Chapter 451: Chapter 451 Clear View
“Who doesn’t know that their family has good living conditions? I actually wish they would get divorced and you could marry into that family! But think about it, how likely is that? Hailing, we have to consider our own circumstances,” Mrs. Lu advised.
“Am I really that bad?” Lu Hailing couldn’t contain her dissatisfaction.
Mrs. Lu sighed, “I used to think the same, that we could try before anything started, but after trying? Didn’t you see, what was the effect?”
“Mom, I’ve only just started, I haven’t continued yet, how do you know it won’t work for me?”
“Then you think for yourself. I don’t want to criticize you, but compared to that wife, what do you have that’s better than her?”
Lu Hailing, with a stiff neck, said, “How am I not better than her? She’s just a lazy spender, squandering money, lacking prudence, disrespectful to her mother-in-law, neglecting her home all day, and looking down on the poor. She always dresses up gaudily to show off her wealth. In what way am I inferior? If I were her, I’d keep the house tidy every day without letting my mother-in-law or husband lift a finger, and I’d save money for better uses! Plus, she’s just a country girl, not much different from me!”
Mrs. Lu’s face showed a complex expression as she looked at her daughter and paused before saying, “Hailing, not to mention anything else, but just in terms of looks, you can’t compete with her. Men, which one of them doesn’t like a pretty girl?”
Lu Hailing shook her head, “Not everyone cares about looks, and I don’t even think she’s that pretty. She’s just fairer than us because she doesn’t work in the fields. She stays in the classroom all day, away from the wind and the sun. If I married into that family, if I had money, I could look just as clean and pretty!”
Seeing her daughter being obstinate, Mrs. Lu sighed again, “Hailing, they already have a child by now, and they’re both college graduates from the same town. Even the slightest misstep will have people pointing fingers at their spine.”
“But that’s exactly Mr. Wen’s assignment! Don’t you understand? Where did I get this job from? Have you forgotten? Plus, if I do well, you all benefit from it too. It could help pay off my brother’s debts. Mom, why don’t you think about these things?” Lu Hailing became more and more agitated as she spoke.
“I haven’t forgotten. Anyway, you’ve secured your position at the leather factory now. Mr. Wen’s influence can’t reach that far, can it? We’ll just delay her for the time being. Plus, she was just talking. Although she found us a job, the risk she’s taking isn’t less than the job’s worth. If things go south, who knows what the original wife will do? I know things are tough for you at home, and I’m thinking about it,” Mrs. Lu thought about her youngest son’s astronomical debt and her head throbbed. She didn’t oppose her daughter much anymore.
“Mom, you just can’t agree to Qu Fang! I can’t stand him now!” Lu Hailing insisted in the end.
Although Yang PeiMin was freed from her school workload, she didn’t completely relax. She still needed to oversee the cosmetics factory. Every detail and step was crucial; a tiny mistake or variance in material could change the outcome. After all, the manufacturing wasn’t fully automated yet. Many processes required manual work. Initially, they hired over twenty people for the factory, and steadily they hired a few more, with strict division of labor. When Yang PeiMin arrived, seeing everyone bustling with energy, she too felt invigorated.
As for Tang Zhao and Li Yue, they had a special task. They were researching different skin types. Currently, there were only two product lines targeted at specific skin types, nothing for sensitive skin—which most people weren’t aware of or didn’t experience, as cosmetics weren’t yet widespread. But it wasn’t too early to start now.
Dressed in white coats, bearing serious expressions, Tang Zhao and Li Yue occasionally chatted as they worked. When they saw Yang PeiMin, they greeted her with smiles, “You’re here! Come take a look.” Li Yue beckoned her over.
Yang PeiMin smiled and moved closer to join Li Yue. The two discussed the equipment before them, losing track of time as they got busy. By the time they finished the process, it was past lunchtime, and Yang Peijun came looking for her.
“Time for lunch, I hadn’t seen you go back so I came to see what was the matter?”
“I’m sorry, I lost track of time,” Yang PeiMin replied, glancing at her watch, which showed it was past 1 p.m.
Seeing the lunch box in Yang Peijun’s hand made her feel hungry.
It was Yang Peijun’s first visit here, and he felt a novel curiosity, handing Yang PeiMin the lunch box and taking a tour around the factory.
By the time he finished his tour, Yang PeiMin had eaten.
“Minmin, this is where you make those cosmetics! It looks pretty good! How well do they sell?”
Mentioning this made Yang PeiMin smile faintly. With teachers and leaders providing support, sales were good; sometimes they couldn’t even meet the demand, which came from cities surrounding their own.
Hearing this, Yang Peijun exclaimed with admiration, “Indeed, going to university is remarkable. Who would have dared to dream of such things before?”
“So, are you purely admiring or do you have any thoughts?”
“Of course, I do,” Yang Peijun got inspired, thinking that even his sister, who was once considered the least promising, had made a name for herself, while he had achieved nothing. He felt rather useless, so he said, “Didn’t I tell you I’d hand over things to Yingzi and then go out? Now’s a good time, with more than a month until the New Year. I’ll take this chance to go out and make a name for myself…”
Yang PeiMin nodded, “Okay, we’ll pick a day when I’m free, and I’ll take you to the garment factory. When you head out, take some clothes with you to test the waters and help me advertise. Start by selling in nearby cities, then move on to other bigger items.”
The siblings talked as they walked on.
Yang PeiMin learned much from Shen Yiguang’s comrade-in-arms and shared it all in detail with Yang Peijun.
The idea had been there before, venturing outside involved risks, so discussion with the family, especially Yang Dahai, happened earlier, and Yang Dahai agreed. Yang Peijun had no worries about future concerns.
The next day, after Yang PeiMin showed him around the garment factory, the following day Yang Peijun left with his luggage.