Zhuang Qixiang had joined the workforce early, having been with the Changshan County Forestry Bureau since its establishment, yet he had never heard of anything as outrageous as buying on credit.
And it wasn’t just a small amount—the request was for 8,000 bottles, a full 4,000 yuan. For a moment, he wondered if he was hallucinating.
Had the other party said they were tight on cash and only wanted to pay a deposit, with the balance to be settled later, he wouldn’t have been so shocked. But no, the person was dead serious. "Don’t worry, we’ll pay you as soon as we sell the wood ears. We won’t leave you hanging."
When Zhuang Qixiang didn’t respond, the man lowered his voice further. "You’ve just taken over the cultivation center. Shouldn’t you at least make some sales? Otherwise, won’t people look down on you?"
The term "people" here was open to interpretation—it could refer to those in the bureau or those from Chengshui.
The secretary of the Liuhu Town Forestry Bureau spoke as if sharing a heartfelt secret. "It’s only because of our friendship that I’m willing to take this risk. What if the crops fail?"
If they failed, he wouldn’t have to pay for the fungal strains at all. Zhuang Qixiang couldn’t hold back. "Do I look like a pushover or a sucker to you?"
Sure, the Forestry Bureau had earned the nickname "Big Spender," but not to this extent—4,000 yuan on credit? Just like that?
Zhuang Qixiang realized it would’ve been better not to let this man come at all. At least then he wouldn’t be this irritated. This wasn’t a buyer—it was a swindler trying to take advantage of him.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you any longer." With a dark expression, he stood up and showed the man out.
But the secretary from Liuhu Town Forestry Bureau still refused to give up. "How about 4,000 bottles? 4,000 bottles would work too. Once the wood ears are sold, we won’t shortchange you."
Now he was trying to bribe him into agreeing. Zhuang Qixiang’s face darkened further. He picked up the cup of water he had just poured for the man and flung it out the door.
Gao Daidi happened to be passing by with a tray of freshly dried wood ears and jumped in surprise. Later, she recounted the incident to the others with animated gestures.
Zhou Wenhui immediately glanced at Yan Xue, unable to hide her surprise. After all, while Zhuang Qixiang was stern, he wasn’t the type to lose his temper easily.
Not long after, the secretary from Liuhu Town left, still muttering on his way out, "I was just discussing it with you. No need to get so upset."
Clearly, the negotiation had fallen through. Everyone had also witnessed just how dark Zhuang Qixiang’s expression could get—compared to this, his usual demeanor toward them was downright pleasant.
The group couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Unexpectedly, after stewing in his office for a while, Zhuang Qixiang came out and fixed his gaze on them.
This made them uneasy, especially Gao Daidi. Though her hearing was poor, she was highly sensitive to stares—it was how she knew when someone needed her.
The young woman instinctively turned to Yan Xue, her expression a mix of confusion and silent plea. Clearly, Yan Xue was her anchor.
Yan Xue took the initiative to ask, "Manager Zhuang, is there any work you’d like to assign?"
After the center was officially established, Zhuang Qixiang’s title had changed to "manager," while Yan Xue served as deputy manager and technician.
Truthfully, Zhuang Qixiang had grown angrier the more he thought about it, yet he had no solution. Somehow, he recalled what Qu Mingli had once told him.
These young people from Chengshui were indeed capable—not a single one of them slacked off. Still, he couldn’t imagine what ideas they might have.
But since Qu Mingli had mentioned it and Yan Xue had asked, he decided to speak up. "Are you all done with your tasks? If so, come in for a meeting."
No harm in trying—many minds might yield a solution. Even if it didn’t, it wouldn’t waste much time.
When the boss calls a meeting, you don’t keep him waiting. The group quickly wrapped up their tasks and headed to Zhuang Qixiang’s office.
Facing the young team, Zhuang Qixiang paused before explaining the situation. "Since we’re all part of the center, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this matter."
The moment he finished speaking, Zhou Wenhui and Guo Chang’an turned to Yan Xue. Gao Daidi, though she hadn’t caught what was said, followed their lead.
This made Zhuang Qixiang take notice of the young, capable, and strikingly composed woman. Clearly, she was the driving force among them.
Under the collective gaze, Yan Xue remained unfazed. Seeing no hesitation in her, Zhuang Qixiang asked directly, "Deputy Manager Yan, do you have any ideas?"
"I do have a few thoughts," Yan Xue replied cautiously, choosing her words carefully. "I’ve been wondering—why is no one willing to buy the fungal strains? What are they worried about?"
To sell a product, you must not only understand its strengths and competitiveness but also grasp the psychology of your target audience—what they want and what they fear.
Her voice was calm and measured as she continued, "I believe the main reason people hesitate to buy and plant is simply a lack of understanding."
She turned to Zhuang Qixiang. "Before taking over the cultivation center, did you know how wood ears are actually grown?"
Of course not. Zhuang Qixiang shook his head. He’d only started learning after the center was established.
"Others in the forestry bureaus and farms don’t know either," Yan Xue said. "So they’re afraid to take the risk. That’s the first issue."
If that was the first, there must be a second. Zhuang Qixiang straightened in his seat, gesturing for her to go on.
Yan Xue obliged. "Another critical problem is that buying fungal strains isn’t enough—you also need the right planting techniques."
She gave him a few examples. "Growing wood ears is like farming. Planting them doesn’t guarantee a harvest. You need to nurture and manage them properly. Poor management can lead to reduced yields or even losses."
The farming analogy made it click for Zhuang Qixiang. He nodded. "You’re the expert in this area."
Despite his efforts to learn, as an outsider, he still struggled to grasp the finer points.
"Once we identify the problems, we can tailor solutions to address them, right?"
Yan Xue smiled, her expression bright and confident. It instantly made Zhuang Qixiang realize—"You already have a plan, don’t you?"
"Just a few ideas," she said modestly. But Zhuang Qixiang no longer believed it was just that.
She’d said the same thing earlier, yet her two points had hit the nail on the head. He nodded. "Let’s hear them."
"For the first issue, I suggest inviting forestry bureaus and farms from various towns to visit us," Yan Xue proposed. "If they don’t understand, we’ll show them. We’ll explain the risks and the potential profits so they can make an informed decision."
And compared to the risks, the profits from growing wood ears were enormous—not only could they contribute more to the state, but they could also create jobs for many employees’ family members.
Every year, a flood of employees’ children graduated from middle or high school, all crowding into the family teams and youth camps—places that couldn’t possibly absorb them all.
After finishing her first point, Yan Xue was about to move on to the second when she noticed Zhuang Qixiang—perhaps out of habit from his days as a section chief—had actually pulled out a steel pen and started taking notes.
This gave her pause, but Zhuang Qixiang remained oblivious, scribbling away while glancing up at her. "What else?" he prompted.
The others in the room noticed too, their expressions turning slightly odd. But since this was a serious discussion, they couldn’t exactly react.
Yan Xue continued, "For the second point, I think we shouldn’t just sell the fungal strains. We also need to provide comprehensive after-sales support. For example, when the inoculation period begins in April, we could send technicians to the forestry farms to guide them through the process."
If they’re worried about not knowing how to cultivate it, we won’t make them come to the center to learn. Instead, we’ll offer on-site guidance—guaranteed results. That should ease their concerns, right?
Zhuang Qixiang nodded along. It was common for agricultural stations to send personnel to guide farmers when introducing new crops, so this approach was feasible.
"If issues arise during cultivation, they can consult us, and if necessary, we’ll dispatch technicians to help resolve them. However, this would incur a fee—we can’t cover the costs ourselves."
"A fee?" Zhuang Qixiang frowned, pausing his pen like a diligent student who’d hit a snag in class.
Since they were all part of the same bureau, charging for everything might come across as greedy and risk alienating people.
"What if they call us over for every minor issue?" Yan Xue countered. "But this isn’t absolute. For purchases of 3,000 bottles or more, we’ll provide three free on-site visits."
This was an incentive to buy more—and 3,000 bottles wasn’t an unrealistic target. A single town’s forestry bureau with just two affiliated farms could easily meet it.
"For one-time purchases of 8,000 bottles or more, we’ll offer year-round free guidance and on-site support, plus priority purchasing rights for strains the following year."
Realistically, after two or three years of cultivation, they’d gain enough experience to handle most issues themselves.
Zhuang Qixiang kept jotting down notes, realizing these suggestions directly addressed the two main concerns and would go a long way in alleviating doubts.
If he were a forestry bureau or farm leader, learning about these wood ear mushroom cultivation methods and the accompanying guarantees would definitely make him consider starting a trial base.
Only after Zhuang Qixiang finished his notes did Yan Xue smile and give a slight bow. "Manager Zhuang, that’s all from me."
Zhuang Qixiang nodded reflexively before catching himself.
Wait a minute—he was the leader here, so why did it feel like Yan Xue was running the meeting while he was just another attendee?
The awkwardness hit him hard. He glanced around, but everyone else was studiously avoiding eye contact, pretending not to have noticed.
Still, there was no way they’d missed his furious note-taking. Clearing his throat, he said, "Deputy Manager Yan’s points are solid. Does anyone else have thoughts?"
Yan Xue had covered everything so thoroughly that no one could offer anything worth another round of notes. They all shook their heads.
"Then we’ll leave it here for now. I’ll review this further," Zhuang Qixiang said solemnly, snapping his pen shut and adjourning the meeting.
But truthfully, what was left to review? Yan Xue had not only pinpointed the problems but also provided ready-to-implement solutions.
After everyone left, Zhuang Qixiang reread his notes, marveling at how such well-rounded ideas could come from someone barely in her twenties.
He’d dealt with technical experts before, but none had this kind of flexible thinking. And if she were in sales, how did she know so much about the technical side?
Zhuang Qixiang was genuinely baffled. It even made him wonder if Qu Mingli’s earlier remarks had been about Yan Xue.
Regardless, with the plan in hand, the next step was implementation. They couldn’t just rely on old orders from Chengshui now that the center was up and running.
After carefully reviewing the notes, Zhuang Qixiang was about to call the forestry bureaus he’d previously contacted when he hesitated.
"Yan Xue," he called out, stepping into the hallway. "Since this was your idea, and you understand it best, why don’t you make the calls to the forestry bureaus?"
He’d noticed how clearly she articulated things. To those bureau officials, she’d probably carry more credibility than he would.
After all, she was the one who had pioneered the cultivation of wood ear mushrooms and had even been featured in the provincial newspaper. Her endorsement would carry more weight than his.
Sure enough, when Yan Xue made the calls and introduced herself as Yan Xue from the Changshan Mushroom Strain Cultivation Center, the response was immediate: "The one from the provincial paper?"
"You’ve read that article?" Yan Xue laughed warmly. "Yes, that’s me. We’d like to discuss something with you—if you have a moment."
All government officials read the daily papers, and since Chengshui and Donggou were in the same county, the Donggou forestry bureau head was certainly familiar with her work.
Yan Xue’s pleasant tone kept the conversation open, even when the purpose of the call was obvious. "Of course, go ahead," the other party replied.
"We’ve been operational for a while now, but there’s still limited awareness about our wood ear cultivation methods," Yan Xue explained. "So we’re organizing a tour of our center and would like to invite you and the heads of Donggou’s forestry farms. Would you be available?"
Anticipating reluctance, she added with a smile, "It’s mainly to demonstrate how wood ear mushrooms are cultivated—the requirements, yields, and so on. We have data from the past few years for reference."
Coming from anyone else, this might not have been convincing. But since Yan Xue was the pioneer behind the artificial cultivation of wood ear mushrooms, the other side agreed to consider it after a thoughtful pause.
Within days, the Donggou delegation arrived for the tour. Being from the same county, they couldn’t outright refuse, and they were genuinely curious.
When they learned that purchasing strains came with on-site technical guidance, someone immediately asked, "Would Technician Yan be the one providing the guidance?"
"Absolutely," Yan Xue replied cheerfully. "You’re calling me ‘Technician Yan,’ after all—of course I’d handle the technical side. It’s only right."
Her smile was bright, her words gracious. She showed neither nervousness in front of these high-ranking officials nor the arrogance often seen in talented young professionals.
The visit left a strong impression. With solid data and after-sales guarantees, the group left in good spirits, even if no commitments were made on the spot.
Yan Xue also knew how to build relationships. After discussing with Zhuang Qixiang, she gifted samples of wood ear mushrooms grown from different strains as reference materials.
The rest would depend on their internal discussions. Seeing them off, Zhuang Qixiang turned to Yan Xue and the others. "Good work today. Let’s wrap up early."
One of the greatest perks of working in this era was being able to head home early once the day's tasks were done, without having to wait rigidly for the official end of the workday.
Yan Xue tidied up her things and, seeing that there was still time to spare, decided to take some money and ration coupons to the county’s vegetable and grocery store to buy mooncakes.
This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival came early, with mooncakes hitting the shelves by late August. Now, in early September, she wanted to buy a few pounds to distribute among those who had followed her to the county.
It wasn’t just that everyone had given her gifts when she left—back when she mentioned that her position here would only be second-in-command and that she might face difficulties, Guo Chang’an had immediately volunteered to come with her.
Zhou Wenhui was the same. She hadn’t even asked about the county’s working conditions, and despite facing skepticism upon arrival, she had trusted Yan Xue enough to follow her.
The sugar-crusted and flaky mooncakes weighed five to a pound, while the Cantonese-style ones were four to a pound. Packed in paper bags, Yan Xue handed them over, and Zhou Wenhui immediately grew bashful. "Why are you giving us these?"
Gao Daidi was also hesitant. Before Yan Xue could say anything, she pushed the bag back, raising both hands in refusal.
Yan Xue simply placed the mooncakes on their dormitory table. "Take them. Consider it a little perk from me. Chang’an got the same when he first started working with me."
At the mention of Guo Chang’an, Zhou Wenhui let out an inexplicable chuckle. Even Gao Daidi, seeing Yan Xue pick up two more bags to leave, pulled out a small notebook and said, "Yue’e’s here."
At first, Yan Xue didn’t understand and asked where Lang Yue’e was. Both women just smiled without answering.
It wasn’t until she went to deliver mooncakes to Guo Chang’an that she spotted Lang Yue’e hanging laundry outside the men’s dormitory—on the No. 8 wire clothesline—and the clothes were unmistakably men’s…
Yan Xue’s steps faltered. She glanced at Lang Yue’e, then at Guo Chang’an’s dormitory in the distance, but said nothing.
Lang Yue’e, however, noticed her and immediately confessed without prompting. "Chang’an’s hands aren’t too steady. I was afraid he wouldn’t wash them properly, so I gave them an extra rinse."
"Oh, so these are Chang’an’s clothes," Yan Xue drawled, her eyes brimming with teasing amusement.
Lang Yue’e, no blushing young girl, simply asked, "I heard you just finished hosting some visitors. Why aren’t you resting?"
Yan Xue ignored the question, still grinning at her. "Since when? I had no idea."
Lang Yue’e had no choice but to come clean. "Not long after the New Year. Chang’an went on a blind date back then—it didn’t work out."
She met Yan Xue’s gaze. "Truth is, neither of us is in a position to be picky, but we also don’t want to settle. He thought our circumstances matched, so we decided to give it a try. We weren’t sure how it’d go, so we didn’t tell anyone."
By then, Lang Yue’e had finished hanging the laundry. As soon as she stepped inside, Guo Chang’an took the basin from her and handed her a towel to dry her hands—only then noticing Yan Xue behind her.
Honestly, their dynamic wasn’t all that different from before, yet something had clearly changed. Yan Xue had never imagined the two of them ending up together.
They’d grown up in the same forestry center and later worked in the same place. If sparks were going to fly, they should’ve flown long ago.
But how many couples in this era actually married for love? Most, like her and Qi Fang, tied the knot after a single meeting—and in their case, they’d even mistaken each other for someone else at first.
If these two thought their circumstances aligned and were willing to give it a shot, Yan Xue had no objections. She stepped forward and handed over the mooncakes. "Here, a matching pair—just like you two."
Lang Yue’e didn’t blush, but Guo Chang’an did. He accepted the bag and said, "We haven’t told our families yet. We’ll do it when we go back for the New Year."
Yan Xue nodded. "I’ll keep your secret." Then, unable to resist, she added, "So that day, Yue’e wasn’t there to see me off—she was there for you. I really overthought that one."
Finally, even Lang Yue’e showed a hint of embarrassment. "Who says I wasn’t there for you? I still plan to keep working with you, you know."
Lang Yue’e hadn’t come just to see Guo Chang’an—she also wanted to update Yan Xue on the situation at the Jinchuan pilot site. It was September, and this year’s fungus harvest was nearly over.
Still, Yan Xue couldn’t wipe the smile off her face all the way home, amused that a couple had quietly formed right under her nose.
When Qi Fang returned from work and saw her expression, he couldn’t help but study her for a moment. "Good news?"
Yan Xue beckoned him closer. He leaned in, tilting his ear toward her lips.
Then, in a whisper, she said, "I’ll tell you at New Year’s."
Clearly in high spirits, she was even teasing him now. Qi Fang arched a brow, then lightly swatted her backside.
Yan Xue shot him an indignant glare. "Where do you think you’re hitting?" She shoved at his chest.
Unfazed, he straightened and looked at her. "The unit recommended a house. It’s decent. When do you have time to see it?"
Buying a house had become urgent. First, sharing living space with others was inconvenient, and second, their little chubster was getting harder to fool.
After being tricked once, the moment Yan Xue picked up her bag, the boy would burst into tears and cling to her leg, refusing to let her leave.
To escape, Qi Fang had taken to leaving first with all their luggage—after all, he was used to business trips, and the little one only fixated on his mother, not him.
Once he was out, Yan Xue would find another excuse to slip away, and the couple would meet at the intersection outside their home—less like spouses and more like a pair of elopers.
But the next time, even Qi Fang couldn’t get away with packing. Their son kept a close eye on both of them, finally giving his father the attention he deserved.
Still, the little schemer was no match for his parents. The next time, the couple simply stopped packing in advance, quietly delivering their things to Zhou Wenhui’s place while he slept.
Even Zhou Wenhui had to laugh. "Your Yan Yu is that sharp? My Airong just plays around without a care."
Every return home turned into a battle of wits with the little one. It was high time they bought a house and brought him over.
The county had running water and electricity, making life much easier than in the forestry center.
Yan Xue thought it over. "As long as no one’s coming for inspections, I’m free these days."
Qi Fang nodded. "I’ll set up a time." Then he added, "I also asked about schools for Jigang."
"Easy to transfer? How are the schools here?" Yan Xue was very concerned about her brother’s education.
"The forestry bureau has elementary and middle schools. Transfers are simple, and the classes are bigger than in Chengshui," Qi Fang said.
Then he glanced at her. "I also asked at the middle school. They said skipping to high school is possible, but he’d need to take their junior high graduation exam first and meet the cutoff."
Jigang was only in fifth grade now, so junior high wouldn’t start until next year—high school was even further off. Yan Xue blinked in surprise, then looked up at him, startled.
The man met her gaze with his peach-blossom eyes. "He wouldn’t even have to attend classes. As long as he takes every exam and passes, they’ll issue a diploma."
His voice was light, almost as if it might brush against her heart. "You only finished junior high, right? Want to get a high school diploma too?"
Little Chubster: If you don’t give me my mom, I’ll monopolize the author’s notes every day!
