Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 427: With Conditions

The tall guy felt quite awkward, casting a glance at Ning Jiandong, his expression clearly seeking help.

Ning Jiandong was nearly fuming, yet the person who caused the trouble didn’t know how to resolve it and was looking to him for ideas.

"Why are you looking at me? Apologize!"

The tall guy suddenly realized and hastily apologized to Yi Chichi, explaining, "Niece, your uncle didn’t mean to scare you and waste your time. It’s just that today’s issue really got Uncle upset."

"Let me explain..."

"Sorry!"

Seeing that he was about to launch into a long complaint, Yi Chichi quickly interrupted, "Don’t tell me about work-related matters."

To be honest, she’s just an ordinary embroideress, occasionally doubling as a sketch artist.

Orders, channels, competition, these matters meant for the forefront are really not suitable for her to hear.

So, leaving was the best option.

Yi Chichi is action-oriented. Once she made up her mind, she decisively left, closing the meeting room door behind her.

A door separated the indoor and outdoor worlds into two different spaces.

Inside, Ning Jiandong and his group looked at the closed door, fell silent for a moment, and continued the unfinished meeting.

Meanwhile, Yi Chichi returned to the office and diligently started fresh.

Thanks to the special nature of the Friendship Store, it not only had electric lights but also desk lamps.

Even when night fell, her eyesight was not affected at all.

Time ticked by, and finally, just when she finished drafting the design and was about to refine the coloring, Ning Jiandong and his meeting attendees wrapped it up.

Most of the meeting participants left, but Ning Jiandong and his four companions remained.

They still had something to discuss.

As they reached the entrance ready to enter, the tall guy at the front suddenly stepped back.

Ning Jiandong and his group, "???"

"You..."

"Shh."

The tall guy lowered his voice to a whisper, "Let’s find another place. Comrade Xiao Yi is focused on her work, and entering would disturb her."

Gu Xinghua peeked in and saw Yi Chichi engrossed in her task, her head not lifting once, evidently too absorbed to notice the noise they made.

The group of five withdrew and instead of going elsewhere, moved to the financial office opposite to discuss their business matter.

"Just like that, we hand the order over to the textile factory?"

The tall guy was deeply troubled by this. He had brought in the client and negotiated the order, and now he had to cede it. No one could feel balanced in such a situation.

Gu Xinghua and the others together looked at Ning Jiandong, who, under the gaze of everyone, expressed his helplessness.

"The key isn’t with me; it depends on what the higher-ups think."

Besides, even if he had the final say, he would give away the order.

The reason was simple: Friendship Store didn’t have the capacity to handle major orders.

"Old Gao, you need to understand our position!"

The tall guy, Gao Changqing, furrowed his brow, "I know our position but that isn’t a reason to give out the order. It’s all about achievements. Just handing it over, aren’t you, Old Ning, a bit unwilling?!"

"Unwilling!"

Ning Jiandong spoke honestly, "That’s why I plan to discuss with Mr. Shi when I hand over the design tomorrow morning."

"How sure are you?"

"Quite confident."

He smiled, saying, "The textile factory has a long-term cooperation with us, and Zhu Ping’an is sensible."

Zhu Changkun, the factory director, was a military transfer, known for his strictness and adherence to rules.

The reason they wished to swoop in this time is likely because they were cornered.

Catching this thought, Ning Jiandong asked Gao Changqing, "Did you see Old Zhu at the venue today?"

"Yes!"

Gao Changqing nodded, "Old Zhu was running around the place looking for machines. He wants to innovate technically."

This topic led to silence.

The phrase ’technical innovation’ is easy to say but extremely difficult to implement.

Without up-to-date equipment, no matter how many ideas one has, they remain impractical.

Unless a hefty sum is invested in purchasing foreign machines.

But poverty, with too many factories waiting for upgrades.

Compared to the textile factory, the primary concerns lay with Machinery Factories One and Two and shipbuilding enterprises.

As someone in finance, Lin Qingyue was inevitably sensitive to money and instinctively calculated in her mind before sighing, "Mr. Zhu also has it tough; his technical innovation has to wait."

Ning Jiandong sighed, "We’re indeed too poor."

The group collectively sighed, acknowledging the poverty.

So poor that the cycle of ’new for three years, old for three more, mending and patching for another three’ was wished upon everything.

"Let’s make money!"

Hearing this from Gu Xinghua, Lin Qingyue remarked, "Making money isn’t that easy. We don’t have many valuable things. Most of what we can sell is valuable already."

Saying this, she couldn’t help but glance toward the opposite door, where the embroiderer earning money was working tirelessly.

"Comrade Yi’s embroideries are indeed valuable."

However, the output is too low.

"Master Qiu and his team’s work isn’t bad either."

Yet, compared to Yi Chichi’s, it’s a bit lacking.

"Manager, how about discussing with Comrade Yi about increasing production?"

Ning Jiandong felt tempted yet doubtful.

The fact is, Yi Chichi’s embroideries are too time-consuming.

But he decided to try.

"I’ll talk with her once she’s done."

He didn’t have much hope, but unexpectedly, when Yi Chichi finished and they discussed it with her, she agreed immediately.

Her agreement was so straightforward that those who had just discussed business and stayed up with her were all taken aback.

"You... you agree?"

Ning Jiandong was incredulous, yet his lips couldn’t help but curl upwards.

This was truly a pleasant surprise.

"With conditions!"

Yi Chichi’s tone was calm, causing Ning Jiandong’s group’s uplifted spirits to deflate again.

"Go ahead."

Could it be another price hike?!

The group was extremely nervous, yet unexpectedly, Yi Chichi started by saying, "Change the screens and large pieces to small-sized fans, small ornaments, and handkerchiefs. Also, switch double-sided embroideries to single-sided ones. If you can meet these requirements, it’s not a problem to produce thirty works in a year."

But when you add these up, the profits in foreign exchange are still less than that of one large piece.

Ning Jiandong realized that asking her to increase production was out of the question.

"You’d better stick to double-sided or Three Strange Embroidery."

Yi Chichi smiled with her lips curved, "Not asking me to increase the quantity anymore?"

"No."

Can’t ask, not even a little.

"How about you train a few more Su Embroidery masters?"

"Yangcheng isn’t the main base for Su Embroidery."

Su Embroidery’s advantage is Yue Embroidery, "Instead of hoping for me to bring out more Su Embroidery masters, you might as well hope for Master Qiu’s Yue Embroidery to improve."

This was a refusal.

Gu Xinghua gave Ning Jiandong a look, indicating that the matter with Zhuo Xuezhen seemed entirely hopeless.

Catching his drift, Ning Jiandong smiled ambiguously. He had never intended to hand over the Zhuo Family daughter to Yi Chichi.

"Alright, you go rest now."

After tidying up the blueprints, Ning Jiandong summoned everyone to leave.

By now, it was midnight; going home was out of the question.

So, the group collectively stayed in the dormitory.