The Su family did not place excessive importance on the matter of leadership within the household. After all, they had already met the top leaders of the Ministry of Commerce, so the leaders from the Provincial Department of Commerce were not considered particularly significant in the eyes of the Su family.
However, considering that the guests were leaders from the provincial level, the Su family made some preparations. Preparations for the upcoming Chinese New Year were already underway, with red lanterns hung high, and the courtyard was tidily arranged. To welcome the guests, fresh fruits and assorted dried fruits were placed in the living room.
When Director Ke of the Provincial Department of Commerce arrived at the Su family's residence, he was momentarily stunned by the exquisite and grand siheyuan. He had initially assumed that the Su family in the capital would only live slightly better than ordinary families, perhaps having a small courtyard where the family lived without too much crowding. However, upon visiting the Su family, he realized that their life was far from ordinary. The elegantly maintained siheyuan alone, with its large courtyard and what appeared to be a backyard, was a property that many people could not afford even after a lifetime of hard work.
As someone born and raised in the northwest, Director Ke was seeing a siheyuan for the first time. He couldn't help but look at it more closely. He was unaware of the exact value of a siheyuan, but he could imagine that in the capital, in such a location, the price of a siheyuan would be absolutely considerable. In recent years, people's lives had gradually improved, and their pursuit of material comforts had increased, especially their demand for better housing conditions. Even housing prices in the provincial capital had shown an upward trend, let alone in a place like the capital, where every inch of land was precious.
"Director Ke, this is the Su family patriarch, Su Chuan, who is also Su Xiaotian's grandfather." Su Changjiu acted as the intermediary, introducing Director Ke. He had actually only recently come into contact with this newly appointed Director Ke, but he felt that Director Ke was a very good person. He did not look down on him as a village cadre at the grassroots level but interacted with him in an approachable manner. "Uncle Chuan, this is Director Ke from our province. He has come to visit your home specifically today."
From Su Changjiu's attitude, Grandpa Su sensed something and welcomed him with a smile. Director Ke, with a face full of smiles, proactively extended his hand to shake hands with Su Chuan. Grandpa Su, having been in the capital for so long, was accustomed to handshakes. Afterward, Grandpa Su invited Director Ke into the living room.
Upon entering the house, pleasantries were exchanged. Director Ke had come with a mission and was very courteous to the Su family. Coupled with the respectable appearance of the Su family now, he could guess that the rumors circulating in the province might be true. Without a strong backing, how could the Su family possibly establish themselves in a place like the capital and live such a respectable life?
The Su family, mindful that Director Ke was from the provincial government, did not wish to offend him. Director Ke was very polite, and Grandpa Su was a reasonable person. The two parties interacted amicably, and it was very effective. Although the purpose of the day was to reach an investment intention with Su Xiaotian, Director Ke first exchanged pleasantries with the elders of the Su family. Finally, the conversation shifted to Su Xiaotian and her enterprise. This attitude was quite clear.
Su Xiaotian had already decided to pursue a career in business. Director Ke's overtures today were like finding a pillow when one was sleepy. Su Xiaotian and Director Ke both had intentions of cooperation, and they naturally hit it off. The preliminary investment intention was soon reached. With the attention of provincial leaders, Su Xiaotian believed that the path to developing her hometown would be much smoother.
Director Ke spent the afternoon at the Su family's residence and received their warm hospitality. This further increased Director Ke's favorable impression of the Su family. Moreover, through their interactions, Director Ke also learned that the Su family indeed had good relationships with several high-ranking leaders. Although Director Ke did not explicitly state it, Su Xiaotian was intelligent and quickly understood his meaning. However, she did not make any explicit remarks. Upon learning that Director Ke would not be returning to the province until the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, she decided to help facilitate a connection. As for what happened afterward, Su Xiaotian felt it was not something she could decide; it would depend on Director Ke's own efforts.
Su Xiaotian paid a visit to Minister Chang. After understanding Su Xiaotian's purpose, Minister Chang scheduled a time for Director Ke to visit. The reason Su Xiaotian directly introduced Director Ke to Minister Chang was that they belonged to the same system. Furthermore, Su Xiaotian believed that this was the best opportunity for economic development, and receiving support from the Ministry of Commerce would be more beneficial to the province than support from other departments.
Director Ke was newly appointed and had only heard of Minister Chang, never actually met him. He did not expect that Su Xiaotian could directly introduce him. This made Director Ke even more excited and increasingly valued the people of the Su family. Director Ke himself was quite capable. After getting the opportunity to meet Minister Chang, he truly seized the chance. However, these matters were no longer Su Xiaotian's concern; she was still busy.
In the blink of an eye, the festive and peaceful Spring Festival passed. This Spring Festival, the Su family stayed in the capital and did not return to their hometown. Chen Zi'an, whose work was becoming increasingly busy, was also unable to bring his wife and children to the capital. Grandpa Su and Grandma Su were slightly disappointed but understood that their children and grandchildren had grown up and would eventually spread their wings and soar into the sky, leaving their former home.
Just after the New Year, a piece of news swept across the country. The state was going to take strong measures to regulate the flower market. The higher authorities believed that the situation of "everyone raising orchids and the entire city being distracted from work" was not conducive to national stability and long-term development. Since the state was taking strong measures, the results were naturally swift. Shortly after the Spring Festival, relevant documents on the standardized management of the flower market were issued. With these restrictions, the price of Cymbidium orchids, while still high compared to other flowers, had somewhat returned to a normal range.
It was then, in the chilly February days of early spring. Cymbidium orchids, once valued at tens of thousands, were suddenly of no interest. Some people went bankrupt, some were imprisoned, and some committed suicide. The absurd dream of an era shattered overnight. In a daze, thousands upon thousands of orchid seedlings were discarded on the streets, freezing to death. This February was known as the "Black February" of Cymbidium orchids. The graceful Cymbidium orchids were finally placed in a corner of the home, returning to their simple elegance and purity, no longer merely commodities for making money.
During this period, Su Xiaotian also heard about some events that arose from the Cymbidium orchid craze. There were reports of people getting rich from it, and others, due to excessive losses and the unbearable pressure of debt, choosing to commit suicide. Su Xiaotian felt a sense of melancholy, but it was only melancholy. Speculating on Cymbidium orchids in this era was like speculating on stocks in later times. There was only a fixed amount of money; if some people made money, others naturally lost money! If one won the speculation, they would become a person of status; if one lost, they would naturally pay the most tragic price, perhaps never recovering in their lifetime. But who could be blamed for that? After hearing about these matters, Su Xiaotian did not dwell on them too much.
She finally went for an internship at the Translation Department. The leaders of the Translation Department expressed a warm welcome to Su Xiaotian's arrival. The other students from Dorm 314 also entered their respective workplaces and began their internship. Qian Xiaobei was interning at a newspaper, working as a text editor. Qian Xiaobei was quite fond of this job. However, there were three people interning together, and she heard that only one would be offered a permanent position. Qian Xiaobei was still worried about not being able to stay.
Li Jianhong advised Qian Xiaobei to do her best and leave the rest to fate, stating that putting in 100% effort would always yield the desired results. Li Jianhong went to intern at the Women's Federation, which was a definite good unit, and many people wished they could go there but couldn't. Li Jianhong was able to go because she met Yang Liming, and Yang Liming had a good impression of Li Jianhong, a girl from the countryside who was striving to improve herself. Zhao Hongmei and Qi Xiaofang went to intern at units under the Ministry of Commerce. Both of them had outgoing personalities and were quite suitable for working in the Ministry of Commerce. However, Zhao Hongmei said that interning at the Ministry of Commerce was only to better understand the industry for future business endeavors. Dong Yan'an went to intern at a publishing house, saying that she would intern first and then decide whether to stay at the publishing house later. Chu Yue casually found an internship unit and went. She had always said that her family had already made arrangements for her to join the army after she graduated from university. Therefore, the internship unit was truly just an internship unit!