Chapter 69.2

The conference room had been hastily arranged with just a few tables and chairs.

Old Gu pursed his lips. “Comrade Qi, what do you think of our situation here?”

“Don’t rush,” Qi Yangyan replied, jotting down notes before looking up. “I’ve got a general idea, Commander Gu. There are two potential solutions.”

Old Gu’s eyes brightened.

He had thought all hope was lost, but now there was a chance.

If it weren’t for needing to maintain his composure as a leader, he would have jumped for joy.

“Comrade Qi, please share. We will do everything we can to make it happen.”

“Not so fast,” Qi Yangyan replied, leisurely pulling out his notes. “First, let me explain these two options.”

Everyone in the conference room turned their attention to him.

“First, mushroom cultivation. I know a type of mushroom that’s very popular in Wancheng. I can bring someone in to teach the residents of the family quarters how to grow them. I will provide the mycelium initially, and when the mushrooms are ready, I’ll buy them at wholesale prices.”

As he laid out the plan, Old Gu felt some dissatisfaction.

Winter was approaching, and it wasn’t the right season for growing mushrooms. While it could bring in some income, there were too many uncontrollable factors.

He preferred something more stable.

Old Chief Gu asked, “What’s the second option?”

“The second option is to establish a convenience food company, mainly producing instant noodles and sausages. I’ll select a nearby location and prioritize hiring military wives. However, the scale won’t be large enough to accommodate everyone at once.”

Though Qi Yangyan had money, he wouldn’t make foolish investments.

He had long planned to start a company here. Since the military district had extended an olive branch, he could take the opportunity to create a solid foundation.

Old Chief Gu nodded in understanding.

He recognized the benefits but wanted both options!

Those selected to work in the factory could do so, while others could grow mushrooms.

It would solve the problems of the family compound in one fell swoop. But as the moment approached, Old Gu suddenly became hesitant.

He felt embarrassed to bring it up.

He shot a glance at Xie Yanzhao, signaling him to step in.

But Xie Yanzhao seemed distracted, not looking in his direction. Old Gu, feeling anxious, kicked him under the table.

“Cough… cough…”

Across the table, Lin Xiao’s face suddenly paled, showing signs of pain.

He clenched his fists, enduring the pain in his leg. It was just a matter of sharing a piece of the pie. Did he really need to go this hard?

“Are you okay?”

Seeing the pained expression on his face, Old Gu could hardly contain his amusement.

It was an unexpected twist of fate.

Kicking this scoundrel felt like a small victory!

Lin Xiao was barely able to suppress the urge to hit him, wondering how he hadn’t noticed how annoying this guy was before.

“I’m… fine!” Lin Xiao gritted his teeth, forcing the words out.

Old Gu, filled with satisfaction, replied, “That’s not good. You look pale. You should really go to the hospital.”

“No way!” Lin Xiao retorted, wanting to leave so this scoundrel wouldn’t monopolize the opportunity.

Old Gu felt a bit disappointed, clearly frustrated with Lin Xiao’s stubbornness.

Securing investments was crucial, and he decided not to dwell on the matter with this unruly soldier.

“Comrade Qi, as you know, our family compound is facing difficulties,” Old Gu hurriedly continued as Lin Xiao opened his mouth to speak. “What if we combined those two ideas? It would benefit more of the struggling wives.”

Lin Xiao thought, Damn, this guy!

“It could work…” he conceded reluctantly.

Old Gu’s eyes lit up with excitement. “If Comrade Qi agrees, then it’s settled!”

“I see,” Qi Yangyan replied, quickly calculating in his head. “In that case, I can discuss the specifics with Commander Gu later?”

“Of course!”

As long as Qi Yangyan was willing to invest, Old Gu would be happy to discuss anything—he would even pamper him.

Seeing the military district and Qi Yangyan reaching an agreement, Lin Xiao grew anxious. “Comrade Qi, we should have a good talk as well?”

“Sure.”

Qi Yangyan was well aware of Lin Xiao’s intentions.

Previously, he had intentionally dropped hints about his assets to lure them in, but he hadn’t expected them to act so quickly.

With this collaboration in place, Old Gu was thrilled and didn’t mind letting Lin Xiao and the others use the meeting room.

Once outside, he excitedly patted Xie Yanzhao on the shoulder.

“I knew bringing you along today would lead to success!”

He was aware of how much Qi Yangyan adored his sister, Ruan Mingfu.

Xie Yanzhao gave Old Gu a nonchalant glance.

Who was it that had looked down on him before?

*

Today was a rare sunny day, and Ruan Mingfu was being supported by Gu Yilin to sit outside and soak up the sun. The enticing aroma in the air made her instinctively pat her belly.

Mrs. Ruan’s cooking skills had really improved…

“Sister-in-law, how’s your foot feeling?”

Hu Wanning walked in just as she saw Ruan Mingfu in the yard, pushing the door open.

Goudan followed closely but vanished in an instant.

Like their owners, Goudan and Wangcai got along well. The two dogs often visited each other, whether at Goudan’s place or Wangcai’s.

Wangcai used to be attached to her, but ever since Mrs. Ruan arrived, he had become enamored with her excellent cooking.

“It’s nothing serious,” Ruan Mingfu replied, pointing to a nearby stool. “Sister-in-law, please sit.”

Hu Wanning glanced behind her. “Where’s Auntie?”

“Busy in the kitchen.”

Ruan Mingfu had been in the kitchen too, but Mrs. Ruan had kicked her out, complaining that her hungry gaze was distracting and that she was clumsy.

It was frustrating!

“I’ll go say hi.”

“Sister-in-law, I’m coming too!”

With the delicious aroma growing stronger, she couldn’t sit still any longer.

Mrs. Ruan was frying fish.

A whole two-pound fish, coated in flour and sizzling in the oil, filled the air with an irresistible fragrance.

“Auntie.”

Mrs. Ruan looked up and smiled, “Oh, it’s you! Come sit.”

For some reason, Hu Wanning always felt pressure in front of Mrs. Ruan.

“I brought some beans I picked for you to add to your dish.”

The beans were fresh and glistening with droplets of water, clearly just harvested.

Mrs. Ruan didn’t hesitate to accept them.

“Mingfu has told me how much you take care of her. I appreciate your kindness. Come over for dinner today so I can thank you properly.”

Ruan Mingfu, who had been drooling over the pot of soup, suddenly heard her name and looked up in surprise. When did I tell Mrs. Ruan that?

Hu Wanning quickly waved her hands. “Oh, no, that’s not necessary…”

“It’s settled then,” Mrs. Ruan said with a smile. “Don’t be polite with me. I don’t know how to thank you for taking care of her. A meal is no big deal. I can still treat you.”

With that said, it felt inappropriate for Hu Wanning to refuse again.

After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Auntie, is there anything I can help with?”

“Peel some taro, please.”

Mrs. Ruan understood that if she didn’t give her something to do, Hu Wanning wouldn’t feel comfortable eating.

While everyone was busy in the kitchen, Ruan Mingfu just sat idly by to avoid getting scolded again.

As time passed, the delicious aroma in the kitchen became even more intense.

Not only Ruan Mingfu but even Hu Wanning couldn’t help but swallow.

Especially when the pot of chicken soup was brought out—lifting the lid released an aroma that could easily be described as fragrant enough to drift ten miles.

The soup had simmered all morning, and the meat had melded into the broth.

A layer of glistening oil floated on top, while beneath it was rich, milky chicken soup, accompanied by mushrooms stewed with chicken, which Hu Wanning had provided.

Mrs. Ruan was quick to notice things.

Meanwhile, the families living around Ruan Mingfu were having a hard time.

With the mouthwatering aroma in the air and the pickled radishes on the table, there was no way anyone could eat. Adults could hold out, but the children were crying and clamoring for meat.

At first, the adults tried to calm them down, but as the delicious smell intensified, their patience wore thin.

The children had only eaten some stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat.

The sound of children being scolded echoed like firecrackers during New Year’s celebrations.

When the chicken soup was served, Mrs. Ruan took a spoon and handed a chicken leg to the chubby little boy, also scooping half a bowl of soup.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

The little boy was particularly well-behaved, with big, round eyes that seemed to melt hearts.

Mrs. Ruan was quite fond of him.

“Such a good boy,” she said, ruffling his hair. She then picked up another chicken leg and handed it to him, “Make sure to eat more.”

Losing a chicken leg made Ruan Mingfu feel quite resentful.

“Auntie, that’s enough,” Hu Wanning quickly placed another chicken leg into Ruan Mingfu’s bowl. “He can hardly finish one by himself. Let the sister-in-law have it.”

Seeing the chicken leg back in her bowl, Ruan Mingfu was overjoyed.

“Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Everyone was so focused on eating that no one even raised their heads.

Even Qi Yangyan, usually the most restrained, couldn’t help but have a second bowl.

As for Gu Yilin, the food enthusiast, she was even more ravenous.

Especially the chicken soup, which was drained clean, leaving no scraps behind.

Xu Zhu’s sympathy turned into envy.

With cooking skills like this, he could put up with even the strictest mother-in-law.

The taste of this meal was something he would remember for a lifetime.

After eating, the men dutifully went to wash the dishes.

But Mrs. Ruan got busy again.

She washed the red dates she had brought from the farm and started snipping the flesh off with scissors.

“Mom, what delicious thing are you making now?” Ruan Mingfu curiously leaned over.

“All you think about is eating. Didn’t I teach you how to handle relationships?” Mrs. Ruan replied with a hint of disdain. “You should really thank those who came to help you yesterday.”

Since they took the time to come and help, sending something directly felt impersonal. Offering a homemade dish was both thoughtful and respectful.

Ruan Mingfu thought, I hadn’t considered that.

Mrs. Ruan shot her a glare. “If you’re not going to help, then don’t just stand around getting in the way.”

Feeling dejected, Ruan Mingfu sighed.

Great, now she is being scolded again…

*

After that, the men in the house all got busy, even Ruan Mingfu’s father was drafted into helping.

News of Qi Yangyan’s plan to set up a factory spread throughout the family compound.

In the past few days, several sisters-in-law had come by to bond with her. It felt like a bustling marketplace, filled with chatter, and it seemed like there were people everywhere. Sisters-in-law who normally wouldn’t even greet her on the street were now extremely enthusiastic.

However, Mrs. Ruan, with her social prowess, quickly got along with everyone in the compound.

Ruan Mingfu watched in amazement.

She had been there for quite some time and still didn’t know many people, yet Mrs. Ruan seemed to remember everyone’s names immediately.

What was even more surprising was that she was playing matchmaker for her brother!

Each of the women had impressive backgrounds, whether they were the daughters of brigade leaders or relatives of officials, yet Mrs. Ruan had rejected all of them.

One day, an unexpected visitor showed up. Upon seeing Ruan Mingfu, they smiled widely, looking like a blooming chrysanthemum.