Chapter Twelve

“Should I cancel the order now?” The procurement manager was very frustrated. Sunshine Bakery was a small bakery, and his original intention was to save costs for the factory, but he hadn’t expected such a big problem.

After finishing his cigarette, Liu Wenkang asked, “How’s the wheat quality?”

“National grade A, the quality is very good.”

Longxia wheat was divided into grades A, B, C, and D. Grade D was generally used for industrial grain, B and C grades sold for about 0.8 yuan per jin, while grade A ranged between 1 and 1.5 yuan. This time, he was buying grade A quality at grade B prices. Because it was such a good deal, the order and payment were so quick.

“Is this this year’s new crop?”

“Yes, new.” The procurement manager took a sample pack from his pocket. The wheat kernels in the sample were plump, with a fresh wheat fragrance.

Li Wenkang looked at the wheat before him. He had assumed the government’s bidding involved old stock but didn’t expect such excellent quality control.

Qianzhiwei had ordered 15 million loaves of bread, each priced at 0.25 yuan. One jin of flour could make 30 breads. Calculating with an 80% flour extraction rate, 600,000 jin of wheat could produce 14.4 million breads, with the bakery’s profit about 1 million yuan.

“Manager Li?” The procurement manager hesitated as Li Wenkang fell into thought. He wasn’t sure whether to cancel the order or find someone else to take it over…

“I mortgaged my house; I’ll get the money first to buy the wheat!” The procurement manager gritted his teeth. The factory couldn’t come up with the second payment for wheat, and he was just anxious.

“Seven days left, can you mortgage it in time?” Li Wenkang glanced at him. The procurement manager was his nephew, which was why he tried to stay calm.

“So what should I do…” The procurement manager was desperate.

Li Wenkang called the person in charge at Qianzhiwei.

Sunshine Bakery was a local company in Hupo Province. Now that the contract was signed, if the goods were returned without reason, wouldn’t that be a slap in the government’s face?

Since the wheat couldn’t be returned, his only option was through Qianzhiwei.

“Hello.” The Qianzhiwei phone was answered quickly. After back-and-forth negotiation, Qianzhiwei agreed to add the wording [Wheat Quality: Fengshan No. 1] on the product packaging, but this was an extra contract, reducing the bread price by 0.01 yuan each.

Li Wenkang calculated that reducing 0.01 yuan per bread meant a total profit loss of 150,000 yuan.

“Thank you, Manager Zhao.” Li Wenkang replied tiredly, then looked at the procurement manager: “Has the wheat arrived?”

“At the government warehouse.”

That afternoon, Li Wenkang took a truck to the warehouse to pick up the goods. After much back and forth, he finally brought the wheat back to the bakery.

The bakery had professional fully automatic flour mills. Over the next two days, the bakery ground the wheat into flour and transported it to the production workshop. Perhaps due to the wheat variety, the government wheat had an 85% extraction rate, better texture and flow than other flours.

“Hope the order goes smoothly.”

Li Wenkang looked at baskets of flour with emotion. It was October 29th, and Qianzhiwei’s bread order was to be the featured product for the Double Eleven promotion. He didn’t have high demands now, just hoping to deliver on time.

A while ago, during a rain, your yard’s dustpan got taken away.” While Sunshine Bakery worked overtime producing, at Gaojia Ridge in Zhuhe, Gao Hongwei opened the door and talked about the past two months.

Thinking back on those two months still stunned Gao Hongwei. Three months ago, Qin Yun raised his hand at the agricultural conference and was then taken away by government personnel… Gao Hongwei had been village chief for twelve years but never witnessed such a spectacle. Now looking at Qin Yun, he finally relaxed: “How’s the new company?”

“Pretty good.” Qin Yun put his luggage down in the yard. After arriving at the farm, he had contacted Gao Hongwei twice, but due to farm secrecy, he only said he worked in Gan Province without revealing details.

“When you’re away, try to get along well with colleagues.” Gao Hongwei shared workplace advice.

After chatting for a while, Gao Hongwei suddenly remembered something: “Your grandfather was born in winter?”

“December 1960.” Qin Yun was a bit puzzled.

“A few days ago, a TV program called ‘Searching for Relatives’ was looking for siblings separated for many years…” Gao Hongwei pulled up his phone album. It was an interview video showing a middle-aged couple around fifty, dressed neatly, holding microphones for the program.

“Do your eyebrows look a little alike?” Gao Hongwei asked.

“No.” Seeing the program, Qin Yun immediately thought of his past life.

The couple in the video were named Qin He and Zhao Xiuli. Qin He was Qin Hai’s younger brother. The Qin family had five siblings and had been poor. Shortly after Qin Hai was born, he was sold to traffickers. Qin Hai was passed around before arriving at Gaojia Ridge, where he was adopted and raised, eventually meeting his grandmother and father…

Though Qin Hai was a Higher Plane wanderer, his life on Shuilan Star was very tragic. Shortly after his birth, his parents died in an accident, and Qin Hai raised him alone.

The Qin family relations were matters of the older generation. This time, Qin He and Zhao Xiuli appeared on the show ostensibly to find lost siblings. In reality, their son had a late-night car accident and needed a kidney transplant.

In the previous life, when the program contacted him, Qin Yun couldn’t refuse and went to the TV station. But before going on air, Qin He asked for his blood type and whether he was willing to cooperate with a medical exam…

Qin He’s son was a troublemaker. He had served two years in prison for fighting, and this reckless driving accident hit a couple running a late-night barbecue stand. Although the couple was mostly fine, the Qin family was very arrogant in handling it.

Without any goodwill, after learning Qin He’s true intentions, Qin Yun slipped away backstage from the show.

Later the program tried contacting him again. He refused, claiming to be busy. With modern medical methods, kidney transplant didn’t require family donors. But Qin He, influenced by mistaken beliefs, insisted on the supposed advantage of blood relations.

Qin He had tested the bodies of younger family members, then came to Qin Yun again, hoping Qin Yun would cooperate with tests to find the best kidney donor.

Qin Yun reported twice to the police. As a civil dispute, police could only mediate. Before rebirth, Qin Yun was still harassed by calls from the Qin family… Now reborn to the time of the ‘Searching for Relatives’ program, he completely wanted no involvement!

“Has the program contacted you?” Qin Yun looked at Gao Hongwei.

“A few days ago, a TV station called, asking if there was a boy adopted in 1960 in the village.” Gao Hongwei did not hide it.

The village committee had resident records showing Qin Hai was adopted. Plus, Qin Yun’s eyebrows slightly resembled the program guests’, which was why he asked just now.

“Before, it was just me and Grandpa at home. Now that Grandpa has passed, I really worry about people randomly trying to connect with me,” Qin Yun said casually.

Gao Hongwei instantly became serious. Qin Yun graduated from a key university, and he genuinely worried that someone might have ill intentions, seeing Qin Yun’s promising future.

“I understand.”

Gao Hongwei saw the stakes clearly. Whether they were real or fake relatives, it was all Qin Hai’s generation’s business and had nothing to do with Qin Yun. He decided firmly not to reveal any information from his side.

“This is your house key.” After chatting for a while, Gao Hongwei handed Qin Yun a brass key. It was a spare key he had kept during the funeral while helping Qin Yun. Now that the funeral was over, it was useless for him to keep.

“Thanks.” Qin Yun took the key, then pulled out some gift boxes of Sichuan pepper and lily bulbs from his suitcase.

“You’re a thoughtful kid…” Gao Hongwei smiled warmly as he accepted them. These were specialties from Gan Province, not valuable, but carefully chosen. If Qin Yun had brought cigarettes or alcohol, he might not have been so willing to accept.

After Gao Hongwei left, Qin Yun finished cleaning the house and looked up at the old roof. He hadn’t been back for three months, yet it felt like two lifetimes had passed… Qin Yun spaced out for a moment, then looked at Qin Hai’s memorial photo.

Qin Hai in the portrait was still calm and serious.

“How did you suffer so much?” Qin Yun burned incense for Qin Hai. Though Qin Hai was a Higher Plane wanderer, starting out on Shuilan Star was an extremely difficult challenge. By comparison, growing up under Qin Hai’s seemingly stern protection, Qin Yun felt very fortunate.

Over the next five days, Qin Yun traveled around Zhuhe. Perhaps due to his changed mindset, he discovered more and more beautiful scenery in Zhuhe.

At 10 a.m. on the sixth day, Qin Yun packed and returned to the farm.

At the same time Qin Yun was returning to Gan Province, backstage at the “Searching for Relatives” show in Shen City, Qin He frowned at the documents in his hand. He was fifty-two, the fourth eldest in the family. The family had been poor; he knew his eldest brother had been sold young, and his eldest and second eldest sisters were adopted by kind people. Later, when the family improved financially, he and his sister stayed at home.

Qin He had no feelings for his eldest brother and two sisters. Bold and ambitious, after thirty years of struggle, he had finally risen from a poor kid to a food factory owner earning 80 million yuan a year. He was very proud of his career, but his biggest frustration was his son Qin Shaofeng’s irresponsibility.

Qin Shaofeng was twenty-five. Previously, he served two years in prison for fighting. He had just been released last month, then drunk drove and crashed into a barbecue stall. The barbecue stall issue hadn’t been resolved yet, his son was injured and hospitalized, and the hospital recommended a kidney transplant… Qin He felt overwhelmed.

Qin He flipped through the files and asked the assistant director, “No baby boys?”

They were negotiating with the two older sisters. According to previous records, the baby boy should have been sold to Gaojia Ridge in Zhuhe.

“Records from ’67 are very incomplete,” the assistant director replied, holding a cup of tea.

Their show focused on “Searching for Relatives,” usually touching stories of childhood separation and middle-aged reunions. Qin He’s case was also a childhood separation, but it had been at least sixty-seven years, and five old people gathering wasn’t compelling TV. If it weren’t for big sponsorship from Dahe Foods, the production team wouldn’t have taken this case.

“Are you sure there’s none?” Qin He frowned at the data.

“This was checked by Gaojialing Village head. He’s sure there’s none. Based on the trail, the baby was probably sold to Shan Province,” the assistant director stated confidently.

“Troublesome.” Qin He rubbed his forehead. Since Gaojia Ridge was confirmed negative, they had to change direction.

“Manager Gao, the order is ready. Don’t worry, we will definitely meet the Double Eleven demand!” Meanwhile, as Qin He searched vigorously for relatives, at Sunshine Bakery, Li Wenkang looked at the freshly printed packaging bags and breathed a big sigh of relief.

The bread was finally finished.

Author’s note:

Qin Hai: The pitiful “golden finger” grandpa. _(:з」∠)
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Double Eleven, also known as Singles’ Day, is China’s largest annual online shopping event held on November 11 (11.11). It started in 2009 by Alibaba as a day of discounts and promotions, originally targeting single people.

It has since grown into a massive e-commerce festival involving platforms like Tmall, JD.com, and Douyin, offering huge deals across categories. In recent years, it has focused not just on discounts but also on brand building, live-stream shopping, and eco-friendly products.

It is now the world’s biggest shopping event, surpassing Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined in sales.