CHAPTER 216: 216 POPULAR GARLIC CHILI SAUCE

Jiang Xinyu dialed She Xiaoyun’s number again. "Sister She, could you order me another tub of sweet bean paste?"

"Sure, wait for my call in a moment."

Two minutes later, She Xiaoyun called back, "You can come and pick it up tomorrow."

"Thanks, sister."

"Director Jiang, you have such a great network, I’m really envious."

"If Vice Factory Director Yao could speak normally, I think he’d get along with everyone well too."

"When are you going to the glass factory?" Qian Jun asked.

"I still need to call Wang Ailing’s husband."

After explaining the situation to Chen Guoliang, he got in touch immediately and told Jiang Xinyu five minutes later that she could pick it up in three days.

"I’ll go with you, and I’ll drive."

"No need, Mr. Qian. I have to bring Chen Guoliang too. The three of us can’t carry too much."

After work, Jiang Xinyu and Chen Guoliang went to Z County together, bringing a few big loaves of bread, as they weren’t sure what would be good to bring as gifts.

Chen Guoliang’s brother-in-law was even more enthusiastic. "Comrade, this bread is really delicious, the kids are all praising it."

"Haha, as long as the kids like it. I still need to thank you."

In the following week, Jiang Xinyu was very busy again. Ding Shihong was a clever man; he actually got the restaurant’s waiters to help peel all the garlic, which saved a lot of work.

This time, there were still fifty bottles. Ten each were given to Qian Jun, Yao Shimin, and Jiang Cong, five each to She Xiaoyun and Wang Ailing, and five each to Song Qingqing and Pan Xiulan, dispersing them all.

On November 9th, Jiang Xinyu went to school to take mid-term exams. It was still for two days. During these two days, she didn’t go to the Qiao Family or Zhou Family but stayed at a hotel.

"Jiang Xinyu, are you not treating me as a friend?"

"Come on, I just want to use these two days to study. If I’m with you, how can I read anything?"

"Your grades are better than ours."

"But that’s the first-year grades. Anyway, can you go home?"

"I’m going home this year. I almost got heatstroke in the summer. My mom said she still wanted her daughter, so she let me go home."

"Then come to my house for dinner tonight. After tomorrow’s exam, you’ll rush home again."

"Alright, I’ll take you up on that."

"Why are you being polite?" Qiao Jingyi rolled her eyes at Jiang Xinyu.

The dinner at the Qiao Family was quite good, with pancakes, sorghum porridge, stewed dried eggplant, and scrambled eggs.

"Uncle, Aunt, sorry to bother you."

"It’s nothing, don’t be a stranger. When you come to the city, just come home for meals. Aunt wants to thank you for hosting Xiao Jing last time."

Jiang Xinyu nodded with a smile, and Mrs. Qiao liked her the more she looked, thinking she was really obedient.

At this time, Qiao Dongshan came back too and was taken aback to see the girl at home.

"Brother, this is my classmate Jiang Xinyu. Xinyu, this is my brother Qiao Dongshan, he works at the Public Security Bureau."

The two shook hands, "Director Jiang, I’ve heard a lot about you."

Jiang Xinyu smiled, "You’re too kind, what kind of reputation do I have?"

Mrs. Qiao watched from the side and felt that the two looked quite well-matched. But pity the girl already liked someone else.

After dinner, Mrs. Qiao insisted that Qiao Dongshan take Jiang Xinyu home.

"Xinyu, it’s no trouble, let your Brother Qiao take you home. It’s unsafe for a girl to be out alone at night."

Jiang Xinyu nodded with a smile, "Then thank you, Brother Qiao." She easily changed the way she addressed him.

The two walked along the road, unsure of what to say, feeling slightly awkward.

"Section chief?"

"Dongshan? Jiang Xinyu?" Shen Xueqi was a bit surprised to see Jiang Xinyu. How come they’re together?

"Hello, Mr. Shen."

"Director Jiang, what brings you here?"

"I came to take exams and had dinner at the Qiao Family today."

"Director Jiang is classmates with my sister."

"Oh, Director Jiang is staying at a hotel?"

"Yes, let’s catch up some other time. It’s late, and I still need to study last-minute. Sorry."

"Alright, Dongshan, you can go back. I’ll take Director Jiang now."

"Is that okay, Director Jiang?"

Jiang Xinyu nodded and smiled, "It’s okay, thank you, Brother Qiao."

Shen Xueqi walked next to Jiang Xinyu, "Director Jiang, how have you been lately?"

"Haha, what could be wrong with me, getting high pay and my work is not tiring."

"Seems you’re doing well; you’ve recovered well."

"Yes, finally recovered. It’s quite easy to lose weight, but gaining it back is really hard, eating all those delicious things."

"Director Jiang, why don’t you ask about me?"

"Mr. Shen, I feel embarrassed to ask, knowing your situation isn’t very good, I can’t bring myself to ask."

"Haha, still honest and straightforward.

I’m indeed not doing well, things aren’t going smoothly at work, and life is a mess."

"It’ll all pass."

"Yeah, it’ll all pass."

The two were silent for a while until they reached the hotel entrance, "Thank you, Mr. Shen, I’m here. Take care."

"Alright, if I invited you to dinner, you’d still have no time, right?"

"Yes, I came by bike this time and only took a two-day leave. Next time, when Mr. Shen visits us, I’ll treat."

"Alright, you go rest."

Shen Xueqi watched Jiang Xinyu go inside and then turned to leave.

The next afternoon, there was only one subject, so she said goodbye to the teacher and two friends before heading to the building by bike.

Inside, she pulled out two back sides and two mattresses. All were festively bright red and green, like wedding quilts.

As for the quilt linings, she just pulled out some white cotton fabric.

By the time she got home, it was already six, and it was completely dark.

She quickly started a fire. Once she lay down in her warm bed, she realized how tiring the day had been.

The next day after work, Sister Meng from the union came over with a few people, "Xinyu, how do you make garlic chili sauce?"

"I’ll write it down for you in a bit; making it yourself is sure to taste good."

Jiang Xinyu thought her sauce was delicious because people didn’t have much to eat these days.

The sisters left satisfied and went home to prepare.

Within less than a week, the garlic chili sauce recipe spread throughout the entire textile factory, and canned bottles were in unprecedented demand.

Making garlic chili sauce had become a trend. Almost everyone brought some to eat during meals. If someone didn’t have it, they’d be asked, "Why didn’t you make chili sauce?"

The surrounding people’s peppers and garlic were all sold out.

"Xinyu, besides setting fashion trends in clothing, you’ve led another trend," Wang Ailing teased Jiang Xinyu with a smile.

"I’m just greedy, didn’t expect it to be so popular."

By the end of November, Jiang Xinyu was wearing cashmere sweaters and pants. Wearing a black trench coat, she still attracted a lot of attention.

Many people still approached her to buy them, and the last twenty pieces were all sold, leaving only two for herself.

It’s been three months since she last contacted Wei Kaiyun, and she didn’t know how he was doing. She asked Qian Jun once, but he didn’t know either.