Perhaps her taste buds were too sensitive, but she felt that the batches using salad oil and corn oil as substitutes for butter were simply not up to par. However, she couldn’t find any other fats to replace them.
The early nineties were not like twenty or thirty years later; the variety of edible oils was not nearly as abundant. At this time, most parts of the country still consumed bulk oil.
In recent years, some companies had targeted the gap in the domestic small-package edible oil market and begun focusing on producing refined blended oils. These were beautifully packaged and clear in color, but they were not cheap.
Therefore, most households still consumed bulk oil. City dwellers would usually wait until their oil ran out at home, then take an empty bottle to the grain and oil shop to get a refill, much like buying soy sauce.
In the countryside where land was farmed, people usually waited until the autumn harvest, then dragged their harvested peanuts to the village oil mill to be pressed into peanut oil; rapeseed was pressed into rapeseed oil. If a family was well-off, they would also go to the market to buy pork leaf fat to render into lard and keep it at home for use.
In the research and development lab of their food factory, the variety of oils was actually considered quite extensive, including bottled salad oil, corn oil, butter, and margarine.
Relying solely on her own palate was still too subjective and one-sided. She urgently needed other tongues to taste the flavors of these different loaves of bread.
Before Meng Ruo could reply to the workshop director, Feng Jialing, standing to the side, spoke up in an overbearing manner.
“Don’t tell me that after all that tinkering, you haven’t produced anything at all,” Feng Jialing said with a contemptuous tone. “This short shelf-life bread is waiting to go on the production line. Don’t hold up everyone’s progress.”
Upon hearing this, several nearby group leaders were momentarily stunned.
A couple of them, who were good at reading the room, immediately saw that Feng Jialing and Meng Ruo did not get along.
Feng Jialing had a sister-in-law who served as a workshop director in Workshop No. 2. Otherwise, with only a high school education, it would have been difficult for her to even enter the food factory, let alone be promoted to group leader so quickly.
Usually, relying on the fact that her sister-in-law was a director, Feng Jialing always felt superior to others and showed little respect to the group leaders of her same rank.
Seeing that Meng Ruo remained silent, she thought her words had intimidated her. Feeling even more triumphant, she was about to say a few more words to harshly crush Meng Ruo’s spirit.
At that moment, Director Zhang, standing next to her, cleared her throat and said in a lukewarm tone, “Speak less.”
Standing opposite them, Meng Ruo keenly noticed that Zhang Caixia seemed to dislike Feng Jialing’s behavior.
“Everyone has arrived at just the right time. I happen to be facing an obstacle right now,” Meng Ruo said with a smile.
She was naturally pleasing to the eye, and when she smiled, she was even more likable.
“Everyone, please come and taste the bread. Then, write down the texture and your corresponding opinions for each loaf so that I can make a comparison.” As she spoke, Meng Ruo handed out several pieces of paper to everyone.
She had already sliced the toast bread into individual pieces with a knife.
Zhang Caixia looked at the blank paper in her hand, then at the papers in the others’ hands, and said with a smile, “This method of yours is actually quite excellent.”
In the past, when they produced products, they would also organize staff tastings, but the feedback collected was generally vague—just asking around casually. They wouldn’t have people write their opinions on paper like Meng Ruo was doing.
Seeing Meng Ruo do this today, she suddenly realized that writing opinions on paper had many benefits. For instance, having a written record would be useful for improving the recipe in the future.
Feng Jialing took the paper handed to her by Meng Ruo and rolled her eyes speechlessly. “Is it necessary to make it so complicated? Just making a few loaves of bread and you’re making such a big scene—who are you trying to impress?”
Feng Jialing’s malice toward Meng Ruo was all too obvious. Another group leader standing next to her couldn’t bear to watch any longer and shook their head helplessly. If someone is stupid, they’re stupid, but to be so conspicuously stupid is something else.
Zhang Caixia frowned and glanced at her but didn’t say anything more.
“Alright, everyone follow Little Meng’s lead. Taste first, then write down the texture and your opinions,” Zhang Caixia organized.
After saying this, she was the first to step forward, and then she noticed the serial numbers next to each loaf of bread.
“Little Meng, should we write the feedback according to the numbers?” she asked.
For each loaf of toast, Meng Ruo hadn’t specifically labeled the ingredients nearby; instead, she had simply marked them with serial numbers. This was to prevent people’s stereotypes—thinking that if the raw materials were expensive, the taste would definitely be better.
It was just like when people go shopping; they think expensive things must be of better quality, but that isn’t always the case.
Meng Ruo nodded. “Yes, everyone can write down the texture for that numbered loaf immediately after tasting it. That way, it’s not easy to get confused.”
“So many unnecessary steps,” Feng Jialing muttered in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft.
The way Zhang Caixia and the other group leaders tasted the bread and wrote their feedback and suggestions was quite normal.
When it was Feng Jialing’s turn, her performance was slightly exaggerated.
Tasting Number 1, it actually felt okay, but she frowned and said, “What kind of taste is this? It’s so unpleasant.”
Then she wrote the word “Unpalatable” on the paper.
Tasting Number 2, she felt the taste was similar to Number 1, and she began her performance again. “This one is also unpalatable, dry and tasteless.”
And she wrote the words “Equally unpalatable” on the paper.
Tasting Number 3, the taste was actually very good—the bread was soft and sweet. But in order to show a progressive performance, her expression became even more exaggerated.
“Gag—” After swallowing the bread, she made an exaggerated retching sound, frowning with a face full of disgust. “Is this even fit for human consumption?”
Meng Ruo, who was quietly watching her performance, thought to herself: You might as well not have swallowed it; that would have made the act more convincing.
Hearing the phrase “Is this even fit for human consumption,” everyone turned their heads to look at Feng Jialing.
Where did this weirdo come from?
Where did this drama queen come from?
Where did this crazy person come from?
But Feng Jialing’s performance wasn’t over. She continued with a look of disdain and contempt, “Meng Ruo, your bread-making level is simply too inferior. A late-starter is just a late-starter; one really can’t have even a bit of expectation.”
“I am the bread technician appointed by the Factory Director. According to your meaning, are you blaming the Factory Director for having poor judgment?” Meng Ruo countered with a beaming smile.
“Does this count as badmouthing the Factory Director behind his back?” she asked back with a laugh.
Hearing the Factory Director being involved, Feng Jialing got a bit scared. She stuttered slightly, “Meng Ruo, don’t go throwing dirty water around. I was only talking about you, not the Director.”
“Since you look down on my skills so much, why don’t you take over this recipe improvement task?” Meng Ruo sneered. “After all, you were a skilled worker originally and you’re a group leader; surely your level is much higher than mine.”
As soon as Meng Ruo said this, Feng Jialing panicked even more. Originally, this job had been assigned to her group, but unfortunately, not a single skilled worker in her group could do it—and of course, she was even less capable.
What little skill she had was learned from her sister-in-law, and she had only mastered a smattering of it.
“This matter was yours to begin with, why should…”
Before Feng Jialing could finish her sentence, she was impatiently interrupted by Zhang Caixia.
Zhang Caixia snatched the description of the textures from Feng Jialing’s hand and took a look. The descriptions for numbers one, two, and three were respectively: Unpalatable, Equally unpalatable, and Tastes worse than feces.
Zhang Caixia frowned after reading it and, giving no face at all, read the three descriptions out loud. Feng Jialing’s face instantly turned red with shame.
“This is your description of the texture? Is this a description a professional skilled worker would write? Is this a description a group leader would write?” Zhang Caixia waved the piece of paper in front of Feng Jialing.
Feng Jialing’s face turned even redder.
Zhang Caixia was famously strict with her subordinates. Upon hearing Zhang Caixia’s words, the remaining group leaders hurried to check their own descriptions and suggestions to see if they met the standards of a skilled worker and group leader.
After speaking, Zhang Caixia looked at the texture descriptions of the others one by one; they were quite normal. Furthermore, based on everyone’s descriptions, the texture of Number 3 was superior to Numbers 1 and 2, which was exactly what she thought as well.
Then Zhang Caixia asked Meng Ruo, “What is the recipe for Number 3?”
Meng Ruo answered truthfully. The recipe for Number 3 was the one that the Factory Director had previously approved but felt was too costly.
Zhang Caixia nodded, thinking it was no wonder that Number 3 tasted the best.
However, Feng Jialing’s description of Number 3 was “tastes worse than feces,” which showed that she hadn’t taken the assessment of each bread’s texture seriously at all.
This was the kind of person she despised the most—someone who couldn’t separate public duties from private matters and allowed personal feelings to seriously affect their work.
“Feng Jialing, look at your evaluation of Number 3, ‘tastes worse than feces.’ This is the original recipe approved by the Factory Director, yet you wrote such an evaluation. So, may I ask, is it you who is talking nonsense, or is it the Factory Director who is talking nonsense?”
By the end of her sentence, Zhang Caixia’s voice had risen significantly. Meng Ruo felt as if the entire research lab vibrated.
Feng Jialing also trembled with fear and hurriedly explained, “It’s me talking nonsense, it’s me talking nonsense.”
To Zhang Caixia, this didn’t look like admitting a mistake but rather an admission of her irresponsibility toward her work.
“Feng Jialing, this is work. Do you understand what work is?” Zhang Caixia was so angry that she slammed the table.
Zhang Caixia had always been the most responsible and serious about her work; she understood that this job had almost changed her destiny.
She was born into a family that wasn’t very well-off, and her hometown was in the countryside. The elders and parents in her family were extremely patriarchal.
She had relied on herself, making steady progress step by step to reach her current position. She understood the hardships involved better than anyone. Because of this, she could not stand unfair people and situations.
Feng Jialing had been under her since she entered the factory, so she knew her abilities all too well.
She was barely passable as a skilled worker, and she was not fit to be a group leader, yet she had been promoted to group leader through connections.
Ever since Feng Jialing became a group leader, her mind was not on her work; she spent all day boasting about her sister-in-law being a workshop director. Zhang Caixia had long been fed up with it and decided to settle all accounts—new and old—together today.
Feng Jialing trembled again in fear and quickly admitted her fault: “I’m sorry, Director, I know I was wrong.”
“Go back and write a self-criticism.” Zhang Caixia pointed toward the door, showing no mercy.
After Feng Jialing was kicked out of the research lab, Zhang Caixia looked at Meng Ruo’s descriptions of the three types of bread and nodded with great satisfaction.
“You wrote it very clearly; your work is very meticulous,” Zhang Caixia said.
Then, she noticed the “experimental record” Meng Ruo had placed on the table.
Zhang Caixia took a look; the quantities of various ingredients, as well as the fermentation time and baking temperature, were all written very clearly. This was essentially a bread recipe.
“Experimental records? Little Meng, you’re taking a scientific approach to improving the recipe, hahahaha,” she said with a laugh.
“Research and development isn’t much different from scientists working in a laboratory,” Meng Ruo said with a smile.
“But you must pay attention to the confidentiality of these data. Don’t let them be seen and leaked by people with ill intentions,” Zhang Caixia suddenly lowered her voice and leaned in toward her ear.
Hearing this, Meng Ruo’s expression turned serious, and she nodded solemnly.
She hadn’t thought of this point, but when it came to recipes, one did indeed need to be careful.
Once a recipe leak occurred, wouldn’t the responsibility fall entirely on her head?
Zhang Caixia looked at Meng Ruo and nodded with satisfaction. “Alright, continue with the recipe improvement on your end. This matter is quite urgent, so try to be as quick as possible.”
Meng Ruo nodded earnestly.
Soon after, the bell for the end of the shift rang.
Meng Ruo packed up her things in the research lab and, as usual, stood at the entrance of the food factory waiting for You Che to pick her up.
When Feng Jialing and Song Yan passed the food factory entrance hand-in-hand, they both tilted their chins up and looked down their noses at Meng Ruo upon seeing her, letting out a disdainful snort.
As usual, Meng Ruo couldn’t be bothered to deal with these two clowns and didn’t even spare them a glance.
If Feng Jialing’s previous bullying of Meng Ruo was to stand up for her good friend Song Yan, then now the two had clearly formed a united front. Feng Jialing also hated Meng Ruo, perhaps even more than Song Yan did.
Of course, Meng Ruo was completely unaware of this.
Today was payday at the food factory. Meng Ruo touched the warm money she had just received in her pocket and thought that she should buy some meat today to treat herself.
When You Che arrived on his bicycle to pick her up, Meng Ruo sat on the back seat and said happily, “Today is payday. Let’s go to the butcher shop and buy some meat.”
“Okay,” You Che replied and pedaled even harder.
The two arrived at the butcher shop, but most of the meat had already been sold.
Meng Ruo picked out a piece of pork collar that looked decent and also bought some pork leaf fat, planning to go home and render lard.
Not far from the butcher shop were several vegetable stalls. She bought some chili peppers and a few round eggplants, intending to cook a dish of stir-fried pork and a dish of eggplant with minced meat.
You Che continued pedaling the bike, carrying Meng Ruo back home.
Meng Ruo carried the groceries she had just bought while You Che bent over to lock the bicycle. Just as the two were about to go upstairs, a voice sounded from behind them.
“Sister Meng.”
Meng Ruo stopped, turned around to look, and raised her eyebrows in surprise.
It was actually Zheng Wan. How had she found this place?