Chapter 370: Chapter 357: Emotional Contagion

Like a rubber band that is always stretched to the limit, it won’t take long before it wears out and snaps.

If Miao Hongjin continues in this state, his body might easily give in, or he might face mental issues, or make wrong decisions due to tremendous psychological pressure.

Therefore, Zhuang Qingning chose to present matters in a lighthearted manner and not to demand meticulous details.

Once the workshop gets up and running and all processes go smoothly, they can gradually refine the details to improve the quality.

Just like a painter, if he can’t finish a piece of work because he’s obsessively studying the technique of a single cat, he will never be able to produce a complete painting in the end.

First, smooth running, then refinement. This is the most suitable approach for now.

As expected, upon hearing Zhuang Qingning’s words, the tension on Miao Hongjin’s face eased and he even rubbed his hands somewhat bashfully, “To be honest with Manager Zhuang, I have not been sleeping well these past days, thinking about the workshop all the time.”

“The situation in Miao Village is dire and people can’t afford any mishaps. Although setting up the workshop doesn’t require cash from each household, just sweet potatoes and labor, it’s still a big deal for everyone.”

“If it fails, people might lose their courage and energy, and trying to find a better solution to help everyone make money may seem impossible.”

“That’s my biggest fear.”

Zhuang Qingning listened to Miao Hongjin’s words and pursed her lips.

Indeed, it is not that some people choose to be poor or lack the courage to struggle. Instead, they have often experienced too many hardships that have whittled away all their positivity and ambition.

Without this energy, they lose the courage to fight against fate.

Zhuang Qingning, having experienced many harsh realities of life in her previous life, could empathize with Miao Hongjin’s current feelings.

“In this case, let’s just do our best and leave the rest to fate.”

Zhuang Qingning said, “But there’s no need for excessive worry or tension. Village Chief Miao, if you, as the person in charge, are filled with anxiety, the people under you might also feel that this is a difficult task and become hesitant, which would lead to a lack of unity in the end.”

“To successfully carry out this task, we need to show unreserved courage to move forward. Only then will others feel that there is nothing to fear and they will work hard. Only then can this job be successfully accomplished.”

Hearing Zhuang Qingning’s words, Miao Hongjin was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.

After a while, his face was full of embarrassment.

Lately, he had been fearful about the workshop failing and not being able to account for it to the village and Master Ding. He had been worried to the point of anxiety.

Even he himself felt something was wrong, but he couldn’t express it, nor did he know what to do.

Zhuang Qingning’s words enlightened him, helping him understand the key point and how to proceed.

However, he was indeed older, and he felt ashamed that he, who was of Zhuang Qingning’s father’s age, couldn’t see through things as clearly as a young girl like Zhuang Qingning could.

But thinking more thoroughly, Zhuang Qingning had a quick mind and could grasp things better and think more comprehensively than him, which made sense.

Miao Hongjin thought this way and felt less embarrassed, yet he was still a little shy, “You’re right, Manager Zhuang. I shouldn’t be this anxious. If I were to tell people about this, they probably wouldn’t believe me.”

“Just do what we need to do, and leave the rest to God.”

He didn’t believe that God would continue to let diligent people suffer forever.

Miao Hongjin felt more at ease and his demeanor improved, seeming to have gained more vitality.

Emotions are contagious. If you are energetic, others will be uplifted, but if you are gloomy, others will feel oppressed and their mood won’t be good.

With less tension, even Zhuang Qingning felt more relaxed. She called Miao Hongjin to gather his people to learn the next procedure for making sweet potato glass noodles.

Upon hearing her words, Miao Hongjin gathered everyone together and introduced them to Zhuang Qingning, “Everyone here is hardworking and diligent from the village. They are also shareholders in the establishment of the workshop.”

“This is Mrs. Zhang, this is Mrs. Wang, this is Mrs. Liu, this is Miao Erwa, this is Miao Jinlai…”

Miao Hongjin briefly introduced everyone and then addressed the group, “This here is Manager Zhuang, specially invited by Master Ding to teach us how to make sweet potato glass noodles. Pay close attention and learn quickly so we can get the workshop running sooner…”

He had already told everyone these things before, and they had already tasted and seen the sweet potato glass noodles. In addition, they found the silver stock system intriguing and helpful, so they were very impressed with Zhuang Qingning even before meeting her. Now that they saw her, they felt that she had a strong presence, even stronger than Miao Hongjin’s, so they were a bit in awe of her.

Everyone nodded in agreement with Miao Hongjin’s words and warmly greeted Zhuang Qingning.

After a few pleasantries, Zhuang Qingning rolled up her sleeves and began teaching everyone how to make glass noodles.

The starch was ready, so the next steps were to mix it with water, put it through a large colander, and cook the resultant noodles. Once cooked, they would need to be taken out and dried.

When Zhuang Qingning was preparing the noodles, she added some secret recipe water and yeast into the pot and told the people to always save a bowl of the noodle boiling water for future use. This would then be mixed with fresh water to cook the next batch.

Like a sourdough starter, this bowl of water would make the noodles taste better and have a better texture. If there were more pots, they could save more water, but the ratio would still be one bowl of old water to one pot of fresh water.

Since this was their first time making glass noodles, they naturally listened to whatever Zhuang Qingning said. They believed that the noodles tasted so good because of her unique method.

Consequently, everyone memorized her instructions and started trying to make the sweet potato glass noodles according to Zhuang Qingning’s guidance.

Mixing the starch wasn’t difficult. As long as they got the ratio right and they were familiar with cooking and kneading dough, they quickly picked it up.

However, getting used to making the noodles through the colander took some time.