Xu Changping had no doubts about Lin Chuxia’s capabilities as he looked over the blueprint.
“This is a bit more complex than a meat grinder; give us at least half a month. As for the payment for this blueprint…”
Xu Changping didn’t say it outright but looked towards Lin Chuxia.
Lin Chuxia smiled and locked eyes with Xu Changping for a few seconds, not mentioning her own price expectation, still leaving the initiative to Xu Changping.
“Director Xu, you see fit to handle it. Initially, I need at least two vacuum sealing packaging machines.”
Xu Changping responded with a knowing smile, “Okay, I’ll take on this task for now. I can’t specify the exact reward right now. Our technical staff will evaluate it, and then we’ll give you a concrete response after holding a factory meeting.”
This time was different from the meat grinder situation; previously Lin Chuxia had come to him with the blueprint, seeking his help. If he didn’t make an offer, even the best blueprint would be just a piece of waste paper, so he could directly offer three meat grinders as payment.
Now, with the precedent of the meat grinder that showed tangible benefits for their factory, if he again offered two or three machines as payment, it would mean taking advantage of the other party, and they wouldn’t get such an opportunity again in the future.
Lin Chuxia received a satisfactory reply and was not in a hurry to leave. She glanced at her wristwatch; it was lunchtime and she invited Director Xu to have lunch together.
Director Xu didn’t refuse and after clarifying the location, asked her to go ahead and arrange it.
Lin Chuxia understood instantly and left the office with Director Xu.
On the boulevard, they needed to go in opposite directions when Lin Chuxia spotted a familiar face.
Su Wenmao, face bruised and swollen, was carrying a food tray towards the cafeteria. Perhaps embarrassed to meet a leader like Xu Changping in such a state, he quickened his pace with averted eyes and ran off without even greeting.
He limped as he ran.
Xu Changping noticed Lin Chuxia’s gaze, “Do you know this person?”
“Sort of,” Lin Chuxia replied nonchalantly, “He’s Su Wensong’s cousin. Originally, Su Wensong was arranged a job at your machinery factory when he returned from being sent down to the countryside, but this cousin took it from him.”
“There’s such a thing?”
Xu Changping handled technology and was less familiar with personnel affairs, but he knew Su Wensong.
He had interacted with him several times, a competent and articulate person known as Lin Chuxia’s most capable assistant.
Lin Chuxia nodded, scornfully lifting her chin, “Looking at him like this, even though he snatched Su Wensong’s job, he doesn’t seem to be doing well at the machinery factory.”
Seeing her disdainful and contemptuous expression, Xu Changping took another deep look at the distant Su Wenmao.
Lin Chuxia knew that Xu Changping asking her to go ahead and prepare was to introduce her to other people from the machinery factory.
However, she didn’t expect that he would bring a technical department director and a deputy factory director responsible for this area.
The meat grinder matter had been mentioned by Xu Changping to them, and it was obtained through an unexpected blueprint.
This time, both knew that the meat grinder blueprint came from Lin Chuxia, and now she had brought a blueprint for a vacuum packaging machine, hence they were somewhat more courteous towards Lin Chuxia.
After the market liberalization, it was like a bloom of competing flowers.
Especially in the first developed several special zones in the south, there was even foreign capital involvement.
If they continued to rely on old methods, they would be eliminated by the market one day, something everyone present understood.
The machinery factory was also actively looking for a new direction, researching new products as the best way out.
The meat grinder had given them a good idea; previously, they had focused on large machinery, but after the market opened up, with the increase of individual households, small family workshops sprang up like bamboo after the rain. Small machinery suitable for individual or family workshops thus had a large market.
This was also the direction Lin Chuxia had suggested for them, hence the meal was quite harmonious.
Director Yu and Vice Factory Director Shen also had a good impression of Lin Chuxia.
Even Director Yu had a technical exchange with Lin Chuxia about the vacuum packaging machine production and was very confident, agreeing to communicate as needed if any issues arose.
Coming out from the State-Owned Restaurant at over two in the afternoon, Lin Chuxia and several people from the machinery factory split up, and she then went to the bun shop at the train station.
It was past mealtime, and the shop had no customers. Granny Sun and Sun Bingnan were looking after the shop, and neither Sun Lanlan nor Cai Junren were seen.
She pulled Sun Bingnan aside, “Third brother, I heard that the mountains behind Daqing Mountain Village are looking to be leased out. Do you know what’s going on?”
Sun Bingnan’s father was the village chief.
Sun Bingnan indeed knew this, as his father was quite anxious and uptight about it, mentioning it just a few days ago when he went back.
“The village wants to repair a road leading out of the village. You know, our village is one of the largest nearby, and there were thoughts of making our village into a commune back then, although it didn’t happen. The production brigades back then were like this…”
He gave a thumbs up and continued.
“Now that it’s opened up, land has been distributed to the farmers, losing the previous advantages. The brigade was thinking, by constructing this road, as the saying goes, ’to get rich, build a road,’ but building roads requires money. There are no industries in the village, so they thought of exploiting those mountaintops, selling the trees first, then leasing the mountaintops, to generate some income. The trees have sold, but no one wants to rent the mountaintops; my dad has been losing sleep over this. If they can’t lease it out and have to replant trees on the mountain, that’s another expense, and still not enough for the road construction.”
“Altogether how many mountaintops are there, none got leased at all?”
“You know, our village’s few mountaintops are accessible. Further than that, even if given away for free, no one would dare to enter. There are three they want to lease, and now none has been leased out.”
Sun Bingnan said a lot, then realized something, “Are you thinking of renting those mountaintops?”
Lin Chuxia nodded, “Indeed, I have such plans. Do you know specifically how the leasing works?”
Sun Bingnan shook his head, “I really don’t know, but I can ask when I go back. Tell me how you want to lease first. If you really lease it, it’d also solve a big issue for the village, but I don’t know if the brigade will accept your status as an out-married woman.”
Lin Chuxia was aware that her household registration had already been moved to Qin Family Village. Renting a mountaintop going back there would certainly be problematic, even if Sun Bingnan’s dad could compromise, the villagers might not agree.
This matter was such; even if no one rented the mountaintops and they lay fallow, they wouldn’t allow an outsider to lease them.
But she didn’t plan to rent under her own name; after some thought, she said, “I plan to lease two mountaintops under your name, is that okay with you?”
“That would be no problem at all, it means sister you trust your third brother,” Sun Bingnan said, patting his chest.