Chapter 244: Chapter 242: Social Mixer
"Have a seat. No need to be nervous. We didn’t call you here today for anything work-related."
Hearing it wasn’t work-related, Yue Yihan let out a sigh of relief. He’d thought it was about the traitor incident and that they wanted to have a talk with his wife.
Yue Yihan visibly relaxed.
Xie Changning, on the other hand, was calm. From the way the leaders were acting, she could tell they had called her over for something else.
"We overheard your conversation from just now."
Xie Changning’s brow twitched slightly.
’Don’t tell me they’re talking about the matchmaking thing, are they?’
’Good heavens, I only agreed to it on a whim! I never actually planned on following through! I’m busy enough as it is. Where would I find the time to play matchmaker for people?’
’If the leaders are really asking me to play matchmaker, they’re just trying to make my life difficult!’
The leaders could also tell that Xie Changning had only agreed offhandedly; otherwise, they wouldn’t have moved forward with their own idea.
"Mr. Xie, we know this might put you in a difficult position, but... our military district has far too many older, single men. They’re what you might call ’hard to marry off.’ So, we’d like to discuss the possibility of holding a mixer between your factory and our soldiers."
Xie Changning honestly hadn’t expected the leaders to have such a progressive idea.
’A mixer, of all things.’
Xie Changning was stunned for a second before her expression turned serious. "Since you’ve brought it up, sir, I will certainly give it my full attention. However—
The young women at my factory are our technical backbone. Every single one is a master of her craft. Even for a mixer, we have to be selective."
A hint of a smile appeared on the leaders’ faces when Xie Changning said this.
Having conditions wasn’t a problem. *Not* having conditions was. That would have been the most demanding condition of all.
The fact that Xie Changning was willing to state her terms meant the matter was negotiable. Far from being displeased, the leaders were actually quite happy. "Of course," one said, "we understand your position."
"Let me be blunt and lay out my terms upfront. Otherwise, I’m afraid the young women from my factory might get taken advantage of."
Xie Changning laid out her requirements for the leaders.
"A mixer is fine, but the men must be independent thinkers, not easily swayed by their families. They must be men of good character, have a true passion for life, and respect women."
"It would be best if they don’t live with their families. After all, as you know, some elders can break up a perfectly happy household."
"Of course, I can also guarantee that the young women from my factory have respectable family backgrounds, with no messy situations at home."
Xie Changning dared to propose these conditions because the young women in her factory were truly exceptional.
Many came from dual-income households.
Even in a later, more modern era, these young women would be considered a great catch. Soldiers, however, were a different story. Their families weren’t all from urban working-class households; many came from the countryside.
The leaders understood what Xie Changning was implying.
The factory women had their own skills and parents who earned salaries; they wouldn’t have families trying to mooch off them like some less discerning rural folk might.
It was only natural that their standards for a partner would be higher.
"Mr. Xie, we will sort out all the details you’ve mentioned before the mixer. The issues you’re concerned about will not happen."
The leaders nodded in agreement.
Xie Changning’s serious expression softened into a faint smile. "In that case, I’m very grateful."
Xie Changning followed up with a few more pleasantries.
Only then did the leaders allow Xie Changning to depart.
What Xie Changning didn’t say as she turned to leave was that even if they were deceived, the women from her factory weren’t the type to meekly accept mistreatment. They had the confidence and means to stand up for themselves. After just two years of seniority, each one would be eligible for their own company-provided apartment.
They would never let themselves be wronged!
After watching Xie Changning leave, two of the leaders who had remained silent could no longer hold their tongues.
"What was that all about? Was she implying that the young men in our military district don’t have as good prospects as the women in her factory?"
"Exactly! Filial piety is the most important virtue. Who can just abandon their own parents?"
They all believed their men were good soldiers!
However, the leader seated in the center had a different perspective. A man could be a good soldier without necessarily being a good husband.
Especially since a soldier’s leave is fixed and brief. They spend more time away from their wives than with them.
"Let’s be realistic, their family situations aren’t as good as the young women’s. Her workers have parents from urban, working-class families in the county town, with company housing. The young women themselves will qualify for their own housing after gaining seniority at the factory. Their family’s monthly income is over a hundred yuan. How much does one of your soldiers’ entire family make in a month?"
The two men were struck speechless by their superior’s retort.
Only then did they understand why Xie Changning had been so reluctant to play matchmaker at first. From a socioeconomic standpoint, her workers were truly out of their soldiers’ league.
Her agreeing to the mixer at all was purely out of respect for the leaders’ authority.
He Liuzhang had been listening from the sidelines and only now grasped the full picture. They wanted to organize a mixer with the women from Xie Changning’s factories.
’Tsk, they’ve got big ambitions.’
’Those young women have limitless potential. In the army, there’s only one path to advancement, but it’s different for skilled technicians.’
’A promotion is a promotion, but technical skills have their own rating system.’
’Once their technical rating gets high enough, their prospects become a different matter entirely.’
He Liuzhang shook his head. ’No wonder Xie Changning had laid out her terms so bluntly. If he were in her shoes, he would have done the same.’
-
After they left the military base, Yue Yihan couldn’t help but ask Xie Changning, "Are you really going to let your workers have a mixer with the soldiers from my unit?"
He knew exactly what the soldiers in his unit were like.
Not all of them were men of high character.
"The leaders themselves brought it up. Could I refuse?" Xie Changning replied casually. She wasn’t too concerned about it. When the time came for the mixer, she would send the independent-minded women, not the ones who were easily swayed.
Women who think for themselves always know what they want out of life.
Besides, Xie Changning would be sure to drill it into their heads.
She would tell them not to look at the men through rose-colored glasses just because they were soldiers.
Xie Changning’s words put Yue Yihan at ease. "As long as you have a plan," he said. While her verbal response had been casual, he could see her expression basically saying: ’This little thing? It’s no big deal.’
Yue Yihan knew his wife well.
He dropped Xie Changning off at the guest house before driving back himself. The moment he set foot on the base, he saw a crowd of soldiers waiting for him.
"Shouldn’t you be training? What are you all doing here?"
"Commander, we heard there’s going to be a mixer. Is it true?"
Yue Yihan replied, "...It’s true. But you’ll have to wait a few days."
As soon as they heard the mixer was real, the men erupted in cheers, all of them promising to be on their best behavior.
Yue Yihan sneered. "You think just anyone who wants to can attend this mixer? The women have their own set of requirements. The leadership will announce the conditions in due time."
"Or, to be more precise, the leaders will be selecting the attendees."
Hearing this, some of the soldiers started to frown. "It’s just a matchmaking event, isn’t it? Why make it sound so formal?"
Yue Yihan just laughed at that.
"That attitude proves your level of awareness is low. So you probably won’t be on the selection list."
