Guo Dajun’s eyes were indeed red with anxiety, his hands rubbing together nervously.
Both the flour and eggs were public property! How could they be used?
Although Cheng Hui had advanced the money for the eggs, they would have to repay her later, so these were still considered public goods.
Before he could figure out how to object without offending Cheng Hui, she had already prepared a large pot of Geda Soup and fairly served everyone a bowl.
Even he found a bowl thrust into his hands.
“Everyone eat up. From now on, we’ll add three meals a day to our factory benefits,” Cheng Hui announced.
“Great!” Wang Hui was the first to respond!
Others quickly joined in: “Excellent! Wonderful!”
“Thank you, Deputy Director!”
“The Deputy Director is so kind!”
“The Deputy Director understands what’s right!”
“The Deputy Director… cares for us like her own children!”
Guo Dajun….”Just eat! Can’t even eating shut you up?”
He couldn’t say anything else – opposing this would mean going against everyone!
Cheng Hui turned to Guo Dajun: “Individuals cannot use collective property, but the collective can. Right now, no one is misusing collective property – we’re enjoying reasonable employee benefits.
“You haven’t seen those large factories. They not only have staff canteens, but they also distribute various items to employees, from food to clothing, everything complete.
“They even allocate housing to employees! Build schools, construct hospitals! Medical treatment and education are all free.
“We’ll have all these benefits in the future! Let’s start with this small canteen.”
Everyone felt their blood boiling with excitement, hearts burning with warmth.
Mainly because the Geda Soup had just been cooked and was still quite hot.
But they remained clear-headed. They all knew about the benefits Cheng Hui mentioned – not to mention distant examples, just the original Xian Food Factory had allocated housing to employees.
Although it didn’t have its own hospital or school, it did have its own kindergarten.
But for their small Commune Food Factory, wouldn’t just avoiding bankruptcy be blessing enough? Distributing clothes and housing?
Better just drink the soup!
“Oh, Deputy Director, how did you make this Geda Soup? Why is it so delicious!”
Finally someone noticed the taste and exclaimed in surprise.
After modestly deflecting the praise, Cheng Hui personally filled a large bowl of Geda Soup and presented it with both hands to Sun Tiemei, who was unsure whether to stay or leave.
“I haven’t had time to introduce this female comrade yet. She is the Women’s Director of our Gao Family Village Production Team, and currently our factory’s most important partner! Without her, our factory would have to shut down immediately!
“Only with her help can we truly escape this desperate situation!”
Everyone held their bowls, looking at Sun Tiemei…. Wasn’t this a bit exaggerated?
Sun Tiemei felt too embarrassed to accept the bowl.
Cheng Hui turned to Lao Hei: “Could you collect 60 eggs within an hour?”
Lao Hei stared blankly and shook his head – he couldn’t.
He was a city dweller, and his neighbors were city people too. They only knew how to eat eggs – where would they collect eggs from? The black market? Buying eggs on the black market depended entirely on luck!
“Can you?” Cheng Hui asked Wang Hui.
Wang Hui shook his head vigorously, cooperating fully: “I can’t!”
He was also a city person who only knew how to eat eggs.
There was no need to ask the others. Though they had fallen on hard times, they were all city people!
City residents weren’t allowed to raise chickens. They could only buy eggs at subsidiary food stores, with monthly rations.
Sometimes one jin, sometimes none at all.
“Comrade Sun’s contribution isn’t just these 60 eggs. I’ve already reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with her. Before the Xian Food Factory allocates us sufficient raw materials, we’ll have to rely on Comrade Sun’s efforts to continue production, keep the factory running, and eventually pay out the back wages,” said Cheng Hui.
The crowd finally understood.
Before the Xian Food Factory provided them with enough raw materials, they would depend on Sun Tiemei for eggs.
When would the Xian Food Factory give them sufficient raw materials? They really had no idea. They had never been given enough before! Especially eggs!
Previously, they could only wait helplessly – if they weren’t given food, they would starve.
But now, with Cheng Hui taking the lead and opening up new possibilities, as long as they could obtain eggs themselves, they could continue production, at least enough to cover the back wages first.
And for collecting eggs, they truly had to rely on Sun Tiemei.
The way everyone looked at Sun Tiemei instantly changed!
“Comrade Sun, I toast you with this bowl!” Lao Hei clinked his bowl with Sun Tiemei’s.
His son was about to get married and needed money.
The key point was, if he lost his job now and returned home, becoming another idle mouth to feed, the marriage might fall through!
He’d rather throw himself into the boiler and be melted down than burden his children.
“Comrade Sun, I also toast you with this bowl.” Guo Dajun also came over and clinked bowls with her.
Cheng Hui’s promises were too grand – he felt full after just one bite, but he understood nonetheless.
She truly hadn’t touched collective property. As deputy factory director, she had simply established new welfare benefits for the factory.
Every factory was allowed to set its own welfare benefits. Their factory’s welfare was providing three meals a day for employees. What was wrong with that?
Nothing at all!
With this worry resolved, the Geda Soup suddenly tasted even better!
Everyone felt the same way. Their thoughts were simpler than Guo Dajun’s – they only thought about being able to eat three free meals every day from now on, feeling as intoxicated with joy as if they were drunk.
How many days they could eat like this depended on how many eggs Sun Tiemei could collect for them… Even the cleverest housewife can’t cook without rice!
Everyone immediately became extremely enthusiastic toward Sun Tiemei.
Sun Tiemei also felt like she wasn’t drinking Geda Soup but rather Erguotou liquor – it was particularly intoxicating!
So she wasn’t engaged in speculation and profiteering, nor was she just mooching a meal – she was actually this important!
She too became drunk with excitement, patting her chest and promising to collect every egg within a hundred-li radius for them!
The intoxication didn’t fade even in the cold wind along the way. After returning home and giving back the horse cart, Sun Tiemei immediately went out with a basket on her arm, riding her bicycle!
When Gao Qishan asked where she was going, she said: “I’m going to save a group of poor souls!”
Gao Qishan…… “When will you be back? Who’s going to make lunch?”
……
Cheng Hui had already been helped onto the train by Tao Juan.
The high, steep steps of the green-skinned train were really unfriendly.
Fortunately, not many people were traveling now, and this was a short-distance commuter train with few passengers, so it wouldn’t be too crowded for a pregnant woman like her.
Actually, Gao Zhi had miscalculated by one yuan yesterday – she had also advanced one yuan for the kraft paper money.
So after just buying four train tickets, her pockets were completely empty, without a single cent left, not even money for the return ticket.
Therefore, this trip must succeed – failure was not an option!
Their A County was very close to the provincial capital. Decades later, A County would even become a district of the provincial capital, just a few dozen minutes away by car.
But now the train took a full hour.
Getting off the train, they stepped right into the bustling provincial train station.
“This is a great spot—lots of people! Business travelers usually have money. Why don’t we sell here?” Tao Juan suggested.
“Selling here would cheapen the prestige of our Weifeng Cake, the world’s finest cake,” Cheng Hui replied.
Tao Juan, Wang Hui, and Li Yan: ???
Since when did Weifeng Cake become the world’s finest? Can you just self-proclaim that?
“Then where should we sell?” she asked.
“To the Provincial Department Store,” Cheng Hui said, turning to her. “Do you know how to get there?”
Tao Juan shook her head but grasped her reasoning. “The Department Store is no match for Qiulin Mall—that’s the best shopping center in the whole province! It gets more foot traffic, and the customers are wealthier. The Department Store is just second best in comparison.”
Cheng Hui smiled. Of course she knew about the renowned Qiulin Mall, but what she was after was precisely that eternal runner-up.