Chapter 139: Talking Behind Her Back
Huang Juan had no choice but to call out to Shao Le, who had just entered the room: “You go find Lu Qiaoge and tell her that Accountant Liu from finance wants her to come back to set up the accounts.”
Shao Le was actually very happy. Although he had just entered the general office and was immediately drafted into service, he happily agreed right away: “Okay, I’ll go now.”
Xiao Liu checked the time: “It will be noon and time to get off work by the time Lu Qiaoge comes back.”
Old Hu really couldn’t stand listening anymore. Ever since the food factory was to be established and finance was put under Xiao Liu’s responsibility, she had always complained that the workload had increased and that she couldn’t handle so many account books by herself. The neighborhood committee’s finance work was indeed tedious, but if it were that simple, would they need you?
This was starting to get cocky with her good business capability.
Old Hu said: “I happen to be going to the factory department. You take the official seal and the relevant information, and I’ll go with you to the bank first to open an account for the food factory. Do the rest when you have time.”
Then he said to Shao Le: “You go see if the food factory needs any help… If it operates well, we’ll give you welfare benefits at the end of the year.”
Shao Le had been worried that Director Hu wouldn’t let him go, but unexpectedly, he was being sent to help there.
Shao Le happily rode off on his bicycle into the distance.
Then Director Hu waited for Xiao Liu to go to the finance office to get the things.
The not-at-all-happy Xiao Liu entered the finance office. Accountant Shen saw her expression and frowned as he asked: “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you see Lu Qiaoge, or did she refuse to go with you?”
“Lu Qiaoge went to the food factory. She’s a very busy person too—where does she have time to come with me to set up accounts and open a household? Day after day, I still have to go proactively find her.”
Accountant Shen glanced at her: “Didn’t Lu Qiaoge come find you? But aren’t you always busy?”
“I really am busy. The neighborhood committee has so many trivial things, and they don’t give us more people. Now with another food factory added, can we manage?
Besides, it’s only been planned for a short time—those volunteers are basically educated youth sent down to the countryside. What pastries can they make?”
The cashier said from the side: “I heard it was flaky pastries made by Sister-in-law Lu Qiaoge that caught Team Leader Song from the department store.”
Xiao Liu curled her lip: “It’s really just that. Whatever people say, you just listen— who knows what’s really going on inside. Just look at how Sister-in-law Lu Qiaoge and her younger sister are both at the factory, and you should understand what’s happening.
They started out as volunteers and were overjoyed to get a little bonus. Now look, it’s only been a month, and in the blink of an eye, they’ve become collective workers.
Each one of them thinks the food factory is easy. They don’t even have a pastry master. It might end up not earning a single penny and losing everything.”
Accountant Shen watched Xiao Liu, who was complaining while grabbing her shoulder bag, and frowned as he asked: “Where are you going?”
“Director Hu said he has time and is preparing to go with me to the bank to open the account.”
“Then hurry up and go. Don’t delay the director’s work.”
Meanwhile, Lu Qiaoge rode her bicycle away from the neighborhood committee with Xiao Cangcang. She naturally didn’t know everyone was gossiping about her behind her back.
Of course, even if she knew, she wouldn’t care.
She had so many things to do—no one gossiping would be abnormal.
Come to think of it, she often gossiped about others with Sister Qiao and the others too.
What she mainly wanted to ask Xiao Cangcang was one thing.
Strictly speaking, the spiritual Xiao Cangcang was no longer the same species as flies that only lived a few months.
In Lu Qiaoge’s view, it had mutated.
She pushed her bicycle along, asking it as she walked: “What are your plans?”
Then she thought for a moment: “My house has a nest of swallows. The swallow parents both have spirituality, but the baby swallows can’t communicate with us yet. They’re at the naughty stage right now—small, but each one is pretty fierce. I’m worried it would be dangerous for you if you went there.”
Perhaps because of her influence, the three swallow babies learned to fly quickly and grew fast. Although they had no inner voice yet, they could now catch insects, and very quickly at that.
There wasn’t a single flying insect in her house—this wasn’t exaggerated at all.
The swallow babies were now starting to clean up the surrounding environment. It would definitely be dangerous for Xiao Cangcang if it went there.
Xiao Cangcang landed on Lu Qiaoge’s bicycle handlebars. It said: 【There’s a hot spring north at Yuanbao Mountain, right in the immortal’s cave. Even in winter, it’s very warm there.】
Lu Qiaoge really didn’t know about this.
There was actually a hot spring in the mountains?
“Then what do you mainly eat?”
Lu Qiaoge came and went in a hurry, so she really didn’t know what it ate.
【I don’t know how it happened either. I woke up in the scrap workshop. As soon as I woke up, I had awareness. I like the mountains and wilderness and the fragrance of flowers. I occasionally eat nectar too. I also really like eating sand and iron filings. I checked out the hot spring area—everything I like to eat is there. There are hazelnut trees nearby too, so I won’t get cold or hungry in winter.】
Lu Qiaoge was stunned. It ate such a varied diet?
The others were fine, but sand and iron filings—it felt quite unbelievable.
But it could even name itself, so there was nothing shocking about that.
Her mood was just a bit complicated. Then she smiled brightly and said: “That’s a good place indeed, but it’s still several months until winter. Let’s not rush for now.”
Xiao Cangcang happily flew away.
When Lu Qiaoge arrived at the food factory, everything was operating in good order here.
Looking at the already successful samples, Lu Qiaoge took Meng Qingshan and Su Hui to the food group at the department store.
It was only at this time that Lu Qiaoge learned that Team Leader Song of the food group and the factory director of Jiangcheng First Food Factory were old classmates, but now the two had a conflict because of another old classmate.
So after tasting the flaky pastries made by Su Hui, he felt they were better than those from the first food factory, and thus this food factory came into being.
Lu Qiaoge didn’t care about those things.
To be honest, she was just doing this to get city household registrations for her sister-in-law and younger sister.
It was just a small factory. What they weren’t short of now was people.
But it had to be said that the conflict between Jiangcheng First Food Factory and Team Leader Song of the department store had made it possible for the sixteen people at the service station.
It used to be thirteen, but it would soon be three more.
So the list now had sixteen people.
These three didn’t have much background—they were all educated youth returning to the city. But one was Huang Juan’s niece, and the other two were introduced by Meng Qingshan and Hu Ze.
Lu Qiaoge looked into it—they were all young people, which meant uncertainty.
Because of that life-changing exam two years from now.
Half of the young people here might leave.
So Lu Qiaoge just needed to achieve her original goal.
Su Hui’s cooking skills were actually really good. Some ingredients she’d never seen, but with one look, she knew how to make them.
The flaky pastries she made were much better than those from the food factory.
The sugar in the middle seemed to be a layer of syrup, not hard candy pieces—typically crispy outside and soft inside. One bite and the oily, flaky, sweet fragrance made your mood instantly wonderful.
Su Hui’s cooking skills were very good.
During the matter with Sun Qin, she hadn’t considered her sister-in-law, but she only thought about it briefly before giving up. Going to the military industrial research institute was different from going to the food factory at the neighborhood committee—after all, one’s class background was still very important now, so there was really no need to stir up trouble.
The baskets the few people used today to carry the food were woven from reeds and willow branches.
They were rectangular with lids. The baskets contained one hundred flaky pastries and one hundred corn cakes.
