Chapter 500
Anyone with even a little bit of sense wouldn’t have made such a mistake and put themselves in a bind. This time, they didn’t gain anything and should be thoroughly quiet now.
“That’s good! But once we get back, we still need to talk to the family, including about that Factory Director Xiong,” Su Xiaoxiao said, leaning against Jiang Yexun’s arm and gently rubbing against it.
The two of them walked out of the alley, then separated.
Even though spring in Shanghai meant everyone wore thick clothes, the slight gap between them still made them feel a little disappointed.
Back at home, Su Xiaoxiao immediately told her family everything about the day’s events.
Her two cousins’ faces darkened as they listened.
“Are you two okay? What were you thinking, daring to go into the alley with them? What if you lost the fight? We’d be worried sick about you!” Gu Zhi, her cousin, said angrily as he lectured them.
Although his words were aimed at both of them, his disapproving gaze was directed at Jiang Yexun.
Aunt Guo was even more direct, slapping Jiang Yexun’s head with a thud.
“Xiaoxiao isn’t even nineteen yet; she’s still just a kid. And you’re six years older than her! This is how you’re protecting her? You think you’re tough, huh?”
Jiang Yexun, although cold by nature, didn’t feel embarrassed by being slapped in front of everyone. Instead, he felt deeply regretful.
“This was my mistake; I should have thought it through. It won’t happen again,” Jiang Yexun said, his tone sincere as he apologized.
Seeing his earnestness, everyone felt a little awkward and uncomfortable.
Su Xiaoxiao quickly intervened, saying, “Ah, don’t be mad! This isn’t Yexun’s fault at all. It was all my decision. You all know how stubborn he is when it comes to certain things.”
“You’re still talking back! You’re adults now—how can you put yourselves in such danger?” Gu Lijun gave him a sharp look.
“Alright, alright! We won’t talk about this anymore. The main thing now is that Second Cousin, you really need to switch jobs. I think that Xiong Tianze is not only ambitious but also petty. If you stay at the Machinery Factory, who knows what kind of trouble he might cause for you later,” Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly brought up the most pressing matter.
She worried they might not understand just how petty Xiong Tianze was, so she specifically mentioned what Xiong had said today, what he was trying to achieve, and his behavior after being rejected, showing his true colors.
“Alright, I’ll try to switch jobs as soon as possible. But with two hundred employees still at the Steel Mill, will they end up getting ostracized as well?” Gu Lijun furrowed his brows, clearly concerned.
Jiang Yexun glanced at everyone, then thought for a moment before replying, “Actually, there’s no need to rush. We can wait until we’re back and reassess the situation then.”
“Huh?!”
Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head, her eyes brightening as if she had realized something.
But she didn’t dare say anything in front of everyone, not wanting to provoke another round of concerns. Besides, it really would be best to wait until they were back at the team before giving a clear answer.
Though she understood what Jiang Yexun had in mind, she wouldn’t press him further. However, that didn’t stop the others from asking.
“So what exactly are you planning to do once you go back?” Gu Zhiwei asked, his brows furrowed and his tone serious.
Jiang Yexun pressed his lips together, about to say something when Su Xiaoxiao interjected, “I’ve come up with an idea for a hand-held automatic sickle. The cost should be about twenty-five yuan, but it could speed up the harvesting and clearing process by three to five times. There are still some issues to refine, which is why I didn’t mention it earlier, because I didn’t want to make you all anxious.”
“Right now, a single automatic harvester abroad costs around three hundred thousand dollars. China can’t afford that. Even if we could, it’s impossible for every team to have one. There are nearly seven hundred thousand teams in China.”
“But if every village could have three or five hand-held automatic sickles, increasing efficiency by three to five times, and each sickle costs less than two hundred yuan, it could last for at least ten years. Isn’t that a good deal?” Su Xiaoxiao explained enthusiastically.
The room went quiet for a moment, everyone processing the idea.