Chapter 47

Currently, there are no coconut waters being sold in the market, which everyone knows.

The blending done at the Factory No.2 is only within the factory itself, preparing to break into the market with fresh and unique coconut juice. The samples sent to the factory director’s office last time were not seen by anyone else.

However, their own plan for a new soda flavor was rejected, and now, the biggest competitor—Shiwei Food Factory—has suddenly started selling coconut water?

The people in the Factory No.2 office were originally preoccupied with Lin Xiang’s situation, but Yang Tian’s comment immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.

At once, Qiu Hongxia, who had been deeply involved in the coconut juice blending, couldn’t sit still and blurted out, “How did they suddenly start selling coconut water?”

This was really strange! Could it be so coincidental?

If their own factory’s proposal hadn’t been rejected, they would have been starting to sell coconut water in the next few days. But now, Shiwei Food Factory got ahead of them.

Lin Xiang also immediately snapped out of her reluctance, turning to the personnel officer from the Factory No.1, and said, “Sister Zhou, something urgent has come up at our factory, and I need to discuss it. As for my work, we can talk about it later.”

Director Zhou could tell from Yang Tian’s tone that it was urgent, so she didn’t say much, only replying, “Alright, take care of that first, and come back later.”

Once Director Zhou left, the workers outside were dispersed back to the workshops by Director Zhao. Lin Xiang quickly asked Yang Tian about the situation. “Yang Gong, what’s going on? Did you see what kind of coconut water they’re selling?”

Yang Tian, who was big and strong but quick-witted, raised his hand and handed over a bottle of the coconut water being sold by Shiwei Food Factory.

It was a glass bottle containing nearly transparent coconut water, with a slightly pale color and a bit of cloudiness. The packaging didn’t seem appetizing.

“I took the day off today because my nephew’s family from back home came to visit. I went to pick them up, and on the way back, I saw a nearby fisherman buy a bottle of this. I’ve never seen this color of soda before, so I asked, and the fisherman said it was a new coconut water from Shiwei Food Factory. He bought two bottles to let his kids try. As soon as I heard that, I thought something was off. I bargained with him and finally bought a bottle, thinking I should bring it back for you all to see.”

As Yang Tian was talking, Qiu Hongxia eagerly unscrewed the bottle lid, poured some into a porcelain cup in front of Lin Xiang.

The transparent coconut water poured out with a slightly sweet and fragrant aroma, but with a lingering overly sweet aftertaste.

Lin Xiang took a sip from the porcelain cup. While the coconut water itself was sweet, it had an overpowering artificial sweetness and an unpleasant rough aftertaste.

“The taste and texture are not very good,” Lin Xiang said, encouraging everyone to try it.

The others, who were initially a bit concerned, took a couple of sips and quickly felt relieved. This coconut water was far worse than the one they had been preparing to sell!

If they hadn’t prepared fresh coconut juice made from real coconut meat, they might have thought Shiwei’s coconut water was good, but with the comparison, it was clear how much better theirs was.

…

Meanwhile, in the office of the Shiwei Food Factory’s director, there was a burst of laughter.

Qiu Xiuping and Zhou Hongfei hadn’t expected the factory director to come up with such a move—selling coconut water in soda bottles.

Although Shiwei Food Factory had started late and had only just stabilized its position with shrimp paste cans, not yet developing a soda production line, it seemed that upsetting Factory 119 was a good move.

Qiu Xiuping seemed to let out a breath of anger: “Uncle, you’re really well-informed. You knew that Factory 119’s Factory No.2 was planning to sell coconut water, and you beat them to it!”

It was the Factory No.2 of Factory 119 that had initially launched shrimp paste cans with orange soda, which had disgusted them. Now, it seemed like they had finally gotten their revenge.

However, they had only just gotten the news, and in order to rush the production and beat the competition, they hastily decided on a recipe that included artificial flavoring in the coconut water, which was far from as carefully thought out as the shrimp paste formula.

Zhou Hongfei, curious, asked, “Uncle Qiu, do you have someone inside Factory 119? How else would you know this information so quickly?”

He wasn’t really interested in selling a few bottles of soda; what intrigued him was how Qiu Factory Director had such inside information.

Qiu Factory Director waved his hand and didn’t want to elaborate on the matter: “There’s no such thing as a wall that doesn’t leak. Anyway, we’re selling our coconut water first today. Let’s see what Factory 119 can do!”

Qiu Xiuping was happy in her heart; if they could really wipe out Factory 119’s Factory No.2, that would be great. A dilapidated factory like that was just an eyesore. They could later boast that Shiwei Food Factory had driven Factory 119 out of business, which would boost their reputation.

She just didn’t know how things were going with Team Leader He. Qiu Xiuping had no acquaintances in Factory 119, so it wouldn’t be easy to get in. She needed to pick a time to visit and find a way to get to know Team Leader He.

Zhou Hongfei didn’t pay much attention to Qiu Factory Director’s words; he just thought the old man had some tricks up his sleeve, but he didn’t care. He had been working at Shiwei Food Factory for a few months, and the novelty had worn off. His family had praised him a little, so he had earned some face, and now he had nothing more to worry about.

Instead, he was still upset about how his old man had used the excuse of visiting Langhua Island to see his third uncle’s family, but was secretly trying to reconnect with his first son.

Zhou Hongfei almost ground his teeth in frustration. His father still wanted to acknowledge that son? Ugh!

And don’t even think about him calling him “big brother”!

What kind of nonsense is this, thinking they can be part of the Zhou family!

Thinking back to his mother’s earlier advice to make sure he visited his third uncle’s family on the island, no matter what, he had to act like a younger generation should, or else he wouldn’t be able to explain things to his grandfather. Zhou Hongfei scratched his head, irritated, and spoke up, “Factory director, I need to take a few days off next week, about six or seven days.”

Factory Director Qiu wouldn’t mind indulging this young master. As long as he could use the Zhou family’s influence when needed, it was fine. However, with the elder’s caring attitude, he casually asked, “Alright, you’ve been working hard lately. Why don’t you take a good rest? Are you planning to take a trip around our Jinbian city while you’re here? I assume you haven’t had the chance to explore yet.”

Zhou Hongfei casually replied, “There’s nothing much to see here, I need to visit the 119th Division to see my third uncle’s family.”

Qiu Xiuping was shocked to hear this. She had only heard that Zhou Hongfei’s father was a high-ranking officer in the Northwest Military Region, but she didn’t know he had a third uncle in the 119th Division.

After leaving the factory director’s office, Qiu Xiuping hurried to catch up with Zhou Hongfei’s steps. “Comrade Zhou Hongfei, when are you planning to visit the 119th Division? I have some business there too, why don’t we go together?”

---

With the threat from the coconut water of Shiwei Food Factory dismissed, the people in the Factory No.2 of the 119th Food Factory breathed a sigh of relief.

But they were also stirred up.

Qiu Hongxia and Yang Tian couldn’t accept it. Why should a mediocre coconut water like theirs be sold, while their own factory’s well-made coconut juice couldn’t be launched?

“We really need to talk to the factory director again,” Yang Tian, with his fiery temper, said as he was about to leave.

Director Zhao stopped him, “We’ll go, but not like this.”

That afternoon, Director Zhao, Lin Xiang, Qiu Hongxia, and Yang Tian went to report the situation to the factory director’s office.

This time, they also brought a bottle of Shiwei Food Factory’s coconut water with them.

Director Zhao, looking agitated, almost trembling with anger, said, “Director, look at how Shiwei is bullying us! We were secretly preparing to sell coconut juice, and they immediately launched their coconut water, even saying it’s better than our orange soda. Isn’t this just slapping us in the face?”

Everyone knew that over the past month, the Factory No.2’s orange soda had sold quite well.

Qiu Hongxia quickly followed up, “But their coconut water doesn’t taste right. They added too much flavoring, and it has that artificial taste. It’s far inferior to the coconut juice we’ve prepared! Director, we can’t tolerate this! We must fight back!”

Factory Director Huang had been very busy in the days following National Day, running between meetings and hosting city leadership inspections. Finally, when he had a moment to catch his breath, the four from the Factory No.2 came knocking on his door.

Without waiting for him to say anything, Yang Tian, a big man with a rough demeanor, said, “We’re not afraid of anything in the Factory No.2, but we can’t swallow this! We can’t let Shiwei beat us!”

Director Huang silently mocked in his heart: hasn’t your factory been surpassed plenty of times already?

Lin Xiang cheerfully poured two cups of coconut water for Director Huang: one from Shiwei and one from the Factory No.2. Without saying much else, she simply asked him to taste both.

Director Huang took a look at the coconut water from Shiwei. From the appearance alone, it was already a loser. When he tasted it, it wasn’t that Shiwei’s coconut water was terrible, but compared to the Factory No.2’s coconut juice, it simply paled in comparison.

He paused for a moment, recalling the last meeting when he had mentioned the Factory No.2’s new coconut juice and suggested trying it for sale, only to have everyone else immediately veto it.

The main issue was that the factory didn’t have a good impression of the Factory No.2. Everyone just wanted them to quiet down, and they didn’t care much about their new flavor ideas. They didn’t know what they were doing!

The factory operated on democracy, and Director Huang didn’t have much motivation to push for it, so he didn’t fight for it.

Lin Xiang spoke again, “Director, do you remember how much trouble Shiwei Food Factory caused when they sent shrimp paste cans to the Factory No.1? This time, our coconut juice will definitely beat theirs. Don’t you want to vent your anger?”

Those words hit Director Huang right in the heart.

The recent threat from Shiwei Food Factory had been huge, and now, looking at the two bottles of coconut juice, he was finally tempted!

The next day, Director Huang specially invited Zhao Jianjun and Lin Xiang to attend a factory leadership meeting, where he brought up the idea of selling the Factory No.2’s coconut juice again and prepared the attendees to taste it. This time, unlike the last time, when he had been ambiguous, he firmly pushed for it, insisting that the Factory No.2 be given a chance.

Tang, the factory’s secretary, who held nearly equal power with Director Huang, didn’t even glance at the coconut juice before him. He immediately opposed it, his stern and disdainful face written all over with contempt, “What can the Factory No.2’s people do? They’ve never accomplished anything, and now they’re wasting their time with this? Our factory should focus on selling seafood cans, that’s the right thing to do.”

Director Huang, however, remained calm and polite, “Old Tang, Shiwei has been targeting us recently, and now we have a better coconut juice, shouldn’t we beat them at their own game? Besides, the Factory No.2 has been performing well recently.”

A long-suppressed battle spirit flared up in Director Huang’s veins as a former soldier.

Vice Factory Director Li observed for a moment, looking back and forth between the factory director and the secretary, before finally making up his mind: “Secretary Tang, the factory director wants us to fight back against Shiwei and show them we can do better. I support it.”

Seeing that the factory director was so determined, most of the workshop directors changed their previous opposition, and in the end, they agreed to let the Factory No.2 try selling the new flavor of coconut juice.

Secretary Tang was unhappy with their change of mind and immediately stated sternly, “It’s fine to try, but there are two conditions: if the coconut juice doesn’t sell well in the big department stores, the Factory No.2 will have to cover the loss. They’ll have to pay for it from their own funds!”

This is clearly saying that if the sales don’t go well, the Factory No.2’s funding will be reduced, and everyone’s wages will be deducted.

But that’s not all. Secretary Tang then dropped a heavy bombshell: “Does the Factory No.2 want to show off its capabilities? If this coconut juice really becomes a hit, we’ll hold a commendation meeting for them. But if they fail, I’ll have Zhao Jianjun make a public self-criticism in front of the entire factory!”

These people have really pushed it! They’ve been like this for years—just a group of people living off others—and I’ve been wanting to shut down the Factory No.2 for ages. I’d already sent away those who needed to go. Now, they still want to launch a new flavor? Secretary Tang is fed up with it.

Lin Xiang never expected that Secretary Tang, who held the same rank as Factory Director Huang, could dislike the Factory No.2 so much. It was clear he was deliberately making things difficult. Even though the situation seemed impossible to salvage, he still wanted to add trouble to the Factory No.2.

Hearing Secretary Tang’s words, Zhao Jianjun felt a chill run through him. This was too harsh! The Factory No.1 didn’t treat their new products this severely.

“How about it, Zhao Jianjun? Do you dare accept these two conditions? If you do, then go ahead and sell your coconut juice,” Secretary Tang said, staring at him.

Zhao Jianjun, rarely humiliated like this, stood firm, his voice serious: “Secretary Tang, I accept! We have confidence in our coconut juice. It will definitely sell! If we fail, I’ll shoulder the penalty and the self-criticism! Don’t deduct the workers’ wages. I’ll work for free at the factory in the future, just deduct my own salary!”

Lin Xiang: …Oh my, Director Zhao looks really handsome now!

His bald forehead was practically shining!

…

When the good news was brought back to the Factory No.2, everyone was overjoyed. Even the workers, who hadn’t been particularly invested in the coconut juice, became excited.

After all, the opposition had stirred up their rebellious spirit. The more the Factory No.1 didn’t believe in them, the more the Factory No.2 wanted to slap them in the face.

Yang Tian encouraged everyone, full of confidence: “This time, we have to show them!”

Lin Xiang joined in with a smile, seeing the unity on the faces of all the Factory No.2 workers.

However, after Zhao Jianjun returned to the factory, he disappeared from sight. Lin Xiang, leaving the workshop, found him in a corner, frowning as he peeled fresh coconuts.

“Director, what’s wrong?” Lin Xiang hurried over in concern.

Zhao Jianjun smiled at her, but the smile was more painful than crying: “Lin, I was impulsive. Oh no, if this fails, I’ll have to work for free at the factory for the rest of my life. How am I going to explain this to your sister-in-law?”

Zhao Jianjun raised his hand to rub his nearly bald head, which reflected the light brightly. He sighed heavily: “I’ll choose a few coconuts and kneel in front of your sister-in-law to apologize.”

Lin Xiang couldn’t help but laugh, feeling familiar with Zhao Jianjun’s somewhat sheepish demeanor. This was the Zhao Jianjun she knew, far from the confident man who had spoken boldly at the Factory No.1’s leadership meeting about taking full responsibility for any penalties.

But they were both him.

“Director Zhao, don’t worry! We’ll make sure our coconut juice becomes a hit!”

Zhao Jianjun just wanted to hear comforting words. He nodded, trying to rally: “Yes, it will definitely sell!”

But as he finished speaking, he heard Lin Xiang teasingly add before leaving: “If you really have to work for free, we’ll ask your sister-in-law for leniency. Maybe you can kneel on the coconuts for a shorter time.”

Zhao Jianjun: …

She’s gone bad! Lin Xiang, the pure and gentle Lin Xiang, is now as bad as the rest!

---

Joking around with Zhao Jianjun, Lin Xiang quickly left and headed back to the Factory No.1’s office to check on the progress of the new soda production equipment. After all, she had solved the shrimp paste canning issue last time, and the factory director had promised to upgrade the Factory No.2’s equipment.

“It’s hard to buy good equipment now. We have no contact with foreign companies and can’t get the required quotas,” Factory Director Huang said. He didn’t intend to back out of the promise, but purchasing advanced equipment was tough. Most of the quotas were controlled by the capital or major cities, and other provinces could only use connections to secure a spot or buy second-hand equipment.

“I’ll keep this in mind and see if I can get a spot. If not, I’ll ask a few big soda factories if they have any equipment to sell,” Factory Director Huang added.

Lin Xiang knew that the second-hand equipment from those big soda factories would be much better than the Factory No.2’s current equipment—more advanced and newer. She would definitely be satisfied.

After leaving the director’s office, Lin Xiang’s mind was full of ideas on how to ensure the Factory No.2’s coconut juice project succeeded. It had to outshine the rival coconut water from Shiwei Foods.

As she thought, Lin Xiang suddenly realized she’d been focusing entirely on the Factory No.2’s operations lately, especially with this coconut juice project being the first of its kind for them. Zhao Jianjun had even made a pledge, and all the workers were united. They all wanted to impress the Factory No.1.

Yesterday, when Lin Xiang had been summoned by the Personnel Department at the Factory No.1 to handle the transfer procedures, it hit her. She was no longer conflicted or hesitating. She had finally made up her mind.

Lin Xiang went to the Factory No.1’s office and asked around to find out where Officer Zhou from the Personnel Department worked. She didn’t expect that she’d also run into a “familiar face,” He Fen, in the finance department.

He Fen, now a regular female worker in the workshop, had a piece-rate salary, working much harder than when she had been in the office. Her pay was lower, too. She was there to check on some discrepancies in her salary from the previous month, where she had been shorted 80 cents.

However, Lin Xiang didn’t linger on her for long and went straight to the Human Resources Department.

Because of He Fen, everyone in the office knew Lin Xiang, and they were aware she was coming back soon, so they greeted her warmly as a colleague.

Director Bai greeted her briefly: “Comrade Lin Xiang, welcome back. You’ll be a part of the office from now on.”

When Shen Chunli saw Lin Xiang coming in, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, no longer needing to carry the mental burden of “stealing” her job: “Lin Xiang~ Are you here to process your paperwork?”

Among the office staff, Lin Xiang only really knew Shen Chunli, so after smiling and greeting the others, she responded to Shen Chunli: “No, I’m here to talk to Director Zhou about the situation.”

The office director, Tian Guiju, also heard the commotion and came over. After all, Lin Xiang had been unceremoniously moved to the Factory No.2 due to He Fen’s scheming, and now things were finally being set right. It was a good thing!

“Xiao Lin, welcome back.” Director Tian welcomed her warmly.

Lin Xiang knew that everyone had misunderstood her intention, so she had to be straightforward and clear: “Director Tian, I’m not here to process the paperwork for returning to the Factory No.1. I plan to stay at the Factory No.2 and won’t be returning to the first.”

The office staff: ????

Everyone’s mind was racing: Could Lin Xiang have lost her mind?!

Director Tian Guiju froze, Shen Chunli’s eyes widened in shock, and everyone else looked at Lin Xiang with disbelief.

Lin Xiang didn’t care about their gazes and walked directly to Director Zhou: “Director Zhou, there’s no need to keep my position after Sister Sun leaves. I will continue to work at the Factory No.2 and won’t return to the first. Sorry for the trouble.”

Lin Xiang left with grace, leaving everyone in the office staring at each other, each one wondering if they had heard correctly. How could anyone willingly stay at the Factory No.2 and abandon the first?

He Fen, who had been watching the commotion from the finance department, was also stunned. She was clutching her pay slip, her hand trembling. She had worked so hard to push Lin Xiang to the Factory No.2, making her suffer, yet now Lin Xiang willingly chose to stay there?

What had she done? She had lost her good job in the office for this, and now it seemed like nothing at all!

News of Lin Xiang staying at the Factory No.2 spread quickly. The workers at the Factory No.2 were pleasantly surprised. Qiu Hongxia smiled so widely her mouth couldn’t close, but she was a bit worried.

She raised her hand to touch Lin Xiang’s forehead: “Girl, are you sure you’re not running a fever? Are you thinking straight?”

Lin Xiang, exasperated yet amused, replied: “…”

No one understood Lin Xiang’s decision. The people at the Factory No.1 thought Lin Xiang was being ungrateful and crazy, not returning to the Factory No.1. The people at the Factory No.2 were both happy and worried. They felt Lin Xiang had given up a bright future and were concerned she might regret it later.

The feeling was complex, like they were happy she stayed but also worried the Factory No.2 would hold her back.

After Lin Xiang finished work and went home to continue tidying up the new house with He Hongyuan, she asked her husband: “Do you think I’m crazy for giving up the chance to return to the Factory No.1 and staying at the Factory No.2?”

He Hongyuan wasn’t bothered by her bluntness. He gently brushed a few stray hairs from her face and said with a smile: “Don’t say that about yourself.”

He had never cared about these things. When he joined the army, he did so on his own terms. Everything he had chosen, from the branch of the army to the military school, was his decision. He never cared about others’ opinions.

“You stay where you want to stay. Don’t worry about what others say.” He Hongyuan could tell that Lin Xiang had been happy at the Factory No.2 over the past two months. Every time she mentioned her work and life there, it was filled with joy and ease.

And that was enough.

Lin Xiang, with a few smudges of dirt on her face, looked like a little flower cat. She tiptoed and kissed He Hongyuan on the cheek, smiling: “Let’s make the Factory No.2 big and strong!”

He Hongyuan was stunned by the smile on her face: relaxed, confident, and charming. Her eyes sparkled with gentleness. He leaned down, wanting to return her kiss, but Lin Xiang nimbly dodged.

She smiled and ran a few steps toward the faucet: “Aiya, we’re both dirty! No kisses~”

He Hongyuan, still feeling the warmth from her kiss, could only laugh helplessly.

However, the Major General was never one to lose. He had always been like this, both on the battlefield and in the army. If he lost today, he would make sure to “get back” later.

After Lin Xiang washed up, He Hongyuan picked her up and carried her to the only long table in the new house, holding her around the waist as they kissed for a long time…

---

Back at work, Lin Xiang was assigned a new task.

“Now that the recipe and production process are all figured out, we’ve started producing batches of coconut juice,” Director Zhao said, his burden of potentially working for free for a lifetime still on his shoulders. He issued tasks clearly, “We’ve tested a batch of coconut juice, and the mass-produced taste is almost identical.”

For mass production, consistency in color, taste, and flavor is critical. If the batches vary, the quality will be inconsistent, and the product won’t last long.

Now that the product was ready, the Factory No.1 had agreed to release the new flavor. The next step was to send samples to the Jinbian City Grain and Oil Company to sign a contract.

Director Zhao was planning to take Lin Xiang with him.

“Each factory has to send products to the department store and the supply and marketing cooperative through the Grain and Oil Company for approval before they can go on sale,” Director Zhao explained to Lin Xiang as they sat in the cabin. “The Grain and Oil Company is well-funded, and many factories’ sales departments invite people from there out for meals every month.”

Lin Xiang understood. This was similar to the system in the later years, especially with the current ban on private sales, which has elevated the status of the Grain and Oil Company.

“Director Zhao, are you familiar with people at the Grain and Oil Company?” Lin Xiang asked curiously.

Director Zhao laughed heartily, full of pride. “Of course I’m familiar. I can get along anywhere!”

His confidence wasn’t unwarranted. The current general manager of the Grain and Oil Company was also a former soldier, and had once eaten a meal made by Zhao Jianjun, who had been a cook during a battle. That was their connection.

Although the two hadn’t seen each other since, Director Zhao had firmly clung to this relationship.

When they arrived at the Grain and Oil Company, they were received by Section Chief Chen, who, upon hearing they were selling coconut juice, waved his hand dismissively. “What’s so special about selling coconut juice?”

Lin Xiang and Director Zhao exchanged a glance and understood the hidden meaning. They couldn’t keep track of the sales at every major department store, and since the coconut water had only recently launched, it was still in the trial phase. The 119 Food Factory wasn’t sure about the actual sales figures.

But the way Section Chief Chen said it, it was clearly not a good sign.

Director Zhao asked, “Section Chief Chen, what do you mean by that? Didn’t the Shiwei company already sell coconut water? Our 119 can definitely sell it too.”

Section Chief Chen waved his hand again. “Coconuts can be picked and drunk by anyone. How many people are really going to spend money on this? I suggest your factory doesn’t waste time.”

“Well, our coconut juice is different from what Shiwei sells,” Director Zhao and Lin Xiang cooperated. “Lin Xiang, why don’t you let Section Chief Chen taste our coconut juice?”

Lin Xiang placed the bottled coconut juice from their factory on the table in front of Section Chief Chen, opened the lid, and said, “Our 119 coconut juice doesn’t contain any artificial flavoring. It’s all natural coconut taste. You can compare it with Shiwei’s to see the difference.”

Lin Xiang spoke calmly but confidently. Section Chief Chen skeptically eyed the 119 coconut juice, and after noticing the difference—a milky white color compared to Shiwei’s transparent juice—he took a sip. Instantly, he was captivated by its natural, sweet flavor.

The taste was much better than the artificially flavored Shiwei juice!

Thanks to the solid quality of their product, Director Zhao boasted a little, and the Factory No.2 successfully signed a contract with the Grain and Oil Company for 300 bottles of the new product to be supplied to several department stores in Jinbian City.

If it sold well, they could increase the order in the future.

After successfully dealing with the Grain and Oil Company, Director Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly led Lin Xiang back.

++++

The first batch of coconut juice was harvested by the Factory No.2 workers themselves since there were only 300 bottles to make. From picking the coconuts, extracting the juice, to cracking open the coconuts for the flesh and continuing with the production, everything proceeded smoothly.

The workers at the Factory No.2 knew that Lin Xiang’s wedding was coming up and that there was a lot to prepare, especially since she was from out of town. As a young woman, she would inevitably need extra care, so they tried not to trouble her with the coconut juice production.

Lin Xiang was indeed busy with the wedding.

She had finished a big cleaning at home and was just waiting for the furniture to arrive.

The skilled craftsmen from the fishing village knew the furniture was for military comrades and worked quickly. In no time, the furniture was made and aired out.

All the wood was Huanghuali, a type of precious wood native to Haining Province, known for its fine texture and golden color. It was high-quality material. Local villagers would climb the mountains to harvest the wood, and those getting married would buy the material and hire workers for a minimal labor cost.

After airing out for half a month, the naturally aged Huanghuali furniture was delivered to the new house, where Lin Xiang and Aunt Feng, along with Yuezhu, were waiting for the furniture brought by He Hongyuan and his comrades.

The soldiers, strong and capable, carried the heavy pieces into the house, while Lin Xiang and Yuezhu carried lighter tables and stools. In no time, the once-empty house was filled with furniture.

The long living room stretched into the dining area. A brown coffee table and wooden sofa were neatly arranged. Against the wall was a tall, narrow cabinet with fine vertical stripes. Lin Xiang placed a new thermos and a few enamel cups on it, all printed with slogans like “Serve the People” and “Learn from Comrade Lei Feng.”

Zhang Huafeng, Jiang Weijun, and several of He Hongyuan’s comrades, who were close to him, came to help. When they saw everyone was almost done, she went into the kitchen and took out the just-made pork and shepherd’s purse dumplings.

Shepherd’s purse was the first fresh herb of October, and during the famine years, it had been a lifesaver. Though it had been many years since the three years of famine, the tradition remained, and many military wives would pick shepherd’s purse at this time.

That morning, Lin Xiang had gone out with Aunt Feng and Yuezhu to pick the freshest parts, and after bringing back the food rations and meat coupons, they bought three kilograms of flour and one kilogram of pork from the subsidiary food station.

The shepherd’s purse was especially tender, and Lin Xiang had chopped it up with the pork, mixed it with dough, and rolled out dumpling wrappers. The dumplings, crescent-shaped, boiled up into plump, white treats. When bitten into, the rich flavor of the pork mixed with the fresh taste of the shepherd’s purse was enough to make one’s taste buds dance.

The comrades were tired and hungry from their hard work, and as soon as they saw the dumplings, they didn’t hold back, calling out “sister-in-law” and “little sister” in gratitude, eagerly devouring the dumplings.

“Little sister, your cooking is great! No wonder you’re from the food factory,” Jiang Weijun said, savoring the lingering taste.

“The filling with pigweed and pork is so fresh!” Several comrades gave a thumbs-up to Lin Xiang.

Lin Xiang looked at the honest and simple soldiers, their foreheads covered in sweat from moving heavy objects, their bodies emitting heat. She quickly brought over some soda she had chilled in cold water for the afternoon. The bottles, one filled with orange soda and the other with coconut juice, shimmered with golden and milky white hues.

“Everyone’s had orange soda before, but what’s this white drink?” someone asked curiously.

“This is a new flavor of coconut juice we’re about to sell. It’s just right for you all to try and give us some feedback,” Lin Xiang said with a smile.

The soldiers, who had never tasted such coconut juice, took a few gulps and were immediately captivated by its smooth, rich texture and sweet aroma. “Delicious! This taste is quite different, not worse than orange soda!” they exclaimed.

That was the highest praise they could give.

He Hongyuan came downstairs after organizing the wooden bed frame, wardrobe, and desk in the bedroom. As soon as he entered the living room, his partner fed him a dumpling with chopsticks.

“Eat something, you’ve been working hard, haven’t you?”

A few comrades more than two meters away exchanged sly looks, as they had never seen He Hongyuan being fed by someone, especially a woman. They were all excited.

It was He Hongyuan’s glare that made them quiet, and he lowered his head to eat the dumpling. “Really fresh. Did you all go to pick pigweed?”

“Yes,” Lin Xiang answered as she herself ate a few dumplings, then set aside two small bowls for He Hongyuan. “Eat one bowl, and could you take this one to Commissar Zhang? I saw him go out for a smoke after working, looking a bit down, and I didn’t want to disturb him.”

He Hongyuan finished five dumplings in a few bites, then took the bowl of dumplings and headed out.

After the comrades finished eating and left, Lin Xiang thanked everyone and saw them off. When Zhang Huafeng also left, He Hongyuan returned home with the untouched bowl of dumplings.

“Why isn’t Commissar Zhang eating?” Lin Xiang asked, curious.

He Hongyuan sighed, took clean chopsticks, and fed Lin Xiang a dumpling. “He’s upset. There are a lot of issues at home, and he’s lost his appetite.”

Lin Xiang took a bite of the dumpling, and they both finished the dumplings, one bite at a time. “What happened?”

Zhang Huafeng had always been an optimistic and cheerful person with a good temperament and good relationships. Lin Xiang had noticed something was off with him since the National Day performance, but it had been over ten days already.

“His family lives in the deep mountains. He’s the eldest of six children. He’s the only one who’s made something of himself. Every month, he sends half of his salary and allowances home to support his family. Recently, Zhang Huafeng wanted to get married, so he wrote to his family saying that he would have to reduce the amount of money he sent home. But Yan Min didn’t agree to get married this year, so it was dropped. But his family didn’t like that. They sent letters through others, and even called the army, accusing him of being unfilial and saying he’s forgotten about his parents and younger siblings once he has a wife.”

Lin Xiang was surprised. This family had hands and feet, so why should Commissar Zhang send all his wages home? Wasn’t that just exploiting him?

And he only suggested reducing the amount, not stopping it completely.

He Hongyuan furrowed his brow in worry for his brother, but this was a family matter, and blood relations were the hardest to navigate. “He’s been upset recently. He said he’ll come and enjoy a good meal when we have our wedding banquet.”

“Mm.” Lin Xiang nodded, feeling sympathy for Zhang Huafeng in her heart.

Ten days before He Hongyuan and Lin Xiang’s wedding, He Hongyuan’s mother, Aunt He, took the train to Jinbian City.

The soon-to-be-married couple didn’t want to let the elderly woman travel alone, so He Hongyuan made arrangements for a comrade at the Xifeng City train station to help her, mostly because his mother couldn’t read and might get on the wrong train.

Aunt He, however, was annoyed by her son’s over-cautiousness. She had climbed mountains, crossed rivers, chopped trees, and fought the Japanese soldiers. How could she possibly get lost on a train?

But she couldn’t help but feel touched by the constant reminders from her future daughter-in-law on the phone.

It was truly a double standard.

Lin Xiang marked the day on her calendar when her mother-in-law would arrive in Jinbian City. On the morning of that day, she met with He Hongyuan at the Zhou family’s place, and they took the boat to the city train station to pick up Aunt He.

It was just one week before their wedding.