Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Compared to her previous appearance at school, Wei Xiang had become darker and thinner, but her eyes were as bright as ever.

The whole school was in a relaxed mood today. Those who had finished submitting their college applications were in no hurry to leave, hanging out in small groups with friends. Some had already started making plans for lunch or dinner.

Xu Meng didn’t have many close friends at school, so she only intended to hang out with Zhang Xiaoyu and Wei Xiang. Spotting Wei Xiang approaching, the two waved at her in unison.

Wei Xiang had come specifically to meet them. She jogged over, barely winded when she reached them, her cheeks flushed. Clearly, she'd been well-fed and well-rested at home.

Zhang Xiaoyu said, “You should see how popular Xu Meng is. Just from standing here a few minutes, four or five classmates have already handed her love letters.”

Xu Meng replied, “Why mention that? Didn’t you say we were going out for lunch?”

Zhang Xiaoyu nodded. “Right, there’s a hot pot place near Peking University that’s really popular. But I'm sure it's packed today with all the graduation gatherings. If we go late, we might not get a table. Should we wait or pick somewhere else?”

She was really craving hot pot.

Xu Meng perked up. “You’re not talking about Zhuangyuan Bridge, are you?”

Zhang Xiaoyu grinned. “Yes, that’s the one! After the college entrance exams, the place blew up. Lots of tourists visiting the capital go there to eat for good luck. Some even treat Peking University and Tsinghua University like tourist spots. But I heard their hot pot is delicious and affordable, perfect for students. Should we go?”

Wei Xiang was tempted. “I’m good with whatever. What about you, Xu Meng?”

Xu Meng shrugged. “I’ll go with you guys. Let’s go a bit later—around one o’clock, when tables start freeing up.”

Since they had time to kill before lunch, the three decided to wander around the school. They felt that bittersweet mix of leaving—excitement about escaping the hellish senior year, but also nostalgia for the memories they’d made. And soon, the three friends would be going their separate ways.

Wei Xiang said, “I’m planning to apply to a teaching college. The tuition is cheaper, and being a teacher seems nice.”

Zhang Xiaoyu nodded. “That’s a great choice. Look at Teacher Yang and Mr. Xia—they rake in cash from gifts and tutoring. I heard Mr. Xia got reprimanded by the school and even had a teaching incident recorded in his file because you reported him, right?”

A teaching incident on record was a permanent stain, affecting promotions for life.

Xu Meng was surprised. “I thought he’d just get scolded by the school. No wonder I didn’t see him in your class earlier.”

Wei Xiang felt satisfying, though it wasn’t enough. She had something else to discuss with Xu Meng.

“By the way, those blackout batteries your family supplied—we’ve almost sold out. My brother wants to rent a counter in the county town to sell them and plans to source them regularly from your uncle. Right now, with just a street stall, some people are hesitant to buy. Could you ask your uncle if he’ll keep producing them long-term?”

“Wow, they sold out that fast?”

“What blackout batteries?” Zhang Xiaoyu asked.

Wei Xiang explained, “Blackout batteries. Actually, most were sold in the villages. They’re way more useful in rural areas than in the city. When we go gathering mushrooms at dawn or hauling water at night, having one at home is really handy. Almost everyone in our village who’s close to our family bought one. At first, our village head wouldn’t even tell us where he got his. But after my brother walked around with one at night, several families wanted to buy theirs.”

Her family’s life was getting better and better!

Xu Meng said, “No need to rush into renting a counter. Keep selling from the stall in the county for now. Just contact my uncle for stock, but don’t order too much at once.”

Wei Xiang’s eyes lit up even more. “You wouldn't believe how fast these sell. At first, only people we knew bought a few. But after using them a couple of times and seeing how bright and easy on batteries they are, more and more people started buying. I’ve learned that doing business isn’t just about talking a good game—strategy counts too. And Xu Meng, the tips you taught me really helped.”

“What tips?” Zhang Xiaoyu wasn’t particularly interested in business, but since Xu Meng was involved, she was willing to listen.

————

With their applications submitted, all that was left was to wait for the results—a summer of waiting on edge.

Yet, business at Zhuangyuan Bridge Hot Pot wasn't slowed by the heat or students’ vacations. In fact, as soon as summer break began, business picked up even more.

After the hot pot base sales took off, more and more people learned about the origin of Zhuangyuan Bridge. Initially, it was out of curiosity that people came to eat a "must-try" hot pot here. Most of the diners were students from other cities visiting Peking for tourism.

As summer vacation arrived, tourism in Peking surged. Almost every parent bringing their child to Peking for a trip would visit the area around Peking University, and naturally, they would dine at Zhuangyuan Bridge. The name was well-chosen and carried auspicious connotations. As a result, Zhang Mingqing's planned summer break for employees was canceled, and they had to extend operating hours. Fortunately, her shop had always done well, so the staff were used to the hustle.

With the sudden busyness, the search for a factory was delayed.

Currently, the hot pot base was still being processed in the original location, which was small. Even with additional hires, production capacity was limited. Setting up a proper factory was now urgent.

Business at the shop was booming, leaving Zhang Mingqing no time to catch her breath—she was running around nonstop.

Coincidentally, she heard that Xu Meng had just finished a meal with some people, so Zhang Mingqing rushed out and caught up with Xu Meng, who had just parted ways with her companions.

"Xu Meng, you're still here!" Zhang Mingqing hurried over, slightly out of breath. "Have you finished filling out your college applications?"

Xu Meng nodded.

Zhang Mingqing cut to the chase and grabbed her hand. "I need you to check out a factory for me. A friend found a few workshops for me, but I haven’t had time to look. Go take a look—if they’re suitable for production, we’ll need to lock it down ASAP."

Had she not just visited the shop, Xu Meng wouldn’t have realized how well business was doing.

"Alright, who should I contact? Give me their details."

"Come with me to the shop first."

With that, Zhang Mingqing led her back to the shop.

By then, the staff had already started clearing tables from the lunch rush. Many new employees didn’t recognize Xu Meng—it was Song Xia who spotted her and informed Zhang Mingqing. Xu Meng hadn’t expected to be drafted into helping just for eating hot pot and felt a bit annoyed.

Once in Zhang Mingqing’s office, she rummaged through a desk drawer and pulled out a small notebook. Grabbing a pen, she popped the cap off with her teeth and jotted down a few contacts. "Here, talk to these people. The main things to check are whether the workshop has space for stoves, the condition of the factory area, and if open flames are allowed in the workshop... all these details."

Xu Meng massaged her temples—there were so many places to inspect, and it would take a lot of time.

"Fine!"

Zhang Mingqing immediately broke into a wide smile. "No choice. Sales have taken off, and even running two shifts at our current location, we can’t keep up. Right now, it’s only functioning as a processing plant and warehouse, with three people just handling packaging. The space is too small, limiting production. I can't even hire more people either. That person you introduced is really great—she alone accounts for 30% of sales in Peking."

She was referring to Huzi’s mother.

Some agents sourced directly from the shop, while others were part of Huzi’s mother’s network, selling to tourists at train stations and tourist spots. Sales had been inconsistent at first, but around the time of the college entrance exams, business suddenly boomed, doubling the order volume from this channel.

Originally, who would’ve thought people would eat hot pot in summer?

But customers clearly disagreed. The shop was like an oven, forcing Zhang Mingqing to install two additional air conditioners.

Chunlan window units, costing thousands each—crazy expensive.

Holding the list of addresses, Xu Meng was struck by how state-run factories were struggling. Factories and small businesses from the south were also impacting these workshops. Most were either closed workshops or warehouses from state-owned enterprises, while others were struggling companies looking to lease parts of their factories to ease financial pressure.

That same day, Xu Meng set out to inspect the workshops.

Most interactions were with factory offices. A phone call later, some were cooperative, willing to briefly explain the situation, while others were irritable, refusing to say much beyond just telling her to come see for herself. These were immediately crossed off her list—even if the workshop was suitable, dealing with such landlords would be a headache.

For those open to phone discussions, she first clarified the size of the workshop, whether open flames were allowed, and other details. Some workshops were old storage spaces or upper floors, which couldn't support stoves—these were also eliminated.

At first, she had trouble finding the right words, tripping over her phrasing. But after five or six calls, she stopped taking it personally when hung up on.

After eliminating other possibilities, Xu Meng settled on a few places.

One was the canteen of a cotton mill. With the rise of small factories in the south, state-owned cotton mills had suffered the most. The mill had long lost its status as a sought-after state-owned workplace, and over the years, the workforce had shrunk significantly, leaving one of the canteens vacant.

Xu Meng immediately called Zhang Mingqing and said, "I think this factory is the best option. It used to be a canteen, so the stoves are already there—no need to build new ones. The key point is, the space is huge, including the workers' dining area, totaling over a thousand square meters."

"How much is the rent?"

"Three thousand monthly."

"Wait a minute." Zhang Mingqing straightened up and grabbed a pen to jot it down. "Where is it located?"

"Cotton Mill No. 2."

"Cotton Mill No. 2? How come they're renting out space?"

"The factory isn’t doing well. I asked around, and they were quite open about it—they’ve hired far fewer people in recent years, and retirees weren't being replaced by their children. The workforce has shrunk a lot. Back when Cotton Mill No. 2 was thriving, they had three canteens. Now they don’t need that many, so they’re renting out the smallest one. The largest one is three times bigger than this."

Cotton Mill No. 2 was a massive factory. At its peak, it had over ten thousand employees, and including their families, the population was in the tens of thousands, occupying a vast area.

Everyone back then carried a mental map of the city. As a longtime resident of the capital, Zhang Mingqing naturally knew about Cotton Mill No. 2—it was one of the city’s premier state-run workplaces. When she was young, she envied friends whose families worked at the cotton mill because they always had access to scrap fabric. She never imagined such a factory would now be renting out its canteen.

"As for the others, some wouldn't give me the time of day when I called to ask about details. If they’re that difficult now, they’d be tough to work with later, so I ruled those out first."

"You did the right thing. Asking over the phone saves wasted trips." Zhang Mingqing realized she should have thought of this earlier—she’d been swamped lately.

She had always known Xu Meng was quick, but she hadn’t expected her to be this on the ball. She should have asked for her help sooner. Young people were quick-witted, and Xu Meng had already gotten most of the work done from home.

With that thought, Zhang Mingqing said, "Tuan Tuan’s been attending classes at your mother’s place too. Show her around more."

When Feng Yanwen first started her classes, Zhang Mingqing had been one of the first to sign up, enrolling Tuan Tuan in both the winter and summer sessions without missing a single one. The girl was usually introverted, but she had really blossomed, making quite a few friends. Last semester, Zhang Mingqing had pretty much left her to her own devices—yet when the final exam results came out, Tuan Tuan had jumped up over ten spots.

"Tuan Tuan’s still young. We don't really click."

Tuan Tuan was much tighter with Huang Xiaoying—she even helped direct Huang Xiaoying's skit!

The two agreed on a time to meet next over the phone.

The contact person was the deputy director of Cotton Mill No. 2’s office. Over the phone, he sounded like an older man, and Xu Meng made a point of being deferential, which softened his tone. When he realized she was a very young woman, he became even more amiable. They nailed down a time right away.

Once the appointment was set, Xu Meng immediately brought Zhang Mingqing along to visit. When they arrived at the cotton mill and explained why they were there, the guard waved them right through.

Sure enough, Director Liao was a kindly-looking man in his sixties, slightly short, wearing glasses and squinting when he looked at people.

"Director Liao, hello. I’m Xu Meng, the one who spoke with you on the phone. This is our boss, Ms. Zhang. And this is Director Liao, the deputy director of the cotton mill’s office."

"Hello, Director Liao."

"Hello, Ms. Zhang."

Zhang Mingqing had sharp eyes and recognized Director Liao immediately. "Director Liao, is Liao Hongqi related to you?"

Director Liao paused, then his face lit up with realization. "You’re Hongqi’s classmate?"

Then he added, "Hongqi is my son. He also works at the mill, but you don’t look very old."

Zhang Mingqing took good care of herself and appeared to be in her early thirties.

Director Liao’s son had joined the cotton mill after graduating from technical school. Though he also worked in an office, men tended to neglect their physique, and once he gained weight, he looked at least ten years older. So when Director Liao saw Zhang Mingqing, he didn’t think they were the same age.

Zhang Mingqing casually shared a few amusing stories about Liao Hongqi from their childhood, establishing their connection.

In those days, having connections made things much easier.