, but putting that thing in. Originally, he of course wanted to put it in by himself while taking a shower every night, but it was always not good enough. He felt strange when walking, sitting, or lying down, so he had to ask Xu Shen to help adjust it.
Once adjusted, he felt nothing.
After all, it was only as thick as a finger, and it really had no sense of existence. However, because it was so insignificant, Shu Ran would forget to take it out in the morning, until Xu Shen reminded him and helped him get it…
Thinking about it, it was really shameful to maintain that intimate place only for unholy reasons… So Shu Ran wanted to stop doing it many times. But it was Xu Shen’s extremely serious and caring attitude that made him feel like it was normal and for his own good.
When placing it that evening, the cork accidentally touched a place that shouldn’t be touched. After fixing it, Shu Ran was already lying on the pillow with a red face, not wanting to get up or move again.
And Xu Shen… Xu Shen had to take a cold shower again, and then the couple could only lie on the bed calmly and review what they had been doing that day.
“I went to my brother-in-law’s place in the morning, then went to the factory after lunch. The sewing machine you bought for my sister is really good. She has already made skirts for the family members of her husband’s work colleagues. I’m thinking about letting her learn when the masters come. Going to the factory as an apprentice, does that count as seeking public benefit for personal gain?” Shu Ran poked Xu Shen’s arm.
Xu Shen kissed him on the cheek, held his hand, and said: “Why are you using the public for personal gain? Isn’t the purpose of setting up a factory just to accommodate our own people? In the future, every small management team leader in the factory would be someone we recommend, so isn’t that also taking public interest for personal gain?”
“Why are there so many rhetorical questions?! That’s a bad thing…” Shu Ran wanted to be precise: “Just tell me whether it counts or not.”
“It doesn’t count.” Xu Shen quickly corrected his bad habit and said with a smile: “Your sisters have not treated you badly, so I will not treat them badly either.”
He suddenly remembered that Zhou Lan was also old enough to work in a factory, and ordinary workers did not need to have any education level. Shu Ran nodded, thinking that learning a craft was so much better than farming.
…………
From that day on, Xu Shen no longer had to run around to get the working license, and instead went to the factory every day to supervise work. Shu Ran would occasionally go with him, but mostly he spent his time at home, drawing clothing designs or writing, enjoying an extremely fulfilling life.
Xu Shen came back every evening and shared with him all the surrounding news. He heard from Chen Kai that his tea shop continued to use the packaging designed by Shu Ran, becoming very popular. But now, other stores were following suit, with almost exactly the same designs.
After hearing that, Shu Ran remembered the matter of applying for a packaging patent, asking Chen Kai to go to the relevant departments and ask if it could be done. If they could patent it, so be it, but if it wasn’t possible, they should just forget about being cordial. It was fine to imitate it, but it was plain bullying to copy it exactly the same! Why don’t you hire a designer yourself?!
Chen Kai was also very angry. Hearing that there was such an operation to relieve his anger, he immediately went to ask, but the result was not ideal… The employee told him that the patent law had not yet been promulgated, but it was already being brewed so… Please wait!
Then Shu Ran had nothing else he could do… The country still had too many things waiting to be perfected. To put it another way, piracy was still rampant forty years later, with many original works being driven to death by it.
Shu Ran asked Xu Shen to help bring a few words of comfort to the frustrated Chen Kai, but Xu Shen laughed hard and told him: “No need to comfort him, it has already been solved.”
“Oh? How did he solve it?” Shu Ran asked.
“Aunt Feng is not someone to be trifled with.” Xu Shen was busy with housework while gossiping with Shu Ran: “The problem couldn’t be solved by taking legal action, so Aunt Feng took people to the other shops to seek justice. I heard that they went with a bucket full of… Shit. That shop removed the imitation packaging overnight.”
Shit…Feces?!
Shu Ran was dumbfounded when he heard this. Hey, it seemed that it was really popular in the past to be accompanied by a bucket full of feces whenever people quarreled… He thought it was outrageous, but also very enjoyable: “It would have been so great if I was there, hahaha!”
Xu Shen also laughed: “The Chen family is still a big name, and most people don’t dare to mess with them.”
“That’s right.” Shu Ran agreed. Most people only bully the weak, then become shy in front of the tough, without the courage to be rude to others.
The Chen family was also a well-known name in the world of tea business. Who was not afraid of them suddenly going crazy, and destroying everything? When doing business, it was important to be harmonious and make money… If this family’s wool couldn’t be harvested, then just find another victim!
The factory’s renovations were finally successfully completed under the zealous work of a group of hard-working brothers. Since the materials used were all natural and harmless products, there was little risk of any work-related hazards. Once the hard renovation work was completed, decorations could be introduced immediately, which was another necessary expense.
In fact, the brothers did not pool their money together. Instead, they each kept an account book and recorded how much everyone spent, and then totaled it up, with full trust in each other.
…They were the only ones who had a good relationship and dared to show it off like that.
Shu Ran, as a contestant who had no friends, was constantly on display.
The Chen brothers started purchasing all the soft furnishings. Chen Sen, who had no money left, asked his mother for some, purchasing this and that. He also bought a radio and a TV set for the factory, placing the radio under the eaves of the building, and the TV on the wall of the cafeteria.
The TV set was bought in the largest size available, making the day they moved it in look like the New Year. Everyone carefully installed it and fixed the antenna. When the picture came on, they all looked at the TV set on the wall and listened to the news broadcast with their heads in their hands and a silly smile on their faces.
As for Shu Ran, he placed tables, chairs, equipment, and stationery in the office. This thirty-square-meter office could accommodate up to eight desks, close to each other. Xu Shen also asked Jiang Fan for a picture where he and his wife were leaning against each other.
One table was fully occupied by the fax machine, which was very large, and the equally large printer was standing directly on the floor. Xu Shen, the man who could fix anything and was in charge of the workshop, was busy making arrangements.
After Shu Ran had finished decorating the office and had nothing else to do, he went to the staff dormitory and canteen to have a look. He saw that the staff dormitory was very spacious, with eight people living in one room, and some had already moved in. There were still a few rooms left that had not been turned into multi-person dormitories because they were originally promised for the masters who were coming with their families.
Shu Ran returned to the workshop and asked Xu Shen: “The masters haven’t called yet?” Will they have to let it go in disappointment?
“Not yet…” Xu Shen did not dare to say whether they should just forget about it, so he could only say: “Let’s wait a little longer.”
If they really ended up with no masters, things were bound to become quite difficult.
Shu Ran comforted himself and said: “After all, they are traveling with their families, so they might need more time to arrange things. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yeah.” Xu Shen also hoped so.
Seeing that the factory was in perfect condition, Jiang Fan and the others also came to ask why the masters hadn’t arrived yet. They took turns asking each other until finally, Xu Shen was tired of all those questions and on the verge of getting annoyed.
Shu Ran quickly received the message and replied: “Don’t worry, everyone! Wait patiently, maybe they are on the way already.”
Seeing that everyone was still not optimistic, he laughed and said: “Even if the masters really don’t come, the worst thing is to look again. After all, we have done everything that we could do, with a clear conscience. But I think it is impossible for none of them to come… How unlucky can we be?!”
During that period, everyone was under great pressure. When conflicts are most likely to occur, they should be resolved as soon as possible.
“That’s right, it’s impossible for none to come.” Hearing that, everyone relaxed their brows and immediately felt relieved. As long as one master came, the factory could start operating.
Little did they know, the masters were already on the road with their families. It was such a coincidence that the three families, who did not know each other, were all sitting on the same train and arriving at the station at the same time. Jiang Fan received three calls within half an hour. Then he grinned and quickly drove over to find Xu Shen: “The master is here! The master is here!”
Xu Shen also smiled: “Finally here, which master is it?”
Jiang Fan was so happy that he raised three fingers: “I answered three phone calls!”
Xu Shen paused, then got into the car in a hurry: “Let’s go pick them up!”
His appearance amused Jiang Fan, and he quickly remembered: “Brother Shen, you are so happy, don’t you have to report the news?”
Yeah… Forgot!
Xu Shen got out of the car again and went up to explain the situation to Shu Ran. Hearing that all the masters were waiting at the train station, Shu Ran was also surprised. That was great… He stood up and kissed Xu Shen: “Go quickly!”
“Yes.” Xu Shen also kissed Shu Ran’s forehead: “Wife, you are my lucky star!”
What the hell…? Shu Ran was still embarrassed, but Xu Shen had already walked away briskly.
Where did you learn that earthy love story from?!
Shu Ran shrank his neck and brushed the goosebumps on his arms.
Xu Shen and Jiang Fan went to Nanshi Railway Station and successfully picked up three masters and their families. Because there were too many people, they had to rent another car on their way back.
The three masters and their families were very nervous and worried that they would be deceived until they were brought back to the brand-new factory and placed in spacious and comfortable dormitories. They put down their things and toured the factory, looking at the clean and new equipment. Only then did their hearts finally return to their rightful places… Yes, everything was true. They had not been deceived!
Xu Shen saw the worry in their eyes and smiled: “Everyone, have a good night’s rest. Our manager will come over tomorrow morning to sign the contract with you, and I will also give you the three month’s salary that I’ve promised.”
Jiang Fan: “If you need to buy daily necessities, you can ask our people here to take you out. It is very close to the city, only about seven or eight kilometers.”
“We don’t need to buy anything.” Master Tao waved his hand and pointed at the pile of big and small bags in the dormitory: “We have everything we need, hahaha.”
When they left, everything they owned was packed, and nothing useful was thrown away.
“That’s okay.” When Xu Shen picked them up from the train station, he almost thought that the masters packed and moved all the garment factories along the coast, so there really was no need to buy anything.
The women had already begun to unpack their luggage hurriedly. Only after everything was put in its right place could they sleep well at night. And the masters also seemed very satisfied with the new environment. It was like a small village back in the coastal area, but more modern and closer to the city.
The other two, Masters Liu and Master Tang, only had their wives with them, so they were each assigned a couple’s room. When they saw Master Tao from next door dragging his entire family with him, they couldn’t help but think of their parents and children left behind in their hometown… How great would it be if they could also bring them to the factory… But they didn’t know if the boss would agree…
…………
After arranging the people, Xu Shen finally returned home. The next day, he brought Shu Ran with him to sign the contracts. The masters from the coastal area had all seen Shu Ran before, and they were particularly impressed, feeling even more cordial when they saw him again. After all, Shu Ran was deeply rooted in the hearts of people as the buyer of a large company!
After everyone signed the contract and received their first paycheque, there was nothing to worry about: “Director, shall we start working now?”
Shu Ran smiled: “Well, let’s start with making the patterns.”
Chen Kai and the others also came today, and they all gathered around to watch. They were very excited when they saw Shu Ran skillfully operating the printer and copying the written contract into several copies. Then they saw Shu Ran take out an entire book… The clothing design drawings were even more dizzying!
“It’s simple.” As soon as the designs were shown, several masters said in unison.
Shu Ran thought to himself that the styles were all sporty, so of course they were simple: “Then let me tell you the details.”
“Okay.” The masters nodded. After hearing the effects and details Shu Ran wanted, they put on aprons and protection sleeves and went to work with big scissors.
In the workshop that had not yet officially started production, four skilled sewing workers were teaching everyone how to use the sewing machines step by step, and pre-job training was in full swing. Chen Sen took charge over that area, as a serious and burly man who could manage people into obedience.
There were many positions in the factory. If someone really couldn’t learn how to operate the sewing machine, they could always apply for a job transfer. As long as one had hands, feet, and strength, there was no shortage of work.
Jiang Fan didn’t know what he could do. He sat idle in the office, eating melon seeds and sighing: “It seems like you two are the most hardworking and accomplished… You guys have to do everything.”
It really made him feel like a waste: “I’m the only one here… Eating melon seeds in my spare time…”
“Brother Fan, it’s just that it’s not your turn to be busy yet…” Shu Ran gave him a wake-up call and continued: “When your feet don’t even have time to touch the ground, don’t come complaining about being tired.”
Jiang Fan immediately stopped talking.
Well, he could drive a car, so… He would definitely be running in and out in the future. It was indeed too early to say that he was idle now. Xu Shen was laughing next to him, diligently serving tea and water to his wife who was sorting out documents, helping him get things.
At that time, Chen Kai suddenly asked: “Shu Ran, how come you know so much?”
Shu Ran knew that they would ask those questions sooner or later, but now that he was actually asked, he really didn’t know how to answer.
“Printers like this are rarely seen by ordinary people!” Chen Kai looked at this big machine and said: “But you know how to use it. Did you go to the coast in order to learn it?”
But he only spent half a month there… How could he learn so quickly?! And Xu Shen was with him every day, so he definitely didn’t go there to attend University, right?!
Shu Ran didn’t dare to tell lies with his eyes open, so he remained speechless for a moment. At that moment, Xu Shen answered for him: “Well, we’ve visited many factory offices along the coast, and these are necessary equipment for running a factory. You will naturally understand after seeing them more.”
That was true as they have indeed visited many factory offices, but when it came to knowing how to do it just by looking at it… That kind of narrative could only scare laymen. The first generation of fax machines and printers was troublesome to operate. For people who have never been exposed to those types of devices before, it was impossible to learn without step-by-step instructions.
Shu Ran glanced at Xu Shen without a trace, wondering if the other party really thought so, or if he was actually covering for himself…
But he saw that Xu Shen’s face was the same as usual. After noticing Shu Ran’s gaze, he even dared to smile at him, with eyes that were full of love and passion, containing a sincerity that could touch people’s hearts.
At that moment, Shu Ran had already thought of a thoughtful reply: “Yes, I’ve seen it before, and there is even a manual. I’ve also asked the boss for guidance when I went to buy it.”
“That’s right… If you have an instruction manual and the knowledge from the boss who sells these things, it doesn’t look very difficult… We should be able to learn it too, right?” Chen Kai turned around with a face full of curiosity.
“Of course you can learn it! I’ll teach you.” Shu Ran said with a smile and took another look at Xu Shen’s reaction… He felt a little relieved that he could fool everyone, but he was not sure what Xu Shen was actually thinking… So he continued, just to cheer for himself: “Come on! Let’s learn it, in case you need it.”
“Okay.” A few people gathered together to learn how to use the printer and fax machine. The fax machine was connected to the phone but… The phone line had not been connected yet. Jiang Fan, who was previously lamenting about being idle, now had a job.
“The factory has just been set up, but it seems there are still many details that need to be perfected…” Jiang Fan scratched his face.
Xu Shen mobilized: “Let’s work hard together!”
“Yes!” Shu Ran threw a round pie at them, oh no, a plan for success: “The garment factory is just the beginning. After we make money, more and more profitable industries are waiting for us to make a splash!”
Xu Shen nodded: “It takes three years to grow bigger and five years to go public.”
Shu Ran snorted and glared at Xu Shen… That person stole his lines, so what else could he say?!
“Then again…” Xu Shen discovered a question that had been completely ignored: “What is the name of our company?”
Everyone: “…”
Wait… What?! That problem hasn’t been solved yet?!
“Ahem, I thought about it while I was writing the contracts. Now that we are discussing it, we could engrave a few official seals…” Shu Ran said.
Everyone immediately said: “Let’s just leave the naming to Shu Ran!”
There was only one scholar among them!!!
Shu Ran didn’t refuse and nodded in agreement: “Is that okay? I’ll write a few names for everyone to vote on?”
“Okay.” Everyone thought it would take a few days until they could vote, but they saw Shu Ran turning over a new blank peace of paper and writing down more than ten alternative names in one breath.
They were all stunned… So powerful?!
“Is this enough?” Shu Ran’s expression seemed like he could write ten more if he stopped to take another breath…
So everyone nodded: “That’s enough, that’s enough…”
Shu Ran knew that he had scared them, and felt quite ashamed to admit that… He was not that powerful! It was just a matter of disrupting and reorganizing the common corporate names of later generations… With such an operation, not to mention a dozen, he could make up hundreds of names on the spot.
“I like Tongxin3同心 Tóngxīn- concentric, with one heart.” Xu Shen said.
“WanHeng is not bad either4万恒 Wàn héng- eternity/eternal.” Jiang Fan pointed.
“No one likes Huaxing5华 Huá- Flower/China and 兴 Xìng- to prosper, to flourish. Sounds like a political propaganda thing :))?” Chen Kai despised their aesthetics.
Shu Ran scratched his head: “Why do you all have different preferences?!”
They could only go and seek Chen Sen’s opinion but… Ten minutes later, Shu Ran came back with MingYang6名扬 Míng yáng- fame/famous. Now, whoever Shu Ran voted for, was sure to win.
“Shu Ran! Vote for me! Their names are so ugly, do you really want to vote for them?!” Chen Kai hissed and tried his best to attract his vote.
Jiang Fan gave the noisy Chen Kai a look: “How is my name bad? You could make a fortune just by hearing it!.”
Xu Shen said nothing but used his eyes to implicitly seduce Shu Ran to choose him.
When the others saw their eyes meeting, they immediately protested loudly: “No, Shu Ran! You can’t vote selfishly!”
“Yes, you can’t vote for Brother Shen! It’s a win by force!”
But they never thought about the fact that they were a husband and wife team, with natural advantages.
Shu Ran felt helpless. How could he vote without selfish motives?! He thought about it for a while… Despite the fact that everyone was under great pressure and he had to pay attention to the harmony of internal relationships, he still wanted to give Xu Shen a blatant preference.
“I also quite like Tongxin.” Accompanied by Chen Kai’s and Jiang Fan’s protests, Shu Ran gave his precious vote to the silent Xu Shen, making the other party look surprised.
After all, Xu Shen knew Shu Ran’s character quite well. His wife loved to be impartial and as unbiased as he could.
“Really choosing my name?” Xu Shen had an advantage and behaved well, pretending to say: “Why don’t you think about it again, otherwise everyone will think it’s unfair.”
Chen Kai: “That’s right!” It was particularly unfair!
Shu Ran: “Don’t think about it. I have the right to vote and I will definitely vote for you.” But in order not to create internal conflicts, he added: “If everyone thinks it’s unfair, then I will abstain and you can continue to discuss it between yourselves.”
Everyone became quiet. That was not good… How could they deprive Shu Ran of his right to vote? Shu Ran has done so much work by himself, and they still wanted to steal his vote… Was that how a human being should act?!
“Tsk, you’re getting an advantage…” Chen Kai pointed at Xu Shen. He also wanted someone to blatantly prefer him! Unfortunately, Shu Ran was Xu Shen’s wife, so he could only favor Xu Shen!
In that way, Xu Shen finally won the naming war. He smiled happily and did not react when Chen Kai pointed at him. Normally, he would have long given Chen Kai a punch.
Chen Sen, who was a little older and more stable, had no such competitive spirit at all, feeling that it was good to work together since… He truly believed that brothers working together were more powerful than gold!
Shu Ran used the name as inspiration and then designed a simple and elegant corporate logo. He printed it out and showed it to everyone, and all the brothers thought it was stylish and pleasing to the eye.
On their side, the masters were working hard, forgetting about sleep or food. In the end, it only took a short amount of time to complete the first batch of sporty tracksuits released by “Tongxin Garment Factory”.
It was Shu Ran’s first design. After it was finished, he immediately acted as a model and put it on to parade for everyone. The comfortable and simple sports-inspired suit was more casual than elegant. When worn on a tall and thin figure like Shu Ran’s, it looked very clean and handsome.
“How is it?” Shu Ran asked, looking at Xu Shen unconsciously.
He saw that the other party’s eyes had long been locked on him, with deep eyes full of appreciation and affection, making Shu Ran feel a little uncomfortable.
“Good-looking!” Xu Shen’s voice was hidden in everyone’s unison. In order to celebrate the birth of the factory’s first set of readymade clothes, everyone couldn’t help but applaud.
Perhaps it was the excitement of starting something from scratch. The applause lasted for a long time and everyone’s face was filled with joy.
Shu Ran applauded with everyone, and when the applause stopped, he said with a smile: “Our Tongxin Garment Factory can produce the first batch of clothes so quickly, thanks to the cooperation and efforts of our several masters, and everyone here. You have all worked hard for a while.”
The applause started again.
Shu Ran thanked many people in one breath. In short, every group present was mentioned at least once, making everyone happy. Chen Kai and the others admired Shu Ran’s mobilization ability, fully admitting the fact that he was really good at winning people’s hearts.
Only Xu Shen smiled secretly behind his back… Sleek and articulate, his wife’s specialty.
Shu Ran: “The style I am wearing right now will be mass-produced and a free set will be given to everyone in the factory. Then, every new style we come up with would also be given to everyone to wear as uniforms.”
Shu Ran had long seen that many people were wearing very old clothes, coming and going in only the same two pieces of fabric. After the garment factory became productive, the first thing he wanted to fix was everyone’s clothing needs.
“Okay!” When they heard that clothes were given out for free, everyone was laughing, nodding, and clapping, probably looking forward to it.
Making factory uniforms was not difficult at all. There were only fifty-eight people in the factory at that moment, which was not a big number. Four skilled garment workers could make more than fifty-eight sets in a day, and when they were done, they only had to put the company’s logo on the front of the clothes. Just like that, the uniforms were ready.
After a day’s work, the clothes could finally be distributed according to size. The shareholders also picked up a set, took it home, washed it, and put it on the next day. Nobody thought there was anything wrong with dressing the same as the workers.
The main reason was that the outfit looked really good, making everyone feel energetic as soon as they wore it, so they no longer had to debate whether they looked handsome that day or not.
The workers got brand-new work clothes and put them on happily. At that moment, a sense of collective honor arose spontaneously. Perhaps Shu Ran, a modern man from half a century later, could never understand that people of that era had an inexplicable obsession with work uniforms, appearing proud of wearing them.
“Wife, you are so smart. I didn’t even think about work uniforms.” Xu Shen also put the tracksuit on, holding Shu Ran’s hand: “The freedom to wear a couple’s outfit could only be achieved in stages.”
That sentence pattern was fully learned from Shu Ran.
Shu Ran wanted to laugh but felt that it seemed too heartless, so he nodded sadly: “Yes, it was obviously a matter between two people, but now it has become a matter between the entire factory. “
If it wasn’t for the whole factory accompanying them, it might indeed take a long time until they could openly wear a couple’s outfit.
Now it was Xu Shen who couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He was speechless. How could he still tell jokes about such a sad thing?!
“Since everyone in the factory is wearing them, I will give two pairs to my sister and brother-in-law tomorrow.” Shu Ran continued: “Anyway, since our love world is already overcrowded, two more don’t count.”
Xu Shen turned around and looked at Shu Ran, yet he saw that the other person was completely normal, making him look like he was fussing too much. Xu Shen could only act like nothing happened, nodding lightly: “Okay.”
The moment “our love world” blurted out, Shu Ran was actually confused. Damn it, he had no idea what his mouth was talking about! When he came back to his senses, he realized that fortunately, Xu Shen, a blunt and rough guy, didn’t seem to notice. The other party was still calm and reserved, and there was nothing for him, a romantic and artistic man, to worry about.
Moreover, Xu Shen was now wearing a modern sporty look designed by himself, and coupled with that ultra-modern hairstyle, it instantly gave Shu Ran the illusion that he had returned to his modern times.
It felt quite interesting, and Shu Ran secretly had a lot of fun with it.
At the same time, Jiang Fan was showing off at home, wearing his new casual clothes produced in his own garment factory, instantly catching the eye of his elder brother.
“Bought new clothes?” Jiang Hang asked.
“Yeah, does it look good?” Jiang Fan tried his best to not brag too much and ruin things for everyone, holding back his pride and keeping his mouth shut: “Do you want your brother to get a set for you?”
Jiang Hang smiled: “Brother, if I really want a set, do I still need your help?”
Jiang Fan also smiled and thought to himself: “I am one of the factory’s directors, so in fact, you actually do need my help.
…………
The author has something to say:
Shu Ran also dotes on Brother Shen very much!
Brother Shen: Happy~
T.N: I keep imagining those green tracksuits from Squid Game and how proud everyone is to parade them around town (”❛ – „)❀
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