Zhang Liunian rested his chin gently on her shoulder, mimicking a head-to-head embrace. "As long as you are by my side, no hardship will feel unbearable."
Hearing this, Jiang Qingqing trembled, deeply moved. She wrapped her slender arms around Zhang Liunian.
They held each other for a long time before finally falling asleep peacefully.
The next day, Zhang Liunian woke up as usual to practice his boxing at Daming Lake.
After breakfast, he started his day's work.
"Comrade, you're here. Quickly, quickly, let me introduce you. This is Factory Director Yan. After tasting your Flying Dragon in the Sky, he couldn't praise it enough and wants to invite you to work in our kitchen. Do you have any thoughts on this?"
At half-past eleven, as Zhang Liunian arrived at the construction site entrance, the uncle in the five-pointed star hat brought another middle-aged man over.
Zhang Liunian was taken aback when he saw the man, as he recognized him from his photograph in the newspaper.
If he remembered correctly, this factory director was going to die soon.
The cause of death was slipping and falling into his own well after drinking too much.
But the truth was not that simple; the reality was far more pitiable than what people saw.
"Factory Director Yan, you want to offer me a job?" Zhang Liunian's demeanor was exceptionally calm, so calm that it stunned Yan Guoguo and the uncle in the five-pointed star hat, Zhao Zhijie.
This Zhang Liunian's reaction was unusual!
In the entire Datang County, who would hear that Factory Director Yan himself was offering them a job and not be so overjoyed they'd want to set off firecrackers, or not shout it for the whole world to hear?
Yet, this young comrade calmly inquired if it was true.
Yan Guoguo met Zhang Liunian's placid eyes, feeling a spark of interest. This young comrade was rather different from those who would break their heads trying to get into their machinery factory.
He was too calm, too composed.
"Old Zhao recommended your Flying Dragon in the Sky to me, and I tasted it. It was indeed good.
So, I intend to invite you to our kitchen as a stir-fry chef."
Yan Guoguo admitted he wanted to offer Zhang Liunian a job, not because his dishes were exceptional, but out of respect for his friend Zhao Zhijie.
It was Zhao Zhijie who had expressed a desire to take Zhang Liunian as an apprentice, and he had agreed to that.
Zhang Liunian looked at Zhao Zhijie with gratitude, secretly noting his kindness, but he had no intention of becoming an employee.
"Thank you, Factory Director Yan and Uncle Zhao, for the opportunity. However, I don't think working is the only way you can taste my Flying Dragon in the Sky."
The old man selling noodles nearby, overhearing this, almost had his heart jump out of his chest from fright. What did he mean by "not necessarily working"?
Did he not want this job?
If he didn't want it, his entire family still needed it.
With this thought, the old man selling noodles quickly reached out and tugged at Zhang Liunian's clothes. The latter returned a smile.
"Comrade, you need to consider this carefully. A job at the machinery factory is not easy to come by," Zhao Zhijie advised, stepping forward as he heard Zhang Liunian say that.
The reason he was helping Zhang Liunian was twofold: firstly, he wanted to bring Zhang Liunian under his wing as an apprentice, and secondly, he wanted to learn from him, to figure out what exactly he made.
He was the supervisor of the kitchen, and also a cook himself, yet after tasting it several times, he still couldn't figure out what Flying Dragon in the Sky was made of.
Zhang Liunian gave him a grateful smile. "After you hear what I have to say, Factory Director Yan surely won't mind offering me one or two positions."
Zhang Liunian's words further confused everyone. No one present understood what he meant.
Even Yan Guoguo couldn't grasp it. Where did he get the confidence to believe that he would not only be offered one job but several?
How was that possible?
Jobs at the machinery factory were all filled, one person per position. Where would there be so many jobs for him?
"Young comrade, boasting is not good," Yan Guoguo said, not angered, but rather more interested in what Zhang Liunian was about to say.
Just then, the construction workers finished their day and were leaving. However, seeing the factory director of the machinery factory standing at Zhang Liunian's stall, they hesitated, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Zhang Liunian, noticing the workers' predicament, quickly said to Yan Guoguo, "Factory Director Yan, let's chat later. I need to conduct my business first."
Yan Guoguo was momentarily stunned, then he noticed the workers leaving. He politely stepped aside.
What followed was his dumbfounded observation of how popular Zhang Liunian's culinary skills were.
Hundreds of workers got off work, and more than half of them swarmed towards Zhang Liunian's stall, fearful of not getting any food. Their eagerness far surpassed that of the workers at their own machinery cafeteria.
"His business is truly booming," Yan Guoguo couldn't help but sigh. The next moment, he heard a stomach rumble, followed by the sound of swallowing.
Yan Guoguo turned his head and saw Zhao Zhijie looking away with an embarrassed expression, clearly the source of the sound.
How embarrassing!
"Grumble!"
This time, it came from Yan Guoguo. Zhao Zhijie couldn't help but chuckle, biting his lip to stifle his laughter.
Yan Guoguo saw his friend suppressing a smile, nudged him with his elbow, and both of them cupped their fists to their mouths, giggling.
After Zhang Liunian finished selling, he saw the factory director and the kitchen supervisor stifling their laughter. He gave them a bewildered look, then began to pack up his stall.
"Let's find a place to talk!" Zhang Liunian said, carrying his iron bucket in one hand and his carrying pole in the other as he walked over.
"Let's go to the state-run restaurant! We haven't eaten yet," Zhao Zhijie suggested.
"That's fine, but I don't have any coupons," Zhang Liunian said sheepishly.
"It's not your turn to treat. I'll treat," Zhao Zhijie patted his chest, and the three of them headed straight for the state-run restaurant.
Upon entering, someone called out, "Master Zhao is here."
"Yes, serve us a few good dishes," Zhao Zhijie clearly knew the people at the state-run restaurant well, as he instructed the waiter.
The waiter immediately acknowledged and turned to relay the order.
As soon as they were seated, a young man wearing a cloth cap rushed over. "Master, why didn't you call me when you arrived?"
"Why should I call you? Go and cook for me."
"Alright!"
"..."
So, the cook at the state-run restaurant was Zhao Zhijie's apprentice?
Zhang Liunian silently processed this piece of information.
"Young comrade, can we continue?" Yan Guoguo had waited this long, wanting to see what leverage Zhang Liunian had to be so confident.
Zhang Liunian smiled. "Let's talk while we eat."
Yan Guoguo frowned but said nothing.
"Our county's number one machinery factory, does it have one head factory director and three deputy factory directors, with approximately twenty-five thousand employees..."
Zhang Liunian, sensing their curiosity, began to talk about the machinery factory, steering the conversation towards the three deputy factory directors. When the timing seemed right, Zhang Liunian whispered a couple of sentences into Yan Guoguo's ear, causing Yan Guoguo's expression to change drastically.
"You have to take responsibility for saying that!" Yan Guoguo was furious, nearly tipping the table over.
It wasn't entirely his fault for reacting this way; it was because Zhang Liunian had gone too far. He had claimed his wife was having an affair with his deputy factory director, Qian Xuehai. This was impossible.
How could they possibly be involved?