CHAPTER 396: CHAPTER 396 DISCOVERY

Yang Peimin imagined what he looked like back then.

His eyes were adorably fixed on you, the pacifier simply resting in his mouth. He neither cried nor made a fuss, and seemed to find it all rather amusing.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

"Oh, my silly son really is something."

"What’s so silly about it? Lele is very smart," Chen Guizhi disagreed, following Yang Peimin into the room.

Yang Peimin entered the room, placed the child on the bed, and went to grab a towel and some hot water from the table nearby. Chen Guizhi had already wrung it out for her, suggesting she should apply the hot towel first, then feed the baby.

Then Chen Guizhi seemed unwilling to leave, standing by and watching her grandson. Yang Peimin felt a bit embarrassed.

Actually, it had been like this for a while now. A few days ago, when Zhang Minghua was waiting for Chen Guizhi to come over, the two grandmothers had explained how to take care of the grandson, and Chen Guizhi had taken over.

She was even more anxious about her grandson than Zhang Minghua, holding him everywhere.

Now it was the same. She would wait for Yang Peimin to finish feeding the baby before holding her grandson again.

Yang Peimin couldn’t help but say, "Mom, take a break, have a drink of water. You’ve been busy all day, and I can take care of Lele now."

Only then did Chen Guizhi nod her head and reluctantly walked out. Before leaving, she couldn’t resist turning her head back to take another look at her grandson, as if afraid he might run away.

Yang Peimin didn’t even know what to say anymore.

She could already foresee the future educational challenges.

No, it seemed that she needed to start setting preventive measures with her mother-in-law from now, otherwise, the child might become overly pampered.

During dinner, Shen Yixiang also returned.

She was satisfied with her current job, and as a mother, Chen Guizhi often reminded her, "Work hard, don’t be lazy, and remember the kindness of your sister-in-law."

Now, Shen Yixiang gave Chen Guizhi $15 each month, which was half her salary. She had been promoted from a temporary to a permanent worker, earning the same as others. A month ago, Liu Yang Clothing Factory had opened a storefront on the street in front of the factory. Since the procedures were still unfamiliar and there was a shortage of staff, Shen Yixiang was transferred there. Under the influence of Yang Peimin, Shen Yixiang’s natural talent for matching outfits had been unearthed. Initially, they let her gain experience there, planning for her to return to her position once she could train others.

Shen Yixiang was full of energy every day, her face radiating vitality and confidence, which was a delightful sight. Watching her, Chen Guizhi felt increasingly relieved and urged her to cherish the job and be grateful.

Shen Yixiang told Yang Peimin about the business at the store, "... Today a big customer came in. She was initially here to visit relatives but ended up finding the clothing here to her liking. She bought twenty outfits in one go. Her figure is great too, tall and slim, making the clothes look exceptionally good on her. She even asked if we had shoes because with such beautiful clothes, she wanted to buy some matching shoes. Unfortunately, I regretfully told her we didn’t. Still, following your advice, I mentioned a couple of tips about choosing shoes, and she was quite happy about it. But it’s a shame, as she mentioned that they don’t have such beautiful clothes where she lives, making her rely on relatives in the south or friends in Shanghai to help bring them. Sometimes things work out fine, but when they don’t, she just has to give them away..."

Chen Guizhi was amazed, "Gosh, why would she buy so much? How many can she wear? Does she seriously wear a different one every day?"

Shen Yixiang said to her, "Mom, they are wealthy and don’t care about these things, so long as the clothes are appropriate and beautiful, that’s enough."

Chen Guizhi shook her head, seemingly unable to understand.

Knowing the older generation’s frugality, Shen Yixiang didn’t elaborate further and turned to Yang Peimin, mentioning, "Sister-in-law, I’ve heard there are quite a few clothing factories in the south. Their technology is superior to ours, and they have a variety of attractive designs. It’s my first time hearing about this. If I get the chance, I’d like to visit and see how they do their designs."

Yang Peimin nodded, "Due to factors such as resources and location, our country’s industrial layout features ’light in the south, heavy in the north.’ The north focuses on heavy industry, while the south’s light industry is relatively developed. Despite the southeast coastal area being resource-poor, its convenient transportation and strong financial and technical capabilities allow it to cultivate its strengths and avoid weaknesses, thus developing industries that consume fewer raw materials and fuel. As a result, light industry is relatively more developed in the south, and there are many clothing manufacturers." Of course, it might not be fully apparent now, but in a few more years, as more clothing factories emerge in the south, corresponding transportation, raw materials, and sales industrial chains will form, so the south does have advantages over the north.

Seeing the food on the table, Li Yue forgot everything and ate obliviously, getting nearly choked when she heard Yang Peimin dropping her knowledge here.

"When did you learn all this, Peimin?"

Yang Peimin just rolled her eyes at her.

Shen Yixiang laughed and teased, "Li Yue sister, do all you university students know about this?"

Li Yue shook her head, "I don’t remember."

Shen Yixiang: "..."

Li Yue complimented Yang Peiying, "Yingzi, your cooking skills have improved again. This braised lion’s head dish is so robust."

Yang Peiying was somewhat embarrassed, "I just made it casually."

Li Yue sighed, "You’re being too modest. Your cooking could fit right into a big restaurant. By the way, do you still have that pickled dish you made last time? Bring me some when I leave."

This person really didn’t know the meaning of being modest.

Yang Peiying quickly nodded, "Yes, I’ll pack it up for you in a bit."

Li Yue smiled happily, "Yingzi, you’re not only skilled but also kind-hearted. Are you not working right now? What do you do at home?"

Yang Peiying shook her head.

Yang Peimin looked over at Li Yue, "What are you trying to say, Li Yue?"

Li Yue replied, "When we were coming out, weren’t there two or three snack stalls at the school gate? Have you ever tried their food? But I think theirs wouldn’t be as delicious as Yingzi’s. If Yingzi went there too, her business would definitely be even better."

Shen Yixiang, curious, asked what the story was about, and Li Yue went on to explain.

After listening, Shen Yixiang’s eyes lit up as she looked at Yang Peiying, "Yingzi, I think this is a feasible idea. You can cook fried noodles, dumplings, and steamed buns, right? You just need to set up, set a price, collect and give change, it’s simple."

Yang Peiying shook her head, "I can’t, I’m not good at speaking, I..."

Shen Yixiang pulled at her, "Oh come on, how will you know if you don’t try? I think you’d definitely make money. Isn’t my sister-in-law saying the school’s food is awful? Those wealthy students would surely want to improve their meals."