Switched Marriage: The Coddled Little Wife-Chapter 371: Targeting Xiyang Food Factory

Lin Chuxia watched the old couple’s performance with happiness in her heart.

A family should be just like that — not stingy with praise and admiration, giving timely affirmation.

She noticed that in many families, even though the spouse and children are one’s closest people,

As soon as one makes a mistake, it is pointed out almost immediately, and even a small mistake can lead to endless nagging and fuss.

Meanwhile, the efforts and contributions of the other person are overlooked.

What a family needs, after all, is devoted care and more giving.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside, and Little Zhuangzhuang ran in with his backpack on.

Seeing the look of surprise on Lin Chuxia’s face.

Then looking at Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin, he loudly asked, "Grandpa, Grandma, are you both wearing new clothes to visit relatives? Are you going to Auntie’s house? I want to go too, I want to go too."

Last time when mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma went to Auntie’s house without him, they left him to have lunch at Uncle’s. He couldn’t be left behind this time.

"No," Lin Chuxia replied smilingly while patting his little head, "Your grandpa and grandma are just trying on new clothes. There’s also a new piece of clothing here for Zhuangzhuang, do you want to try it on now?"

"Yes."

Kids love new clothes and new toys the most.

Lin Chuxia helped Zhuangzhuang put on the new clothes and gave him some tasty treats, the little guy was now overjoyed, having completely forgotten the incident last time when the family left him behind to go to the city.

For lunch, they stewed pork ribs in an iron pot, adding vermicelli, potatoes, and green beans, even sticking a circle of white dough rolls on the edge of the pot – delicious enough to make one’s tongue melt.

Little Zhuangzhuang gnawed his bones clean and still looked regretful, "Yuan Bao isn’t home, what a waste of bones."

Mr. Qin snorted, "If you’re worried about waste, chew on them. Children have strong teeth."

Zhuangzhuang glared with dissatisfaction, "Grandpa, I have human teeth, not dog teeth; don’t trick me."

With a tone still tinged with a childlike lisp, the whole family was amused and laughed.

In the afternoon, Lin Chuxia went to Xiyang Food Factory.

Each month, the food factory and the bun shops would still report their finances to Lin Chuxia.

Looking at the accounts for the past two months, both the food factory and the bun shop are operating normally and even growing steadily.

Especially the food factory, where the order volume is expanding repeatedly, with a stable monthly turnover increase of about 20%.

When she arrived, the sales department was reporting to Su Wensong, and she waited by the side for a while. After the person left, Su Wensong repeated the situation to her.

"The several sales channels we just mentioned were originally from the old food factory. After we invested in the beef sauce production line, we have taken over quite a few of their sales channels. It’s not that we intentionally took their business, but that’s how the market is now; the people’s tastes are the referees. Whichever products taste good and are cheaper, everyone has a clear scale in their hearts."

The implementation of policy liberalization, transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy, Su Wensong anticipated would be an opportunity for them, but he didn’t expect the transition would go so smoothly.

Lin Chuxia had long seen through this, "That’s why I say the market opening is an opportunity for individual enterprises like us. If it were before, the sales points would have all been allocated already, where would there be a share for us."

Su Wensong also laughed along, "Sometimes when I think about the past, it feels like a dream. In just a few years, the market rules that have been maintained for decades have been broken. I just fear that one day if another policy comes down, restoring the old system, if that really happens, us individual enterprises will be stuck in a tight spot for survival."

"That won’t happen," Lin Chuxia was utterly certain of this, "Once the market economy has opened up and people have adapted to the market, it’s impossible to go back to a planned economy – human nature simply won’t allow it."

"Let’s hope so. County Magistrate Bai calling you back this time is probably not for something simple. You should be mentally prepared." freēwēbnovel.com

The notice from the County Committee was issued to Xiyang Food Factory, and it was Su Wensong who had Hou Xiaobao inform Lin Chuxia.

"Is there any news?"

Su Wensong thought for a moment and said, "I suspect it’s about the Old Food Factory. Ever since the last incident, the Old Food Factory changed directors. The new director, Ji Xingwei, was transferred in, and I’ve heard that he was specifically appointed by County Magistrate Bai. I don’t know much about this person, but the current operational state of the Old Food Factory can’t be turned around just by changing directors. It’s said that they haven’t paid salaries for two months already. The last payment was made when Ji Xingwei took over, and he paid the workers the owed wages. But after that payment, no wages have been issued for the last two months, showing that the food factory really has no money. Workers rely on their wages to eat, and continuing this way is certainly not sustainable."

The employees of the Old Food Factory are not like those at Xiyang Food Factory; they are non-agricultural iron rice bowls, living solely on that salary.

"What would you do if you were in their shoes?" Lin Chuxia didn’t dwell on the current predicament of the Old Food Factory but instead asked Su Wensong.

Su Wensong frowned and pondered for a moment, "Laying off staff is one solution."

Given the current order volumes at the Old Food Factory, they simply don’t need so many people, nor can they sustain so many.

But inevitably, this would lead to dissatisfaction among the workers.

The term ’layoffs’ was something Lin Chuxia had spoken of; if it were before, Su Wensong wouldn’t even dare to think about it.

These workers with iron rice bowls don’t have land, and once laid off and jobless, even their basic livelihood could not be guaranteed.

Living a life, being warm and well-fed is the most important matter for survival.

"Or maybe they have their sights set on Xiyang Food Factory."

After considering this, Su Wensong looked towards Lin Chuxia.

County Magistrate Bai specially requested Lin Chuxia to attend the meeting—could it really be...

Lin Chuxia knew what he was worried about and waved her hand, "If I’m not wrong, you’ve only got half of it right. Anyway, let’s go see tomorrow. You’ll come with me."

"Alright!"

............

On the day of the meeting, Lin Chuxia and Su Wensong arrived at the venue early.

This meeting was primarily the annual review of all state-owned enterprises in Ancheng County.

In addition to the leaders of various enterprises, leaders from the County Committee and the Federation of Industry and Commerce attended.

In the past, such a grand meeting was invariably bustling, with the government and businesses joining hands to lead the people of the county to prosperity.

In the last two years, as the market has opened up, the state-owned enterprises have found it increasingly difficult to maintain their ’iron rice bowls’, and the annual summary meeting has turned into an opportunity for these enterprises to vent their grievances.

Competing over who had it worse had become almost like daily chatter for these bosses, hoping that the county committee leaders would provide more support, considering their plight.

Upon entering the meeting hall, Lin Chuxia saw Li Jian sitting in his seat.

Of course, people like them had no right to sit on the stage, not even qualified for the first few rows.

Lin Chuxia and Su Wensong consciously moved towards the back rows, exchanging a look with Li Jian as they passed him.

Li Jian got the hint without a word and moved back two rows to sit next to Lin Chuxia.

"Why are you here today? Shouldn’t you be enjoying your little life in the city?"

"County Magistrate Bai called me in. I’m still in the dark myself. Brother Li, do you have any news?"

Li Jian was indeed surprised to see Lin Chuxia at the meeting, but he quickly thought of something.

"If County Magistrate Bai called you back, this return trip of yours is likely not simple," he looked around and lowered his voice, "I’ve heard that there may be some changes with the Old Food Factory, but the details are not clear yet. Be mentally prepared; I feel like it may be related to this."