Chapter 398 - 144: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (31)
Chapter 398: Chapter 144: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (31)
Jiang Yihua restrained his impulses. Just before he lost control, he managed a difficult goodbye to Chi Yun’er and darted out.
’The wedding date has to be moved up. I’ve only climbed through her window twice and I’m already addicted, but it’s undoubtedly both a pleasure and a pain.’
’I’m terrified I’ll lose control and devour her before our time.’
Jiang Yihua’s suggestions weren’t particularly novel, but as long as the two of them were together, just nesting somewhere—anywhere—was sweet and blissful.
They spent the whole day having fun and even went to a photo studio to take pictures, which used up the rest of their roll of film.
After a bit of sweet-talking from the couple, the old master photographer chuckled and developed the photos for them ahead of schedule.
Before dawn the next day, Jiang Yihua left in a vehicle with the other educated youths.
Chi Yun’er didn’t have time for melancholy, throwing herself back into her demanding work.
Soon, Zhao Jinming returned from the south. After seven or eight consecutive days on a train, his clothes were wrinkled and his beard had grown out, making him look almost like a drifter. Yet his spirits were high. He didn’t even go home, reporting directly to their unit instead.
"Chi Yun’er, Xu Chengfang," he said, flashing a wide, toothy grin. "This trip was so worth it. I used to think that being from the Capital City with a decent family background meant I’d seen it all."
"But after this trip, I realize I was just a frog in a well..."
He couldn’t wait to share what he’d seen and heard along the way with his companions. He’d had a sleeper berth for the entire round trip—a ticket others fought to get—but Zhao Jinming had spent the whole time wandering through the train cars instead of resting, chatting with anyone he came across.
The trains hadn’t been modernized for speed yet, so they stopped at every station along the route, large and small. At the major stations, the stop could last for about an hour.
Zhao Jinming also chatted extensively with the comrades from various units who were picking up goods. His mind, once confined by the ideologies of the older generation, suddenly grew wings, and a flood of new ideas filled his head.
Chi Yun’er listened intently, occasionally jotting down a few words on a piece of paper.
Zhao Jinming had also brought back a lot of things. After handing out some to everyone, he reluctantly went home to clean himself up and get some rest, still feeling he had more to share.
Over the next few days, they subdivided the hospital employees based on their position, seniority, contributions, and other factors. They created several different tiers for the benefits and finalized a plan for cooperation with the staff from the Human Resources Department.
Thus, at the beginning of the new week, notices on red paper were posted on the bulletin boards at every hospital entrance, announcing the summer heat relief benefits.
Crowds quickly gathered, and those at the front began reading the notice aloud for the people in the back.
"...The summer heat relief benefits are already waiting in the warehouse... To collect your benefits, you first have to go to the Human Resources Department to verify your information and get a slip. The slip will state which tier of benefits you’re eligible for..."
"It also says there’s a wide variety of items this time. Some things are for everyone, but other items are in limited quantity, so it’s first come, first served..."
The crowd was taken aback. "What? We can pick our benefits? Is that fair to everyone else?"
The person at the front continued to answer questions. "It’s fair! The total value of each tier is the same. Two-thirds of the items are the same for everyone, and we get to choose the other third ourselves. It’s just that the rarer items will obviously go to the people who get there first..."
"But there’s no need to panic, you have the whole week to take care of it..."
After hearing that, how could anyone stand still? Everyone hurried back to their offices, figuring they’d finish up their immediate tasks, then find an opportunity to take turns with their colleagues to go to the Human Resources Department for verification, and then finally collect their items from the benefits office.
’Even though they said we have a whole week, the best items will definitely be snatched up first!’
Mornings were the busiest time at the hospital, but everyone’s efficiency was surprisingly high. After finishing a rush of work, people used their bathroom breaks as an excuse to hurry over to the Human Resources Department.
In the Human Resources Department, the task of data compilation was usually dumped on the new hires, while the senior staff took care of their own work at a leisurely pace. The newcomers would then have the miserable job of chasing people through various departments and offices with documents, trying to verify information—a process that would take two or three months just to complete one cycle.
But the commotion Chi Yun’er started was so huge that the situation was completely reversed. It was no longer the junior clerks from the Human Resources Department chasing after employees; instead, employees were frantically showing up and forming long lines.
If you tried to tell them not to line up, the employees would get mad at you!
To improve efficiency, the Human Resources Department had to move the verification station to the large conference room. Every single employee in the department was put to work, striving to get the job done properly within the week.
The employees were extremely cooperative, holding nothing back and answering every question asked. They were terrified that some rule violation would get them stuck, allowing someone else to get the good benefits first.
The heads of the Human Resources staff were spinning. This was mainly because they had all endured being new hires themselves. Thinking back on their own trainee days, who among them could forget how difficult it was to compile employee data?
The memory was so deeply ingrained that their current experience felt surreal, as if they were in a dream.
However, in the interest of efficiency, they set up an assembly line where each person handled one step of the process. As expected, their speed shot up.
Once employees got their approval slips, they galloped over to the warehouse without a moment’s delay.
By then, Chi Yun’er, Xu Chengfang, and Zhao Jinming had already set up tables and chairs and were waiting at the warehouse entrance. Inside was a dazzling array of benefit items, and about ten sturdy young men were also in position, ready to help.
Chi Yun’er checked the approval slips and made notes on the roster, while Xu Chengfang called out the names of the items corresponding to the benefit tier, marking them down on an inventory list as she went.
Zhao Jinming led the young men inside the warehouse, helping the employees gather all their items and bring them to the front.
Staring at the bountiful summer relief supplies, the employees felt like they were in a dream. Three hundred vials of *Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui*, which cost about ten yuan, had somehow been traded for all this: soda, canned goods, crackers, tea leaves, watermelons, preserved fruits, meat jerky...
One box made a trip to the south, bounced around the Capital City for a bit, and turned into four huge boxes! It was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Even the men couldn’t carry it all in one go!
For a while, everyone was flushed with excitement, running around to tell their friends and family. The atmosphere was as festive and bustling as the Lunar New Year!
When their family members heard the news, they had to make two trips back and forth with carts.
Chi Yun’er and her team had originally scheduled a week to distribute the benefits in coordination with the Human Resources Department. However, the employees were so highly motivated that by midday on the third day, everyone had completed the information verification and the entire warehouse of benefits had been completely cleared out.
Everyone knew that the incredible change in the summer relief supplies this year was all thanks to the team led by Chi Yun’er. Consequently, whenever they saw Mr. and Mrs. Chi, they showered them with praise. Even Jiang Yihua’s parents could feel the warmth of everyone’s gratitude.
"Nurse Director Guo, your son is incredible, and the fiancée he found is just as exceptional! She just started working and has already brought such amazing benefits to all the staff at our hospital. You’re set for a happy future!"
Mrs. Jiang smiled and said, "Chi has been clever and sensible since she was a child. I watched her grow up and have always wanted her for my daughter-in-law."
"My eldest son did well enough for himself that he’s a decent match for Chi..."
The two families had been neighbors for about twenty years and had always been on good terms, often sharing treats with each other. Mrs. Jiang also lacked the traditional mother-in-law’s mindset of viewing her daughter-in-law with hostility, as if she were a rival for her son’s affection.
She truly doted on Chi Yun’er as if she were her own daughter.
"Hey, Nurse Director Guo, your eldest son is engaged to Vice President Chi’s precious daughter, isn’t he?"
Mrs. Jiang nodded, amused. "Of course. Didn’t I just hand out wedding candy to you all a couple of days ago? Once my son finishes his work at the farm, he’ll be returning to the city. Then the two of them will register their marriage and have the wedding."
"I know, I know. It’s just... I heard from someone in the outpatient department that a medical intern is claiming to be the Jiang Family’s eldest daughter-in-law!" a nurse said, lowering her voice. "Young women these days are getting so shameless. They’ll say anything."
Mrs. Jiang’s expression changed instantly. "Little Wang, who did you hear that from? Which intern is it?"
"My eldest son has always conducted himself properly. Aside from Chi, he’s never been close to any other woman his entire life. Who on earth is slandering my Yihua’s name?"
Nurse Wang leaned in and whispered, "Nurse Director, if it was just some baseless rumor, I wouldn’t have repeated it to you. The main thing is... the girl’s parents are the ones who started it!"