Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 150 The filter is broken
Shen Yanan's gaze was fixed on the man wearing a black leather jacket.

It was him! Although he wasn't wearing that military overcoat, my second sister still recognized him at a glance.

Coincidentally, she just mentioned it casually, but unexpectedly, it actually brought the other person to the store.

The second sister was grateful to the person who had helped her. Now that she had found him, she felt she had to properly thank him.

She said to Marty, "Manager Marty, arrange for these students to rest in the restaurant, order them some drinks, and we'll go to the coffee shop for the interviews."

“Okay, boss.” Marty replied, and invited the foreign language college students to the restaurant, asking the waiter to hand them the drink menu.

These are all college students, which is different from ordinary employees.

There are eight college students here for interviews today, seven of whom are English majors and one is a Russian major.

Marty's gaze fell on Chen Ju. Of all the college students, she had the highest hopes for her: "Chen Ju, you'll be the first to participate in the second round of interviews."

"Okay, Manager Ma." Chen Ju stood up and handed her backpack to Su Mingyuan, who was standing next to her.

Su Mingyuan smiled and took the bag: "Ju Zi, just do your best, don't be nervous."

"I know," Chen Ju said, and then walked towards the coffee shop.

Su Mingyuan caught up with her from behind: "Manager Ma, can I go to the interview with her?"

Marty knew the two were friends and said, "You can sit next to me, but don't say anything."

Su Mingyuan made an OK sign.

He wasn't particularly interested in his job at the restaurant; he just wanted to spend more time with Chen Ju. If Chen Ju worked at the restaurant, and he worked there too, wouldn't they be able to see each other every day? Just thinking about it made him happy.

He walked to the coffee shop and, seeing Chen Ju turn to look at him, gave her a thumbs-up. Then, he looked at the interviewer opposite him—presumably the restaurant owner.

Hey, this woman looks familiar. Goodness, isn't that the girl I rescued yesterday?
Hey, what a coincidence! What a small world!

Thinking about it carefully, this woman was robbed right outside the Foreign Languages ​​Institute; maybe she was there for a job interview that day. Thinking about it that way, it makes sense.

He didn't dwell on it anymore. Although he didn't expect anything in return for catching the thief, he had still helped her. Based on that alone, she should be able to approve his application, right?
Let's see how things go with Orange first. If Orange doesn't pass the second round of interviews, what's the point of me staying here?
Chen Ju nodded slightly to Li Zhe and the other two, "Hello, interviewers. My name is Chen Ju, and I'm here to interview for the position of foreign affairs service staff."

Li Zhe sized her up. The girl was quite tall, with defined features and a very dignified appearance. Her skin was a bit dark, and her demeanor was quite suitable for interacting with foreigners.

Shen Yanan looked at her and asked in English, "Could you give a brief self-introduction in English?"

Chen Ju said in English, "Of course, my name is Chen Ju, I am nineteen years old, and I am a sophomore at Beijing Foreign Studies University. I major in English and I am very good at communicating with people. I am confident that I can do this job well. I am very honored to participate in this interview."

Shen Yanan asked, "What are your salary requirements?"

She continued in English, "Currently, I am still focused on my studies, so I am applying for a part-time position. I hope to be paid by the hour, with a minimum of 0.5 yuan per hour."

Shen Yanan said in English, "There is a three-day internship period before formal employment. During this period, the salary is only two cents per hour. After the internship, the salary can be calculated at 0.5 yuan per hour."

Chen Ju asked, "If I come to work at the restaurant, will I need to pay any other fees?"

Marty replied, "We'll give you a uniform. If you work for three months, the uniform will be yours for free. If you don't work for three months, the cost of the uniform will be deducted from your wages."

“That makes perfect sense.” Chen Ju had been worried that she would have to pay out of pocket before she even started earning money at the restaurant.

Shen Yanan continued in English, "Are you a local from Beijing? Can you work during the winter break?"

Chen Ju answered in English as before, "I'm a local from Beijing. I'll come to work during the winter break. I just might need to spend time with my family during the Chinese New Year."

Shen Yanan made a note in her notebook and looked at Li Zhe and Ma Di. "I'm all set, what about you two?"

Marty asked, "Our restaurant has a rule that employees can't date. Are you and Su dating? If so, only one of you can work at the restaurant."

Chen Ju hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips: "We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. We're just... ordinary classmates."

Sitting in the back, Su Mingyuan slowly closed his eyes, feeling a little uneasy. He thought to himself, "What kind of lousy restaurant has such a rule? Whether or not someone is in a relationship is their private matter, none of your business!"
He didn't take it too seriously. There's always a way around things. As long as he didn't make it too obvious, what would they know? Being able to go to work and return to school with Chen Ju every day would surely bring them closer, wouldn't it? The more time they spent together, the better feelings would develop, wouldn't they?
Marty called out, "Su, it's your turn for the interview!"

Chen Ju also came over to remind him, "Mingyuan, my interview is over, it's your turn."

"Ah!" Su Mingyuan finally came to his senses, smiled at Chen Ju, sat down in Chen Ju's previous seat, and introduced himself directly in Russian: "Hello, three interviewers, I am Su Mingyuan, a senior student majoring in Russian. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Shen Yanan said in Russian, "I remember your name is something like 'Leifeng'."

Su Mingyuan replied in Russian: "I'm just learning from Leifeng to do good deeds anonymously. I've already said there's no need to thank me in any special way."

Li Zhe doesn't speak Russian, and he looked completely bewildered as he listened to their conversation.

Shen Yanan turned to Li Zhe and Mati and said, "His Russian is not bad. Although his pronunciation is not very accurate, it is enough to communicate normally with guests."

Li Zhe exclaimed in surprise, "Second sister, you're amazing! You speak English and Russian so fluently."

The second sister didn't take it seriously: "I've heard that a lot since I was little."

Li Zhe thought about it and realized it made sense. It's just like farming. When rural children grow up, even if their parents don't specifically teach them, they can still learn a fair amount of farming skills.

Li Zhe stared at Su Mingyuan, feeling a sense of familiarity. After hearing his voice, he finally confirmed it: "Dude, you look familiar, like a friend with the surname 'Zhuang'..."

Su Mingyuan stared at Li Zhe: "You look familiar, but I'm not surnamed Zhuang." Li Zhe was both annoyed and amused: "I sold you cucumbers for five yuan, and you turned around and said you bought them for ten yuan each. Isn't that 'pretending'? This story has been circulating in Quanjude for so long, and people are still talking about it."

Su Mingyuan's little lie, which he was always proud of, was exposed, and he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He coughed lightly and retorted in a light tone, "So it was you! Last time when we bought cucumbers at Quanjude, you were wearing that old, dowdy cotton-padded jacket. Now that you're dressed like this, I really didn't recognize you."

Li Zhe joked, "You haven't changed your clothes, still wearing that black leather jacket. I just want to ask, buddy, it's the dead of winter, aren't you cold?"

Su Mingyuan: "..."

"Ha ha……"

Chen Ju laughed out loud, then quickly covered her mouth—she had wanted to ask that question for a long time.

Marty clenched her right fist to cover her mouth, but the corners of her lips betrayed her.

Shen Yanan also lowered her head, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

Originally, she still had some heroic sentiment towards Su Mingyuan, after all, he was the man who tripped up and scared away a thief to get her wallet back. Who would have thought that Li Zhe's two sentences would shatter that heroic image into pieces.

Su Mingyuan's character is also more realistic: a young man with a sense of justice who loves to show off and boast.

Su Mingyuan couldn't help but feel a little discouraged, thinking to himself: "Ju Zi is such a good student, and her spoken Russian is also quite good. She'll most likely be accepted. My Russian isn't bad either, but with this cucumber seller, I probably have no chance."

Shen Yanan and Li Zhe exchanged a few words in hushed tones. Li Zhe cleared his throat and said, "Dude, it's fate that we meet again. You and Chen Ju both passed the second round of interviews and can start your internships tomorrow."

……

The residential compound of the Beijing Television Factory.

This is a yellow, five-story staff dormitory building, constructed just two years ago. Those were the years when Peony televisions sold well nationwide, their superior quality earning widespread recognition and demand exceeding supply. It was also the period with the best employee benefits at the factory.

In a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor, Chen Shufang sat on the sofa in the living room watching TV. The show "Plainclothes Policeman" was playing, and although it was a rerun, Chen Shufang was still thoroughly enjoying it.

With a creak, the door opened.

Wang Guangwei walked in from outside, carrying a briefcase.

Chen Shufang stood up and greeted her, "Why are you back so late today? Have you eaten?"

"I've already eaten in the cafeteria." Wang Guangwei's steps were a little unsteady, and his tone carried a hint of alcohol.

"Drinking again?"

Wang Guangwei laughed and said, "There was a meeting at the factory today, and I had a few drinks with the leaders after the meeting."

Chen Shufang asked with concern, "Old Wang, how's it going with your promotion to deputy factory director? Any progress?"

Wang Guangwei chuckled: "Well, if there are no unforeseen circumstances, it should be posted in the factory after the New Year."

"Really?!" Chen Shufang's tone was filled with joy.

“How could it be fake? I’ve been the office director for so many years, I’ve worked hard enough, if not made great achievements. It’s only right that I was promoted to deputy factory director.” Wang Guangwei’s tone was tinged with pride.

Chen Shufang changed the subject: "Did you use the vegetables you got from the second son of the Li family?"

"Well... it's icing on the cake. After all, my leaders have seen my hard work over the years. As long as I don't make any mistakes, my promotion is a sure thing."

Chen Shufang shoved her husband: "Hey! You weren't saying that before!"

Wang Guangwei chuckled: "Just kidding! It worked! The leaders from the Municipal Economic Commission really enjoyed that meal. Our factory director even asked me if we could get another batch of dishes for the end of the year as a gift for the leaders."

Chen Shufang pressed further, "So what did you say?"

"I told them that this winter vegetable is rare and hard to get without connections, but I'll try my best to find a way. I didn't dare to say anything definitively. When I have time, I'll go find Zhenguo to rest for a while and then ask him for help."

Chen Shufang poured her husband a glass of hot water and said, "I went to Grandma's yesterday. Grandma wants to introduce a potential partner to our Tingting. Guess who it is?"

Wang Guangwei took a sip of hot water, somewhat impatiently saying, "My brain has been busy with work all day, and I really can't think straight. Just tell me!"

Chen Shufang stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point: "It's the second son of the Li family who sells vegetables, what do you think?"

Wang Guangwei was taken aback. "Why would Mom have such a thought?"

Then, Chen Shufang told him about Li Zhe buying a two-courtyard siheyuan in Beijing.

Two years ago, Wang Guangwei would definitely have disagreed, and might even have said something to his wife about her daughter's lack of financial security. After all, his daughter had been admitted to university, and her classmates and friends were all university students. If she dated a male classmate in school, he would eventually become a cadre after graduation.

Although Li Zhe is somewhat capable and can make money, there are many things that money cannot buy.

But in the last two years, his thinking has changed somewhat. With the change in policies and the increasingly active economy, money has become more and more important.

He couldn't predict what would happen in the future: "Since it's Mom's idea, why don't you mention it to Tingting and see if she's willing?"

"Okay, I'll ask her when she gets back."

(End of this chapter)