Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 714 Geng Hui is about to give birth

It turned out that An Laowu's family only had an electric grinder, which was good for crushing but a bit coarse for grinding. Xiaowei decided to go directly to a powder mill.

Han San said, "You can use the first floor for seasonings, and the second floor can be used for instant noodles. I calculated that it can accommodate four machines. Then, the first floor can be used as the dough-making workshop, and the second floor as the baking workshop. All four workshops will be operational. The middle of the second floor is the canteen, right? The bottom shelf is perfect for storing biscuits. I suggest you leave the third floor empty for now, produce for a while, and then see how it goes. Save it for future expansion."

Xiao Wei said, "The third floor will be used as a school, a baking school."

Han San said, "That works too. Is your school really that big?"

Xiao Wei said, "The middle of the third floor is hollow, and the area above the cafeteria is empty, extending all the way to the top. It's not as big as the second floor."

Han San said, "That's big enough, over 1,500."

After finalizing the arrangements and dimensions, Han San led the workers back to prepare. Xiao Wei said goodbye to Engineer Wang and returned to the guesthouse with Chen Hui. As soon as they reached the second floor, they heard Xiao Hui's cries. During the day, Chen Xiao would often bring the child here to stay, since the room had everything she needed and there were people to help her with the baby.

Xiaowei's parents just arrived and don't have anything to do yet. During the day, when Xiaobing goes to school, they go with Aunt Wang. Today, they went shopping somewhere and even lured Chen Xiao's mom away.

Xiao Wei greeted the three people Zhang Wei had brought and chatted for a while, but Zhang Wei wasn't there; he'd gone to the construction site. These three people were responsible for budgeting, materials, and design; Zhang Wei had clearly put in a lot of effort.

The three of them were looking at the company's project documents, and Xiao Wu was keeping them company while they talked.

At that time, there weren't many private companies, and salaries were generally comparable to those of state-owned enterprises, so there was no need to specifically negotiate on benefits. The biggest difference between private and state-owned companies was the difference in welfare.

State-run welfare programs offer implicit benefits, such as healthcare, housing, and holiday gifts, while private companies provide direct cash payments. This is especially true after the abolition of welfare housing policies, which has significantly increased the attractiveness of private companies. After all, the money is tangible.

Another difference is the work atmosphere. Private companies at this time could use people based on merit, unlike state-owned companies which relied on seniority and experience. This is why young people were more willing to choose private companies.

After exchanging a few words, Xiaowei and Chen Hui returned to their office to look at the property information Yu Qiu had brought back. Yu Qiu had done a very thorough job, providing clear descriptions of the surrounding area, the building's age, the property owner, the approximate price, and the catchment area. Each location was accompanied by two photos and marked on the Dalian administrative map. A total of nine locations were found.

Xiaowei and Chen Hui discussed it and ruled out three locations that were relatively far from the city center. They decided to go and talk to the remaining six locations, which were all concentrated in Ganjingzi and Shahekou, which were the current city center of Dalian.

At this time, Dalian has not yet become the "Little Hong Kong of the East." Its economy is just starting out, Jinzhou District is not yet fully formed, and the central urban area is not large.

Chen Hui put the materials he had chosen into his bag and said, "So, how should we arrange things?"

Xiao Wei said, "Let's go to Xidu tomorrow, get things done quickly, come back to Andong, and then go directly to Dalian from Andong, okay?"

Chen Hui looked at the map and said, "What's wrong with that? How do we get to Xidu? By car?"

Xiao Wei pursed his lips and said, "Let's take the car. I'm not confident driving."

Chen Hui chuckled and said, "You get scared sometimes? Were you frightened last time?"

Xiao Wei said, "It was really scary, but the main thing is it wasn't worth it. Let's take the train. I don't want to drive at all on this trip. Can we just take the train for everything?"

Chen Hui said, "That works too. Driving is tiring. We can just borrow a car from the power company when we get there."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, then it'll be by train. Have you told Chen Xiao yet?"

Chen Hui glanced at the door and said, "What are you talking about? It's not decided yet, what can I say? Go and tell them, go now."

Xiao Wei said, "Can't you just say it yourself?"

Chen Hui said, "Forget it, let's talk about it tonight. Today, your mother-in-law and your mother dragged my mother-in-law shopping, and no one is helping her hold the child. She's furious. If I go and say something now, wouldn't I be asking for trouble? Do you think I'm stupid?"

Xiao Wei said, "No, we're going out to take care of serious business. Xiao Xiao is sensible. You can try it if you don't believe me."

Chen Hui shook his head: "No, I won't try. It's not worth the risk. Everyone will be back tonight, and the kids will be taken care of, which is the safest thing to do."

Xiao Wei chuckled; Chen Hui looked so adorable.

Chen Hui leaned back in his chair, stretched out his legs, and said, "Just wait, there will be two after the New Year, it'll be lively!"

Xiao Wei paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, right, Lao Xia is due in January. Wow, she's about to give birth soon, it's going to be quite a lively occasion."

Chen Hui looked at the roof and said, "Hmph, let's start praying now. Hope it doesn't happen during the Lunar New Year period. Either it should be early or late."

Xiao Wei asked, "What day is Chinese New Year this year?"

Chen Hui said, "February 3rd. Geng Hui's due date is January 28th."

Xiao Wei licked his lips, sensing something was amiss. This might really be his birthday during the Lunar New Year. He said, "It all depends on which day Old Xia wants to celebrate his birthday, whether it's the youngest or the oldest."

Chen Hui asked, "Do you think a birthday on New Year's Eve is considered a minor or major birthday?"

Xiao Wei said, "The smallest day, the very smallest day. And it only comes around once every few years."

Chen Hui asked, "Why?"

Xiao Wei said, "Don't you look at the almanac? The 30th of the twelfth lunar month only comes around once every few years. We usually celebrate the New Year on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month."

Chen Hui said, "So how do people born on the 30th celebrate their birthday? They're thirty years old in the traditional Chinese age system, but in the Western age system, they're in their early teens, right?"

Xiao Wei said, "That makes sense, but nobody actually calculates it that way. Are you crazy? The current rule is that you have to be eight years old to start elementary school. According to your calculation, by the time this person graduates from high school, they'll almost be retired."

Chen Xiao's voice came over: "Chen Hui, you two are just wasting your time talking nonsense instead of helping me hold the baby for a while." She came out to use the restroom and happened to see the two of them sitting there chatting.

Chen Hui said, "We're discussing something. Isn't Geng Hui inside?"

Chen Xiao said, "Can't you two come over here to discuss this? Are you worried the child might overhear?"

Xiao Wei stood up and said, "Alright, let's go. I guess Geng Hui can't hug me now."

The two of them went into Chen Xiao's room. Little Hui was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling with his big eyes. Geng Hui sat beside him, holding a rattle to amuse him. The little boy shook and kicked his legs, and while he seemed unaffected, Geng Hui herself was having a great time.

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "Are you teasing the child, or is the child teasing you?"

Chen Xiao came in, shaking the water off his hands, and wiped Chen Hui and Xiao Wei's faces with his hands.

(End of this chapter)