I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

I spend an afternoon cooking and two hours eating.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhou Zhonghai urged Liu Songming to go back to his wife, while the rest of the people went upstairs to have tea.

Qiaoqiao, Fenglin, and Sister Hu cleared away the dishes.

The leftover mutton bones and scraps were all eaten by Dahuang.

Fenglin cleared the dishes, Sister Hu washed the dishes, Qiaoqiao mopped the floor, and Yu Fu was in charge of making tea in the study on the second floor.

With clear division of labor, things can be done quickly.

Zhou Wenjing and Annie had planned to have a good talk with Fenglin after finishing their work, so they went downstairs.

"Hey, why did you come downstairs? It's all dirty and filthy. Are you going to have some tea?" Qiaoqiao asked curiously.

"Sister-in-law, let me do it. Dad wants you and Fenglin to go upstairs for tea."

"Me and Fenglin?"

The men are talking about work, what are we supposed to do?

"Of course, Dad is biased towards you, so why can't we listen to him?"

Anne pouted and grumbled, clearly unhappy.

"Dad's words are orders. Sister-in-law, Fenglin, you go upstairs. Annie and I will do the work here."

As Zhou Wenjing spoke, he snatched the mop from Qiaoqiao's hand.

"Qiaoqiao, Fenglin, you've both had a long afternoon. Go have some tea. I'll take care of things here."

Hu Xiaomei called out, "My second son and his wife haven't entered the kitchen all afternoon. Qiaoqiao should take a rest."

"Well, let's go upstairs then."

Qiaoqiao gave the mop to Zhou Wenjing and pulled Fenglin upstairs.

The study on the second floor is very large, with three sofas—one long and two short—and a large coffee table in the middle.

There was a large teapot on the coffee table, and several people's teacups were filled with tea.

"Qiaoqiao, Fenglin, come, come sit down. You've worked hard today."

Qiaoqiao and Fenglin found a corner and sat down on two small wooden stools.

"I'm very happy today. It's rare to see all of you young people gathered together."

Zhou Zhonghai said happily that the young people were all smiling as they drank their tea.

"It's almost Chinese New Year, and our company needs to do a summary. Today, we'll also do a summary. Tell us about your achievements in your respective fields. Who wants to go first?"

Zhou Zhonghai glanced around and his gaze fell on Yang Zheng.

"This year, I studied in Shanghai, and what impressed me most was Shanghai's economic development. In Huailin, not many families had televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines, but in Shanghai, 60% of families did. In addition to rapid economic development, industrial development was also very fast. Many companies have already entered a semi-automated stage. Shanghai is our bright spot; the whole country is about to enter a revolutionary era."

Yang Zheng did not mention his academic achievements or his accomplishments in prosthetic manufacturing, but instead shared his impressions of what he saw and heard in Shanghai.

"Yang Zheng is right. I've been to Shanghai a few times, and their bicycles and appliances are in a semi-open state. Even without a ticket, you can buy any necessities as long as you pay a little extra," Zhao Jintao added.

Zhou Zhonghai nodded thoughtfully: "Shanghai is the window to the country's reform and opening up. Our province still needs time."

Abolishing the distribution system is a major undertaking, and it cannot be done in the short term.

"Our province is already one step ahead of other provinces."

Zhao Jintao smiled and said, "Yes, the land has already been allocated to individual households throughout the province, but other provinces haven't started yet."

"We can only proceed step by step. First, we must stabilize agriculture, then industry, and finally open up the economy. Within three years, the Huailin trade market will be built, and at that time, capable people will be able to find their place."

Zhou Zhonghai smiled with satisfaction. "We can't compare to Shanghai, but at least we're making progress."

"Hey Yao Xing, has your disinfection plant's annual report come out yet? How's it going?"

Zhou Zhonghai looked at Yao Xing, who stood up and said, "Vice Governor Zhou, you're out."

"Sit down, sit down. Let's just chat casually. Forget about the vice governor title. Call him Uncle Zhou, just like everyone else." Zhou Zhonghai waved his hand, gesturing for Yao Xing to sit down.

Yao Xing sat down timidly, then mustered his courage and said, "Uncle Zhou... is out. After I took over the disinfection factory, I made a profit of 18,000 after deducting all expenses."

Zhou Zhonghai's eyes lit up: "Really? Those parasites manage the disinfection plant and still manage to lose 30,000 yuan a year. Of course, there's also individual effort involved. I heard from Qiaoqiao that you also run some business yourself."

"Yes, the Huailin City Nursery School and kindergartens are basically all our disinfection plant's business." Yao Xing said with a hint of confidence.

"Good, good, we need leaders like Yao Xing who are responsible and hardworking."

Zhou Zhonghai praised him highly. Yao Xing was overjoyed to have gained the approval of Vice Governor Zhou, and he had long forgotten about Yao Sixi's suggestion to plead poverty.

Vice Governor Zhou doesn't care about fame or fortune; he's devoted himself to the people. How can Yao Xing have the nerve to complain about being poor?

Zhou Zhonghai turned to Feng Lin with a kind expression and said, "Feng Lin, I heard your small workshop is doing quite well."

Feng Lin sat next to Qiao Qiao. When he heard Vice Governor Zhou mention him, he immediately became flustered and stammered, "Uncle Zhou, I... Jin Tao brought back some torn clothes, and I just mended them..."

"Hey, don't underestimate mending and patching. These clothes might have been scraps in the Shanghai garment factory. But after you've sorted them out, they've become treasures. Look, the sweater I'm wearing was sent by Fenglin, and this Gesang flower has extraordinary significance."

Zhou Zhonghai deliberately lifted the corner of his shirt, revealing a bright red Gesang flower embroidered on his black sweater.

Feng Lin's face was flushed, from excitement and joy.

She hadn't expected that Uncle Zhou would like the sweater she gave him so much.

"Uncle Zhou, the sweaters in Fenglin are selling very well. At the same time, I've also felt the information gap. Whether in Shanghai or Guangdong, there are many cheap and valuable goods, but our information is too outdated. If I didn't travel between the two places so often, these sweaters wouldn't be able to reach their full potential," Zhao Jintao added.

"Yes, the economic market is the information market. We not only need to work hard in our respective fields, but also collect information from all aspects," Zhou Zhonghai said seriously.

Zhou Wenhui said gently, "Dad is right, Fenglin. The garment factories in Shanghai will always exist, and the damaged clothes will always exist. Since you have the resources, you can definitely expand your business even further."

"Expand it further? I... I've already hired someone."

In Fenglin's eyes, hiring people is a sign of being a landlord. In the countryside, with so much work to do at home, she wouldn't even think of hiring someone.

"You'll only make a profit if you expand, Fenglin. Don't be afraid. Turning waste into treasure is also contributing to our province's economy. But remember to get a business license and pay taxes," Zhou Zhonghai agreed.

Ah, I have to pay taxes on a sewing machine at home.

"Fenglin, once you get a business license, you'll be a sole proprietor, and you can start operating on a large scale. Paying taxes will increase your expenses, but with a license, you're operating legally, and you'll have the opportunity to find a shop instead of just doing small-scale business at home forever," Zhou Wenhui analyzed.

"Yes, Wenhui is right. I'll go and apply for a business license after the New Year."

Zhao Jintao said that opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. With a nationally recognized individual business license, one can go all out when an opportunity arises.

Qiaoqiao looked at Fenglin, smiling and encouraging him.