"Old man, keeping busy?" Xu Ying approached the entrance of the largest textile factory in the county and struck up a conversation with the security guard.
She pulled out a whole handful of milk candies from her space and handed them to the old man.
The old man initially did not want to bother with Xu Ying, but the moment he saw the milk candies she handed over, his demeanor instantly changed, "My, aren't these fancy? I really shouldn't be taking such things from you."
Despite his words, the old man's hands were busy, and the smile on his face kept growing.
"Look at you, there's nothing precious about these. Take them home, give the kids something sweet," Xu Ying generously declared.
Seeing her so liberal with her gifts, the old man guessed she must be some leader's child, and immediately, their conversation took off like a house on fire.
In no time at all, they were as chummy as if they were related.
From the old man, Xu Ying learned that the textile factory indeed was hiring workers, but they were all looking for general labor, not office jobs.
And as for the kitchen, no need to mention it, they clearly didn't need people.
Xu Ying felt disappointed upon hearing this; she had hoped to get a job in the kitchen. With so many people at the textile factory, her goodwill value would surely soar.
But she wasn't discouraged; if the textile factory didn't have a spot, other factories might.
Realizing she wasn't getting any useful information, Xu Ying was ready to leave; she hadn't even stepped out of the gate.
That's when she saw a few men in Zhongshan suits coming out.
Among them, some were wearing the textile factory's uniforms, acting with utmost respect in front of one of the men.
"Next time I come to check your products, I hope your factory will leave me satisfied," the man said with sarcasm in his eyes.
After he left, several textile factory leaders looked dejected, "Our fabric already met their requirements, and they're still nitpicking. I think he's just looking for trouble on purpose."
"Director Chen, maybe we should find out his preferences and cater to them…" a subordinate advised.
The middle-aged man called Director Chen rubbed his balding head and quickly agreed, "Alright, Xiao Chen, I'll leave this task to you."
Xiao Chen nodded, but before he could spring into action, a young lad chimed in, "Director Chen, I've heard that Director Sun is a food enthusiast. He likes eating delicious food, and I've heard that Chef Ge from the State-owned Restaurant is exceptionally skilled. If Chef Ge could cook for Director Sun, I'm sure Director Sun would ease up soon."
Director Chen's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but then his brows furrowed. Chef Ge's culinary skills were remarkable, sure, but the old guy was notoriously temperamental and not keen on cooking outside work hours.
Going to the State-owned Restaurant, that chaotic place, was not suitable for discussing a partnership, "Who among you will go invite Chef Ge!"
Everyone exchanged looks, glancing at each other and keeping their heads down, unwilling to speak.
Xu Ying strolled over with a chuckle, "Director Chen, right? You look so young to be a director, that's really impressive!"
Director Chen, always so vain, was initially put off by Xu Ying's laughter but then surprised at her words, "How old do you think I am?"
"About thirty?" Xu Ying asked, puzzled.
The others widened their eyes like saucers, amazed at the girl's poor judgment.
Director Chen's mouth curved into a big grin, feeling immensely pleased, "Nowhere near that young! I'm already over forty. You, little aunt, need to get your eyes checked."
Xu Ying wore a look of shock, "Ah? You're over forty? I couldn't tell at all; sorry for my bad eyesight."
Xu Ying exclaimed with surprise until the very end.
Now Director Chen was even happier, rubbing his shiny pate; ah, he hadn't lost his looks after all, otherwise how could this girl mistake his age?
Xu Ying quickly continued, "Director Chen, did I hear you need a chef? I've heard Chef Ge is famously difficult to deal with; probably won't help out easily, huh?"
Director Chen looked distraught.
Xu Ying said with difficulty, "I can help you out, I just don't know if you can trust me or not."
Director Chen thought she had connections to invite Chef Ge and was about to express his grateful surprise.
Then he heard Xu Ying boldly offer herself, "Director Chen, if you trust me, I can take charge of the cooking. My culinary skills are definitely not inferior to Chef Ge's."
Director Chen looked disdainful and thought to himself, you're just bragging.
How could such a young girl be more capable than Chef Ge, whose ancestors were Imperial Chefs? She couldn't possibly compare.
"How many years have you been studying cooking? At what age did you start learning?"
"I'm self-taught. I've had some skill since I was young. I have a talent for cooking, and everyone praises my culinary skills," Xu Ying claimed, her face not blushing and her heart not skipping a beat.
In her last life, she had studied with a master for several years, but at the moment, she really hadn't learned much.
Upon hearing this, Director Chen felt it was unreliable. Self-taught? Without even a master? How well could she have learned? He directly rejected Xu Ying.
Xu Ying, thick-skinned, continued, "Director Chen, if you don't believe in my cooking, I can cook for you on the spot.
"If you find my cooking satisfactory, then you wouldn't have to go through the trouble of inviting Chef Ge, right?"
Director Chen snorted coldly and lifted his head, "Why are you so determined to cook for me, young lady?"
Xu Ying blinked, trying to make her eyes look more moist, "My family is poor, and I'm looking for a job to earn money. My two nephews are skin and bones, and their clothes are patched all over.
"I thought, now that I am grown, I should contribute to the family."
Director Chen felt touched by her words, his eyes flickering, and eventually, he agreed.
If this girl really had exceptional cooking skills, he wouldn't have to curry favor with Chef Ge. If she didn't, he would just send her away. Either way, he had nothing to lose.
"Fine, then come with me to the kitchen."
Hearing this, Xu Ying's eyes sparkled, and she promptly followed Director Chen to the textile factory canteen.
The canteen's chef looked at her with hostility and disdain when he heard she was there to cook.
He felt she was there to take his job, but seeing her young and frail figure, he immediately laughed, "Director Chen, we serve communal meals here. This young lady looks so skinny; can she even lift a spatula?"
Director Chen was also full of doubt.
Xu Ying entered the kitchen, fearing they would dismiss her on the spot. She rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
There were only cabbages and eggs with tomatoes in the canteen; there wasn't a scrap of meat.
Xu Ying quickly and efficiently washed the vegetables, then moved onto the chopping board, cutting with ease, essentially blinding Director Chen and the canteen chef with her skill.
Especially the canteen chef, who saw that Xu Ying's knife skills were even better than his own, felt his heart skip a beat.
He was doomed. He might lose his job.
The frail-looking girl was surprisingly fierce; her cutting speed was like lightning, and her knife work exceedingly precise.
Director Chen was also astonished, watching Xu Ying's knife skills, realizing she indeed had training.
He stroked his bald forehead, waiting for Xu Ying to surprise him.
Xu Ying stood before the roaring fire, like a chef who had been cooking for decades, her movements deft. As the hot oil heated up and vegetables hit the pan, a delicious aroma filled the room.