Chen ilan, having thought of an idea, asked Zou Jie, "Sister Zou, how's the woolen mill doing these days?"0
ntioning the woolen mill stirred up a pot of resentnt in Zou Jie. She glanced at Yan Zhao, her words laden with hidden aning: "How could it be? In this era of reform and opening up, people like us have been pushed out. The factory has been ruined by certain individuals."0
By "certain individuals," Zou Jie didn't dare na nas directly, but everyone knew she ant Yan Zhao's father-in-law Zhou Renyi and mother-in-law Wu Lianlian.0
Zhou Senior had been severely persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, leaving him ntally impaired. But after rehabilitation, the governnt appointed him as the party secretary of the woolen mill.0
It was the dawn of economic reforms, and factories faced stiff competition from private enterprises. Handmade textiles were the first to feel the impact.0
The factory was mandated by the state to reform, and it needed a helmsman.0
Zhou Senior's mind was damaged, leaving him in a daze. His wife, though unemployed, was sharp as a tack. Upon hearing about the reforms, she began visiting workshop supervisors daily, bearing gifts of milk powder and canned goods. She played on their sympathies, using her husband's status to garner support for him.0
Thus, Zhou Senior gained power, while capable workers like Zou Jie were pushed out of the woolen mill.0
However, Zhou Senior's leadership didn't bring prosperity. His vision was limited and he lacked strategic thinking. Under his wife's direction, he sent their son south with a large shipnt of fabric from the factory, hoping to make a fortune. But upon reaching the south, they discovered the local fabric was much cheaper. To make matters worse, Zhou Junior, being rather dim-witted, and his companions carelessly set fire to several train cars full of fabric while smoking.0
A woolen mill employing hundreds was run into the ground by Zhou Senior's family in one fell swoop.0
Zhou Junior, heavily in debt to the factory, went into hiding. The governnt, taking pity on Zhou Senior's condition, didn't prosecute him and simply sent him ho.0
"You're doing great now, aren't you? Manager of the Simmons mattress factory. Now you can really show what you're capable of," Chen ilan said with a smile.0
Zou Jie gave a bitter laugh. "If only. It sounds impressive, but while others feast, we take the beatings. You don't know the situation in the mattress industry. These days, it's all about brand nas. A bed costs five or six thousand yuan. Those who can't afford it buy springs and make their own beds. The wealthy only recognize brands. Simmons sells well, but that's the Phoenix brand advertised on national TV, not our Xii brand."0
"I have a good idea. It's free advertising that could make our mattresses outsell the Phoenix brand. But if it really works, I want you to give a Simmons mattress," Chen ilan had been waiting for this opening.0
Zou Jie burst out laughing. "ilan, I used to think you were naive, but now I see you're quite cheeky. Tell , what do you an by free advertising? Can you get us on TV for free?"0
Nowadays, people only buy brand nas. What makes a brand? It's the ones advertised on TV.0
But TV advertising costs money, which local factories can't afford.0
"Local advertising, live demonstrations, more effective than national TV," Chen ilan began.0
Once she had Zou Jie's attention, she continued: "A Simmons is just a spring mattress, nothing high-tech about it. The main thing is that the springs are sturdy enough to withstand regular use. Everyone knows that homade spring beds fall apart in no ti, so they prefer to buy more durable ones. Have you ever thought about bringing an unwrapped bed from the factory and letting people try to break it in front of the departnt store? If our springs can't be damaged, wouldn't that prove our mattresses are good?"0
The Xii factory's mattresses weren't afraid of being put to the test. After all, being a state-owned enterprise, their springs were as sturdy as the workers' stubborn minds.0
But would smashing mattresses really sell them?0
If Zou Jie wasn't in charge of sales, she wouldn't bother with this. But now was the ti when all sorts of products were flooding the market.0
Xifeng Liquor ran an ad on national TV and sales skyrocketed.0
Chrysanthemum Electric Fans' "Cool World" ad was also a hit.0
So nowadays, factories were generally open to advertising. It's just that others advertised on TV, while they would be smashing beds. Would that work?0
Also, like Chrysanthemum Fans' "Cool World," they had catchy slogans. Xii didn't have one.0
Chen ilan guessed Zou Jie's thoughts at a glance: "Let's add a slogan too. How about 'Xii mattresses, unbreakable under a thousand hamrs'? Better yet, get so won to shout it while people are trying to break the bed. I guarantee it'll be more effective than national TV."0
In fact, all of this was experience and wisdom Chen ilan had accumulated from watching countless ads in her previous life.0
So foreign mattress companies even used trucks to run over their springs to prove their durability. Don't underestimate advertising; it works wonders. If you crush a mattress with a truck in front of everyone and the springs bounce back, people will imdiately reach for their wallets.0
Zou Jie had already taken the bait and couldn't back out now, but she still wanted to set a bar for Chen ilan. After all, even though she was a minor leader, giving away a bed would require approval from the factory director, party secretary, and other top brass.0
"We'll give it a try soday. If we can sell ten beds in one day, I'll give you one."0
"Then you'd better choose a weekend. Departnt stores are busier on weekends," Chen ilan said naturally, but with a double aning: "And don't go back on your word. Like the leaders at our woolen mill who said they'd introduce to a soldier for a match. I even went to a photo studio specially to take a picture, but when I t him, he turned out to be from a landlord family."0
As she spoke, she watched Yan Zhao and Yan Xishan's reactions.0
Yan Xishan was playing with Yuanyuan and didn't hear her words, oblivious to the conversation. Yan Zhao furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze shifting towards Zou Jie.0
When Zhou Senior was in charge, he brought many relatives into the factory, Chen ilan being one of them. But her photo was selected by Zou Jie, and it was part of a matchmaking arrangent where soldiers would send photos of female factory workers. If they seed compatible, they'd be matched. Zou Jie couldn't rember who exactly ilan's photo was sent to.0
However, when Zhou Xueqin heard about this, she was furious, saying Chen ilan didn't like soldiers. She urgently sent a telegram to withdraw the file.0
Yan Zhao was the regintal commander, and the telegram was sent to him. This was also why she specifically told Chen ilan not to mind appearances.0
The soldier's wife didn't work out, but Yan Zhao knew about ilan's file being withdrawn. Given her beauty, he surely rembered her.0
So now, the person she should be persuading wasn't ilan, but Yan Zhao.0
"By the way, Yan Zhao, when I sent photos to your unit, ilan's was among them. Do you rember who I sent hers to? This has been such a big misunderstanding. Our ilan apparently knew nothing about this from start to finish."0
Chen ilan thought to herself, sure enough, Yan Zhao had known about her all along.0
No wonder the dog of a man was so lukewarm towards her.0
But who exactly was Zou Jie trying to set her up with back then?0
Faced with both won's scrutiny, Yan Zhao coldly replied, "I forgot."0
What did he an, he forgot?0
The military-civilian matchmaking event involved the marriages of over thirty soldiers. It was such an important matter that he had personally overseen. How could he have forgotten everything?0
"It must have been soone from your regint. What a sha, ilan could have had a good marriage," Zou Jie sighed.0
Yan Zhao changed the subject back to what the children were most interested in - the Simmons mattresses. "ilan's idea for selling beds sounds quite good to . Sister Zou, you should give it so serious thought."0
Of course, the matter ended there.0
After all, Chen ilan only wanted Yan Zhao to know that she wasn't soone who judged people by appearances.0
As for who Zou Jie had actually tried to set her up with, it no longer mattered.0
The most important thing now was the Simmons mattress. She couldn't let it go: "Sister Zou, if the advertising works and we sell ten Xii mattresses in a day, you must give one."0
"Alright, I'll request approval from the leadership when the ti cos. I'll give you one, provided we can actually sell them," Zou Jie said.0
Selling ten beds in a day equated to 50,000 yuan in sales.0
Even after giving the departnt store their 30% cut, the remaining money would be enough for the Xii Furniture Factory to pay nearly three years of overdue wages to its workers.0
This kind of dream was too good for Zou Jie to even imagine in her sleep, let alone while wide awake.0
She'd treat it as a joke for now.0
Just then, soone suddenly laughed: "Sister, don't bother listening to Chen ilan's nonsense. She's never even been to school. Why are you paying attention to her ramblings?"0
It was Yan Xishan, still sitting on his Phoenix Simmons mattress, swaying back and forth. He must have found Chen ilan's words amusing and decided to join the conversation.0
"You look just like Fei Xiang. You wouldn't happen to be that famous nouveau riche in our city..." He was quite the local celebrity.0
"It's , I'm Yan Xishan," Yan Xishan said with a smile.0
In fact, Yan Xishan also knew Zou Jie, after all, she was the new bureau chief's wife, and he had done his howork long ago.0
If you can't establish a relationship with the bureau chief, but you can connect with the bureau chief's wife, it's equivalent to having a relationship with the bureau chief.0
So Yan Xishan now wanted to get acquainted with the bureau chief's wife by belittling ilan.0
But Yan Zhao interrupted him: "Xishan, are you free today?"0
Yan Xishan acted as if he had just noticed Yan Zhao: "Captain Yan, I am indeed a bit free, ca to buy a bed. What, are you also buying a Simmons mattress, for my Zhaodi?"0
He had seen everything, how Yan Zhao's Simmons mattress had turned into a 600-yuan small wire bed.0
Chen ilan, for the sake of a Simmons mattress, actually boasted and spouted nonsense, bragging here, fantasizing about selling ten in one day.0
He was rciful, he didn't laugh.0
But he couldn't help feeling sorry for his ex-wife, ending up with such a poor man, living such a miserable life.0
"If you're free, co with to the bureau for so tea," Yan Zhao said.0
Tea, this ant Yan Zhao wanted to accept a bribe, which was certainly good. Yan Xishan said: "Gladly, gladly, let's go together in a bit."0
Chen ilan had to remind Zou Jie once more: "Sister Zou, don't forget my bed."0
As for Yan Xishan, she didn't even want to acknowledge him. These n all liked to belittle won to assert their presence.0
They were only fit to live as tombstones in the graveyard of her mories.0
Patting Little Lang's bottom, she said: "The Simmons mattress has been reserved, we'll have to wait a few days. Now let's go downstairs, mom's going to buy you so clothes."0
Buying clothes?0
Like losing a waterlon and picking up sesa seeds, the children instantly forgot about the Simmons mattress and rushed towards the clothes.0
The second floor was children's wear, with nursery rhys playing, attractive promotional posters, and a special toy counter. Little Wang had noticed earlier that one of the shops was even selling little underpants with Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie printed on them.0
Today's departnt stores were truly remarkable, even selling little underwear on display.0
The children rushed downstairs in a flurry.0
Yan Xishan clicked his tongue, because Yuanyuan not only ignored him but also glared at him before leaving, angry: "Yan Zhaodi..."0
"I've changed my na now, I'm called Yan Shengnan," Yuanyuan suddenly turned back and shouted at her father.0
With a victorious expression, she demonstrated her bravery to Little Lang and Little Wang, holding one in each hand, walking away with great vigor.0
Children's clothing was on the second floor, and underwear had its own separate counter.0
The little underpants were indeed pretty, along with little sweaters and vests. These things were not only inexpensive, but due to the impact of private clothing manufacturers, they were actually very cheap.0
Four pairs of little underpants cost only one yuan. Buying five pairs for each child would only be five yuan, and the quality was better than the half-yuan ones from the vegetable market.0
"Five pairs each, choose your own patterns," Chen ilan said.0
Little Wang and Little Lang looked up at their father, who remained silent, not daring to choose. Yuanyuan was already on her tiptoes, selecting patterns for herself at the counter.0
Chen ilan turned around, eting Yan Zhao's gaze, and asked: "Captain Yan, do you need underwear? What size?"0
Yan Zhao's face remained expressionless, but he frowned slightly, as if he had misheard.0
If they were to live together, how could it work if this man got embarrassed at every little thing?0
Chen ilan suspected he might not even be willing to sleep with her, out of shyness.0
That was quite good actually, as she never wanted to have that kind of relationship with any man again in this life.0
"Just tell what size you need..." Chen ilan was about to say, I've seen your underwear, they're more like rags.0
Little Wang was also eager to pick underwear: "Dad, hurry up and say!"0
Yan Zhao still said nothing. Little Lang snorted: "Dad doesn't like wearing underwear either, maybe he's like , bare-bottod right now."0
"Pick your underwear," Yan Zhao couldn't take it anymore. He picked up both sons, one in each hand: "For , the largest size, I guess."0
Chen ilan also picked up Yuanyuan. The glass counter was full of little underpants and sweaters. The children were rummaging through the pile like hamsters, liking this and that, unable to decide.0
The three children's heads were close together, bringing Chen ilan and Yan Zhao closer too.0
Taking the opportunity, Chen ilan turned and said: "You don't need to be so nervous. We're husband and wife, I should be buying these things for you."0
Yan Zhao spoke frankly, but not about the underwear.0
He said in a low voice: "Yan Xishan, I'm going to detain him and interrogate him personally. You should be ntally prepared."0
Seeing Chen ilan's silence, he added: "But as long as he hasn't taken any lives or committed any serious illegal cris, it won't beco a criminal case. Arresting and investigating him now is actually better for Yuanyuan."0
Chen ilan rembered that in her previous life, it wasn't until four or five years later that Yan Zhao started taking action against these nouveau riche and coal bosses on Jindong Road.0
But that was because Little Lang had been sick for a long ti, and Yan Zhao had taken unpaid leave for an extended period for Little Lang's sake.0
Could it be that in this life, it was because she had taken over Little Lang's care?0
Yan Zhao was going to take action earlier.0
Chen ilan wished she could put Yuanyuan back in her belly and be reborn again, but she had to face a reality: Yan Xishan was Yuanyuan's biological father. If Yuanyuan were to be an ordinary person in the future, it might be fine, but if she wanted to enter a governnt agency, having a father with a criminal record would make it impossible for her to be accepted.0
So even though Yan Xishan was terribly bad, it would be better for Yuanyuan if he didn't go to jail and kept a clean record.0
Otherwise, he would affect Yuanyuan's entire life.0
A person's path is walked step by step. In her previous life, Yan Xishan was arrested for concealing a major water inrush accident that killed dozens of people.0
Those people all had wives and children. When the n died, the pillars of their families were gone. If he hadn't been so reluctant to spend money on mine safety, if he hadn't deceived workers into going down the mine without proper preparations, if he hadn't desperately tried to cut costs and boost profits, how could those people have possibly died?0
Even now, regarding the coal mines, there were frequent truck accidents or gang fights. It was said that when people died in the mines, not everyone even had a na recorded.0
"Underwear..." Yan Zhao stamred for a long ti before saying, "Actually, I still have so, no need to buy."0
You an those rags that even Yan Sanye wouldn't wear?0
Are you sure you want to wear those again?0
...0
Being invited for tea by people from the police station was still a fashionable term now, not yet causing the fear and trepidation it would in the future among businessn.0
Yan Xishan even bought a box of good tea leaves, happily going to the police station.0
Upon entering the police station, he unexpectedly encountered the madam of Dream Paris nightclub, sitting in Yan Zhao's office.0
"You're here for tea too?" Yan Xishan felt sothing was a bit off. Yan Zhao shouldn't have such a wild personality to invite a nightclub madam to his office for tea.0
The madam laughed dryly a couple of tis: "Yes, the police officer invited for tea."0
In the conference room, Bureau Chief Sun was there, Lv Liang was also present, and even several chiefs and deputy chiefs from the local police stations under the branch bureau, as well as yesterday's law enforcent officers were all there.0
Lazily scattered about, people sat askew as Lv Liang reported on the joint law enforcent operation carried out by the inspection team and police stations last night.0
As he reported, he yawned: "Overall, it was acceptable. We found several overloaded trucks, but the overloading didn't exceed 20%. According to regulations, we criticized and educated them, then let them go."0
Yan Zhao asked: "No fines?"0
"No, they didn't reach the standard for fines," Lv Liang said.0
Yan Zhao took out a hundred-yuan Great Unity note from his pocket, spread it on the table, and pointed to a young man in the crowd: "Chen Gang, co take a look, isn't this the money you spent at Dream Paris last night?"0
Chen Gang was the young police officer who had accepted money from Yan Zhao the night before.0
At first glance, he didn't recognize Yan Zhao, but suddenly felt sothing was wrong and hesitated: "It's... it's you?"0
"Was the alcohol at Dream Paris good?" Yan Zhao suddenly looked up, his eyes cold.0
Chen Gang took two steps back, instinctively pointing at Lv Liang: "Cap... Captain, Deputy Captain Lv was there last night too. The nouveau riche treated us, even called for girls. We didn't do anything, we just had a few drinks."0
Lv Liang almost jumped up: "Chen Gang, you're spewing lies! Do you still want your job?"0
Yan Zhao turned his gaze again: "Shall I invite the madam of Dream Paris to personally recount the events for everyone?"0
Lv Liang suddenly looked towards a corner and said: "Deputy Chief Yan, you were there last night too. Say sothing!"0
Deputy Chief Yan, Yan Bin, was Yan Zhao's cousin.0
Yan Zhao was a bit slow on the uptake. He had only been in office for a few days, and even if he was eager to make a na for himself and wanted to rectify the social atmosphere, he should have taken a look at the actual situation.0
His brother had also been drinking with nouveau riche businessn last night and had called for escort girls. Surely he wouldn't arrest his own brother as well.0
If police officers were caught soliciting prostitutes, they could be dismissed or expelled from the force.0
Yan Zhao surveyed the entire scene, his hand lightly pressing on the hundred-yuan bill. "It seems our police force is truly pure, united from top to bottom."0
From the highest ranks to the lowest, the whole system was rotten to the core!0
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