"Alright." Song Nianchu nodded, holding the receipt, and headed to the accounting department with familiar ease.
The fishing gear factory purchased fishing nets based on the size of their mesh, with prices ranging from 5 to 20 yuan per net. The nets she had brought this time had larger mesh, so the purchase price was 5 yuan per net. In total, she had two nets and some smaller fishing gear.
In the end, she received 12 yuan, 3 mao, and 5 fen.
Looking at the money, Song Nianchu couldn’t help but sigh. It might seem like a decent amount, but this was the entire monthly income of Qinghe Fishing Village. Divided among the villagers, it was pitifully little.
Carefully tucking the money away, she turned and left the factory.
The fishing gear factory was located in the suburbs, and it took some time to reach the city. After walking for about half an hour, she finally began to see more people around.
Song Nianchu didn’t linger anywhere else and went straight to the county’s state-run restaurant.
She didn’t enter through the front door but instead took the back entrance.
"Ah-Chu! What brings you here? Are you delivering fish? Where’s your catch?" An elderly man, Uncle Li, who guarded the back door, greeted her warmly the moment he saw her.
After the village’s fishing trips, the leftover fish, after being handed over to the collective, were distributed among the villagers. In the past, they would salt and preserve the fish for winter.
But after Song Nianchu arrived, she wanted to help them earn more cash instead of relying solely on salted fish. That’s how she ended up connecting with the state-run restaurant.
At first, they hadn’t taken this young girl seriously. But after she happened to rescue Manager Li’s uncle, who had fallen on the roadside, she managed to establish a relationship with the restaurant. Over time, she became familiar with the staff there.
"I’m not here to sell fish today. I need to talk to Manager Li about something," Song Nianchu said with a cheerful smile.
In business, a smile went a long way. As the saying goes, "No one slaps a smiling face." If you walked around scowling, people wouldn’t want to do business with you.
"Manager Li? He’s probably in the kitchen. Go take a look," Uncle Li said, waving her in without hesitation.
"Thank you, Uncle." Song Nianchu reached into her cloth bag and pulled out a small jar, handing it to him through the security booth.
"Uncle, I made this myself. Give it a try."
"Young lady, you always bring me something every time you come. You should eat more yourself—look how thin you’ve gotten!" Uncle Li grumbled, though he didn’t refuse the gift.
Officially, he was just a gatekeeper, but Manager Li was his nephew. Many people had tried to bribe him to get closer to Manager Li, but he had never accepted anything from them.
Yet, he had a soft spot for Song Nianchu. She was always smiling, greeted everyone politely, and had a diligent, hardworking nature. He often wished she were his own granddaughter.
"It’s just my body type. I may look thin, but I’m plenty strong!" She flexed her arm playfully.
Uncle Li laughed even harder. "Go on in, then."
"Will do!" Song Nianchu waved at him and walked inside with her bag.
Once she was out of sight, Uncle Li opened the small jar. The aroma instantly filled the air. He knew how skilled Song Nianchu was in the kitchen, so without hesitation, he picked up a piece of beef and popped it into his mouth.
His eyes widened in surprise. The fish was incredible—far better than anything the restaurant’s chefs could make.
He wanted to eat another piece, but he remembered how his grandchildren always asked when Song Nianchu would make more delicious treats for them. Suppressing the urge, he licked his fingers, carefully resealed the jar, and placed it in a bag beside him.
He’d take it home after work for the little gluttons. They’d probably demand extra rice tonight.
Meanwhile, Song Nianchu had reached the kitchen.
Before even stepping inside, she heard the familiar sound of shouting.
"Pull yourselves together! Not only have sales dropped this month, but customer complaints have increased too. If you don’t want to work here anymore, get out now—don’t ruin this restaurant’s reputation!"
Manager Li was on another tirade.
Song Nianchu silently mourned for the kitchen staff for three seconds before patiently waiting nearby.
Manager Li only stopped yelling when his throat went dry. As soon as he stepped out of the kitchen, he spotted Song Nianchu.
"Ah-Chu? What are you doing here?" Manager Li was in his forties and had worked at the state-run restaurant for over twenty years. He dressed sharply, his hair meticulously combed, and his shoes polished to a shine.
The only thing that ruined the image was his protruding belly—otherwise, he might have passed for a handsome middle-aged man.
"Manager Li, I got married," Song Nianchu said with a grin.
"You got married? When did that happen? Why didn’t you send someone to tell me?" Manager Li exclaimed.
After Song Nianchu had saved his uncle, he had always been grateful to her. On top of that, she was honest and reliable—the fish she delivered was always the freshest and best quality. He had developed a fondness for her, treating her like family.
At one point, he had even considered setting her up with someone, but she had insisted on finding a husband who would marry into her family, so he dropped the idea.
And now, out of nowhere, she was married?
"It was yesterday. As soon as I had time, I came to bring you wedding sweets." She pulled out three jars of crispy fish from her pocket and handed them to Manager Li.
"I made these myself. They’re nothing fancy, but I hope you won’t mind." Her words were as smooth as ever.
"Listen to you! As if I’d ever turn down your cooking," Manager Li huffed, though his eyes crinkled with amusement.
Song Nianchu’s smile widened.
"I’ll accept this gift, but you’d better bring your husband around for me to meet someday," Manager Li said loudly.
"Of course!" she agreed cheerfully. "Well, I won’t keep you from your work any longer."
"Alright." Manager Li was indeed busy, so he didn’t press her to stay.
Song Nianchu waved goodbye and took a few steps before turning back.
"Oh, the fish is ready to eat—just open the jar."
"Got it." Manager Li glanced at the jars and nodded.
Only then did Song Nianchu leave for good.
Manager Li examined the small glass jars. They were transparent and quite elegant, and the fish inside looked especially appetizing—glossy red and perfectly crisp.
Since he had been too angry to eat earlier, he returned to the kitchen, grabbed a plate, and emptied one jar onto it.
The aroma was irresistible, and the presentation was flawless.
He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. Instantly, his eyes lit up.
This fish was nothing like what he usually ate. How could it be so crispy while still retaining the fish’s natural freshness?
He devoured several more pieces before finally scooping a bowl of rice to go with it. The combination was even more satisfying.
The kitchen staff watched as Manager Li wolfed down the food, their mouths watering.
Was the fish really that good?
Manager Li ended up eating three full bowls of rice, polishing off the entire plate of fish—even mixing the leftover chili flakes into his rice—before finally setting down his chopsticks in contentment.
"Manager Li, where did you get that canned fish? It looks really delicious," asked a young new kitchen helper, too curious and bold to hold back the question.
