When Wen Chun and Wen Xuan saw them, they both exclaimed “Wow” in unison. Spotting two pairs of shoes that were obviously much smaller, they hurriedly bent down to pick them up and jumped around Wen Jiajia with laughter.

The two children were smart and knew that the smaller pairs were bought for them.

Naturally, they tried them on right away.

“Aunt, the shoes are too big,” Wen Chun said, sitting on the sofa and kicking her feet. “My feet feel empty.”

Wen Xuan added, “Mine are too. My shoes fall off when I walk.” She took a few steps to demonstrate to Wen Jiajia.

“They should be big,” Wen Jiajia explained. “These are for you to wear next year and the year after.”

Wen Chun and Wen Xuan looked at her in disbelief, puzzled as to why they could only wear the shoes next year.

Wen Jiajia didn’t bother to explain further. “Go to the shoe cabinet in your room and see how many pairs of shoes you have.”

Sure enough, they had two pairs of sneakers, one of which was barely wearable and the other slightly too big.

Adding cloth shoes, cotton shoes, and sandals, they had enough to last until next year.

The two girls went back to their room with the shoes in hand, feeling a bit down. They decided to keep the shoes safe and freshen them up with flower sachets so that they would have a pair of brand-new, fragrant shoes to wear next year.

Wen Jiajia checked the items one by one, and after organizing them, she carried the things she had bought for her neighbors and delivered them one by one.

Teacher Shen touched the shoes and smiled. “I always fail at making cloth or cotton shoes. The ones I make are always very slippery. Now I’m finally not afraid of slipping.”

Sister Bao was more interested in the ready-made clothes.

Ready-made clothes were expensive, and she seldom bought any, especially since she had to give lectures at the textile factory.

Wen Jiajia had just learned about this.

Sister Bao said happily, “I didn’t tell you before because I wasn’t sure. The textile factory said I’m good at making buttonholes, and I’m the best at it, so they asked me to be a teacher for a few days to teach others.”

After saying this, she covered her mouth and chuckled. She never imagined this day would come.

She couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of someone calling her “Teacher Bao.” Because of this, she even asked Wen Jiajia to help her bring a piece of ready-made clothing in advance.

I have to say, their ready-made clothes are really nice, with newer styles than the ones we make ourselves. They look more formal and energetic when worn.

Wen Jiajia said repeatedly, “Congratulations, Sister Bao, your career is starting to take off.”

“Hey, I’m here to give you some good advice.”

After that, Wen Jiajia delivered the last item to the Xu family.

The Xu family had asked her to buy Dacron fabric because the little girl in their family was getting married, and they specifically requested red fabric.

After making the delivery, Wei Dai had already returned with breakfast.

They had steamed buns that morning, but they were brown sugar buns, which were delicious with milk.

As Wen Jiajia chewed the bun, she swallowed it, took a sip of milk, and said, “We still have a few milk powder coupons at home. Let’s send them to my eldest brother and his wife.”

“Not keeping them?”

“Why keep them? We don’t need milk tickets to drink milk every day.”

As she finished speaking, Wen Jiajia frowned. “Actually, forget it. Let’s just buy the stuff here and send it to them. If we try to use the ticket in the county, we’ll only be able to get a few packs of malted milk. It’s not easy to buy milk powder in the county.”

After dinner, Wen Jiajia gathered her things and headed out.

The back seat of her bicycle was piled high, and it took several ropes to secure everything.

Before leaving, she reminded Wei Dai, “Remember to heat up the pickled duck and smoked fish. I’m afraid they’ll go bad.”

“Got it,” he replied.

At half past eight, she arrived in the city.

After giving Lan Lan the Pechoin, clothes, and shoes she had wanted, Lan Lan jumped for joy in the state-owned restaurant.

Next, Wen Jiajia went to the pharmaceutical factory to deliver Sha Yue and Hao Qingying’s items.

This was her first time back at the pharmaceutical factory since she left. The old man at the door and the security team on their morning patrol still remembered her.

“Wen Jiajia, we haven’t seen you in a few days. You must be at the hospital next door. What brings you here?” they asked.

Wen Jiajia smiled and said, “I’m here to see Sha Yue and Qingying.”

As she continued, someone else called out to her, and Wen Jiajia had to stop and chat.

Her mouth was dry from all the talking, and she realized for the first time how popular she was—so many people knew her.

She arrived at the sixth workshop with a sense of familiarity, and for a moment, it felt like she was back home. She was warmly received.

“Jiajia, why didn’t you tell me you were going to Hai City?” someone regretted. “If I had known, I would’ve asked you to bring some things back for me.”

Wen Jiajia could only comfort her, “Next time, for sure.”

“Really? You have to promise.”

“Really!” She was certain she would go to Hai City again.

Sha Yue and Hao Qingying were already holding the items Wen Jiajia brought them and refused to put them down. Wen Jiajia gave them the remaining money. This trip to Hai City had almost emptied her pockets.

“Everything in Hai City is so beautiful,” they both exclaimed.

“Look at this Pechoin. Wow, it smells so good! It’s even better than vanishing cream.”

Wen Jiajia replied, “I have to get to work. I slept very late last night, and I’m so tired that my head feels heavy now.”

“Go ahead! Come to my house for lunch today. My dad’s on vacation, so he’ll cook for us,” Hao Qingying said.

What a shame! Your dad finally got a day off, but you’re putting him to work. Still, Wen Jiajia was happy to accept the invitation.

After all, in her opinion, Master Hao’s cooking was top-notch!

Wen Jiajia returned to the factory and first gave Dong Qi her items. Then she reported to Director Gao that she had returned, and finally began to catch up on the work that had piled up over the past few days.

After a few days of adjusting, the four people in the office became familiar with each other, but Wen Jiajia still felt a bit out of place. She even mixed up some people’s names and had to relearn them.

She was busy until half past eleven, then stood up, stretched her neck, and poured herself a glass of water.

It was time for lunch, so Wen Jiajia left the office on time.

Once she was gone, the others in the office felt comfortable leaving as well.

Some even muttered, “The team leader’s pretty good, leaving on time.”

Being late for work was even more annoying than being late for class.

Wen Jiajia headed straight to the entrance of the pharmaceutical factory. By this time, Hao Qingying and Sha Yue were already waiting for her there, both scouting the area.

They checked out the place before work, during lunch, and after work.

The Hao family’s home wasn’t far away, just on the next street. It only took five or six minutes to get there by bike.

But you can’t go to someone’s house empty-handed, so when they passed by a department store, Wen Jiajia bought some candy and Sha Yue picked up some biscuits before they visited.

Master Hao had almost finished cooking by the time they arrived. Wen Jiajia asked curiously, “Qingying, did you run home during work to ask your dad to cook?”

Hao Qingying scoffed, “Nonsense! I told him yesterday, otherwise it would’ve been hard to buy vegetables. I even ran into your Wei Dai yesterday and asked him about it. He said you’d be back in the evening.”

Sha Yue was very curious and pulled Wen Jiajia aside to ask, “Tell me what Hai City is like. Are there tall buildings everywhere?”

As soon as she asked this, Chef Hao, who was busy with the last two dishes in the kitchen, pricked up his ears, and Hao Qingying’s mother also leaned against the door to listen.

Wen Jiajia pulled up a stool and sat down. “Hai City is indeed much more prosperous than our place. Many buildings on the streets are three or four stories high, there are lots of buses, and even more bicycles. The Waibaidu Bridge is also very beautiful, spanning the river. I heard it was built almost 70 years ago, and it’s made entirely of steel…”

“And then there’s the Bund. The most beautiful buildings are on the Bund. They’re all very tall, with houses on one side and the Huangpu River on the other. Across the Huangpu River, in Pudong, there aren’t any high-rise buildings. It’s similar to here. People in Puxi call them country folks.”

To be honest, Wen Jiajia had really wanted to buy two houses in Pudong during her business trip. At that time, housing prices in Pudong were very cheap, and with her family’s savings, it was possible to buy three houses, not just two—and they were the kind with yards.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time or enough money, so she could only wait for another opportunity to buy them.

Wen Jiajia also talked about some shopping malls and restaurants in Hai City, focusing on the dishes she had eaten over the past few days.

Master Hao listened carefully and said with a sigh, “If I ever get the chance, I should travel more. I went to Hai City in 1960. Back then, there was famine all over the country, and there wasn’t any food in Hai City. I didn’t eat a single meal for three days—I only had the vegetable dumplings I brought from home. But the local cuisine you mentioned… Our hotel does have a chef who specializes in local dishes. If you come by one day, I’ll ask him to make a braised pork dish.”

Wen Jiajia was pleasantly surprised. “That’s great! I’ve been craving that ever since I got back.”

“Well, you can make it at home. It doesn’t require a lot of spices.”

“I’ve thought about it, but I don’t have authentic Shaoxing Huadiao wine^[1]is a type of traditional Chinese rice wine. It is renowned for its rich flavor and is widely used in Chinese cuisine..”

“I know someone who has it. I’ll buy you a bottle one day.”

Wen Jiajia nodded eagerly. At this time, wine was always good wine.

The dishes were ready, and everyone gathered around the table.

With five dishes and one soup, the meal looked particularly sumptuous.

Although Chef Hao was an expert in Huaiyang cuisine, he had picked up various skills from working in big restaurants over the years.

Cooking is an interconnected art, and a chef of his caliber could replicate a dish with about 50% to 60% accuracy just by tasting it.

For most people, that 50% or 60% was more than delicious enough—like the stir-fried pork with peppers in front of them. Wen Jiajia felt as though it had been cooked by a master of Hunan cuisine.

The green peppers were fried until soft but not mushy, and the pork slices were cooked just right—not too dry or tough. The meat had absorbed the spiciness of the peppers, while the peppers were infused with the meat’s savory aroma. Mixing two chopsticks of this with some rice made for an excellent meal.

Then there was the braised lion’s head^[2]is a traditional Chinese dish known for its rich flavor and tender texture and refers to the shape of the dish, which resembles a lion’s head..

Oh my goodness, this was the main attraction on the table today, the absolute star of the meal, even outshining the braised fish.

The lion’s head meatball was a rich maroon color, with green vegetables and some of the maroon sauce underneath.

As Wen Jiajia bit into it, she tasted both the juicy meat and the crispy water chestnuts simultaneously.

The meat was made from pork leg, with a ratio of 70% lean to 30% fat. The meat wasn’t chopped too finely, so the juices filled the gaps, giving it a soft yet chewy texture.

Hao Qingying was used to her father’s cooking and had developed some resistance to its allure. Wen Jiajia was also fine, as she had been eating meat every day recently.

Sha Yue, however, was different. Despite trying her best to control her eating speed, she couldn’t help but eat faster than everyone else.

She almost teared up, saying, “Qingying, so this is what you eat every day.”

She wished she had a dad who was a chef too!

_

In the afternoon, Wen Jiajia took a short nap to recharge before heading to a meeting with Director Gao.

Since she knew shorthand, Wen Jiajia was always the leader’s first choice for an assistant during meetings, even in a new factory.

Liang Mu couldn’t compete with that.

His shorthand speed was no match for hers. Director Gao had just tested them, and Liang Mu was instantly outpaced by her.

Wen Jiajia felt quite proud. She wasn’t kidding—her speed was honed by being put through the wringer by Director Xue in their weekly meetings.

“This is the weekly meeting. Everyone has to report… Have you finished organizing the materials I asked you to compile this morning?” Director Gao asked.

Wen Jiajia replied, “It’s done. I have it right here.”

“Good. Just make sure to note the key points.”

Wen Jiajia felt a pang of resignation^[3]refers to a sudden, sharp feeling of sadness, regret, or resignation. It captures the emotional response someone might experience when they accept or resign themselves to a difficult or undesirable … Continue reading. Even in a new factory, she couldn’t escape the weekly meetings.

But there was a silver lining: the meetings allowed her to understand the situation in each department and get early insights into the actions of the factory’s senior management. So, while she dreaded the weekly meetings, she also found them valuable.