My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

Lin Xiulan put down the shipping order she was checking and reached out to take the phone.

She didn't speak first.

Sure enough, the person on the other end of the phone couldn't hold back any longer and let out a dry, loud cough, as if trying to clear out the embarrassment in their throat.

"Feed? Is it...is it the owner of Xiushan Industrial?"

The voice was tentative, tinged with caution.

Lin Xiulan brought the receiver closer: "This is Lin Xiulan. We met a few days ago."

"Hey! Hey! Boss Lin!"

The voice on the other end of the phone instantly became eight octaves warmer, a stark contrast to the indifferent old man from before. "Oh, you're finally here! It's me, Old Zhou from the provincial department store!"

Lin Xiulan held the receiver, her lips twitching almost imperceptibly.

"Hello, Section Chief Zhou."

"Mr. Lin, I'm so sorry about before. I've been so busy and haven't been able to entertain you properly. Please don't take it to heart!"

Old Zhou's voice was clearly urgent.

"Um... about those mountain products of yours, our department store is thinking of ordering a batch to try them out! Are you free now? I'd like to come over and talk to you about it?"

Lin Xiulan leaned against the counter and said slowly, "Section Chief Zhou, you're too kind. You're a very busy person. It's the same if we talk on the phone."

These words were like a soft nail, leaving the person on the other end of the phone speechless.

"No, no, no, this matter must be discussed face-to-face. Only a face-to-face meeting will show sincerity!"

Old Zhou immediately raised his voice, "Don't move, I'll be there in half an hour! Half an hour at most!"

With a "snap," the call was abruptly ended.

Monkey Three darted over like a monkey, his eyes wide open, his voice low and menacing:

"Sister-in-law! What's this old man up to? Last time we went, he barely even lifted his eyelids, he was practically chasing us away with a broom. What's wrong with him today...?"

Lin Xiulan ignored his loud noise and turned to look at Chen Meili, who was equally dumbfounded.

"Meili, go and get that jar of 'Pre-Rain Longjing' tea that I asked you to put away the day before yesterday, and brew a pot of good tea."

"Huh? Oh! Okay!" Chen Meili suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly went to find the tea canister that she had hidden away like a treasure.

Lin Xiulan stood back behind the counter, her gaze calmly fixed on the bustling street outside the window, waiting quietly.

Twenty-five minutes later.

A military green jeep braked suddenly and came to a smooth stop in front of the store, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As soon as the car door opened, Lao Zhou practically jumped out of the car.

He had clearly taken the time to groom himself, replacing his wrinkled Zhongshan suit with a clean and crisp gray jacket.

Her sparse hair was carefully smoothed with water, making it shiny and giving her a very energetic look.

What's even more eye-catching is that he's also carrying a net bag in his hand.

Upon entering, Old Zhou didn't even glance at the wary-looking Monkey Three. He went straight to the counter and slammed the net bag onto the table.

Inside were two bottles of Beidacang liquor with their necks tied with red paper, and a large bag of peanuts wrapped in oil paper.

"Boss Lin."

He took a breath, staring blankly at Lin Xiulan, a hint of unnatural unease on his face.

"Last time... it was my fault, Old Zhou. My attitude was terrible. These two bottles of wine and a bag of snacks are yours, as an apology to these brothers and sisters!"

Chen Meili, watching from the side, was so shocked her jaw almost dropped.

my darling!

Last time they didn't even offer a sip of water, and today they're bringing wine to apologize? Has the sun risen in the west?

Lin Xiulan picked up the freshly brewed teapot and poured a full cup of bright green tea into the empty cup in front of him.

The aroma of tea instantly filled the air.

"Section Chief Zhou, you've come from afar, please sit down and have some hot tea to soothe your throat."

She spoke softly and made a "please" gesture.

This move effectively shut down all of Lao Zhou's prepared remarks.

He felt like he had punched cotton, unable to exert any force.

He had no choice but to sit down awkwardly, pick up his teacup and take a big gulp, the scalding tea making him hiss.

He put down his teacup and nervously rubbed his fingers together on his knees.

"Boss Lin, I, Lao Zhou, am a rough man, let's not beat around the bush."

He seemed to have made up his mind, and cleared his throat.

"Those sample boxes you left behind last time, to be honest, I didn't throw them away."

Lin Xiulan's hand, holding her teacup, paused in mid-air for a second, but she remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Originally, I didn't even want to watch it. You know, there are a lot of problems in the provincial capital, and it's a very complicated place. As someone who's about to retire, I'd rather avoid getting involved and not cause any trouble."

As he said this, a bitter smile appeared on his face.

"I'm thinking that in a few days I'll find an excuse to have my men send the things back to you, and that will be the end of it."

Chen Meili, who was standing next to her, felt her heart clench and unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes.

"But who would have thought, it was just a coincidence!"

"Old Zhao, the head chef at our department store cafeteria! The day before yesterday afternoon, he came straight to my office door and started yelling at me!"

"Insulting you?" Monkey Three couldn't help but interject.

Old Zhou glared at him, but there wasn't much anger in his tone; instead, there was a hint of amusement and exasperation.

"You bet! Old Zhao was practically spitting in my face, complaining about what kind of junk the supply and marketing cooperative had been delivering lately! The black fungus was soaked, and the bottom was full of sand; you couldn't even wash it clean!"

"Those dried mushrooms, when stewed in soup, are like chewing cotton wool—they have absolutely no flavor! Several older comrades noticed something was wrong with their meals and went to confront him, banging on the table with their lunchboxes!"

"Old Zhao threatened me, saying that if I didn't find a way to get him a better batch of ingredients, all the head chefs in his cafeteria would quit!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiulan finally put down her teacup and nodded very slightly, signaling him to continue.

"I was so dizzy from his scolding that a thought suddenly struck me, and I remembered those boxes you left behind, still locked in the bottom drawer of my desk!"

I told him, "Don't yell yet, I have two treasures here, why don't you try them out!"

Old Zhou chuckled as he finished speaking.

"I gave him the box of the best-looking black fungus and the bag of wild mushrooms I picked in the fall. I told him, 'It doesn't matter where they came from, we'll use these tonight!'"

He suddenly leaned forward and slammed his hand heavily on the table, making a loud "bang"!

"What was the result?"

"Yesterday at noon! Just yesterday at noon! Old Zhao stewed a huge pot of chicken soup with those wild mushrooms. My goodness, the aroma was incredible! It wafted out the window! The entire department store, from the first floor to the fourth, could smell it!"

"Do you know how long that line was? It stretched from the cafeteria's food window, three layers deep, all the way to the gate of the compound, with the line making three big turns! People who arrived later couldn't even see the soup!"

"The first pot of soup was gone in less than ten minutes! Not even the broth was left! Those who didn't get any were holding empty bowls and blocking the window, refusing to leave."

"Hey Old Zhao! Master Zhao! Was this chicken soup made by a god? What ingredients did he use? It tastes completely different from before!"