Chapter 38

Rory.

By the end of the month we had settled back into our routine. The one difference as we entered May was the fact that exams were looming for Rebecca and much of her evening was given over to studying. This gave me a chance to catch up on my studies too as I was determined to get my A level in Chinese before starting University. The real problem was not in learning to read the language. I felt I was progressing with at aspect of the course. The difficulty was that listening to the discs for the pronunciation and then repeating it back you might think you were getting it, but only by speaking it face to face with a Chinese person would you know for sure.

It was for this reason that one Saturday evening I suggested to Rebecca that we go to the best local Chinese Restaurant in the town for a meal. When we entered we were led to our table and when the waitress asked for our orders, I did my best to ask for the dishes in her own language. She looked at me in surprise and then asked in her pleasantly melodic voice.

"Do you speak our language?"

I told her as best as I could that I was learning to do so but although I could read it quite well I did not know if she would understand me when I tried to speak it. She rattled of something in quick fire Chinese which I did not grasp. I told her in my halting Chinese I did not understand and asked her to speak more slowly

This time I did catch her reply which was to the effect that she could not believe that there was a local young person trying to speak their language. She turned and shouted to her father who was obviously supervising the staff to come over. He came over with a stern look on his face obviously thinking that something was wrong, only for his daughter to tell him that I had ordered our meal in Chinese and that I was learning the language and could understand her if she spoke slowly.

A smile broke over his face and in his own language he welcomed us to his establishment. I replied by thanking him for his welcome and taking the time to talk to me since I did not know anyone from my own community who spoke the language.

"If you want that," he said, "You should visit the Chinese families in the neighbourhood. They would be only too glad to help you with your pronunciation,"

He promised that before we left he would give me his address and the addresses of his married sons.

Rebecca.

As we ate our meal I realised that Rory had just made contact with a community within our town that had little to do with the locals. This meant that we had a chance to expand the knowledge of our loan scheme and our little bank to people who had little do with us so far. Over the meal I pointed this out to him and he agreed that I was right. He felt, however that we should take our time and gain the friendship and trust of some of the people before advertising what we sought to do for small businesses like theirs and I agreed.

True to his word, the restaurateur caught us as we asked for our bill and said he had talked with his sons and they would be happy to have us call on them if Rory wanted to brush up his spoken Chinese. He handed us an envelope with their names, addresses and phone numbers and asked if we were aware that there were several dialects. Rory said that he was, but since he was learning because he wanted to be able to do business on the Chinese mainland after he graduated from university, he was studying what he hoped was the main one that would be used for that purpose.

"You have done business with us," he said with a laugh "If we help you to prepare for doing business with others, then perhaps you and some of your friends will increase their business with us."

"We are very pleased with the service we have received," I told him, "and with the high standard of your cuisine. I am sure we will recommend you establishment to our friends, and my fiancé will take advantage of your kind offer to help him in his study of your language."

"Then we will look forward to seeing you again," he said with a small bow, "and thank you for your custom."

When we arrived back home I said to Rory that he should take up their offer as soon as he can. In the meantime, I told him I will mention our new area of contacts and see if mum and dad are interested in following it up from a business point of view.

"In fact, though I don't speak the language," I said, "maybe I should be the one who seeks to find out whether any of their businesses would be interest in using our loan scheme."

Next day while Rory was at work I spoke to my mum about the connections Rory had made at the Chinese Restaurant the previous evening and the possibility that this might open up an area of further development for our loan scheme. She agreed that it would be a good idea for me to follow up on that once Rory had established further relations with the Chinese community. She also cautioned me about not taking on too much in case it interfered with my studies. I told her that I would make sure that did not happen. Before I left she invited Rory and me to come for a meal that evening.

When Rory arrived home from work I informed him that he had better get changed because we were going to mum's house for our evening meal. When we arrived and were seated at the table Rory brought up the subject of holidays with my dad.

"I was wondering sir, if Rebecca and I should fix a date for our summer break with you. The school breaks up towards the end of July and I think we would like to use the cottage in France for the first three weeks in August if that was ok with you?" he queried

"I don't see why not," my father said. "I take it you will be keeping up the friendships you made there when you return?"

"That is part of the attraction that the cottage has for us," Rory said with a smile. "I like the French lifestyle, particularly in the rural areas. They seem to pace themselves better than we do, yet at the end of the day they get just as much done"

"I am not so sure about that," my father responded, "The way this Euro crisis is developing it looks as if they have even more problems than us with their economy."

"I would not be so certain about that Rory," replied. "The present spat between us and the French over their attack on our economic situation in an attempt to take the spotlight off themselves has seen the press and television drawing up a comparison of the two. If anything theirs may just be marginally better than ours. Of course the problem for them is that the Euro crisis affects them more than it does us, but at the end of the day we too will be caught up in the financial maelstrom if it does collapse."

"That is true," dad said, "We are fortunate that though we have a good deal of trade with our European partners, we also have a lot of our export trade with Japan and we are getting a foothold in China. So we have avoided cutbacks as yet. But if the Euro does collapse we may not be able to avoid some degree of cut back on our work force."

"I have been thinking about that too sir," Rory replied. "I was wondering whether we should think about cutting back production, rather than laying off workers."

"We will certainly have to cut back production if we don't have buyers for our goods," David said, "That will inevitably mean laying people off."

"Perhaps we could avoid the worst effects of that by asking our workforce to share the effects of the cutbacks by going for a shorter working week, rather than throwing some of our people onto the dole. Remember in the strikes of the seventies businesses went on to a three day week rather than lay off people. Perhaps we could do the same." Rory suggested. "The only drawback about that, if I remember rightly from my reading on the subject, I believe despite the shorter hours worked, it was noted that production held up pretty well because people put more effort in for the shorter time they were working."

"I think your memory is correct," my dad said with a laugh. "That fact was commented on at the time and it would tend to defeat the purpose of working a shorter week in the prevailing conditions. Nevertheless, I think your idea has some merit, and it might be worthwhile discussing it with the unions if a Euro crises looks to be on the cards."

I really was pleased with my men. Rory showed a real concern for the workforce with his suggestion and my dad responded positively to his idea and was about to see if it would fly with the workers. I think it reinforces our attitude to our business, that it is a cooperative venture between us and the community in which we live. We want to do what is best, not only for our business but also for the people who help us to make it profitable. In so many of the big global enterprises I often think loyalty is expected from the workers, but when hard times come then hard measures are taken by the bean counters without regard to the consequences for the people who have helped them make the profits in the past. We are concentrated in a small area of our country and meet with the people on so many different levels that we realise the effects of our actions on the community we share with them. I was interrupted in this reverie by mum bringing us back to more immediate events.

"Enough of these world affairs" she said, "I have had a request from Fiona asking us to think of pieces for our next performance. The church has persuaded the Scottish Fiddle Society to put on a Fiddler's Rally in our church on the third Sunday in June. We are going to take part and perform in the interval so be ready to come up with some suggestions at our next rehearsal."

All of us agreed that we would think of something and have suggestions ready for the occasion.

Later that night when we arrived back at our place I made my feelings know to Rory.

"I was very pleased at your reaction to possible layoffs," I told him. I agree with you that it would be far better if the workforce agreed to share the pain rather than inflict misery on the few. I think we will be a good team when it becomes our turn to be in charge."

"I hope you are right," Rory said, "but even with the best will in the world sometimes for the long term good, hard decisions might have to be taken and if we don't, then it might result in greater pain for a lot more people."

"I know that, and I think I will be capable of making these decisions, but it is nice to know, that I have someone alongside me who might see alternative ways of tackling the problem," I said. "And I hope that just like my dad, I will always be ready to listen to you."

"Well if you don't," he said with a smile, "it might be me that is threatening to smack your bottom for change."

"Mmm!" I said with a giggle, "That would be a novel experience. I don't think I have ever had my bottom smacked, or if I did I must have been too young to remember even getting a single smack there."

"If you are contemplating having the experience, and knowing what it might lead to," he said with his best leering look, "I would be willing to help you out."