From this day onward, Xu Damao was never idle. Not only did he tell everyone in the compound that Silly Zhu was bragging, but he also spread rumors and stirred up trouble throughout the factory.
He worked as a projectionist at the Steel Rolling Mill. Unlike ordinary workers, he usually did not have much work to do. As long as he was not going to the countryside to screen films, he had plenty of free time.
This fellow wandered around the work teams in the workshops he knew well, badmouthing He Yuzhu to everyone he met.
He said things like Silly Zhu had become Canteen Director by flattering and currying favor, and that he had gained so many benefits only because he kept sending gifts to Factory Director Yang.
He even claimed that the reason Silly Zhu had both been promoted and received a pay raise was entirely because he had risen through bragging.
But there was one thing: this time, you had truly bragged beyond the heavens. Bringing non-staple food back from Hongxing Commune was absolutely impossible.
Xu Damao spread these rumors everywhere, and they actually produced considerable results. The reason was simple: Hongxing Commune really was a tough bone to chew.
Not to mention the Canteen Director—even the labor union chairman and the leaders of the factory office had personally intervened, but the Party Secretary of Hongxing Commune simply refused to budge.
In 1961, grain could not be measured with money at all. Although the prices did not seem high, supplies were distributed strictly according to the number of people.
The Steel Rolling Mill wanted to use money to buy meat, eggs, and non-staple food, while Hongxing Commune only wanted to exchange them for grain.
In those years, money could only be exchanged for small amounts of grain through some disreputable channels. For so many people in a Commune, that was utterly insufficient.
This was also the important reason why the factory leaders repeatedly met with setbacks.
After Xu Damao publicized the matter of He Yuzhu signing a military order, everyone in the factory now knew about it, and they all felt that things looked grim.
Yet He Yuzhu, the person involved, remained completely unhurried. He worked as usual every day and never mentioned the matter.
As time passed, Xu Damao was the one who became anxious.
Before they knew it, it was already Saturday. The week was nearly over, yet He Yuzhu still showed no sign of action.
At noon, while Xu Damao was getting his meal, he saw He Yuzhu serving food to everyone at the window.
Several middle-aged female workers standing in line before and behind him were all sharp-tongued women who loved spreading gossip, so he came up with a wicked idea.
“He Yuzhu, didn’t you say you were going to get eggs and pork from Hongxing Commune? It’s already been a whole week! Why haven’t we seen any movement?”
“Why is it harder for you to handle one little task than to give birth? If you have no ability, admit defeat early. Send your meat coupon book to my house, and stop pretending to be deaf and dumb here all day!”
With Xu Damao making such a commotion, several middle-aged women nearby also began echoing him.
He Yuzhu remained unfazed, as though he had not heard them at all. He continued serving food one ladleful at a time, even wearing a smile.
When Xu Damao finally reached the window, He Yuzhu scooped up a ladleful of food, and his hand immediately began shaking like Parkinson’s in its late stages, trembling as if he had been electrocuted.
“Hey, hey! Stop shaking! There’s only one ladleful of soup left!” Xu Damao shouted furiously.
“That’s what you get. Eat it or don’t, but move along. There are so many people waiting behind you,” He Yuzhu said flatly.
It might have been forgivable if it were ordinary food, but the dish being sold at He Yuzhu’s window that day was chicken frames.
Nearly all the meat had already been picked off those chicken frames, but even so, they were still an incredibly prized delicacy in that era.
Xu Damao saw that the ladleful contained almost nothing but two chicken bones, with the rest being soup, and he was so furious that he could barely speak.
“He Yuzhu! Today, I’m going to settle this with you. These chicken frames were also brought back from Hongxing Commune only after the previous Canteen Director made several trips.”
“You’ve been Director for two weeks now, haven’t you? What benefits have any of us gotten from you? All you know is how to curry favor with the leaders while bullying ordinary workers. What kind of ability is that?”
Xu Damao actually knew a little psychology. He was trying to set the masses against one another, hoping to whip the workers in line into targeting Silly Zhu together!
He Yuzhu stopped serving food, set down the ladle in his hand, and said loudly, “Xu Damao, you’ve been spreading rumors throughout the factory every day lately. Do you think I don’t know?”
“Why haven’t I gone to the Commune? Because I can’t use work hours for personal matters. Tomorrow is Sunday, and I guarantee I’ll bring back an entire pig carcass and let everyone eat pork stewed with vermicelli!”
His words landed with a resounding impact. After he finished speaking, the workers waiting in the canteen fell silent for a moment, but immediately afterward, the place erupted!
“Master He, are you serious? If you really do what you say, I’d even accept you becoming the factory office director!”
“How long has it been since we last saw a whole piece of meat in the canteen? If you can really bring back pork, I’ll get several extra portions next Monday and take them home so the children can satisfy their cravings.”
Everyone spoke over one another, their excitement plain for all to see.
Seizing the opportunity, He Yuzhu said loudly, “But Xu Damao has been spreading rumors about me, making me feel even more aggrieved than Dou E. If I really bring the meat back, will you all stand up for me?”
Those sharp-tongued female workers immediately raised their voices. “Don’t worry. If you really bring back pork and let our children satisfy their cravings, we’ll make Xu Damao put on a good show for us!”
Xu Damao’s face turned green when he heard that. “Put on a good show” sounded harmless enough, but it was anything but pleasant.
At the factory, these fierce older women often stripped male workers who had poor character or had incurred everyone’s wrath.
Then they would take away the men’s clothes and spread the incident far and wide, humiliating and warning these disgraceful bastards.
If that really happened, he would never be able to face anyone again. Especially since he had not yet found a partner—once his reputation spread, what girl would still pay him any attention?
“Then it’s settled. Everyone be ready next Monday. The canteen guarantees pork stewed with vermicelli. If I can’t get the pork, I’ll resign in disgrace. I won’t have the face to continue as Canteen Director!”
Xu Damao was both excited and terrified. If his bet paid off, he could obtain several months’ worth of meat coupons, and Silly Zhu would be knocked back to his original position.
But if He Yuzhu really brought back the pork, how could he ever face anyone again? His heart lurched between hope and dread, and he spent the entire day in a daze.
After returning to the canteen, He Yuzhu drank water from a large metal teacup while constantly watching the System Currency in the system.
Xu Damao’s negative emotions +157, +41, +37, +21…
Today’s results from roasting people were quite good. The System Currency in the system had already reached 436. That amount was neither particularly large nor particularly small.
The System Currency in the system could buy 200 jin of white flour, more than 100 jin of ordinary-grade rice, or only around 40 jin of pork.
If he used this amount of grain to exchange for pork at Hongxing Commune, there would not be much left.
It seemed that his capital was still far too limited. Before dawn tomorrow, he had to accumulate a large amount of negative emotion currency.
To exchange for an entire pig carcass, he had no choice but to take a dangerous gamble!