Chapter 282: A Long-Planned Move
Su He felt a bit speechless. It seemed her grandma was no longer satisfied with showing off in the village—she was aiming to become the top matriarch of Huaihua Commune.
Driving to the commune, Su He went to see Director Luo.
Director Luo greeted her warmly, pouring tea and exchanging pleasantries before they got down to business.
“Director Luo, how’s the progress on the hair accessories?”
Since the Huaihua branch factory was still under construction, most of the work was being done by commune members on a subcontracting basis.
“Don’t worry, Little Su. Progress is very fast, and the quality is up to standard.
Speaking of which, we have to commend Comrade Zhao Cui’e. She’s been extremely diligent, going from village to village early and late to supervise and inspect…”
Director Luo wasn’t just saying this to please Su He—he meant it.
Zhao Cui’e was straightforward and conscientious. Afraid of dragging Su He down or inviting criticism, she threw herself into the work wholeheartedly.
After exchanging a few polite words, Su He changed the subject. “Director Luo, there’s something else. I heard from my grandfather that quite a few elderly people in the commune know how to weave straw crafts. Is that true?”
Director Luo nodded. “That’s right. Back then, the province even sent people to evaluate it for export, but it didn’t go anywhere in the end.
One reason was that our straw crafts lacked distinctive features. Another was that too few people knew the craft, so we couldn’t compete with other provinces. Why do you ask—are you thinking about exporting straw products?”
Su He nodded. “I’ve made arrangements with the Jinbin railway line. We can display some of our commune’s straw products on the train. If foreign guests take a liking to them, we might even secure some orders.
This is more like a side opportunity—nothing guaranteed, but it doesn’t cost much to try. How about I go back to the village and have my grandfather find a few people to make some samples?”
Director Luo readily agreed. Though he didn’t think the chances were high, it was worth a try.
Su He continued, “Director Luo, it’s already early September. In a few days, farmers will start drying vegetables.
I’m holding multiple roles now, so it’s not appropriate for me to handle everything directly. You or someone you assign should approach the supply and marketing stores and the cafeterias of major factories.
If you run into any difficulties, come to me—I’ll help smooth things over.”
Director Luo had no objections and fully understood.
Things were different now. With Su He’s current status, it wasn’t appropriate for her to handle such matters personally.
He smiled. “Don’t worry, Little Su. We’ve gained some experience. There shouldn’t be any major issues. From now on, you just point us in the right direction—we’ll handle the details.”
Su He liked dealing with people like Director Luo—reasonable and clear-headed. Compared to someone like Director Shen from Xiangyang Commune, even at his most active, he still fell far short in her eyes.
After chatting a while longer, Su He drove to the Huaihua branch factory of the textile mill.
The framework of the workshop was already up, with a row of temporary buildings beside it. The construction site was bustling with activity.
She was quite satisfied. It seemed Qiao Yabin was indeed someone who got things done.
Hearing the car horn, Qiao Yabin jogged over.
Two days earlier, he had received a call from Factory Director Feng.
“Yabin, do you know about Little Su signing a distribution contract with the Beijing Supply and Marketing Cooperative?”
Qiao Yabin had been stunned, then pleasantly surprised. “Director, is that true? That’s great news! If we can enter the Beijing market, we won’t have to worry about sales anymore.”
Director Feng had snorted. “It is good news—but she signed it in the name of the Huaihua branch factory! That Little Su is really bold, acting recklessly…”
Feng hadn’t made things difficult for Qiao Yabin, but he had instructed him to keep an eye on Su He and prevent further trouble.
After hanging up, Qiao Yabin had slumped into his chair.
What?
Director Little Su signed the contract in the branch factory’s name?
That was practically setting up her own faction—rebelling!
He suddenly remembered what Su He had once asked him: “Old Qiao, do you plan to stay a workshop director forever?”
At the time, he had thought she was joking. How could a young girl have such ambition?
But now it all made sense.
If someone didn’t have ambition, they wouldn’t dare use the branch factory’s seal to sign a contract—even in an emergency.
What’s more, he suspected this had been planned for a long time.
Otherwise, why insist on carving a branch factory seal? Why bring it to Beijing?
He had already been a bit afraid of Su He—now he was even more so.
Yet beneath the fear, there was a flicker of excitement.
Everyone had some ambition, and he was no exception.
He didn’t want to remain a workshop director forever. If Director Little Su truly established her own domain, he would naturally rise with it.
But the problem was—most rebellions failed.
Could she really succeed?
He had no intention of reporting her. The reason was simple—he was too wary of her.
He had every reason to believe that if he reported her to Director Feng, she might come out unscathed while he’d be the one in serious trouble.
Better to stay on this “pirate ship” and keep his head down.
Seeing him approach, Su He smiled. “Old Qiao, thanks for your hard work while I was away! I brought you some gifts from Beijing…”
Flattered, Qiao Yabin accepted them with a few polite words.
They went into his temporary office. He quickly poured her tea and added, “Director Little Su, this is the same cup you used last time. I’ve kept it separate just for you.”
Su He smiled and nodded. “Director Feng called you, didn’t he? Gave me a good scolding—said I acted on my own, made decisions without reporting, and told you to keep an eye on me so I don’t cause trouble again?”
Qiao Yabin shuddered. Her ears were incredibly sharp—how did she know everything?
“Director Little Su, I—I listen to you. I didn’t say anything.”
He wiped the sweat from his forehead. He hadn’t even been this nervous in front of Director Feng.
Su He laughed. “Relax, Old Qiao. I’m just asking casually.
I didn’t tell you beforehand because I was worried you’d act unnatural when Director Feng questioned you. Otherwise, I would have told you earlier. So—what exactly did he say?”
Qiao Yabin quickly recounted everything, word for word, not daring to omit even a detail.
It was almost exactly as Su He had expected.
After listening, she smiled. “Old Qiao, we’re on the same side now, so I won’t hide it from you.
Director Feng is right—I do want to establish my own base.
It’s not out of selfishness. You know I hold multiple positions—my monthly income is more than what others earn in over a decade.
I don’t need to stir up trouble.
So why am I doing this?
Because I’ve realized Director Feng’s vision is too limited.
He only sees the small profits of the textile factory. The moment its interests are involved, he gets worked up.
A person like that can’t accomplish big things. It’s not good for exporting our hair accessories, nor for boosting An County’s economy.
That’s why we have to break away—only then can we truly operate freely…”
Qiao Yabin couldn’t help but nod.
Director Little Su was right—Director Feng’s vision was indeed too narrow.
If nothing else, asking him to monitor her already showed a petty mindset.
