Jiang Shanshan looked at Han Dongyuan, her eyes blazing: “Comrade Han, this factory was built by you, and you’re the director—we have no objections. Comrade Xu has always been our youth team leader, responsible for our work assignments. And Comrade Liao, we know he’s been running around with you for the factory’s affairs. One is Production Director, the other Business Director—we have no complaints about that. But this Comrade Cheng…”
She sneered, turning to Cheng Ning with mockery: “This Comrade Cheng has only just arrived, less than two weeks since she came down here. She’s unfamiliar with the place, probably doesn’t even know everyone’s names. I want to ask—what qualifications does she have to be Office Director of the factory, and even get a special assistant to support her?”
She paused, then added: “This is the new society, not the old one. Even if the factory is set up, it belongs to everyone, not to one person. I believe I’m not the only one who thinks this arrangement is improper. Everyone, am I right?”
The room fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Her words weren’t as heated in everyone’s hearts, but they did echo the doubts of many.
Cheng Ning was about to speak when a hand pressed down on hers.
Han Dongyuan lifted his eyelids, glanced around the room, and said coolly: “How do everyone think?”
No one answered.
He gave a faint smile, tapped the table with one finger, and said: “Then what should we do? The brigade has no money—you’ve been here for years, you should know the situation. In past winters, you went up the mountain to cut firewood or hunt. On good days, you might get some game, but normally, it was just two to five work points. Now at the lumberyard, the brigade can’t even give you a single work point—it’s all advanced from our factory’s funds. And in the coming months, our factory won’t earn a penny. All the workers’ wages, materials, tools, transport, and the master’s fees—everything is being fronted by the factory. Do you know where that money comes from?”
Everyone: “……”
Han Dongyuan said: “All of it has been fronted by Comrade Cheng.”
Everyone: “???”
Even Cheng Ning herself looked at him in surprise. But Han Dongyuan didn’t glance her way.
Jiang Shanshan’s face flushed red. After a long struggle, she burst out:
“So whoever pays for the factory owns it? Isn’t that just capitalism?”
“Wrong!” Han Dongyuan said coldly. “It’s not that whoever pays owns the factory. The factory belongs to the commune, to the state. It’s just that some people are willing to give up their own food money, without asking for any benefit, purely for the factory’s development. If anyone else is willing to put up hundreds of yuan, hundreds of pounds of meat and grain coupons, and can write, draw, or do anything, we won’t oppose them joining the factory and contributing to the commune.”
The crowd: “……”
This… this?
Everyone was struck dumb.
Hundreds of yuan, hundreds of pounds of meat and grain coupons—what a joke!
No one spoke. Han Dongyuan gave another cold snort and said: “But our factory isn’t short of money right now.”
“If you have money and coupons and want to contribute to the brigade, you can start your own factory—a medicinal plant factory, a brick kiln, all very useful. Then, whether you want to be a factory director or an office director, that’s up to you.”
“Oh, and everyone knows our brigade doesn’t have a primary school. For children to study, they have to walk hours through the mountains to another brigade or the commune’s school. Many of you are interested in the brigade’s teaching posts, aren’t you? Well, if you have money and coupons, you could fund a primary school yourselves, pay your own wages, and become teachers. I’m sure the brigade would support you, even give you red flowers and call you advanced.”
What kind of joke was this? Faces in the crowd shifted uneasily, Jiang Shanshan’s face turning completely red.
“Of course,” Han continued—this was perhaps the first time he had spoken so long to everyone. He tapped the table and said: “Being a teacher isn’t just about paying money. The premise is that you must have knowledge, culture, and a heart dedicated to education—a heart responsible for children. Only then can you be a qualified teacher. Our factory is the same. Even if someone wants to contribute, we’ll consider their ability and character, and see what they’re suited for. Like Comrade Cheng—”
He picked up a sketchbook from the table, holding it up for everyone:
“You probably don’t know, but Comrade Cheng used to work at the furniture factory under Beicheng Construction Engineering Group. She’s highly professional in this field. Every detail of our products has been drawn by her, line by line. And she’ll be the one to coordinate with the carpentry master on how to train our workers.”
He gave a cold laugh. “Do you think just because you’ve farmed a few more years than her, you’re more capable, more knowledgeable?”
“Then why should I recruit you as carpenters? I could just recruit villagers. Compared to farming, aren’t they better and more experienced than you?”
The crowd: “……”
Comrade Han—no, Director Han—when he spoke or scolded, he didn’t hold back.
Jiang Shanshan’s face was as red as a boiled shrimp.
“Alright, that’s enough about the factory. If you have questions, go to the relevant person. Those who want to be workers, choose your stage and fill out the form. Those who want to apply for an office assistant position, stay behind and take the test. If you don’t want to join the factory, if you prefer farming, then go back to farming.”
Faces turned awkward. Comrade Han, must you be so sharp-tongued?
The atmosphere grew tense and uncomfortable.
One male youth looked around, then raised his hand with a cheeky grin:
“Hey, Director, I’ve got a question. Can us men apply for the assistant job?”
It was Han Dongyuan’s dorm mate, Zhu Xian.
Han Dongyuan lifted his eyelids: “Men and women are equal. If you want to, stay and take the test. But there’s only one assistant position, and those who stay must also submit their production stage form.”
“Alright then, Director, I’ll stay. If I do well on the test, you can’t reject me.” Zhu Xian laughed.
Han Dongyuan gave a thin smile. Back in the dorm meeting, Han had already said that once the factory was on track, Sun Jian and Zhu Xian would move into business work. So Zhu Xian’s words now were really just to ease the tension in the room.
With Zhu Xiankai breaking the ice, the atmosphere in the room finally loosened. People began whispering to each other, debating whether to stay.
Jiang Shanshan’s face was flushed red. At last, she suddenly stood up, clutching her intention paper, and turned to leave. But Liu Lina grabbed her arm and whispered: “If you don’t want to be the assistant, then don’t. But you should still join the factory. Why make trouble for yourself? If everyone else joins and you go work the fields with the villagers, is that what you want?”
Before Jiang Shanshan could reply, Liu Lina continued: “I know you’re marrying Li Sheng soon, and you’ll probably move to the commune, so maybe you don’t care about working in the factory. But you’re not married yet. If you storm out now, and later everyone else is in the factory while you’re alone in the fields, people will say you quarreled with the director and the youth compound couldn’t tolerate you. Then your only path will be marrying Li Sheng. Shanshan,” she pressed her lips together, “I know you’re proud, but pride shouldn’t mean cutting off your own feet. You can lose your temper, you can voice your opinions, but don’t degrade yourself. Do you think people will respect you more for that?”
Jiang Shanshan bit her lip hard. Whether from shame or anger, her eyes reddened, her lips trembled. In the end, she threw her intention paper at Liu Lina and left.
After she was gone, Shen Qing snorted: “Serves her right. Let her act out.”
Liu Lina shook her head and said to Shen Qing: “Everyone has it hard. She just needed to vent. We suffer here, but our parents still care. You have Sun Jian to support you, and now we all have hope. But she…”
Jiang Shanshan was proud, but her family had abandoned her. Other parents sent things regularly, but hers demanded she send things back—mountain goods for her future sister-in-law’s family. They knew how harsh conditions were here, how female youths couldn’t even earn full work points in a day, couldn’t get enough to eat. Yet letter after letter came, asking her to collect mountain goods, send them home, sell them for money, to pay for her brother’s wedding.
“Who’s to blame for that? Can she blame anyone else?” Shen Qing muttered angrily, but said no more.
She turned to Zhao Zhi: “Are you going to hand in your form? Will you stay for the test? If you become an office assistant, you can fulfill your wish to do publicity for the factory.”
Zhao Zhi lowered her head and murmured faintly, “Mm.”
The appeal of office work—avoiding the fields—was strong.
Apart from Jiang Shanshan, only two male youths left early. The rest, including Gu Jingwen, stayed after much struggle and hesitation.
When the room grew quiet again, Cheng Ning said: “Now I’ll hand out the test papers. You don’t need to answer immediately. Take them home, complete them, and tomorrow evening put them in this box in the hall. Remember, the deadline is ten o’clock tomorrow night.”
She lifted a small paper box for everyone to see. It was sealed with paste, with only a long slit at the top to slip in the answer sheets.
She demonstrated once for everyone, then set the little box back on the table. Collecting herself, she said seriously: “But there’s one thing I want everyone to pay attention to.”
“Our test questions this time are confidential, and so are your answers. When you go back to complete them, you can consult others if you have questions, but don’t reveal your own answers.”
“This is also part of the test. In the future, whether in the office or the workshop, the factory’s finances, publicity materials, design drafts, and production techniques must all be kept secret. We cannot hire anyone who, whether intentionally or not, would leak factory information or technology.”
The room fell silent.
“Alright, everyone step forward, collect a test paper, and then you can go.”
People took their papers, eager to open them, and after a quick word to Han Dongyuan and the others, they gradually left.
When only a few remained, Liao Sheng grinned at Cheng Ning: “Ning Ning, impressive! Your presence—I can’t match it. Hey, you’re so young, but when you speak and act, you’re completely different. I never noticed before.”
Cheng Ning pressed her lips into a smile and replied: “I’m just treating this with the utmost seriousness and caution. Brother Liao, when you go out to negotiate business, you’ll need to carry yourself like a proper Business Director too. That’s how you command the room.”
Then she turned to Han Dongyuan with a bright smile: “Right, Comrade Director?”
She was beaming—happy to have finished her work, and happy that earlier Han Dongyuan had rebuked Jiang Shanshan. She knew that, though his personality was difficult, he was truly a good person.
But her radiant smile dazzled Han Dongyuan. And that “Comrade Director” sounded grating to his ears. He snorted coldly: “Putting on airs.”
Cheng Ning: “……!!!” So she had praised him too soon! He was still such a dog!
Fuming, she gave a sharp “hmph,” lifted her chin, clasped her hands behind her back, and marched out.
Liao Sheng: “……” Couldn’t the two of them ever speak properly?
He sighed at her retreating figure and said: “Brother Dongyuan, you shouldn’t talk to her like that. Honestly, she really does seem like she was raised by your Han family—she’s got that Han family bearing. Aren’t all you Hans good at putting on airs?”
Only then did he realize what he’d said. A chill ran down his back; his hair stood on end. He turned—and met Han Dongyuan’s dark, sinister stare. Terrified, he yelped and bolted for the door.
Cheng Ning had just reached the doorway when a gust of cold wind rushed past her—Liao Sheng had already darted out. Startled, she stepped aside quickly and snapped in annoyance: “Crazy! Brother Liao, are you being chased by ghosts?!”
Everyone: “……”