“No, not familiar at all,” Song Ye blurted out. Then realizing something was off, he added, “Who is she?”
Tang Guo nearly burst out laughing. “Chen Ying! I heard she even tried to secretly give you eggs.”
“I never took them.” Song Ye quickly tried to show his loyalty. “Really, I can’t even remember what she looks like. Guo Guo, you said she was staring at me, where? How come I didn’t notice?”
“Ah Ye, I was just curious,” Tang Guo said seriously. “You don’t need to be so nervous. I trust that you’d never get involved with her.”
Song Ye instinctively tightened his grip on her hand. “Guo Guo, other than you, I’ve never had anything to do with another woman.”
The two of them were murmuring to each other so intimately it made others envious and left Chen Ying both jealous and in disbelief.
“Sister, you said you weren’t into Educated Youth Song, but look at you, just staring at him.
Thankfully, Chen Fangfang still had a little sense of shame and didn’t yell it out loud in front of everyone.
Chen Ying, already in a foul mood, shot her a glare and nearly slapped her.
“What are you staring at me for? Can you honestly say you weren’t just ogling him?” Chen Fangfang pressed. “Is this fair to Xie Shijun?”
“Get lost.”
Chen Ying had no patience left to argue, her face darkening. “Say one more word and I swear you’ll regret it.”
Chen Fangfang saw how fierce Chen Ying looked. She had never won a fight against her, so she reluctantly shrank her neck.
A few days later, Tang Shouguo received word about the factory project and called Song Ye along to go to the town office. Tang Guo noticed her father seemed to be in good spirits. If Song Ye performed well, there was a high chance they’d secure approval.
When they headed to town, Song Ye brought Tang Guo with him. Tang Shouguo didn’t agree at first, this was important business. But Song Ye said, “Guo Guo is the future factory director’s wife,” and that shut him up.
As his son-in-law doted on his daughter more and more, Tang Shouguo couldn’t help but wonder for the first time, was his daughter going to be spoiled rotten?
The three of them stopped at a state-owned restaurant for a meal before going to meet the town head. Although the town head had a good relationship with Tang Shouguo, he was strict when it came to factory matters.
At the time, only state-owned factories were allowed. If Tang Family Village wanted to open one, it would mean diverting resources their way, something other communes would likely oppose, even if the town head agreed.
But after Song Ye produced a thick stack of handwritten plans, the town head’s gaze towards Song Ye changed. Still, he didn’t agree immediately.
However, everyone could tell he was tempted.
In the end, the town head told them to go back and wait for news. He said he needed time to consider it. Song Ye and Tang Shouguo both smiled. If he was “considering it,” that meant it was nearly settled.
At this stage, if it had been a no, he would’ve refused outright.
Song Ye’s written proposal sounded noble, contributing to the country’s development. Plus, the initial products were canned goods made from wild vegetables and fruits gathered from the nearby mountains.
“You’ve made canned goods before?” Tang Guo asked, curious. She hadn’t seen any made at home.
Song Ye chuckled and shook his head. “If I hadn’t succeeded, would Dad have let me meet the town head? Would the town head have bothered to see me? They’ve already tasted them.”
“How come I didn’t know?” Tang Guo was a bit confused. They’d already finished everything in secret.
Song Ye looked a little embarrassed, his ears turning red. “I worked on it every day while you were asleep. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Oh…” So it turns out the whole Tang family, from top to bottom, had joined forces with her husband to keep her, their own daughter, in the dark. How commendable.
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