Zhu Xiaomin smiled: "Yes, the road was bad and the car arrived late, so I didn't have time to eat."

The salesperson looked at the counter, a little embarrassed: "How do we get some food?"

The supply and marketing cooperative only sold raw and semi-finished products, no cooked food.

Zhu Xiaomin handed her a kettle and said, "Please fill some hot water for me first. I'll lend you the stove."

The salesperson nodded and went inside with the kettle.

Zhu Xiaomin was familiar with the place. She dragged two stools out from behind the counter and gave one to Lu Mingzheng. She found some water to wash her hands first, then sat down. She took out an aluminum lunch box from Lu Mingzheng's bag, took out a few meat buns, skillfully replaced the wire mesh on the stove, and put the buns on the stove to bake.

Lu Mingzheng was speechless: "Did you think we would miss dinner?"

He bought this at a convenience restaurant last night and thought it was for He Lanfang.

Zhu Xiaomin smiled at him: "It's better to be prepared."

The salesperson helped her fill the water and came back. When he saw the buns she baked, he couldn't help laughing: "I was wondering, how could Zhu Zhiqing wrong herself?"

Zhu Xiaomin took the pot with a smile: "It's a good thing I can come to your place, otherwise I would have to eat cold food."

The salesperson also pulled a chair over and sat by the stove to warm himself. After watching her for a while, he asked, "Zhu Zhiqing, I heard that you are in charge of this place now?"

"Ah?" Zhu Xiaomin looked up at her, then laughed and shook her head, "This is under the jurisdiction of the county. I am only in charge of production, I can't control anything else."

The salesperson's eyes lit up: "Then, in the future, we can all distribute meat during the New Year, fruit during normal times, and grain and oil like the first team did?"

Zhu Xiaomin nodded: "As long as everyone is willing to work hard, I think it should be possible."

The salesperson was excited: "Of course I won't. My second uncle is in the Fourth Brigade. A few days ago, he said that the educated youth who run the literacy class in the Fourth Brigade said that in the future, the canning of the First Brigade will require everyone in the commune to participate, right?"

Zhu Xiaomin nodded and took the opportunity to say, "Well, in principle, everyone will participate, but the initial selection should be from those with good grades in the literacy class. After all, people who can read and write can work better."

The salesperson nodded repeatedly, pointed at the counter and said, "There used to be a large row of canned food on the shelf over there, 50 cents a bottle. We originally said it was too expensive and we were afraid we wouldn't be able to sell them, so we only kept 100 bottles. But it didn't snow at the beginning of winter, and many people had coughs, so they were all gone in a flash."

It’s more expensive than half a pound of pork.

Zhu Xiaomin smiled: "With the experience gained this year, we can keep more next year."

The salesperson nodded repeatedly, glanced at Lu Mingzheng who was just sitting by the fire without saying anything, and said with some envy: "You educated people are the best. You can work in the city and join the army."

Zhu Xiaomin looked back at Lu Mingzheng, her eyes filled with smiles unconsciously, and she nodded: "Well, we run schools and literacy classes in the hope that everyone can get better and better like us." Seeing that the buns were baked, she handed one to Lu Mingzheng first, and then took one from the salesperson.

The salesperson waved his hands hastily: "I've eaten, you guys can just eat by yourselves."

Although the village was poor, the salesman had a stable job in the commune and was not short of food.

Zhu Xiaomin then took one and ate it, drank some hot water, and then passed it to Lu Mingzheng.

The saleswoman saw Lu Mingzheng drink some water and then handed the kettle back. She couldn't help but laugh, leaned closer to her, and whispered, "I used to see Lu Zhiqing like a god, and I was always afraid that he would dislike me if I breathed too hard, but I didn't know he would use the kettle that others had drunk from."

Zhu Xiaomin was amused by her and couldn't help coughing. She glanced at her and said, "I'm not someone else."

Yes, yes, what is there to dislike between you two?

The salesman laughed softly again and asked, "How are you going to get back to the village later? How about I lend you a bicycle?"

Zhu Xiaomin shook her head: "We will go to work in a while, let's go to the commune first."

The commune's compound is located at the end of the town, just a few steps away.

The salesperson nodded and said nothing more.

After drinking the hot water with the roasted golden buns, the two of them felt full of energy again. Looking at the time, they walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative and headed straight for the commune's compound.

In winter, there was not much to do in the commune. In an office, a few people were chatting around the stove, and a few people were playing cards nearby.

As soon as Zhu Xiaomin pushed the door open, she smelled cigarette smoke and frowned. She knocked on the door and called out several times before attracting the attention of the commune director. Seeing that it was her, he hurried out to greet her and drove the people out of the room. He opened the door and window to let out the smoke and smiled awkwardly, "There's not much work to do in this winter, so everyone just wants to have some fun."

In winter, all the brigades were like this. Zhu Xiaomin was used to it. She nodded and handed him the letter of introduction: "Director Jiang, I came here this time to see the situation of the literacy classes in the brigades."

Jiang Jiancheng nodded hurriedly: "Okay, we will arrange for the various teams to receive you."

Zhu Xiaomin waved her hand: "That's not necessary, it's just that this road is difficult to walk on, I want to walk it as soon as possible, let's see if the community can arrange transportation."

"Traffic?" Jiang Jiancheng was a little embarrassed. "The wife of the tractor driver in the cooperative just gave birth to a child. This..."

Zhu Xiaomin said: "It's OK if you have a donkey cart. Come with us and come back when you're done."

You just want a donkey cart?

Jiang Jiancheng nodded his agreement immediately after hearing this. After thinking for a while, he went out to ask people to prepare the donkey cart. He came back soon, sat by the stove and rubbed his hands. He asked tentatively, "Did Secretary Zhu come here just to ask for a cart to go to the literacy class?"

Zhu Xiaomin smiled and said, "I came here specially because I want to hear Director Jiang's opinions on production."

Jiang Jiancheng immediately perked up and said, "Just after the New Year, all the teams have submitted reports, wanting to plant more fruit trees. We initially agree, but we also know that sales are a problem. So I want to ask Secretary Zhu, if we have a large harvest of fruit, can we sell it in the city?"

Zhu Xiaomin shook her head: "I can try some long-lasting fruits, but many fruits can only be kept fresh for two or three days, I'm afraid it won't work." Seeing his disappointed face, she smiled slightly and took out the factory construction plan from her bag and gave it to him, "Director Jiang, take a look at this."

Jiang Jiancheng unfolded it and took a look at the headline, and was instantly surprised: "Private enterprise?"

Zhu Xiaomin nodded: "The canning workshop of the first team has been in trial operation for a year. It seems that it can be expanded. In terms of funding, I will discuss with the first team and let them provide the start-up capital. However, in this case, the management rights will also be handed over to the first team."

Jiang Jiancheng was even more surprised to hear that the funds had already been obtained. He nodded repeatedly and tried to ask: "Then... how do we need other teams to cooperate?" After asking, he added, "This canning factory doesn't belong to only the first team, right?"

Zhu Xiaomin smiled, took his hand and turned a few pages, pointed to the next one and said, "Here is the way of employing workers. I think the employment model based on the brigade is too rigid. After the canning factory is built, I hope to break this model and transfer people from the whole commune."

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