She and Xiao Hua moved back into the dormitory Liu Yuan had arranged for them. The food factory had around fifty workers, each with their own assigned duties. Jiang Chan spent every day immersed in the workshop. She made sure she understood every piece of equipment thoroughly.
Business after the New Year was extremely brisk. Liu Yuan struck while the iron was hot and introduced several more machines. It was said he had gone to great lengths to import them from abroad.
After the technicians finished installation and debugging and taught everyone how to power the machines on and off, they left. Jiang Chan stood to the side watching for a long time. Everyone looked at one another, and no one dared to touch those expensive machines.
“Bring me the manual,” Jiang Chan instructed. Xiao Hua immediately took off at a run and brought it over.
Jiang Chan took the manual. It was entirely in English. She carefully read through it, matching each instruction to the corresponding buttons, and only then did she put the manual down and begin operating the machine.
Watching Jiang Chan press the buttons quickly and accurately, her movements smooth and fluid, everyone was stunned.
Liu Yuan stared wide eyed. “Auntie, you even know English?”
Xiao Hua clapped her hands. “Grandma is amazing!”
Jiang Chan waved it off. “This isn’t difficult. I’ll translate the manual this afternoon and make a Chinese version. You can follow that from now on.”
After this incident, Jiang Chan’s position in the factory was completely secured. Everyone looked at her with a sense of awe. No one expected such an elderly woman to understand English and also be able to make so many kinds of pastries.
No wonder President Liu was willing to give up so many shares just to keep Jiang Chan. Capable people were respected wherever they went.
In February after the New Year, kindergarten started. Jiang Chan sent Xiao Hua off on her first day. The scabs on the girl’s face had already fallen off, leaving behind a palm sized raised scar that still looked a bit frightening.
Fortunately, because it had been well cared for, the color of the burned area was nearly the same as the rest of her face. If the color had been different, it would have stood out even more.
Because it was the first day, Jiang Chan personally took her. Xiao Hua now did things in an orderly manner. While other children cried noisily in the schoolyard, Xiao Hua remained very calm. She tightened her little backpack straps, said goodbye to Jiang Chan, and walked in without looking back.
Watching Xiao Hua enter the kindergarten, Jiang Chan turned and returned to the food factory. The factory was only a few minutes away from the kindergarten. Xiao Hua would walk back on her own after school.
Jiang Chan was not worried at all about Xiao Hua being uncomfortable at school. She believed that with her example and guidance, Xiao Hua knew how to face setbacks in life.
Inside the kindergarten, Xiao Hua took a seat in the second row by the window. The right side of her face was fully visible. She held her head high, without a trace of inferiority.
A sturdily built boy suddenly pointed at Xiao Hua’s cheek and shouted loudly, “Ugly monster. Teacher, an ugly monster joined our class.”
Xiao Hua calmly put down her book and looked straight at the boy. He was fair and chubby, taller than most of the other children, and was staring at her with obvious disgust.
Children change quickly. In the past, Xiao Hua had been thin and sallow, with dull yellow hair. Now, after Jiang Chan’s careful care, she looked no different from other city children.
“My grandma says that judging people by their appearance is wrong. Understanding someone based only on how they look is shallow. I only have a burn scar on my face. How am I any different from you?”
“Also, personal attacks are wrong. Without any reason, didn’t your parents teach you that this is very rude? It seems your upbringing is just so so.”
Xiao Hua’s words were blunt and unyielding. A woman standing by the window immediately looked embarrassed. She rushed in, grabbed the boy’s ear, and smacked his bottom twice.
“You little brat. I sent you here to learn, and you come to school being rude. I need to teach you a proper lesson today.”
Xiao Hua stood up. “Auntie, if you want to educate your son, you should do it at home. Children have self respect. When I make mistakes, my grandma never scolds me in front of so many people. She only talks to me and explains things afterward.”
Xiao Hua’s clear gaze made it impossible for the woman to continue hitting him. She forced a dry laugh and poked the boy’s head. “Just you wait until we get home.”
The boy shrank back and did not dare say anything more. His mother pulled him forward to apologize to Xiao Hua. “I’m sorry, little girl. Xiao Guang was spoiled by his father and me. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Xiao Hua replied casually. “I won’t argue with someone who only looks at faces. That’s shallow.”
The woman choked slightly but still forced Xiao Guang to apologize properly before leaving the classroom. Looking at Xiao Hua sitting upright in her seat, the woman could not help wondering. Who had taught this child?
She spoke clearly and logically, sharp without using vulgar language. Compared to her own foolish son, he really was naive and clueless. It was a pity about the girl’s face. If not for that scar, she would have been a beautiful little girl.
The woman shook her head. She had come today to enroll her son in kindergarten. Later she still needed to go to Xinxin Food Factory to discuss business. Before the New Year, Xinxin Food Factory had clearly been declining. Now, somehow, it had risen rapidly.
The kindergarten teacher, a gentle woman in her forties, had observed everything from Xiao Guang’s provocation to Xiao Hua’s response, and then Xiao Guang’s mother dragging him in to apologize.
Seeing Xiao Hua still quietly reading her picture book afterward made Teacher Wang even more curious. A child like this must have been carefully taught with a great deal of effort. Just from her manner of speaking, it was clear she would not amount to little in the future.
Xiao Guang’s mother, Chen Xiaopei, was a typical strong woman, sharp and capable. She also worked in the food industry. The sudden rise of Xinxin Food Factory had naturally caught her attention.
She had tasted Xinxin Food Factory’s pastries. Honestly speaking, both appearance and flavor surpassed most pastries on the market. Because of that, Chen Xiaopei became interested.
Such good products being famous only within the province felt like a waste. Why not help connect them to markets in other provinces? If it succeeded, profits would surely roll in endlessly.
Chen Xiaopei had not contacted Liu Yuan beforehand. At that time, networks were undeveloped, and phone contact was limited. Her plan was to conduct an on site inspection first and decide afterward.
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Thanks for the translation!