Chapter 36 Learning from Lin Xiang

Niu’s father and Niu Tiantian exchanged a few light-hearted words before finally turning their attention to Lin Xiang. A faint smile lingered on his face as he greeted her warmly. “Make yourself at home, don’t be shy. Tiantian, why don’t you go keep Lin Xiang company?”

Niu Tiantian sat down beside Lin Xiang and said, “Dad, Lin Xiang wants to buy some parts from the hardware department. Could you please get some from the factory for her later?”

“Oh? What parts do you need?” Niu’s father asked.

Without hesitation, Lin Xiang pulled out the blueprints she had prepared in advance from her crossbody bag. “These are the parts I need, and I’ve clearly marked the quantities. Uncle Niu, could you see if it’s convenient for you?”

Niu’s father glanced over the drawings and quickly understood her intention. “You’re planning to build a machine?”

“Yes! I intend to sell sweet potato noodles at the upcoming market, but making them by hand is too slow. So, I want to make a simple machine to replace manual labor and speed up the process.”

Niu’s father nodded. “Alright, after lunch I’ll get the parts for you. But about your sweet potato noodle business…”

“Uncle Niu, is there a problem?” Lin Xiang noticed his hesitation and asked proactively.

He shook his head. “No problem. I just suggest you don’t make too much at once, so it won’t spoil if stored too long.”

Lin Xiang was perceptive enough to catch his implied skepticism about her business prospects. Yet, since he didn’t elaborate, she chose not to press the matter.

Just then, Shen Aihua had finished preparing the meal and invited Lin Xiang to join them at the table.

Compared to rural fare, the lunch in this urban worker’s household was far more abundant. The rice was a blend of polished white rice and corn grits, with a larger proportion of white rice. The dishes included egg and seaweed soup, stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, sautéed vegetables, and braised pork.

The plate of braised pork looked particularly mouthwatering.

“Let’s eat,” Shen Aihua said, kindly placing a piece of braised pork into Lin Xiang’s bowl.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Lin Xiang replied before beginning to eat.

She first ate the braised pork, complimented Shen Aihua’s cooking, then mostly ate the rice, occasionally taking some vegetables, even ladling some seaweed egg-drop soup over her rice. She never returned to the braised pork.

Niu Tiantian couldn’t stand it any longer and used communal chopsticks to place two pieces of braised pork into Lin Xiang’s bowl. “You’re at my home now, don’t hold back—eat more meat. My mom queued early this morning at the pork company to buy this meat. I bet you rarely get to eat meat at home, right?”

“Tiantian!” Shen Aihua shot a sharp look at her daughter and shoved a piece of braised pork into her mouth. “Can’t you keep your mouth shut when people are eating?”

Tiantian swallowed the meat with difficulty, then apologized to Lin Xiang with a sheepish expression, “Lin Xiang, I didn’t mean anything by it. Please don’t be upset.”

Lin Xiang smiled gently. “I know, you’re just trying different ways to get me to eat more meat. I’m grateful, how could I be angry?”

With that, she voluntarily took another piece of braised pork, and after chewing and swallowing, praised Shen Aihua’s cooking again.

“Auntie, your cooking is really delicious. Chef Shen also cooks well—your family must have some ancestral culinary skills, right?”

Lin Xiang’s compliments were sincere and unpretentious, which delighted Shen Aihua. She modestly replied, “You flatter me. I just know how to make simple home dishes. I heard from my brother that you can cook Western food—that’s really impressive.”

“Heh, just a little bit,” Lin Xiang said with a smile.

They chatted a while, smoothing over the earlier awkwardness caused by Tiantian’s remarks.

After the meal, Lin Xiang offered to clear the dishes, but Shen Aihua hurriedly stopped her. “You’re our guest; you shouldn’t be doing this. Go sit on the sofa and rest.”

“But Uncle Niu just told me to treat this place like my own home and not to be so formal.”

“Alright, alright. Then help me bring the dishes into the kitchen, and I’ll wash them.”

While tidying up, Shen Aihua gave Tiantian, who was already resting, a sharp glance. “Learn from this!”

After Lin Xiang followed her into the kitchen, Niu’s father quietly remarked, “Don’t dislike what your mother says. Lin Xiang may be from the countryside, but she’s very clever, especially when it comes to social skills—far better than you. You’re starting work soon, and you’re almost a young lady. You need to learn a lot in this regard.”

“Got it, got it. I’ll ask Lin Xiang for advice when the time comes. Dad, you shouldn’t just sit around either. Hurry back to the factory to get those parts for Lin Xiang. After you return, we still have to go to the cotton mill!”

Luckily, the Niu family lived near the hardware factory—only a two or three-minute bike ride away—otherwise, Shen Aihua and Tiantian wouldn’t have suggested asking Niu’s father for help.

By the time Lin Xiang finished helping wash the dishes and emerged from the kitchen, Niu’s father had returned with the parts.

He handed the bag to Lin Xiang. “Count and see if everything’s there.”

Lin Xiang carefully checked and confirmed all the parts she needed were present. For each type, Niu’s father had prepared two sets in case the first attempt failed and replacements were needed.

“These are exactly what I need. Thank you so much, Uncle Niu—you’ve really helped me a lot!”

“You’re too polite! So, shall we head to the cotton mill now?”

“Sure, let’s go right away!”

The cotton mill wasn’t too far from the Niu household—about a twenty-minute walk.

The group chatted cheerfully as they walked and soon arrived.

Standing before the tightly shut gates of the cotton mill, Niu Tiantian frowned. “How are we supposed to get in?”

Lin Xiang had already approached the gatekeeper and handed him a pack of Double Happiness cigarettes she had bought in advance. “Uncle, I have an appointment with Director Chen today to complete my hiring procedures. Could you help us make contact?”

The gatekeeper recognized Lin Xiang immediately and politely declined the cigarettes. “I know you—you’re the one who brought those foreign businessmen here to negotiate cooperation with our cotton mill! The director said if you’re here, just go straight to his office.”

He pointed to a nearby building. “See that small high-rise? The director’s office is on the third floor, third room. Just go there directly.”

“Thank you, Uncle!” Lin Xiang discreetly placed the cigarettes on the table near him and gestured to the Niu family. “They’re here with me.”

This time, the gatekeeper didn’t refuse and pocketed the cigarettes. “Alright, you all go in together.”

Following the gatekeeper’s directions, Lin Xiang led the Niu family to Director Chen’s office.

She knocked gently on the door, and upon hearing “Come in,” opened it and stepped inside.

“Director Chen, I’m here to complete the formalities.”

“Comrade Lin Xiang, you’re just in time. Come help me translate this telegram—what exactly does it say?”