Like a Flowing River (Da Jiang Da He / 大江大河)

Like a Flowing River

~ Episode 27 ~

Xiao Hui still hasn't woken up yet?

Not yet.

Xiao Hui, it's almost noon!

I know!

Quickly get up.

Husband,

why do I feel like Xiao Hui is acting strange

in coming back this time?

Could it be that he experienced something bad at work?

Our son has grown up.

There are things that he couldn't casually tell us.

Let him be.

It's enough that we take good care of him

and not give him any more worries.

Am I right?

Yes.

Wait for me here.

Okay.

It didn't work out?

This is so weird.

Didn't they promise that they would work with us?

Did Old Yuan doing some trick from behind?

That Yuan guy isn't that capable.

It's Mingyang electric cable factory who doesn't believe that we'll be able to produce electric cables.

If we're going to be affiliated with them,

we have to pay them 20% affiliation fee.

Twenty percent?

Is that from the profit or the output value?

20% of the output value.

Which means that if we're able to produce 1 million, they would take the 200,000.

That's stealing! Secretary, let's not do this thing anymore.

Let's not affiliate with them then.

If we want to buy cheaper copper wires, we must be a subordinate company of a state-run enterprise.

Only by doing that can we obtain the right to purchase.

Right now,

it wasn't easy to finally train those workers.

The associated hydroelectric equipment is finally back.

But now, we're unable to get a permit for a joint venture. This business...

...how are we going to do it?

Give me ¥1,000.

Why are you getting so much money?

Didn't that little rascal Zhengming finally able to make electric cables?

I must reward Engineer Ye.

We have a bunch of trouble here. Can we set aside his matter first?

We can't drag this.

Not only must we give it now.

I must personally hand it to him.

Four-eyed.

Give it to him.

- Hurry up! - Yes...

Mr. Driver,

you're late today.

Engineer Ye!

Secretary Lei.

My leg is sore.

I think you sat for too long.

Why did you come here?

Secretary Lei, did you come to handle some affairs here?

That's too much money!

We agreed

that I'll give you a reward if you're able to train qualified laborers.

I'm so embarrassed.

What do you mean?

Secretary Lei,

you should have given it to me when I'm about to leave.

With so many money with me,

I'm very nervous.

For the past period,

you've been diligent with your work.

I can see it.

I'm thinking of

working with you for long term.

Don't know if you're willing.

Of course I do!

With such a good job, if I don't agree,

I would have really become an idiot.

I'll pay you ¥100 more per month.

No need. No need. It's already too much.

Don't hurriedly reject it first.

I have a condition.

Every week, you must come to our town for a few more days.

You can't just come every Sunday.

That, Secretary Lei,

I can't agree with you anymore.

Our factory is very strict with rules.

It's fine that I've been secretly coming here every weekend.

But during usual work days, I won't have any time.

I came today

to try to affiliate with your factory.

Think about it.

If our two factories merge,

wouldn't you be able to officially come to our brigade to be our factory manager?

That's your plan?

But I need you to make the connection.

Don't worry.

I won't leak what you've been doing here in Xiaoleijia.

I won't give you trouble.

No, Secetary Lei, that isn't what I mean.

I'm thinking

on how to ask factory manager out.

Ask him out for a meal.

If there are any words, we can just talk about it during the meal.

We can indeed do that.

Too bad, Hongwei isn't around.

Why do we need him?

Our factory manager

is a military man. He has good alcohol tolerance.

Hongwei is good in drinking.

He can make him very happy.

Factory Manager Qian,

I'm a military engineer.

I got decommissioned in 1979.

I know that you were a soldier too.

I changed profession during the 1970.

Oh, my,

I should be calling you squad leader then.

Secretary Lei,

Engineer Ye more or less has told me about what your intentions.

Don't call me secretary.

Just call me Little Lei.

Okay, Little Lei.

I know

that the electric cable factory of your village wants to affiliate

with our factory. The country is very supportive of such things.

This is also a good thing for our factory.

It means that you agree?

Waitress!

>Yes!

Give me three big glasses!

Okay. I will serve it immediately.

Come, give them all to me.

Squad Leader,

we must do it according to troop rules.

I'll toast you three glasses first.

Squad Leader, let me give you a toast first.

Slow down. Slow down.

Two glasses.

No need anymore.

I must drink all of this too.

Squad Leader,

never thought you will agree this fast.

We completely have the same personality.

You're more eager.

Look at how we haven't eaten anything yet

and you've already drank so many glasses.

Little Lei,

just for your commune enterprise,

I really admire how you're willing to charge and work hard.

But it isn't easy to become an subsidiary company. Forgive me for being frank.

For a village-run factory to manufacture electric cable,

it won't be that easy.

Of course, it won't be easy.

But, you can ask around. For these past years, our Xiaoleijia

was able to have our own brick factory,

pre-fabricated panel factory,

and we even have our own construction company.

I'm a person who really does things.

If the electric cable of our factory

has any quality defect,

I wouldn't ask Engineer Ye

to introduce me and I wouldn't dare to open my mouth.

Engineer Ye has actually told me about your situation.

Hence, I admire you a lot.

You were able to lead a poor and lagging village to become rich.

That is not easy.

But the matter of manufacturing electric cable isn't that simple.

No matter if it's towards the technical skills of the employee or the hardware unit, the requirement is very high.

You can't just casually come up with it.

Squad Leader, our equipment is surely working fine.

The employees also have went through

professional training.

If you don't believe me, you can go see it.

I'm also not saying that it's impossible.

You also know that we're a legal state-run enterprise.

If we are going to do business together, I have to be careful.

How about this? In a few days,

I'll go make an inspection.

When I return to my factory, I'll discuss it with everyone. Is that okay?

No, how long will that take?

No.

Factory Manager Qian,

Squad Leader, you really don't know

that our Xiaoleijia has invested everything on this electric cable factory.

In our brigade, we haven't salaried them for several months.

We're waiting for you to save us.

Tell me, if you're still going to do meetings and inspections,

at the very least, that will take ten plus days.

Our village won't be able to wait for it.

You have your actual problems, I have my principles and rules.

If just because someone is in a hurry,

and I make an exception for them,

why do we still needs rules? Who will still protect the policies of the country?

Secretary Lei,

what Factory Manager said is reasonable.

Right.

It's my fault.

I'm rushing things too much.

How do you feel, Secretary Lei?