NOVPUB
Chapter 759: 749
Several things happened before the New Year.
The first significant event was that Shen Yunfang finally found a professional manager through the introduction of Li Hongjun’s comrade-in-arms. The manager was not a native but from across the harbor.
This person was named Li Tuo, who wanted to develop his career inland and was subsequently recruited by Shen Yunfang.
Li Tuo was a refined man in his thirties, who, through his resume and a thick stack of certificates, convinced Shen Yunfang to tentatively trust this man who still spoke with a trace of an accent. She followed up on his work for a few days and felt that Li Tuo had some effective methods of doing things.
He also submitted a written plan to Shen Yunfang regarding his ideas for the processing factory. After reading it, Shen Yunfang nodded in approval. If everything could be carried out step by step as the plan suggested, then in the coming years, the Feiyang food brand would not only dominate inland but also secure a foothold in the harbor region.
Embracing the principle of not doubting those she employed, Shen Yunfang provided Li Tuo with an assistant and then left him to his devices.
One should be aware that the New Year was approaching, and both she and Li Hongjun were incredibly busy. They hadn’t even purchased the New Year’s goods yet. With so many people in the house this year, what were they to do if they didn’t stock up? Would they end up facing the New Year with nothing?
The second big event was on the twenty-sixth day of the final lunar month, just as Shen Yunfang had freed up some time to go shopping for New Year goods, Wang Dan and her husband, as well as Li Xianglian and her husband, both arrived.
Now, the house was thoroughly lively.
"Yunfang, don’t keep yourself so busy, come and sit in the room for a bit. Sister-in-law and I will take care of the cooking," Wang Dan said with a pleasing smile as she gently pushed Shen Yunfang out.
Yunfang conveniently left the kitchen. There were five people sitting in the living room: Li Hongjun, Li Hongxing, Liu Jianjun, and the couple Sun Chengbin.
Yes, not only had Wang Dan and her husband and Li Xianglian and her husband come over, but Sun Chengbin and his spouse had also joined the fray. Li Xianghe was someone who never lifted a finger no matter where she was, so while the other women were busy cooking in the kitchen, she sat comfortably on the sofa, cracking sunflower seeds.
"Wow, sister-in-law, is dinner ready?" Li Xianghe asked with a cheerful laugh.
She had learned to behave and no longer confronted Shen Yunfang head-on. Now she would come over with a smile plastered on her face, never lifting a finger to help, just joining in for the meals, and she managed to get quite a few benefits from it.
"Not yet, the eldest sister-in-law said she’s taking charge of the kitchen today," Shen Yunfang chimed in and then headed back to her room to lie down.
These days were truly exhausting.
However, no sooner had she laid down on the bed than the noise in the other room surged again.
Shen Yunfang sighed. She was thankful that it was only for this year, just for the New Year that there were so many people; if she had to live in such a large family constantly, it wouldn’t be a life fit for anyone.
After a noisy and boisterous meal, the conversation turned to the living arrangements for the four adults.
Sun Chengbin was understanding and said outright, "The children are already squeezed into the second brother’s place; let the big brother, big sister-in-law, big sister, and brother-in-law stay at our place for a few days."
Li Hongjun didn’t express any opinion and wanted to see what the others thought.
Li Xianglian had no objections, "That’s fine, it doesn’t matter where we stay, we’ll just make do for a few days. After the New Year, we’ll take the kids and go back." She saw that her second brother’s house was small; the room already had to accommodate seven children sleeping on spread mats on the floor. She and her husband couldn’t possibly crowd into the same room with her second brother and his wife, so if Li Xianghe’s place had room, they could make do there for a few days.
Wang Dan was reluctant, mainly because she knew her second brother’s family had money and definitely lived better than Li Xianghe’s family. Living here would be so much more convenient. However, she didn’t have the nerve to say that she wanted to squeeze in with another couple.
"Chengbin, our place doesn’t have any space, either. Our house doesn’t have bunk beds like my second brother’s does. Where will the eldest brother and sister-in-law sleep if they come? Are they supposed to sleep on the floor?" Li Xianghe said, clearly unhappy. If these people came to stay, didn’t that mean her own family would have to provide for them? She certainly didn’t have the money for that.
Sun Chengbin hadn’t expected that, no matter how many times he explained things to his wife, she would still manage to hold him back every now and then. It was a hopeless case.
"Shut your mouth," Sun Chengbin said, somewhat infuriated with embarrassment.
"Chengbin, don’t be angry. It’s the new year, and your big sister and I aren’t going anywhere. There’s a hostel nearby, isn’t there? Your sister and I will stay at the hostel," Li Jianjun said with a chuckle, though his gaze never once shifted toward Li Xianghe.
"That won’t work. We’re already practically home, and we have space in the house. You can’t stay at a hostel. Brother-in-law, don’t mind what Xianghe is saying. You know what she’s like. Just don’t stoop to her level," Sun Chengbin said with a forced smile. Marrying this woman was like courting animosity.
"Your brother-in-law is right. We don’t have a bed at your place. If we go to the hostel, we’ll at least have a bed to sleep in, comfortable. We won’t be bothering you guys," Li Xianglian said, also changing her tune with a cheerful smile. The two of them had some savings, so staying at a hostel was affordable.
After a bit more back and forth, Li Jianjun insisted on not staying at Li Xianghe’s place but to go to the hostel instead. Wang Dan rolled her eyes; she didn’t want to have to look at Li Xianghe’s face at her home, but she was also reluctant to spend money on hostel accommodations. In the end, Sun Chengbin and his wife took Wang Dan and her family back with them.
Once everyone had left, Liu Jianjun also stood up, prepared to take his wife to the hostel.
Li Hongjun raised his hand to stop him, "Brother-in-law, it’s the holidays. The hostels are going to be closed for the new year too. You said it’s just for a few days. Just make do and stay here for a little while."
So Liu Jianjun and his wife set up a makeshift bed in Li Hongjun’s living room and stayed there.
When Wang Dan and her husband found out about this the next day, she was visibly upset, but who asked her to leave with Sun Chengbin yesterday? Now, to ask to move back in and share the living room floor was out of the question.
Whenever they had some free time, Shen Yunfang would take everyone out for a shopping trip in the city.
Wang Dan looked around the department store and muttered, "Yunfang, this place really isn’t as good as the Capital."
Certainly, even if Z City was a provincial capital, it couldn’t match the splendor of a national capital; the comparison was a given.
"Of course, it’s a given. But this is the best store around here. Just make the most of it," Shen Yunfang said helplessly.
"Ah, tell me about it. Why did you have to come to this godforsaken place? It was so good in the Capital with you," Wang Dan complained.
Shen Yunfang didn’t respond. For Wang Dan, it might have been good, but for herself, it wasn’t that great. She couldn’t just split up with her husband to entertain Wang Dan on a shopping trip.
"Big sister, let’s not talk about this. Let’s hurry up and buy some New Year goods. It’s going to get even more crowded soon," Shen Yunfang said, pushing her way forward to buy candy and seeds.
Nowadays, resources were relatively abundant, so many ration coupons had become obsolete. Sugar Coupons and seed coupons were no longer needed; everything was traded freely.
Shen Yunfang didn’t need to buy meat; they would slaughter a pig at the farm when the time came. But candies and seeds were still on the shopping list.
The women barged in and out of shops several times, and each emerged carrying bags brimming with goods before they finally stopped and headed home.
