Switched Marriage: The Coddled Little Wife

Chapter 282: Chapter 282: Times Have Changed

Lin Chuxia first thanked him and then brought up the Qin Family Village and their own chicken farm.

"This little matter is not yet worth bothering Brother Li with. When the day comes that I really can’t handle something, then it won’t be too late to ask Brother Li for help."

Upon hearing that Lin Chuxia had her own chicken farm and the backing of Qin Family Village, Li Jian gave her a thumbs up.

"You see, the national emphasis on developing the private economy is exactly what state-owned enterprises lack in awareness and initiative. By the way, I heard that your food factory has added another production line?"

At this point, the waiter served the dishes. Lin Chuxia had brought alcohol intending to treat Li Jian to a drink, and she meant it.

She first poured a glass for Li Jian, then filled her own glass, before continuing with the previous topic.

"Brother Li is really well-informed. We’ve added a production line for beef sauce. I even brought two bottles of beef sauce, hoping you would take them back to try."

In Lin Chuxia’s space, there were all sorts of cooked foods and beef sauce produced by Xiyang Food Factory, ready to be given out as favors.

Just like now, she hadn’t planned on it initially, but as the topic came up, it was an opportunity handed to her on a silver platter, which was evident from Li Jian’s touched expression.

In her previous life, it took her many years to reach this awareness, by which time she could already afford a car, with some items always in the trunk.

Now, without a car, her spatial ability was proving to be a great help.

Li Jian raised his glass to her in respect.

"I was just saying, it wasn’t long ago that the food factory was all high and mighty, not listening to anyone, and now they’re already anxious. I heard you’ve taken a lot of their suppliers..."

"Hey, Brother Li, you can’t say that. We didn’t snatch anyone’s business. It’s fair competition. Now that the market is open, if the suppliers society sells stuff from the Old Food Factory, they naturally can sell stuff from Xiyang Food Factory as well. You can only say our products are more popular with the people. Unpopular products will naturally be eliminated. Isn’t that the market rule nowadays?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Li Jian nodded hastily, "I misspoke. Let me toast to you again."

Both took a sip of liquor, leisurely eating a few bites of food.

Li Jian pointed at her and said, "You’re still the same, never conceding verbally."

"I’m used to it. I eat everything, but I never accept a loss. Not just verbally, I won’t let myself be shortchanged in actions either."

Lin Chuxia was candid and directly told Li Jian about the incident when the Old Food Factory bribed Chen Chunhua to steal seasoning packages from Xiyang Food Factory.

As there was no evidence and only a few staff were involved, Chen Chunhua was later fired. Aside from a few management staff at Xiyang Food Factory, outsiders didn’t know about it.

This was the first time Li Jian had heard about it and he spontaneously let out a curse.

"I really am seeing something new. They always acted so self-righteous. How could they stoop so low to do such things?"

At the time, when the food factory wanted to buy the cooked food seasoning package from Lin Chuxia, Li Jian was even asked to mediate. He still remembered the pretentious attitude of Liu Guoyi, the factory manager.

Though the matter was ultimately shrugged off completely and Liu Guoyi didn’t get implicated,

but if it weren’t for his instigation, who would do such a thing?

No wonder Xiyang Food Factory had added a meat sauce production line.

Liu Guoyi probably didn’t expect that what he saw as a delicate flower was actually a tyrant flower.

"I heard that after the Spring Festival, they also wanted to produce instant food packaging at the food factory and contacted Xu Changping for machinery, but the products didn’t sell well. Consequently, they’ve shifted all their focus to the meat sauce line. Your move could be considered cutting the ground from under their feet. No wonder there have been recent rumors that the food factory is planning layoffs."

Previously, the food factory’s two major production lines were suppressed by Xiyang Food, leaving layoffs as the only option.

And if they really implement layoffs, the food factory will become the first enterprise in their county to do so.

Oh, that’s not quite right either, there’s still one whose situation is precarious.

"Our county’s vegetable station might be acquired," they say it’s an acquisition, but it’s actually more like being phased out.

Lin Chuxia also heard this news, "With more and more free markets, the vegetable station indeed lacks some convenience."

In fact, if the vegetable station wants to continue developing, it needs to change its approach from fixed-point procurement to becoming a vegetable transfer station to better adapt to the market.

She had previously suggested to Li Jian to expand to surrounding markets, and there was already some indication of this.

However, after Li Jian left, the management at the vegetable station still adhered to the old model and did not innovate.

Li Jian deeply felt that, "After opening up, these state-owned enterprises, especially in the service industry, if they cannot change their mindset and continue innovating, sticking to their old ways, will sooner or later be eliminated by the market. Let’s not even talk about the vegetable station, even department stores and hardware stores are also treading on thin ice."

......

The meal took quite a while for two people, Li Jian was slightly tipsy, and Lin Chuxia also drank quite a bit, but she holds her liquor well, especially since she drank a glass of spiritual spring water in the middle.

The effect of spiritual spring water on sobering up is particularly good, after drinking it, all drunkenness disappears.

Previously, Lin Chuxia had also specifically tested it with an alcohol tester in her villa, after drinking spiritual spring water, an alcohol level of over 80 directly dropped to 0.

It’s as if the spiritual spring water neutralized the alcohol concentration.

"Little sister, see you later, if you have anything, just tell your brother."

Li Jian was quite interesting, when he drank and enjoyed himself, he talked more.

Lin Chuxia, using her bag, took out two bottles of beef sauce for him, "Got it, Brother Li, take it slow on your way."

Li Jian happily accepted the beef sauce, and rode his bicycle away, weaving along the path.

Lin Chuxia also took out her water bottle from her bag and took a couple of sips of spiritual spring water, feeling instantly relieved.

Then she also pushed her bicycle towards home.

When passing by the vegetable station, she suddenly stopped.

The vegetable station before her still had the old mottled gateway, with the four large characters for An City Vegetable Station above it, the red paint bursting and peeling off in some places.

One of the circular lamp decorations for lighting above the doorframe was smashed.

She remembered that during the prosperous times of the vegetable station, before the annual spring vegetable procurement, the station would be redecorated.

The doorframe and main gate would be repainted, and the four large characters for An City Vegetable Station would also be repainted in red.

Things are truly different from the past.

Lin Chuxia recalled the first time she pushed her bicycle with a basket to sell tomatoes at the station and slightly curved her lips.

In her previous life, a similar scene occurred, but compared to that, this memory was sweet.

Lin Chuxia had just left the vegetable station entrance when another figure stopped at the entrance.

Qin Wen didn’t even dismount his bicycle; he just propped one leg and irritably glanced at the vegetable station before continuing home.

Before reaching the village entrance, from a distance, he saw a few police officers talking to some villagers.

Ever since the Xiyang Food Factory was built next to their village, the village grew livelier with successive builds of chicken farms and pig farms.

Not only were unruly people coming to the village entrance causing trouble, but even the police had to come.